WHEATON The magazine of Wheaton College, Massachusetts
Bringing ideas to life
Makers conquer creative challenges in Fab Academy course
Fall 2021
Features 19
Getting comfortable… with being uncomfortable Michael Easter ’09 book lauds benefits of pushing one’s limits By Laura Pedulli
22
Bringing ideas to life Makers conquer creative challenges in Fab Academy course By Sandy Coleman
29
Making connections in Madrid Alexis Nieves ’14 builds relationships, advances U.S. interests as foreign service officer By Sandy Coleman
Departments
Between the Lines
2
@DHANNO 3 Around the Dimple
4
Conversation 14 Lyons Pride
16
Alumni Association Network
32
Class Notes
36
In Memoriam
61
Perspective 64
On this page
Bright, beautiful days are here to be enjoyed. Photo by Keith Nordstrom
On the cover
Design by David Laferriere
Read us online
Find all our stories and more online at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine.
FALL 2021 1
BETWEEN THE LINES
Drawing from experience Raise your non-dominant hand if you enjoy being uncomfortable. I’ll wait. No one? I’m with you. My left hand is firmly planted in the down position. I think most of us are creatures of habit—even though we keep hearing how important it is to get out of our comfort zone and even though we witness personal growth when we do so. I’ve been testing this out recently in small doses by doing continuous line drawings using my nondominant hand and a permanent marker, and not eliminating “mistakes.” Initially, I feel awkward holding the marker in my other hand. I fear the hot mess that is about to happen and question why I’m doing this— until I relax into the experience and trust that I will work things out. I end up with wonky, imperfect drawings that are surprisingly more interesting than the ones
created with my “right” hand. This issue of the magazine includes stories that encourage us to open ourselves to uncomfortable challenges. In the cover story about Wheaton’s new Fab Academy course, students share how they were challenged by digital fabrication projects each week. In our feature profiles, writer Michael Easter ’09 tells us about his new
book The Comfort Crisis, which extols the benefits of pushing personal limits, and Alexis Nieves ’14, a U.S. diplomat in Spain, shares the advice he gave students about adversity when he paid a virtual visit to a Wheaton class in March. As we return to the parts of life we had to rearrange during the pandemic, many of us likely will be uncomfortable. Getting reacquainted with routines that now seem unfamiliar is not easy. But here we are. I hope you find inspiration in these stories to encourage you to intentionally try at least one uncomfortable thing this fall. And, yes, trading in yoga pants for real work pants counts. Be well.
COMMENTS The article in the spring 2021 issue about Helene Pruszynski ’80 was a beautiful tribute for a beautiful person. Although I was in the Class of 1981 and attended Wheaton for two years, I was touched by Helene’s friendship and her kind, welcoming smile. Recipients of the Helene Pruszynski Leadership Award have big shoes to fill. Helene was enjoying life and exploring opportunities for her future as we all need to do in her honor. —Beverley Bryan Vernon ’81 I’ve been admiring Keith Nordstrom’s wonderful photogra2 WHEATON MAGAZINE
phy for a long time but decided that it’s time to say so. I appreciate his reflections in the pond and also many good shots of Mary Lyon. It goes without saying that the whole magazine is worth reading. I enjoy reading about the things that young graduates are doing. Life is so different from when I was at Wheaton, when we saw the end of WWII. Thank you for the fine magazine. —Constance McCollum Gum ’48 I enjoyed your article on President Marshall. I will always remember her grace and ease in social situations. I first met her at my fresh-
man orientation. I was a “young” 18-year-old, first-generation college student and scared to death. She asked me how I was doing, and I said, “OK,” in a soft voice. She laughed and said, “No, no, no. Wheaton is a positive place. You’re GREAT!” It made me laugh. I also had the unfortunate luck of wearing the exact same purple Talbots dress that she wore to a reception. I believe I was performing with the Whims, and I was just mortified. But, of course, she put me at ease. My fellow Whims never let me forget that one. —Mary Howard ’85
WHEATON MAGAZINE
Vol. 111, No. 3
Director of communications and magazine editor Sandy Coleman Designer David Laferriere
Multimedia producer Keith Nordstrom Staff writer Laura Pedulli
Administrative assistant Ellen Cataloni
Vice president for marketing and communications Gene Begin
Connect with us on social media
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Wheaton , The Magazine of Wheaton College (ISSN 1068-1558), is published three times a year (winter, spring and fall) by Wheaton College and printed by Lane Press of Burlington, Vt. Periodicals postage paid at Norton, Mass., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766. Wheaton College © 2021
Moving forward Commencement always has been an important time to celebrate the transition of students graduating and moving on to the next phase of their lives. This year we had to reimagine the ceremony and celebration—along with so many other programs and traditions. However, for this important occasion, through the amazing efforts of staff, faculty and students, we got back a little bit of the in-person experience that we all have been craving. In addition to offering a virtual ceremony that allowed guests from all over the world, conditions locally provided us the opportunity to hold Commencement as five small in-person ceremonies on Chapel Field with safety precautions in place. It was great to see loved ones cheering on the students again. As I stood onstage—on a day that promised rain but delivered only sunshine—and I greeted each graduate, I was filled with admiration, gratitude and optimism. I admire how our seniors of the past two years rose to the challenge of finishing up their Wheaton journey strong in the face of the continuing evolution of the unexpected. I’m eternally grateful for the staff and faculty who continue to demonstrate the innovative spirit that is Wheaton’s hallmark. And, I’m optimistic for the emerging post-pandemic future so beautifully marked by this occasion and our slow return to the student experience we treasure. The fall semester has opened with a return to face-to-face learning in the classroom, full residence halls and the on-campus experiences that build community and make Wheaton so special. However, this pandemic has certainly taught us that things can change rapidly. We continue to monitor conditions almost minute by minute and are prepared to adjust as needed to ensure the health and safety of our community. I’m optimistic and excited about all of us coming back together. We have continued to make progress despite all
@DHANNO
NICKI PARDO
President Dennis M. Hanno speaks during the in-person Commencement on Chapel Field in May.
the challenges we have faced and are well-positioned to move forward in major ways—not only in the short term but also in the long run. There is much to support this optimism. For example, this fall’s entering class was one of the strongest in the history of the college—both in size and in academic quality. Fundraising is at historic levels, thanks to the unwavering generosity of our alumni, friends and families. Our endowment, built up over time to strengthen the college, is at an all-time high. Our innovative Compass curriculum and new academic programs have launched with much success. And a $30 million new academic discovery center project is well underway, continuing our focus on providing the best campus environment possible for our students.
All of this validates the strength of what Wheaton has to offer in good as well as challenging times. Despite all of our progress, we need to recognize that “getting back to normal” or “the way things used to be” isn’t enough. The pandemic and so many other events of the last several months have illuminated areas of inequity and social injustice that we must seek to address. I’m proud to see Wheaton meeting these challenges head-on and seeking to “get back to better.” Your partnership and support in recent months have meant so much and will be crucial in continuing to move Wheaton forward. Thank you!
FALL 2021 3
AROUND THE DIMPLE
Festive senior week wraps up year
Thesis parade
The annual celebration of students who complete theses took place May 17 in both a virtual and in-person format. The festivities featured a presentation of thesis titles, photos and inspirational speeches, as well as a procession around the Dimple leading into Cole chapel. The merriment included the traditional wearing of costumes and the ringing of a gong. Email us if you can guess which professor is in the wizard costume. You will win bragging rights.
Decisions, decisions
Glitter or no? Thank Mom and Dad or just go with a witty quote? It’s tough deciding how to decorate that all-important Commencement accessory, the mortarboard. 4 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Photos by Keith Nordstrom
Rosecliff in Norton
If you can’t go to Rosecliff, why not bring Rosecliff to you? The beautifully decorated campus served as a replacement for the Newport, R.I., mansion where the senior formal usually takes place. It was just as special.
On a roll
Students got to participate in the hoop roll this year following COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines.
Congrats, Posse 18!
Safely distanced in Cole chapel, Posse Scholars were honored in a ceremony that took place on the Friday before Commencement. FALL 2021 5
AROUND THE DIMPLE
The procession of graduates on Chapel Field is beautifully reflected in Peacock Pond on an unforgettable day.
NICKI PARDO
KEITH NORDSTROM
Seniors line up and get ready, carrying their class flower and showing off creative hand-decorated mortarboards.
KEITH NORDSTROM
President Dennis M. Hanno presents a diploma to a senior who attended Commencement via livestream.
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In-person Commencement returns
Like everything else during the pandemic, things looked a lot different at Wheaton’s 186th Commencement held on Saturday, May 22. The occasion was celebrated in a virtual event as well as in-person in five separate ceremonies with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. The joy and pride remained the same as the 402 members of the Class of 2021 completed their Wheaton journey. Viewers were able to watch the virtual livestreamed event, and families and guests were on campus for their graduates during ceremonies that were held on Chapel Field from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and grouped by majors to manage capacity limits. Addressing the graduates, President Dennis M. Hanno noted: “This is truly the most amazing, the most unique, the most momentous Commencement in the 186-year history of the college.” —Sandy Coleman
Families and friends watch as seniors approach the graduation stage along Peacock Pond.
NICKI PARDO
NICKI PARDO
A guest captures the memorable moments.
New graduates engage in well-deserved celebration on the Dimple after their ceremony.
NICKI PARDO
KEITH NORDSTROM
Go online to view more images at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine FALL 2021 7
AROUND THE DIMPLE
Seniors with jobs
Each year before Commencement, many seniors secure full-time employment. We checked in with a few of them about their post-Wheaton opportunities. Amy Glover ’21
Hometown: Tewksbury, Mass. Majors: History and secondary education Job: Teacher, Teach For America, Greater Boston Responsibilities: “I will be a full-time teacher of history and history-related humanities. My duties will include lesson planning, grading, classroom management, being a go-between person to communicate needs for students and parents to the school, and providing support for English language learners and students with special needs.” Getting the opportunity: “My Wheaton education set me up to be the most prepared to land the job. Studying in such a diverse environment in classes that are focused on diversity, equity and inclusion got me interested in related work and helped me understand what the role would entail and what would be needed Amy Glover ’21 from applicants. Studying history and specifically focusing my research on Latinx/Chicanx studies in the U.S. and working with Professor John Bezis-Selfa to understand the intricacies of the relationship of Latinx/Chicanx people within our own communities of Massachusetts helped me to understand the inequities in education within the state. Also, having the Filene Center staff members help me prepare for interviews and talk to me about what I actually wanted to do helped me immensely—especially Dean Steve Viveiros.”
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Mia Len ’21
Hometown: Amherst, N.H. Major: Business and management Job: Sales associate with the Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee, Wis. Responsibilities: “I will be responsible for selling a full menu of ticket products for the Milwaukee Bucks. I also will be conducting cold calls, following up with clients and prospective clients, creating opportunities for new business, handling incoming sales calls, conducting in-arena appointments and tours of Fiserv Forum, and working different Milwaukee Bucks events and games.” Getting the opportunity: “I found out about the opportunity through a program called the NBA Future Sales Stars Program. I’d also like to give a big thank you to three Wheaton alumni who are working in sports—John Sutyak ’00, Dennis Meehan ’00 and Gabby Barbera ’13. All three of them Mia Len ’21 have generously given me their time and fantastic insight into the industry throughout my time here at Wheaton. I know that those relationships will last well beyond my time as a student. The well-rounded education I’ve received at Wheaton and the freedom to explore my passions and interests helped me land my job with the Bucks. The business and management internship course and other opportunities played such a pivotal role in leading me to where I am today.”
