Leading from Within
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Winter 2019 LEADING FROM WITHIN Janet Morgan Riggs ’77 From the president I have procrastinated on writing this Gettysburg College through some education that we offer our students, message, as it is my last to appear challenging and exciting times. and in the achievements and impact in our College magazine. By the Over the last 11 years, I have of our alumni. Gettysburg graduates time the next issue appears, I will had the privilege of engaging with all are changing the world in large be in the process of transitioning of our constituencies: students, staff, and small ways every day. They are out of the role of Gettysburg faculty, alumni, parents, friends, and a mighty force, and they give College president. I have told many our volunteer boards and councils me great hope for, and confidence members of the Class of 2019 that who support us in so many ways. in, our future. I am graduating with them. I share I owe a special thanks to those In closing, I want to extend their excitement about what the who have served on our Board my thanks to all of you. Thank you future holds, but I admit that I am of Trustees, and especially the for your loyalty, for your volunteer also feeling the same sadness that Board Chairs with whom I’ve had and financial support, for your some of them are experiencing— the honor to work: the late advice and good counsel, and for sadness about leaving a College Jim Weaver ’64, Bob Duelks ’77, being such great ambassadors for that I love so much. I will return Jim Chemel ’71, and, this year, Gettysburg College. I know you will from time to time as an alumna, but David Brennan ’75, P’00. continue to “Do Great Work!” things will certainly be different! My interactions with all As I reflect on my career here, of our constituencies have caused My best, I often wonder how I could have me to marvel again and again over been so fortunate to have had the the strength of our Gettysburg opportunities that Gettysburg community. We have received College has offered me over the years. numerous accolades recently for Janet Morgan Riggs ’77 I certainly never aspired to be everything from our alumni network President a college president, but doors to our great food, from our study opened at various times and here abroad and internship experiences I landed, much to my surprise. to our excellence in undergraduate What a profound honor and teaching. These accolades are privilege it’s been! a result of a community that Although so many have is mission-focused, that is dedicated supported my presidency, no one to providing our students with the has done more to lift me up than best education in the liberal arts my husband, Ed Riggs ’77. He has and sciences and sending them been with me through all of the off into their post-Gettysburg trials and tribulations—offering lives prepared—prepared for the a patient ear, enduring my long workforce, prepared for further hours and travel schedule, cohosting education, prepared for civic numerous events, and providing the engagement, prepared for lifelong moral support that I have needed. learning, and prepared for fulfilling I thank him and my three fabulous personal lives. I have said many children—Brian, Rachel, and times that the Gettysburg Tommy—for being my most experience is a personal experience. ardent supporters. It takes a village to do what I have also been blessed with we do, and the Gettysburg village a tremendous team of collaborators: is as good as it gets. the best office staff I could ever I trust you share my pride imagine and an experienced and wise in this great institution, in our senior administrative team who has adherence to our values and mission, taught me much and helped guide in the transforming power of the Inside Volume 110 • No. 1 • Winter 2019 Featured in this issue News@Gettysburg 2 New technology Leading from within in the sciences enhances interdisciplinary collaboration 12 Janet Morgan Riggs ’77, Gettysburg College’s Prof. William D. Bowman 14th president, retires after 3 conducts research on the 11 years of dedicated service. World Cup Cathie Wood P’15 feeds 4 students’ entrepreneurial fire Daria Lo Presti Wallach ’76 5 emphasizes the power of the A president’s place liberal arts 24 Michael J. Birkner ’72, P’10 examines the historical Talented faculty earn tenure, role of Gettysburg College 6 inspire a new generation presidents since our founding. 8 Big Picture 10 Conversations Bulletins 38 Tick, tock 26 From science and music to philosophy and religion, Class Notes Gettysburg professors and experts 39 weigh in on an age-old question: “What is the meaning of time?” In Memory 54 Do Great Work Parting Shot Tyra Riedemonn ’20 encourages difficult conversations David Brennan ’75, P’00, 36 56 chair of the Board of Trustees, 36 Sneha Shrestha ’10 creates art for Reebok’s Artist Collective collection reflects on the legacy of President Vietnam Memorial dedication honors the memory Janet Morgan Riggs '77. 