Mulberry Tree | Winter 2014 | 1 a Letter from the President

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

winter 2014

a history of creativity playingplaying hishis ccardsards The Legacy of [Former Student] Paul Reed Smith and the Guitars that Built Him [ page 14 ]

Jumpstarted! Alums Share How the St. Mary’s Project Helped Their Careers [ page 6 ] St. Mary’s College of Maryland

winter 2014, vol. xxxv, No. 1

www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree

Editor Lee Capristo Alumni Editor Kathy Cummings Design Skelton Design Photographer Bill Wood Editorial Board Karen Anderson, Mary Wheatman Body ’79, Lee Capristo, Kathy Cummings, Elizabeth Graves ’95, Nairem Moran ’99, Karen Raley ’94, Maureen Silva Publisher Office of Advancement St. Mary’s College of Maryland 18952 East Fisher Road St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686

The Mulberry Tree is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland’s public honors college for the liberal arts and sciences. It is produced for alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, the local community, and friends of the College. The magazine is named for the famous mulberry tree under which the Calvert colonists signed a treaty of friendship with the Yaocomico people and on the trunk of which public notices were posted in the mid-1600s. The tree endured long into the 19th century and was once a popu- lar meeting spot for St. Mary’s students. The illustration of the mulberry tree on the cover was drawn in 1972 by Earl Hofmann, artist-in- residence when St. Mary’s College President Renwick Jackson launched the magazine. Copyright 2014 The opinions expressed in The Mulberry Tree are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the College. The editor reserves the right to select and edit all material. Manuscripts and letters to the editor are en- couraged and may be addressed to Editor, The Mulberry Tree, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 18952 E. Fisher Rd., St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Photographs and illustrations may not be reproduced without the express written consent of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. contents

winter 2014

SMCM Alumni Council July 2013 – June 2014 features

Executive Board page 6 Danielle Troyan ’92, President The St. Mary’s Project Todd Purring ’86, Vice President Angie Harvey ’83, Secretary “The culmination of the whole of the Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03, Parliamentarian student’s education and not simply the Jim Wood ’61, Treasurer capstone for the major.” Elected Voting Members Mary Wheatman Body ’79 page 14 Emily Brown ’10 Camille Campanella ’12 Playing His Cards Debbie Craten Dawson ’94 [ page 6 ] Donna Denny ’81 The legacy of Paul Reed Smith and the Barbara Dinsenbacher ’56 guitars that built him. Laurel Tringali Eierman ’84 Mark Fedders ’74 page 28 Missy Beck Lemke ’92 S. Jae Lim ’09 A Window into the Ryan McQuighan ’05 Laurie Menser ’01 19th Century Jeremy Pevner ’09 Archives Receives Papers of 1885 Allan Wagaman ’06 Female Seminary Valedictorian. Student Member Bill Sokolove ’14

Chapter Presidents Annapolis: [ page 14 ] departments Erin O’Connell ’91 Baltimore: 2 president’s Letter Dallas Hayden ’06 Jayson Williams ’03 3 College News Boston: 19 alumni Connection Tashia Graham ’09 27 philanthropy D.C. Metro: Matt Schafle ’10 28 From the Archives Denver: Alisa Ambrose ’85 New York: Christelle Niamke ’05 San Francisco: Anne Marie Metzler ’09 [ page 28 ] Southern Maryland: Cathy Hernandez Ray ’77 Western Maryland: Kristi Jacobs Woods ’97 cover: Paul Reed Smith’s limited-edition Staff Carlos Santana SE One Abraxas. David Sushinsky ’02 Photo by Ashley Stopera Beth Byrd opposite: Lawrence MacCurtain ’11 Archway outside Kent Hall. Photo by Bill Wood

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 1 a letter from the president

An Attainable Goal

ooking out over the river on a lovely sunny and clear Editor’s Note winter day, I marvel at the beauty of the St. Mary’s setting. It is one of the reasons why our students fall in love with our College. And, as iberal arts institutions and L supporting organizations like the I have quickly discovered, there are many other reasons for our attractiveness L Phi Beta Kappa Society spend a lot – our faculty, our staff who do of time defending the value and relevance of Graduating on time has the liberal arts. It seems that no matter the so much for our students outside many benefits! It is this economic climate, the liberal arts as a value of the classroom, and our own proposition are always under scrutiny. students’ successes. “value proposition” that At St. Mary’s, a capstone experience in the senior year of study was envisioned in This fall, we were gratified to means so much in these 1995 and implemented as the “St. Mary’s learn that the federal Department difficult economic times. Project” beginning in 1997-98. In its planning stages, Provost Mel Endy argued that of Education statistics ranked St. by having students “choose and refine a Mary’s third highest of all public topic or creative project, assemble the neces- sary resources, carry out in disciplined fash- colleges in the nation for graduating our students on time. To my mind, this ion the required tasks alone and/or with one statement encapsulates what is great about the College. Our faculty and others, and present and defend publicly the students have a very close relationship, and the faculty and staff do everything results, the College [would] be inculcating the leadership skills that are a fundamental possible to help the students achieve success. Many other liberal arts colleges purpose of a liberal arts education.” have small classes and close interaction with faculty. But none (the two ranked Patrick Meade ’14 is doing his part in defense of the liberal arts: his St. Mary’s above us were military academies) have our record of success. There is some- Project is on whether or not the liberal arts thing going on here that is real and measurable. are still relevant in America. Patrick participated in a campus meeting of the Middle A corollary to this achievement is our low ratio of student debt. Although States Self-Study working group this past our tuition is much higher than all of the other public Maryland universities October. At this meeting, we discussed and four-year colleges, our students have the least amount of debt. Graduating how we’d assess if College operations, on a daily basis, are informed by the stated on time has many benefits! It is this “value proposition” that means so much in mission and values. Patrick’s interest was these difficult economic times, and you can be certain that we let prospective in learning how we felt invested in the mission and values. He’ll complete his students and their families know this. smp in the spring, responding to the ques- Finally, a few words about our enrollments. Our new Vice President Gary tion of whether or not the liberal arts in Sherman has built on the innovations this summer to implement the latest tech- America are still relevant through a series of nonfiction essays he’s writing, plus an niques for recruiting students and for converting applications into admitted oral history he’ll put together with the help students and, finally, into students attending. It is early yet, but many indications of his faculty adviser, English Professor Ruth Feingold. are positive. Admissions staff are using social media a great deal – texting, What can you do with a liberal arts Facebook, Twitter and the like. Students communicate in many ways (they think degree? Anything you like. Read about the smps and the careers of 10 alumni that email is impossibly slow!) and they use the web. Nationally, some 70% of high who are living their bliss and the faculty school students search for a college with their smartphones. It is a new world. advisers who mentored them along the way. Read too, about Paul Reed Smith, world-famous guitar maker, who found his calling through a one-semester independent study with a professor who believed Ian Newbould in the power of the liberal arts. Interim President, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Lee Capristo, editor

2 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Adler Gets College Book Published Charles Adler, professor of physics, has written his own version News of “Myth Busters.” In Febru- ary, Princeton University Press will release Adler’s new book, “Wizards, Aliens, and Starships: Physics and Math in Fantasy and Science Fiction.”

Adler says the book is about the scientific criticism of the genre. “I wrote the book to my 15-year old self, a voracious science fiction reader. I always wanted to know more about the science in any book I was reading.” Two of his favorite chapters are “Why Hogwarts is So Dark,” concern- ing the problems of lighting a huge castle using only candles; and “Why Computers Get Better and Cars Can’t (Much).”

Mural Art Project McDaniel and Rawlings-Blake Shows Who We Are Join Board of A visual representation of the College community is the Trustees newest mural art project on campus, located between the Alumni House and the site of the former Anne Arundel Hall. Governor Martin O’Malley ap- Inspired by community art programs such as the Mural proved two new trustees to the Arts Program in Philadelphia and UrbanPromise in Camden, St. Mary’s College of Maryland New Jersey, the project was facilitated by Carrie Patterson, Board of Trustees. Ann L. Mc- associate professor of art, whose “Art for Educators and Daniel is senior vice president Community Activists” class organized the project. at The Washington Post Com- pany. She previously worked for Newsweek for 17 years as Witman and managing editor and editor in Garrett to chief. McDaniel has an under- Study Abroad College Ranked graduate degree from Vanderbilt Jenna Witman ’16 Allegra University and a master of stud- and as Leading Garrett ’15 ies in law degree from Yale Law have been awarded Institution for School. Stephanie Rawlings- the Gilman Scholarship for study Study Abroad Blake is the current mayor of abroad to The Gambia for the Baltimore. She serves in the spring semester. Sponsored by The Institute of International the U.S. Department of State’s Education’s latest Open Doors U.S. Conference of Mayors and was appointed secretary of the Bureau of Educational and Report in International Educa- Cultural Affairs, the scholarship tion Exchange ranks St. Mary’s Democratic National Committee in 2013. Rawlings-Blake has financially supports students among the nation’s top 20 for studying outside the United under-graduate study abroad an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and a Juris Doc- States. Witman and Garrett are participation and among the two of nearly 700 undergraduate nation’s top 40 for total number tor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. students from 341 institutions of students going abroad. In of higher learning who were 2011-12, a total of 358 St. Mary’s selected to receive the Gilman students studied abroad. Scholarship for the spring.

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 3 Cara Simpson ’13 won the Best Undergraduate Oral Presentation Award for her St. Mary’s Project (SMP), “Modeling blue crab growth in the Chesapeake Bay.”

Students and Alumni Present Research at CERF Mike Kuschner ’11 won the Best Left to right: Molly Malarkey, Justin Rattey, Coach Michael Taber (holding the Bowl), Conference Graduate Poster Award for his Michael Abrams, Cameron di Leo. Missing from photo is Nikki Drake. Nineteen current students and work at the Virginia Institute of alumni presented their research Marine Science. Hannah Coe ’13 Ethics Bowl Slocum Earns at the 22nd Biennial Conference presented her SMP, “Beyond spat: of the Coastal and Estuarine Faunal colonization of oyster reef Team Places Prestigious Research Federation (CERF) restoration materials.” Elizabeth Second at GRO Award held in San Diego this past fall. Lee ’13 presented her SMP, Regional Clint Slocum Biology professors Chris Tanner “Comparison of substrates for St. Bob Paul Competition ’15, a bio- and also presented their Mary’s River oyster reef restora- chemistry research, “Empowering under- tion.” Julie Walker ’13 presented A strong performance by the major from Es- graduate students through par- her SMP, “Is seagrass the solu- Ethics Bowl Team at the 2013 sex, Md., has ticipation in coastal restoration.” tion? The effect of eelgrass on Cara Simpson ’13 Mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics been awarded won the Best Eastern oyster biomineralization.” Bowl at Clemson University puts the 2013 Undergraduate Oral Presentation Olivia Caretti ’14 presented her the team in the National Ethics Environmen- Award for her St. Mary’s Project SMP, “Settle down!: Crab larvae Bowl to be held in late February tal Protection Agency’s Greater (SMP), “Modeling blue crab settlement preferences in shifting in Jacksonville, Florida. The team Research Opportunities (GRO) growth in the Chesapeake Bay.” coastal ecosystems.” beat Georgia Regents Univer- Undergraduate Student Fellow- sity, Georgetown, Clemson, and ship. The $50,000 award will be University of Maryland, Baltimore used over the next two years in County and narrowly lost to Duke support of his education at St. University in the finals. The team Mary’s as well as in support of a is comprised of Michael Abrams summer internship with the EPA. ’16, Nikki Drake ’14, Cameron Slocum hopes to investigate the di Leo ’16, Molly Malarkey ’15, role of plants in pollution reme- and Justin Rattey ’15, and is diation, doing lab and field work coached by Michael Taber, as- to apply chemical analytics to sistant professor of philosophy. the biological world. He plans to pursue a doctorate in ecological sciences, botany, or silviculture. Left to right: Julie Walker ’13, Hannah Coe ’13, Liz Lee ’13, J.J. Walker ’14, and Kristin Hay ’13.

