TRINITY THE MAGAZINE OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY | JULY 2013
will be
Health Care Alumni tackle ACA in Texas Student Report: It was amazing!
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
expertly conducted by current student Ellen Browder Long ’16. n May 18, I had the privilege of presiding over my • A meeting with Dr. C. Raj Kumar, vice chancellor of O.P. Jindal fourth spring commencement. I am exceptionally Global University, a private university focused on law and busiproud of the 502 undergraduates and 65 graduate ness but now looking to partner with an American liberal arts and students, who I know to be well prepared to thrive and excel wherever their individual passions and interests may take them. sciences university—I just happen to know a great one—to broaden their mission. They are critical thinkers who can express themselves articulately. • A meeting with Charn Uswachoke, an influential Thai businessman They have the self-confidence to tackle problems, seek creative soluwho expressed a keen interest in Trinity’s Center for the Sciences and tions, and adapt to a fast-paced, constantly changing world. They Innovation (CSI) and our entrepreneurial program. He plans to visit have benefitted from close relationships with professors, who also serve as mentors and advisers, and internships and research opportu- Trinity when he is in the U.S. this fall. • A visit to Jiao Tong University and the 11 Trinity students parnities usually available only at the graduate level. More than half have ticipating in the second annual studied abroad and many are Summer in Shanghai program as proficient in a foreign language; part of the EAST initiative with all have an understanding of the professors Stephen Field and interconnectedness of our global Dante Suarez. society. In short, Trinity gradu• A tour of the Shanghai Ameriates are a pretty impressive group can School-Puxi with Trinof young men and women—fuity incoming first-year Po Wei ture leaders all. Huang ’17. As proud as I am of the Class • An evening with alumnus of 2013, our priority now is to Brendan Kelly ’94 and his wife, fill the incoming class—an anKarin. Brendan is a leading nual quest that is increasingly tax attorney in Shanghai who competitive to attract the best studied Chinese at Trinity with and brightest. Seeking to further Professor Field and has been a our penetration of international strong supporter of the EAST markets and maintain the interinitiative. national make-up of the student Both Eric and I felt the trip was body, Eric Maloof, our director successful in establishing new of international admissions, and I and cementing existing relationmade a 10-day trip to New Delhi, ships and creating awareness of Bangkok, and Shanghai in late Trinity. Indeed, we are already May. (The original itinerary also reaping dividends from our called for a stop in Singapore, previous trips to Asia in 2011 but a nasty bug forced a cancellaand Latin America in 2012. I tion of that portion of the trip. I am pleased to report that our would, however, like to express a incoming class of 2017 will be special thank you to alumna and President Ahlburg welcomes Devina Kuma ’17 and Patariya 11 percent international with Trinity Trustee Melody Boone (Bright) Wanachaikiat ’17 to the Trinity family during his visit students representing 35 counMeyer ’79, a Chevron executive, to Bangkok, Thailand. tries. Such a diverse student body who hosted the scheduled dinner greatly enriches the Trinity experience and supports our strategic in Singapore in my absence.) theme of global awareness and engagement. Throughout the trip, we visited with alumni, current and prospecI wish all of you a pleasant and productive summer. tive students, and their parents at dinners, receptions, and one-onone visits. Also important and productive, were the meetings with Cordially, high school counselors, many of whom were pleasantly surprised to learn about the many outstanding resources and opportunities that Trinity offers highly motivated students. Dennis A. Ahlburg Among the trip highlights were: • A tour of the prestigious American Embassy School in New Delhi,
TRINITY THE MAGAZINE OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY | JULY 2013
FEATURES 23 The Collaborative for Learning and Teaching provides an innovative forum for faculty discussions. page 5
The Revolution will be Televised
27
It was Amazing! Researching the Syrian Conflict with Professor Lesch
31
Insuring Success
DEPARTMENTS 3 Trinity Today
John Bentley ’95 was among the first digital journalists at CBS. Profiles begin on page 34.
16 Faculty/Staff Focus 34 Profiles
Cover collage/illustration:Michelle Wilby Friesenhahn ’77
42 Advancement The Coates family has had a transformative impact on Trinity University. page 42
46 Alumnews 58 Class Acts 64 Commentary: Ana Unruh Cohen ’96
TRINITY July 2013
executive editor
Sharon Jones Schweitzer ’75 editor
Mary Denny art director
Michelle Wilby Friesenhahn ’77 contributing writers
Mike Agresta, R. Douglas Brackenridge, Julie Catalano, Nancy Cook-Monroe, Coleen Grissom, Susie Gonzalez, Russell Guerrero ’83, James Hill ’76, Jacob Uzman ’15 proofreader, Beth
Hoffman ’67
president
Dennis A. Ahlburg board of trustees
Sharon J. Bell, Ted Beneski, Walter F. Brown Jr., Richard W. Calvert, Miles Cortez ’64, James F. Dicke II ’68, Douglas D. Hawthorne ’69, ’72, George C. Hixon ’64, Walter R. Huntley Jr. ’71, ’73, John R. Hurd, E. Carey Joullian IV ’82, The Rev. Richard R. Kannwischer ’95, Richard M. Kleberg III ’65, Katherine W. Klinger ’72, John C. Korbell, Oliver T. Lee ’93, Steven P. Mach ’92, Robert S. McClane ’61, Melody Boone Meyer ’79, Forrest E. Miller, Marshall B. Miller Jr., Michael F. Neidorff ’65, Barbara W. Pierce ’78, Thomas R. Semmes, Paul H. Smith, L. Herbert Stumberg Jr. ’81, Lissa Walls Vahldiek ’80 Trinity is published two times a year by the Office of University Communications and is sent to alumni, faculty, staff, graduate students, parents of undergraduates, and friends of the University. editorial offices
Trinity University Office of University Communications One Trinity Place San Antonio, TX 78212-7200 E-mail: mdenny@ trinity.edu Phone: 210-999-8406 Fax: 210-999-8449 www.trinity.edu
FROM THE EDITOR
TO THE EDITOR
Construction continues apace on campus, as the Center for the Sciences and Innovation moves toward completion; the Cowles wing will be occupied and operational for the fall semester, with total completion expected in 2014. The Admissions Office is moving to Northrup Hall, necessitating remodeling of the first floor and the relocation of several offices to new campus locations. Additional major renovations are taking place in Witt Winn on lower campus. Needless to say, those of us on campus this summer are becoming inured to the presence of backhoes and bucket trucks, cadres of hard-hatted workmen, and the sound of drills, hammers, and saws. The features in this issue look at the changing nature of television, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Texas at two major health systems, and an amazing first-hand account of a student’s once in-alifetime opportunity to travel the world with a professor studying the Syrian conflict. And for those who love good reads, don’t miss English professor Coleen Grissom’s picks for your night table.
WOW, WHAT A POWERFUL EDITION!
Mary Denny Editor’s note: We welcome your comments, memories, and suggestions. Letters may be edited for style and space considerations. Please send them to mdenny@trinity.edu or Mary Denny, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212
We goofed.
In the January 2013 Trinity magazine • The correct e-mail address for retired professor John Burke (page 48) is johngwenburke@aol.com • The photo on page 22 misidentified women athletes congratulating Malsbury award recipient James Hill. They were members of the women’s volleyball team. • The photo credit for the portrait of George Burmeister should have read Glenn Cratty. We apologize for the errors.
Enjoyed many of the articles and features but was again mesmerized by Dr. Brackenridge's ability to turn back time and introduce facts and personalities that otherwise would have been lost - certainly on my part. Because he wasn't on staff when I attended Trinity from 1955-1957, I missed being introduced to his fine teaching as has been attested to many times in your fine publication and other places. Fortunately for me, and I might add other Board Directors of the San Diego alumni chapter, I was given his in-depth and lengthy history of Trinity book at our 50th Reunion back in 2007. I spent hours going over the facts and figures to the delight of myself and fellow board members, who I might add, failed all the questions I picked from this delightful book. Someday I hope to sit down with Dr. Brackenridge over coffee and question him on what excites him most about his association with Trinity! Keep up the fine work. Trinity has such a fine reputation, and it only gets better with the passage of time. Tom Braddock '57, '66 San Diego GETTING BETTER! Congratulations on another solid edition of the Trinity magazine. I've found the publication to get increasingly better over the years - from the stories to alumni spotlights to campus and faculty updates. As an '04 grad, former president of Spurs sorority, former team captain for the women's soccer team, and former Ambassador, I find the publication an excellent way to stay connected with the University and organizations I love so much. Jamie Kimball ’04 San Antonio
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TRINITY
James F. Dicke Board Room honors Trustee’s Service and Support
THE MAGAZINE OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY | JANUARY 2013
Out of Africa: Students intern in Botswana and Swaziland
Curriculum Reform: Less—but strategically focused—is More
MEMORY JOG I remember John Silber well. He was a year ahead of me when I entered Trinity as a junior after the war. I didn't know he founded the Triniteers but, if so, then I must have been one of the first Triniteers, being elected in 1947. However, I remember John as the organizer of the Prickly Pear Philosophers. I was a member as well as Bill Moors, my housemate at the time. Bill became a Unitarian minister in Rockville, Maryland. I was drinking beer and philosophizing with him the night before he died in 1976. John also established a scholarship fund honoring my favorite Trinity teacher, Francis Kelam Hendricks, also among John's favorites. David Dawdy ’48 San Francisco
Jim and Janet Dicke
D
uring the February 22, 2013 meeting of the Trinity University Trustees, President Dennis A. Ahlburg and Board chair John Korbell unveiled a portrait of Trustee Jim Dicke II. The portrait hangs in the newly designated James F. Dicke Board Room, named in honor of Dicke and his family, whose philanthropic history with Trinity spans three generations. Dicke, a member of the class of 1968, a Trinity Trustee since 1979, and chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1997-2002, was recognized for his long service, wise counsel, and exceptional support of Trinity University. In announcing the honor, President Ahlburg lauded Dicke’s contributions ranging from the art that
graces Northrup Hall, the impressive sculpture that dominates the west entrance of Laurie Auditorium, his support of scholarships, to his contributions to every renovation or expansion project in Trinity’s recent history. The Dicke Art Building in the Ruth Taylor Fine Arts Center, completed in 2006, is also named in honor of Dicke and his wife, Janet, who share a passion for art. A resident of New Bremen, Ohio, Dicke is chairman and CEO of Ohio-based Crown Equipment Company, the largest manufacturer of forklift trucks in the United States. The Trinity Alumni Association honored Dicke with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991, and the University honored him with the Distinguished Service Award in 2006.
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Suspensions lifted
Fraternities, Sororities get “Blueprint”for moving forward
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he journey toward reinstatement for four Trinity fraternities and sororities, suspended last year for policy violations, came to a successful conclusion this spring. In early April, Michael Fischer, vice president for Faculty and Student Affairs, notified the student and alumni advisers for Bengal Lancers, Chi Delta Tau, Gamma Chi Delta, and the Spurs that their commitment to the reinstatement process and the progress their organizations had made had earned them active status. Although reinstated, the groups remain on probation for three years. To earn their return to active status, the two fraternities and two sororities, along with their alumni advisers, worked diligently for nearly a year on plans to re-examine their organizations’ values and how their actions and activities reflect those values. The groups’ reinstatement plans include activities that relate to scholarship, leadership, service, and camaraderie. Caroline Roberts, a junior Gamma, says the reinstatement process was long and at times difficult, but in the long run rewarding. “Our sorority was able to get back to our roots, strengthen our relationship with our alumni, and define goals and standards that
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will allow us to positively contribute to the Trinity community,” she says. Samantha Couch, a junior SPURS member, praises their alumni adviser team as “absolute joy to work with. We simply could not have done it without them.” Fischer concurs, noting, “One of the most valuable contributions to this process has been strong alumni involvement, and it will be central to the implementation of the ‘Blueprint for Trinity’s Fraternities and Sororities.’” The “Blueprint” was an outgrowth of the reinstatement process, after the Trustees and the administration concluded that systemic issues needed to be addressed in order to provide the basis for the long-term sustainability of a vibrant culture for fraternity and sorority life at Trinity. Endorsed by the Trustees at their May 2013 meeting, the plan was developed over many months by a working group of alumni, students, staff, and Trustees. It will be implemented through four committees, one of which is a new fraternity and sorority committee on the National Alumni Board (NAB). Other committees will focus on communications, recruitment and orientation, and standards and governance.
Steve Mach ’72, a Trustee who helped draft the Blueprint, believes it provides a foundation for stronger and more positive organizations going forward. “The Board is committed to providing an environment for our fraternities and sororities to prosper as an important part of the Trinity community,” he says. “We believe the formalized role for alumni as advisers to these groups will be a key driver for success in the years to come.” Dave Mansen, president of the Trinity University Alumni Association, NAB chair, and a fraternity alumnus, is pleased with the “Blueprint.” “We received valuable input from students, the Greek Council, the Greek Alumni Advisory Council, alumni leaders, and others, and it provides a good starting point for all fraternities and sororities to have improved alumni engagement at all levels.” To read the full version of the “Blueprint for Trinity’s Fraternities and Sororities,” visit www.trinity.edu/blueprint. Sharon Jones Schweitzer ‘75
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Let’s Talk About It
New Collaborative inspires faculty conversation
Sean Connin, director of the Collaborative for Learning and Teaching, introduces a presentation during Winterlude, a session he led between semesters.
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t an informal luncheon held inside the offices of the Collaborative for Learning and Teaching, Sean Connin facilitated a conversation with about 20 faculty on emerging practices in higher education that provide significant opportunities and challenges for institutions like Trinity. As the professors munched on sandwiches and chips, Connin, the director of the Collaborative, seeded a discussion on what may be among the most transformative periods in education. In a brief half hour, Connin and the group reviewed current experiments in online learning within the liberal arts to enable inter-institutional teaching, prepare entering students for success in math and writing, and match students and alumni in a common course experience. They also touched on such topics as learning analytics, micro-
credentialing, and recent developments in competency-based curriculum. The luncheon was meant as a short introduction to what the future of education may hold and to generate an informed conversation among faculty on issues of national scope. For Connin, it was a relevant topic selected to engage the Trinity professors on the dynamic nature of teaching and learning. Trinity established the Collaborative a few years ago in Coates Library in order to create a space and context where faculty across departments could exchange ideas to enhance student learning and to benefit from both informal and structured interactions. Connin joined the University in July 2012 as its first director. “I think my role here, within the Collaborative, is to provide a trajectory that serves the intent and
interests of the faculty and the institution. This is a community that already performs at a high level. Recognizing this, my efforts go to shaping the resources and modes of discourse that are valuable to faculty and that, in turn, promote enriched learning opportunities for Trinity students.” Connin also works to assist faculty in their own efforts to reimagine their teaching practices, incorporate new ideas, evaluate emerging technologies, and to bring contemporary scholarship in teaching to common conversation. In the year that he has been the director, Connin and the Collaborative have: • Promoted a faculty luncheon series that enables professors and staff to gather for a short period of time to share information on teaching and learning. • Developed two stipend programs for faculty, one that can be used to enhance faculty-student interactions and active learning within an existing course, and another that allows faculty to come together to address common concerns found in teaching and learning. • Developed Winterlude, a program between the fall and spring semesters used to introduce clinics on teaching and learning and which brings in outside speakers who speak on a broader range of educational issues and innovations taking place at institutions across the country. • Established an Early Career Faculty program to help pre-tenure and visiting faculty navigate the challenges of scholarship and teaching through peer-to-peer support. • Created Collaboration-in-Design, a 3-day colloquium at the end of the spring semester to provide faculty an opportunity to refine and enhance a course, working along side colleagues from other disciplines. continued on page 22
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Minding One’s Business
New minor promotes business literacy for liberal arts and science majors
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hannon Perry, a sophomore from Houston, aspires to run her own scenic design company someday. But as a theatre major, she knows she'll need more than a deep knowledge of the performing arts in order to function and succeed in the professional world. Trinity University's newest academic program, the Arts, Letters, and Enterprise (ALE) minor and certification, is designed to promote business literacy for students like Shannon. Perry is among students who will take advantage of Trinity’s innovative new minor this fall. Designed to equip students pursuing majors in the humanities, the arts, the social sciences, and the natural sciences with business skills, the ALE minor and
certification program will further broaden their skill sets. The ALE program builds on two of Trinity's greatest strengths: its liberal arts and sciences core and a robust business administration program. The program offers two options: a minor and a certification program. The minor in Arts, Letters, and Enterprise is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to explore various aspects of administering complex organizations in the modern world. The certification option requires fewer credit hours but gives students an opportunity to gain business skills while gaining practical experience in an internship off campus. ALE certification
is especially suited for students pursuing a degree in clinical sciences, engineering sciences, social sciences, and those interested in non-profit management. Says University President Dennis A. Ahlburg, "We believe this is the only program of its kind in the nation, pairing student interest in the visual, literary, and performing arts with practical business applications." Carl Leafstedt, professor of music history and co-chair of the ALE program adds, "We are glad to offer prospective students one more reason to choose Trinity University."
All that Grass
Student researchers present work at professional conferences
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ay graduate Claire Afflerbach, an aspiring veterinarian, spent much of her free time as an undergraduate in the research lab of ecologist and biology professor Kelly Lyons. Her work, detailed in a presentation before the Texas chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, earned the 2012 Best Undergraduate Presenter Award. Titled "The influence of mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen on competition between native and invasive perennial grass species," the paper was co-authored by Lyons and mathematics professor Eddy Kwessi, along with undergraduate researchers Ryan Rabat and Katherine Banick. Undergraduate research has a long
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tradition at Trinity and students often have the opportunity to present their work at regional, national, and international meetings. In spring 2011, Afflerbach joined three other Trinity students at a conference of the Weed Science Society of America in Waikoloa, Hawaii, to make a similar presentation. “Dr. Lyons secured a grant that paid for everything for the trip to Hawaii, including food,” says Afflerbach. "I feel so fortunate, to have had these opportunities that would normally go to a graduate student at a larger university.” Funded by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture program for the Study of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agronomic Ecosystems and an
interdepartmental award from the National Science Foundation program for Integrated Research in Biomathematics, Lyons studies grassland ecosystems with an eye toward rangeland restoration. Her focus is a dominant species known as KR Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum), which was first planted across Texas and the Midwest to improve degraded rangelands and prevent soil erosion. In time, it became an invasive pest, reducing native biodiversity and lowering rangeland forage value. Plants compete for limited nutrients, and Lyons and her student researchers aim to determine how nutrients and microbes, like the mycorrhizal fungi, mediate the relationship between native and exotic, invasive species.
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Academics in 3D
New technology expands possibilities
New 3D printer, located in Trinity's Center for Learning and Technology, is used by students in a variety of disciplines.
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oused in Trinity’s Center for Learning and Technology (CLT), a new MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3-D Printer allows students to take an idea and convert it into a physical object ranging in size from a bee to custom-designed trays for sorting electronic transistors. According to Rob Chapman, CLT director, the inspiration for acquiring a 3D printer came from the Maker Movement, a recent trend that promotes a do-ityourself ethic. “I saw an obvious overlap with what is happening in education,” says Chapman. “Being that the Maker Movement is heavily focused on technology, it was sort of a natural progression for us and the kinds of technologies that we are constantly keeping our eyes on.” Although 3D technology is not new, Trinity is one of the first universities to have this particular model, which is universally available and inexpensive to operate.
The 3D printing process begins when a student creates a computer-generated design—almost anything he or she can imagine—and uses software to produce an STL file. The STL file, in turn, transforms the computer rendering into information needed to guide the printer. Once the printer begins work on the file, it uses an extruded polymer fill and feeds it into what looks like a robotic hot glue gun. The printer then begins to build the object on a platform, layering on the polymer fill according to instructions programmed from the STL file. “A build, depending on how complex or how big it is, can take anywhere from a half hour to several hours,” says Chapman. “If it’s a really large build that takes ups the entire area and has a lot of features to it, it could take a full day to print.” In addition to enabling vertical integration of design and prototyping, the 3D printer is advantageous in streamlining the process of making prototypes. Chapman says students
have made discoveries about design issues that did not initially show up when creating a computer mock-up. Engineering science students can now take a computer-aided design direct to fabrication, enabling them to create a more refined product that otherwise possible using traditional machining and fabrication techniques. Other departments are also exploring ways to utilize or experiment with the 3D technology. Last semester an art student, who wanted to incorporate replicas of insects into an artwork, designed and printed 3D bees for his project. As students and professors find new ways the 3D printer can enhance their work, the CLT has already increased the potential of what can be created. The Center now has a 3D scanner that can make a computer model from any object, which can then be replicated using the 3D printer. Russell Guerrero ’83
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Research Breaks Out of the Lab
Mellon Foundation grant funds arts and humanities research
Mellon Undergraduate Research Fellows, Mentors, and Projects Nupur Agrawal and C. Mackenzie Brown Ph.D. (religion) “The Rape that Woke India Up” The project investigates contemporary Indian views on rape and women’s equality in light of the recent gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student. At the heart of the study will be interviews and surveys of Indians in the U.S. and India, the latter conducted by Agrawal, a native of India and fluent in several North Indian languages. The paper she and professor Brown will write on their results has already been accepted for presentation at the American Academy of Religion meeting in Baltimore next fall.
Professor Ruben Dupertuis, researching ancient texts with a student, overseas the multifaceted Mellon grant for the arts and humanities.