37 and service of Gettysburgians Cover photo: Miranda Harple Gettysburg College assures equal employment © Gettysburg College 2019 and prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, Editor: Carina Sitkus For additional content related to this issue, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, visit www.gettysburg.edu/links Contact: [email protected] sexual orientation, or disability. Printed in U.S.A. Address changes: Communications & Marketing, Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington St., Box 422, Gettysburg, PA 17325 News Gettysburg advanced instruments in the same physical location. The close proximity in which these students will work helps them understand how the research they are doing is interrelated,” Thompson said. The instruments complement the College’s dedication to scientific exploration and curiosity, and they have the potential to connect students, schools, and colleges miles away from each other. An integral part of the grant application for the CD was the inclusion of faculty from four nearby institutions—Messiah, Lebanon Valley, Franklin & Marshall, and Ursinus colleges— NEW who will travel to Gettysburg multidisciplinary imaging suite with their students to run experiments on this instrument. "Having the CD located IN SCIENCES in my lab not only allows Gettysburg College students easy access to instrumentation Alexander Paredes ’20 is versatile scanning probe microscope for experiments, but has also frequently sequestered away in available to scientists—was enabled new research directions Science Center Room 359 as he acquired through a generous with my collaborator, Amanda makes measurements with the $150,000 grant awarded by Reig, at Ursinus,” said Buettner. Jasco J-1500 Circular Dichroism the George I. Alden Trust. “We are working to develop new, (CD) Spectropolarimeter, a scientific The grants were a collaborative unnatural enzymes with metal instrument that arrived on campus effort by several faculty in the binding sites for potential use in the fall of 2017. sciences. The primary investigator as therapeutics and catalysts. “Because of the instrument, (PI) on the NSF grant was The CD enables my students I’ve been able to ask new questions Chemistry Prof. Shelli Frey. to check that our proteins and develop my own independent Buettner, Physics Prof. Kurt are well structured, so that research, which has helped me Andresen, and Chemistry Prof. we can begin testing them confidently collect and analyze Lucas Thompson were co-PIs. in these applications.” data,” said Paredes, a biochemistry Frey and Thompson were the and molecular biology major, lead faculty members on the who is studying the characteristics AFM proposal. and applications of enzymes With these instruments, the designed in Chemistry College will create a multidisciplinary Prof. Kate Buettner’s lab. imaging suite—a shared space in The CD was funded by the Science Center—to house the a $112,136 National Science AFM, as well as a transmission Foundation (NSF) Major Research electron microscope and fluorescence Instrumentation Grant, and it microscope, two existing pieces is one of two recent additions to of research-grade instrumentation. the sciences at Gettysburg College. “Housing these instruments The second, an atomic force in a new interdisciplinary imaging microscope (AFM)—the most suite will put three of our most 2 Prof notes History professor William D. BOWMAN Current project Teaching at a liberal arts college I am working in the field of sports history on I came to Gettysburg College from the University a project that brings my diverse interests together: of North Carolina at Charlotte, which is a big a study of the World Cup of soccer as world history. state school. I remember immediately recognizing I am using the World Cup as a vehicle for that in a liberal arts college I worked at least five analyzing the relationship between sports and times harder than I had in Charlotte. But I enjoyed global trends, such as shifting political relationships, it a lot more. economic patterns, and race and gender in the I was lucky to be able to come here and modern world. work at an institution that values close contact I like working in the place where these worlds— with students. It is always fascinating to watch sports and global movements—come together. students grow academically and to develop their own intellectual signatures. On sabbatical In addition to writing on the history of the World Cup, I continued my research on a Jewish sports Prof. William D. Bowman is the Johnson Distinguished organization, Hakoah, that thrived in the 1920s Teaching Professor in the Humanities. As a professor and ’30s in Vienna, Austria. My jersey (pictured) of history, for which he served the department as chair, is based on a model from the interwar period.