ConnectionA Publication of Lindenwood University for the Alumni In this issue: Winter 2015 Pg. Carol Transou Pg. LCIE Program Pg. Brett Barger Pg. John Creer And much more of the Respect This Honoring Alumnus Named Beloved AD latest news & events 3 Strong Woman 8 40 Top Alumni 15 Belleville President 18 Retiring from your alma mater! All Dressed Up for the Holidays President’s Message ALUMNI PRIDE FROM COVER TO COVER Homecoming & Reunion in October was a great experience! On page 15, you can read about Dr. Brett Barger Despite a packed schedule, I had the chance to meet many from the class of ’93. He’s an alumnus who’s accomplished of our dedicated and committed alumni and see their love quite a bit, and he now serves as president of Lindenwood’s of Lindenwood firsthand. Karen and I particularly enjoyed Belleville campus. visiting with the ladies from our 50-year class of 1965! I can’t go much further without mentioning John Creer, This edition of Connection is filled with alumni pride– who has had a storied career here at Lindenwood. Our from our historic alumni gate, dressed up for the holidays beloved athletics director and former track coach, featured on the cover, all the way to our distinguished alumni board on Page 18, is retiring after 25 years. It was a very touching president, Judy Brown (’67), on the back page. moment to see him receive a Distinguished Service Award during the Hall of Fame banquet at Homecoming. I have to give a shout-out to Carol Transou from the class of ’58 (page 3)! What an honor to have one of our Have a wonderful holiday season. own in the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame. And she says her inspiration to be a leader was developed right here at Lindenwood. It was a joy to shake the hands of the alumni recognized at the 40th anniversary celebration of LCIE back in September. They are featured on pages 8 and 9. One of the MICHAEL D. SHONROCK, Ph.D. honorees, Bonnie Barczykowski (’87 and ’97) served as our President, Lindenwood University December Commencement speaker. And we were all moved at the remarks of longtime LCIE director Dan Kemper, now retired, who received a distinguished service award. Connection Values-centered liberal arts education-preparing students for life COPY EDITORS/ CONTRIBUTING OFFICE OF EDITOR WRITERS DEVELOPMENT .............................. .............................. .............................. Scott Queen Christopher Duggan Charlsie Floyd Kate O’Neal Kassandra Schnell Julie Sydow (’12) (’99, ’07) (’00, ’12) Interim Vice President (’07, ’08) Annual Fund Alumni Relations Rachel Johnson for Development Director of Manager, Special and Special Events Advancement Services Projects Coordinator Coordinator-Belleville (’04, ’10) Jane Baum (’82) Mary Reuter Jessica Gatewood April Kernan Daniel Newton (’09) Director of Athletic Development (’92, ’06) Director of Administrative David Dalfonso Assistant Vice Development Assistant President and Stephanie Dulaney Executive, Community (’11) Relations-Belleville Phil Vida Olivia Hancock Brian Vorce Connection® is published by the offices of Marketing and Communications and Development at Lindenwood University. Connection is mailed free of charge to Lindenwood alumni. Story ideas are welcome and should be forwarded to: Director of Alumni Relations, Lindenwood University, 209 South Kingshighway, St. Charles, MO 63301 or via email at [email protected]. CHANGE OF ADDRESS notifications should be sent to the Office of Alumni Relations at the address above. The Alumni Office telephone number is 636.949.4975. Connection Winter 2015 CAMPUS NEWS FACULTY SPOTLIGHT FACULTY UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING LINDENWOOD SPORTS LINDENWOOD Carol Transou, center, with 1958 classmates Carol Punt Straayer and Beth Devlin Jett. Exceptional Talent Transou Enters Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame by OLIVIA HANCOCK Carol Transou graduated Transou taught high school history “I can outdo most anybody with a history degree in for 25 years, earning the distinction of she says, laughing. EVENTS ALUMNI Tennessee Teacher of the Year in 1987. in energy,” 1958. She’d gone to She retired early in 1992 because she college with 13 other girls wanted to explore life beyond teaching. Transou said her championing of from her hometown and advocacy for women was cultivated “The teaching part of me was at Lindenwood. high school outside of so intense,” she said, citing the extra Nashville, Tenn. academic work she did outside of When she was growing up, she said, the classroom as part of why she left to “Girls weren’t rewarded for being smart.” “I guess everyone thought we’d do volunteer work. get married, have kids,” Transou said of Transou said the expectation at & RECOGNITIONS AWARDS herself and her classmates. Since her retirement, Transou has Lindenwood that she and her classmates been an active member of organizations would be leaders of their communities Transou, like many women of including the East Tennessee Foundation was inspiring to