4 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Student Athletes Help Community at Large The women’s field hockey team held its annual “Play for a Cause” game during Hawktoberfest at Family Weekend in October, raising nearly $1,000 for the Southern Maryland Food Bank in Hughesville, Md. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) continued the athletics effort with its annual food drive through November, collecting 558 pounds of food for St. Cecelia’s Parish in St. Mary’s City. The Seahawk women’s basketball team contributed by supporting “Play4Gray” in late November, a fundraising event to support King’s College (Pa.) women’s basketball head coach Brian Donoghue, who was diagnosed with brain cancer this past summer. Gray is the color used to signify brain cancer Courtesy of the Calvert Marine Museu m of the Calvert Courtesy awareness. In December, the SAAC co-sponsored a toy drive to Visitors enjoy watching the playful river benefit the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Foundation. otters at the Calvert Marine Museum. A Top Choice for Veterans Field hockey senior team captains (Rachel Heiss and Claire Kortyna #9). College Faculty and Students St. Mary’s ranks fourth on U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 Lead Renovation “Best Colleges for Veterans” of CMM Exhibit list in the national liberal arts Kenneth Cohen, assistant profes- colleges category. The College sor of history and coordinator of is certified for the GI Bill and the Museum Studies Program, participates in the Yellow Ribbon is part of a team at the Calvert Program – two federal initiatives Marine Museum, located in that help veterans with the cost of Solomons, Md., that has been education. The College is also a awarded a $150,000 grant from member of Servicemembers Op- the Institute for Museum and portunity Colleges Consortium, Library Services to renovate a group that works to simplify that museum’s estuary biology credit transfers and give credit to exhibit. Cohen will lead the as- veterans for military training and sessment and evaluation of the national tests like the College- project and will help integrate Level Examination Program. human history into the exhibit’s storyline. Cohen and Chris Tanner, professor of biology, will co-teach a course at St. Mary’s with Calvert Marine Museum staff in the fall 2014. Students in this course will produce guides for the refurbished exhibit, which is scheduled to open to the public in the fall. Photo: bill wood

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 5

a history of creativity

the St.Mary’s project by Lee Capristo, editor

Having been named Maryland’s honors college in 1992 by state legislation, Provost Mel Endy began the change process during 1993-1994 that would introduce the “St. Mary’s Project.” In a summary document he wrote on the honors college curriculum, Endy said the St. Mary’s Project was “the culmination of the whole of the student’s education and not simply the capstone for the major,” and was thought of as “emphasizing the practical value of a liberal arts education and preparing students for a variety of roles after college” with a supposition that the outcome would answer the question, “What field does not need practitioners who can set goals, develop and carry out a strategy for reaching them, and communicate persuasively the results?”

In 1995, Endy assigned a team of faculty (led by of 1998. But just a year later, the state of Mary- Wes Jordan, professor of psychology) to develop land ordered the College to reduce the credit re- the honors college curriculum with the St. Mary’s quirements in the general education curriculum Project as the capstone experience. The team from 59-60 credits to not more than 48 credits. looked at Princeton, Reed, Wooster, and New This forced the smp out of the gec and made it College, each of which had a senior project. a requirement of the major. In the fall of 2001, fac- In April 1996 the faculty approved the Honors ulty voted to allow departments to decide whether College Curriculum, of which the St. Mary’s Proj- smps would be required or optional for majors ect was a part. An implementation plan for achiev- within the departments. When the gec was re- ing 100% participation was embedded in the Col- placed with a new Core Curriculum in 2006, the lege’s strategic plan for 1997-2003. The first smps smp remained untouched and unchanged. This were done by a handful of seniors in the Class year, 10 of 23 majors require an smp.

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 7 the st. mary’s project Explore a Passion

“By the time I reached my senior year, I had pretty well determined the career path I wanted to pursue. I had no idea it would lead to covering a massive global financial crisis, or to the front row seat I had for it as the reporter covering the Federal Reserve for The Washington Post.” — Neil Irwin ’00

Neil Irwin ’00 (political science) seller about the efforts of the world’s central What do you think it was about your SMP that Senior Economic Corre- banks to combat the financial crisis and its caught the notice of the review board at OSU? spondent for The New aftermath. It was shortlisted for the Financial I hesitate to say exactly what Ohio State saw in York Times; former col- Times-Goldman Sachs Business Book of the my smp, but I suspect the mere fact that I had umnist and economics Year Award. Have you lived your dream? done it was pretty noticeable. My bibliography editor for The Wash- Definitely. There were plenty of ways in which was five pages full of the best stuff out there ington Post; Author, I was lucky, but I also had the benefit of a first- on Roman imperialism (thanks to Prof. Hall). “The Alchemists: Three rate education from [Prof. Dowla] and other St. My conclusions weren’t revolutionary, but the Central Bankers and a Mary’s professors, which gave me the intellec- smp showed that I was capable of the work they World on Fire” (2013, tual tools to take advantage of the opportunities expected in grad school. Penguin Books) when they arose. smp topic: Linda Hall, history professor and Political economy of the international Brendan’s SMP adviser: monetary fund action in Russia, 1991-1999 Brendan McCarthy ’12 (history) What particularly interested you in working PhD candidate at The Ohio State University, with Brendan on his SMP? Explain the connection/thread from SMP to ancient history Brendan proposed a topic that was very different from where you are now. the usual discussion of the Romanization of Spain. I have always been deeply interested in econom- smp topic: Instead of viewing this process as coming directly from ics but without the quantitative skills to be a Ethnicity and the Administration of Roman Rome and being imposed on the Spanish, Brendan sug- professional economist. I’m much better at Spain: From Scipio to Caesar gested that the actions of the Spanish, whether they were being a storyteller and a translator of concepts compliant or rebellious, affected the tone and force of the in economics and economic policy for a broad Explain the connection/thread from SMP to imposition of Roman power. audience.... In my smp, I was trying to explain where you are now. the interplay of politics and economics in 1990s I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t done Russia through one multinational institution. In that smp. I was applying to graduate schools the the last six years I have aimed to explain the in- semester I was finishing mysmp and used it as terplay of politics and economics in the United a writing sample for every application.... The States and Europe through a different set of smp must have worked because I not only re- institutions, in this case the central banks. ceived a full stipend and tuition waiver from the When you were a student working on your history department at Ohio State, I also received SMP, you told your economics professor, a fellowship from the university. (Brendan and Asif Dowla, that you wanted to be a journal- classmate Frank McGough, were two of 21 applicants to ist specializing in economics reporting and the OSU program in 2012 and two of three admitted.) write books on current topics. Your book, “The Alchemists,” is a New York Times best-

8 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Affect Others Through Actions and Words

nist). They were my life lines, and I know without Frank a doubt that without them I wouldn’t have been McGough ’12 able to be confident in that moment. (history) You have experience as a writer, editor, PhD candidate at The and publisher. Given this array of skills, how Ohio State University, have your studies and skills from college and ancient history your SMP transferred to what you do now? smp topic: St. Mary’s as a whole, and my smp especially, Byzantium and the taught me how to work with people. You could West: Byzantine never disappear at St. Mary’s, and guess what? Imperial Ideology and You can’t do that at work, either. And that’s what the Ruin of Empire no one really tells you about getting a job – almost 90 percent of it is how you deal with people. What led you to your SMP topic? Sure, you’ve got skills. Everyone does. But how you listen to people, how you talk to them, how I took just about every ancient and medieval you see things from their perspective, is essential. history course that St. Mary’s offered, and I Elizabeth Van Fleet ’07 (English) supplemented this with courses through the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Manager of Publications and Communication, in Oxford, England during my junior year. Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C. Emilie Hoffman I felt myself drawn to and fascinated by the Delestienne ’04 (biology) smp topic: Byzantine Empire, in particular the emperors Readers Like You: Culture and the Public Health Policy Advocate, Birthing Doula, Justinian (early 6th century) and Alexios Magazine in combination with Spot, Pittsburgh, Pa. Komnenos (11th-12th century). In looking at the Magazine these two figures, I saw remarkable parallels smp topic: that seemed not to have been addressed in How did your SMP directly benefit you in your Evolution of Variola major and the vaccinia current scholarship: both were viewed as first job after college? vaccine: trends in vaccination and vaccine highly successful during their reigns, both adverse event epidemiology were deeply embroiled in conflicts that I graduated from St. Mary’s on May 12, 2007. I involved Western Europe, and Byzantium started my entry-level communications and mar- What led you to your SMP topic? suffered catastrophic losses less than a century keting job at Americans for the Arts on May 21.... after each of their deaths. I very distinctly remember that in my interview, The seed for pursuing a public health-related our chief operating officer, whom I now adore, St. Mary’s Project was planted in Prof. Rob- Linda Hall, history professor and asked me pointedly, “So, you don’t actually have erts’s “Cultural Anthropology” class when an Frank’s SMP adviser: any experience doing this?” I meekly pointed individual from the St. Mary’s County Health to my work on Spot, the Magazine and Avatar Department (smchd) came to speak to our How did Frank’s SMP change over time and (prose editor) and the Point News (music colum- class. [Later,] Prof. Roberts facilitated a meeting what did those changes suggest, in your between me and the smchd, during which I view, about the maturing scholarship of the shared my background and interests and they student? shared their needs: bioterrorism preparedness, In fact, his project did not change. He compared and planning and education. More specifically, and contrasted the interactions of two Byzantine emperors as a result of President Bush calling for smallpox Justinian and Alexis in the 6th and 11th centuries vaccination to protect against smallpox as a pos- AD with the rulers of the West and how their misun- sible agent of bioterror, they needed to develop derstandings of the West caused disaster for the East. and subsequently educate first responders about I tried to get him to focus on just one of these emperors the vaccine so that individuals could make an and he was adamant about keeping the dual focus. informed decision as to whether to get the vac- I argued with him at every SMP meeting and he cine. …The smchd was willing to gamble on stood firm. In the end, he won me over so the person the help and skill of an undergraduate biology who changed was I, not he. I decided that showed he student and thus the topic of my smp was born. could handle a doctoral program just fine!

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 9 the st. mary’s project Affect Others

“I found myself really intrigued by the question of how to help students who had ‘uneasy’ relationships with language, in general, learn another language. It seemed like a plausible topic to explore in my smp the following year.” — Katy Arnett ’00

direct health education, as a birth doula I... support women and their partners as they prepare You have worked in public health at the for birth, give birth and transform into parents. National Institutes of Health and at West Penn Allegheny Health Systems, and now Jeffrey Byrd, professor of biology and as a birthing doula. Did you always know Emilie’s SMP adviser: public health would be your career? Emilie’s SMP was “over the top” in ambition and suc- At the nih, [my supervisor] challenged me to cess. She produced an expansive literature review on the gain direct experience in my areas of interest history of both smallpox and the vaccine.... In addition, in order to help me determine what my next she analyzed data on the complications that arose during step would be. As a result, I realized that public previous inoculation events and compared them against health was my passion.... Following the nih, data that was being generated at the time of her SMP. I worked at a federal relations consulting firm At 141 pages and over 120 citations it is a piece of work in Washington, D.C. where... my job was to that she can be very proud to have produced. [translate] the work of clients and the requests of clients to be understandable and relevant, to him was because he had dyslexia. It wasn’t an make members of Congress care, fund or leg- Katy Arnett ’00 option for me to think that his dyslexia could islate related to a given issue.... I pursued my “prevent” him from graduating; I had to figure master’s of public health... and then I worked (International Languages & Cultures) out a way to make French accessible to him in policy and advocacy for a five-hospital health Associate Professor of Education, St. Mary’s enough to get through 102. I’d try all sorts of system in western Pennsylvania. College of Maryland things to make French make sense to him. A The birth of my son in May 2012 was the lot of it was trial and error, since there weren’t catalyst for my becoming a birth doula. Long in- “Language for All: How to Support and a lot of resources and research out there about terested in women’s health and eager to return to Challenge Students in a Second Language how to help students with such learning needs Classroom” (Pearson Education Canada, 2013) navigate another language. I found myself really intrigued by the ques- smp topic: tion of how to help students who had ‘uneasy’ Learning Disabilities and Foreign Language relationships with language, in general, learn another language. As it was my junior year, it What led you to your SMP topic? seemed like a plausible topic to explore in my By the end of my first year atsmcm , I knew smp the following year. I figured this project that I wanted to be a French teacher. I’d started would help me be a better teacher. my education coursework and was progressing in the French major. I [also] started working as Was your current career route always the plan? a tutor for other students in French. The first Nope. I pursued my M.A. and Ph.D. with the student I tutored was a senior who needed to intention of remaining a high school French pass French 102 to graduate. It was his third teacher. My initial contract at smcm was for a time through the course, and by his account, three-year visiting position, and I intended to re- the reason the course was such a struggle for turn to the high school classroom after that time.