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iberal arts students who would like to study social issues in India, translate original documents from an international archive, or research and produce an opera are doing just that, thanks to a five-year, $600,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Called a “game changer” by Mark Brodl, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, the grant is funding the Mellon Initiative, a new program designed to develop and strengthen undergraduate research opportunities in the arts and humanities and make research part of every student’s experience. Religion professor Ruben Dupertuis, working with a steering committee of professors from the nine departments involved (art and art history, classical studies, English, history, human communications and theatre, modern languages and literatures, music, philosophy, and religion), oversees the Initia-
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tive, which has three components: integrating research into the curriculum, developing new teaching strategies, and promoting summer research opportunities. The largest component of the Mellon Initiative is the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. For 10 weeks, students work closely with a professor on projects related to a professor's own research. The Initiative pays for summer housing, provides a stipend for expenses, and helps fund travel and supplies directly related to the creative and scholarly project. The Mellon Initiative selected its first Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows last spring, and eight students began working with their professors in May. The Initiative will support 10 projects next summer, growing to 14 annually by 2016.
Kathleen Cuellar and Trinity archivist Amy Roberson “Treasure Hunt: Uncovering the San Pedro Playhouse Archives” This is the first archival work ever done at the San Antonio landmark. Kevin Culver and Chia-wei Lee, Ph.D., music “In-depth study of Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini” After researching the history and common performance practice of Gianni Schicchi, Culver and professor Lee will go to Taiwan to direct a production of the opera at the Southern Young Artists Opera Project in Taiwan. They will then direct a Trinity production of Gianni Schicchi in Spring 2014. Isaiah Ellis and Angela Tarango, Ph.D. (religion) “Christ, Conflict, and Nation: Unlikely Sovereignty Movement” Spiritual issues in the 20th century Navajo tribe were inextricably linked with their relations with the United States government and with issues of tribal self-governance. This ethno-historical research highlights the life and context of Jacob “JC” Morgan,
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Students help reclaim Bastrop Park Navajo Tribal chairman and Native sovereignty activist from 1938-1942, about whom no history has been written. Evan Garvie and Nicole Hirschfeld, Ph.D. When hand drawn calculations related to an ancient shipwreck prompted Garvie to ask why professor Hirschfeld wasn’t using computers to do the work, a research team was born. Garvie is creating the software that will allow the duo to reconstruct the ship’s “lading,” which will provide insight into the ancient economy. David Harris and Tim O’Sullivan, Ph.D. (classical studies) Harris, whose Latin is “quite advanced,” is using a digital database of Latin texts to build a catalog of references that will form the basis of part of professor O’Sullivan’s new book. Julia Smith and Willis Saloman, Ph.D. (English) “Of God, Revolution, and Government: The Convergence of Religious Doctrine and Political Rhetoric during the English Civil Wars and Interregnum” Smith and professor Saloman are researching the religious bases of political rhetoric during the English Civil Wars and Interregnum, 16421660. The work will be part of Saloman’s next research project and available for Saloman’s students to build on this fall. Megan Kruse and Mark Garrison, Ph.D. (art and art history) “The Persepolis Fortification Archive” To date, over 3,000 distance seals have been identified in the many thousands of impressions from the Fortification Archive, one of the largest single collections of excavated visual imagery from ancient Western Asia. Kruse is preparing the Archive’s unpublished seals for publication with a focus on analysis of the thematic and compositional types and iconographic details of the designs. She will visit the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago to work with the tablets themselves.
In late January, students from the Outdoor Recreation Program (O-Rec) partnered with Students Organized for Sustainability, for a service project in Bastrop State Park. They helped park rangers plant loblolly pine trees in a effort to reclaim the east central Texas park that had been decimated by the most destructive single wildfire in Texas history. In just two days, 10 Trinity students planted 1,000 pine trees. Says participant Mitch Hagney ’13, “It’s a tremendous feeling to be amid the charred giants of such a large forest, planting the fragile seedlings that will recreate a vibrant place.”
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Marketing students tackle the real deal
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rinity professors have long sought to enrich the learning experience by incorporating real world experiences into the classroom. One among several notable examples is the fifteen-year-old Student Managed Fund (SMF), a class that hones students’ investment savvy by allowing them to select and manage an investment portfolio originally funded with $500,000—a figure subsequently increased to $3 million— from the Trustees. (Today, the SMF portfolio is valued in excess of $3.8 million.) In her “Special Topics in Marketing – Strategic Marketing Planning for Non-Profit Organizations” class, business administration professor Charlene Davis has taken the concept to the community-centered level and beyond. Begun in Spring 2013, the class was composed of nine students, chosen from a cohort of applicants, who spent the semester studying and creating a marketing/branding plan for the San Antonio Battered Women’s and Children’s Shelter. Davis learned about the Shelter and its need through an advisee, Laura Fraser ’13, who had developed an on-campus program called Life Launch as a way of empowering the Shelter’s clients. The inspired five-week program uses faculty, staff and students to teach victimized women financial literacy, computer literacy, and job-hunting skills, and Fraser’s work with the Shelter was key in establishing Trinity’s relationship there. “Special Topics in Marketing” culminated, not with an exam, but with a professional presentation before Marta Pelaez, president/ CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc., which operates the Shelter. Pelaez says the impact of the class and its marketing plan is immeasurable. “The agency and myself, personally, have not had the luxury of pure candor, genuine interest, and access to exquisite knowledge, and at no charge,” she says gratefully. “The students’ creativity and critical thinking have identified key areas where improvement is
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Seniors William Chisholm (left) and Andrea Pinto (right) were part of the student team that presented a marketing plan to Marta Prada Pelaez, president and CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc., which oversees the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter.
needed, and I cannot wait until the implementation phase begins.” Students found the class equally valuable. “With a real client you can get feedback so you can cater to their specific needs,” says Alana Ramos ‘13. “You feel like you have more responsibility because you’re taking a real product and putting it out to the world.” Not surprisingly, one of the plan’s components involves social media. “There are a lot of potential volunteers out there who don’t know they can volunteer at the shelter,” says Nick Honegger ‘13. “That shouldn’t happen. So we’re trying to get other schools to bring in students.” Another recommendation targets beliefs. “We wanted to change their messaging because a lot of people don’t know what the Shelter is actually doing,” says Ramos. “So we came up with a values proposition to send to donors to show they have a role to play. They are helping break the cycle of violence.” Though the class has ended, Palaez and Davis want Trinity students to implement the plan. “Our hope is to make this a student run internship group with a faculty advisory board,” says Davis. “Making it self-sus-
taining gives us and the Shelter the greatest potential gains.” Special Topics grew from similar classes Davis developed in which students focused on non-profits as projects combined with academics. In the special topics course, the class acts as a consultant, and the client and project are the class content, unlike other courses that have a distinct academic topical area supported by a project. As far as Davis knows, this consulting model is extremely rare at the undergraduate level. “It demonstrates we can provide high quality academic instruction that bridges the ivory tower and the real world,” she says. “And getting students outside a comfort zone where everything is black and white and facts are all knowable, is huge in terms of transitioning to the professional world. I recall a session where they had met with a client and afterwards looked shell-shocked by what even a well-run organization didn’t know about its own operation or the marketplace it inhabited. Seeing this firsthand, from a successful and strong organization, gave them some exposure to the ambiguity that exists in real organizations and real world decision-
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Promoting Literacy
TU Press and Tom Semmes Support Artekids making. And academically it reinforces how planning, models, and theories can be applied to everyday problems to create better outcomes.” Other community beneficiaries on a smaller scale have included the McNay Art Museum, the San Antonio Children’s Museum and Trinity’s specialty license plate sales. Trinity alumna Daniela Oliver-Portillo ’06, currently public relations and marketing manager for the McNay Art Museum, who “took every class Davis taught,” says, “The students were fantastic and they did give us some ideas.” As a result of student input, the McNay purchased new software to simplify signing up for membership on-line. Because the target audience for one group of students was Trinity University alumni and the Trinity community, TRINITY readers may have seen their persuasive campaign, “Maroon on the Move,” to promote sales of Trinity license plates. From the Trinitonian to Facebook to signs at Alumni Weekend, the students motivated alumni, students, and staff to “take their Trinity experience with them wherever they go.” “Having a real client was a huge learning experience for us,” English major Victoria Mitchell said of the project. “It gave us more freedom than just working out of a textbook with something that may or not happen.” Demonstrating Trinity’s liberal arts perspective, marketing and philosophy major Josh Friedman ’13, drew from philosophy to describe his approach to a marketing plan for the Children’s Museum and its crucial bond election. “Descartes doubted everything,” he says. “So [I’m] always looking at all the possible things that could be going on in any given situation. It’s not like a specific skill they teach (at Trinity), but it comes out when solving problems. Very cool.” Nancy Cook-Monroe
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hile San Antonio ranks seventh in population in the United States, it ranks 60th in literacy. But three local organizations have joined forces to help remediate that statistic. The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA), the San Antonio Library Foundation, and Trinity University Press set out last year to promote early childhood literacy. “Research has shown that the arts are very important in early childhood literacy because they help develop a child’s cognitive and motor skills and help with language development,” says Tracey Bennett, president of the San Antonio Library Foundation. “The idea was to create a book that would localize that experience for San Antonio children and allow us not only to foster a love of reading but also to develop a love of art.” The idea became a reality thank to the generous support of the Semmes Foundation and its president, Tom Semmes, a Trinity Trustee, who supported the collaboration with an initial $75,000 grant for the first book. The three partners worked closely with designer Madeleine Budnick to create the first book, 1, 2, 3, Sí!. Using images from the collections at SAMA, the book teaches numbers in English and Spanish and was initially incorporated into the San Antonio Public Library Foundation’s Born To Read initiative, an early literacy program that has achieved national recognition by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. 1, 2, 3 Sí! was a natural fit for the program and became an award-winning hit, selling more than 60,000 copies nationwide and in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Based on the book’s success, the three partners decided to expand the book into a series, aptly named ArteKids, with two additional titles. The Semmes Foundation again stepped up with an additional grant of $75,000, and the series was launched. Hello, Círculos! and Colores Everywhere! took on shapes and colors, using an eclectic array of pieces from SAMA’s permanent collections.
Tom Semmes
“1, 2, 3 Sí! showed us the power of family engagement in making education work, and now we’re including a family component in our work with students of all ages,” reports Emily Jones, special projects director at SAMA. “The first ArteKids book also gave us a great tool for reaching a bilingual audience and started us on a path toward more multicultural opportunities. We see how we can be a leader and a national model for reaching a bilingual audience and for connecting museums to early childhood education.” The decision was made to move forward with the two final books, Animal Amigos! and Black & Blanco!, and the Semmes Foundation stepped in with another $75,000 to close the series, support the development of digital editions through an interactive website and mobile apps, and support marketing of the ArteKids brand. “Tom Semmes and the Semmes Foundation have been heroic in their support of the ArteKids,” says Barbara Ras, director of Trinity University Press. “From the start Mr. Semmes appreciated the great potential for early readers in these bilingual board books, and he recognized the collaborative power that resonates through every aspect of the project. We are truly grateful for his invaluable support.”
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! S R E G GO TI WINTER AND SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS SCAC PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
Sheldon. Earlier, the Tiger men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams captured the SCAC Championships. Kara Beauchamp was named SCAC Women’s Swimmer of the Year, and Hahn was elected SCAC Women’s Diver of the Year. Swimming Coach John Ryan, diving Coach Stan Randall, and assistant Coach Michael Schuber, earned the SCAC Co-Coaching Staff of the Year award.
LEARFIELD SPORTS DIRECTORS’ CUP
MEN’S BASKETBAL
Tiger athletics won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) President’s Trophy for the second consecutive year and 13th time overall. Trinity teams captured 15 of 18 conference championships, finishing second in the remaining three. The 15 SCAC Championships are the most in league history for one school year, breaking Trinity's previous record of 11 in 2004-05.
At press time, Trinity was ranked 23rd in the nation, among 446 NCAA Division III institutions, in the prestigious program. The Directors’ Cup standings are based on NCAA postseason achievements.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Three Tiger divers earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships: Ruth Hahn, Ashley Heline, and Katie
The Tigers won their second consecutive SCAC Championship. Coach Pat Cunningham, who has led the team to six conference titles, was elected SCAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career. Zach Lambert was selected for the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District Team.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Trinity won its fourth SCAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs, where they fell in the opening round. Coach Cameron Hill was named SCAC Coach of the Year. Murphy Burns was elected SCAC Co-Player of the Year, and made the Women’s DIII News Honorable Mention All-American Team. Libby Kruse earned SCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year accolades, and Anecia Richardson was named SCAC Newcomer of the Year. Richardson also was selected as South Region Rookie of the Year.
BASEBALL
Ruth Hahn
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The Tigers completed the season with a 40-9 record, setting a school mark for the most victories in a season. Trinity captured its eighth SCAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the fourth straight year, and to the Regional final game for the fifth time. Coach Tim Scannell was named SCAC Co-Coach of the Year for the fourth
consecutive year. Pat Hirschberg was elected SCAC Player of the Year, and Ryan Lucero
Ryan Lucero
was named SCAC Pitcher of the Year. Three Tiger players were elected to the D3baseball.com All-America Team: Lucero (First Team), Hirschberg (Second Team), and Zack Speer (Honorable Mention Team).
TENNIS
Sophomore Aaron Skinner advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA DIII Men’s Singles Championship at Kalamazoo, Mich. It marked the second time in three years a Tiger player achieved that feat. Skinner earlier won the National Small College Tennis Championships singles title. Erick DelaFuente ’13, a Tiger team captain, won the prestigious Intercollegiate Tennis Association Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. DelaFuente will be honored at the U.S. Open in August in New York. The Trinity men’s and women’s teams hosted, and won, the SCAC Championships at the Butch Newman Tennis Center. It marked the fourth consecutive men’s championship for Coach Russell McMindes, and the second straight women’s title. Coach Russell McMindes was named SCAC Men’s Coach of the Year, for the fourth consecutive time. Coach Jacob McMindes, in his first season at the Tigers helm, was elected SCAC Women’s Coach of the Year, while Thavindra Ekanayake ’13
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was named conference Women’s Player of the Year. Trinity’s men have won 18 overall SCAC championships, and the women have garnered 17. The Tiger men later won two rounds of the NCAA Regional Tournament, advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, and completed the season with a 20-10 record. Trinity’s women’s team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Regional event. Mackenzie Knoop and Thavindra Ekanayake were women’s All-Americans.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Tiger men and women hosted the SCAC Championships and hoisted the trophies. Led by first-year head Coach Marcus Whitehead, each Trinity team won its eighth SCAC Championship. It marked the first time since 2007 the Tigers teams swept the championships. Trinity’s women won all 20 of their events, and the Tiger men captured 12. Anecia Richardson was named the SCAC Female Athlete of the Meet, winning the hammer throw, shot
Hear us Roar Katie Ogawa ’14 was one of 181 students from 36 states named a 2013 Newman Civic Fellow The Fellowships, made possible by the KMPG Foundation, are awarded by Campus Compact, a national coalition of college and university presidents who embrace civic engagement in higher education. Ogawa created and led a residential living-learning community through HOPE Hall (Homelessness Outreach Pursuing Education), where she serves as a resident assistant, and developed an associated seminar course related to homelessness that includes leadership training. Trinity students earned the University a place on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the 5th year. During the 2011-2012 school year, 1,980 students volunteered 102,766 hours at more than 50 community agencies.
Championship since 2005. Kalen Vos, who clinched the match for the Tigers, was voted the SCAC Men’s Golf Player of the
Anecia Richardson
Carolyn Black Becker is listed among the Top 23 Psychology Professors in Texas. http:// onlineschoolstexas.com/top-college-professors-in-texas/psychology. Trinity University's teacher preparation program was recognized by a state and national panel for its "Exemplary Field-Based Instructional Practices," and six students were designated as "Exceptional Teacher Candidates. “ The recognitions were awarded by Quest for Quality Teacher Preparation in Texas, a collaboration between the Center for Research, Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education (CREATE) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The initiative is funded through a grant from Sid W. Richardson Foundation to the College for All Texans Foundation.
Year. Trinity’s women, with Coach Carla Spenkoch at the helm, placed second in their tournament. Brigette Lee, a Tiger firstyear golfer, won individual honors at the SCAC event, and was named the conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year.
SOFTBALL
Led by first-year head Coach Brandi Crnkovic, the Tigers advanced to the SCAC Championship game for the third straight year. Sydney Friday was selected as the SCAC Pitcher of the Year, and Brooke Sanchez was elected SCAC Player of the Year. James Hill ’76
put, and discus, while finishing third in the javelin. Justin Campbell was the Trinity men’s high-points winner with wins in shot put, discus, and hammer throw events.
GOLF
The Tiger men, guided by Coach Craig McConnell, captured their first SCAC
Engineering science professor Diana Glawe was listed as one of the key people in the energy industry in the San Antonio Business Journal. Glawe was recognized for her advocacy of engineering designs that conserve energy while promoting policies to invite others to follow suit.
Kalen Vos
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Hot Off the Trinity University Press
From prehistoric cave paintings to current water issues Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape
edited by Barry Lopez and Debra Gwartney First released as Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape in 2006 and hailed as a “masterpiece,” this language-lover's dream is a totally redesigned, near-pocket-sized field guide edition renamed Home Ground: A Guide to the American Landscape.
The Earth, the Temple, and the Gods
by Vincent Scully Considered a landmark of architectural history, Scully’s comprehensive study of Greek temples and site-planning offers an inspired and arresting insight into the nature and function of Greek sacred architecture.
The Donald Culross Peattie Library Trinity University Press is reintroducing this once popular author with reprints of nine of his lost classics including An Almanac for Moderns, The Road of a Naturalist, and his masterpiece, A Natural History of North American Trees. His philosophical musings bring together the humanistic and scientific sides of the American natural experience in a way that reaches past history and into the very heart of our connection with the environment.
American Architecture and Urbanism
by Vincent Scully This illustrated history of American architecture and city planning is based on the author’s conviction that the two are inextricably linked and must therefore be treated together.
For more titles and news from Trinity University Press, visit www.tupress.org.
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Painters in Prehistory: Archaeology and Art of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands
edited by Harry J. Shafer Originally published by the Witte Museum in 1986, Painters in Prehistory, is an updated edition featuring significant research by new scholars who have deepened the understanding of rock art interpretation, scientific analysis of artifacts and coprolites, and the life of prehistoric Rio Grande canyon dwellers.
On the Edge: Water, Politics, and Immigration in the Southwest
by Char Miller Written by the director of the environmental analysis program at Pomona College and former Trinity professor, On the Edge investigates the region’s struggles over water, debates over undocumented immigrants, the criminalizing of the border, and the evolution into a no-man's land.
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We're Reading
The Play’s the Thing
Trinity Theatre announces the 2013-2014 season Body Awareness by Annie Baker Stacy Connelly, director produced by special arrangement with Samuel French
October 4-6 and 9-12, 2013
A moving, hilarious portrait of a non-traditional family coping with age-old problems of parenthood and partnership.
Pippin by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson produced in collaboration with the music department by special arrangement with Music Theatre International Director to be announced; James Worman, music director
Date: November 15-17 and 20-23, 2013
A hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale that captivated Broadway audiences and continues to appeal to the young at heart.
Crimes of the Heart
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his year’s Reading TUgether selection, based on the theme of defiance, is the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winning The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. Author Siddhartha Mukherjee is a cancer physician and researcher at Columbia University Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University. The Reading TUgether selection is required of all incoming students, but faculty, staff, and others are invited to join the shared reading experience. The program will culminate with a keynote lecture by Mukherjee at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, in Laurie Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
by Beth Henley Roberto Prestigiacomo, director produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service
Feb. 14-16 and 19-22, 2014
A warm-hearted, irreverent, zany, and brilliantly imaginative play teeming with humanity and humor. Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.
Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder Kyle Gillette, director produced by special arrangement with Samuel French
April 11-13 and 23-26, 2014
A bold, funny, complex work that condenses all of human history into a family comedy. Winner of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize.
Plays will be held in Trinity’s Stieren Theatre. Ticket reservations may be made by calling the Stieren Theater box office at 210-999-8515. Curtain times are Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 7 p.m., and Sunday 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 (general public); $8 (seniors/faculty/staff/alumni), and $6 (students).
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Mistake proves fortuitous
Organic chemist earns prestigious award "Not everybody gets lucky enough to make a big mistake,” smiles chemistry professor Nancy Mills. After years of lab tests with puzzling results, the indefatigable Mills discovered a group of compounds that placed her on a new trajectory for studying aromaticity, namely, the field of antiaromaticity. When she realized the discovery, “it was like I held a truth in my hands.” For her research persistence and the discoveries that resulted from it, Mills received the American Chemical Society's prestigious Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution in April. At the society's conference in New Orleans, she presided at a symposium in her honor and accepted the $5,000 award at a black tie dinner. Trinity's chemistry department will receive an additional $5,000 to support undergraduate research.