Helene Mantineo ’21
Hometown: Amsterdam, Netherlands Major: Biochemistry Job: Research associate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Mass. Responsibilities: “I will be working with mouse models and cell culture to study atrial fibrillation. I am also responsible for maintaining proper stocks of supplies and keeping the lab running smoothly. The unique position that the Broad Institute has between industry and academia will allow me to explore a variety of different projects. I also think the collaborations the Broad has with many different hospitals in the Boston area and beyond will allow me to make important connections.” Getting the opportunity: “I found the position through LinkedIn. I talked to a Wheaton alum, Kira Olander ’19, about the Broad Institute. Kira has worked there since graduating in 2019. She was also a member of the Helene Mantineo ’21 Morris Lab with Professor Robert Morris. While she does not work in the same lab where I will be, she was a good connection to have to help understand the work environment. I think all of my research experience at Wheaton and beyond created a unique resumé for me as an undergraduate. I was able to leverage the variety of different projects that I have been involved in through my Wheaton experience.” —Sandy Coleman Go online for the full interviews, wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine
Making a difference in the world
Watson winner to explore intersection of traditional, modern healing Augustina Nguyen ’21 will travel the world studying the intersection of traditional and modern health practices as Wheaton’s latest winner of a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. The nationally competitive award provides students with a one-year grant for independent study and travel outside the United States. For her fellowship, Nguyen will travel to Ecuador, Norway, Australia and Vietnam, her native country, to research local traditional medicine while examining how allopathic or modern medicine has shaped community and individual trust in traditions, culture and identity. Nguyen approaches this research through the lens of a first-generation, Vietnamese American who practices
Augustina Nguyen ’21
traditional Vietnamese medicine and considers it an integral part of her identity. A double major in biology and business
and management, she also brings her knowledge of and experience with modern health care systems that she gained through various internships, including at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Throughout her fellowship, Nguyen will meet with healers, patients and community health workers to explore myriad forms of traditional medicine. “The Watson, to me, is an opportunity to explore my deepest passions and curiosities. Not only will I be able to learn about different cultural practices and beliefs, but I also will be able to learn about my identity and background as a first-generation, Vietnamese American,” Nguyen said. —Laura Pedulli
Projects for Peace collaborators plan to help sexual trauma survivors Posse Scholars Melanie Romero ’22 and Hana Memisevic ’22 won a 2021 Projects for Peace award for their collaborative project, “Healing for Peace,” to support wartime sexual trauma survivors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Projects for Peace program invites undergraduates to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer to help build peace. “Healing for Peace, our healing center for wartime sexual trauma survivors, will kick-start the process of finding inner peace for community members who are impacted by sexual violence, while simultaneously destigmatizing conversations around sexual violence,” Romero and Memisevic wrote in their proposal. “Inner peace and healing are crucial for the safety and well-being of communities and families who will, in turn, begin to unpack and break the cycles of intergenerational trauma.” They plan to use space at the United World College (UWC) campus in Mostar, Bosnia. Partnering with UWC Mostar, community organizations and a variety of therapists, they will provide a place for conversation, self-care, education and
Melanie Romero ’22
Hana Memisevic ’22
other support participants might need to lead healthier lives. They also will train volunteers on the program structure and curriculum. Romero is double majoring in political science and sociology, for which she is a teaching assistant. Memisevic is a secondary education and Hispanic studies double major. They first met as Posse 19 Scholars, further bonded during Wheaton’s domestic study away program
and are now inseparable best friends. The Projects for Peace grant is possible thanks to funding from the late Kathryn Wasserman Davis, who chose to celebrate her 100th birthday by committing $1 million toward projects that promote peace around the world. She was the mother of alumna Diana Davis Spencer ’60 and received an honorary degree from Wheaton in 2008. —Sandy Coleman FALL 2021 9
AROUND THE DIMPLE
Campus voices on diversity, equity and inclusion
As the entire Wheaton community engages in ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work, students are playing a crucial role in helping the college make progress on its Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. One major way they are contributing is as student liaisons to the Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL) Senate Committee. Established in fall 2018, DEAL is an umbrella entity that strives to create opportunities for innovative diversity work to flourish by fostering and coordinating leadership efforts across campus. Student liaisons help communicate to the student body the realities of what is happening on campus in terms of DEI initiatives in an engaged and meaningful way, according to Stephanie Burlington Daniels ’97, professor of theatre and dance and recent DEAL co-chair. “Their voices are critically important because they represent the student voice. Through their leadership, we are creating even more reciprocal opportunities to hear from students, as well as share with the student body what we’re accomplishing in a way that really resonates,” she said. Some of their recent initiatives include offering designated time for student feedback during DEAL Senate Committee meetings, establishing town halls and building a social media presence. The four student liaisons for the 202021 academic year were: Brooke Musial ’21, an anthropology major; Mikaela Savarese ’22, a psychology major; Annie Nadich ’24; and Joseline “Jos” Buggie ’24. 10 WHEATON MAGAZINE
KEITH NORDSTROM
“I feel that the student voice is the best way to see and make progress on campus within DEI initiatives,” Buggie said. “Students benefit from the resources and community Wheaton creates, yet, if there is a disconnect between the student body and the people working on DEI efforts, how
will it be known whether the students truly feel safe, heard and valued on campus?” —Laura Pedulli Go online to read about how the leaders view their roles and impact on campus. wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine
Dialogue facilitators
Alyssa Armstrong ’21
Ishaan Madan ’22
Brooke Musial ’21
“To ensure everyone’s feelings and opinions are being respected, one thing we always try to uphold in intergroup dialogue is to challenge the idea and not the person. That rule is necessary if any progress is going to be made.”
“It is essential to keep in mind that we form our opinions based on many factors; we are not inherently born with them. We shouldn’t be disregarding any ideas simply because we may disagree with them.”
“I think people will be able to engage in conversations more effectively and civilly if they make a conscious effort to listen to what others are saying, without judgment and defensiveness, in order to understand rather than to respond.”
Political science major
Biochemistry major
Anthropology major
Students lead conversations across differences Each semester, the Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning offers training for those who wish to become an intergroup dialogue facilitator or learn practices for navigating ‘unrehearsed’ conversations. “We often think of conversations across differences as difficult or challenging. However, we like to think of them as unrehearsed,” said Kayla Berrios, who recently served as Marshall Center multicultural program coordinator. “Through the program, we provide an opportunity
to practice these conversations and challenge participants to move outside of their comfort zone and point of view. “Last fall, our conversation series, ‘Pandemic: Beyond COVID-19,’ took a deeper dive into social structures that have been built on inequality and unequal distributions of resources and power. For example, the facilitators talked about how racism is seen as a pandemic that has impacted our society well before COVID-19,” Berrios said. During the spring 2021 semester,
dialogues revolved around power and how it affects our social structures and identities. Above, three of the 30 facilitators who were trained for the 2020–2021 academic year share their advice for handling challenging conversations. —Sandy Coleman Go online to read their full interviews about their roles and how their training will help them in the future. wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine FALL 2021 11
AROUND THE DIMPLE
Wheaton presents Otis Social Justice Award to Stacey Abrams Wheaton presented the 2021 Otis Social Justice Award to voting rights activist, author and entrepreneur Stacey Abrams during a virtual event March 23 attended by nearly 1,000 registered viewers. “Wheaton is a community that throughout its history has focused on social justice issues and creating change that addresses inequities and improves lives. Tonight, we have the pleasure of hosting one of the most powerful and passionate change makers of our time,” President Dennis M. Hanno said to start the program. The event was sponsored by the Evelyn Danzig Haas ’39 Visiting Artists Program and the Otis Social Justice Fund. In addition to the awards presentation, Abrams and Joe Wilson Jr., visiting assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, discussed her work as activist and author. Abrams made history as the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in any state, going on to win at the time more votes than any other Democrat in Georgia’s history. After 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as minority leader, she became the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in what was one of the most watched and closest elections of the year. Abrams is the founder of the nonprofit Fair Fight Action, which aims to ensure free and fair elections. She has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and was named to Forbes’s list of “World’s Most Powerful Women In 2020.” She also is The New York Times bestselling author of Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change and Our Time is Now. Using the name of her alter ego, Selena Montgomery, Abrams also has written eight romantic suspense novels. Her most recent book, the thriller While Justice Sleeps, was released in May. In accepting the Otis award, Abrams 12 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Stacey Abrams
“As long as there is humanity, there will be challenges to who we are and how we are seeing. As long as we are willing to be aggressive storytellers, as long as we are willing to write that next chapter, to write that next book, to do that next play, to be in that next narrative, we can keep fighting for good, fighting for better and fighting for one another.” Stacey Abrams
said: “I’m honored to be here today because social justice is about always writing the sequel—always realizing that no matter what we get done, there is more to
do. ... As long as there is humanity, there will be challenges to who we are and how we are seeing. As long as we are willing to be aggressive storytellers, as long as we are willing to write that next chapter, to write that next book, to do that next play, to be in that next narrative, we can keep fighting for good, fighting for better and fighting for one another. … I want to say 'thank you' to Wheaton College for recognizing me as someone who continues to try to tell the next best story.” The Otis Social Justice lecture series was established in 1959 through the generosity of Henry Otis. Today, the purpose of the Otis fund has broadened to support a colloquium in social justice—a forum through which the Wheaton community addresses key contemporary social issues. This aligns with Wheaton’s dedication to the values of community, integrity, belonging and service. —Sandy Coleman
Accolades for affordable excellence, reducing inequities Wheaton has earned accolades in The Princeton Review Best Value Colleges for 2021 for providing a high-quality education with great career preparation at an affordable price and in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for gender equality and reducing inequities. Wheaton is one of 200 outstanding institutions selected by The Princeton Review Best Value Colleges for 2021, which was released in April. The education services company annually names colleges that receive its highest Return on Investment ratings. “Every school we selected offers outstanding academics, generous financial aid and/or a relative low cost of attendance, and stellar career services,” noted Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, in a statement about the schools selected. The ratings are based on analyses that review more than 40 data points. They cover academic offerings, cost/financial aid, career placement services, graduation rates and student debt as well as alumni salary levels and job satisfaction. The Princeton Review chose its best
value colleges for 2021 based on data the company collected from its surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges in 2019–20. The company also factored in data from its surveys of students attending the schools as well as PayScale.com surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction figures. Wheaton also received accolades in the new Times Higher Education Impact Rankings that highlight institutions for their positive social and economic impact. The college is recognized as one of the top 15 schools in the United States for gender equality and among the top 25 schools in the U.S. for reducing inequities. The 2021 rankings evaluate colleges and universities on their success in delivering on the United Nations (U.N.) 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were adopted in 2016 to provide a framework for developing the world in a sustainable way. The U.N. goals include ending poverty and hunger, promoting good health and quality education, and other key values. The gender equality goal promotes
providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work and representation in political and economic decision-making processes, as well as promoting female equality in the workplace, and ending gender-based discrimination. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings of schools reducing inequities focuses on colleges’ and universities’ research on social inequalities, policies on discrimination and commitment to recruiting staff and students from underrepresented groups, including first-generation students. The goal of reducing inequities is woven into the fabric of Wheaton. The commitment is carried out in many ways, including through the guidance of the Strategic Plan; through Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL); through the recent creation of the Office for Institutional Equity and Belonging and the appointment of Shaya Gregory Poku as the inaugural associate vice president for institutional equity and belonging; and through the First-Gen and Low-Income Task Force. —Sandy Coleman FALL 2021 13
CONVERSATION
A pandemic business assessment Associate Professor of Business and Management and Diana Davis Spencer Chair of Social Entrepreneurship Imran Chowdhury this fall again will be working with students who participate in the Social Entrepreneurship Launch Program. He helps guide them from idea to execution of their own social enterprises. In May, he led students in organizing and presenting the first Wheaton College Social Impact Conference. Magazine editor Sandy Coleman recently checked in with Chowdhury to ask him to share his insights on the changes he has seen in the business world during the pandemic.
What major changes in business have you seen during the pandemic?
“The global nature of the public health crisis brought on by the pandemic has had a major impact on traditional businesses, social enterprises, nonprofits and governments. Most clearly, the disruptions can be seen in buying patterns, the effect on the global supply chain and an increased emphasis on health and safety. Many of these changes are likely to linger in the years to come. “For instance, in terms of buying habits, the shift to online purchases and e-commerce in the United States and elsewhere made this mode of shopping concrete for many who might not have seriously considered it prior to the pandemic. Some of this shift will remain even as we, sometimes quite happily, go back to in-person shopping, where we may see more use of hybrid modes combining inperson and online shopping [buy online/ pick up in store]. “In terms of the social impact of business, we saw that many businesses worked together with their local communities to develop solutions to the problems they were facing—from manufacturing face shields and ventilators or hand sanitizer to distributing food and essential services to the needy. These solutions were often offered at or below 14 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Interest in social entrepreneurship has grown, Professor Imran Chowdhury says.
cost, or supported by philanthropy or emergency government support.”
Is there an increased interest in engaging in businesses that have social impact?
“I think there is absolutely more interest. Many of the students I work with, including in my ‘Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ course and the First-Year Experience [FYE] course on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that I teach with Assistant Professor of Political Science Jonathan Chow, have aspirations to create social impact in their work. They want to do this either by directly engaging with social enterprises as employees or founders, or by creating social impact through volunteering, doing policy-related work or through other forms of engagement. This mirrors
PETE BYRON
what many have noted about younger workers: Millennials and Generation Z individuals want to have an impact through the work they do; they are not simply looking for a paycheck in their professional lives.”
Why now during one of the most challenging times in history?
“Part of this stems from the shared experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly everyone around the world went through it or experienced the impact in some way. This is somewhat unprecedented in human history, and I think it has demonstrated the need for a focus on the greater good, on working together for shared outcomes that can benefit everyone.” Read the full interview at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine
PUBLICATIONS, HONORS AND CREATIVE WORKS
Professor of English Charlotte Meehan
Faculty
Imran Chowdhury, associate professor of business and management, co-wrote the article “Managing tensions and divergent institutional logics in firm-NPO partnerships” published in January in the Journal of Business Ethics. In February, he was invited to become a member of the Committee on the National Program at the Council on Foreign Relations and, in July, he played many roles at the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics 2021 annual conference, including co-organizing the special track “Social Sciences for the Real World” for the third consecutive year; chairing a session on “Commodification of Time, Labor and Well-Being in the Modern Economy;” and moderating a session on “Corporate Social Responsibility.” John Collins, professor of physics, co-wrote the article “Theory of Nonradiative Energy Transfer between Two Optical Ions Using Proper Adiabatic Approximation” published in June in the ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology. Francisco Fernandez de Alba, professor of Hispanic studies, co-edited Fashioning Spain: From Mantillas to Rosalía (Bloomsbury, 2021).