10 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 the st. mary’s project Jumpstart an Innovative Career

Ben Wyskida ’99 (self-designed in media and performance)

Senior Vice President, BerlinRosen Public Affairs, NYC (a PR firm for political causes and public interest organizations which recently led Bill de Blasio’s winning campaign for NYC mayor)

smp topic: Directing for change: Foregrounding environmentalism in postmodern performance

What led you to your SMP topic? Growing up I was obsessed with politics, espe- A variety of influences shaped my decision to re- cially the stagecraft of it: how rallies, protests, Was your career route always the plan? main in teacher education; one of them definitely speeches and political conventions were all a I think I’ve always planned to work in politics. was my ability to continue to research/explore/ performance. But the exact path has been surprising. For learn about this topic. I know that staying on this I decided for my smp I would look into how instance, the organization I’m with right now path was what enabled me to write my book. the dramatic arts were “handling” environ- is, technically, a PR firm. If you’d asked me 15 mental issues. Especially with the new millen- years ago if I would want to do that, I would You are now in a role where you advise SMPs. nium approaching (it was 1999) I felt like I was have imagined something terrible – or maybe a How does that role reversal make you feel? coming across a lot of literature that dealt with scene from “Mad Men.” But being in the social In a nutshell, humbled and inspired.... I’m not the end of the world, and that there was a lot of change field, and working at the border of poli- shy in telling my students to never underestimate new dramatic writing about the environment. tics and media, has always been the plan. what the smp can do for them in their careers, So for my smp I had the chance to do some- and I point to the black binders and index card thing very exciting, which was write an academic Why did you choose Joanne Klein as your boxes in my office that represent my project as a paper about these issues, but then also direct SMP adviser? one of the plays I was writing about (“Marisol”), reminder of its power. She is one of those amazing professors (St. on the main stage as part of the Department of Mary’s has so many) who are in it with you if Dramatic Arts (now TFMS) season. Jackie Paskow, French professor (emerita) you’re willing to work hard – making sugges- and Katy’s SMP adviser: Explain the connection from SMP to where tions and making connections. She reads up on her students’ own research like it was her The American with Disabilities Act and Katy’s accom- you are now. own. Joanne was tough – she sent me some modations for students with disabilities or simply with At the heart of my smp was a curiosity about brutal edits on my thesis paper. But she is a real difficulties became the impetus and core of herSMP . For how culture can impact the political debate. ally, someone who is incredibly invested in her her SMP, which later turned into a PhD project, she of All of my work has come back to that question: students’ work. course heavily supplemented her practical approaches how can we use culture and media to make with extensive research on pedagogical theory and studies change? Besides the de Blasio campaign, two pertaining to this new field of teaching. Joanne Klein, professor of theater and clients of mine right now are the Elton John Ben’s SMP adviser: Katy is a born teacher.... She combines extraor- AIDS Foundation and the Robert Rauschen- dinary compassion, devotion and enthusiasm in her berg Foundation; both are using culture of What was it that interested you in working interaction with students, such that, in the final analysis, different kinds to affect change. with Ben on his SMP? I would say that her belief in what her students can For me, the project provided a welcome opportunity to achieve contributes as much to their learning as do her indulge in performance scholarship that theorized practices carefully thought out approaches and “accommodations.” of place and space. This research was on the cutting edge of performance scholarship at the time, and I had no doubt that Ben would succeed in advancing it, both in writing and on stage as a two-phase SMP. The success of his study – a portion of which he presented at a national conference of PhD scholars – and his theatrical production of “Marisol” – which was fully mounted as part of our main-stage season – was characteristically outstanding.

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 11 the st. mary’s project

Jumpstart an Innovative Career

Geoff Cooper ’12 “ I got to know Mead really well and he (public policy and sociology) introduced me to the beauty, potential, and Energy and Transportation Policy Analyst, Institute of the North (Alaska) and now Director importance of Alaska. This is why when he of Logistics/Personal Aide to Mead Treadwell on his run for US Senate announced that he was running for the US Senate, smp topic: — Geoff Cooper ’12 Liquified natural gas: siting recommenda- I knew that I wanted to be a part of it.” tions for U.S. import/export terminals

What led you to your SMP topic? During my junior year studying abroad in Australia, I got the chance to work on a research development that I look at something in Alaska. politics of natural gas or hydraulic fracturing and refuse project that [looked] at the impact development He agreed to send my smp and resume to the to see the role that natural gas will serve as we transi- was having on turtle habitats. I choose to look at Lt. Governor of Alaska, Mead Treadwell. tion away from dirtier and more carbon heavy energy the policies and regulations that were in place for Mead [later] suggested that I come to Alaska, sources like coal. the development of a liquefied natural gas lng( ) and he introduced me to the managing director What I liked was that Geoff never had an agenda. of a think tank, called the Institute of the North, Rather he was curious about the topic and wanted to that focuses on Arctic policy including energy learn more. He never shied away from politically sensi- and transportation. I was able to spend that tive topics. summer interning at the Institute and was then offered a job. Did you expect Geoff’s SMP to lead to the Over the next year I got to know Mead really career he’s in now? well and he introduced me to the beauty, poten- I remember telling him that it was great SMP and that tial, and importance of Alaska. This is why when he should use it as a writing sample, but that it would he announced that he was running for the U.S. directly lead him down the incredible career path that Senate, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. he’s on? Well that’s something that, as a mentor, you So now I am working as his director of logistics/ always wish for. personal aide.

Was working in Alaska on public policy mat- John Greely ’07 (biology) ters related to LNG always your aim? terminal being built on a Class A Nature Reserve Never in my wildest dreams would I have Safety and Emergency Preparedness Team, and one of the largest turtle hatcheries in the imagined that I would be working in Alaska. MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown, world. What I found was that not only did the But when the opportunity to spend a summer in Md. and now Director of Decision Support/ development not destroy the hatchery, but it also Alaska continuing to work on similar issues as Operations Improvement/Materials provided massive amounts of scientific research my smp, I couldn’t say no. I had some hesita- Management as well as more affordable and cleaner energy to tions, but after some helpful nudging from some people around the world. professors and faculty, I jumped on the oppor- Upon returning to St. Mary’s, I knew that I tunity.... If it had not been for that project in wanted my smp to... look at the siting policies Australia and my smp, I would have not figured on domestic lng import/export facilities. out what I was so interested in.

How did the Lt. Governor of Alaska come to Todd Eberly, associate professor of politi- read your SMP? cal science and Geoff’s SMP adviser: While I was finishing up mysmp , I was also What was your interest in working with Geoff trying to do as many informational interviews as on his SMP? possible to get career advice and suggestions on what I might want to do after graduation. One I really liked his topic. As a professor who teaches energy of the people that I interviewed with suggested and environmental policy, I realize how crucial natural that if I was interested in critical infrastructure gas is to our future. Many folks just get caught up in the H os p ital Mary’s S t. Photo: N ikki S tri c kland, Med tar

12 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Angy Kallarackal ’06 (psychology and Nitze Scholar)

PhD in neuroscience from University of Md., Baltimore and now postdoctoral research smp topic: fellow, University of Utah was in grad school [I attended a lecture by a Pandemic influenza preparedness in neuroscientist whose] lab was able to identify hospitals smp topic: novel genes involved in mammalian cognition Effect of apamin, a small conductance by studying the model organism C. elegans (a What led you to decide on your SMP topic? calcium activated potassium (SK) type of worm). I was so fascinated in fact, that channel blocker, on a mouse model of after defending my thesis at a couple years An internship with St. Mary’s Hospital and an umb neurofibromatosis 1 later, I moved on to a postdoctoral fellowship interest in virology led me to my smp topic. at the University of Utah, where I now study During my junior and senior years at smcm I cognition using C. elegans. It’s kind of crazy to interned at St. Mary’s Hospital, specifically to think that I went from being a psychology major help enhance their emergency preparedness to neurophysiologist and worm geneticist, but program which included pandemic prepared- somehow it forms a clear path in my head. ness. The global interest in “bird flu” had increased and the onus was placed on hospitals You and Prof. Bailey worked together and got to prepare accordingly in the event there was a your SMP published in 2013 in the journal pandemic situation. of Behavioral Brain Research. What was it like to work on that (with your SMP adviser) How did your SMP directly benefit you in your seven years after graduation? first job out of college? Most of the work had been done by the time The smp provided me an avenue to research I finished my , but with the craziness of the healthcare industry. Most of the research smp graduate school and Prof. Bailey’s packed centered on healthcare emergency preparedness schedule it was hard to find time to reformat my but this gave me a perspective on the industry as smp so that we could submit it to a journal.... a whole. Prof. Byrd was instrumental in helping What led you to decide on your SMP topic? I’m really glad that we could share our interest- me focus and develop the topic into a project. I came to St. Mary’s with a vague interest in ing findings with the rest of the world. Research as a skill is absolutely vital in most/all neuroscience that really developed in my first few career paths. The time at definitely helped smcm years there. I was also fortunate to get accepted me move quickly into my current field. Aileen Bailey, professor of psychology to the Neuroscience Research Experience for and Angy’s SMP adviser: Undergraduates, an internship that created a Jeff Byrd, professor of biology and John’s partnership between St. Mary’s students and the Did you expect Angy’s SMP to lead to the SMP adviser: University of Maryland, Baltimore. I found a lab career she’s in now? How did your role as SMP adviser play out in at umb that was studying memory deficits in Yes! Angy was already interested in science and neuro- John’s case? the disease neurofibromatosis. Prof. Bailey and I science in particular. I think that her research experiences decided that the biochemical studies I could do at SMCM including her SMP only strengthened that When John’s internship [at St. Mary’s Hospital] in the umb lab would nicely complement the desire to pursue additional degrees so that she could con- became a reality we quickly began to design a project behavioral memory research her lab was set up tinue to work on scientific questions once she leftSMCM . that would work in both settings. … Since John was to do. At this point I had really grown fascinated I was lucky enough to continue to collaborate with Angy working with the hospital to design their flu prepared- with the idea of how seemingly small molecular once she left SMCM.  ness plan we had to work hard to broaden the nature of changes could lead to large scale changes in the project beyond just the hospital’s plan. This is how behaviors like learning and memory. the analysis of preparedness plans of the four regional hospitals was developed.... By analyzing the issues Explain how one thing led to the next, from that other hospitals had putting together their plans, I your SMP to where you are now. believe helped John realize that he liked to use his critical thinking skills on a daily basis to solve emergency The work I did for my smp focused on un- management-related issues. derstanding how a change in one protein can change how neurons communicate with each other and ultimately affect cognition.... While I