her. her generation, became a teacher after and the Sunshine Lady Foundation. In After her induction to this year’s earning her degree. Her teaching career 2011, Transou founded the Women’s Hall of Fame Class, Transou said she and volunteer work after retiring from Fund of East Tennessee with four East received many touching messages from teaching was and is so exceptional that Tennessee Foundation members. The former students. One told her that as a she was inducted into the Tennessee fund is devoted to awarding grants 16-year-old girl in Transou’s history class, Women’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 26. to regional organizations that aim to she was proud to call herself a feminist; improve the lives of women and girls. The honor was presented by another said Transou influenced her Transou and her fellow founders raised the Tennessee Economic Council to have respect for strong women. $2 million for the fund in its first on Women. Katie Baker, an assistant Transou said the female professors she & NOTES NEWS ALUMNI two years, Transou did some professor at East Tennessee State observed at Lindenwood taught her of her fundraising via Skype while University, nominated Transou for the that same respect. It is clear from living in Paris. Hall of Fame because, “Carol is on Transou’s accomplishments she took a mission here in East Tennessee to that lesson to heart. improve the lives of women and girls.” 3 Lindenwood University Faculty Spotlight Peter Carlos Awarded Fellowship for Film Studies by CHRIS DUGGAN “When I finally saw film as an art form was when I saw The 400 Blows (by French director Francois Truffaut),” said Peter Carlos, professor of digital cinema arts at Lindenwood University. “I was an undergrad. It blew me away; I had to write about it. Film reflects who we are, who we were, and who we aspire to be.” As part of a fellowships at a time. He received an MA in writing Dunst, Steve Oedekerk, will spend a week before from Middlebury College’s and Denise Crosby. fellowship he was his time there in Paris Bread Loaf Graduate School He has made numerous recently awarded in researching the French of English in Vermont in award-winning films, film studies, New Wave, a movement 1979 and studied under including his short film Carlos will spend three started in the 1950s by a Mark Strand, former Dad’s Day, which won weeks in January doing group of filmmakers U.S. poet laureate at awards in national film research and working with who experimented with the Bread Loaf Writers festivals and was broadcast the faculty at the Institut new, innovative ways of Conference. He earned an on television locally and Americain Universitaire in telling stories. MFA in digital cinema arts nationally. In 2002, he from Lindenwood in 2013. was voted one of the top Provence, France to lecture “They were a group on filmmaking and 100 multimedia producers a film critics, including in American by AV Video assist in setting up a film (Francois) Truffaut and “They were a group studies program there. Magazine. He has also (Jean-Luc) Godard, who a film critics, including published two books of were tired of the way things He applied for the (Francois) Truffaut and poetry, the latter of which, fellowship in 2014 after were being done and went Dreamfish, was published in the months-long process of out into the streets and (Jean-Luc) Godard, 2011 by Cornerstone Press. assembling the started making films,” who were tired of the applications materials. Carlos said. “I’m going to Carlos said he intends go to the locations where way things were being to take his experience during “Ryan Guffey (vice they shot their films, put done and went out into the Fulbright and bring president for student up cameras, shoot some it back to his students, development) was invaluable stills, and do a video blog.” the streets and teaching a course on what in the application process,” started making films,” he learns. Carlos said. A full-time professor Carlos said. “I would love to be and the station manager able to build a relationship The Institut Americain and programmer for He has worked in film (with the Institut) that Universitaire contacted Lindenwood’s TV station, and television as a freelance would allow for me to bring him this fall and recently LUTV-HD, he began producer, director, writer, students over there,” arrived at the January 2016 working at Lindenwood and editor, including time Carlos said. “Anything to get timeframe for his visit. The as an adjunct in the LCIE in Hollywood working them excited about it.” institut awards only four program in 1980. He with Jim Carrey, Kirsten 4 Connection Winter 2015 CAMPUS NEWS Lindenwood University Awards & Recognitions FACULTY SPOTLIGHT FACULTY Joe Mathews Receives Sibley Medallion Th sibley medallion of honor recognizes an individual’s personal gifts o Lindenwood EVENTS UPCOMING University, as well as his or her commitment and work to keep Lindenwood’s legacy a prominent force today, just as it was in 1827 when Mary and George Sibley founded this institution.