Since arriving at Trinity in 1979, Mills has guided and mentored more than 200 students in research projects. She says it is the students who inspire her and claims she
could not have advanced her work without the uncompromising scientific inquiry of curious students. “They are fearless,” she proclaims. “They will plow through literature searching for answers and try scientific approaches that others think are impossible.” During her tenure, she has earned numerous teaching awards and received more than $2 million in research grants. In addition to the American Chemical Society (ACS) award, Mills has been named an ACS Fellow, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the Council on Undergraduate Research, and a Piper Professor for the state of Texas. At Trinity, she has been named a Murchison Professor of Chemistry and received a Distinguished Achievement Award for Scholarship and the Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship for Teaching and Service. Susie Gonzalez
English professor finds state board of education an eye-opener
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oncerned about the highly politicized processes of curriculum development and textbook selection and their effect on the education of his two young sons, English professor Michael Soto ran for and was elected to a seat on the 15-member Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) in 2010. Although normal terms of service are four years, Soto served only two years (2011-2012) due to redistricting. (He came up short in his 2012 re-election bid.) Despite his shortened tenure, Soto managed to make a significant difference in a process that, he says, “had devolved into a political circus.” In the past the Texas State Board of Education selected, paid for, and distributed textbooks chosen for content designed to meet the SBOE-adopted Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards—standards to which teachers
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are held and upon which students are tested. Some of the most controversial and politically charged issues revolved around the teaching of evolutionary science and American history, issues on which the board often ignored input from teachers and historians, relying instead on pressure from proponents of revisionist history or pseudo science with “dubious credentials.” Although some controversial TEKS standards remain, thanks in part to Soto’s efforts the state now awards education dollars to individual school districts that are free to decide what books and instructional materials— including digital content—they want to purchase. Although he likens his experience on the SBOE to “seeing how the sausage is made,” Soto is heartened by the new rules and the changed tenor of the board. Today, “it’s the closest thing there is to a moderate elected body in the state,” he says.
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Five Awarded University Honors Four professors and one administrator were honored for outstanding teaching, service, advising, research, and scholarship. The awards were announced in early May by Trinity president Dennis A. Ahlburg and the University's Office of Academic and Student Affairs. Peter Olofsson (mathematics) was recognized for outstanding scholarship and research. Linda Salvucci (history) was lauded for her commitment and dedication to student advising. In addition, Ana Windham, associate vice president for Fiscal Affairs, received an award for distinguished University, community, and professional service. Two junior faculty members--Patrick Keating (communication), and Benjamin Surpless (geosciences) were cited for distinguished teaching and research. Olofsson, a major scholar in probability theory and its applications, has published a textbook and a general audience book on
probability, numerous research articles in peer-reviewed outlets, and a general audience article in Skeptical Inquirer. In 2009, he and several colleagues received $750,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation to support integrated research in biomathematics. In 2010, he was awarded a $200,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health that supports an ongoing research program to develop models to analyze problems in cell biology.
Whether advising first-years, transfers, health profession majors, pre-law students, Rhodes Scholar candidates, or the Catholic Students Group, Salvucci believes that successful advising relationships are built
upon trust and mutual respect. Alumni say she demonstrates integrity, perseverance, respect, excellence and a love of learning, and she has “the gift of making students feel as if they are the sole focus of her attention.” Current students describe her as a role model “in every important way” who understands young adults without wanting to relive her youth. Windham served on the Compliance Certification Team for the 2008 reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools. As a member of the President’s Task Force on Sustainability, she found ways to manage Trinity’s endowments to benefit the environment. In the community, she is a board member and treasurer of the San Antonio Academy, member of the United Way Funds Distribution Committee, and board member and former Fellow of the Community Education and Leadership Program.
Keating has taught 10 different courses at Trinity, from First-Year Seminar to the Communication Capstone Seminar. His students routinely describe his teaching as “enthralling” and “inspiring.” His first book, Hollywood Lighting from the Silent Era to Film Noir, won the Best First Book Award from the Society of Cinema and Media Studies and was a finalist for an award
from the Theatre Library Association. A second project, A Dynamic Frame: Classical Cinema, Modernity, and Camera Movement, is supported by a $25,000 research grant from the Academy of Film Scholars program and a fellowship from the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. An exemplary teacher, Surpless excels in engaging science-phobic students and providing meaningful field experiences for upper-division students. He is known for being “inspirational” and having “infectious enthusiasm.” Surpless has published major
articles in peer-reviewed journals and made 29 conference presentations, 24 of which involved undergraduate students. He has mentored 11 undergraduate researchers in the past five years, while performing field work in west Texas and Nevada and lab work at Trinity.
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Faculty | Staff Focus Art and Art History
Classical Studies
Michael Schreyach published four essays:
Lawrence Kim was awarded a Humboldt
“Barnett Newman’s ‘Sense of Space’: A NonContextualist Account of Its Perception and Meaning” in Common Knowledge, “Pre-Objective Depth in Merleau-Ponty and Jackson Pollock” in Research in Phenomenology,“Pollock’s Formalist Spaces” in Nonsite's online Journal in the Humanities, and “Intention and Interpretation in Hans Namuth’s Film Jackson Pollock” in Forum for Modern Language Studies. Elizabeth Ward had a solo exhibition, “Cryosphere,” at the Moody Gallery in Houston. Her work was also exhibited in two group shows: "Just Not Yet: Dodging the Vacuum of Meaning" at Texas Tech University, Lubbock; and "Drawing Invitational" at the Grand Gallery, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, La. Biology
Michele Johnson was awarded a grant for
$510,000 from the National Science Foundation to study the role of muscle physiology in the evolution of lizard behavior. Business Administration
Jacob Tingle, senior Christina Cooney, and Seth
Asbury (Athletics) published "Developing a Student Employee Leadership Program: The Importance of Evaluating Effectiveness" with a colleague from TCU in the April 2013 issue of the Recreational Sports Journal. Chemistry Nancy Mills published a Perspective article, "Using Antiaromaticity to Illuminate Aromaticity During A Research Career with Undergraduates," in the Journal of Organic Chemistry. Mills also was elected as Member at Large for the Organic Division of the American Chemical Society and selected for the Governing Board of the Reactions Mechanisms Conference. She recently received a $260,237 grant from the National Science Foundation to support her research with undergraduates on antiaromaticity.
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Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers for the 2013-2014 Academic Year. He will conduct his research at Heidelberg University, Germany on the idea of the 'archaic' in imperial Greek literature. Corinne Pache was awarded a prestigious American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowship for the 2013-2014 academic year for research on the reception of the heroine Penelope from Homer's Odyssey in 20th and 21st century literature and film.
titled The Voice of an American Playwright—Interviews with Horton Foote, December 2012. The work was reprinted in the winter 2013 number of VQR (Virginia Quarterly Review), a themed issue focused on Classic Hollywood. David Rando’s article, titled "George Saunders and the Postmodern Working Class,” was published in Contemporary Literature issue 53.3. Claudia Stokes
English Victoria Aarons published “Saul Bellow’s Planet:
The Landscape of Post-War America,” in The Cambridge Companion to American Novelists, and “The Certainties of History and the Uncertainties of Representation in Post-Holocaust Writing,” in Studies in American Jewish Literature. Aarons also published an essay, “Expelled Once Again: The Fantasy of Living the Counterlife in Roth’s Nemesis,” in Philip Roth Studies; a chapter titled “‘Washed up on the shores of truth’: Saul Bellow’s Post-Holocaust America” in A Political Companion to Saul Bellow (University of Kentucky Press); and a chapter in a collection of essays, “'Just as He’d Feared from the Start'”: The Treachery of Desire in Philip Roth’s Nemesis," in Philip Roth. Additionally, she was special guest editor for the recent issue of Saul Bellow Journal devoted to “Saul Bellow’s Urban Landscapes,” for which she wrote the Foreword. Additionally, Aarons was an invited guest speaker at Roth @ 80, A Celebration, held in honor of the author’s birthday. Aarons' chapter, “The Trauma of History in The Gates of the Forest,” was published in Elie Wiesel: Jewish, Literary, and Moral Perspectives (Indiana University Press, 2013). Peter Balbert’s essay, "From Panophilia to Phallophobia: Sublimation and Projection in D.H. Lawrence's St. Mawr," was published in Papers on Language and Literature. Robert Flynn (emeritus) was inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame in October. David Middleton’s (emeritus) interview, “Winning, Losing and Compromising: the Screenwriter Contends for Personal Turf,” opens a newly published collection from Mercer University Press
published “My Kingdom: Sentimentalism and the Refinement of Hymnody,” ESQ 58.3 (3rd quarter, 2012) and “The Religious Revival: Narratives of Religious Origin in U.S. Culture" in American Quarterly 65.1 (March 2013): 251-59.
Health Care Administration Amer Kaissi's paper, "How Satisfied are Hospital Systems with their Ownership of Retail Clinics?" was published in the March/April 2013 issue of the Journal of Healthcare Management.
Human Communication and Theatre Kyle Gillette's article, "Zen and the Art of SelfNegation in Samuel Beckett's Not I" was published in Comparative Drama issue 46.3. Art work by Jodi Karjala and Roberto Prestigiacomo was included in the McNay Art
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Shinkle Receives Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship Skinkle, who has taught at Trinity for 25 years, is widely known for his distinctive “coaching method” of teaching, and students praise the way he intertwines concepts from one unit to another to illustrate basic principles in ways that transform facts into knowledge. As chair of the Health Professions Advisory Committee since 2004, Shinkle is recognized across campus for his skill and dedication in guiding undergraduates deftly through the daunting task of career discernment using manageable steps to help achieve both personal and professional goals.
Museum’s exhibition "Fiesta, Fete, Festival: Selections from the Tobin Collection." Modern Languages and Literatures Nina Ekstein’s article, "The Theatrical lieu de
culture within Molière’s Plays," appeared in Lieux de culture dans la France du XVIIe siècle. Another article, "Irony in Emmanuel Carré's La Moustache," appeared in French Review, and "La Pratique ironique de l'appel à l'autorité dans les péritextes du théâtre de Corneille" (The Practice of Irony in Corneille's paratextual appeals to authority) appeared in Pratiques de Corneille published by the Universités de Rouen et du Havre. Nanette Le Coat's article, "The Virtuous Passion: the Politics of Pity in Staël's The Influence of the Passions," appeared in Staël's Philosophy of the Passions: Sensibility, Society and the Sister Arts. An article by Matthew Stroud, "Ruth as Dama Principal: Tirso's
Biology professor James Shinkle was named 2013 recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship, in recognition of his outstanding teaching and advising. The award was presented during commencement exercises on May 18.
The Z.T. Scott Fellowship, the most prestigious award the University bestows, includes a cash award to be used for professional development and research. Trinity University Trustee Richard M. Kleberg III established the Fellowship in 1984 in honor of his grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. Z.T. Scott.
Psychology Jane Childers' article "Attention to Explicit and
Implicit Contrast in Verb Learning," appeared online and in the Journal of Cognition and Development.
Co-authors are alumnae Amy Hirshkowitz ’09 and Kristin Benavides ’10. Paula Hertel co-authored "Suppression-Induced Reduction in the Specificity of Autobiographical Memories,” which appeared in the online and print versions of the new journal, Clinical Psychological Science. Elizabeth Stephens ’11 and Amy Braid ’10 are the first and second authors. Religion
La mejor espigadera," was published in Bulletin of the Comediantes 64.2: 1-13 (2012).
R. Douglas Brackenridge (emeritus) published an article, "William R. Campbell and the Crusade Against Brigham H. Roberts 1898-1900," in the Journal of Mormon History (Winter 2013). Roberts was denied his seat in Congress because he was a polygamist.
Music Diane Persellin co-authored "Move to learn!
Strategies based on recent brain research," which appeared in the journal Perspectives.
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IN MEMORIAM
O Z White
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Z White, professor emeritus of sociology, died peacefully at home on April 10, 2013, at the age of 85. A native of Danville, Virginia, White was a member of the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II, making a number of transatlantic crossings to convey troops and supplies to allied forces. He earned an A.B., M.. Div., M.A. and Ph.D., and was an instructor at Georgia State College and an assistant professor and chaplain at Erskine Theological Seminary before coming to Trinity University in 1964 as professor and chair of the department of sociology and anthropology. He taught at Trinity until he retired in 1992 as professor emeritus. During his tenure, he expanded the curriculum and attracted large numbers of students, many of whom went on to graduate school and careers as social work professionals. He engaged students to combine theoretical learning with hands-on experience in a variety of urban environments. He was a founding faculty sponsor of Chi Delta Tau and guided the fraternity into social service projects that stimulated the formation of TUVAC and wider student body participation in volunteer activities. For many years he was a volunteer counselor at Christian Assistance Ministries and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries. Widely esteemed for his compassion and expertise, White also served as a consultant in regional drug and alcohol treatment and prevention and urban renewal programs in San Antonio and Little Rock, Arkansas. After his retirement, White continued his consultant activities through O Z White Associates and remained close to the Trinity community. As a resident of Kings Court he had a special relationship with many employees of the Physical Plant. His friend and former colleague R. Douglas Brackenridge, who wrote in a profile piece for Trinity magazine (July 1010), noted, “His keen wit, insatiable intellectual curiosity, and ardent support for the poor and oppressed remain undiminished.” White is survived by his wife, Sharon Dix White. He was predeceased by a son, Thomas A. White, who died in 1985.
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Thomas J. Sergiovanni
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homas J. Sergiovanni, who retired in 2009 after 25 years as the Lillian Radford Professor of Education and Administration, died January 4 in Dallas at 75. A native of New Rochelle, N.Y., Sergiovanni earned a bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at Geneseo, a master’s from Teachers College at Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Rochester. Author of more than 30 textbooks and numerous book chapters and journal articles, Sergiovanni was an international scholar in educational leadership, particularly in the area of the changing role of the principal. A senior fellow of the Center for Educational Leadership and founding director of the Trinity Principals’ Center, Sergiovanni influenced countless school leaders worldwide. One of his legacies for San Antonio is the International School of the Americas, which was based on his vision for a small school that represents a supportive community where students thrive in an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration while taking courses and completing internships to become informed global citizens. Sergiovanni was known for a deep and abiding dedication to Trinity’s programs to prepare exceptional school leaders, including service as director of the School Leadership Program, the Superintendents’ Forum, Tomorrow’s Leaders, and the Center for Educational Leadership. His work had an international impact – he lectured many times in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and several of his book chapters were translated into Korean and Italian. He was named a “most exceptional scholar” in educational administration by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration in 2006. He had been a visiting professor at the Harvard Principals’ Center and at Teachers College at Columbia University. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Elizabeth Ann, three children, and four grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM
Clarence Mabry
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larence Mabry, the “Father of Trinity Tennis.” died on Jan. 26, 2013 at the age of 87. Mabry coached the Trinity men’s team for 18 years (1956-1974), as the Tigers became a powerhouse in the world of big-time college tennis. His teams amassed a record of 319-36, captured the NCAA Division I Team Championship in 1972, and finished as runners-up in 1970 and 1971. A total of 10 players earned All-America honors during Mabry’s tenure, including the late Chuck McKinley, the 1963 Wimbledon champion. Mabry was inducted into the inaugural Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. “Coach Mabry was the glue that held the program together,” says Dick Stockton ’72, 1972 NCAA singles champion and later a top-ranked pro. “He built the program from the ground up. He was constantly promoting the program, and fund-raising around the San Antonio area.” Stockton often sought Mabry’s counsel during his storied pro career. In addition to his coaching career at Trinity, Mabry was the tennis pro at San Pedro Courts and the San Antonio Country Club; a founder of the T-Bar-M Conference Center, and later the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas, with the Australian tennis legend. In the 1980s, Mabry coached the San Antonio Racquets of World Team Tennis. A former University of Texas standout, Mabry captured the 1946 Southwest Conference singles and doubles titles while playing for the Longhorns. He was inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1997. Mabry was also a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame (1984), the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame (1985), the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame (2001), and the United States Professional Tennis Association Hall of Fame (Grand Inductee, 2006). The Mabry Pavilion was dedicated in 2008 and stands at the Butch Newman Tennis Center on the Trinity campus. James Hill ’76.
Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers
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uth McLean Bowman Bowers, long time Trinity supporter and mother-in-law of Trustee Chair John Korbell, died April 19, 2013. Consumed since childhood by a desire to fight discrimination in any form, Mrs. Bowers devoted her life to equal opportunity for all, with a special interest in women’s rights. She was deeply involved in numerous community, philanthropic, social, and political affairs, and served on many boards including as Regent of the Texas Woman's University in Denton, Trinity University, and St. Mary's Hall. Like her parents before her, for whom the McLean Science Center and the Verna Hooks McLean Residence Hall were named, she was especially generous to Trinity University. The Trinity University Women's Studies Resource Center and Women's History Month's Visiting Professor are among her named gifts. Her exceptional philanthropy and community engagement were widely recognized with numerous honors that included, among others, St. Mary's Hall 1986 Distinguished Alumnae Award, the 2002 Humanitarian Award from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, and the 2007 San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce "Voice and Vision" Award. UTSA Women's Studies Institute named her Women's Advocate of the Year in 2008. She was preceded in death by husbands Jack T. Bowman and William O. Bowers and is survived by her children, Marrs McLean Bowman and his wife, Marianne; Bonnie Bowman Korbell and her husband, John; Ruth Bowman Russell and John Russell Jr.; Beth Bowman Harper and her husband, Michael; Margaret Bowman McMahon and husband, James; Barbara Bowman; 11 grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
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IN MEMORIAM
Russell Lee “Russ” Gossage
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ussell Lee “Russ” Gossage, who served as director of Admissions, director of Alumni Relations, and senior development officer during his 29 year career at the University, died June 4, 2013, at the age of 86. He was an active, outgoing, and affable supporter of the University for almost 40 years. During that time, Trinity presidents sought and appreciated his insight and advice on the University. A Kansas City native, Gossage attended Kansas State Teachers College, now Emporia State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1952 and a master’s in 1967. While attending college, Russ began working for Hallmark Cards, Inc., and took a full-time job with the company after receiving his undergraduate degree. He worked for the company until 1958, when he went to the College of Emporia to become their director of admissions and later director of development. In 1963, Gossage joined the Trinity staff as associate director of Admissions. Early in his years at Trinity, he met his wife, Doris, who worked in Trinity’s Business Office and later in the Registrar’s Office. They married in 1967 in a ceremony officiated by Trinity president James Laurie. After they married, they moved into a residence on Oakmont that is now the Holt Center. During their eight years at the residence, the couple hosted numerous visitors to the Trinity campus, from prospective faculty members to guest speakers at the University. In 1982 he was named director of Alumni Relations and in the summer of 1983 was appointed senior development officer, a position he held until he retired in 1992. Gossage spent the next seven years working as a part-time special assistant to Trinity president Ronald Calgaard, helping with fund raising and event planning. In 2010, David Prichard ’75 established a scholarship in honor of Gossage and his wife Doris. Gossage is survived by his three step-children, five grandchildren, three greatgrandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
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Collaborative, continued from page 5 Connin and the Collaborative also support individual faculty with one-to-one conversations, classroom observations, and the pairing of professors who may have areas of common interests and concern. In addition to providing resources regarding teaching, Connin and the Collaborative also partner with other campus units to highlight the learning behaviors, needs, and interests
ate their role in advancing its mission by participating in programs and planning. “The Collaborative is not designed to teach faculty how to teach per se. We’re here to provide information, guidance, and other mechanisms to help individuals and departments articulate and accomplish their goals for student learning. I really feel more comfortable thinking of the Collaborative as a catalyst,”
Facutly take advantage of opportunities offered in the Collaborative for Learning and Teaching
of Trinity students. “Part of our mission is to support other institutional partners who have a stake in the intellectual growth of Trinity students.“This can take multiple forms including: hosting meetings to disseminate important information, contributing to grant proposals, and serving in an advisory capacity for new initiatives and projects. Over the past year, a growing number of faculty have taken advantage of the Collaborative and have begun to appreci-
says Connin. For Connin, it is an exciting time to be working in the education field. “There is an awful lot happening in our environment that we are going to need to watch, analyze, and adjust to,” he says. “We will be increasingly challenged to navigate these changes, understand them as they transpire, and provide leadership as an institution that has set high standards for scholarship and instruction.” Russell Guerrero ’83
Fast-changing technologies are transforming television—and Trinity professors are on the cutting edge
will be
A
by Mike Agresta
t the start of every episode of The Simpsons, the image is the same: the cartoon family assembles on the living room couch, facing a box on the other side of the room, ready for the show to begin. Over 24 seasons, the show has offered every possible variation on the scene—building the family out of Lego blocks, trimming them as topiary, inserting them into famous works of art.