By Ted Pugh ’14, English major Publications and Media Relations Fellow

n my second semester at St. Mary’s great guitar, and that’s exactly what you’ll get 1975, Smith built his first guitar during the sec- College of Maryland in the spring of with a Maryland-made prs, the brand consid- ond semester of his freshman year in the base- 2011, the art of music finally became ered among the best in the industry. Paul Reed ment of Calvert Hall. A challenge to his music clear to me. I can remember my pri- Smith, founder and managing general partner professor in exchange for independent study Ivate instructor telling me that to be a guitarist, of Paul Reed Smith Guitars now located in Ste- credit, the project tasked Smith with taking a you had to lock yourself in a room and prac- vensville, Md., won’t tell you his secrets when pile of wood he purchased off a violinmaker tice. You had to master one musician’s bulk of it comes to quality instrument-making. But and turning it into a playable instrument. He work and move on to the next if you wanted he’s sure to raise the bar – every time. did it, and the experience in which he mod- to know the licks that would some day make When I asked him what he searches for in a eled his creation after the famed mahogany- you a great player. Each time you did that, he guitar, the answer came effortlessly; “That you bodied, single-cutaway, single-pickup guitar said, you were learning a language. put an amount of energy into it by plucking it earned Smith an “A,” four credits and a new What wasn’t so clear was how much the and almost all of it comes back.” Smith is in sense of direction. physical composition of a guitar is part of that search of nothing short of unparalleled preci- After selling a guitar he built that summer, equation. That semester, I brought with me sion. A guitar with the right components, he Thanksgiving break was spent building a neck one of my most prized possessions – my Paul says, should turn a musician’s skill into a “big, for one of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry’s elec- Reed Smith (prs) Custom 24 electric guitar. powerful, beautiful, subtle, yet loud musical trics. It was an achievement that helped Smith Looking back on each note I’ve played on its instrument that’s making this beautiful musi- to make up his mind about where he was strings, it’s humbling to know how superior cal sound.” headed. After only 18 months of school, ‘the craftsmanship can impact one’s sound. By now you may already know his story. rock guy,’ as he was known on campus, who And that’s the truth. There’s nothing like a While a math major at St. Mary’s College in organized jam sessions in Dorchester Hall,

photos: ashley stopera St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 15 By 1981, Smith had already been commissioned to build for Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, and was the first to perform at The Green Carlos Santana, Al DiMeola, Door, dropped out to pursue his dream. “It started in the basement of the Art Depart- Neal Schon of Journey, Howard ment, and the school gave me a shot and I appreciated it,” Smith said. Leese of Heart, and others. Today, Smith’s company is thriving. Last year it brought in $43.5 million in revenue and its 230 employees produce for some of today’s top musicians from within a newly expanded 90,000 square-foot facility on Kent Island. prs artists include Dave Navarro, Derek Trucks, Orianthi, Carlos Santana, John Mayer, Mark Tremonti and Dave Weiner of the Steve Vai Band. While Smith’s products remain the epitome of perfection, his journey was far from it. Pic- ture moving out of your parents’ house and into an attic on 33 West Street in Annapolis to live in and start your business. After St. Mary’s, that’s what Smith did, repairing instruments for local musicians and noted players like Danny Gatton to pay the bills. But he didn’t give up. Hand-making custom guitars on the side, the young luthier managed to assemble an impressive clientele. He’d of- Meghan Efland ’03, Paul Reed Smith, and Ted Pugh ’14 pose ten secure orders by persuading the roadies at in the PRS wood library. Below, Paul shows off two of his early D.C.-area concert venues to let him show off guitars. Opposite: guitars in staining (top), and in assembly his products to the guitar legends backstage. (bottom) at the Stevensville factory. The deal he always gave the players was if they weren’t satisfied, they’d get their money back, were wired to the types of wood that offered even if that meant he couldn’t pay rent. By both beauty and resonance – things that com- 1981, Smith had already been commissioned to prise what Smith calls the ‘blood of the guitar.’ build for Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, Carlos As art forms like this made it into his designs, Santana, Al DiMeola, Neal Schon of Journey, the goal was to make a guitar that not only Howard Leese of Heart, and others. sounded great, but that also looked and felt p rs Photo c ourtesy In response to many quality issues that arose great when played. in the mid-1970s at premier manufacturers like “It’s a language,” Smith said. “Nobody cheers from him, it’s that there is value in taking the Fender and Gibson, Smith paid attention to the until all the parts are playing beautifully together.” time to explore and in taking risks. In the lib- details in the so-called ‘golden era’ guitars of But even Smith needed help. He attributes eral arts, the gains lie in the experience even the 1950s and 60s, the older Stratocaster and much of his early success to the people who if it’s just one class. As in music, practice and Les Paul models that found their way onto his taught him the tricks of his trade and how to you’ll build yourself up piece by piece, note workbench. When it came to his guitars, Smith improve upon them. From the beginning, he by note. At a 2012 talk he gave to a crowd at was all about tradition. “I wasn’t trying to make reached out to mentors that ranged from vio- Washington College in Chestertown, Smith them different. I was trying to absorb as much linmakers, carpenters, engineers, machinists spoke about playing the cards you’re dealt in from the vintage guitars as I could. There’s a and inventors like Ted McCarty, who starting life. “You have to take advantage of the good long list of things, and really good vintage gui- in 1986 consulted Smith on the building tech- [cards] and fix the bad ones,” he said. “My tars miss almost none,” he said. niques he implemented as president of Gibson favorite card [is] the courage card – when There was a lot to study: from the size, from 1950 to 1966. you’re scared and you do it anyway.” shape and thickness of the headstock to the Though he never finished his degree, - per prs Guitars, which has diversified its prod- shape and weight of the neck and body; from haps Smith’s path attests to the practicality of a uct line to include amplifiers and high-end the varieties in finish and the ways pick-ups St. Mary’s education. If I’ve learned anything acoustic guitars, is now the third largest electric

16 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 guitar manufacturer in the U.S. To compete, Smith surrounds himself with a dedicated team of professionals that puts its individual talents to work to surpass industry standards in excel- lence. Meghan Efland ’03, purchasing manager for prs Guitars, is a valued member of that team and can tell you just what it takes to bring the best possible instrument from the factory floor to you. Efland doesn’t play the guitar but has learned the minutia of how one is made. Her dad was already working on the line building guitar necks when she started at prs in 2004, taking a job as loss control coordinator. While there, she got to know every piece and part of the guitar and the challenges the crew on the factory floor faced. As her knowledge grew, her roles did, too. In 2007, she became purchaser for maintenance, repairs, and operations. By In her current buying role, Efland and her electronics, fret wire and pick-ups are all de- 2009, she was the material sourcing manager. team manage all purchases and inventory at signed to prs’s exacting specifications. In her Through it all, she has developed an apprecia- prs with the exception of wood. Serving as job, she reverse engineers how vintage guitars tion for the innovations prs has contributed to a liaison between suppliers and the company, were made, a skill set that traces back to her an industry that is less than a century old. Efland is behind all the hardware that comes summers dating and cataloguing artifacts in “You’re part of that history. You’re part of that with a prs. She ensures that things like moth- the field school at Historic St. Mary’s City. As progress, and that’s amazing.” Efland said. er-of-pearl inlay, strings, bridges, tuners, cases, many of those makers lack the records of how

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 17 Ted Pugh recreates the vibe, playing his PRS Custom 24 in the basement of Calvert Hall, the same place where Paul Reed Smith built his first guitar in 1975.

things were made, and as materials and equip- ment have changed over time, Efland considers the input of every department at the Eastern Shore plant to test and develop new products. “We are constantly working to improve our products, and a lot of times that starts with trying to figure out how it was done before, learning from the past and using technology to improve it,” Efland said. One of these incremental changes that prs has implemented to enhance the functionality of the electric guitar is a jeweler’s grade finish on the plating of its hardware. Thick like chrome, this decorative plating protects from corrosion the metals in parts like bridges and tuners, allowing the instrument to stay in tune longer and improving its tone. And as Efland will tell you, the skilled crafts- men on the production team are an integral A guitar, if everything’s right, part of maintaining this level of quality. A gor- geous instrument with tone, playability, intona- is a mutual expression of thanks tion and ability to stay in tune is also possible through prs because of the care put into each between talented individuals one by technicians. With qc checkpoints at every stage of production, each guitar on the and the cards they play. factory floor is checked meticulously for touch- ups. If problems arise at any point, the guitar does not move forward. If a guitar is defective, it is cut up and discarded. Walking along the line you’ll see guitars that are constantly being cially designed locking tuners, every note holds about business, and I’ve been graced with the handed off from person to person because the to pitch. The pick-ups give me a spectrum of people that knew how to fix the things I didn’t opinions of the crew are valued from the mo- sound, capturing Telecaster, Stratocaster and know how to fix.” ment dried lumber is cut, to the moment a gui- Les Paul tones in one instrument and the ma- In a way, I don’t think Paul Reed Smith tar is cased and shipped. hogany neck and body are sleek and contoured ever really left St. Mary’s. The energy he’s put “It’s a good group of people,” Efland said. for playing. into his vision has made an impact on musi- “They really care about the product.” To this day, my Custom 24 holds up and is cians everywhere, and even came back to the Speaking as a guitar player, it is this mastery a powerhouse of versatility. It is meant to fit place where it all began. A guitar is more than and attention to detail that produces a memo- into any performance setting. It’s something I a tool with which to make music. It’s some- rable end product. When the guitar I custom- played in both the St. Mary’s Jazz Band and thing passed down that connects people, bring- ordered from prs came out of the case for the Combo in the fall of 2010, and it is something ing them closer together – because a guitar, if first time in 2010, I was speechless. Staying in that enables me to be a more effective teacher everything’s right, is a mutual expression of tune and having a well-intonated instrument to my guitar students. I take it everywhere. thanks between talented individuals and the were rarities in the guitars I grew up playing. As Smith says, “A guitar is a tool to do a job, cards they play – between builders, buyers and But the Custom 24 in its ‘Blue Matteo’ finish and if somebody’s going to be interested in musicians alike. It’s a language that comes back over a flamed curly maple top proved to be the your tool over somebody else’s tool, it’s because in the form of meaningful relationships that are exception. It was the culmination of Smith’s it’s doing a better job.” built to last.  years spent testing every part of the electric At the end of the day, Smith, at 57, is content guitar. With a fully machined tremolo bridge, with the trip he’s been on. He says he wouldn’t Hear the sounds of a PRS Custom 24 at string saddles that don’t move and prs’s spe- have changed a thing. “There’s nothing easy www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree.