Scott Gelber, professor of education, wrote the article “The History of Assessing Curricular Antiracism” published in May in Assessment Update. Jessie Knowlton, assistant professor of biology, co-wrote the article “Birds and Bioenergy within the Americas: A Cross-National, Social–Ecological Study of Ecosystem Service Tradeoffs” published in March in Land. Mark LeBlanc, professor of computer science, in May won a $20,000 grant from New Hampshire Humanities for the project that he is co-directing titled “Co-Creating a WWI Yankee Division Virtual Pilgrimage.” Ellen McBreen, associate professor of history of art, wrote the book review “The ‘Black Art’ Renaissance: African Sculpture and Modernism Across Continents by Joshua Cohen,” published in The Burlington Magazine in July. Charlotte Meehan, playwright-in-residence/ professor of English, in May won a $15,000 Artist Fellowship in Dramatic Writing from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to use freely in support of her work and life. The award recognizes exceptional work by Massachusetts artists across a range of disciplines.
Kim Miller, professor of women’s and gender studies and history of art, won a Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation Fellowship in May for her project titled “Building Stories into the World: Surveying Commemorations of Slavery.”
Alumni
Megan Collins Hatfield ’06 wrote her third thriller The Family Plot (Atria Books, 2021). Jean Baldini Isaacs ’66 was featured in May in The San Diego Union-Tribune article “A life in motion: The dancing life and legacy of Jean Isaacs” about her retirement from her position as the artistic director of the San Diego Dance Theater. Shanita Gopie Liu ’07, CEO of Coach Shanita Inc., delivered a TEDx talk titled “How to Activate Courage” in May. Adara Meyers ’08 won a $1,500 Finalist Award in Dramatic Writing from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Meyers is an interdisciplinary writer and longtime creative collaborator at Sleeping Weazel (the Boston multimedia theater company launched by Professor of English Charlotte Meehan).
FALL 2021 15
LYONS PRIDE
Defying gravity, expectations
What a ride the spring season was for Wheaton athletics! After 366 days without competition, the games were back on for the Lyons. The baseball team won both the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship and the NCAA New England Regional Championship en route to the program’s fourth College World Series appearance. Meg Walker ’22 qualified for NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Nationals in the 100-meter dash, running a personal best of 12.07 seconds and finishing 14th in the country. At the NEWMAC Track and Field Championships, the Lyons won the men’s pole vault (Johnny Robbins ’21), women’s 400-meter dash (Alex Case ’22), as well as the women’s 4x400 relay. Despite only being able to participate in one swim meet during the academic year, Wheaton swimming and diving still produced two AllAmerica honorees: Madeline Eller ’23 earned first-team honors in the 100 breaststroke, while Lydia DaCorte ’21 earned first-team honors in the 200 freestyle. This level of national success during such a challenging time underscores the effort, resilience and determination put forth by all 400 of our student-athletes and their coaches. —Gavin Viano, director of athletics and recreation
PHOTOS BY KEITH NORDSTROM
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Stephen Quigley ’22 (left) soars over opponent in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the NCAA Division III College World Series.
Megan Simeone ’23 (left) and Madeline Eller ’23 (right) cheer on teammate.
Hannah George ’23 (left) and Sophie Wilhelm ’23
Elijah Akindolie ’22 got to enjoy a full season of competition with men’s track and field. Softball was one of the first teams to return to the field of play in the spring.
The Lyons advanced to the NEWMAC men’s lacrosse semifinals. TEMI BAJULAIYE / BABSON COLLEGE
Meg Walker ’22 ran a personal best at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.
The women’s basketball team was one of the few in New England to compete during the winter season. FALL 2021 17
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Getting comfortable… with being uncomfortable Michael Easter ’09 book lauds benefits of pushing one’s limits By Laura Pedulli Michael Easter ’09 wants you to get uncomfortable. A journalist, writer and researcher, his book The Comfort Crisis (Penguin Random House, May 2021) asserts that too often we numb our lives. Modern conveniences like comfort food, smoking, alcohol, pills, smartphones and TV leave us feeling detached, depressed and removed from what makes us feel alive. “A radical new body of evidence shows that people are at their best—physically stronger, mentally tougher and spiritually sounder—after experiencing the same discomforts our early ancestors were exposed to every day,” Easter wrote in his book. “Scientists are finding that certain discomforts protect us from physical and psychological problems like obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and anxiety, and even more fundamental issues
like feeling a lack of meaning and purpose.” Easter does not want to return to times when finding food was a life-and-death proposition or a harrowing struggle for survival. But he believes that individuals can find meaning, connection and an understanding of their own strengths through physically and mentally demanding adventures in nature that he calls “misogis.” Misogi is a Japanese word that refers to an act of ritual purification. “More recently, the idea of misogi has been applied to ... epic challenges in nature to cleanse the elements of the modern world. ... They help their practitioners smash previous limits and deliver mindful, centering confidence and competence,” explained Easter in his book. To illustrate the point, he chronicles Michael Easter ’09 ventured deep into the Alaskan Arctic with two travelers for a demanding 33-day hunting expedition.
his own misogi: a 33-day epic journey through the remote Alaskan Arctic backcountry to hunt caribou. Woven through his narrative is extensive research on evolutionary biology, natural and social sciences, and interviews with academics and spiritual leaders. The Comfort Crisis already is receiving attention and accolades. Washington Post reviewer Tamar Haspel wrote that
Photo by Sicmanta
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“Reading [the book] fun.’ We were made me want to be forced to think better, and a book simply about this idea can’t deliver more than that is important that.” Comedian Joe and impactful, Rogan featured Easter that really affects in a nearly three-hour people’s daily interview on his popular lives, from differpodcast “The Joe Rogan ent disciplines,” Experience” shortly Easter said. after the book came out. Collins, who Easter’s ability to served as Easter’s distill science for the advisor, recalled layperson and connect Easter’s enthusiand derive meaning asm. Shortly after and great knowledge the simulation, from complex, interhe helped Easter related ideas is fueling design an indethe success. And he pendent major SICMANTA credits his alma mater that honored Easter opted for freeze-dried backpacking meals and energy bars for nourishment. He for harnessing this skill. his interest in estimated that he burned roughly 5,000 to 8,000 calories per day during the expedition. “My experiences at the connection Wheaton greatly influenced how this participated in a simulation in a course between the social sciences and natural book came together. Specifically, the taught by Geoffrey Collins, professor sciences. He graduated in 2009 with a ability to ‘think big’ and also find the com- of geology. For that project, the class degree in politics, economics and the scimon thread between seemingly disparate partnered with students taking an ence of natural resources. sources of information,” Easter said. international relations course taught by “He thrived on thinking how everything Professor of Political Science Darlene fits together and had a natural ability with A turning point at Wheaton Boroviak. They took on the roles of both science. He also served as my teaching Easter’s natural inclination to step scientists and policymakers to examine assistant in geology and had a natural outside of his comfort zone can be traced factors impacting global natural resource ability to help students out in the field,” to his days leading up to Wheaton. management, including international Collins said. An outdoorsy youth who loved to rock treaties and climate change. A course in environmental writing climb, Easter chose Wheaton the old“I remember thinking ‘that was super cultivated Easter’s interest in writing— fashioned way: through a conversation and eventually compelled him to enroll in with the guidance counselor at his Utah a master’s degree program in journalism high school. Together, they researched at New York University. schools that offered small class sizes, “I grew up being a total magazine and a quintessential New England campus book junkie—reading Outside and Esquire and a curriculum with a rich breadth of magazines and both nonfiction and ficliberal arts courses. Wheaton provided tion. But I didn’t do much writing. I took the perfect fit. that class and discovered that I really like The college’s curriculum that emphato write,” he said. sized linking and making connections The path to Comfort Crisis between disciplines made an impact on Easter. Easter found quick success following He admits at first that he “didn’t want graduate school. He landed a job as to have anything to do with science,” fitness editor at Men’s Health magazine, but a geology course that allowed him to where he developed, reported, wrote and study the field through multiple lenses edited stories for the magazine’s print ignited a lifetime interest. edition and website. A turning point occurred when he “This entailed piecing together
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often-disparate informa“You have to start where tion gained through you are. There are many human, scientific and other ways to slowly leave your primary and secondary comfort zone,” he said. sources to construct Easter remains faithful compelling, accurate and to his own yearly misogi. cohesive written narraThis year, he pushed tives,” he said. himself to run three His writing has times the distance of his appeared in Scientific longest run of 16 miles. American, New York, “I went out and tried to Women’s Health, AARP, run four laps around Red Outside, Details, Men’s Rock Canyon [located in Journal, Cosmopolitan Nevada], a 12-mile loop. and FiveThirtyEight.com. On the third lap, I thought Easter discusses his book on May 11 during a nearly three-hour interview with In 2017, he joined the ‘no way, this is the last comedian Joe Rogan on the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.” University of Nevada-Las one. It was a good idea, Vegas as a full-time visiting lecturer at came away with a new outlook on life. fun while it lasted.’ But when I finished the school’s Hank Greenspun School that lap, for whatever reason, I kept going. A journey to self of Journalism and Media Studies. In Something was going on that pushed me 2019, he co-founded the school’s Public As Easter narrates his Alaskan adventure, to go that extra lap. It makes me think Communication Initiative, a think tank he shares insights from data studies and to myself, ‘What else am I selling myself that helps academics, business and govinterviews on how we’ve evolved and short on? Do I have these certain limits ernmental organizations improve their adapted to our lives of comfort. He also that I’m not correct on?’” communication with the public. offers science-based recommendations to A different view But, as he describes in The Comfort improve our health—such as taking long, Crisis, his early professional success weighted walks (called rucking) to build The Comfort Crisis dedicates a chapter masked struggles with addiction. endurance and strength. to “problem creep”—the propensity for “I had an enviable career at a glossy His book describes topics as diverse humans to always look for problems, even magazine as a health journalist dispensas why acknowledging impermanence in the absence of them. ing advice on how to live a better life. I was in Bhutan makes the Bhutanese among Realizing this tendency has been the good at the job. But I wasn’t exactly living the happiest people and the link between biggest takeaway for him, Easter said. the wisdom I wrote. Most of my mental Icelanders’ long life spans and their long “By looking for problems, you lose perenergy was spent toggling back and forth history of discomfort. His research touches spective and you lose gratitude and that between being drunk and obsessing over on the “loneliness epidemic” in the U.S.; colors the rest of your day,” he said. the next drink,” he wrote. the importance of building “the capacity to Easter said he experienced “a comAfter hitting a low point, he managed be alone;” and how time in nature leads to plete perspective shift” upon returning to quit cold turkey, and begin rebuilding documented improvements in our from Alaska. Now, even something as his life. Part of that journey was his immune systems, as well as productivity regular as going to a dinner with his revelation that he was “marinating” in and creativity. wife feels different. comfort; from his temperature-controlled Easter also uncovers research on the “We go to this restaurant where the house to his ability to quell boredom with creative and mental benefits of boredom, food is amazing, but service is the worst. a smartphone to his access to no-effort which came into full focus during long Instead of focusing on why they are highly caloric foods. days in the Arctic. taking so long—this inefficiency, that With inspiration from Donnie Vincent, “The key to improving productivity and inefficiency—I can now sit in that resa biologist and documentary filmmaker, performance might be to occasionally do taurant with crappy service and think, he decided to go on a five-week hunting nothing at all,” he writes. ‘I’m warm right now. I’m about to eat an trip to the Alaskan Arctic tundra in Easter, who spent years weaving his ungodly amount of calories. They will search of caribou—and write a book research into a book, hopes it encourbring water eventually, and I don’t have about it. He faced freezing temperatures, ages people to undertake their own to hike down to a spring surrounded by the threat of grizzly bears, cliffs and long misogi. He said these challenges are for grizzly bears.’ That makes me a better hours without modern distractions—and anyone, at any level. person,” he said.
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Bringing id Whitney O’Reardon ’22 made a coin using metal casting equipment and a 3D scan of her face.
One assignment required students to laser-cut cardboard to use as building blocks to assemble in any way. O’Reardon created this tree.
Amanda Hodgkins ’24 collaborated with O’Reardon for their final project to design and build a hexapod seating unit that has lights and sound features.