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The only constant is the pose. If television has produced one iconic image of itself, it’s this. But it will soon be an anachronism. Television has changed dramatically in the past decade, transformed by the Internet and other emerging technologies. Audiences increasingly consume TV on portable devices like tablets and smart phones. This year, Netflix has premiered several shows directly over the Internet with no airtimes and thus no need for the family to gather together at a given time. Increasingly, TV viewership is an activity that takes place interactively, on multiple screens, between streaming video and the social web. Through all these changes, the term “television”—technically the transmission of moving images across space—seems likely to stick. “There are narrative structures that we have been taught to understand as television, just as there are for movies,” says Trinity communication professor Jennifer Henderson. “Movies look different than TV does, even if it’s all
content we’re streaming through Netflix. The term will remain, even if the box doesn’t.” A generation from now, what will we mean when we say “television”? How can we educate the next generation of TV industry leaders? What skills will be valuable, and what career strategies will work? Based on the predictions of Trinity experts in communication and marketing, what follows is a rough guide to TV’s revolutionary future—which is becoming present as we speak. I. TV IS GETTING BETTER The television of the late twentieth century was often accused of rotting brains—The Simpsons, for instance, depicted the average TV show as a shallow cat-and-mouse game full of gratuitous violence. These days, programs like The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and Breaking Bad are compared favorably with literary novels and Oscar-fare films. Some critics
A show like Mad Men is freed from the necessity of hooking in first-time, channelsurfing viewers. It’s designed to hook the binge watchers. Indeed, “binge watching” has become a recent buzzword in the TV industry.
have even begun calling the current era a second Golden Age of TV. (The first Golden Age is thought to have occurred in the 1950s.) Trinity professor Patrick Keating, a film historian, attributes TV’s newfound respectability to a shift in viewing habits. Audiences are consuming television less at the time of airing or in reruns, and more on DVD and via streaming services. Pointing to the work of TV scholar Jason Mittell, Keating says, “When you can watch a show on DVD, that requires a different kind of storytelling than when you watch something on a week to week basis. You can have a show like Mad Men, which can take risks in storytelling that are harder to do without being able to watch it multiple times. A show like that is far less redundant than previous shows might have been. Usually, a show has to constantly repeat a main character’s name and constantly remind you of what his or her relationships to other characters are.” A show like Mad Men, Keating says, is freed from the necessity of hooking in firsttime, channel-surfing viewers. “It’s designed to hook the binge watchers,” he says. Indeed, “binge watching” has become a recent buzzword in the TV industry. Last year, Netflix revealed that 50,000 subscribers had watched the entire 13hour fourth season of Breaking Bad on the day before the first episode of the fifth season premiered. Recent Netflix original shows like House of Cards have been explicitly marketed to binge viewers. Henderson also attributes the recent surge in TV quality to the subscriptionbased model of outlets like HBO, Showtime, and now Netflix. “You don’t have to get advertising, so you have more freedom to push boundaries,” she says. “Broadcast TV, on the other hand, has to get as many eyeballs as possible.” Ad-driven TV only has to hook a viewer
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If The Simpsons were a new show airing for the first time today, the opening tableaux might look very through the next commercial break; subscription-driven TV must convince viewers or cable companies to pay for another year. More often than not, these channels turn to serial drama to lock in long-term fans. With its never-ending cliffhangers and storylines that stretch across episodes and seasons, serial drama is one of the most addictive forms of television. Many HBO, Showtime, F/X and AMC hits, the shows that have critics talking of a second Golden Age of TV, fit into this category. However, these changes in revenue models and viewing habits should reward high-quality content across the board—in comedy, drama, and reality TV, on broadcast, cable, and the Internet. “My prediction going forward is the pressure will be on the content being better, because that’s going to be the distinguishing factor,” Henderson says. “If we have access to anything, we’re going to go for the things that are smarter, funnier, better, more well-written. In the classroom, we talk about how it doesn’t matter how much is out there, what matters is that you make it good.” II. TV IS GETTING MORE DEMOCRATIC The Simpsons, now the longest-running prime-time series in American TV history, originated as a series of brief shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, a long-forgotten variety program. It was spun off by FOX executives who wanted a fresh, irreverent voice to draw in younger viewers. Today, the Internet is overflowing with webseries that hope to be the next Simpsons—and young audiences tend to discover them long before network executives do. “I’ve always enjoyed newer media, things like YouTube,” says Timothy Jablonski, a junior at Trinity from Fort Worth. Jablonski came to Trinity intending to study business, but he soon
different. First of all, each of the Simpsons might be in a different room, watching television on different, perhaps portable screens.
felt restricted by his courses. Branching out, he got involved with Tiger TV, the Trinity television station, where he’s now a producer in training and planning for a career in the entertainment industry. Jablonski credits two Trinity courses, Media Culture and Technology and Media Audiences, with helping him understand that his interest in these newer forms is nothing to be ashamed of. “We talked about how the traditional view of the audience is changing as streaming is more prevalent and people can find content they really want,” he says. “You see this shift away from a couple of big shows, and you see people branch out and find shows that are more particular to their taste.” Especially in comedy, there are countless examples of low-budget, do-it-yourself projects that have helped content creators find large audiences. South Park, now a major comedy brand, originated as a fiveminute short distributed online in an era when a video file of that size might have taken hours to download. More recently, the comedian Louis CK has found great acclaim with a low-budget HBO show that he writes, shoots, and edits himself. “It doesn’t really matter where the content originates,” Henderson says. “We’ll
have our Apple TV set up, or our DVR. It all seems like the same thing. Those distinctions are breaking down. What becomes more important is how good is the content, and how easy or inexpensive is the access.” These rules apply not only to writers and directors but to everyone in show business— development executives, producers, talent representatives, and marketers. All must adjust to the new entrepreneurial reality of television. A young person coming into the industry with this attitude can be at a distinct advantage. “It seems to me that, in the future, someone looking for an entertainment job has to keep their eyes open for entertainment in a lot of different places,” Jablonski says. “There are a lot more places to go. There are a lot less gatekeepers. It’s about learning to adapt to that, and also how to make a living out of it.” Henderson sees Jablonski’s openmindedness as part of a trend. “When students say, ‘I want to write for a comedy show,’ for them that means write for a web-based show, not Modern Family,” she says. “That’s a shift we’ve seen in the last just couple of years.”
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This revolution is transforming not just TV, but advertising too... when debuting a new TV commercial, advertisers can check Twitter to gauge audience response.
III. TV IS GETTING MORE INTERACTIVE If The Simpsons were a new show airing for the first time today, the opening tableaux might look very different. First of all, each of the Simpsons might be in a different room, watching television on different, perhaps portable, screens. If they did congregate in the living room to watch the same show, they’d likely have their smart phones and tablets with them. Bart might be posting about the show on Facebook, Marge might be looking up an actor on the Internet Movie Database, Lisa might be contributing to a fan forum, and Homer might be on Amazon ordering whatever he saw advertised during the last commercial break. This is what Mario Gonzales-Fuentes, a marketing professor at Trinity, calls the “second-screen revolution.” “We have this need to share with people,” he says. “We were doing that twenty years ago too, but then we’d wait until the next morning, until we got to our offices or to school, whereas now you do it in real time.” According to Keating, it’s another reason TV has gotten better over the last decade. He takes the ABC show Lost as an example. “Lost could include levels of complexity and mystery and unexplained
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touches with the full knowledge that fans were going to go online and try to unlock the mysteries,” Keating says. “You need the Internet to generate discussion and allow that level of complexity.” This revolution is transforming not just TV, but advertising too. “It’s helpful to marketers because it allows us to experiment with different marketing strategies in real time,” says GonzalezFuentes. For instance, when debuting a new TV commercial, advertisers can check Twitter to gauge audience response. Gonzalez-Fuentes predicts that this realtime data will help marketers develop more effective campaigns. The same benefit applies to TV content creators. “Something that comes up a lot, especially in classes about audiences and public relations, is the speed of feedback and how it’s changing,” Jablonski says. “You can immediately see what’s happening and how people are reacting to what you do.” As times and technologies continue to change, observers like Henderson see the trend only continuing. “There’ll be more and more screens in our spaces,” she says. “They’ll be everywhere. But they’ll also be more portable.” She points to the already-infamous Google Glass, still in development, which promises a future of wearable screen technology.
These changes raise legitimate concerns for those of us who remember television as a force that brought families together. “I’m pretty sure there’ll still be family time,” Henderson continues. “The question is, will everyone be on their own screen, or will the family all be participating in the same screen? I know that for educators of younger children, that’s a big concern. Will there be those times that the family is linked together?” One thing is for certain: the future of TV will be quite different from what many of us grew up with. In that respect, current Trinity students have an advantage. Gonzales-Fuentes admits that he often learns about new marketing techniques from students who just happen to be exploring the cutting edge of digital content. “Because of my age, I consider myself a digital immigrant,” he says. “My students are digital natives. They were born in the digital age.” Still, Gonzales-Fuentes cautions, we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Some of these changes will be slow to play out, and some households, albeit older ones, will continue to watch TV in the same way depicted in the Simpsons opening. “Boomers are still watching shows in real time, as they’re broadcast,” he points out. “Some are slowly incorporating the use Some are slowly incorporating the use of smart phones...
of smart phones as they’re watching the show, but still there is a sizable segment that we see using TV in a traditional way. I’m not saying [traditional] TV is here to stay, but I dare say it will live with us for more than three or four decades.”
Researching the Syrian Conflict with Professor Lesch by Jacob Uzman ’13
I
f you had asked me what I expected from my last semester at Trinity, it most certainly would not have been that I was going to drop everything to travel to Istanbul, Paris, London, and Moscow as part of an internationally funded project, studying the conflict in Syria. But I did, and it was the most amazing of the many surprise opportunities I have experienced at Trinity. It began in late October, when David Lesch, my history professor, asked me to come by his office. I was taking his History of Modern Syria class and had done some research for a book on Syria that he was co-authoring, so I assumed he wanted to discuss one of those things. Instead, he asked if I would like to be his assistant on a research project he was in the process of developing and organizing. He asked me to accompany him to New York the following week to help him set up the project. My primary responsibility would be taking notes at and transcribing the recordings from meetings and interviews, but I would also be providing administrative support, such as coordinating with translators and assisting in grant writing. We flew to New York where we met with a number of experts on conflict resolution and the Middle East whom Dr. Lesch brought into the project. At the meeting, we mapped out the project, identifying the types of people we should interview and who we could get to sponsor or fund the project. Harvard University, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), and Trinity University would eventually be our sponsors, and it became known as the Harvard University-NUPITrinity University Syria Research Project. Funding from the Swiss and Norwegian governments allowed us to travel all over the world to conduct the necessary interviews, and the group has plans to continue traveling throughout the summer.
Jacob Uzman ’13 and professor David Lesch will present their report to the United Nations later this year.
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Our first research trip was to Istanbul and Gaziantep in Turkey. After nearly 12 hours in the air, we arrived in Istanbul in the afternoon, exhausted but scheduled to interview three leading members of the Syrian opposition that evening. Because they were our first meetings, they were our most important. Our hope was that a strong performance on our part would show these three gentlemen that ours was a serious project and convince them to reach out to other influential members of the opposition and help us set up additional meetings. The converse, however, was also true. Fortunately, the meeting was a huge success. The three men we met with answered all of our questions with incredible depth and thoughtfulness. They gave us insight into a perspective that is rarely heard in the media narrative: that of Syrians on the ground. They told us their personal stories of pain and loss, of concern and uncertainty, and of hope and freedom. We asked them questions on the origin of the conflict, the current state of the revolution, and their vision of the future. They answered every question directly, peppering these responses with personal anecdotes to illustrate their point, and they occasionally challenged our line of questioning. For example, when we posed a question about whether the opposition (mostly composed of the Sunni majority in Syria) could assure the safety of minorities (such as Alawites, Christians, Druze, etc.), one of these gentlemen jokingly responded by asking whether the Alawitedominated regime had offered assurances to the Sunni majority. Those types of responses were some of the most important because they effectively illustrated the large gaps between the West’s understanding of the conflict and the way the opposition understands the conflict. More important, it helped close that gap and brought us closer to what Dr. Lesch refers to as their “conceptual paradigm,” their way of seeing
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and understanding the world. Throughout the rest of the trip, I was consistently struck by the ingenuity, the resourcefulness, and the thoughtfulness of the people we interviewed. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some were ex-military. Some were religious leaders. Some were lawyers. Some were academics. One was a former pediatrician. Regardless of where they started, all of them had been irreversibly changed by the uprising and forced to adapt to a new way of life mired in conflict and turmoil. Three young men described how they had managed to restore order and provide basic services to Syrians in a liberated suburb. A communist activist and a very conservative Sunni Muslim fighter sat next to one another and told us why they joined the revolution. While they had disagreements, that did not stop them from embracing one another as friends. One female activist sat with us at dinner and gave us the youth’s perspective on the revolution. She described the adoration that she and many of her friends initially had for President Bashar al-Asad and the overwhelming disappointment and anger they felt toward the regime when it failed to recognize the legitimate concerns of Syrians. The nuance of their views and stories has been lost in a media narrative that sees everything in sectarian and religious binaries: Alawites versus Sunnis, secular versus Islamist. Part of the problem is that the media simply doesn’t have the time to gather all of this information, and our trip to Turkey taught me that understanding these perspectives does take time. Most interviews lasted about an hour and a half, and some lasted close to three. With a minimum of four interviews a day in Gaziantep, it was incredibly exhausting, but taking the time to listen to the stories of activists and their families was absolutely essential. Those anecdotes were as important as the answers to our survey questions
because they gave us insight into the thought process of these activists. They contextualized the answers given and told us why these activists think this way. Just as importantly, making the effort to sit there and listen built trust. As one opposition activist noted, our taking the time and having the willingness to listen are among the primary reasons our project has been so well received. By the end of the trip, we had conducted 16 interviews with 27 different activists. These activists had come from all over Syria. We had 23 hours of recordings and hundreds of pages worth of transcripts. For the first trip of this project, it had been a huge success, and we had acquired a significant amount of data in a little over a week. While that trip was the only time we systematically conducted interviews with internal opposition members, our group has kept in contact with these opposition members, regularly getting updates from them as events unfold on the ground. Our next trip was to Paris and London, where we met with members of the external opposition and began the process of interviewing high-level government officials. Some of the external activists had been exiled; others had fled Syria. Unlike the people we met in Turkey, these activists were no longer on the ground, living and dying with the decisions of regime and opposition forces. That did not mean that their opinions were meaningless. Dr. Lesch and I had coffee and lunch with two individuals who had been in the thick of it at the beginning of the uprising. Eventually, they fled Syria, but they provided us with a number of interesting insights with regard to some of the earlier events in the uprising. Our interviews with government officials contrasted greatly with the interviews with Syrian opposition members. At the time of writing, we have met with United Nations, Russian, French, and British officials. Dr. Lesch also met with Syrian
government officials in Damascus this past February, a trip, which for obvious reasons, I could not make. Each of them has distinct perspectives on the conflict, and these perspectives filter the Syrian conflict through geopolitical interests and regional dynamics. Generally speaking, these officials did not look at the conflict in a vacuum. In the case of British, French, and Russian officials, they have their own national interests to look out for and protect. The best example of this might be our meeting with a top French official at the Elysee Presidential Palace just after he met with French President Hollande. With Mali and the French fight against Islamists at the forefront of French foreign policy, many of his answers revealed a general concern with the growing strength of Islamists within the opposition. The viewpoints of these officials reminded me of my understanding of the conflict prior to our Turkey trip. Before travelling to Turkey, I viewed the conflict primarily through the lens of U.S. policy and U.S. interests. This is likely because of the way I learned about the Syrian uprising. As an American, I have been socialized to think about political events in terms of my country’s interests, and in a similar vein, my primary news sources are American news sources and American think tanks. Their analysis is filtered through a prism of values that privileges U.S. and Western interests. Over the years, I have tried to temper the reliance on U.S. news sources with the inclusion of other foreign news outlets, such as Al Jazeera, and while I would like to think this has been somewhat successful, it is unlikely that I have completely eliminated the ideological blinders. In addition, my initial introduction to the conflict came through intercollegiate debate. During the 2011-2012 academic year, hundreds of college debaters across the nation researched and argued the best ways the U.S. could assist the democratic movements
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sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, and Trinity Debate was no exception. As a debate team member, I combed through think tank and policy reports about organizing the Syrian opposition and bolstering credibility with Syrian Alawites, Christians, and Kurds, and I read articles about the various scenarios of regional spillover and escalation. Much of this research, however, was oriented towards defining the conflict in relation to other U.S. foreign policy concerns. It instrumentalized the Syrian conflict, envisioning it as a tool to contain Iran, defeat Hizballah, or bolster U.S. credibility. Was this research necessary? Absolutely. Not only did it provide me with a general understanding of the conflict, but it also introduced me to one way of thinking about the conflict. The ability to see the revolution through the lens of U.S. interests makes it easy to understand both why the Obama administration wants to take it slow and why some Senators and Representatives want more forceful action. The equally important question to ask, however, is: was that research sufficient? No. Lost in all my prior research of the conflict were the voices and stories of Syrians. To them, the conflict is not the potential foreign policy blunder that the Obama administration thinks it is, and the conflict is not an opportunity to gain the upper hand against regional adversaries, as some analysts would have you believe. For many Syrians, the conflict is why their homes have been destroyed. It’s why cities are saturated with military personnel and checkpoints. It’s why they have to bury brothers and sisters and daughters and sons. Individuals on both sides of the conflict have suffered, and until we make the effort to comprehend that suffering, our understanding of the conflict and its participants will be incomplete at best and wildly inaccurate at worst.
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I won’t say that this project has given me perfect knowledge of the conflict. There are still many aspects of it that I do not fully comprehend, and there are many more things I still need to learn. I will say that in my final semester at Trinity University, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. I have been able to sit-in on meetings with some of the foremost experts on the Middle East and conflict resolution, and on occasion, I have even been able to contribute to those meetings. I have also had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Lesch to meet with top officials in Britain, France, Russia, the United States, and at the United Nations, who are in charge of their countries' respective foreign policies toward the Middle East and specifically Syria. Witnessing the first hand discussions between Dr. Lesch and these officials and observing that they have actually influenced foreign policy decisions at the highest levels have been amazing, to say the least. I chose to study philosophy and political science at Trinity because I want to work in conflict prevention and resolution, and almost every class I have taken, including many of those outside my majors, has contributed to my work on this project. In the last five months of my college career, I was given the opportunity to test all of my prior academic training in the real world, and it has been the best learning experience of my college career. Jacob Uzman will continue working for Professor Lesch through the summer of 2013. The project team will produce a report by the end of the summer and will soon thereafter present their findings in Oslo, Geneva, and at the United Nations.
T
he Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, has been in the news so
much over the past few years, it’s easy to forget that much of the law has yet to go into effect. Beginning January 1, 2014, fans of the ACA’s attempts to insure a greater swath of the population—and opponents of the law’s sweeping regulations and mandates—will finally have some real-world data to back up their arguments. That’s when key provisions kick in, including the famous individual mandate, the insurance exchanges, and the guarantee of affordable coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
by Mike Agresta
Trinity alumni take the lead as major provisions of the Affordable Care Act go into effect. July 2013 31
As this transition plays out, many alumni of Trinity’s master’s degree program in health care administration will be on the front lines. One such pioneer is Joel Allison, M.S. ’73, president and CEO of Baylor Health Care System, a Texas-based provider with 2.8 million annual patient encounters. “It’s essential that providers, hospitals, and physicians lead this,” Allison says. “There will be bumps in the road, but leading health care systems like ours can really make a difference and create a new model of care. Ultimately, it will become seamless. I see a great opportunity to make care better for the patient.” Allison, like many others in his field, has been working for years to get ahead of the changes legislated in the ACA. Three years ago, his organization created Vision 2015, a “roadmap” for the future of health care. “We knew it had to change,” Allison says. “Health care was unsustainable. There had to be changes made in how we deliver care, how care is paid for, how patients receive their care, and how they become engaged.” Baylor Health Care’s vision includes new emphases on population health management, off-site care delivery, and maximizing good outcomes instead of volume of care. Doug Hawthorne, ’69, M.S. ’72, CEO of Texas Health Resources, a North Texas area health care delivery system that includes 25 hospitals and 5,500 affiliated physicians, has been on this path for some time. “We are transforming from a hospital system that treats people when they are sick or injured
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to a health system that improves the health and overall well-being of individuals and entire communities,” Hawthorne says. “We didn’t wait for federal legislation to prompt us to do that – we started on our journey to move from the fee-for-service model to a value-based model because we knew that was the path to a sustainable, accountable health system.” These proactive changes are in keeping with the observations of industry experts about waste and perverse incentives in the
“We are transforming from a hospital system that treats people when they are sick or injured to a health system that improves the health and overall well-being of individuals and entire communities.”
pre-ACA health care system. “There’s been evidence for a long time that a good part of the care we provide is unnecessary,” says Mary Stefl, Trinity professor and chair of the Health Care Administration program. For instance, under the current system, patients are likely to receive new diagnostic tests like x-rays as they move from doctor to doctor— and doctors and technicians are paid for each new test. Additionally, the current reimbursement system often pits doctors against hospitals—doctors are better paid when they see patients more, whereas hospitals are incentivized to do less. This will begin to change under the ACA. “We’re not there yet, but you’ll see the beginnings of a bundled payment system,” Stefl says. Bundled payments would allow physicians and hospitals to work
together as partners on each episode of care. Under the ACA, Stefl says, “There are incentives to make care more efficient and the costs to the insurer, or the government if it’s Medicare, less. The physician is not charging each time he or she sees the patient, but gets a standard fee for that whole episode of care. Similarly, the hospital gets the same amount no matter how long the patient is in the facility – five, six, seven days.” These new alignments of incentives have encouraged health care providers to form partnerships in anticipation of the ACA. Hawthorne’s company, for example, recently partnered with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas to form one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in the country. Hawthorne predicts that ACOs are the wave of the future, in Texas and across the country. “An ACO is a structure that closely aligns hospitals, physicians, employers, and payers around the health needs of the individual,” he explains. Baylor Health Care System has undergone a similar transformation, recently merging
with Scott & White to form the largest non-profit health care system in Texas. “In response to the ACA, I think you’ll see more mergers,” Allison says. “The new model is that you will be, as a provider, accountable for the whole continuum of care.” He adds that this may include “vertical integration,” or partnerships between health care providers and insurance companies, so that the financing mechanism is integrated into the health care delivery system. At Trinity, the challenge is educating students for an industry where the rules are changing fast—and where no one knows quite what lies ahead. “Students need to be resilient, because lots of changes are going to come,” Stefl says. “This law is going to be enacted, but it’s going to morph and evolve.
