Summer 2017 Muhlenberg Magazine
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Summer 2017 From Antman to Zon Alumni Thrive in Health Professions Muhlenberg’s Nobel Laureate Medicine: Just a Family Thing MCEMS Serves Campus Summer PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2017 THE MAGAZINE Muhlenberg Remains a Pre-Med/Pre-Health Throughout this issue, you’ll learn more about a handful of alumni who have worked—and continue Muhlenberg magazine is published to work—in health-related careers. Their specialties are as varied as their Muhlenberg experiences, Powerhouse three times a year by the ranging from thoracic surgery to aerospace medicine to public health. As you saw on the cover, their Communications Office. names run the alphabetical gamut, too, from Antman and Auster, to Zatcoff and Zon. Our features are by Once upon a time, long, long ago, advancement of the sciences, excellent Articles are written by members of the no means inclusive, and we’d love to hear from others who are working in health professions. Drop us a Muhlenberg’s campus was comprised solely teaching and Pennsylvania Dutch humor and communications staff and guest editor, note at [email protected]. of buildings north of Chew Street, and there accent. John V. Shankweiler and his wife unless otherwise noted. was no Philip Johnson-designed Baker Center Lelah committed much time to the College. Since the creation of Muhlenberg’s Professional photography by 3 History and Medicine at Muhlenberg for the Arts and no theatre & dance Serving for 43 years from 1921 to 1964, ‘Doc’ department of drama in 1982 (long since Amico Studios, Bill Keller and History prof Daniel Wilson reflects on a department. Throughout at least the bulk of Shankweiler, professor of biology, founded renamed theatre & dance), Muhlenberg’s career studying the history of medicine. PaulPearsonPhoto.com unless the second half of the 20th century, the the Pre-Medical Society in 1931 and reputation in the performing arts has grown otherwise noted. 6 Celebrating Alumni Contributions College was known primarily as a pre-med continually strove to put his students in touch as well. In fact, Princeton Review ranks to the Sciences institution—one offering an outstanding, with the medical field. He was reported to be Muhlenberg’s theatre program as the best in Design by Tanya Trinkle. Alumni philanthropy ensures successful rigorous preparation in the sciences for patient and enthusiastic for his entire career; the nation, an honor that has led some to aspiring doctors and dentists. he stayed late in the lab to assist students CREDITS student outcomes. conclude erroneously that Muhlenberg During that time, there were larger-than- who needed extra help, and he even specializes only in the performing arts now John I. Williams, Jr. 10 Stem Cell Science life biology professors—Dr. John V. personally drove students to medical school and the days of strong preparation for the Dr. Leonard Zon ’79 makes his mark on PRESIDENT Shankweiler, for example—who oversaw the interviews. His fatherly advice was delivered genetics research. health professions are gone and forgotten. pre-med program with great verve and in a heavy Pennsylvania Dutch accent.” Michael Bruckner Nothing could be further from the truth. 11 Muhlenberg’s Nobel Laureate charisma. According to “Connecting the Past, A positive letter or phone call from “Doc” VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS While far fewer students now major in Dr. Henry David Abraham ’63 was a co- Present, and Future: Muhlenberg College,” a Shankweiler to a given medical school would AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS natural science, Muhlenberg’s pre-health recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. history of the College written by Susan ensure immediate admission. Natural science Marten Edwards and students like Bess Fleischman ’17 tradition is alive and well. In fact, between Clemens-Bruder, long-time member of the was the major of choice for most Muhlenberg Nikki Gum ’08 12 Academic Preparation for Health provide a valuable public health service to the Lehigh Valley 2011 and 2016, 179 Muhlenberg EDITOR Careers at Muhlenberg as they conduct research on tick bites and Lyme disease. history department (and revised in 2012 by premeds of that era, and the major remains students/alumni applied to medical school. Of Read more on page 5. DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS Rich curriculum and multiple academic Carol Shiner Wilson, then the dean of available today. Dr. John Weston, who those, 159 (89 percent) were accepted1, a track paths draw pre-health students to academic life), “Dr. Shankweiler—‘Doc’ oversaw strong growth in Muhlenberg’s pre- record that stands in rare company and Jack McCallum ’71 campus. 