Makers conquer creative challenges in Fab Academy course By Sandy Coleman Since childhood, Ozgur “Tuna” Ozturk ’24 has been in love with inventions. That love lured him into Wheaton’s Innovation Spaces, where he has gone from hanging out and experimenting in the Fab Lab to becoming a Fab Lab assistant and then, last spring, taking on one of the most creatively challenging classes he has faced so far—Wheaton’s new Fab Academy course. 22 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Fab Academy is an intensive, six-month interdisciplinary course in digital fabrication. In the fast-paced experience, students learn to envision, design and prototype projects using digital fabrication tools and machines in Wheaton’s Innovation Spaces. The course underscores the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are integral to Wheaton’s liberal arts education, and equips students with professional training to take ideas and turn
them into real prototypes and products. “I always wondered how everything worked—from the combustion engine to microcontrollers. Moreover, almost everyone in my family works in the manufacturing field,” said Ozturk, an international student from Turkey. “So, I’ve always had this interest in ‘how to make almost anything,’ which is the motto of Fab Academy.” Ozturk, who is double majoring in computer science and physics and wants
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O’Reardon made QR code keychains using the 3D printer in the Fab Lab.
to be an engineer, is one of 11 students and one alum who took Wheaton’s first Fab Academy course during the spring semester. He and the other students who enrolled possess the kind of curiosity, passion and willingness to work through tough challenges required to succeed in the rigorous course, noted Madison Dunaway, who is coordinator of Innovation Spaces and Programs at Wheaton. “The class is 20 to 30 hours of work each week. It’s important that students possess grit and the ability to stick with it,” said Dunaway, who is a 2020 Fab Academy graduate, having gone through the program at Dassault Systèmes in Waltham, Mass. She led the effort to establish Wheaton’s
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Kevin Elkhoury ’21, Madison Dunaway, Fab Academy co-lead instructor, and John Proctor ’22
Fab Academy course, which began January 27 and continued through mid-July. She also is the co-lead instructor for the course, working with faculty co-lead Associate Professor of Physics Jason Goodman. Wheaton is the first liberal arts college in the United States to offer the Fab Academy course, said Dunaway. The two-credit, 300-level course increases and elevates the opportunities for students to learn to make things and navigate challenges through hands-on experience in Wheaton’s Innovation Spaces. “Wheaton is uniquely positioned to provide curated student experiences centered on their interests,” Dunaway said. “Fab Academy is an opportunity for students to participate in a globally networked
program that fully harnesses the inherent potential of digital fabrication. This technology facilitates iterative design that can ultimately become a driving force for innovation.” The Fab Academy program connects a global community of students, educators, makers and researchers through a network of 70 Fab Labs in 30 countries. Each Fab Lab goes through an approval process that ensures the infrastructure and the tools necessary to participate in the program and to offer a Fab Academy course are in place. Dunaway and Goodman collaborate with Fab Academy program director and global instructor Neil Gershenfeld of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms. Gershenfeld originally taught “How to Make Almost FALL 2021 23
Ozgur "Tuna" Ozturk ’24 (left) milling a board; above, close-up of an early stage of the handheld game console he designed for his final project
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Anything” as an MIT course, which grew into the Fab Academy program in 2009. “Neil delivers the online lectures that give students a whirlwind tour of new technologies and techniques on a different topic each week,” said Goodman. “Madison and I work together on the hands-on, in-person side; we run a weekly lab where we show students how to turn Neil’s fire hose of ideas into workable practical projects.” “We also do troubleshooting, training, give design help and grade students on their work. Usually, Madison takes the lead on the more mechanical activities— 3D printing, laser cutting, mold making—and I focus on electronics, circuit board design and programming,” Goodman said. The Fab Academy class is structured so that students learn in local work groups and then connect globally in an online campus through weekly lectures, content sharing, critiques and interactive video classes with students around the world, said Dunaway. Students create websites to document their work in images and written reflection that provides the technical details about software and tools used as well as lessons learned from successes and failures. At the end of the course, participants receive a diploma from the Fab Academy 24 WHEATON MAGAZINE
program at a special graduation. This year, the ceremony took place in August virtually as well as in person at Dassault Systèmes in Waltham, Mass. “Careerwise, the Fab Academy course is a unique experience, a huge
What is the Fab Academy?
The Fab Academy program, established in 2009, is a global network of certified Fab Labs where students work to “learn to make [almost] anything,” as stated on fabacademy.org. Neil Gershenfeld of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms is the program director and global instructor. He presents weekly online lectures around the world in collaboration with Fab Academy instructors and professors, who work locally to teach and guide students and evaluate their work as they progress in the six-month, two-credit interdisciplinary course in digital fabrication. Successful completion of assignments designed to demonstrate acquired skills in design, programming, project management, problem-solving and more results in a Fab Diploma.
resume-builder and a chance to network and make connections on a global scale,” said Goodman. “Students will be able to use these skills to develop new products, create new works of art, develop scientific instruments—the sky’s the limit.” Professor Goodman was one of the coordinators of the InterMedia Arts Group Innovation Network (IMAGINE) that set up the college’s original makerspace, Fiberspace and digital learning labs, thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation in 2014. The participants in Wheaton’s inaugural Fab Academy course had to apply and have completed prerequisite courses in physics, computer science and industrial design to ensure they were prepared for the demands of the class. A variety of majors, including computer science, physics, chemistry, neuroscience and visual art, were drawn to the class. Several students who took the class said they were seeking to expand the knowledge they gained from making things in Innovation Spaces and from previously taking “Introduction to Digital Fabrication” taught by Dunaway. They also expressed their common struggles—managing the time commitment, pushing themselves to quickly master new skills to keep pace, and developing a growth mindset to continually face and overcome failures when assignments didn’t work out as planned. “The biggest lesson I have learned from this class is to never underestimate anything,” said Ozturk, who made a handheld
Newsweek in August named Wheaton on “The Best Maker Schools 2021” list that includes higher education institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Wheaton’s Innovation Spaces is made up of labs spread out in buildings across campus.
• Wheaton’s Fab Lab houses 3D printers, a laser cutter, electronics and other high-tech rapid-prototype tools and machines. • The Digital Lab focuses on virtual and augmented reality.
• The Fiber Lab has tools for textile work. • The Idea Lab was created in collaboration with the Diana Davis Spencer ’60 Foundation to encourage social entrepreneurship and global social impact. • The Shop focuses on woodworking, metalworking, prototyping and construction.
game console during the first few weeks of the course and then refined it for his final project. “After I made that, I was so sure that everything would be smooth sailing. Unfortunately, the more research I did, the more complex it got.” The challenging nature of the course is exactly what enticed Professor Goodman to get involved. “Fab Academy is a really unique opportunity for students to engage in engineering and design at a serious, near-professional level. It expects far more from our students than we’ve been able to ask for in the past, and I wanted to be a part of that, and I wanted to help
Jacob Libby ’22 and Emma Yount ’22 troubleshooting Fab Academy project
students navigate the challenge,” the professor said.
Practicing patience and perseverance The biggest lesson that Emma Yount ’22 said she learned during Fab Academy was patience. “There were so many instances where I had spent days on a project and I had to completely restart or have no idea why something was not working,” said Yount. Before this year, she had no previous experience with coding and electrical circuit building. “Trying to successfully complete each week’s class assignment in the limited time frame was very challenging. I have learned so much about digital engineering and design. As a visual arts major, I am excited to see how these skills will influence my creative career,” she said. For her final project, Yount used a 3D printer, vinyl cutter as well as hand stitching to make a shadow box lantern of the mountain that leads to Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan. Her study abroad trip there was canceled due to the pandemic, but she wanted to create something for her dorm room to keep the country in mind. On the website she created for class,
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Yount detailed the project: “This lantern contains multiple cut paper layers that depict a [three-dimensional] replica of the Tiger’s Nest mountain trail. The lantern has a rotating base. When you turn the base, the neopixels inside the lantern will travel up the shade following the shape of the mountain to mimic how you would be climbing up the actual Tiger’s Nest trail.”
Gaining interdisciplinary skills Because students were required to reflect on their assignments each week in writing, they had opportunities to hone communication skills that are important in every field of study. “Being a neuroscience major, many of my professors often stress how interdisciplinary the field is, and how vital competency in other fields of STEM is. I took Fab Academy because I wanted to gain skills that would be beneficial in my future career. Also, the ability to create cool stuff didn’t hurt,” said Elizabeth Shelto ’23. Fab Academy not only helped Shelto gain skills, such as programming and using 3D design software, but it also taught her how to effectively navigate resources to create anything she wants, she said. “I’m not leaving the course with a set of information that I’ve memorized, rather I am leaving with a new set of skills and FALL 2021 25
the knowledge of how to build upon them and tailor them to my own projects and interests,” she said. For her final project, Shelto created a remote-controlled essential oil diffuser to help with the dry air of New England winters, which she noted from experience can cause nosebleeds. Her diffuser requires less effort on the consumer’s part, according to her online description. She included a Graphical User Interface to allow the user to turn the diffuser on and off from a computer. For Shelto, the most challenging part of Fab Academy was the fast pace. “We were presented with a new skill at the beginning of each week and had to be able to demonstrate what we had learned by the end,” she said. “Luckily, I had amazing professors and classmates that were always willing to point me toward good resources, answer my questions and offer help.”
Opening up creative possibilities Whitney O’Reardon ’22, a visual arts and art history double major, enrolled in Fab
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The Fab Academy students meet in the former campus bookstore to discuss final projects. Pictured: Madison Dunaway, coordinator of Innovation Spaces and Programs, Emma Yount ’22, Brandon Witter ’20, Ozgur “Tuna” Ozturk ’24, Associate Professor of Physics Jason Goodman, Amanda Hodgkins ’24, Elizabeth Shelto ’23, John Proctor ’22, David Frey ’21, Jesse Eubanks ’21, Jacob Libby ’22, Rushil Bhatia ’23 and Whitney O’Reardon ’22
Academy to become more familiar with electronics design and programming after taking “Introduction to Digital Fabrication,” taught by Dunaway during the fall 2020 semester. “I have three favorite projects. One of the early assignments was to use our laser cutter to make cardboard building blocks that I could assemble in any way. We learned how to use the laser cutter to make joint connections and how to use 2D CAD software. I made mine into the shape of a tree,” O’Reardon said. She also used metal casting equipment to make a coin. “I modeled this coin in software called Fusion 360 and I made a 3D scan of my face to put on the coin design. Then, I
used mold-making equipment to create a heat-resistant rubber mold and I melted and casted pewter inside of it,” she said. For her final project, she worked with Amanda Hodgkins ’24 to make a hexapod, a geometric seating pod with adjustable lighting and a programmed board that controls the sound from speakers. She employed a laser cutter, 3D printer and a CNC router to make it. The hexapod is meant to be a reading nook for the Fab Lab. “This class was very rigorous,” O’Reardon said. “There was so much hands-on activity and a lot of my learning came through making mistakes, so my projects required a lot of commitment,” she said. All the work was worth it. “Fab Academy has shown me the potential of digital fabrication tools. As a visual arts major this is very exciting because it opens up so many creative possibilities.”
Expecting the unexpected Hodgkins made multiple circuit boards with different functions and molds that
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she used to create jewelry, including a metal casted pewter ring. She also 3D-printed various items and collaborated with O’Reardon on the hexapod seating pod for her final project. “The biggest lesson I learned was that not everything will work out the way that you want, and that’s OK,” Hodgkins said. “Throughout the course I encountered all sorts of challenges in completing my projects, whether it be issues with my code, incorrect measurements or just human error. It was definitely discouraging at times, but overcoming these issues was always extremely fulfilling and made me feel incredibly proud. Mistakes and their eventual corrections allow you to grow as a student.” “Another large part of the course was having work critiqued at both the local and global level, which allowed me to gain valuable insight from different sources to integrate into my work and make it better,” she said. “I definitely gained experience with deadlines and presentation of my work, which will be helpful both for
other classes and possible job situations in the future.”
Putting making to work Brandon Witter ’20, who majored in computer science at Wheaton and was president of the Social Entrepreneurship Club, returned to take Fab Academy. “I am so glad I decided to come back a year after graduating to spend five months learning digital fabrication,” Witter said. “Before graduating, I had really only used the 3D printer and laser cutter. Fab Academy showed me that Wheaton has so many more amazing machines on campus.” Witter enrolled with virtually no background in digital fabrication, so every week brought a new challenge. “I absolutely loved every minute of it. The projects were always difficult, but never unachievable. I found that immersing myself to create something each week that I could personally enjoy really made it easier,” he said. His final project in the class was The
MakerBar, designed to make the perfect rum and cola at the push of a button. “I truly believe that anyone has the capability to learn how to use these machines to make something they can be proud of,” he said. “This is where the inspiration for my career came from.” Witter landed a job this fall teaching “Intro to Computer Science, Digital Fabrication, Robotics and Entrepreneurship” at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, Mass., for which he credits Wheaton. “My unique background as a computer science major with digital fabrication skills and almost three years of social entrepreneurship knowledge really stood out among the other applicants,” Witter said. “That is all because of Wheaton and Fab Academy. I really want to thank Madison Dunaway and Jason Goodman for mentoring me through my time both at Wheaton and Fab Academy. Their guidance is a major reason why I chose the teaching route. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to help teach the future generation of makers.”
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Making connections
Alexis Nieves ’14 stands in front of the U.S. Embassy in downtown Madrid, Spain, where he is assigned as a U.S. diplomat.