I personally don’t think there’s a chance it’s going to be repealed at this point, but it will be modified.” Stefl admits that there’s no guarantee that ACA implementation will go smoothly, especially in the first year or two. That may weigh on providers and administrators. “It’s going to be a challenging time over the next several years as all of this is implemented,” she says. “One of the things we look for in our students is a fundamental commitment to helping people. I think that’s what keeps people going in difficult times.” Stefl adds that there is one plus to beginning a career in health care administration at this moment of change. “The young people who are entering the field right now have an advantage, because they don’t know what it was like to operate under the old rules. They don’t have that baggage.” In the end, these young administratorsto-be will be the true authors of health care reform as it plays out in practice in our cities and towns. “True reform—with a little R—will happen at the local level, not because of directives from Washington, D. C,” Hawthorne says. “It will happen through collaboration among physicians, employers, community leaders, payers, and health systems. As we move forward, we must look for innovative, collaborative ways to meet the challenges of providing access to care for all of the people in the communities we serve.”
July 2013 33
34 Trinity
P r o f i l e
Pamela Robinson Redman ’74 Happily ever after
Photo by Jerome Hart
O
nce upon a time, if someone had told Pam Redman ’74 that someday all of her dreams would come true, she could never have imagined it. But in many ways it was inevitable, considering she made much of it happen on her own—with a combination of hard work, natural talent, persistence, a lifelong passion for music and the theatre, and a little help from a few fairy godmothers (and fathers) along the way. Redman grew up in San Antonio with theatre in her blood. “My parents were in musical theatre from the time I can remember,” she explains. Her father, Bill Robinson, was a leading actor with San Antonio Little Theatre (SALT) for many years; her mother, Joan, was a singer who started Pam on piano lessons at age five. “She was my mentor,” says Redman softly, looking at her mother's portrait at her home in Oregon, “the most gracious, lovely, loving woman. People at Trinity will know who my mother was.” Indeed. Joan Robinson was a secretary in the music department for 25 years and the go-to person for “anything musical going on in the city. She was a fixture on campus.” No doubt the Robinsons would be as proud of their daughter as she is of them (Bill died in 1996 and Joan in 2004) as Redman enthusiastically relates her circuitous life story from Erie, Pa. to Portland, Ore., culminating in a project so exhilarating she can barely contain herself—the completion of her first original script and lyrics for a musical titled Cenicienta, subtitled “A Quinceañera with a Taste of Cinderella.” After earning her bachelor's in music and a Master of Arts from Trinity, Redman began
her teaching career in schools in both the states and Germany, directing, producing, and providing piano accompaniment for more than 75 Broadway musicals in community, high school, and professional theatre. But her heart was with her students, especially those in the San Antonio ISD where she taught in the late 1990s. “It occurred to me that Hispanic students did not have a musical of their own, that recognized or honored their unique and beautiful culture.” Her “aha” moment came during a particularly bad performance of Cinderella at a local high school that she attended with a colleague. Redman cringes at the memory. “I can't even tell you how bad this production was. I turned to her and said, “They're doing everything opposite of what their culture is about. Where's the musical for them?'” My
colleague countered with, “Why don't you write one?” To which Redman responded, “You know what? I think I will.” She did, but it took almost ten years. Redman was determined to get exactly the show that she wanted, complete with merengue, salsa, tango, and the like, along with a cast of characters that Hispanic students and audiences could relate to. “I disciplined myself to write a synopsis first, knowing what was going to happen and what kind of songs I wanted.” The idea of a quinceañera was a natural substitute for the ball, and best of all, both tales shared similar symbols—shoes, crown, and dress. But Redman’s production includes something the original Cinderella
could have never imagined. “Mariachis!” exclaims Redman. “They're the Greek chorus, always commenting on and musically interacting with the characters.” Once everything came together, Redman “sat down and wrote the whole thing in the summer of 2009. It just came pouring out of me.” There is one more magic touch: a musical score by award-winning composer and San Antonio resident Federico Chávez-Blanco of stage, screen, and telenovella fame. “He loved the script,” says Redman. The Thirteen O'Clock Theatre (thirteenoclock.com) in McAllen, Texas, will present a script reading of Cenicienta on August 16 in anticipation of a full-scale production next summer (ceni15. com). Filled with eager anticipation, Redman, says, “I am just so blessed.” Blessings are a recurring theme in Redman's own life—almost too many to count in spite of difficulties and loss. She met husband Robb—now Dean at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland— while teaching in Germany, and they were married in 1990 at Trinity's Parker Chapel. In 2005 they adopted a baby girl—now nine years old and named Martha Joan Donjja Redman—who had been abandoned on the steps of a Chinese police station, In teaching and in life, Redman finds herself repeating lessons she learned long ago from her Trinity music professor, the late Rosalind Phillips. “I emulate Roz every time I teach. She was full of energy and taught us to be very vocal and openly passionate about what you believe.” She glances at her photographs, her piano, and a home filled with music, love, faith, and laughter. “I think of my mother saying, 'Pam, don't you know you're happy?' I can finally say, oh yes, I'm very happy.” Julie Catalano
July 2013 35
P r o f i l e
John Bentley '95 Roving eye
Photo by Don Hamerman
Photo by Melissa Charbonneau, 2012
J
ohn Bentley is endearingly flummoxed trying to think of a good place to photograph him for this article. “Sitting at my desk with my computer is not very exciting,” he says almost apologetically. Maybe not. But when he leaves the CBS newsroom in New York City to cover stories around the world for the CBS Evening News, CBS This Morning, cbsnews.com, and CBS News Radio, there's plenty of excitement— sometimes more than he bargained for. Whether he's embedded with troops in Afghanistan, covering the 2008 presidential campaign, landing in Haiti just after its catastrophic earthquake, or reporting on the fall of the Qaddafi regime in Tripoli (he spent four weeks in Libya right before the rebels gained access to the capital city), Bentley is living every adrenaline junkie's dream while deftly delivering the news on air and online. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native admits he had no idea where he was headed when he enrolled at Trinity. Having done some high school musicals, “I thought I might want to be an actor, but having little talent quickly disabuses you of that notion.” So there were no childhood broadcast news fantasies involving a hairbrush microphone? “I might have been running around the house with a hairbrush, but I was probably singing show tunes into it.” It was “a total fluke” when he was assigned his first year seminar on New Journalism with communications professor Carolyn Warmbold, who first exposed him to the work of Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, and Hunter S. Thompson. The 17-year-old wide-
eyed freshman was hooked. “She was a great teacher and really sparked a love of journalism and that kind of evocative writing.” Professor Harry Haines was “hugely influential in my career. I wouldn't even be close to doing what I'm doing now it if weren't for him.” Bentley stays in touch with his former adviser and mentor, now at Montclair State University in New Jersey. “I can't say enough good things about him.” A few months after graduation, Bentley was hired by San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT— originally as a part-time videotape editor, then later as morning show sports anchor and reporter—where he stayed for seven years before getting his master's in journal-
ism from Columbia University in 2003. He was then hired by CBS as associate producer of their news magazine 48 Hours, where he won an Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence for coverage of “a terrible hazing incident involving football players at a high school on Long Island. It was a hard story to do.” Hard stories became the norm for Bentley, especially after joining CBS's political unit in 2007, where he was assigned to cover first Senator Fred Thompson and then Senator John McCain. He recalls the experience as grueling but fascinating. “It was an amazing experience to cover politics like that. You're literally with the candidate all day, every day.” Some stories will stay with him forever, like
post-earthquake Haiti. “You have to force yourself to do your job when you're just so overwhelmed by the toll of human suffering that you're almost paralyzed. I think about Haiti a lot.” In 2009, Bentley became one of the first members of the “digital journalist” unit at CBS. He's not especially fond of the term “but no one's been able to come up with anything better.” Calling it “a one man band,” Bentley frequently shoots, edits, produces, writes, and reports his own stories, finding the new streamlined process “interesting and gratifying.” In an industry with its fair share of supersized egos, Bentley is refreshingly modest and selfdeprecating, always referring to himself as part of a team and never taking anything for granted. He finds the public's increasing loss of trust in the media “troubling,” but adds “I think we've brought some of it on ourselves. In the rush to be first, sometimes we lose sight of being right.” The solution, he feels, is “for us to do a better job of reporting and being very open about the motivations of the people we talk to and finding out all the possible information before going to print.” Pause. “Which is an archaic term nowadays,” he says with a laugh—understandable from a journalist whose 20+ year career spans unprecedented changes in a profession he clearly loves. Despite a hectic schedule, Bentley spends his free time in his favorite role as father, describing a recent ski trip to Connecticut with his two young children as “big fun.” This summer he celebrates his tenth anniversary with wife and fellow Trinity alumna, Bridget Harding '98. So what's next? Bentley laughs. “People ask me that all the time. I always say I don't have any plans, then I'll get a call from the boss asking, 'Do you have your passport on you?'” Julie Catalano
July 2013 37
38 Trinity
P r o f i l e
Christopher Helfrich ’03 Net worth
Photo by Stuart Ramson/Insider Images for the UN Foundation
C
hris Helfrich is painfully blunt. “Every sixty seconds, a child in Africa dies of malaria, a disease spread by a single mosquito bite.” He is equally succinct about the life-saving solution: an insecticidetreated bed net. These inexpensive yards of tented mesh under which families sleep help to protect them from the ravages of a disease that causes 200 million illnesses a year and kills 600,000—most of them under age five. Could it really be that simple— mosquito nets to save thousands of lives? The United Nations Foundation thought so, and launched the Nothing But Nets campaign, inspired by Sports Illustrated writer and now ESPN headliner Rick Reilly, who penned in 2006: “We need nets. Not hoop nets, soccer nets or lacrosse nets. Not New Jersey Nets or dot-nets or clarinets. Mosquito nets. Ten bucks means a kid might get to live.” That article resonated with Helfrich, who became one of the original 35,000 subscribers who raised $1.2 million in one month for the nascent program. “I thought, that's the kind of thing I'd love to do,” never imagining that within five short years he would be the director of the world's largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting malaria, with a slogan that couldn't be any clearer: Send a net. Save a life.“It's simple. It's tangible. It's a great little campaign.” With a great big payoff. In seven years— Helfrich has been director for the last two—the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets program has raised $45 million to send more than seven million nets to 26 different countries across Africa, focusing primarily on the sub-Saharan region. Refugees fleeing violence-torn South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are a major priority (“we recently raised our 10 millionth dollar to send our one millionth net
to refugees across Africa”) with astonishing results: “In the last few years, we've seen malaria go from the number one cause of death to number five among refugees.” It's a long way from boarding school in his native Connecticut. Helfrich chose Trinity thanks to his mother's extensive research to find “a good Southern liberal arts college.” With a major in communications and a minor in speech, he recalls four professors that influenced him the most: Robert Huesca, communication; John McGrath, human communication and theatre; sociology professor Michael Kearl and especially communications professor William Christ, “a personal mentor of mine. From teacher
to boss at radio station KRTU to mentor to friend, he's had a tremendous impact on me.” KRTU is where Helfrich's entrepreneurial spirit first blossomed, taking the station from a scattered mixed format to “a thriving jazz station that San Antonio deserved to have.” He further sharpened his fundraising and development skills at Davidson College near Charlotte, North Carolina. But reading The New York Times and the Washington Post fueled “a big-city itch to be where the action was, to work on big issues.” By this time, Helfrich had married his high school prom date, and the couple hit Washington as newlyweds in 2007, with Helfrich eager to work for “an organization that I really believed in and could make a
difference on a national scale.” That turned out to be Public Citizen, a public interest group “that defends ordinary citizens against powerful entities,” where Helfrich was first deputy director and then national director of development and marketing. After four years, Helfrich wanted to “make the leap into a job where I could more directly impact the lives of people.” Incredibly, the UN Foundation was looking for a director for their signature initiative—Nothing But Nets—that Helfrich and wife Kate had been supporting ever since reading Reilly's column. “I wrote the most persuasive cover letter I could conjure up.” It worked, and “the opportunity to now run a campaign that I supported for so long is a dream come true.” For such a deadly serious topic, Helfrich has managed to put a little fun in fundraising, with some enthusiastic help from celebrities like top NBA shooter Stephen Curry and singer/actress Mandy Moore, along with an impressive list of high profile partnerships with the NBA, Major League Soccer, Disney's The Lion King, and VH-1, to name a few. Vigorous and ongoing advocacy efforts “ensure that the government maintains its record leadership, bipartisan support of malaria funding programs.” The hours are long and hard, and occasional trips to Africa take Helfrich away from his wife and their sons, Grey, three, and Leo, almost two, from their home in San Francisco. What keeps Helfrich going is that “anyone can be a champion in the fight against malaria. When you are able to hand a net to a mother who has already lost two children to malaria, it's impossible to put into words. It's a very special and powerful thing.” Special, powerful, and—for the rock bottom donation of ten bucks to help cover a continent—priceless. For more information, nothingbutnets.net Julie Catalano
July 2013 39
40 Trinity
P r o f i l e
Loren DeJonge Schulman '03 A capital adventure
Photo by Paul Fetters
I
t all started with Indiana Jones. Loren DeJonge Schulman chose Trinity for what she calls “its fantastic liberal arts program, small classroom experience, and self-contained campus.” She recalls her first visit as “very surreal and perfect. My mental image of what college looked like is what I saw when I went to Trinity.” Combined with “being a huge reader when I was younger and loving history class”—not to mention a fascination with the action-packed Harrison Ford films—put the Keller, Texas, native on track to become “either a historian or an archeologist.” She's on a track all right, but one so fast that it would leave even the fabled Jones in the dust. In freshman year she quickly changed majors after classes with professors Guy Poitras in political science and David Lesch in Middle East history “blew my mind. I went from wanting to be an academic who studied trends to someone who wanted to influence the policies that shape international relations.” After graduating with a B.A. in political science and international studies, she received her master's in public policy from Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in 2005—the same year she scored a spot in the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship program. During the two-year rotational program, Schulman hit the ground running in Washington D.C., working for the FBI and in the Department of Defense (DoD), where Schulman ultimately felt most at home. “DoD gives you responsibility immediately, they trust that you are going to be able to make really difficult decisions, make hard recommendations, and participate in
meetings with senior officials. It was a great way to grow up quickly within the federal government.” By 2007, Schulman had landed a job as Special Assistant, to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (“I think that's my longest title yet”), and by 2008 was a senior member of the DoD Transition Task Force, which is exactly what it sounds like. The changeover from the Bush to the Obama administrations involved a few hundred political appointees moving out—and in. “It's not like DoD can take a couple days off while people get settled. Iraq, Afghanistan, and any potential crisis would not let us take a day off. You had to make sure the transition was as seamless as possible.”
She half-jokingly calls this position “an incredible opportunity that hopefully I will never have to do again.” From a few years advising Secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon to the White House—as Director for Defense Policy and Strategy and Director for Libya on the National Security Council staff —and now back to the Pentagon as present Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Schulman considers herself “incredibly lucky” to be part of a team “where I'm not a bureaucrat moving paper from place to place. I get to shape policy decisions that matter to me on a daily basis.” For that, she gives full credit to now-
retired Trinity's Distinguished Professor of International Affairs Mary Ann Tetreault. “I think more than anyone at Trinity she continues to influence me. Her classes made us question conventional wisdom and think about how foreign policy affects the individual, not just the news cycle or prevailing political theory. It completely changed my perspective on decision-making, and now I regularly tell myself 'Whoa, step back, you're not just writing a memo, you're impacting a family in Libya, a military family affected by defense cuts, or military trainers deployed in all kinds of environments worldwide.” Working up to 60 hours a week (a break from the 80-hour work weeks at the White House) doesn't leave much spare time, but Schulman and lawyer husband, Ross, relax with one of their all-consuming passions: food. “I've taken lots of cooking lessons. We have a giant garden in the back.” Business travel is mercifully rare, but she recently took part in a study tour to Tbilisi, Georgia, with European and American politicians, government officials and journalists. “It was a fantastic way to force myself out of regular political or bureaucratic paradigms. The range of participants brought wildly different questions, healthy debates, and a new lens to view the region’s opportunities and challenges.” Hands-on, personal encounters like these are what keep Schulman going through hectic days, endless meetings, mountains of paperwork, countless tough choices, and trying to steer clear of “being absorbed into a bureaucracy that wants you to avoid the difficult call.” Schulman is determined to stay one step ahead when she can. Her responsibilities, “are a personal thing to me, not because there are very powerful people around the table, but because I see the real impact decisions made here have on this country and around the world.” Take that, giant rolling boulder. Julie Catalano
July 2013 41
A d v an c ement
Second generation continues philanthropic support
Photos courtesy of Coates family
By R. Douglas Brackenridge
Left: George Coates with his trusty Model T Ford. Right: George and Elizabeth (Betty) Coates
S
tanding on the Coates Esplanade after touring the Coates Library and the Coates University Center, a recent campus visitor commented, “The Coates family must be an important part of your University’s history.” Unknown to the visitor, nearby campus sculptures—Dame Barbara Hepworth’s Conversation with Magic Stones and Sir Henery Moore’s Large Interior Form—and the Stieren Theater also have Coates family connections. Unseen were other Coates contributions that provided the University with valuable resources and financial support. Coates family associations with Trinity
42 Trinity
center on the lives of George Hunter Coates (1896-1973) and his spouse, Elizabeth (Betty) Huth Coates (1909-1996), both of whom served as University trustees. At the time of their marriage in 1943, Betty was a widow. Her first husband, Arthur T. Stieren, died leaving her with two young children, whom Coates embraced as his own. Born in Abilene, Texas, George Coates grew up on the family ranch in Shackelford County where he developed a keen interest in the outof-doors, cattle, hunting, and the improvement of land. He also acquired a rigorous work ethic that he maintained throughout life. Coates attended Louisiana State University,
where his uncle, Charles E. Coates Jr., was chair of the chemistry department and LSU’s first football coach. Graduating in 1918 with a degree in chemical engineering, Coates boarded a ship to begin his first career as a sugar plantation chemist in Cuba and Jamaica. Stowed in the hold was his favorite means of transportation, a trusty Model T Ford. Two events in the early 1920s changed his life. The sugar business was declining and the Mirando oil boom was beginning in South Texas. Returning to Texas, Coates headed his Model T Ford south to Laredo and then to Mirando City in Webb County, where he started a new career in the oil business as
A d v an c ement
Betty Coates Maddux attended the dedication of the Elizabeth Coates Maddux Library in 1973.
a truck driver. Coates recalled that life was rough in South Texas at the time, “including roads, rumors, and some people.” Gaining experience in the oil fields, he became an exceptionally skillful land manager and was regularly engaged by large oil companies to buy leases on a commission basis. At the same time he bought royalties and mineral interests for himself that formed the basis of an eventual fortune. Attention to detail and keen observation skills were hallmarks of Coates’ business career. Family members relate how these characteristics saved him from the throes of the Depression. Rumors had been circulating
about potential bank closures, but outwardly normality prevailed. Looking down from his room in the St. Anthony Hotel, Coates noted that the lights in his bank had been on all night. Sensing that something major was wrong, he immediately withdrew all his funds, preserving financial resources that enabled him to expand his holdings during the lean years of the 1930s. Coates temporarily suspended his oil business during World War II and worked for the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Ships. When the war ended, he established a more active exploration and production company that drilled wells in various parts of Texas. By mid-centu-
ry Coates had become one of the prominent names in the Texas oil and gas industries as an independent operator with headquarters in San Antonio. Late in life, Coates was still an active wildcatter, conducting tests in his name and holding investments in other operations. A San Antonio native, Betty Huth was a descendant of the Huth family that founded and helped to organize the town of Castroville in south Texas. Her father, Albert Huth, devoted over 45 years of his life to public service, being elected tax assessor of Bexar County and later tax assessor and collector when that office was combined. Her mother, Theresa 0’Farrell Huth, was a member of a small group of
July 2013 43
A d v an c ement
Arthur (now deceased) and Jane Stieren's interest in the arts led to the Stieren Arts Enrichment Fund, which brings guest artists to campus annually. Their gift of Sir Henry Moore's Large Interior Form (right) is a campus landmark on the Coates Esplanade.
