Fall 2020 Millikin Magazine
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A NEW CHAPTER A NEW MILLIKIN.EDU/MAGAZINE MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY 1184 WEST MAIN STREET DECATUR, ILLINOIS 62522 millikin.edu CHECK OUT THE DIGITAL VERSION AT: MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE MILLIKIN.EDU/MAGAZINE FALL 2020 800.373.7733 [email protected] MMR-MAGAZINE-1120 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE / / VOL.XXXV / / FALL 2020 FALL 2020 // VOL. XXXV, NO. 3 MILLIKIN MAGAZINE PRESIDENT’S 2 PERSPECTIVE UNIVERSITY 4 NEWS THINGS 5 WE LOVE CENTER FOR 12 THEATRE & DANCE ALUMNI 16 AWARDS ATHLETIC 17 HALL OF FAME DR. JAMES 18 M. REYNOLDS SUE 22 REYNOLDS ANNUAL 24 REPORT WAYS 25 TO GIVE CELEBRATING THE 26 CLASS OF 1970 P.12 ATHLETICS 28 REPORT COLLEGE OF 30 ARTS & SCIENCES THE CENTER FOR COLLEGE OF 32 FINE ARTS THEATRE & DANCE COLLEGE OF 34 PROFESSIONAL STUDIES TABOR SCHOOL 36 OF BUSINESS ALUMNI LEGACY STAY CONNECTED UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: DR. JAMES M. REYNOLDS 38 DIANNE HILL FISCHER The mission of Millikin VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT: GINA BIANCHI, CLASS OF 1993 GET INVOLVED VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT & MARKETING: SARAH SHUPENUS ALUMNI PROFILE VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE & BUSINESS AFFAIRS: RUBY JAMES 40 ZACH & KIRSTEN UTTICH GIVE BACK Magazine is to engage VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS & DEAN OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: RAPHAELLA PRANGE ALUMNI Facebook alumni, friends, parents ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: DR. CRAIG WHITE 42 STORIES millikin.edu/alumni facebook.com/ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: KYLEE RONEY millikinalumni and other constituents in DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS & PUBLICATIONS: DANE LISSER ALUMNI 45 ASSOCIATION DESIGN & ART DIRECTOR: MICHAEL RAUCH the life of the University, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS: DANIELLE FIELDS, CLASS OF 2009/MBA 2012 Phone: 217.424.6383 Twitter CLASS twitter.com/ UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER: RICHARD NDEMBE 47 NOTES Toll free: 1.877.JMU.ALUM to communicate the MillikinU SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: CARLY CONWAY, CLASS OF 2016 MILLIKIN high quality of Millikin COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: JEREMY COULTER, CLASS OF 2000 [email protected] 52 MEMORIALS Instagram COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: SYDNEY MCREYNOLDS, CLASS OF 2019 [email protected] instagram.com/ Performance Learning, CONTRIBUTORS: DR. NAJIBA BENABESS; DR. RANDY BROOKS; CAROLINE COLBY BRUDER, CLASS OF 2008; millikinalumni NATHAN CAMERON; COLIN JAMISON, CLASS OF 2020/MBA 2021; ALYSE KNUST; LAURA LEDFORD; and to reflect the DR. PAMELA LINDSEY; AUBREY MAGRO, CLASS OF 2020/MBA 2021 YouTube University’s mission FOR CHANGE youtube.com/ OF ADDRESS: It is the policy of Millikin University to afford equal opportunity for all persons without distinction MillikinUniversity and values. or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or age. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals Millikin Magazine Linkedin and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the University. Millikin University 1184 West Main Street linkedin.com/school/ Millikin Magazine (ISSN 8750-7706) (USPS 0735-570) is produced Decatur, Illinois 62522-2084 Millikin-University by the Millikin University Marketing & Media Relations Office. MILLIKIN MAGAZINE FALL 2020 ©2020 Millikin University. 1 WRITTEN BY: PRESIDENT JIM REYNOLDS PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Dear Millikin alumni and friends: I want to begin this note by offering a word of gratitude to all of you whom I have had the pleasure of meeting since I began my tenure at Millikin just a few short months ago. So many of you have been incredibly kind and generous to Sue and me, and we have enjoyed our transition to the Millikin and Decatur communities. We both look forward to building on the positive legacy that Pat and Chris White left here and are thankful for their service to Millikin during their time on campus. Transitions are not always easy, but this one is a bit easier for us because we are very familiar with Decatur and Millikin. As many of you know, I grew up in the West End, on Riverview Avenue - just six blocks south of the Millikin campus. As a kid, I spent many wonderful days on Millikin’s campus, going to sporting events and being part of activities that Millikin had to offer. I often joke with the people I meet that I am old enough to remember when the Griswold Center was pretty close to brand new and that for my physical education credit, during my senior year of high school, I swam in the pool. Sue has been visiting Decatur since we began dating in the mid- 1970s, so I think she also can claim residential status. Even during my childhood, I knew Millikin was a special place and had much to offer. But, when I was ready for my collegiate