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in Madrid
Alexis Nieves ’14 builds relationships, advances U.S. interests as foreign service officer By Sandy Coleman
Throughout his life, Alexis Nieves ’14 has paid keen attention to inspiration as it has shown up in various ways, guiding him to his career in international relations. He is a U.S. diplomat/foreign service officer currently assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain. In his role, he represents the government and people of the United States by maintaining relationships with foreign countries and international organizations. The goal is to promote and protect U.S. political, economic and commercial interests overseas, fostering strong connections. The journey to Spain began at home in Brooklyn, N.Y., where his mother was a daily reminder of all that is possible, and it winds through Wheaton, where his first international relations class fueled an interest in global interdependence and led him to double major in international relations and Hispanic studies. Nieves’s mother emigrated to the United States more than 30 years ago, fleeing civil war in El Salvador, he said during a Zoom interview one evening after walking home from his office at the embassy in downtown Madrid. “Her story inspires me a lot. She came to the U.S. and began as a housekeeper,
learned English and worked her way to becoming an educator. Seeing her trajectory and leadership by example has been a major source, if not the biggest source, of inspiration in my life,” Nieves said. “And, I think, it is only in the U.S. that the son of a migrant, whose first job in the U.S. was as a housekeeper, could go on to become a U.S. diplomat. And my story isn’t special. It is America that makes it possible.” Nieves (who is fluent in Spanish and has a professional proficiency in French and Portuguese) tells this story as he talks about his work, his career path and why it was important for him to make a virtual visit back to Wheaton during the spring semester. At the invitation of Associate Professor of Hispanic studies Montserrat PérezToribio, Nieves shared how he landed his job, provided advice and encouraged students to believe in all possibilities— paying forward inspiration.
Mission-driven work Currently, Nieves serves as vice consul in Madrid. Foreign service officers are assigned to roles for two years in various countries. Job titles and responsibilities may change based on the assignment. In addition to representing the United States, he also provides emergency and
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non-emergency services to American citizens and is charged with the adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens as well as immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Prior to his Madrid assignment, he was the economic officer in the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti. “I always wanted to serve my country and make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to be on the forefront of foreign policymaking and represent my country abroad,” he said. “My mission in life is to leave this world a better place. I believe that my aspirations have to be broad enough to include the needs of others. Foreign service fits into this sense of self and mission because it is a career that affords me the opportunity to apply my professional and lived experiences to address the great challenges of our time—climate change, national security issues and so much more.” One of his proudest moments occurred at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when he worked with officials in Haiti to help the U.S. solve a major shortage of medical personal protection equipment. “Haiti is a country that has many factories where garments are produced,” he said. “During the pandemic, working with colleagues, I led an initiative to encourage the Haitian government and factories to switch their production modules from producing garments to medical personal protective equipment for export to the U.S. For me, being able to contribute, even something as small as that, was something I felt proud of. Haitian factories ended up exporting more than 500,000 masks to the U.S.”
A roundtrip ticket to Spain Nieves studied abroad in Spain in 2013 with Programa de Estudios Hispánicos en Córdoba, a language and cultural immersion program at the University of Cordoba. “What drew me to Spain was the culture, the language and the fact that my mom’s great-grandfather was from here. It’s one country I’ve always wanted
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“Wheaton helps to cultivate your potential. It gives you the setting you need to think about the change you want to make in the world.” Alexis Nieves ’14
to explore. For me, there is a lot about the country’s values and lifestyles that speak to who I am. There is obviously a connection there with the Spanish language,” he said. His study abroad was a perfect complement to his Hispanic studies at Wheaton as well as a source of adventure to fulfill a long-held desire to explore the world. While studying abroad in Spain he found out that he had won a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship—the first student to do so in Wheaton history. The highly competitive program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, selects and prepares undergraduates who are interested in international relations and foreign service careers. The fellowship provides professional development opportunities; covers the expense of graduate studies at designated institutions; and offers a domestic internship at the State Department in Washington, D.C.; and an international internship at a U.S. embassy, consulate or diplomatic mission around the globe. Fellows agree to a five-year minimum commitment as a foreign service officer. “Coming back here [to Spain] as a diplomat is pretty awesome; it is coming full circle,” said Nieves. Because of his mother’s story, he had an interest in the plight of immigrants in the U.S. that he pursued at Wheaton. “I had an intellectual thirst to unravel why people decide to leave countries they consider home to travel and migrate to different countries in search of better economic opportunities,” he said. It was at Wheaton that Nieves discovered his passion for international relations and foreign policy.
“I wanted to understand how international events impacted us in the United States. I understood early on that we live in an interconnected world and that our future prosperity and security as a nation relies heavily on our ability to keep our diplomatic ties with other countries strong,” he said. That understanding was deepened in the class “U.S. Foreign Policy,” taught by Professor of Political Science Darlene Boroviak. She remembers Nieves with the same amount of admiration he has for her. “I was delighted to work with Alexis. It is one of the great pleasures of teaching to watch a student ‘catch on fire,’ and that is what I saw happening with Alexis in that course,” Boroviak said. “I could see that he was discovering how his genuine interest in international affairs could be transformed into practical policy outcomes. In this course and in the ‘International Law’ course, Alexis stood out because of his cosmopolitan understanding of global issues and his enthusiasm for learning. I am sure this is what carried him through a challenging graduate program and into diplomatic work.” Nieves, who is a Posse Scholar, has a master’s degree in international relations and national security studies from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
A virtual visit to Norton Nieves’s passion for his field of study and his work came across loud and clear when he paid a virtual visit to Wheaton during the spring semester in Professor Pérez-Toribio’s course “The Hispanic World: Spain.” Pérez-Toribio invited a variety of guest speakers to encourage students to expand their knowledge of Spain’s cultural diversity and practice their language skills with native and fluent Spanish speakers. “Since many of our Hispanic studies majors and minors were not able to go abroad due to COVID-19, I thought it would be nice to bring Spain and the experiences of a group of Spanish
In March, Nieves made a presentation in Spanish in the course “The Hispanic World: Spain,” taught by Professor Montserrat Pérez-Toribio.
citizens and residents to our classroom,” said Pérez-Toribio, noting that Nieves presented in Spanish. “The ultimate goal was to provide a safe and comfortable virtual space where students could be curious, ask questions in Spanish and make connections with the materials learned in class.” Nieves was happy to accept the invitation to share his journey and Wheaton’s role in his success. “It was a great opportunity to talk to [Pérez-Toribio’s] students about how her class helped me improve my Spanish. Taking a class with her made me even more curious to go to Spain.” While in high school, Nieves didn’t even think he would be able to afford college— until he won a Posse scholarship in 2010. “That changed the course of my life. I can’t imagine where I would be without that opportunity. I’d like to think with my work ethic that I would be somewhere, but I don’t know if I would be where I am
now,” he said. “The Posse scholarship led me to Wheaton and then Wheaton just opened up a floodgate of opportunities and those opportunities led me to where I am today. “Wheaton helps to cultivate your potential. It gives you the setting you need to think about the change you want to make in the world,” he said. “Those classroom conversations, office hours with professors, the small student-to-faculty ratio and the academic environment really allowed me and others the space and the opportunity to really think and reflect on what kind of change we want to make in the world and the ways in which we are going to pursue our dreams and chase our goals.” He has kept in touch with many of his professors and often asks for advice. This time, he was providing advice to students. “One of the biggest pieces of advice I give people all the time is to hone in on
their public speaking and written communication skills because regardless of the job you have in the future, those skills go a long way,” Nieves said. “I told them to seek out opportunities for professional development and to network. I told them to embrace the feeling of discomfort, to put themselves in positions where they might be uncomfortable because those tend to be the positions where we grow the most. I think sometimes when you are really uncomfortable in a place or when you get outside of your comfort zone, as cliché as it sounds, it really pushes you and it really helps you grow,” he said. “The last piece of advice I gave them was to embrace adversity. There is no way of avoiding adversity. Adversity is a natural part of life, so we just have to learn how to embrace it and learn how to make the most of it and learn how to persevere.”
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NETWORK
ELIZABETH HOY
A decade of creativity A spring exhibition in Beard and Weil Galleries showcased a selective array of photography, film, illustrations and sculpture from Wheaton visual arts majors from the past 10 years. “The Tens: Friends of Art Alumni Collection 2011–2020,” which was on display February 16 through March 27, featured student winners of the Friends of Art Purchase Prize, which was established in 2000 to celebrate and support graduating visual art majors. The artwork was chosen and purchased from senior seminar exhibitions for the Permanent Collection with funds donated by the Friends of Art. The Friends of Art exhibition coincided with the exhibition “Time and the River’s Edge,” which featured work from 32 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Associate Professor of Art Patricia “Patty” Stone, who retired at the end of the academic year. “As a professor of painting and drawing, Patty taught almost all of the students whose work is in the collection. With the two exhibitions together, it became a way to think about the past and future and to celebrate the rich creativity at Wheaton,” said Elizabeth Hoy, director of the Beard and Weil Galleries. Sixteen Wheaton alumni were represented in “The Tens,” including Walker Downey ’13, Charlotte Hall ’17 and Soraya Matos ’14, who had a virtual visit with students in the visual art senior seminar to discuss View the exhibit at wheatoncollege.edu/ wheaton-magazine
how their Wheaton education shaped their careers and post-graduation studies. Hall said she welcomed the opportunity to talk to students. “Connections are important, especially in the art world,” she said. “I’m grateful the current seniors are getting a chance to talk to art alums within the Wheaton community as part of their seminar experience.” The other artists included in the exhibition were: Katharine Heyl ’12, Emiko Kurokawa ’11, Rosemary Liss ’11, Skye Landon ’12, Emily Timm ’12, Timothy Oxton ’12, Caroline Isaacs ’13, Lindsey Gillis ’15, Chloë Urbanczyk ’16, Sienna Van Slooten ’16, Aleza Epstein ’18, Bhavika Dugar ’19 and Elisa McClear ’20. —Laura Pedulli
Artwork above and clockwise: “Cluster, 303 S. Broadway” by Rosemary Liss ’11; “Untitled (Nude with Composition Book) by Soraya Matos ’14; “Hedgehog’s Dilemma” by Emily Timm ’12; “Entomophobia” by Lindsey Gillis ’15; “Secret Little World“ (detail of triptych) by Chloë Urbanczyk ’16; “Maps (Japan)” by Emiko Kurokawa ’11; and “Textures of Patan IV” by Bhavika Dugar ’19
FALL 2021 33
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NETWORK
Two receive honorary degrees In May, Wheaton presented honorary doctor of law degrees to E. Frances “Fran” White ’71, a historian and author, and James Washington, president and founder of the Washington Consulting Group, and president and co-founder of the Social Justice Training Institute. Honorees usually receive accolades in person, but this year they were recognized by President Dennis M. Hanno and Provost Renée T. White during the virtual livestreamed Commencement ceremony. Fran White is a professor emerita at New York University. Her many honors include the 2013–2014 NYU Distinguished Teaching Award and the Catherine T. and John D. MacArthur Chair in History (1985–1988). “Wheaton exposed me to the value of a liberal arts education. I am especially grateful for Wheaton models for living a professor’s life that includes scholarship and close relationships with my students,” she said. The alumna has been enthusiastically engaged with the college for many years, including serving as a member of the Black Alumni Group from 1996 to 2004, on the President’s Commission from 1997 to 2003, and as a member of the Alumni and Parent Admission Committee in 1985. After graduating from Wheaton with a degree in urban studies, she received a master’s degree in history as well as a Ph.D. in African history from Boston University. In addition to her career as a professor of history and Black studies, she has held distinctive positions in academic administration, including serving as NYU’s vice provost for faculty development from 2005 to 2008 and heading the university’s efforts to diversify the faculty. She has been awarded fellowships from the Danforth Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities and was a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in Sierra Leone and The Gambia. James Washington has served as an educator, administrator and consultant in 34 WHEATON MAGAZINE
“Wheaton exposed me to the value of a liberal arts education. I am especially grateful for Wheaton models for living a professor’s life that includes scholarship and close relationships with my students.” E. Frances “Fran” White ’71
higher education for more than 37 years, including at Wheaton. The Economist has listed him as one of the top 10 diversity consultants in the world. “I have had the opportunity to work with Wheaton for many years. The leadership has a clear commitment to building a campus community that not only values diversity, equity and inclusion, but also is committed to preparing the next generation of leaders to live into the values of democracy, anti-racism and justice,” he said. Among his work at Wheaton, he has welcomed incoming students during the orientation session “Building an Inclusive Campus Community,” and hosted an open forum on campus titled “Leadership and Diversity in the 21st Century.” He earned his bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock State College; dual
“I have had the opportunity to work with Wheaton for many years. The leadership has a clear commitment to building a campus community that not only values diversity, equity and inclusion, but also is committed to preparing the next generation of leaders to live into the values of democracy, antiracism and justice.” James Washington
master’s degrees from Indiana University, Bloomington; a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park; and a master of divinity degree from Howard University School of Divinity. As the head of the Social Justice Training Institute, he works with colleges and universities to engage campus leaders, staff, faculty and students in creating a culture that values, respects and includes all of its members. —Sandy Coleman Read more online and watch the virtual presentation at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine
And the winners are …
The Alumni Association presented the Alumni Achievement Awards on May 26 during the Annual Meeting of the Alumni and State of the College, which was virtual. Sharon Callahan-Miller ’84 and Oren Segal ’96 were honored for making significant contributions to society through their careers and advocacy work. Callahan-Miller is the CEO of CDM, a health care advertising agency, and chief client officer at Omnicom Health Group, a network of health care communications companies. Her achievements include promoting an increase in the number of women in leadership positions and fostering an inclusive work environment for LGBTQ employees at Omnicom. She also is vice chair of the Victory Fund, which seeks to increase the number of openly LGBTQ officials in government. “You are an influential and inspirational leader who has played an instrumental role in championing diversity and inclusion,” said Alumni Association President Joshua S. Bauchner ’95, whose term as president ended on June 30. Segal, the vice president of the Center of Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League in New York, N.Y., speaks on behalf of the center on many national and international news outlets. The FBI recognized him for his exceptional service in the public interest and, in 2019, he was named to The Forward’s list of 50 Influential, Intriguing and Inspiring American Jews. “In your two decades with the AntiDefamation League, on the front lines of social justice, you have worked ceaselessly to confront and expose the disrupting influence of extremism and hate,” Bauchner said in his remarks. Jane Martin ’74, a former Alumni Association president (2015–2018), received the Heather J. Corbett ’86
Sharon Callahan-Miller ’84
Oren Segal ’96
Jane Martin ’74
Patricia “Peaches” Henning ’56
Fostering Wheaton Community Award for her “unsung” contributions that have brought the Wheaton community together and fostered deeper Wheatonfocused connections. Bauchner lauded Martin for her skillful leadership at the helm of the Alumni Association. Under her guidance, the board succeeded in growing alumni engagement, restructured the organization to increase its impact and improve its transparency, and developed a stronger working partnership with the Board of Trustees, he said. “You strived for an alumni engagement model to fit different interests and lifestyles,” he said. Patricia “Peaches” Henning ’56 was honored with the Sharon M. Howard ’87, P’09 Outstanding Wheaton Service
Award for her significant and sustained contribution or service to the college. She was recognized for being a stalwart, loyal and problem-solving alumna volunteer for decades. Henning was the founding member of the first LGBTQ Steering Committee, a member of the President’s Commission, an active alumna in the San Francisco Bay area alumni group and a longtime class secretary, among many roles. She also endowed the Patricia “Peaches” Henning ’56 Scholarship to benefit women majoring in music or having a focus on education, which will support Wheaton students in perpetuity. “You personify Wheaton’s spirit of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,” Bauchner said. —Laura Pedulli FALL 2021 35
CLASS NOTES
Meagan Jennett ’11, at Unst, one of the Shetland Islands, the northernmost point in the United Kingdom. Read more on Page 57.