women who raised money to help build the Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. Betty Huth grew up in a family that loved music and appreciated the arts. Her father played the violin and her mother played the piano. On Sunday afternoons, the family gathered around their hand-cranked victrola and listened to recordings of classical music. Betty grew up thinking that “playing records and playing the piano were great things to do.” After graduating from Incarnate Word High School in 1926, she attended Incarnate Word College, majoring in music. During her sophomore year she left college to marry Arthur T. Stieren, who became a successful attorney and oil producer in Houston. Following her husband’s death in 1940, Betty resided in San Antonio, where she met and married George Coates. Together, George and Betty Coates invested generously in philanthropic projects that reflected their personal and shared interests. George Coates focused on education and science. He contributed to colleges and universities in support of their work in conservation, ranching, law, chemistry, geology, and the publication of scientific works concerning the sugar and oil industries. In particular, he had an affinity for projects that he felt would advance the dreams and ambitions of young people. Betty Coates’ heart and mind were devoted to the arts. “My philosophy about giving,” she once said, “is that I would like to expose others to artistic experiences. I can’t image anyone growing up without enjoying music or art. I feel fortunate to be able to share my own enjoyment of the arts.” Her wide ranging involvement in advancing the cause
44 Trinity
of community music and art organizations blended well with her husband’s commitment to scientific research. During Trinity’s early years in San Antonio, the University benefitted from Coates philanthropy. George and Betty Coates gave seed money to encourage the University to undertake new programs, improve the campus landscape, strengthen the music library, underwrite scholarships, and begin new buildings. Betty Coates had initially been attracted to Trinity through her enrollment in opera and music appreciation courses taught by professor Albert Herff-Beze. Contact with Beze enhanced her understanding of classical music and deepened her associations with Trinity. She sponsored the collections of music manuscripts and recordings for Trinity’s music library and provided stereo equipment for music appreciation classes. The couple provided funds in 1967 to beautify the area surrounding the Student Union Building, which became the Coates Esplanade in their honor. A second major gift gave Trinity students a much-needed facility. Designed by Trinity architect O’Neil Ford and completed and dedicated in 1973, the Elizabeth and George H. Coates University Center included extensive remodeling of the original Student Union Building and a new three-level-building that more than doubled the floor space of the original building. Expanded and remodeled in 1987, the Coates Center continues to be a focal point for the campus community. Upon Coates’ death in 1983, per his wishes, the family continued to operate the oil
company he founded in San Antonio. Betty married Lt. Gen. Samuel Maddux, retired commander of the Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base. As Elizabeth Coates Maddux, she maintained her close relationship with Trinity by becoming a University Trustee and a sustaining benefactor. In the early 1980s Betty was a major contributor to the University’s Commitment to Distinction campaign that helped launch Trinity into the spotlight as a leader in undergraduate education. In particular, she contributed crucial funding to complete the University’s new library and to support continuing acquisition of library resources. She actively participated in the planning of the second floor, especially the Special Collections and Rare Book Room section. In appreciation of her support, Trinity trustees in 1983 named the completed building the Elizabeth Coates Maddux Library and later presented her with the Distinguished Service Award. Following the death of General Maddux in 1990, Betty requested that Trustees change the name of the library to the Elizabeth Huth Coates Library because it had been Coates funds that had made her contributions possible. Betty’s interest in Trinity influenced her children to participate in University life. Son Arthur Stieren, who shared her love of music and the arts, took courses under Trinity’s playwright Paul Baker and composed works of his own. Later he became a University Trustee and prominent benefactor. In addition to donating significant campus sculpture—Conversation with Magic Stones and Large Interior Form
A d v an c ement
It’s a win, win, win
Life-income gift annuity honors faculty member
Betty Kelso continues the Coates' family tradition of philanthropy.
are campus focal points—he and his wife, Jane, established the Stieren Arts Enrichment Fund and undertook an extensive renovation of the Ruth Taylor Theater building, which included the addition of the Jane and Arthur Stieren Theater. Daughter Betty Ann Stieren Kelso completed her undergraduate work at Trinity while combining it with household responsibilities. Awarded a B.A. degree in art in 1979, she retains fond memories of art instructors Philip Evett, Robert Tiemann, and Elizabeth Ridenhower. A steadfast Trinity Associate, she has supported the University financially as well as contributing to other educational and artistic endeavors. Presently she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the Incarnate Word. In later years, Betty Maddux received recognition for her longtime support of arts and education in San Antonio. Beyond Trinity, her philanthropic interests included the San Antonio Symphony, the Southwest Craft Center, Texas Military Institute, St. Mary’s Hall, Arts San Antonio, the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Majestic Theater restoration. Speaking on behalf of Trinity, President Ronald K. Calgaard said, “Betty Maddux has set the standard for excellence in San Antonio philanthropy. She has supported with time, interest, and money, a wide variety of cultural, education, and human service institutions in our community. She is a great lady and a devoted and generous supporter of all that is good in our community.” Before her death in 1996, Betty Maddux established the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation to ensure the future of her
Knowing that Trinity was one of Lyn Belisle’s philanthropic priorities, an anonymous donor established a $1.5 million gift annuity in her honor and asked her to determine the purpose of the remainder of the gift after her death. The donor receives a charitable gift deduction; Belisle, the annuitant, receives a fixed income, of which a substantial portion of the payments will be tax-free for the next sixteen years; and per her wishes, the remainder of the charitable gift annuity will benefit the Special Collections and and Rare Books Room in Coates Library. The multi-talented Belisle’s relationship with Trinity dates to the early 1960s when she studied with professors Bill Bristow, Philip John Evett, and Elizabeth Ridenhower, all whom she still calls friends and mentors. She returned to Trinity for her master’s degree in English, which was awarded in 1972, along with post-graduate certification in special education for behaviorally-challenged adolescents. During her 35-year teaching career in art and special education, she was awarded the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching and was one of three finalists for Texas Teacher of the Year in 2000. Last summer Belisle transitioned from full to part-time faculty and currently teaches computer applications and graphic design. The guaranteed income from the gift annuity enabled Belisle to open Lyn Belisle Studio: A Place of Creative Belonging, in San
charitable interests. Family heirs continue the Coates philanthropic legacy by contributing substantially to various charities. Some have set up their own separate foundations, including the Arthur T. and Jane J. Stieren Foundation and the Betty Stieren Kelso Foundation. Their generosity is a fitting tribute to a man who cranked up his Model T Ford and never looked back and to a woman who shared and extended his vision of community benevolence.
Antonio. She has exhibited her art in regional and national galleries and is represented by La Vida Gallery and Nueva Street Gallery in San Antonio and Earthen Artisan House in Colorado Springs. “The Trinity thread runs so brightly through the arts and letters community,” says Belisle. “Trinity has nurtured poets and playwrights, visual artists and designers, many of whom are cherished friends of mine. Being here as an undergraduate inspired my lifelong passion for the arts, and teaching here forty years later feels like coming home.” A charitable gift annuity is a wonderful way to provide secure income for yourself, a spouse, a parent, sibling, child or grandchild for the purposes of retirement, education, or a new career, and help finance Trinity’s future. It is a great way to make a gift that gives you certainty in uncertain times. If you would like additional information, please contact Kris Howland at (210) 999-7697 or email khowland@trinity.edu Information for this article has been derived primarily from university archival records such as trustee minutes and biographical folders, presidential papers, and university publications. A recent interview with Betty Ann (Stieren) Kelso provided valuable family insights. The Coates Energy Trust Web Site contains an interesting company history with photographs. (www.coatesenergy.com/).
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Alumni Association honors two seniors Trinity University's Alumni Association recognized Chelsea A. Castillo for her service to the community and Mitch Hagney for his service to the University. The students received certificates and $250 at the Honor Awards Convocation in early April. Castillo, from Houston, is majoring in sociology with a minor in biology. She is a member of the Delta Epsilon Iota and Alpha Kappa Delta honor societies as well as the American Medical Student Association. Head of the Trinity University Volunteer Action Community's cancer awareness program for four years, she also is a leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an associate
member of Best Buddies. Castillo has volunteered in a children's ministry and at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and worked as a counselor with children who have terminal illnesses at Camp Periwinkle. Additionally, she presented research this spring at the American Association for Cancer Research and traveled to Dominca as part of Trinity's Alternative Spring Break. Originally from Nashua, N.H., Hagney is a double major in human communication and international studies, with a concentration in environmental studies and a minor in geosciences. He is co-president of Lambda Pi Eta, a national communication association, and
Chelsea Castillo
Mitch Hagney
president of Students Organized for Sustainability and the Trinity University Community Garden. Hagney also serves as program head for Water is Life and as a trip leader for Trinity's Outdoor Recreation program. He is a research assistant for Trinity's debate team, qualifying for a national debate tournament as a first-year student. Hagney
also presented research on Chinese online censorship and nationalism at an intercultural communication conference in Chiapas, Mexico, and studied abroad in Costa Rica, where he conducted sustainable development studies on an orange and mango farm.
Inductees Named for 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame Honorees include : The 2000 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship Team, Trinity’s first Division III championship team, and the 2000 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship Team, who won the crown less than 30 minutes later. With the victory, Trinity became the first Division III institution to win two titles in the same year. The 2003 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Team, which brought home the trophy after making the winning shot with 11 seconds remaining on the clock.
F
our national championship teams and two individuals will be inducted into the Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame during Alumni Weekend. The ceremony will occur Saturday, Oct. 12, during halftime of the football game pitting the Tigers against the Millsaps Majors.
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The 2003 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Team, which made history with its 2-1 win over Drew University at Madison, N.J. It marked the first time a team from Texas – in any division – captured a national soccer championship. Jamie Broach ’98, who won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association men’s
singles and doubles titles at the 1997 National Small College Championships. He became the first Tiger player to win a Division III National Championship, the first to capture an ITA title, and the only male to win both singles and doubles crowns. The late Leslie Robinson, men’s basketball coach and administrator. “Coach Robbie”led the Tigers for nine seasons during the Division I era, from 1956-1965. He broke the Trinity record for career wins (77), and currently stands fourth among coaching records. Robinson was the first Trinity coach to lead the Tigers to a 20-win season. An open reception will be held in the William H. Bell Athletic Center lobby following the football game. A special plaque of each 2013 honoree will be mounted on the Athletic Hall of Fame wall in the Bell Center, along with the other classes, dating back to 1999.
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GRISSOM'S PICKS
More than a few good reads Could it be a sign of senility that I take much pleasure in composing a short note and in offering a few reading suggestions for alumni who rarely heeded my advice on reading or anything else for that matter decades ago? Let’s call it faith and perseverance.
satirizing spy novels in Sweet Tooth, and Michael Chabon tests my patience with his intricate, complex-compound sentences, but keeps me reading because of his memorable characters and vivid creation of a sense of place in Telegraph Avenue. John Irving continues, as
Of course, I’ve also squeezed in the annual Sandford, Patterson, Baldacci, and Connelly mysteries and a few brilliant non-fiction works; especially fine are: Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forever: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, Gail Caldwell’s Let’s Take the Long
Here’s some of what I’ve read recently that I think is well worth your time: Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies mesmerizes even though you already know what happens; Louise Erdrich’s The Round House fascinates with a well told story of injustice; Richard Ford’s Canada not only offers a remarkably believable narrative voice but also handles foreshadowing in a mindblowing manner; Dave Eggers’ A Hologram for the King seems a 21st century Death of a Salesman, and it’s not pretty. Five other longtime favorite novelists released excellent books this year—the best of them all, Toni Morrison’s Home, is similar to Beloved, but shorter, yet also devastating and brilliant; Ian McEwan shows off his wide-ranging gifts by
the cliché goes, “pushing the envelope,” with In One Person, and Barbara Kingsolver in Flight Behavior reminds us, not so subtly, that climate change is not only real but also upon us. Two writers new to me, Kevin Powers and Ben Fountain, published brilliant, yet disturbing, novels about current wars and their effects on those who fight them. Please read thoughtfully The Yellow Birds and Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. (One even offers a parody of Jerry Jones.) The other “new” novelist I discovered, Jesmyn Ward, in Salvage the Bones, taught me more than I wanted to know— but what I now certainly cannot forget—about dog fighting, abject poverty, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Way Home, Marilynn Robinson’s When I was a Child, I Read Books, and Gretchen Rubin’s Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life. Waiting on the “to read” shelf: Elizabeth Strout’s The Burgess Boys, Ben Rehder’s The Driving Lesson, Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life, David Baldacci’s The Forgotten, and Alison Bechdel’s Are You My Mother? Although I still prefer to read hardback, nicely bound volumes, these days I also read books on my iPad, my Kindle Keyboard, and Kindle Paper White. I see these modern technologies as making reading easier and more convenient than ever—at the
pool, on an airplane, sitting in a waiting room, propped up in bed surrounded by snoring poodles. See, I do persevere: find some convenient ways to keep good reading material nearby and keep stretching your mind, testing your patience, and expanding your knowledge. You are, after all, closely connected to this institution I love so much and have served so long. Surely you realized I would always have great expectations of you and your commitment to the life of the mind. Coleen Grissom Professor of English Spring, 2013
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Where Are They Now?
D
uring his years at Trinity (1961-1999) biologist Harold Murray was a popular teacher, respected administrator, and productive scholar. Best known to student generations for his large introductory biology classes where he held forth in the Science Lecture Hall without benefit of microphone, Murray was also noted for his meticulous advising of pre-medical students. Because of his special interest in fresh water mollusks, some students referred to him as “Snail Murray.” But “snail” was an oxymoron in describing Murray who was an energetic, quick-witted, and involved member of the Trinity faculty. In 1971 students honored him with the Favorite Professor Award. He continues to receive letters from alumni who thank him for the support they received at
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Trinity and the contributions he made to the success of their professional careers. A small town Kansas native, Murray received his baccalaureate degree from Ottawa University in 1952 and a master’s in biology from Kansas State College in 1953. The following year he married Beverly Martindale, and they had one son, Stephen. While serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, Murray was stationed for two years at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. After receiving his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Kansas in 1960, he was invited to interview for several teaching positions. He chose Trinity because he valued the
friendly atmosphere and mutual respect that he encountered on campus and was impressed with the charisma and leadership of President James W. Laurie and Dean Bruce Thomas. (It also helped that three of his potential colleagues were Kansas natives.) In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Murray was well published in his field and active in professional organizations. He served as department chair for nine years and on two occasions functioned as acting dean of sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Well known regionally for his involvement in the advancement of pre-medical advising, he co-authored a comprehensive handbook for advisers of pre-medical students that was widely used in Texas colleges and universities. Additionally, he was elected president of the American Malacological (study
of mollusks) Society, president of the Southeastern Association of Advisers for the Health Professions, and president of the Texas Association of Advisers of the Health Professions. Beyond department and divisional duties, Murray was a member of the Faculty Senate and other University committees and was a faculty sponsor of Kappa Psi Omega sorority. In 1970, when Trinity’s senior women’s honorary society commenced a series of Last Lectures given by “outstanding professors,” members selected Murray as one of the initial speakers. In retirement, he and Beverly traveled widely, enjoying cruises to Alaska, Caribbean islands, Hawaii, and Europe. Sadly, Beverly died in a car accident in March 2011. Murray enjoys visits from son Stephen, who lives in San Mateo, California. His leisure reading interests include mystery novels and documented histories such as David McCullough’s book on the Panama Canal. His favorite pastime, however, is meeting for lunch with former Trinity colleagues and assorted friends Monday through Friday between 11 and 12:30 at the Bombay Bicycle Club on St. Mary’s Street. Murray invites visitors to drop by the Bombay Bicycle Club during the times above for greetings and chats. R. Douglas Brackenridge
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P
ennsylvania native Jim Potter came to Trinity in 1958 on an athletic scholarship sight unseen. He quickly made his presence felt on campus as a gregarious participant in student activities and an outstanding performer in basketball and baseball. At Trinity, Potter met his future wife, Mary Koewing ’62 and they recently celebrated 50 years of married life. The couple has two children, both of whom reside in San Antonio—daughter Christa ’90 and son Rob. After receiving his baccalaureate degree in 1963, Potter later earned a Masters Degree in Education from Trinity in 1967. A member of the R.O.T.C. unit at Trinity, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1965 and was honorably discharged as First Lieutenant after fulfilling
his active reserve obligation. From 1967 until he retired in 2000, Potter served as Trinity’s director of intramurals. He inherited a program with a miniscule budget, limited recreational activities, and a low level of student participation. Over time, by hard work and friendly persuasion, Potter developed a comprehensive network of activity programs that benefited many Trinity student generations. He assembled a staff of student workers with whom he collaborated to devise, implement, and evaluate new programs. Innovations included co-ed sports and outdoor recreational activities that included trips to the Grand Canyon, Big Bend, the Gulf Coast, and other regional locations. The introduction of new team sports such as
flicker ball, water polo, and bowling, and the outdoor recreation program, attracted approximately 70 percent of the student body. At the same time, Potter taught physical education activity courses, officiated at high school and college football games, and participated and held offices in state and national intramural recreational associations. For a number of years he traveled to Germany, where he held instructional seminars for military personnel in football officiating. In all these activities he was a consummate professional whose high standards reflected on those with whom he worked. Working with Trinity students, however, provided Potter his most joy and satisfaction in teaching. He always found time to listen to their problems and
to acknowledge and celebrate their accomplishments. He also encouraged them to prepare for satisfying careers beyond graduation. In short, he was a role model for them to emulate. It is not surprising that Potter has been, and continues to be, one of the most frequently requested faculty visitors to alumni events. He was inducted into the Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the Alumni Spirit of Trinity Award in 2006. In retirement, Potter continued to officiate at football games and to serve as an official timer in Alamodome football games and at North East Independent High School contests. He says his and Mary’s most fulfilling avocation, however, is their daily interaction with grandchildren Matthew, T.J., and James, children of Christa and Trinity baseball coach Tim Scannell. They provide day care as needed, assist with homework requirements, and support the boys in their varied sports activities. They are joyfully anticipating the arrival this summer of a fourth grandchild from son Rob and his wife, Pawadee. Family vacations, meeting with friends, attendance at lectures and concerts, and membership in the First Presbyterian Church round out their active life as senior citizens. Potter welcomes emails at jandmpotter@att.net or mail at 115 Schreiner, San Antonio, TX, 78212. R. Douglas Brackenridge
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Chapter and Network Activities Arizona
Atlanta
Alumni from several decades met at Papago Brewery to enjoy an evening of cheer complete with popcorn, beer, and wine before heading out for a holiday lights trolley tour on December 8. A special thanks to the Tucson alumni who made the trip to Phoenix for the event.They look forward to upgrading to a double-decker bus next year. On March 24, alumni brought their families and friends to the spring training game to watch the Diamondbacks play the Seattle Mariners in Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
The chapter met September 12 over drinks and food at The Square Pub in downtown Decatur. Many young alumni, several board members, and a few from older classes had a great time meeting each other and relaxing after work. The chapter held its annual Making Connections event on January 10. Of the two Atlanta-area students this year, one was able to attend the event and enjoyed undivided attention from the nineteen alumni and professionals in attendance. Many of the alumni also took advantage of the opportunity
to network and discuss future plans and aspirations. The small but cohesive group of Trinity graduates remains committed to helping any and all who could benefit from exposure to new resources that foster continued professional growth and success. Alumni also enjoyed catching up at Park Tavern on a wonderful spring night on May 16.
ence at Trinity. In the spirit of giving back, alumni cleaned up debris on and along the trail at Lady Bird Lake on February 9 as their annual Trinity Cares service project. On April 9, alumni cheered on the Trinity baseball team when they took on the Concordia Tornados.
Austin
On February 23, alumni met to watch the San Antonio Spurs take on the local team, the Golden State Warriors. The game was exciting, with the Spurs losing a close one in overtime.
Sixteen alumni and their spouses from the Austin area gathered on a Sunday night in December at CRU Wine Bar to taste wines from around the world and share stories about their experi-
The Arizona Chapter alumni brought their families to watch the Diamondbacks game with the Seattle Mariners at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
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Bay Area
Chicago The chapter held its annual Making Connections event on January 12 and enjoyed a good turnout from alumni and current students. Chicago-area students and recent (or not so recent) graduates interested in networking or looking for specific opportunities should contact the Chicago career chair, Colin McRoberts, at mcroberts@ gmail.com. Chicago alumni graciously served the Chicago community by volunteering at Vital Bridges on February 2. It was the third year the chapter supported the organization, which serves nearly 2,000 economically disadvantaged people living with HIV and AIDS in metropolitan Chicago. Each year, Vital Bridges provides over half a million meals to nearly 1,800 clients in great need. Alumni "shopped" the west side Chicago food pantry to fill orders of nutritious groceries for Vital Bridges clients. On April 7, alumni met at the Museum of Science and Industry for an in-depth guided tour of the U-505 submarine, the only German submarine in the United States. The tour featured exclusive stories about the history of the U-505
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Dallas
Alumni and their families enjoyed their spring BBQ at Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell. Atlanta Chapter alumni and students at the annual Making Connections event.
and an interactive on-board tour. After the tour and before the museum opened to the public, alumni were allowed to roam the submarine and chat with United States submarine veterans.
Colorado On January 30, alumni attended the Nuggets vs. Rockets game in the Snell & Wilmer suite at the Pepsi Center. Class years ranged from 1965 through 2006. Best of all, the Nuggets pulled off a solid 118-110 victory. For its annual Trinity Cares event, the chapter joined Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT), a nonprofit organization that transforms donated and repurposed materials into interactive teaching aids for local teachers. Alumni volunteers assembled learning kits comprised of milk jug caps, cd jewel cases and pipette boxes. These kits will eventually be used to teach students math, geometry, and fractals. RAFT was very appreciative of the time put in by the Trinity University alumni group and a staff member remarked that their work was "phenomenal."