18 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Alumni Connection

the closest surviving relative visual artist, poet and writer ary science education. Peg lives 1980s of domestic horses, had been whose work has gained national in Sterling, Va. class extinct in the wild since 1967. attention. Lenett and her family Keith Brace ’80 and wife, After they were reintroduced in live in Baltimore, Md. Denise Brace ’82 live in Balti- 1990s notes Mongolia in 1992, Lee visited more, Md. and have two young Susanne Morton Blanken- the country a number of times James O’Donnell ’79 is the adult children still pursuing baker ’92 [2] their academics. Keith is a phar- is a family nurse 1970s to study the horses’ behavior in dean of the School of Arts and the wild so she could compare Letters and professor of music macist and photographer while practitioner serving in the U.S. Dave Morehead ’72 and the behavior with those she had at Truman State University in Denise is an author, illustrator Navy. Recently promoted to wife Carolann have moved to studied in captivity. She says the Kirksville, Mo. Before joining and teacher. Her first juvenile the rank of commander, she Raleigh, N.C. and report they Mongolian landscape reminds Truman, he worked as a faculty fiction “‘Tis Himself: The Tale is stationed at the U.S. Naval love living there. They want to her of Wyoming while the member, department chair, hon- of Finn MacCool,” was pub- Hospital Rota, Spain. This say “hey” to all their friends at people are as friendly as her fel- ors program director, and dean lished in October 2013 under is her third overseas assign- St. Mary’s College. low Kansans. Lee lives in Law- at institutions in Tennessee, her pen name Maggie D. Brace. ment as she was stationed for rence, Kan. and serves as the Indiana, and Nebraska. James is Denise is still an avid athlete, three years in Sicily, Italy and Patrick O’Neill ’73 spent most Przewalski’s Horse Coordinator an institutional peer reviewer for participating in basketball, soc- deployed to Kuwait for one of his career as a restoration for the International Union for the Higher Learning Commis- cer, and lacrosse leagues. year. Susanne, husband Justin, carpenter on Long Island, N.Y. the Conservation of Nature. sion and has served for the Na- and sons, Grant and Garrett are before retiring to Harbeson, Del. tional College Honors Council Jennifer Yeo Dotson ’86 had enjoying Rota, Spain. with wife Johanna. Pat was a Lenett Partlow-Myrick ’78 is as a standing committee mem- her debut poetry collection, member of St. Mary’s College’s an adjunct faculty member in ber and workshop facilitator for “Clever Gretel,” published in first lacrosse team, and one of the English and World Languag- new honors programs directors April 2013 by Chicago Poetry only three players who knew es Division at Howard Com- and the Council of Colleges of Press and chosen by The Jour- how to play. He and the late munity College in Columbia, Arts and Sciences as a session nal of Modern Poetry for its Bill Chapman ’72 helped Jim Md. and a guest instructor for leader. James, wife Emma Cash first book award. She moved Wible ’75 start the short-lived Goucher College’s Educational O’Donnell ’79, and sons, Kyle, to Chicago, Ill. after receiving St. Toad’s Journal, which Jim Opportunity Program Summer age 16 and Shane, age 13, live in her MFA in drama from the says was envisioned to be like Bridge Program. She also is a Kirksville, Mo. University of Virginia and has the Harvard Lampoon maga- been writing since. In 2009, zine. Pat, a photographer for the Poets & Patrons awarded her Point News, took photos and poem “Theater” first place in its 2 Bill helped with the writing. As free verse category. Jennifer, hus- Pat remembers, they got faculty band David and children Sam, secretaries to mimeograph 100 age 16 and Miranda, age 15 live copies of the magazine which in Highland Park, Ill. where they passed out by hand on her day job since July 2007 has campus. After graduation, Jim been as the executive assistant started a science fiction and fan- to Highland Park’s deputy city tasy magazine again short-lived manager. Jennifer is the founder and again named St. Toad’s and program coordinator for Journal, this time with Wolf www.HighlandParkPoetry.org 3 Forrest ’72. and teaches creative writing and memoir classes in a local Lee Boyd ’77 [1] has been a Andrew Kipe ’94 [3] continuing education program. is the biology professor at Washburn new executive director of the University in Topeka, Kan. since Peg Fowler ’89 works at Louisville Orchestra. Since grad- 1982. After earning her master’s Dulles Airport in Virginia super- uating from St. Mary’s College, of science degree from the Uni- vising a customer service pro- he has been orchestra manager versity of Wyoming, she moved gram and providing tours of the for the Annapolis Symphony to Topeka to study the behavior airport for school groups. Back Orchestra; general manager of of Przewalski’s horses at a local aylor in school for the third time, she’s the Portland Symphony Orches- zoo, finishing her doctorate working on a master’s degree tra in Maine; executive director from Cornell University in 1988. 1 in higher education leadership of the Maryland Symphony These horses, considered to be Photo: I an T Orchestra and general director Boyd in Mongolia with Przewalski’s horses. to add to her undergraduate the last wild horse species and degrees in biology and second- of the Phoenix Symphony where

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 19 Alumni connection

he was able to eliminate the or- Tim Healy ’95 St. Mary’s in 2012. He currently loves planning dream vacations and his crew 2000s chestra’s $2.5 million deficit, end from Newport, R.I., won the lives and works in the Reming- for her clients and staying home fiscal year 2013 with a budget 2013 BMW J24 World Champi- Neil Irwin ’00 is a columnist ton neighborhood of Baltimore, with her children, Sebastian, age surplus, rebrand the orchestra onship last summer in Ireland. for the Washington Post and Md. Matthew’s online portfolio 3 and Lily, age 2. Her website is: and revitalize relationships with Sailing onboard Helly Hansen, economics editor of Wonkblog, may be viewed at www.mat- www.ShipShapeVacation.com. the musicians. His newest job they had three race wins and (www.washingtonpost.com/ thewfishel.com. Jeffrey is the business adminis- brings similar challenges as the five top-five finishes in the 10- blogs/wonkblog) the news- trator at Tidewater Dental. The Louisville Orchestra has faced race series. This championship paper’s site for policy news Rob Friesel ’01 has sold his family lives in Avenue, Md. budget deficits, filed for Chapter win is Tim’s second as he previ- and analysis. He started his first piece of fiction, a short story 11 bankruptcy in 2010, cancelled ously won in 2010. Tim lives in career at the Post as a summer titled “Where the Air is Sweet Erin Taylor ’03 earned her the 2010-11 concert season, and Jamestown, R.I. intern after graduating from and the Clouds Are a Different doctorate in health economics lost, through resignation, 30 St. Mary’s. From 2007-2012, Shape.” It will be published this last August from the Wharton percent of its musicians. When Laura Resau ’96 spent her first he covered economics and the spring in a collection called School of Business at the Uni- interviewed about the challenges two years after St. Mary’s work- Federal Reserve. His book “The “Please Do Not Remove.” Rob versity of Pennsylvania and now he’ll face in his new job, Andrew ing at a small university in Hua- Alchemists: Three Central also is celebrating his 10th anni- works at the RAND Corpora- said, “As an executive, I think juapan, in the Mixtec mountains Bankers and a World on Fire,” versary with Dealer.com where tion in Santa Monica, Calif. on one of the best things you can of Oaxaca, Mexico. During published in April 2013 by the he works as a software engineer. a variety of projects related to do is to create environments her two years there, she wrote Penguin Press, focuses on Ben He lives in Essex Junction, Vt., health care programs, including where people can do their best down the stories she heard and Bernanke (Federal Reserve), with wife Amy Chess ’00 and Medicare. Erin also lives in work—whether they be board learned about the culture. She Mervyn King (Bank of England) their two sons. Santa Monica. members, staff or musicians. used that material when she and Jean-Claude Trichet (Eu- That’s what I do.” wrote her first novel for children, ropean Central Bank) and how “What the Moon Saw,” while they have responded to financial Mary Behre ’95 has scored earning a master’s degree in crises in the U.S. and Europe. a two-book deal with Berkley cultural anthropology at the Neil served as a College trustee Sensation/Penguin Group. Her University of Arizona. The book from 2007-2013 and delivered debut paranormal romance, was published by Delacorte/ the College’s 2013 Benjamin “Spirited,” will be published in Random House after five years Bradlee Distinguished Lecture April as the first book in the of revisions. She’s gone on to in Journalism in November. He Tidewater Series. A lover of write “Red Glass,” “Star in the lives in Washington, D.C. ghost stories, she says writing Forest,” “The Indigo Notebook,” a paranormal romance book “The Ruby Notebook,” “Queen Matthew Fishel ’01 was one of complete with a psychic love- of Water,” and her latest, “The seven emerging artists awarded a connection was a natural fit for Jade Notebook.” Laura lives solo show through Arlington Arts her. Mary lives in King George, in Fort Collins, Colo. with her Center’s Fall 2013 Solos program. Va. with husband Cristopher husband and son. His proposal was one of 200 and sons, Nick and A.J. applications selected by a jury of Andrew Kitchenman ’98 Molly Donovan, associate cura- Lindsey Plaut Cosimano ’95 is a healthcare writer for NJ tor of modern and contemporary has retired from a success- Spotlight, an online news service art at the National Gallery of Art, 4 ful real estate career to write focused on issues impacting and artist Dan Steinhilber. The young adult fiction under the N.J. residents and businesses. project, entitled “Relaunch,” re- pen name Elle Cosimano. Her A graduate of Columbia Uni- imagines Arlington Arts Center’s Jessica Sosnowsky Tomc- Nathan Crowe ’03 is a debut book, “Nearly Gone,” versity’s School of Journalism, historic Tiffany Co. stained sik ’01 and husband Jeffrey tenure-track assistant professor will be published this spring he has covered healthcare, glass as a triptych of animations, Tomcsik ’99 [4], in July 2012, of history at the University of by Penguin Random House business, local government converting the Center’s gallery became the proud owners of a North Carolina Wilmington. Books for Young Readers and is and education issues for more space to a triple-screened movie CruiseOne franchise. After nine He teaches classes in the history already getting rave reviews as a than 10 years. Prior to joining theater. Since graduating from years of teaching in St. Mary’s of science, putting to good use “Bones” meets “Fringe” thriller. NJ Spotlight, he worked for St. Mary’s, Matthew earned his County public schools and his biology and history degrees The sequel, “Nearly Lost,” New Jersey’s weekly business master of fine arts degree from achieving national board certi- from St. Mary’s College. After should be published in 2015. journal, NJBIZ, and The Times the Maryland Institute College fication, Jessica changed careers two years as a post-doctoral Lindsey lives with husband, of Trenton newspaper. Andrew of Art in 2010. He has exhibited to that of self-employed business fellow at the Center for Biology Tony Cosimano ’94, and their lives in Philadelphia, Pa. nationally, including solo shows owner and travel agent. She and Society at Arizona State two sons, Connor and Nicholas, in 2011 and 2013 and also taught University, Nathan and wife in Northern Virginia. a section of Intro to Drawing at Stephanie are excited to be back

20 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 on the East Coast. He’s particu- Darrell Keller ’05 has written He’s responsible for game day larly happy to be living on the a book about his family entitled, and practice coaching, scout- water and at yet another school “The Keller Family: Six Gen- ing, recruiting, and academic with a Seahawk mascot. erations of the Descendants of monitoring and also is a lecturer Anthony Keller, 1710-1783,” first in the department of health, Melissa Deveney ’04 has published in 2008 and re-released physical education, recreation 5 published the book “SAIL ON: by Amazon.com in 2013. His and sports. His coaching career Insights About Life and Leader- own story starts in 1993 when started back at St. Mary’s Col- ship From Wind and Water.” he enlisted in the U.S. Naval lege in 2005 where he was a Written for the sailor and non- Reserves to pay for college. After student assistant for one season sailor, the book describes ancient graduating in 1996 from the Uni- after playing for three years. After Chinese wisdom through the versity of North Carolina Ashe- graduation, he was an assistant art of competitive sailing. She ville with a bachelor’s degree coach at Walt Whitman High also founded the company Mind in history, he entered the Naval School in Bethesda, Md. and Over Gray Matter Brain Coach- Flight Officer Program and was at Marymount University; ing Services, LLC which is a commissioned an ensign. He then head coach at Wheaton culmination of her experience deployed to Afghanistan where High School in Wheaton, Md. as a social worker, a special- he flew 19 combat missions in Matt spent the past five years ized focus in neuroscience, and support of Operating Enduring as the head boys’ basketball a second master’s degree in Freedom. Transferred in 2002 to coach at Winston Churchill transformative leadership and the Naval Research Laboratory’s High School in Potomac, Md. social change. As a brain coach, detachment at Naval Air Station compiling 79 wins, the best she uses practical neuroscience Patuxent River, he also enrolled single season school record in to teach clients brain-based at St. Mary’s College to pursue a more than 30 years, and became techniques to help them achieve bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Churchill’s all-time leader in wins their greatest potential. Melissa While at Patuxent River, he flew as a head coach. In 2011, he was 6 lives in Annapolis, Md. into tornado systems, chased named Montgomery County, hurricanes and flew to Antarctica Md. Coach of the Year by three Greg Fisher ’05 has been writ- to help calibrate NASA’s ICESAT different news outlets. Matt lives in Blair County, Pa. Although programs. Sara earned her mas- ing a humor blog, Open Letters system that measured melting in Shepherdstown, WV. she didn’t grow up on a farm, ter’s degree in dance/movement to My Enemies (www.openlet- ice caps. After graduating from she worked on Even’ Star Farm therapy from Drexel University terstomyenemies.blogspot.com) St. Mary’s College, he went to Becca Hopkins ’07 graduated during and after St. Mary’s in 2010 and worked for Mont- for two years. He has a loyal sea onboard the USS Ronald from The Chinese University College, apprenticed at the gomery County Department of following on five continents Reagan where one night in 2005, of Hong Kong in December Accokeek Foundation, and ran Recreation teaching social danc- including many alums and no while the ship was deployed to 2013 with a master’s degree her own market garden in St. ing to adults with disabilities shortage of things and people the Middle East in support of in anthropology. She lectures Mary’s County in 2009. Eli lives before moving to Israel. who irritate him. Each week, he Operation Iraqi Freedom, he sat on English cultural literacy at in State College, Pa. posts a new “open letter” to the down with all the notes he had the Open University of Hong Jay Fleming ’09 [6] may person or inanimate object he collected about his ancestry and Kong. Becca’s path to living and Julia Copley ’08 is the commu- have been an economics major believes has wronged him. For got bitten by the genealogy bug. teaching in China began her nity spark and content wizard at St. Mary’s College but his example, he’s been wronged by Three years later his notes turned junior year at St. Mary’s when at www.Trover.com, a mobile true passion is photography. the “Insanity Workout DVD,” into a book. Today, Darrell is a she studied abroad at Lingnan app and website. Julia and Alex Focusing on documenting men who wear retro tank tops, lieutenant commander stationed University. She loved it so much Smolin ’08, who works for the Chesapeake Bay seafood beachgoers who dare to drive with the Navy Information Op- that she returned after gradua- ArtsFund, live in their restored industry and the watermen who on Route 50 through his home erations Command in Norfolk, tion and never left. 1906 home in the Georgetown work the Bay, his photos have town of Easton, Md., and even Va. He, wife, Lynn, and children neighborhood of Seattle, Wash. recently been twice featured in brand new alums who took Darrell, age 11, Presley, age 8, Elina “Eli” Snyder ’07 [5] the WoodenBoat magazine and all the campus housing for St. and twins, Aubrey and Dakota, received her master of science Sara Rubinstein ’08 is a at the 2013 Waterfowl Festival in Mary’s College’s 2012 Alumni age 5, live in Chesapeake, Va. degree in agronomy, with a con- 2013-14 Israel Service Fellow Easton, Md. Many examples of Weekend. When he’s not blog- centration in weed science and with Ma’ase Olam in Akko, his photography can be found ging, Greg works as a resort Matt Miller ’05 has been management from Pennsylvania Israel. This ten-month program at www.jayflemingphotography. front desk manager and says the named an assistant men’s State University in August 2013. brings Jewish college graduates com. Jay lives in Annapolis, Md. hospitality industry is a great basketball coach at Shepherd She works as a field and forage to Israel to work with Israelis on source of material for him. University, a NCAA Division II crops extension educator with informal education, community school in Shepherdstown, WV. the Penn State Extension based development and empowerment