Keeping traditions afloat For the 30th anniversary of the Head of the Peacock Regatta, the entire Wheaton community was invited to join in the fun virtually by crafting their own scaled-down vessel. Judges awarded prizes for most creative, most Wheaton-spirited and most likely to float on Peacock Pond. Here are the winners, which included alumni:
MOST CREATIVE Cohnheads
Family entry: Gabriel Cohn ’17, Shoshana Cohn, Beth Polebaum and Sanford Cohn Items used: Avocado shells, wooden skewers, fabric, Lego pieces, marbles, glue gun and thread. Float time: 1 to 10 minutes 36 WHEATON MAGAZINE
MOST WHEATONSPIRITED Team Bog
Individual entry: Currie Touloumtzis ’10 Items used: Painters tape (Wheaton College blue), wine corks, small cardboard box and paper Float time: 1 to 10 minutes
MOST LIKELY TO FLOAT ON PEACOCK POND The Empire Yacht Club
Group entry: Sponsored by the E.Y.C. and the glorious alumni of the Wheaton College Outdoors Haus. Created by Sydney Beck ’16. Items used: Coat hanger wire, thin wire, card stock, aluminum foil, acrylic paint, painter’s tape, string, fabric, cardboard, two 10.5-ounce cans of Campbell’s soup as an added challenge Float time: 10 to 60 minutes
Did your contact information change?
Report changes of address and email to Alumni Relations at 508-286-8207 or alum@wheatoncollege.edu.
Is your class year missing and you have news to share?
Contact us at classnotes@wheatoncollege.edu and we will put you in touch with your class secretary.
Looking to volunteer? Contact our Alumni Relations Office to get involved at 508-286-8207.
For class secretaries: How to submit your Class Notes
Alumni make waves in children’s literature
Author Robie Heilburn Harris ’62 and illustrator Nicole “Nickie” Lee Tadgell ’91 are gaining recognition for their contributions to children’s literature. Read more: Page 38 (Harris) and Page 39 (Tadgell)
Submit Class Notes to classnotes@wheatoncollege.edu. Include your class year in the subject line (e.g., “Class Notes, 2001.”)
Deadlines
Winter: Sept. 28, 2021 Spring: Jan. 18, 2022 Fall: June 1, 2022
Photos
To submit digital photos (preferred), email them as an attachment to classnotes@wheatoncollege. edu. For full guidelines, visit wheatoncollege.edu/ wheaton-magazine/submitting-digital-images.) Please supply a brief description of the event and all the names and class years of the alumni in the picture. The photos you send in must be sharp and clear. Photos that are out of focus, or that have harsh shadows, over-exposed areas or “red-eyed” subjects may not be usable. Often we receive more photos than we can use in any one issue. When this happens, we will select photos that represent a variety of class years and timely events.
Teeing up for a cause
KEITH NORDSTROM
Corey Best ’11, Skyler Dean-Lee ’16, Samuel Dean-Lee ’11 (putting) and Griffin Hanley ’13 compete during the 12th Annual Lyons Athletic Club Golf Tournament on June 14. The event benefits student-athletes and the Department of Athletics.
Need help submitting your Class Notes or photos? Page 38
Alumni recognition comes in many forms
The Alumni Board of Directors is interested to know about alumni whose work deserves to be recognized or whose talents enrich our community. Please share their stories (or yours) with the Alumni Board at alum@ wheatoncollege.edu or call 508-286-8207. To learn more, please visit wheatoncollege.edu/ alumni FALL 2021 37
CLASS NOTES
Robie Heilbrun Harris ’62 updates classic sex ed book for more inclusive approach In the early 1990s, author Robie Heilbrun Harris ’62 penned It’s Perfectly Normal, a book that broke ground by providing children ages 10 and up scientifically accurate and comprehensive information on emotional and sexual health, relationships, reproduction and puberty. While some schools and libraries have banned It’s Perfectly Normal for its detailed illustrations and descriptions, the book has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. Harris recently updated It’s Perfectly Normal to provide a more inclusive perspective by expanding topics such as gender-inclusive information and language, sexual orientation, LGBTQ+ identity, sex and sexuality. The book also covers the latest advances in methods of sexual safety and contraception, the importance of consent, information on the HPV vaccine, and ways to stay safe while
Updated illustrations by Michael Emberley
searching online. “This is a book for all kids, no matter what their sexual orientation or gender identity may be,” she said. For this revision, Harris consulted with top experts, including parents, teachers, librarians, doctors, nurses, psychologists and scientists. She also consulted with kids ages 10 to 15 and asked what topics they felt should be in this edition. “When It’s Perfectly Normal was first published, Michael Emberley [the book’s illustrator] and I talked about the fact that things would change, and that kids deserved to have the most up-to-date, accurate and honest information. Soon after we began working on this update, we realized that the amount of updated and new information would have to be massive,” Harris said. One major difference in the latest version is the addition of “gender” to the book’s subtitle and a more comprehensive chapter on that topic. “Gender can be many things and that is why there can be more than one answer to the question ‘what is gender?’ because it’s fluid. In the book, I write ‘‘sometimes other people may try to define your gender for you. But who you are is most always the person you feel you are, or figure out you, or already know you are, no matter what anyone else may say or think about you,’” she said. Harris, an English major, said her Wheaton education—in particular English Professor Curtis Dahl—taught her the value of storytelling. Recently the longtime writer has had much to celebrate. On June 24, she was honored during the virtual Intellectual Freedom Awards Celebration as the Freedom to Read
Commencement/Reunion is May 21–22, 2022
A sampling of reunion year banners 38 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Robie Heilbrun Harris ’62
MICHELE CARDAMONE
Foundation’s 2021 Roll of Honor recipient. The foundation is a nonprofit legal and educational organization affiliated with the American Library Association that protects and defends the First Amendment to the Constitution and supports the right of libraries to collect—and individuals to access—information. “I was flabbergasted and absolutely thrilled. I feel I need to share that award with all of the people I consulted,” Harris said. “My whole sense in all of the books I write—picture books and board books, fiction and nonfiction—is that if we don’t tell the truth, then children won’t listen to us. I tell them what I think is the truth by researching facts—that’s what I do and that’s what I was honored for.” —Laura Pedulli
Nicole Tadgell ’91 honored for book illustration Nicole “Nickie” Lee Tadgell ’91, a graphic designer and illustrator, recently won a 2021 Christopher Award for Tiara’s Hat Parade (Albert Whitman & Co., 2020). The children’s book, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Tadgell, is one of 12 publications for adults and young people that was recognized. Tadgell majored in studio art at Wheaton. Tiara’s Hat Parade tells the story of an African American girl with a gift for storytelling who develops a creative plan to reignite her mother’s passion for hat-making after the family hat shop closes down in the face of competition. The Christopher Awards were created in 1949 to celebrate authors, illustrators, writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit,” said Tony Rossi in a media release. Previous award winners include author David McCullough and filmmaker Ken Burns. “Nicole brings stories to life while advocating for diversity in children’s literature,” said Rossi, director of communications for The Christophers, which presents the awards. Known for creating realistic yet whimsical characters and scenes, Tadgell was born in Detroit. She said that art has been both an escape and a labor of love for her. Frequent moves challenged her natural shyness, especially in new schools where she was the only Black student in class. “I always had pencils and paper nearby. It helped me make sense of the world around me or create imaginary worlds to live in for a while,” Tadgell said.