1 President’s Message Shankweiler—was a beloved member of the med program through the 1970s and 1980s, exceeds those of many other colleges more GUEST EDITOR biology department, noted for his untiring succeeded “Doc” Shankweiler. widely known and recognized as “elite” 14 All in the Family 4 Alumni Aptitude For many families with multiple ties to academic institutions. (By way of comparison, CONTACT 5 Beyond the Classroom Muhlenberg, health careers are the the overall acceptance rate at most medical Communications Office vocation of choice. 20 Sports schools is less than 10 percent.) Natural Muhlenberg College science has been replaced by biology and 16 A-Z: Alumni in Health Professions 2400 Chew Street 25 Door to Door neuroscience as the majors pursued by most Muhlenberg graduates are thriving in a Allentown, PA 18104 pre-med students at Muhlenberg today. variety of health care fields. 28 Muletin Board Neuroscience has become one of the most 484-664-3230 (p) 18 Muhlenberg College Emergency 29 Class Notes rapidly growing majors at Muhlenberg. We 484-664-3477 (f) Medical Service are one of only three liberal arts colleges in [email protected] 36 In Memoriam Hands-on experience and camaraderie the U.S. to have an independent department muhlenberg.edu 41 draw students to MCEMS. Last Word of neuroscience. (The other two are Oberlin and Pomona.) We have recently hired a new, © 2017 Muhlenberg College Editor’s Note: In our last magazine, we mistakenly neglected to recognize the Office of Global tenure-track professor in the department, Education for its outstanding work with Muhlenberg students and faculty. The reception from thus expanding our faculty strength in this Cover: Karen Hamm Antman ’70 and Leonard Zon ’79 are our readership on our last issue was remarkable, and we could not have produced our global new and exciting discipline. two alumni in health-related careers in the Boston area. Read education issue without the assistance of Donna Kish-Goodling, dean of global education, and continued on next page more about Antman on page 4 and Zon on page 10. Photo by David Keough. her colleagues. While their names and department were not mentioned explicitly, the stories In this archival photograph, longtime Muhlenberg professor of biology “Doc” Shankweiler (right), discusses specimens presented in those pages speak to their tireless passion. We apologize for our oversight. in the biology museum with biology professor John E. Trainer. Summer 2017 MuhlenbergConnect.com 1 In addition to the acceptance rate at medical schools, Syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), new strains of SAT SCORES OF INCOMING CLASS Muhlenberg students and alumni are having great success gaining influenza, Ebola and most recently Zika. Then, too, older diseases such Entering VERBAL SCORES MATH SCORES COMBINED SCORES acceptance to a wide variety of health-related programs. From Class Muhlenberg National Muhlenberg National Muhlenberg National History and as tuberculosis have made a frightening comeback in drug-resistant 2011-2016, the following number of Muhlenberg students/alumni 1996* 579 505 580 508 1159 1013 forms, as have both measles and mumps, the result of anti-vaccination applied to a variety of health-related programs: 1997 570 506 577 511 1147 1017 movements that have reduced herd immunity. 1998 580 505 581 512 1161 1017 Medicine The other major change in medicine in recent decades has been domestic efforts to provide health insurance to the millions of Applied Accepted Percentage 1999 582 505 586 511 1168 1016 2000 592 505 601 514 1193 1019 at Muhlenberg uninsured. After President Clinton failed to secure passage of his Medical School 179 159 88.8% 2001 592 506 602 514 1194 1020 proposals in the 1990s, President Obama won passage of the Affordable Physician’s Assistant 37 21 56.8% 2002 595 504 606 516 1201 1020 Care Act early in his first term. But he faced innumerable roadblocks Dental 37 31 83.8% 2003 600 507 612 519 1212 1026 By Daniel J. Wilson, Professor of History from its inception, and, as it stands now, the ACA’s existence is in Physical Therapy 26 21 80.7% 2004 608 508 612 518 1220 1026 jeopardy as a result of the recent election. Occupational Therapy 21 18 85.7% 2005 610 508 620 520 1230 1028 Change has also been a constant in Muhlenberg’s sciences and pre- Veterinary 8 7 87.5% 2006 607 503 612 518 1219 1021 During a recent personal medical crisis, three of the four physicians medical programs over the decades. While those programs have Optometry 5 4 80.0% 2007 602 502 612 515 1214 1017 I consulted were Muhlenberg graduates, a common experience during remained strong, the college has added what have proven to be popular Pharmacy 5 4 80.0% 2008 606 502 613 515 1219 1017 my nearly 40 years on campus. By the time I joined the faculty in 1978, majors in neuroscience (attracting both biology and psychology Podiatry 3 2 66.7% 2009 604 501 606 515 1210 1016 Muhlenberg’s pre-medical program already had a long and proud students), and most recently public health. Naturopathic 1 1 100.0% 2010 616 501 615 516 1231 1017 history that has only continued into the new millennium.