For their Trinity Cares project, the Dallas chapter assisted the Community Partners of Dallas. in assembling Easter baskets on March 16. Community Partners of Dallas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring safety and restoring dignity and hope to abused and neglected children by providing resources and support to the caseworkers of Dallas County Child Protective Services. The chapter hosted a panel-discussion—“How Technology Has Changed (and Not Changed) Marketing”— on April 2, featuring Jennifer Henderson, Ph.D., and Aaron Delwiche, Ph.D., from Trinity’s department of communication, and two alumni: Gerald Mann '84, SVP marketing, On The Border Restaurants; and Jamie Hillstrom Schott ’98, director, corporate digital marketing, Mary Kay, Inc. The Dallas chapter gratefully acknowledged Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Field LLP for their generous support of this event.
Fort Worth
Atlantaarea alumni enjoyed catching up at Park Tavern on a wonderful spring night on May 16.
The chapter held its annual Making Connections event on January 10 at the home of Kathy R. Bradshaw ’77. Twelve Fort Worth alumni attended the Trinity Cares event at Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) on Feb. 6. Kristie Gibson ’98, donor relations director at TAFB, gave the group a behind-the-scenes tour and explained how the Food Bank provides food for 45,000 families each month. The group had planned to pack food for the BackPacks for Kids program, however, the Food Bank was overflowing with volunteers so the Trinity group had quality networking time
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on February 24. Elizabeth's training and dedication embody the Trinity spirit, and the chapter was pleased to recognize her accomplishments.
Houston
The Austin Chapter alumni cleaned up debris on and along the trail at Lady Bird Lake on February 9 under the annual “Trinity Cares� service project.
together at a nearby restaurant following the tour. The chapter held a wine tasting seminar, The Art of Pinot Noir, featuring wines made by Adam Lee '87 of Siduri Wines. Adam joined attendees to compare and contrast how different vineyard sites can create unique flavors
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of this elegant grape. Five wines made by Adam, including the Trinity University Zinfandel, were served. Alumni and Luke's Locker running team met at Gloria's Restaurant to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Elizabeth Eder '09, who finished first in the Cowtown Marathon
Bingo in the Heights is a wellknown event in the Houston community, and Trinity alumni definitely made their presence known here on November 29. The highlight of the event was when Cesar Giralt won the second highest jackpot and waved the Trinity pennant in victory! Alumni and friends gathered in Discovery Green for an afternoon of ice skating on January 26. The beautiful weather caused the skating rink to open a bit late so alumni had a chance to mingle and snack before showing
off their moves on the ice. On February 2, alumni returned to the city's animal shelter, BARC, for the third year as part of the Trinity Cares service project. Over 100 homeless dogs and cats were exercised, petted, and played with, all in the spirit of giving back to the community. On March 7, the chapter held its annual wine tasting at 13 Celsius with marketing professor Charlene Davis as the special guest from Trinity. She gave a campus update and an informal talk on the marketing and advertising of the Super Bowl. Following her talk, a sommelier shared wine tasting, pairing, and selection tips. On April 6, Trinity alumni and their families gathered by the lake in Hermann Park and visited the zoo while local members of the alumni board hosted a lunch of BBQ sliders and dogs. Alumni
Chicago Chapter alumni graciously served the Chicago community through the gift of their time to the Vital Bridges organization.
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podium where cases are argued. After the tour, they were treated to a visit with the Clerk of the Court, Gen. William Suter ’59. The NCA chapter extends its heartfelt thanks to General Suter for arranging the tour and wishes him the best in retirement.
New York
The Chicago alumni chapter held its annual Making Connections event on January 12, with a good turnout from alumni and current students.
Alumni had a fun evening on March 7 bowling at Bowlmor Lanes at Union Square. On March 12, the chapter’s Making Connections event was held at the PeaceWorks Foundation, thanks to the generosity of Daniel Lubetzky ’90. The event featured alumni from the 1980s through 2012, as well as two current students, one freshman and one senior. These two students met with alumni who currently work in their field of interest but also had the opportunity to speak with individuals who have found careers in much different fields. For many alumni, it was a nice opportunity to reconnect with classmates as
well as meet new alumni. Alumni in the area attended the Lone Star Chili Cook-off at Beekman Beer Garden on Saturday, May 11.
Oklahoma City On January 26, eleven Trinity alumni, friends, and families volunteered at the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank for the annual Trinity Cares project. The group separated donated food into crates according to food type to be sent to needy families and agencies in the Oklahoma area. In three hours, the Trinity group, along with other volunteers, sorted 11,000 pounds of food. Alumni also got together to watch an Oklahoma City Red Hawks vs. Round Rock Express game in a reserved section of the ballpark on April 18.
San Antonio The chapter’s young alumni watched the Rampage pummel the Monsters while enjoying
enjoyed an outing at the stunning new BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston and watched the Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution match on May 18.
National Capital Area On January 8, alumni met at Laughing Man Tavern in downtown Washington, D.C., for the chapter’s Making Connections event. Two students home for winter break enjoyed the networking opportunity. Area alumni volunteered on February 23 at the Loaves and Fishes at St. Stephen's and the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. as part of the chapter’s annual service project. They helped serve the neighbors in need with hot food. On April 10, the chapter had an experience to remember when they visited the Supreme Court. They were given a docent-led private tour followed by an opportunity to stand at the
Colorado-area alumni ranging from 1965 through 2006 had a great time at the Nuggets v. Rockets game.
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camaraderie and dollar drinks on January 11 at the AT&T Center. In February, alumni participated in the annual Trinity Cares service project by partnering with The Texas Ramp Project to build a wheelchair ramp for a disabled homeowner. In three hours, 15 volunteers, including alumni and guests, were able to provide the client with the freedom to leave his home again. The annual alumni theater reception on February 15 was, as always, a splendid evening of fellowship and fun as Trinity's top-notch theater department presented Tom Stoppard's masterpiece, Arcadia. Special thanks to director Stacey Connelly for her pre-show visit with attendees to shed insight on the students’ involvement and, of course, the background information on the show itself. On February 22, alumni enjoyed a unique opportunity to sample the Trinity zinfandel and meet its creator, Adam Lee '87. The Trinity zinfandel is a special blend created by Adam exclusively for Trinity and is not available in stores. President Ahlburg told attendees how he and Adam conceived of the idea of a Trinity wine. Alumni enjoyed sampling many of Adam's wines while relaxing in the newly remodeled Skyline Bistro of the Coates University Center. The chapter held its Spring Fling Happy Hour on March 7 at Silo on Austin Highway. Alumni from many different decades enjoyed mingling, sipping cocktails, and sampling a variety of appetizers. On April 6, more than 30 alumni and guests attended a morning breakfast and took a guided tour of special exhibits at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Food, friends, and a beautiful Museum made for a lovely day. One of the attendees wrote: "Met interesting alumni and thoroughly enjoyed and learned so much from the SAMA Docent. Truly appreciate your arranging all of this for us." The chapter hosted another successful River Parade party on April 22 along the San Antonio
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Alumni enjoyed a pre-game happy hour before they headed to watch the Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution match.
Trinity’s marketing professor Charlene Davis, who attended the Houston Chapter’s annual wine tasting event as special guest, gave an informal talk at 13 Celsius.
River Walk. Alumni enjoyed the catered food and drink while cheering the vibrant parade boats floating past. The loudest shouts erupted for Trinity's own float On April 28, the last Sunday of San Antonio’s city-wide Fiesta event, the San Antonio chapter hosted an event to celebrate the 17th anniversary of a children’s festival called Diá de los niños y diá de los libros, affectionately referred to as simply, Diá. Over 30 families gathered at the Miller Fountain with their children and grandchildren to share five different literacy stations focused on bringing literature to life for kids under the age of 10. From read aloud story times including Good Night Moon and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, to guitar sing-a-longs of popular children’s songs and creative artwork inspired by Where the Wild Things Are, current Trinity students volunteered to take a break from studying and introduce the next generation to the magic of literature. The
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NCA chapter enjoyed a special tour of the U.S. Supreme Court and a meeting with General William Suter ’59, Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, on April 10. General Suter is retiring later this year.
chapter held its second annual Alumni Entrepreneur and Business Mixer on May 31 at Grand Agave. Alumni had a great evening of networking and socializing. Matt Reedy ’79, executive director of Enterprise Innovation at USAA and co-founder of IQ Software, IntelliSolve Group, and Armida Technologies, was the guest speaker.
San Diego The alumni joined other alumni from select Texas universities on March 2 at Cozymels to celebrate the Lone Star State’s Independence Day.
Trinity alumni and their families gathered by the lake in Hermann Park and enjoyed a BBQ lunch.
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Participants at the New England chapter’s Making Connections event, held at the home of chapter president Jessica Patrick '02, gather for a picture.
Seattle
St. Louis
The chapter gathered at the Sheraton Hotel on January 4 for a social hour with visiting Trinity classics professors who were in town attending a conference. It was a great opportunity for alumni to meet other local alumni as well as talk about Trinity and the revised curriculum with the visiting professors.
The chapter held a panel discussion on “What Makes a Great Story” on April 4 at the Post-Dispatch. St. Louis' top journalists in print, radio, television, and digital media shared their experiences and insights. Post-Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan ’96 moderated the discussion.
The New York chapter held its Making Connections event at the PeaceWorks Foundation.
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Young alumni watched the Rampage pummel the Monsters while enjoying camaraderie and dollar drinks.
California winemaker, Adam Lee ’87 (left), introduces his Trinity zinfandel to San Antonio alumni at a wine tasting in the Skyline Room.
Alumni and guests at the River Parade party cheer for Trinity's float carrying the mascot and members of Trinity's faculty and administration as well as the San Antonio Chapter board members responsible for securing Trinity's representation in the Cavaliers River Parade for a second year.
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a l u mne w s There’s a chapter near you! If you would like to be involved in chapter activities or to serve on the Board, contact these respective chapter presidents. *Albuquerque: Scott Webster ‘85, scott.webster@pnm.com Arizona Bryan Bertucci ’95, bbertucci@hotmail.com Arizona@alum.trinity.edu Atlanta Dan Wright ’96, danielswright@yahoo.com Atlanta@alum.trinity.edu Austin Rich Coffey ’02, rcoffey30@hotmail.com Austin@alum.trinity.edu The Bay Area Walter Evans ’07, wevans1@alum.trinity.edu thebayarea@alum.trinity.edu
*Nashville Leslie South '04, south.leslie@gmail.com National Capital Area Luke Peterson ’02, luke.peterson@gmail.com NationalCapitalArea@alum.trinity. edu New England (includes New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) Jessica Patrick ‘02, stillchasingsummer@gmail.com NewEngland@alum.trinity.edu New York Adrian Mendoza '06, adrian.mendoz@gmail.com NewYork@alum.trinity.edu Oklahoma City Melissa Heuer ‘01, melissaheuer@yahoo.com OklahomaCity@alum.trinity.edu
San Antonio Stacy Olds ’04, steaky28@hotmail.com SanAntonio@alum.trinity.edu
Colorado Jenny Savage ’05, JennySavage2@gmail.com Colorado@alum.trinity.edu
San Diego Sara Quarterman ‘04, sara.quarterman@gmail.com SanDiego@alum.trinity.edu
Dallas Natalie Webb ’04, nataliewebb82@gmail.com Dallas@alum.trinity.edu
Seattle David Schlosser ’90, dbschlosser@analects-ink.com Seattle@alum.trinity.edu
*Florida Jody Tompson ’87, jtompson@ut.edu
St. Louis Courtney Rawlins ‘00, courtneyrawlins@aol.com StLouis@alum.trinity.edu
Houston Craig Fecel ’00, cfecel2@gmail.com Houston@alum.trinity.edu *Kansas City Travis Holt ‘06, tholt@alum.trinity.edu Los Angeles Matt Clark ‘92, Matt.Clark@pimco.com LosAngeles@alum.trinity.edu
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1950
1966
Several of William Joseph Biddy’s historical paintings were featured at the Seguin Oakwood Art League Gallery. Will, a mostly self-taught artist, calls art “therapeutic and meditative.”
Jim Comer was featured in Texas Co-op Power in May 2013. He cannot stress enough about talking to your parents about planning for their future. Barbara Anne Stephens has retired from Bacon Lee and Associates, San Antonio.
1959 William K. Suter, clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, will retire in August after 22 years.
1960 Betty Jameson Verdino spent the summer with her husband, Angelo, traveling through Sicily. The photo was taken just outside Agrigento at the ruins of an ancient Greek temple.
*Portland Nicole Roth ‘10, nicole.marie.roth@gmail.com
Chicago Meghan Vincent ‘05, meghanelizabeth@gmail.com Chicago@alum.trinity.edu
Fort Worth Bryan Cancel ’98, bcancel@hotmail.com ftworth@alum.trinity.edu
Class Acts
*Tulsa Hilary McKinney ‘07, hilarymckinney@gmail.com
*chapters in the formation stage. About photo submissions: Digital photos should be saved at a minimum size of 4” x 6” at a resolution of 300 dpi or 1200 x 1800 pixels. Save in jpg format and e-mail as attachments to alumni@trinity.edu. Prints should be mailed to: Office of Alumni Relations, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200
1967 William W. Dodge, D.D.S., has been named dean of the Dental School at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
1969 Peter “Pete” Resnick received a honorary degree for civic leadership from Ivy Tech Community College. Philip B. Smith is enjoying retirement with his wife, Lisa, in beautiful Vero Beach, Fla.. He is painting full time again. W. W. Torrey has been elected Milam County District Attorney. He took office January 1, 2013.
1972
Brian Gottfried has been inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in tennis. Brian is currently the general manager of the Ponte Vedra Beach Club tennis facility. Wayne Smith has been confirmed as an at-large member of the Auburn University Board of Trustees by the Georgia state Senate.
1973
1961 Fred Finch has published his second book, The Elephant in the Phone Booth.
1964 Davey Johnson, manager of the Washington Nationals Baseball team, was named National League Manager of the Year for 2012.
1965 James Crumm co-authored Managing Giga Projects: Advice From Those Who’ve Been There, Done That published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The book describes all phases of the planning and execution of billion dollar plus projects worldwide.
Joel Allison was reappointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Institute of Health Care Quality and Efficiency Board of Directors. His term will expire January 13, 2017. Joel also received the George W. Truett Church Service Award from Baylor Alumni Association. Wesley Jameson was appointed the new representative of North Lake College by the Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees. He term will expire in 2014. Lt. Gen. Jim Pillsbury spoke at the graduation ceremony at Athens State College of Arts and Sciences. Carl Saltarelli has retired from Texas A & M Kingsville’s department of communications and theater.
1974 Retired Lt.Col. Thomas W. Tullo presented “Gold Bars” from the Military Officers Association of America to the
C l ass
a c ts
Hoopster Standouts Honored graduating ROTC seniors from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio at Pedrotti’s North Wind Ranch, Helotes, Texas.
1975 Marcia Eason received the Ralph H. Kelly Humanitarian Award for exemplary service to Chattanooga by civic, professional, and/or other activities directed toward improvement and preservation of the lives, property, and dignity of its citizens.
The Southland Conference honored former Trinity University Tiger men’s basketball standouts Larry Jeffries ’69 and Pete Ranucci ’67. Jeffries’ and Ranucci were selected for the Southland Conference All Decade Men’s Basketball Team from the 1960s. Jeffries was elected as the Southland Player of the Decade. In 1999, he was inducted into the inaugural Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame. A three-time All-American from 1967-1969, Jeffries was also the first four-time All-Southland Conference selection. The 6-foot-3 forward, who spearheaded the 1969 Trinity team to the Southland’s first-ever berth in the NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament, remains the institution’s all-time leading scorer, with 2,454 points, a 25.3 point-per-game average.
1977
Colette Pieper has been appointed the new chief financial adviser for Life Partner Holdings, Inc. Douglas Travis retired as dean and president of Seminary of the Southwest Episcopal Seminary on May 31.
Michelle Wilby Friesenhahn's lecture, "Design is a Good Idea,” was part of the Stieren Arts Enrichment Series at Trinity. She is a past board member of the American Institute of Graphic Designers Association, a founding member of Communications Arts of San Antonio,
1976 Robert Holleyman started his own company, Cloud4Growth, which will focus on helping governments and organizations utilize cloud technology in infrastructure development and management. Dennis Millirons spoke on ethical challenges in health care at the luncheon at Concordia College. He is the president of Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N. D.
Ranucci earned All-Southland Conference honors during the league’s inaugural season of 1963-64. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 22.6 points per game for the Tigers that season, second best in the Southland, and followed with a 21.4 average in 1964-65. He set numerous Southland records that stood for many years. He is ranked No. 21 in Trinity career scoring (1,050 points), and third in points per game (23.3 per game). Ranucci will receive an additional honor during the summer. He will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on June 22, in his native Worcester, Mass. Ranucci was previously selected for the 2011 Worcester Public Schools Hall of Fame, honoring his multi-sports accomplishments at Commerce High School.
in November 2012 to play a memorable game of frisbee golf on the original Trinity campus golf course.
1978 Peter M. Koelling just received his Ph. D. in Public Administration and Public Policy from Northern Illinois University. Jack Wisdom wrote a book about humility titled Get Low – Reflections on Pride and Humility.
1979
and president of her design firm, Wilby Creative, Inc. Richard Sanborn and several classmates from ‘77 and ‘78 got together on campus for a 35-year reunion
This picture was taken by Eric N. Kemer back in 1978 or 1979. He would like to reconnect with her. Mr. Kemer went to Incarnate Word College and came to Trinity University at that time for Christian Fellowship meetings. If you are this Trinity alumna and you want to reconnect with Mr. Kemer, please contact our office at 210-999-8404 or email alumni@trinity.edu.
John Nixon has been named manager of Marathon Oil Company Land Department in San Antonio, encompassing Eagle Ford Shale operations in Texas. Previously, he was a landman for British Petroleum and Atlantic Richfield in Houston and Lafayette, La. Lisa Stegall, Susan Stegall Eve ‘83 and Michael Eve ‘82 finished a 72-mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Thanks to the generous support of classmates and Trinity friends, the sisters raised over $9,000 for JDRF Research in memory of their brother, Mark.
The student body at St. Martin’s University in Olympia, Wash., named Thomas Woodruff, Ph. D., Outstanding Professor of the Year for 2012-2013.
1980 Retired Col. Nancy McDaniel, U.S. Air Force, Medical Service Corps, was the featured speaker and presented “Standing Guard” at the annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony by the Marvin G. Shields Memorial American Legion Post 26 in Washington Frank Shiels enjoying the Trinity NASCAR
experience held at the Texas Motor Speedway in April and sponsored by Nationwide.
1981
Lesley Turner, assistant director of claims, AVP at Providence Risk, San Antonio, was one of the featured speakers of the 2013 Annual Conference of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance.
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For the Record
On April 26, 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas W. Tullo, USAF, Ret. (MS, Class of 1974) presented “Gold Bars” from the Military Officers Association of America to the graduating ROTC seniors from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio at Pedrotti’s North Wind Ranch, Helotes, Texas. Pictured from left to right are “soon-to-be commissioned 2Lts” Trinity Seniors: C/Lt Col Charles Williamson, C/Maj Robert A. Hernandez (December, 2013), C/Lt Col Katelynne Baier and Lt Col Tullo.
Marriages Dianne Garcia ‘93 to Steven Marquez November 3, 2012 T Jonathan Clay ‘96 to Caroline Bennett February 16, 2013 T Tejal Dave ‘98 to Jason Wible August 18, 2012 T Eric Bleie ‘02 to Erin Hartmann December 29, 2012 T Alice Rasmussen ‘04 to Galen Bilbrey Jr. November 3, 2012 T Allison Roper ‘05 to Matt Ireland November 3, 2012 T Walter "Tres" Evans ‘07 to Erika Luft September 22, 2012 T Lisa Butler ‘07 to Adam Kiehne November 17, 2012 T Sarah Lube ‘09 to Jason Roe ‘06 June 30, 2012 T Laurel Bean
Lubetzky ’90 April 2, 2013 T Daniel to
Nixon is living in Indianapolis, where he is an NCAA associate director of championships, including National Women’s Final Four. In June, the College Sports Information Directors of America honored him with a special award for 25 years of service in sports information. Yvette Sanchez Guerrero and husband, Russell Guerrero ’83 celebrated their 30th anniversary on June 25, 2013. Richard Williams was named vice president of engineering and development at Novagold Resources, Inc., in Vancouver, B.C.
Michael and Lydia Valdes Cummings
1984
1982
‘11 to Daniel Dawson ’07 October 27, 2012 T Chelsea Quinn ‘10 to David Short ‘10 March 9, 2013
Thomas Mathews was elected secretary/ treasurer for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. He is president of Westward Environmental, Inc., and Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District. Rick
Births Natalie Rose to Michelle and Daniel
’95 June 14, 2012 T Alec to Ed Mahan
Carol Bush has been appointed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board as the Ellis County judge. Her term expires February 1, 2019. David Darden has returned to
and Kim Obenshain ’97 May 29, 2012 T Sawyer Eli to Mark and Shannon Retrum Ferguson ‘98 February 14, 2013 T Adrian Christopher to Alfonso and Kathryn Feazel Ibarreta ‘01 August 30, 2012 T Andrew Foster to Thomas ‘01 and Elizabeth Lookadoo DeVries ’02 October 30, 2013 T Jason Andew to Andrew and Carol Von Hoff Cagnoni ’06 March 29, 2012 T Linden Gail to Adrian’07 and Cally Collins Chenault ’07 February 23, 2013 T Gracelyn Ann to Tim ‘11 and Kristine Quiroz Pursell ’11 May 1, 2013
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Several members of the class of ’77 and ’78 got together on campus for the 35 year class reunion weekend in November 2012 to play a memorable game of Frisbee Golf on the original Trinity Campus Golf course. All original rules and traditions were observed. Present were, from left to right: Craig Farquhar ’77, Craig Brinker ’77, Steve Chandler ’78, Randy Gathany ’77, Richard Sanborn ’77.