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 21 Alumni connection

working for head coach Kara Call for Entries Reber, who coached at St. Mary’s College in 2009-2010. Across the Ages: Lauren spent the year after An Alumni Exhibition graduation working as the director of lacrosse and a physical Boyden Gallery and the Office of Alumni Relations are teaming education teacher at Casterton up to host “Across the Ages: An Alumni Exhibition.” This spe- School, a girls boarding school cial juried exhibition will open during Alumni Weekend 2014 in Kirkby Lonsdale, England. (June 12-15) and run through mid-August, 2014. She also was the head women’s Golf Tournament winners (left to right): Jennifer Hasbrouck, Michael lacrosse coach at Lancaster All St. Mary’s College alumni (any major, any year including Tilton, Brandon Gronert, Chris Hasbrouck the Class of 2014) are eligible to submit creative work in any University, and was a co-head coach to the Yorkshire County medium. There will be two alumnae jurors; Jayme McLellan Hawktoberfest Golf Tournament ’94, director of Civilian Art Projects in Washington, D.C. and Club U-15 and U-19 teams. The Kate Pollasch ’08, research coordinator for the School of the summer before her senior year, The 5th Annual SMCM Hawktoberfest Golf Tournament Art Institute of Chicago and a recent graduate of its master’s she participated in the Interna- kicked off homecoming weekend on Friday, October 4 at degree program. tional Coach Program, earning Cedar Point Golf Course. Alumni, faculty, staff, students, a coaching certificate; coached Alums can also make the art exhibition a resounding success parents, and community members were all represented in Austria, Germany and the by helping to underwrite the cost of staging the exhibition in the 20 teams that enjoyed this early fall outing. Thank Czech Republic; and also was a (contact the Office of Alumni Relations if interested) and/ you to our sponsors who helped make this and all of our member of the 2011 Berlin Open or by attending the opening reception and celebrating their homecoming events possible. Championship team. Lauren fellow alum artists. lives in Lakeland, Fla. Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor Submissions are due April 1, 2014. Submission guidelines, Heron Systems Inc. St. Mary’s College Alumni instructions and exhibition timeline can be found online at Holly Fabbri ’12 received her Council https://boydengallery.submittable.com/submit. If you need master’s of art degree in teach- Bronze Sponsors additional information or clarification about eligible artwork, ing from St. Mary’s College in Daniel Krane, Financial Prize Sponsors entrance fees or logistics, please contact Cristin Cash, asso- 2013 and teaches middle school Professional Associate Office of Governor ciate professor of art history and director of the Boyden Gal- social studies at the Chesa- Taylor Gas Company O’Malley Solar Tech Inc. Shadow Objects lery, at [email protected] or (240) 895-4246. For other ques- peake Public Charter School in O’Brien Realty Slack Wines at Woodlawn tions, please contact Dave Sushinsky ’02, director of Alumni Lexington Park, Md. She lives The Green Door Estate & Inn Relations at [email protected] or (240) 895-3381. in Leonardtown, Md. Cook’s Liquors and Deli St. Mary’s Campus Store See you at Alumni Weekend 2014! Home2 Suites by Hilton, Abigail MacLean-Blevins Lexington Park ’12 and associate professor of blog she developed, contributes educational studies Lin Muilen- 2010s to, and for which she is manag- burg received an outstanding Katie Grein ’13 is a research Emily Wavering ’13 has poster award at the Proceed- Jordan Gaines Lewis ’11 is a ing editor. She also contributes assistant at the Center for the received the 2013 Omicron ings of the Association for the doctoral candidate in neurosci- regularly to Psychology Today Study of Traumatic Stress in Delta Kappa Society’s ODK Advancement of Computing ence at the Penn State College Magazine with her “Brain Bethesda, Md. The Center stud- Scholarship for post-graduate in Education EdMedia 2013 of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. but Babble” column; is the social ies trauma exposure from the study. Awarded to 20 students Conference in Victoria, British she’s also gaining recognition media editor for ScienceSeeker, a consequences of combat, opera- nationwide, the scholarship Columbia, Canada. Their peer- as a prolific science writer and collection of over 1,200 scientific tions other than war, terrorism, recognizes students who have reviewed research paper, “Using blogger. She can be found on blogs and other news sources. natural and man-made disasters, earned a 3.5 cumulative GPA or Class Dojo to Support Student Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and In 2012, she was interviewed and public health threats. higher and are voting members Self-regulation” was based on ResearchGate and on blogsites by Scientific American on its She received the Psychology of their ODK Circle. She also Abigail’s research for her mas- www.gainesonbrains.com, her blog, SA Incubator, as one of Major Award at graduation in was named St. Mary’s College’s ter’s of art degree in teaching. award-winning neuroscience today’s young science writers recognition of her superior un- ODK Circle Leader of the Year. Abigail is teaching 6th grade blog which strives to be “jargon to watch. Jordan and husband derstanding of the themes and Emily is pursuing a master’s math at Spring Ridge Middle free” for non-scientists; “Mind Christopher Lewis ’10 live in methods of psychology. Katie degree in public policy from the School in Lexington Park, Md. Read” hosted by Scitable by Hershey, Pa. co-authored with Professor College of William and Mary in And yes, she’s still using Class Nature Education; and www. Emerita Laraine Glidden a 2012 Williamsburg, Va. DoJo and is seeing the same sort lions-talk-science.org, the Penn Lauren Bennett ’12 is the publication and continues to of behavior changes she saw in State College graduate student assistant women’s lacrosse coach work with Dr. Glidden on two at Florida Southern College her study. other publications under review.

22 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 1 8 L aura Marie D un c an Photogra p hy rista A . Jones Photogra p hy K rista

Kathryn Ryan ’03 and Christo- Chris’ brother. Erinn Maguire Marriages pher Hammond [4] were mar- ’05, Clare Zuraw ’05 and ried Sep. 14, 2013 in Milwaukee, Nicole Deegan ’05 were read- &unions Wis. Keri Peterson ’02 was in ers during the ceremony. The the wedding party. The couple couple honeymooned in Ocho honeymooned on the Hawaiian Rios, Jamaica. Elizabeth is a fac- Rachael Shapiro ’99 and island of Maui. Kathryn is a ulty research assistant with the Daniel Lipton [1] were married member of the Foreign Service University of Maryland’s Wye 2 9 May 26, 2013, at India House, a at the U.S. Department of State; Research & Education Center in private club in New York City. Christopher is a cyber threat Queenstown, Md.; Chris is sous Mieke Simonse ’99 was the analyst for the U.S. Agency for chef at the Mandarin Oriental matron of honor. The couple International Development. Hotel’s Muze restaurant in will honeymoon in Greece. They live in Arlington, Va. Washington, D.C. They live in Rachael is the copy chief on the Annapolis, Md. features desk of the New York Shawn Moses ’04 and Ann- Post; Daniel is a pianist, music Marie Thompson ’05 [5] were Jennifer Maliszewski ’05 and writer and orchestrator. They married Sep. 14, 2013 at Sum- Michael Nikolich [8] were mar- A nna Photogra p hy live in New York, N.Y. 3 10 a m ara Mur p hy Photogra

T merseat Farm in Mechanicsville, ried Sep. 28, 2013, at the United R i c k+ Md. Anne-Marie Derocher ’05, States Naval Academy in An- Mike Tennyson ’00 and Jill Allison Bernhard ’05, Joanna napolis, Md. Lisa McQuighan Singleton [2] were married Aug. Pauley ’05, Emily Macenko ’05 and Stephanie Thompson 2, 2013 in Leonardtown, Md. ’05, and Rigoberto Saez ’04 Hall ’05 were bridesmaids. The They enjoyed a honeymoon were in the wedding party. couple honeymooned in Anti- staycation in Washington, The couple will honeymoon in gua. Jen is an independent mu- D.C. and will go on a real Costa Rica this coming summer. seum contractor at the National honeymoon somewhere warm Shawn is a detective corporal Air and Space Museum; Mike when it’s cold in Maryland. 4 with the St. Mary’s County is retired from the U.S. Navy. 11 Mike is entering his 13th year at Sheriff’s Office; Ann-Marie They live in Alexandria, Va. Recorded Books, working in the teaches in the St. Mary’s County language documentation, at Rice acquisition department. Jill is fin- Veronica Berruz ’06 public school system. They live and University. Jeremy has finished ishing her doctorate in education [9] in Leonardtown, Md. Joshua Araujo were mar- his doctorate in U.S. history at and would like to work in higher ried March 22, 2013 in Ellicott Indiana University. The couple education. The couple lives in Rachael Wilder ’04 Kristlyn and Tom City, Md. Josh’s sister, lives in Bloomington, Ind. Great Mills, Md. Barnoski [6] were married Oct. Araujo ’05, was in attendance. 12, 2013 at The Point in Broomes The couple honeymooned in Jessica Baker ’07, MAT ’08 Meghan McGinnes ’01 and Ashley Hier ’04 5 Island, Md. Curacao. Veronica is an associ- and John Dillon [11] were mar- Jason Vickers [3] were married was a bridesmaid and several ate attorney at Dickstein Shapiro ried May 25, 2013 at the Golden Aug. 25, 2013 at Willow Ridge alums were in attendance. The LLP; Josh is an account manager Bull Grand Café in Gaithers- Manor in Morrison, Colo. They couple honeymooned in St. Lu- at ComTech Systems Inc. They burg, Md. Jess Jolliffe Mont- honeymooned on the Caribbean cia. They both work at NAVAIR; live in Rockville, Md. miny ’07, MAT ’08 and Erika Island of St. Lucia. Meghan is Rachael is a lead cost analyst Brightful ’07 were bridesmaids. a museum curator at Hiwan Jeremy C. Young ’06 in platform integration and and The couple honeymooned in the Homestead Museum in Ever- Chelsea McCracken ’07 [10] Tom is an industrial engineer Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands green, Colo; Jason is a manager specializing in systems finance. were married June 1, 2013 at and St. Maarten. Jessica is a for the Kroger Company. The The couple resides in Lexington Orianda House in Baltimore, 6 chemistry teacher in Frederick couple and Jason’s daughter, Brian Jennings ’05 Park, Md. Md. was County, Md.; John works in fire Sarah, make their home in Idaho best man; Chelsea’s sister protection services. The couple Springs, Colo. Elizabeth Friedel ’05 Mackenzie McCracken ’13 and lives in Frederick, Md. Chris Beasley [7] were married was a bridesmaid; and Ben July 20, 2013 at the Annapolis Porter ’06 was an usher. Maritime Museum in Annapolis, The couple honeymooned in Md. The couple was joined Maine. Chelsea has completed by maid of honor Lee Keagle her doctorate in linguistics, ’05 and best man Jon Beasley, specializing in endangered 7