She has won many awards for her work. Most recently Tiara’s Hat Parade also was chosen to be included as part of Read Across America; Talking in Crayon was released for school and library markets; and Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town was selected as a 2020 Kansas Notable Recipient. The Christophers is a New York-based Catholic media organization that encourages people to fulfill their life purpose by pursuing excellence in creative arenas that have the potential to positively influence a mass audience. —Sandy Coleman
Nicole “Nickie” Lee Tadgell ’91
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CLASS NOTES
Clinical psychologist Alex Pruitt ’08 works to eradicate eating disorders Eating disorders are among the most medically complex psychiatric disorders. More children are diagnosed with eating disorders than cancer or diabetes, and the condition claims the lives of one in 10 people affected by it, according to Alex Pruitt ’08, a licensed clinical psychologist. Unfortunately, many are unable to receive treatment due to lack of resources and insurance coverage. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently tapped Pruitt to serve on the Eating Disorder Council of Kentucky, which is working on ways to raise awareness, provide education and improve access to care for Kentuckians with eating disorders. Pruitt is both the associate director and assistant clinical director of the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders in Kentucky. Until the center opened in 2017, the state had no provider specializing in eating disorders, according to the Academy for Eating Disorders. “I had a calling to build a healthy practice and use my medical training in graduate school as I understand both the medical side and the psychiatric sides of these incredibly risky health conditions,” said Pruitt, who double majored in women’s and gender studies and psychology at Wheaton. Her academic training includes a doctorate in pediatric psychology from Spaulding University, a clinical internship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a fellowship at The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt. Pruitt currently sees clients of all genders and ages—from 3 to 80 years old. Sometimes, it can take several years for treatment to work. In her office is a collage that speaks of
her hard-earned success: notes from families and patients thanking her for helping. “Those notes get me through the hard days. To help a family see their child recover because they have eaten, it is very rewarding. For them to have more acceptance of themselves by the end of treatment is an amazing thing to watch,” she said. Pruitt said the center is seeing an uptick of what she and colleagues call “COVID-onset” cases. Social media often feeds into anxiety and fear or rejection for body size, contributing to new cases. Luckily, the rise of telehealth during the pandemic has enabled Pruitt and her colleagues to reach more individuals and families needing treatment, she said. In addition to her primary leadership roles, Pruitt serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Louisville, where she gives guest lectures and also supervises and trains professionals who can help meet the demand. Pruitt said her Wheaton education and experiences laid the foundation for her professional development. Through a course taught by her mentor late psychology Professor Grace Barron, she gained experience in pediatric psychology through an internship at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I. Pruitt’s role on campus as a resident advisor provided her with an opportunity to develop crisis management skills that she still uses today. Her senior capstone project examined body image in the media and included research on how model waist circumferences have shrunk over the years and how that correlates to the psychopathology of eating disorders—a topic that applies directly to
A major role in public relations Liza Acevedo ’15 is giving voice to a variety of issues, from COVID-19 to immigration, in her new role as deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The press team supports the communications needs of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and the agency, which oversees several operations, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; the U.S. Coast Guard; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and the Transportation Security Administration. “We’re on the front lines dealing with critical issues. It is important, demanding work,” 40 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Acevedo said. The deputy press secretary role is fastpaced. Acevedo handles press inquiries, and develops, manages and organizes various communications activities for the department. Her previous jobs, including roles as deputy press secretary for the Julián Castro presidential campaign and as volunteer staff on the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team, helped prepare her for the position, she said. Acevedo previously served as the deputy press secretary for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “I’m very detail-oriented and I’m very orga-
Alex Pruitt ’08
her role today. “I’m continuing to work toward reducing the perfectionistic idea of thinness that is the driving force of a lot of my patients,” she said. —Laura Pedulli
nized. I don’t miss a beat. I’m grateful to have a support system and people around me who also are understanding, people who have supported me throughout my journey,” she said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do; it’s a dream come true.” Acevedo, who majored in economics, credits Wheaton for helping shape her career success. “I’m grateful for the professors at Wheaton. Economics really connects with everything and has given me a real-world view that I now use every day,” she said. —Laura Pedulli
Amplifying diverse voices
Black alumni panelists share professional, personal journeys A spring semester panel delved into the experiences of Black alumni and explored how their identities and Wheaton College education have shaped their professional and personal lives. Sixty students, alumni, faculty and staff members attended the event, “Whea Are Wheaton,” which featured Nana Asare ’15, Kenya Bryant ’12 and Maya Ennis ’14. The event was jointly organized by the Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning and Alumni Relations as part of Black History Month. The three alumni spoke at length on how they made the most of their Wheaton education and what they learned along the way— as well as how they achieved success in their careers. Bryant, a sociology major, has worked in a variety of fields since Wheaton, including publishing, radio and education—before landing her current role in corporate social responsibility at Estée Lauder in Washington, D.C. Wheaton gave Bryant a platform to be an activist and advocate for herself and the community. As a student, she strengthened her natural ability to lean into difficult conversations with integrity, and took advantage of study abroad opportunities to experience different countries and cultures, she said. “It allowed me to see the world beyond the block, which is what I wanted for myself,” said Bryant, who was a Posse Scholar. She also noted the meaningful connections she made with students, professors and staff members within the small-class environment and at regular meetings at the Marshall Center. “I knew I had the capacity to be myself, to speak up about things and that my perspective was necessary. Me taking up space was
Nana Asare ’15
Kenya Bryant ’12
necessary,” she said. Ennis, a psychology major, serves as the deputy national finance director at the Democratic Attorneys General Association in Washington, D.C. She identified community building as the number one lesson she learned while at Wheaton. “I learned how I could build a circle of support around me, which included the support of professors,” she said. In particular, she said she benefited from the guidance she received from Professor Peony Fhagen, who taught her First-Year Seminar on class and cultural identity. Ennis tapped into her support system and sharpened her skills as a self-advocate when successfully pursuing a scholarship to study abroad in Egypt. These same abilities allowed her to ease into the experience, she said. Professionally, Ennis also said that she seeks to work for organizations devoted to racial equity that actively recruit diverse candidates.
Maya Ennis ’14
Asare, who majored in anthropology, is a research manager at the University of Chicago Health Lab. As a student, he served with the Student Government Association and received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship that later supported his self-designed, postgraduate global research studies. “Wheaton opened up the door to a lot of experiences, including figuring how to navigate predominantly white spaces and finding resources and people and how best to amplify my voice and use my experiences to contribute to conversations,” Asare said. He said he benefited from close connections to professors, including Professor of Anthropology M. Gabriela Torres, with whom he remembered debating the efficacy of health organizations in global contexts. “I often think about those conversations with professors and how they shaped the way I see things,” he said. —Laura Pedulli
Alumni recognition comes in many forms
The Alumni Board of Directors is interested to know about alumni whose work deserves to be recognized or whose talents enrich our community. Please share their stories (or yours) with the Alumni Board at alum@wheatoncollege.edu or call 508-286-8207. To learn more, please visit wheatoncollege.edu/ alumni
FALL 2021 41
1936
Helen Williams Hill, 106, died on March 28 in San Diego. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Wheaton in English, and her master’s degree from Brown University. She was married to Donald Hill. Helen taught writing and children’s literature at Eastern Michigan University. She also transcribed and edited—and later published—the diaries of her seafaring grandfather. Helen and her husband founded Trailblazers, a rehabilitation center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Later in life, Helen led a memoir writing group. She moved to San Diego and published the memoir Searching for Sophie.
1944
Nancy Clymer Giles, 97, died on April 13 in Wyomissing, Pa. She majored in biology at Wheaton. She worked in Philadelphia as a pharmacological researcher at the Wyeth Institute of Applied Biochemistry. After marrying her husband and returning to the Reading, Pa., area, Nancy volunteered with the Junior League of Reading, Planned Parenthood, Family Services and was a Sunday school teacher. She also was elected to the Wyomissing School Board. Later, she worked at the United Way of Berks County, including as executive director.
1945
Patricia Steffens Clark, 97, died on April 25. After graduating from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in history and psychology, she moved to New Haven, Conn., where she worked as a claims adjuster for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. She married Cornelius Clark and became a kindergarten teacher in New Britain. Patricia received a master’s degree in education from Central Connecticut State University. She became district supervisor of psychological and social work services in the New Britain school district until her retirement. Gita Landauer Finsen, 98, died on April 14. She attended Wheaton. Joyce Cooper Haase, 97, died on May 3. Joyce was a devout birthright Quaker. From her interest in psychology, she was spiritually drawn to the merging of Christianity and Buddhism. She was a member of the Medford Friends Meeting. She loved to travel. Helen Powers LaMont, 97, died on Nov. 25, 2020. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She was married to Robert LaMont.
IN MEMORIAM
Paul Helmreich, professor emeritus of history and college historian Paul Helmreich, Wheaton professor emeritus of history and college historian died on June 10 in Providence, R.I., at the age of 87. The professor joined the faculty as an expert on modern European, Russian and modern Middle East history and later became the pre-eminent scholar on Wheaton’s early years. During his near 50 years at Wheaton (as a faculty member from 1957 to 1999 and college historian from 1985 to 2006), he touched the lives of generations of students, faculty and staff with his contagious passion for the past. Long after retiring, he frequently visited campus with his wife, retired Wheaton archivist Zephorene Stickney Helmreich. He played an integral role in the growth of the History Department, particularly as chair (1968–1975, 1982–1983, 1986–1988 and 1993–1994). He served on and chaired multiple committees, including the Committee on Educational Policy, the Committee on Tenure, the Appeals and Hearing Committee and the Budget Advisory Committee. Professor Helmreich received the Summer Stipend Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1967 and
1946
Eleanor Merriam Hammond, 96, of Monument Beach, Mass., died on February 2. She was married to John Hammond. Eleanor earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin from Wheaton and her master’s degree in classical languages from Mount Holyoke College. She taught Latin and history at Middleboro High School, and all subjects except science at the middle school level. Obtaining a second master’s degree in library science, she became the school librarian. Eleanor moved to Monument Beach and retired in 1986. She became the curator/site manager at Aptucxet Trading Post. She was an active Wheaton alumna, serving as class secretary. Louise “Lanny” Nichols Starzenski died on February 9. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Lanny was married to the late Bruce Starzenski. She was an enthusiastic supporter of Wheaton, serving in a number of capacities over the years, including as class president and member of the President’s Commission. She attended countless
held the William C.H. and Elsie D. Prentice chair at Wheaton from 1982 to 1985. He was bestowed the title of college historian in 1985 as Wheaton celebrated its sesquicentennial, which coincided with the publication of his first book, Wheaton College, 1834–1912: The Seminary Years. In 2002, he published an expanded version of the book with Wheaton College, 1834–1957: A Massachusetts Family Affair. He also wrote the book From Paris to Sèvres: the Partition of the Ottoman Empire at the Peace Conference of 1919–1920 and was widely published in academic and scholarly journals. His work has appeared in the Encyclopedia Americana and the Americana Annual. Professor Helmreich made a lasting impression on the town of Norton as an active resident and volunteer. He served as chair of the finance committee. Also, for 20 years, he umpired games for the Norton Youth Baseball Leagues. Professor Helmreich received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
college events and Reunions. Lanny was a talented gardener, known for her beautiful harvests of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Each year, she devoted herself to sending 200 Christmas cards, each carefully handwritten to her many friends.
1947
Janet McClure Lyman, 95, of Palo Alto, Calif., died on March 18 in Petaluma, Calif. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Janet married John Lyman and they moved to Palo Alto. During their 25-year marriage, they had three children. Janet worked in the accounting department of Lockheed Martin. She was an active alumna, serving as class secretary. Janet was the president for both the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women of Los Altos, and was a member at Christ Episcopal Church of Los Altos. She was a talented vocalist. Margaret Pierson Weeks, 95, died on February 10. She majored in biology at Wheaton. She was a medical technolo-
gist with Sloan Kettering Institute and with Stamford Hospital. She graduated from Pratt Institute Library School and was a librarian at Low-Heywood School. She was active at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. Barbara Schott Van Waes, 95, died on March 24. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in economics and from the University of Maine with a master’s degree in library science. She worked as an English teacher and then as the school librarian for Bridgton Academy for 28 years. Her first marriage to George Dover ended in divorce. Barbara then married James Hamlin. The pair’s intellectual curiosity, as well as their love of the outdoors in Maine, was key to their lives together. After James’s passing, Barbara married Bob Van Waes. They moved to New Harbor, Maine, and then to Arizona.
1948
Jane Gulick Doerler, 94, died on March 11. She attended Wheaton.
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IN MEMORIAM 1949
Anne Rice Berntsen, 93, died on Dec. 27, 2020. She attended Wheaton. Betty Ann Owens Wheeler, 93, of Concord, Mass., died on April 16. She was the wife of the late Richard Wheeler. She majored in English literature at Wheaton. She moved to Williamstown, Mass., and worked numerous jobs. She and her family then moved to Asia. For 16 years, they lived in Hong Kong, Manila and Tokyo. They eventually settled in Bronxville, N.Y., where she volunteered for the Girl Scouts, Jansen Memorial Hospice, Meals on Wheels, ESL students and Planned Parenthood. Betty Ann was involved with various Episcopal Church parishes.
1950
Lilia “Mimi” Gherardi Nash, 92, of Providence, died on February 4. She studied art at Wheaton. Mimi fell in love with her beloved husband of 54 years, Francis Nash, while summering on Nantucket. Married in 1948 in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Mimi worked for Aetna Insurance. She later moved to Providence and raised four children. Mimi helped advocate for the establishment of The Providence Center. She was a member of the Handicraft Club, the Providence Art Club and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society. Mimi loved to travel.
1951
Margaret “Peggy” Wood Blood, 91, died on April 14 in Natick, Mass. After graduating from Wheaton, she worked at the New England Telephone Co., The Silver Gallery in Needham and for many years with the library at Bentley University. Peggy enjoyed square dancing with the Fairs ’n Squares for many years. Peggy was devoted to her Quaker faith and upbringing and was associated with the Meeting House in Wellesley and on the Cape. Harriet Bollman Oman, 90, died on March 4 in Lebanon, N.H. After graduating from Wheaton, Harriet remained active in the Alumni Association and served as class secretary. She earned her master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State College. She was married to Carl Oman. Harriet enjoyed a 30-year career with the Meriden Public Schools (Connecticut), teaching third grade. She was recognized as Casimir Pulaski Elementary’s Teacher of the Year in 1996. She was a member of the First Congregational Church in Lebanon. Jean Holm Valentine, 91, died on March 11 in Southbury, Conn. Jean 62 WHEATON MAGAZINE
Derek Price, professor emeritus of psychology Derek Price, professor emeritus of psychology at Wheaton, died on April 9 at the age of 74. Professor Price was a Vietnam veteran who achieved a thriving career in academia. He served on the Wheaton faculty from 1985 until his retirement in 2013. He was an expert in developmental psychology, with a focus on the mental development of preschool-age children. His education philosophy was that good research on human behavior must accommodate cultural differences, and that good science thrives on a collaborative spirit. Professor Price was strongly dedicated to supporting child development and education at the STAR School on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. He formed connections that enabled Wheaton students to gain fieldbased experience and participate in service learning in the Navajo Nation. “It is rare to come across individuals who have so much intellectual integrity and at the same time have the heart and compassion to want to help improve the state of Native American education. Derek has proven himself to be one of those individuals. … His willingness to expose Wheaton students and faculty to life ‘on the rez’ has enriched their lives and expanded the deeper understanding of Navajo values by mainstream culture,” STAR School CEO Mark Sorensen stated in remarks at lived in France with her husband and young family. She and the family eventually moved to Middlebury and Cheshire, Conn. She retired on Block Island. She was a longtime member of the Spring Street Gallery on Block Island, and an elected member of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, the Mystic Art Association and the Wickford Art Association. Jean loved
Price’s retirement celebration. As a faculty member, he was an active contributor, volunteering on both the presidential and provost search committees, chairing the tenure committee and serving as the coordinator of the Infusion Program. He was awarded the Dorothy Reed Williams Chair in Social Sciences in 1997. Bianca Murphy, professor of psychology, shared these words with him prior to his passing: “You advocated for others—for your untenured colleagues in the department and especially for people of color. So many knew that they could turn to you and trust you to provide advice and support. You were a wise elder for our tribe. Your colleagues universally respected you.” Professor Price, originally from Ohio, received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He later earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in cognitive and developmental psychology from the University of Denver. Block Island and it showed in her paintings, most of which were island scenes.