Raleigh General Hospital as CEO. Clifton Jones’s piece “Rondo Picoso” was the winner of the 2012 National Band Association Young Band Composition Contest. Clif currently teaches, composes, and arranges music. He is an associate director of music for Bastrop I.S.D., Texas. Mary Ullmann Japhet was named chair of the Mayor’s Fitness Council in San Antonio on April 9, 2013.
1985 Jane Hlis is a director of the nonprofit organization Two Upper Keys Foundation, Inc., which was created to help Coral Shores High School athletic programs. Lowell Keig was reappointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. His term
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Four Gammas decided to have their own mini-reunion, but met in New York so the one who lives in London wouldn't have even further to travel. It was a great weekend of reminiscing and catching up and became the "first annual" gathering. Why'd we wait 20 years for this? Nancy Brasel ‘91, Minneapolis, MN; Jane Gibbon ‘90, London, England; Marci Auld Glass ‘91, Boise, ID; Julie Harris Shaw ‘90, Overland Park, KS expires January 31, 2019. Paul Poparad was named chief nursing officer at Clinton Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, Ohio. Stephen Samples, M.D., is the center director for Regional Neurosciences, General Neurology, at the Neurological Institute Consultation and Affiliation and now also Value-Based Medicine for the Neurological Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He has been named vice chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, which oversees all of neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and psychiatry/ rehabilitation medicine.
1989 Marcella (Marcy) Doderer has been recruited to be president/CEO of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. She started July 15, 2013. Mary L. Robles has written The Magician’s Doll, a fantasy novel for young adults. It can be purchased as an e-book through Barnes and Noble and as an e-book and paperback through Amazon. Kristen E. Vincent has published A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner’s Guide to Protestant
1986
Mary Lile Broadaway has been elected to the Arkansas State House of Representatives. Don Burman has been appointed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ director for the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics. The SORCC provides healthcare for more than 16,000 patients. The Rev. James Steven Musick, associate pastor of care and outreach at New Providence Presbyterian Church, has been selected as this year’s baccalaureate speaker at Maryville College in Tennessee.
Prayer Beads. It is in stores July 2013. Scott Williams is the new associate vice president of St John’s University. In the past he has held other positions at St. John’s.
1987
Charles E Bell, M.D., is the new president of the Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute at Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center. Scott Frasser has joined Hacker Group as a digital account director. Adam Lee, winemaker in Northern California, has developed a Trinity University Red Table Wine Blend. President Ahlburg declared the zinfandel to be “consistent with the excellence that’s the hallmark of Trinity.”
1990 Richard Bales was named the law dean at Ohio Northern College of Law in April.
1988 Marshall Hess was named senior managing director of Encore Wealth Management, LLC in April. Jelynne LeBlanc Burley was nominated to the board of directors of NuStar GP Holding. She is executive vice president/corporate support services and chief administrative officer of CPS Energy. John Mendoza has taken over as director of the El Paso V.A. Healthcare Systems.
Jamie Brickhouse sold his darkly comic memoir, Dangerous When Wet, to St. Martin’s Press. Publication is set for 2015.
His remembrance of famed Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown was published in The New York Times and International Herald Tribune. He also launched his own business, Redbrick Agency, a speaker’s bureau representing authors, entertainment legends, and business thought leaders. Joy Castro was named the Susan J. Rosowski Associate Professor of English at University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her critically acclaimed memoir, The Truth Book, has been widely adopted for courses at major universities. J. Bobby Majumder has joined the Dallas law firm Perkins Coie and Partner.
1991 Johanna Draper Carlson moved to Madison, Wis., to become quality assurance manager for Sony Creative Software. Despite the weather change, she and her husband, KC, are thrilled to be back in his home town. Marcella Glass and three Gammas decided to have their own mini-reunion in New York so the one who lives in London wouldn’t have to travel so far. It was a great weekend of reminiscing and catching up and became the "first annual" gathering. Stephen Kwan was the executive producer for the award-winning documentary Makarios: A Rising Tide. The film focused on fighting poverty in the Dominican Republic. Harry T. Papaconstantinou was appointed interim chairman of the department of surgery at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center. He was also named Texas Top Doctor by Texas Monthly two years in a row for colorectal surgery. Gary Richards, chair of the department of English, linguistics, and communication at the University of Mary Washington, was interviewed on the public radio program,
For the Record In Memoriam Clem Sorley ‘41 December 19, 2012 Mildred Ruth "Mimi" Newman Weeks ‘42 February 18, 2013 Rutledge Cowand ‘42 September 25, 2002 Mary Ella Roessler Braggiotti ‘47 March 3, 2013 James L. "Jim" Hayes ‘48 December 14, 2012 Sue Ora Bruner Fisher ‘48 December 12, 2012 David Paul Carter ‘49 February 28, 2013 Rev. Mitchell Keppler ‘49 November 1, 2012 Alice Corts Crocker ‘49 October 26, 2012 Thomas Woodrow Ward ‘49 December 28, 2012 Eunice Evans Callaghan ‘50 January 9, 2013 Diane Elaine Otto Meader ‘50 November 28, 2012 Edward Anthony Recko ‘51 March 7, 2013 Joseph P. "Joe" Ippolito Jr. ‘51 March 15, 2013 Herbert "Bill" Mason Jr. ‘51 January 16, 2013 William "Bill” Jones ‘51 November 29, 2012 Eugene Spencer, Jr. ‘52 January 6, 2013 Jesse Herrera ‘52 November 8, 2012 Edith Wiggins Grier ‘53 February 18, 2013 Betty Bertelsen Robbins ‘53 March 25, 2013 Jane Brooks Travis ‘53 April 7, 2013 William M. Allison ‘53 Febuary 9, 2013 Maxwell Venable Parker, M.D. ’54 March 23, 2013 Bays R. Bryant ‘54 February 1, 2013 Donald E. Bixby ‘54 October 25, 2012 Rev. Kenneth E. McCall ‘54 January 9, 2013 Betty Gill Scogin ‘54 October 6, 2012 Donald B. Frizzle ‘57 January 31, 2013 Jacqueline Agnes Kruger Harkreader ‘58 March 25, 2013 Jerry Dosser ‘59 March 26, 2013 Rev. John Arthur Shute ’59 February 28, 2013 Norman Potter ‘59 April 7, 2013
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On Thursday, April 18, alumni and guests gathered for drinks and dinner at Hotel Zaza in the Houston Museum District during the inaugural event of the Trinity University’s Health Care Administration Alumni Association Houston Network. The aim of Houston’s HCAD Alumni Network is to build on the wide array of expertise and talents of HCAD alumni in Houston, to encourage connectivity among the alumni, and to expand its presence within the health care industry.
In Memoriam
Bruce Thornwell Shepherd ‘59 January 12, 2013 Marilyn McCluney Bassinger ‘59 May 13, 2013 Harold Kieke ‘60 November 6, 2012 Mary Gene Gibbons Melling ‘60 March 7, 2013 Dianne Peterson Glasson ‘60 September 16, 2012 Aubrey L. Gentry ‘61 March 20, 2013 William Roberts ‘62 April 17, 2013 Michael Lynn Taylor ‘62 January 17, 2013 Lou Ann Weaver Stracke ‘62 January 16, 2013 William Hal "Bill" Guggolz Jr. ‘63 January 15, 2013 Ann Jarrett Rheinlander ‘63 January 11, 2013 Guy Kelly Horn‘64 January 28, 2013 John Green ‘65 April 14, 2013 Jack Bruce Howard, Jr. ‘65 January 8, 2013 William Hulsey ‘65 December 22, 2012 Mary McCullough ‘66 May 1, 2013 Martha Aylin Loranger ‘70 April 25, 2013 Patrick Kelly "Pat" Cook ‘71 February 19, 2013 Kerry Sexton Dicke ‘73 February 6, 2013 Melvin Lewis Thomas ‘74 April 2, 2013 Richard Glafiro Santos ‘76 February 22, 2013 Col. Gregory A. Jackley (Ret.) ‘77 December 14, 2011 David A. Craddock ‘81 October 17, 2012 Elizabeth Ann Bordelon Lollar ‘81 November 17, 2012 Robert McGrath ‘84 February 24, 2013 Randall S. Evans ‘88 December 29, 2011 Christopher J. Thell ‘97 November 7, 2012 Roy Andrew Hampton II ‘03 March 2, 2013 Eric Innes Koplin ‘10 January 19, 2013
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“With Good Reason.” He discussed images of the U.S. South in Broadway musicals. Scott Stewart has opened his own law firm in Fort Worth, where he practices corporate and tax law.
1992 Jennifer Johnson Hurley, Ph.D., has been promoted to associate professor and granted tenure at University of Vermont in the department of education and social services. Steve Mach and the Mach family were honored at the Guardian of the Human Spirit Luncheon by the patrons of the Houston Holocaust Museum. Joe McKinney has two new books coming out, Crooked House and Inheritance. Jana Renner was welcomed by the Paso del Norte Health Foundation as a new associate program officer.
1993 Kevin Gross has been promoted to vice president of facilities and property management with Educational Housing Services, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.
1995
1997
Michael Cernech, city manager in Tamarac, Fla., has been selected by the International City/County Management Association as the 2013 recipient of the Ferguson Group Scholarship to the Harvard’s Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. He will attend this summer. John B. Dickson has been selected chairman in the Texas Lyceum 2013. Pamela C. Hicks has named a Super Lawyer and a Texas Rising Star attorney and is employed at Beirne, Maynard & Parsons L.L.P. Charles L. Spicer Jr. has been elected president and CEO of Oklahoma University Medical System. Joe Terry and Lee Thweatt are pleased to announce the five year anniversary of their Houston law firm, Terry and Thweatt. The firm handles wrongful death, serious injury, and business litigation matters for plaintiffs across the United States.
Kevin McKenna was promoted to vice president at Technology Solutions in April. He will be responsible for commercialization of SIGMA Integrated Reservoir Solutions, Inc. Genevieve Moreland and Sarah Lape Robb ‘98, both Zeta Chi met in Melbourne, Australia for reunion.
1998 Simon R. Mayer has been selected as a Super Lawyer and a Texas “Rising Star” attorney and is employed with Hughes Watters Askanase in Houston. George G. Sheng, M.D. joined CorVasc, a member of St. Vincent Medical Group in Indianapolis. His medical specialty is vascular and endovascular surgery and the treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome.
1994 Jeffrey B. Andrews has joined Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP, as a partner in the Houston office. His practice focuses on outsourcing, sourcing, and technology transactions. Vanessa Saenz-Smith and other alumni from HCAD gathered at Hotel Zara in the Houston Museum District during the inaugural event of the Trinity University’s Health Care Administration Alumni Association Houston Network. The aim of Houston’s HCAD Alumni Network is to build on the wide array of expertise and talents of HCAD alumni in Houston, to encourage connectivity among the alumni, and to expand its presence within the health care industry.
Alumni Weekend Save the Date! October 11-13, 2013
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1999 Amber Collins-Thompson has been awarded Outstanding Pre-Collegiate Teaching Achievement Award by the Texas Music Teachers Association and the Musical Bridges Around the World Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education. Sarah Madigan was chosen as one of 40 Under Forty by the Multichannel News editors. She is senior vice president at Univision Communications.
2000 Katie Brown has been named president and executive director of Phoenix Regional Sports Commission. Robert Henry has been hired as a new partner by the independent accounting firm, Weaver, in their San Antonio tax and strategic business services practice. Ashley Weeter O’Hara moved to the Hampton Roads area just north of Virginia Beach and is living at Langley Air Force Base with her husband and two kids. She would love to hear from any other alumni in the area.
2002 Collin LeMaistre has been named chief operating officer for Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital in Houston.
2003 Rebecca L. Avitia, who became a shareholder at the start of the year at Montgomery & Andrews, P.A., was again named as a Rising Star in Business Litigation by SuperLawyers. She was recently named by ABQ Business First to its 40 Under Forty list for 2013. The 40 Under Forty honorees are intended to “represent 40 of the most outstanding young professionals in New Mexico.
2005 Earl R. (Trey) Abshier has been named chief operations officer at Delray Medical Center in Delray, Fla. Andrew Coulton is building a new functional beverage brand focused on oral health. It has been featured in 185+ stores throughout the Southeast and Florida. Chris Price was awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for best sports report in a small market station by the Radio Television Digital New Association in Gainesville, Fla. Travis R. Thompson joined Miller & Martin’s litigation department as an associate.
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C1 whitewater slalom. Justin Chiang graduated from the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence School on March 14, 2013.
2012 Kellie Benn is in Russia fulfilling her dreams. She is there teaching English to Russian students. Britney Corbett is sharing her China experiences by blog, complete with pictures and commentary at whereintheworldisbritneycorbett.com. Brianna Garner is currently employed at Merced Housing Texas as a resident services coordinator at the Artisans at Willow Springs apartment complex. She is involved in the ULI-San Antonio and young professionals’ LOOP group.
2006 Michael Hertsenberg is a newly appointed project manager for the Houston operations of Lectrus Corporation, the leading electrical systems integrator in the in US. Katherine Johnson presented the Concert Chorale at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. At this performance, Katherine served as a student conductor under the direction of Betsy Cook Weber. Finny Mathew has been named chief operating officer of Crossroads Community Hospital in Mt. Veron, Ill., beginning in May. Adam Zimmer has signed on as assistant defensive back coach with the Cincinnati Bengals.
2007 Adrian Chenault and Cally Collins Chenault moved to London last winter with daughter, Corinne. On February 23, 2013 they welcomed another daughter, Linden Gail Chenault. Adrian works for Rackspace Hosting. Rachel Spencer Hewitt began working with B FROG, a clothing line with proceeds dedicated to ending malnutrition in children and helping them with food, water, and clothing.
2008 Marney Babbitt is assistant director of aquatics/facility management and university recreation at Angelo State University and was listed as one of the area’s “brightest leaders of tomorrow.” Cary Montalvo has been named CEO of Solara Hospital Harlingen-Brownsville. Brittani Moreno will be the new co-anchor of “CBS4 Morning News” on KSAZ-TV in Phoenix. She is on at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., and noon.
2009 Lisa Adams is living in Durango, Colo., and achieving excellence in the field of
Emily Daum won the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon in 1:18:14, on March 2013. Elizabeth Eder won the women’s 1st place title in the 35th Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth. She finished the course in a record 2:46.09, a full 19 minutes ahead of her competition. Elizabeth also won the women’s Rock n’ Roll marathon in San Antonio with a time of 3:06:02. Margot Fuentes has accepted a new position as a business adviser with Accion Texas. Marc Salhanick is continuing medical school, has two first author publications, and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha this year.
Sarah Jones is working in Austin as a survivor advocate for the sexual assault and domestic violence shelter at SafePlace. She is there as a member of the Keep Austin Housed Americorps team.
2010 Brendan McNamara graduated from the Army’s Military Intelligence School on March 14, 2013. Peter Senior works for the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, working with Department of Defense clients. Lyxan Toledanes has been hired as a reporter at The Daily News. She will cover health and social services in the cities of Rainer and Castle Rock in Washington. Emily Wells is an associate account executive with San Antoniobased KGBTexas.
Jane Wilberding is completing a research fellowship at the Urban Transportation Center. She is working toward her master’s in urban planning and policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
2011 Rebecca Dorsey is getting her master’s degree in environmental science and management at University of California Santa Barbara. She is focusing on water resources management and was selected as a finalist for a Presidential Management Fellowship.
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Editor’s note: As Trinity’s first Rhodes Scholar, Ana Unruh Cohen ’96 was invited to address the annual President’s Dinner. She returned in January to again address Trinity supporters. The following is excerpted from her talk.
W
hen I left Trinity in 1996, I traveled to Oxford to study and apply the chemistry that I loved to better understand the workings of Mother Nature on the Earth—past and present—in order to
comprehend what the future might hold for us and the planet. Just a few months before I graduated from Trinity, the world’s climate scientists had come to the consensus that the “balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.” Since that time, the evidence has become more convincing. Scientific agreement is even stronger that climate change is real. That it’s now primarily caused by us. That it’s serious, but that there’s hope. Despite living in the dreaming spires of Oxford where often the inertia of history was tangible, as a student of past climate change, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the contemporary political controversy.
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When the opportunity arose to spend a year working in Congress on energy and environmental policy, I jumped at the chance to explore a new path for putting my scientific education to use. And I loved it. It didn’t hurt that I also met the love of my life that year, my now husband Clark Cohen. Being love-struck with a case of Potomac Fever is a powerful combination. And so, today, I find myself thriving in a career that I never contemplated as a student at Trinity but one that my Trinity education has made possible. I am a bridge linking the latest in science and technology to policy. I translate what scientists are discovering for lawmakers and the layperson. And I find ways to make science politically relevant. So much of the credit for my successful professional journey rests on the foundation of critical thinking and effective communication that underpins a Trinity education. I didn’t appreciate it then, but my Mass Media class would be as crucial to my career as my math classes. In these challenging times for higher education, it is important that we all find ways to demonstrate the continuing relevancy of a liberal arts education. The most recent journey that I’ve embarked upon—parenthood— also underscores the importance of the liberal arts. All babies start out as scientists. By observation and experimentation, they learn about the world around them. True my daughter proving the existence of gravity over and over again by dropping Cheerios from her high chair was a little tiresome, but I do respect her commitment to data collection. As she’s grown older, I’ve seen first-hand the significance of art, music, and poetry to her development. It strikes me that if that breadth of experience is important for children at 18 months, it should still be important when they are 18. It still is to me at 38. Though I don’t know where life’s journey will take me next, I’m confident that buoyed by my Trinity experience I will be able to navigate whatever comes my way. So on behalf of the Trinity alumni, thank you for your support of our cherished University that continues to equip today’s young adults for their life journeys.
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previous article (July 2012) detailed Trinity’s participation in the 1973 Intercollegiate Game Fish Seminar and Tournament in Yarmouth, Maine. Thanks to photographs and additional information from participant Sandra Champion, the full story can now be told. Trinity’s involvement in the tuna tournament actually began in 1972. It came about when Trinity trap and skeet coach, Colonel Tom Hanzel, met Edward Migdalski , director of Yale University’s Outdoor Education Center and the fishing tournament and seminar. Migdalski told Hanzel that the United States needed an additional team to participate in the upcoming fishing tournament. Hanzel thought it was a great idea and rounded up students to represent Trinity, who could pay their own travel expenses. The 1972 event was the first in which women were invited to participate. The competition consisted of Trinity and four other U.S. schools (Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Princeton) as well as teams from Canada and Mexico. The Trinity team included senior Rusty Fuqua,(Amarillo), sophomores Sandra Champion (Robstown) and Marsha Wheeler (Fort Worth), and graduate student John Schlichenmaier (Rockport). Alumnus Wayne Witt ’64, a member of the University’s public relations staff, served as coach. Neither Witt nor any of the Trinity team had previous experience in
Marsha Wheeler (left) holds up prize catch of Sandra Champion (right)
1972 Trinity Tuna Fishing Team Right to left, Wayne Witt (coach), John Schlichenmaier, Marsha Wheeler, Rusty Fuqua, and Sandra Champion
competitive deep sea fishing.. Teams were housed in Yarmouth and they fished out of Wedgeport on the southernmost tip of Nova Scotia. The three-day competition was to determine who could catch the largest tuna and the most fish by weight. None of the contestants caught any tuna, but after the tournament ended, a member of the French National team, preparing for the upcoming International Tuna Cup Matches, hauled in an 845-lb. monster tuna. The University of New Brunswick won the Hulman Cup
with a catch of 781 ½ lbs. of fish. Two Trinity members, however, posted outstanding individual records. Rusty Fuqua nabbed a 26 ½-lb. cod for third prize in the individual competition, and Sandra Champion boated a 10-lb cod, the largest among the female division of the event. Although Trinity’s inexperienced squad finished next to last in the twelve-team event with a total of 210 1/2-lbs. of fish, they did have a Champion on the team! (pun intended).
Sandra Champion ’75 is presently vice president, senior trust and fiduciary specialist philanthropic, Wells Fargo Private Bank, Atlanta. She resides in Savannah, Georgia. Her parents, Ray W ’41 and Eugenia Langford Champion ’42 and several other relatives attended Trinity in Waxahachie. Ray’s roommate at Waxahachie, Houston Wheeler ’41, became a longtime member of Trinity’s physical education and coaching staff in San Antonio. Sandra’s siblings Ray, Jr. ’65, Gary ’70, and Dale ’69 preceded Sandra on the Trinity Hill campus. R. Douglas Brackenridge
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Trinity University Distinguished Lecture Series
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Inside the White House: From Nixon to Obama October 29, 2013 • 7:30 p.m. • Laurie Auditorium Made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Brown Sr. of San Antonio For additional lecture information, please visit www.trinity.edu