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 23 Alumni connection

Wilson ’07, Seth Matheson Emily Smithson ’09 and John the Bahamas. Christopher is a ’06, and Emily Ewers ’07. Moore ’09 [17] were married surgical technologist; Jordan is a The couple honeymooned in July 6, 2013 at Historic St. doctoral candidate in neuro- southern Spain. Tessa is the Mary’s City State House and science at Pennsylvania State assistant registrar at The Textile Lawn in St. Mary’s City, Md. College of Medicine. They live Museum; William is a malware Marianne Wood ’08, Halley in Hershey, Pa. researcher for McAfee. They Pack ’08, Jennie Fiskum live in North Bethesda, Md. ’09, Kathy Orellanda ’09, Melissa Stringfellow ’11 and 12 15 Abby Locke ’09, Amanda Glenn Kollar[20] were married c hasing light Photogra p hy Sophie Silverman ’08 and Bramble ’10, Hank Scott Sep. 14, 2013 at Quiet Waters Paul Hunt ’08 [14] were mar- ’09 and Thomas Kallarackal Park in Annapolis, Md. The ried Sept. 7, 2013 at Woodlawn ’08 were in the wedding party. wedding party included Carl Manor in Sandy Spring, Md. The couple honeymooned Brothers ’10. The couple will Katherine Buchanan ’08, in Jamaica. Emily is a school honeymoon in the Bahamas Matthew Adams ’08, Julie psychologist for Dorchester in April. Melissa is a survey Pollock ’08, and Taressa County, Md. public schools; statistician with the U.S. Census Core ’08 were in the wedding John is a sales representative for Bureau; Glenn is a security 13 party. Sophie is working at 16 Choptank Transport. They live administrator with the U.S. sasser Photogra p hy tara p eddi c ord Photogra hy tara an international development in Cambridge, Md. Department of Energy. They company in Bethesda, Md.; live in Olney, Md. Paul is working on his MBA at Nicole Yesalavage ’09 and American University and work- Warren Samuels ’09 [18] Xin Zhang ’12 and James Yim ing full time at an access control were married Aug. 10, 2013 at [21] were married June 2, 2013 company, also in Bethesda. The Trinity Church in St. Mary’s in the Garden of Remembrance couple lives in Silver Spring, City, Md. and had their recep- at St. Mary’s College. Ella Md. tion on the State House lawn. Hankins ’13 was a bridesmaid. The wedding photographer Dr. Joe Urgo officiated. Xin is 14 17 S andy F ora c i Photogra p hy c z Photogra p hy B artosiewi Paula Sunny Schnitzer ’09 and was Jay Fleming ’09. Elena a Chinese language instructor Jordan Grant ’09 [15] were Egorova ’10, Kate Pollasch- for Anne Arundel County, Md. Patrick Bernhardt ’07 and married Oct. 19, 2013 at the Thames ’10 and the groom’s public schools; James works for Courtney Kutchins ’08 [12] Statehouse at Historic St. sister, Kelly Samuels ’14 were Bank of America. They live in were married June 22, 2013 in Mary’s City, Md. The bridal bridesmaids. Marc Dipasquale Odenton, Md. the Garden of Remembrance at party included bridesmaids ’10 played his guitar during St. Mary’s College. Patrick is a Natalie Schaefer ’09 and the cocktail hour. The couple 2013 graduate of the University Cassie Frey ’09; groomsmen honeymooned on Cape Breton of Virginia School of Law and Tommy Porter ’09 and Mike Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. an associate attorney at Mor- Ennis ’09; and the officiant, 18 Nicole is an elementary school Jay F le m ing Photogra p hy Jay rison & Foerster LLP. Courtney, James McSavaney ’08. The teacher; Warren is associate di- a 2013 graduate of the Nicholas couple lives in Kensington, Md. rector of admissions and athletic School of the Environment at liaison at Concord Academy. Duke University, is a researcher Christian Skipper ’09 and The couple lives in Concord, at the Environmental Integrity Kara Benton ’10 [16] were Ma. with their two dogs, Bode Project. The couple lives in married Oct. 12, 2013 in and Lilah. Washington, D.C. Crofton, Md. Karen Stark ’10 and Keith Buzby ’08 were Christopher Lewis ’10 and Tessa Sabol ’07 and William members of the wedding party. 19 Jordan Gaines ’11 [19] were Lummis ’07 [13] were mar- The couple honeymooned in married Aug. 10, 2013 at the ried Oct. 5, 2013 at The Inn at Istanbul, Turkey. Christian is an Inn at Brome Howard in St. Brome Howard in St. Mary’s archivist at the Maryland State Mary’s City, Md. Lauren Grey City, Md. Members of the Archives; Kara is a research ’11, Janice Kang ’11 and wedding party included Mary assistant at Mid-Atlantic Storm- Robyn Allen ’11 were in the Huang ’07, John Havens-Mc- water Research Center. They wedding party. The couple Colgan ’07, Kendra Havens- live in Columbia, Md. honeymooned on a cruise to McColgan ’07, Jacquelyn

20 21 L aura E lizabeth Photogra p hy

24 | St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 To Angelena Lindsley ’02 and To Sally Bradley Szydlowski Greg Robinson, a son, Gregory ’06 and Michael Szydlowski, a births& Nathaniel Robinson, Jr. [5], daughter, Claire Annabelle [10], Adoptions born Sep. 3, 2013. Angelena is born June 24, 2013. Jill Bradley an interior designer for Ashley ’09 is the proud aunt. Sally is Furniture; Greg is a stormwater a technical analyst for Water Nicolas Abrams ’99 To and technician for the City of Tampa, 1 5 9 Stewardship Inc.; Michael is an Leah Abrams, a son, Aiden Fla. The family also lives in accountant for J.J. Haines. The [1] Marcellus , born Sep. 22, 2013. Tampa. family lives in Dundalk, Md. He joins big brother, Nicolas, age 5. Nick, a certified financial plan- To Betsy Coulbourne Jackson To Christina “Keeney” ner, is president of AJW Financial ’04 and Kevin Jackson, twin Riedel-Gabrielle ’07 and Ron Partners, LLC.; Leah is president sons, Nathan and Wesley [6], Gabrielle, a daughter, Isla James of L. Abrams & Company Ac- born Sep. 15, 2013. They join 2 6 11 [11], born Oct. 30, 2012. Mom counting Services. The family big sister, Reva, age 2. Betsy and dad both work for Visa, lives in Baltimore, Md. telecommutes as a town plan- Inc; Christina is a senior analyst ner for Fragar Planning and and Ron is a director in client Jonathan Champion ’99 To Development in Leura, New readiness. The family lives in Margaret Rodriguez ’02 and , South Wales, Australia; Kevin is Lansdowne, Va. [2] a daughter, Molly Marie , the information technology man- born July 6, 2013. She joins Kaycee Mullins Rump ’08 ager for Federated Auto Parts in 3 7 12 To big brother, Nicholas, age 4. Milford, Del. The family lives in and Kevin Rump, a son, Mason Jonathan, a branch chief in the Delmar, Md. [12], born May 8, 2013. Kaycee District of Columbia Depart- is a registered nurse in the ICU ment of the Environment, works To Erin Rorabacher Lewis ’04 at the Baltimore Washington on stormwater and water quality and Marty Lewis, a daughter, Medical Center; Kevin works as a programs. Margaret is a third Lydia Idalea [7], born Aug. 10, radio frequency engineer for Alion grade teacher for the Archdio- 2013. Erin and Marty both own Sciences and Technology. The 4 8 13 cese of Washington, D.C. The State Farm insurance agencies; family resides in Annapolis, Md. family lives in Kensington, Md. Erin’s is in Lexington Park, Md. while Marty’s is in Pasadena, To April Morgan Ryan ’09, Joe Persinger ‘99 To and Md. The family lives in Severna MAT ’10 and Jeffry Ryan, a son, Rachel Persinger, a son, Joseph Park, Md. Hallum Ferris [13], born April [3] Lewis , born Aug. 7, 2012. Joe 22, 2013. April is an education works for the Living Classrooms To Veronica Berruz ’06 and facilitator at St. Mary’s College Foundation in Baltimore, Md. as Joshua Araujo, a son, Lionel of Maryland; Jeffry is an aircraft the captain of the historic Chesa- Tomas [8], born Aug. 9, 2013. technician for PAE. The family peake Bay oystering skipjack Kristlyn Araujo ’05 is the lives in California, Md. Sigsbee, which serves as an afloat proud aunt. The family lives in classroom for students. Rachel is Rockville, Md. a power scheduler for Constella- tion Energy. The family lives in To Sarah Tennent Simmons Baltimore, Md. ’06 and Ray Simmons ’06, a daughter, Rosalie Patricia [9], Amy Chess ’00 Rob To and born Oct. 7, 2013. She joins Friesel ’01 , a son, Emery proud big sister, Anna Faith, age [4] Stephen , born April 12, 2012. 3. Sarah is a hospice/palliative He joins big brother, Holden, 5. care certified registered nurse Amy is starting a statistical con- and assistant clinical director at 10 sultancy focusing on educational Calvert Hospice; Ray is a budget and human services organiza- analyst for the Department of tions. Rob is a software engineer Defense. The family lives in at www.Dealer.com. The family Prince Frederick, Md. lives in Essex Junction, Vt.