1952
Georgeann “Jan” Fleming Eddy died on April 11, 2020, in Yarmouth, Maine. After she graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in history, she married William Eddy.
Jan worked as an English and history school teacher. She mentored college girls at numerous campuses through her church affiliation. Jan also was a full-time administrative assistant at a private Connecticut school. Eventually, during her retirement years, she and her husband relocated to a lakeside home in Maine. Geraldine “Geri” LeClaire Lemelin, 90, of Manchester, Conn., died on February 15. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in history. She set out to Connecticut, and found her first job at Pratt and Whitney as a research center aide. She married J. Roger Lemelin and they moved to Manchester, Conn., and raised five children. Geri served as co-president of the Manchester Square Dance Club and volunteered with the Manchester Historical Society and the Manchester Land Conservation Trust. She was a member of St. James Church. Joan “Bobbie” Knight Thomsen, 91, died on February 10 in Brewster, Mass. She was married to the late Charles Thomsen. At Wheaton, French and art were her special interests. After marrying Charles, they moved to Washington, D.C. Bobbie served as the social correspondent for first lady Mamie Eisenhower. She was charged with reorganizing the White House China Room. Bobbie left the White House following the birth of her daughter, but returned several years later to help with correspondence for the Kennedy administration. The family then moved to North Africa and lived both in Tunisia and Morocco. They moved back to Massachusetts and were longtime residents of Hingham and East Orleans.
1953
Mary Hough Rendall Blair, 89, died on April 26 in Vero Beach, Fla. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Wheaton and master’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Fredonia. She made lifelong friends wherever she went. She traveled the world for seven decades, attending the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and making two trips to Antarctica. Mary served as a trustee of Emma Willard School and Wheaton; board member and chair of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute; board member and chair of the WCA Hospital; and co-founder of the LINKS Charity. Ruth Goold died on March 28 in Norton. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in American civilization and she received a master’s
degree in teaching from Bridgewater State College. She taught in the Ashland public school system and was named Teacher of the Year several times. Ruth loved to travel. She was president of the Norton Historical Society; treasurer of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Massachusetts; and on the board of directors at Daggett-Crandall-Newcomb Home.
1954
Nina Hal Geilich died on Sept. 18, 2020. Nina was married to Chick Geilich. They lived for many years in Brockton, Mass., and celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in 2020. Nina lived life to its fullest every day and enjoyed working at her Rendezvous Boutique in Brockton.
1955
Virginia “Ginger” Campana Stimets, 87, died in Osterville, Mass., on March 11. At Wheaton, she served as president of her class. After graduation, she became a second grade teacher. She married Richard Stimets and they enjoyed 47 years together. Ginger was a communicant of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Osterville. She was a member of the Oyster Harbors Club and the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Committee.
1957
Joanne Bourne Bauckman, 84, died on June 8, 2020. She attended Wheaton.
1958
Sally Howes Hansen, 84, died on February 6. She attended Wheaton. Cynthia Trenbath Porta, 84, died on February 11. Cynthia worked for several years at Time, Inc. in New York City, where she met her husband. In addition to being a great wife, mother and grandmother, she excelled at serving in organizations that focused on helping those in need, including CAP, Inc., in Miami, Fla. Cynthia also was involved in working with the John’s Island Community Service League.
Ellen McAdams Westlund, 84, died on February 26. She majored in chemistry at Wheaton. She obtained her master’s degree at Bridgewater State College. Ellen first started teaching in Norton public schools and went on to teach at Mansfield public schools for approximately 40 years. She served as the religious education coordinator at St. Mary’s Parish in Mansfield for more than 30 years.
1960
Virginia “Vicky” Gaylord Brod, 83, died on Dec. 11, 2020 in Missouri City, Texas. She majored in psychology at Wheaton, where she played tennis. She later worked for Harvard University in the mental health department. She married Edward Brod and raised two sons. Vicky was a member of The Junior League and the Presbyterian Church.
1961
Martha “Muffy” Moffitt Osterhus Carlstrom, 81, of Huntington, N.Y., died on Nov. 21, 2020. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in English. Muffy spent more than 35 years as a member of the Huntington Hospital Board of Trustees. She was instrumental in the creation of the Dolan Family Health Center. In 2008, Muffy was awarded the Theodore Roosevelt Award. She was an advocate for various environmental causes. She was involved with St John’s Episcopal Church and the Central Presbyterian Church.
1964
Elizabeth Morava Struve died on March 22. She was married to Bill Struve. Elizabeth graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in social work. She enjoyed living in LaJolla, Calif., for nearly 50 years.
1967
Sara “Sally” Hill Kennedy, 76, died on April 23. Sally majored in English at Wheaton. She earned her master’s degree in English literature from Trinity College. Sally met her husband,
Jack, during their first year in college. After they married, they moved to West Hartford. Sally taught English in the West Hartford Public Schools and was recognized as one of the finest AP English teachers in New England. In recent years, Sally and Jack spent the winter months on Sanibel Island, Fla., and summers in Europe.
1968
Adrienne Wilson Dodi died in Jerusalem on April 27. She was married for 50 years to Menachim. After graduating from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in religion, she moved to Jerusalem. She was active in Emunah.
1969
Patricia “Patty” Clark Hatchell, 73, died on April 8 in Dallas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wheaton and her Ph.D. from the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado. Patty wrote numerous research articles and taught at UT Southwestern Medical School, Metropolitan State and the University of Missouri Medical School. She also held teaching positions at Georgia State and Emory University.
1970
Victoria “Vicki” Kitching Gadbaw, 73, of Stonington, Conn., died on April 5. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wheaton and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. She was married to Joseph Gadbaw and they celebrated 47 years of marriage together. She worked in New London, providing psychotherapy to children and families until she retired in 2016. She was talented with painting and drawing, taught herself how to knit as a child, and developed a passion for quilting in her 60s.
2020
Kelsey Taylor, 27, of Norwood, Mass., died on May 6 after courageously fighting sickle cell disease all her life and leukemia for the past year. Kelsey was a youth ambassador for the Greater Boston Sickle Cell Disease
Association and worked with Pfizer on several patient-family initiatives. She fought hard to bring awareness to this debilitating disease and advocate for better treatment and services. In an effort to be cured and to help advance medical treatment for patients with sickle cell disease, Kelsey volunteered to participate in an experimental transplant protocol that caused her to develop leukemia. Prior to her death, she attended The College of the Holy Cross and then transferred to Wheaton, earning a bachelor’s degree in film and new media studies.
Friends
Charlotte Dill, former employee of the Wheaton bookstore, in October 2020 Gloria Floor, former employee of the Wheaton bookstore, in October 2020
Relatives
1947 Albert Boggess, husband of Nancy Weber Boggess, in December 2020 1962 Arthur Honer, husband of Anne Stifel Honer, in February 1966 Charlotte Dill, mother of Charlotte Dill Cheyne, in October 2020 1967 Gita Finsen, mother of Susan Finsen, in April 1970 Edward Goodman, husband of Ellen Stone Goodman, in April 1971 David Watts, husband of Lynne Bond, in January 1973 Teresa Mellone, mother of Christine Mellone Phillips, in September 2020 1977 James Hogan, father of Millicent Hogan, in March 1978 Marianne Taylor, mother of Stephanie Taylor Scott, in March 2020 1976 Teresa Mellone, mother of Katherine Mellone, in September 2020 1978 James Goddard, father of Deborah Goddard, in February 1980 Mary Blair, mother of Mary Rendall Smith, in April 1987 James Hogan, father of Cynthia Hogan, in March 1993 Philip Zawasky, father of Spencer Zawasky, in September 2020 1996 Philip Zawasky, father of Matthew Zawasky, in September 2020 1998 Philip Zawasky, father of Clifton Zawasky, in September 2020 FALL 2021 63
PERSPECTIVE
New role focuses on equity and belonging Shaya Gregory Poku, associate vice president for institutional equity and belonging
Shaya Gregory Poku is Wheaton’s inaugural associate vice president for institutional equity and belonging, charged with overseeing the new Office for Institutional Equity and Belonging that is focused on making empowerment of all central to how the college operates. We asked about what led her to take on this complex role and the biggest challenge in doing the work: “I took this position because I am hopeful. Hope is an underestimated component of liberation work. I believe that we can work together toward progress in key areas and anchor justice and empowerment in a way that is unmistakable,” Poku said. “People are experiencing deep pain and frustration from oppression, and that bothers me. The issues are vast, and when we are not getting better in these areas, we are causing tremendous harm. All of my career steps have centered around the question of how can I transform violence, exploitation, apathy and oppression into access, restoration, engagement and liberation. Doing this is a vocation for me and the associate vice president role is very much aligned with the questions I 64 WHEATON MAGAZINE
“I took this position because I am hopeful. Hope is an underestimated component of liberation work. I believe that we can work together toward progress in key areas and anchor justice and empowerment in a way that is unmistakable.” am seeking to answer through my work. “I have been part of the Wheaton community since fall 2017, and I have seen countless ways the institution has prioritized its commitment to advancing this work... “I am building from a strong and intentional foundation working alongside offices like the Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning, the Center for Global Education, the Center for Social Justice and Community Impact, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, and Accessibility Services, as well as cross-divisional initiatives like Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL);
KEITH NORDSTROM
the Network for LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Support and Advocacy; the First-Gen and Low-Income Task Force; and others. There is an infrastructure to ‘seed the ground’ with these campus resources and the college’s 2017 Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan. These all facilitate the conditions for us to be successful. … “The biggest challenge is also the greatest opportunity—the scale and scope of the work. For some, the limiting nature of incremental progress will be utterly dissatisfactory, and for others, it will be overwhelming. We have to be candid about these limitations and tensions, but not let them be an excuse for us to not do everything possible to make sure our community truly serves and supports justice. This will be a long journey and I have to help the campus keep that in mind. The work did not begin with me and it will not end with me. As Coretta Scott King said: ‘Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation.’” Read the full interview online at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine
Planning the future.
KARA SALSMAN
“As a classics major at Wheaton, I enjoyed the benefits of small classes and gifted professors. I spent my junior year in Rome at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, where the world of Greek and Roman archaeology opened to me. Advancing my education, I earned graduate degrees in classical archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill and went on to a 35-plus-year professorship in ancient art and humanities at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The life-changing experiences at Wheaton and in Rome led me and my parents to establish a scholarship to support student travel abroad. A substantial portion of my estate will continue to provide that kind of opportunity. The college had a profound influence on my intellectual and personal growth and laid the foundation for a rewarding career, so I’m happy to contribute to Wheaton’s commitment to high-quality education.”
Linda Gigante ’72
Professor emerita of ancient art and humanities University of Louisville, Fine Arts Department
Giving possibility.
For information, call the Office of Gift Planning at 508-286-3391 or visit giftplanning.wheatoncollege.edu.
Wheaton College, 26 E. Main Street, Norton, MA 02766 wheatoncollege.edu
Invest Today. Inspire Tomorrow. Wheaton Fund donor
“One thing I heard a lot when I was a kid was that I ask many questions. Wheaton gave me the space to be myself and to feed my curiosity. I explored a major [computer science] I was unfamiliar with and turned it into a career in technology. Wheaton gave me the right tools to create deeper interest out of simple curiosity in astronomy, philosophy and culture, to name just a few. One of the many qualities that attracted me to Wheaton is its commitment to social justice. I felt this commitment, especially, through the curriculum. I learned aspects of economics and history that affect many people but are not often taught. Classes focusing on the economics of race and racism, economics of sports, macroeconomics and corporate finance provided much-needed context for current events. My Wheaton experience—made complete by amazing and supportive faculty and staff members—was a fantastic journey that I continue to cherish. I am beyond grateful for the education I received and the growth I experienced. I contribute to the Wheaton Fund to give back, and to support the college in providing bright minds the space to grow and shine. Every little bit goes a long way. Together, we can make a real difference.”
Claryce Medard ’14
Wheaton Fund Your investment today inspires the dreams of tomorrow.
Learn more at wheatoncollege.edu/giving
DONALDY SALVANT
Senior software engineer DRUM Associates Wheaton Alumni Board of Directors member-at-large