experience, I also realized I needed to be away from home. So, even though I held Millikin in high regard, I left Decatur to begin my journey toward adulthood. Now, 45 years after I left, I get the privilege of returning to my hometown and the honor of being the 16th president of Millikin University. During the last few months, the two questions that I have been most often asked are related to how we are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and my vision for the future. I am very proud of the way in which our campus community has dealt with the pandemic. Prior to my arrival in July, detailed plans were already being made to provide a safe return to campus for our faculty, staff and students, and I was very impressed with the execution of those plans over the summer. We have had a safe opening, and as I write this note, at the beginning of October, we have a low number of positive cases of the virus on campus. Faculty are teaching in various ways to provide our students with the instruction they need, and approximately 70% of our classes are meeting either completely in person or in a “hybrid” (both in-person and online instruction) format. I believe that the commitment of everyone on campus to practice good public health by wearing a mask and socially distancing themselves has been the major reason for our success. I also continue to believe our future as a University is very bright, and I see many positive opportunities for success. Faculty have done remarkable work in developing good online instruction for our students, and the lessons we have learned during this time will help us to expand our ability to reach more students in the future. There are opportunities for growth in our academic programs, and because of careful campus master planning, we have many of the facilities we need to attract additional students. Our athletic facilities have improved because of the generosity of the Workman family and many others, but this is an ongoing area of need, and I will be looking for partners to help with more significant projects for athletics. We also will embark on the development of the next strategic plan and will ask for input from all of you as we imagine the Millikin of the future. So even in this time of transitions, much like the traveling company of a Broadway musical, the cast members might be changing, but the excellence of the production continues. For those of you who have chosen to support Millikin through your time, talents and treasures, you have my deepest gratitude for your confidence in us. I look forward to meeting you all, in person, in the near future! MILLIKIN MAGAZINE FALL 2020 3 UNIVERSITY NEWS THINGS WE LOVE ALUM RELEASES GROUNDBREAKING A BEST NAMED TOP BEST PEER-REVIEWED RAP ALBUM BANG FOR BACHELOR’S MIDWEST THE BUCK COLLEGE REGIONAL IN THE IN ILLINOIS COLLEGE MIDWEST IN ILLINOIS WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S NEWS AND MONTHLY MONTHLY WORLD REPORT Millikin graduate and award-winning performance artist Dr. Adrian “A.D.” Carson, Class of 2004, Dr. MILLIKIN PROUDLY has released the first- ANNOUNCES NEW RANKINGS ever peer-reviewed “A.D.” rap album from an Adrian Class of 2004 academic publisher. Millikin University has 50 in the category, at No. 40 out of 372 U.S. News and World Report Carson once again been recognized schools. Millikin was also ranked No. 28 included the University in its 2021 Carson describes the album, by multiple organizations for out of 248 schools in the Top Bachelor’s Best Colleges guidebook, ranking the titled “i used to love to dream,” as a its outstanding performance Colleges for 2020 category, the highest institution No. 12 in the Best Regional mixtap/e/ssay, a blended genre of ranking of any Illinois institution. College in the Midwest category, in higher education. storytelling and scholarship that bridges making Millikin the highest-ranked spheres of his professional life as a CARSON'S PROJECTS In its 2021 College Ranking, the Wall Carson’s album features eight tracks The University is proud to announce its college in Illinois on the list. Millikin scholar and a rapper. ARE AVAILABLE TO STREAM Street Journal/Times Higher Education latest rankings by Washington Monthly, was also recognized for distinction in highlighting outlooks on Black life in AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE AT ranked Millikin No. 371 of 797 the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher several other categories, including Best The album uses sampled and live general and Black manhood in particular, aydeethegreat.com institutions nationally and 85th out of 212 Education, and U.S. News and World Value Schools in the Midwest at No. instrumentation; repurposed music, film in the United States, and he hopes that in the Midwest. Institutions are ranked Report. 29, Social Mobility at No. 35, and was and news clips; and original rap lyrics. people will sit with the album, listen and CARSON IS CURRENTLY across four pillars, representing resources, ranked among the top regional colleges It focuses on the idea of home, told be reminded of the idea of home.