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 25 Alumni connection

Hall Psychiatric Hospital as an worked as a software engineer in memoriam aide; was a substitute teacher in for KEYW Corporation. Jim is the Montgomery County, Md. survived by wife, Anne; daugh- The Power of public schools; and was an exec- ters, Sarah and Megan; father, Alice Cohill Marquez ’30 HS, utive administrative aide at Vitro John, II; brothers John, III and the Collective ’32 JC, of Stafford Hall in Clear Corporation for 15 years until Steven; nieces, Maya, Georgia Crowdfunding Comes to St. Mary’s! Spring, Md., died April 5, 2013 at she retired in 1990. Augusta is and Sydney and nephew, Conor. age 100. Born in Cohill Station survived by husband, Raymond; near Hancock, Md., she received five children, Kathleen Garner, Christopher A. Wright ’96, of Check out our new online giving site. her bachelor of arts degree in Raymond Jr., Rebecca McGrew, Baltimore, Md., died Aug. 27, Support your passion and make a English and education in 1934 Nancy McGarigal, and Laura 2013, at age 40. He was working difference. You can change someone’s from the College of William & Semititsky; 12 grandchildren and in Bogota, Colombia as an Mary. Unable to find a teaching 2 great-grandchildren. English teacher. Christopher is life by making a gift online today. job during the Great Depression, survived by his mother, Colleen; she moved to Honolulu, Hawaii John “Wayne” Delozier, Sr. father, John and step-mother Jan; smcm.edu/give and taught elementary school ’65 JC , of Leonardtown, Md., brother, Jason and wife, Carrie; at the U.S. Army’s Schofield died Oct. 15, 2013, at age 68. A nephew, Colin and niece, Regan. Barracks. Afterwards, she native of Leonardtown, Md., taught school in Washington and a lifelong resident of St. Edward Michael Zuras ’10, County, Md. before marrying Mary’s County, he was a school of Bel Alton, Md., died Jan. 13, 8 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED Col. Gregorio Marquez, U.S. teacher, tutor and later in life, 2013, at age 44. He served in with St. Mary’s & Your Fellow Alums Army, in 1944 and relocating a county animal warden until the U.S. Air Force and worked to the Washington, D.C. area. he retired in the 1990s. John as a caregiver for over 30 years. Visit our Alumni web pages. During World War II, she was a is survived by his children, J. Michael is survived by his par- (www.smcm.edu/alum) 1 They are full of useful information and news. volunteer driver for the Ameri- Wayne, Jr., Bryan, and Dawn; ents, Edward and Nina; brother, can Red Cross Motor Corps 6 grandchildren; and 2 great- Jason; and numerous aunts, 2 send us your news. ([email protected]) and also earned a master of arts grandchildren. uncles and cousins. Share your good news—baby, job, marriage, retirement, degree in education from the award, promotion etc. in the Mulberry Tree, published University of Maryland. Alice Martha “Mardi” Kemp ’74, of 3 times/year. Friends of the College taught English and helped direct Gaithersburg, Md., died June 23, r ead SMCMail. (www.smcm.edu/alum/News/smcmail.html) drama productions for over 30 2013, at age 61. She is survived 3 Published monthly, it’s full of news about upcoming years at Bethesda-Chevy Chase by her husband, Steven; chil- Joanne Romer, of Hollywood, events and other items of interest to alums. High School. After retiring, she dren, Traci and Karl; sister, Vicki Md., died Oct. 16, 2013, at age like us on Facebook! returned to the family home, Peck; brother, Rich Reuschlein; 70. She worked at St. Mary’s 4 (https://www.facebook.com/smcm.alumni) Stafford Hall, and was active for and three grandchildren. College for over 24 years, retired many years in local organizations and then came back to work 5 Join our LinkedIn Group. Find out who’s landed a job, and continued to travel abroad James F. Krause ’89, of Sever- part-time in the Office of Ad- is changing jobs or has a job opening to fill.(http://www. in her 80s and early 90s. Alice na Park, Md., died Oct. 5, 2013, vancement. Joanne is survived linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=48413&trk=anet_ug_hm) is survived by her sister, Nancy at age 48. Born in Wiesbaden, by daughters, Denise Snead and 6 tweet with us! Cohill Manuel; her sister-in-law, Germany, he grew up in Mary- Danielle Ralston ’92; sons, (https://twitter.com/SMCM_alumni @SMCM_alumni) Jane Cohill; three nephews, two land and was an avid lacrosse Jay and Christian ’01; brother, share with us on Flickr. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ nieces; a step-granddaughter; Paul Bombara; and grand- 7 player since middle school, play- smcmalumniphotos/sets/) We love seeing photos of alums and several great-nieces and children, Jordan, Rachel, Kyle, ing for Aberdeen High School, especially at alumni events. great-nephews. St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Garrett, Zachary, Gavin, Riana Join us at Regional and Local Events. Upcoming College, and the Annapolis Lacrosse and Bohden. 8 general alumni, and alumni chapter events are posted Augusta “Gussie” Johnson Club. Nicknamed “Grimace,” on the Alumni web pages, in SMCMail, and on Facebook Barnes ’46 JC, of Rockville, Jim also was passionate about M. Wayne Munday, of Ashe- so there’s no excuse for not knowing about an event. Md., died July 6, 2013, at age 86. other sports including golf and ville, N.C., died Oct. 1, 2013. All chapter events are open to any alum, not just A native of Bladensburg, Md., He served on the St. Mary’s field hockey; coached his daugh- chapter members. she completed her bachelor’s ters’ lacrosse and field hockey College Board of Trustees from degree at the University of teams; and was a devoted sup- 1977 - 1988, as was honored with and if all else fails, call us! (240-895-4280). Maryland. She worked at Seton porter of Seahawk lacrosse. He trustee emeritus status. We’d love to hear from you.

26 | St Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 philanthropy DeSousa-Brent Scholarship Initiative

rom the first-year seminar to the St. Mary’s Project, St. Mary’s stu- Fdents navigate a variety of rigorous academic offerings, work closely with professors, and ultimately discover their paths. The College serves and graduates students at the same rate regardless of their socioeconomic background and financial need. The DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program, geared to help underrepresented students achieve success, cultivates students’ academic and leadership potential. The program, which began in 2008, was recognized and strengthened in 2011 through a grant by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The program has evolved from a first-year experience to one that supports students across all four years – serving more than 100 students annually. First-year DeSousa-Brent scholars participate in: • a summer bridge experience that prepares “As a first-generation student, this incoming students for college life and academics; opportunity means a lot, not just to • a fall semester seminar that introduces the me, but to all those who support me. liberal arts skills through critical discussions about diversity and inclusiveness; and There is no way that I would have • a spring semester seminar that features cre- been able to afford tuition on my ative, student-designed leadership service own... I cannot give enough thanks projects. for the assistance provided.” Sophomores, juniors, and seniors take advantage of intensive advising, peer mentoring, Sonia Vanessa Acosta ’15, DeSousa-Brent Scholar and learning communities in addition to intern- ships, study abroad, and research opportunities scholars from Baltimore. (Of the 2012-13 as they prepare for post-baccalaureate careers. DeSousa-Brent scholars, 32% were from Balti- In April 2013, the state of Maryland heart- more City.) Augmenting need-based aid for all ily endorsed the College’s DeSousa-Brent DeSousa-Brent scholars will ensure that they Scholars Program when the Legislature voted can fully participate in the College’s curricular unanimously to fund its expansion to a full, and co-curricular programs unencumbered by four-year experience and increase the number financial pressures. of students served annually. In return, the institutional aid; however, there often remains Through the “Power of the Collective,” we College must meet retention and graduation a gap of approximately $10,000 to $12,500 in can achieve more. By providing scholarship performance objectives. Once the College is unmet need each year. support for DeSousa-Brent scholars, we can able to meet these benchmarks, state funding The College is committed to help fill this help strengthen the program so that it meets will continue. gap in unmet need – in November, the Col- the state’s benchmarks for valuable funding, The College is poised to meet this chal- lege received a tremendous endorsement in and steward the program for future genera- lenge, yet recognizes that the most significant the DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program when tions of St. Mary’s students. To support this impediment to success is sufficient scholar- the Arthur E. Landers, Jr. and Hilda C. Land- endeavor, please contact Liisa Franzén at 240- ship aid. Students with financial need are of- ers Charitable Trust invested $250,000 in 895-3220 or [email protected], or make ten eligible for federal and state aid, as well as support of scholarships for DeSousa-Brent your gift today at www.smcm.edu/give. 

St. Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 | 27 from the archives A window into the 19th century Archives Receives Papers of 1885 St. Mary’s Female Seminary Valedictorian

By Kent Randell, College archivist and assistant librarian

“A snowflake, a leaflet, or a floating craft blown hither & thither by the tran- sient winds is not more uncertain in its course or heedless of its destiny than were we a year ago.” So begins a draft of Emily Jane Griffith’s 1885 Valedictory speech as a high school graduate of St. Mary’s Female Seminary.

Through an anonymous donor, the Col- lege archives has received the papers of “Emmy” Jane Griffith, including a composition book containing three drafts of her valedictory address and a school essay titled “A Land without Ruins,” providing a unique window into the curriculum and rhetorical skills of 19th-century seminary students. The Emily Jane Griffith papers will not only prove useful to researchers, but will also be used in Photos from the the St. Mary’s classroom during instruc- Emily Jane Griffith tional sessions on primary sources and Papers Collection: the use of the archival materials. The graduation photo After graduating, Griffith taught science (above) accession number: and mathematics at the seminary. Upon P1885_0001 applying for a job with the U.S. Patent The lock of hair (below) and Trademark Office, she was informed was given to Griffith by that the office had already met its Kate Polk (1884) quota of Maryland employees, so Griffith moved to Wyoming to teach at the Ft. Shaw Indian School and apply for the job as a resident of that state. This strategy worked and she had a long career as a patent examiner from 1906-1932.

The donation also includes six photographs of seminarians from the 1880s, including the photo of Emily Griffith shown above, holding her diploma and wearing what is probably her valedictory medal. These photographs can be seen on the archives’ website (http://www. smcm.edu/archives) by clicking on the link for Historic Campus Photographs and searching for “cabinet card.”

Please contact Kent Randell if you think any items tucked away in your attic or basement might make a valuable contribution to the archives: [email protected], 240-895-4196.

28 | St Mary’s College | The Mulberry Tree | winter 2014 Calendar of Events

VOICES Reading Series The Big Build Up 8:15 pm in Daugherty-Palmer April 4-5, Boyden Gallery Commons The Eighth Annual January 30: Bruce Wilson Twain Lecture (nonfiction) “An Evening with Sarah Vowell” February 6 in Boyden Gallery: Sarah Vowell is the New York Stephanie Strickland (poetry) Times’ bestselling author of non- February 20: Corrie Byrne (fiction) fiction books on American history and culture, her most recent being March 13: Karl Parker (poetry) “Unfamiliar Fishes”(Riverhead, April 10: Catherine Chung (fiction) 2011). She is also senior historical April 24: Corinna Vallianatos context correspondent on “The (fiction) and Kevin Moffett (fiction) Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” April 11 at 7:30 pm World Views: The Photographer Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & as Visual Author Recreation Center An exhibition of Gabriela Bulisova, Bill Crandall, Michael Studio Art St. Mary’s Robinson Chavez, Hector Project Exhibition Emanuel and Robert Knoth: April 14 – May 5, Boyden Gallery five photojournalists from the Washington D.C.-based Metro Shakespeare in Hollywood Collective. Co-sponsored by the By Ken Ludwig and directed by Maryland State Arts Council and the Holly Blumner Center for the Study of Democracy. April 17-18 and 24-26 at 8 pm January 15 – February 20 April 19 & 27 at 2 pm Boyden Gallery Bruce Davis Theater 1/28 at 6 pm, in Montgomery Hall Michael Robinson Chavez, “Politics and Photojournalism” Commencement 1/29 at 4:45 pm, May 17 at 10 am artist panel discussion ICSA Sailing National 2/13 at 6 pm, “Time Zone” Championships screening/discussion with Gabriela Bulisova and May 31 – June 6 Lashawna Etheridge-Bey (finals covered by ESPN) www.smcm.edu/boydengallery Alumni Weekend www.metrocollective.org June 12-15

Encounters: A Performance of Across the Ages: Spoken Word, Dance, and Music An Alumni Exhibition conceived and directed by June 12 –mid-August, Leonard Cruz Boyden Gallery

February 26 - March 1 at 8 pm Chesapeake Writers’ March 2 at 2 pm Conference Bruce Davis Theater in July 6-12 Montgomery Hall www.smcm.edu/summer/writing

45th Annual All Student Art Exhibition March 3-30, Boyden Gallery Photo: Ashley Stopera Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #10001 Leonardtown, MD

What’s Missing? WE’RE SOCIAL @ SMCM! St. Mary’s Hall, which houses Auerbach Auditorium, “Like” us on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/ dates back to 1908 and is the oldest building on campus. smcm.alumni) It perches on a hill above the bend of the St. Mary’s Find us on LinkedIn. River. To its right is Calvert Hall, which contains two (http://www.linkedin.com/groups? floors of housing as well as classrooms and offices, home=&gid=48413&trk=anet_ug_hm) including the office of the president. The original Calvert Follow us on Twitter. Hall was dedicated in 1845, but was rebuilt in 1925 (https://twitter.com/SMCM_alumni after a fire destroyed the original. Careful observers will @SMCM_alumni) notice something missing in this photo: what it is will be Share with us on flickr. revealed in the spring issue! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ smcmalumniphotos/sets/)