MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2019 Ripple FINDING Eff ect FULFILLMENT HEALING Former MSU President Clifton Wharton FORWARD inspired a generation of future leaders, PRESIDENTIAL including Professor Carl Taylor SEARCH Life is about moments. Make it memorable. Whether enjoying a night on the town or furnishing your first home, youearn unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases with an MSUFCU Platinum Plus Visa. Plus, you’ll help support MSU programs every time you use your MSUFCU Platinum Plus Visa Credit Card. • Earn unlimited 1% cash back See why more than 260,000 members call MSUFCU • Redeem cash back anytime, their credit union. for any amount • $0 application fee • $0 balance transfer fees msufcu.org/cashback • 517-333-2424 Members will earn 1% cash back on all purchases. Cash back is not earned on tax payments, any unauthorized charges or transactions, cash advances, convenience checks, balance transfers, or fees of any kind. Account must be in good standing to redeem cash back. Returns result in the loss of cash back equal to the amount returned. Negative cash back will be given if returns or credits exceed purchases. Federally insured by NCUA. SPRING 2019 24 LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP Former MSU president Clifton R. Wharton’s Fellowship Program set many on a path to become leaders themselves. Three former participants recall Wharton’s trailblazing example. T99 HWEITALHI RNEGS FPOERCWT,A CRADRE 34 FINDING DEPARTMENTS FULFILLMENT 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 5 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Gina DeLapa, ’87, is 9 BENEATH THE PINES becoming a brand all 18 SPARTAN STORIES her own, with books, 38 FINDING OUR WAY speaking engage- 51 GREEN & WHITE ments and more 54 GRAND AWARDS that blend years of 69 CLASS NOTES lessons learned along 74 IN MEMORIAM her winding career Read, share Spartan online: go.msu.edu/Spartan-mag. Spartan is distributed to alumni, donors, path with her witty and friends who make annual gifts of $100 or more to MSU. To make a gift, visit givingto.msu.edu insights into the human experience. ABOUT THE COVER: Carl S. Taylor, an MSU professor, is among a handful of alumni to have been selected as a Presidential Fellow in the 1970s. President Emeritus Clifton R. Wharton created the life-changing program, which continues to infl uence today’s generation. MSU bestowed its Community Engagement Scholarship Lifetime Achievement Award on Taylor in February. He’s an expert in America’s youth cultures, gangs and violence. Photo: Gennara Photography SPARTANS P A R T A N MAGAZINEM A G A Z I N E 1 EXPERIENCE EAST LANSING’S ONLY 55+ ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITY OPENING FALL 2019 Luxury Living, Unmatched Amenities, and Vibrant Surrounding Retail/Dining at Your Fingertips 319 East Grand River, East Lansing, MI FROM THE PRESIDENT A Message From the President partan friends, I was truly In that vein, I plan to use my humbled to have been time as acting president to nurture selected in January by the and promote initiatives that will Board of Trustees to be strengthen our reputation as a top- acting president of MSU. 100 university. We need to ensure SMy tenure will last only until a the remaining tasks related to the permanent president is selected Facility for Rare Isotope Beams are and joins us this summer. But I’m completed on time, so it can begin grateful for the opportunity to share to advance science and our under- my thoughts with you because this is standing of the universe. We need to a critical moment for MSU. fi nd ways to play a greater role in the In a January 2018 message to exciting IceCube Neutrino Obser- ...Our fi rst MSU faculty and staff , I described vatory at the South Pole. Our Africa obligation is to my desire for all of us to learn from initiative needs to grow and blossom help (survivors) the past and to move forward with ci- even further. Ò recover and vility and kindness. Now, more than Our multifaceted autonomous a year later, I think that message is vehicle program, which draws on the become whole. every bit as current and vital. expertise of the social and natural Of the survivors of sexual assault, sciences, law and engineering, needs I wrote that we share their anguish to fl ourish and contribute to the and that our fi rst obligation is to help vitality of the state’s auto industry. them recover and become whole. I Our health care initiatives, including said that we could not change the genomics and personal health, need past but vowed to devote time and to be nurtured to gain national and resources to fostering healing and international prominence. creating a culture that provides a To our many generous donors, safe environment for all members of loyal alumni and members of the our community. campus community modeling As acting president, my approach excellence every day, I thank you. As has not changed. The university is we work to recover from our institu- taking on a recommitment to our tional crisis, I invite all Spartans and core values while increasing active friends of Michigan State to join us listening, deep refl ection and genu- on this important journey. ine concern. I am grateful for all who join me in working to restore trust in the university we love. The Spartans highlighted in this magazine further inspire all of us with their contribu- Satish Udpa tions to making MSU truly extraor- ACTING PRESIDENT, MSU dinary as we advance our land-grant mission. SPARTAN MAGAZINE 3 Go Green. Go Dean. A comfortable, professional and safe environment. Arrive in style and leave the driving to us. deantrailways.com • (800) 282-3326 LETTERS Dear Readers, What a diff erence a year can make. This time last year, we’d hoped to be sending you a MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE SPECIAL ISSUE 2018* special issue of Spartan. While DIRECTOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING we didn’t publish that issue, Stephanie Motschenbacher, the press did. An early ver- ’85, ’92 sion of our work was released EDITOR Paula M. Davenport by the State News—where it [email protected] became known as the “teal CONTRIBUTING EDITOR issue.” Many of you have asked Nancy Nilles us to publish that magazine. EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS So we’re pleased to bring you Finding Our Way Alex Gillespie, ’17 Sexual assault and harassment allegations have rocked excerpts in this magazine and our community to its core and changed how we thought Allison Bertram, ’18 of ourselves as Spartans. In our quest for answers, we’ve posted it, as it existed in we will build a path to a better future. PUBLICATION DESIGN COORDINATORS May 2018, on the alumni web- Jennifer Weaver site. We believe it’s never too go.msu.edu/teal Dave Giordan late to do the right thing. We ART DIRECTION & DESIGN hope you agree. Additionally, B&G Design Studios you’ll also fi nd inside more Paula M. Davenport bgdesignstudios.com news and stories of remark- COPY EDITOR able Spartans working for the Linda Dunn, ’13 good of all. PHOTOGRAPHY Communications and LETTERS RECEIVED : NOV. 1, 2018 - FEB. 28, 2019 Brand Strategy ADVERTISING MANAGER Peter DeLong, ’85 FEELING APPRECIATED current issue of the same. That sort Advertising (517) 355-8314 I would like to say thank you for of honesty, accountability, and con- [email protected] featuring me in the 2013 Class Notes text renews my pride at being part of section of the fall 2018 issue of Spar- this Spartan family. COPYRIGHT 2019 tan Magazine. Honestly, I was having Omar Sofradzija, staff MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION a bad day and when I received the EAST LANSING University Advancement magazine, my day was brightened. It MSU Alumni Association was a very pleasant surprise! FOR THE SAKE OF HEALING Spartan Way 535 Chestnut Rd., Room 300 Kelechi Uchendu, ’13 I’m an adult survivor of sexual East Lansing, MI 48824 SOUTHFIELD abuse as a child. I am writing this (517) 355-8314 as a request that your editorial staff alumni.msu.edu WHERE CREDIT IS DUE consider printing the issue regarding MSU is an affi rmative-action, My compliments on the work you MSU and the sexual abuse scandal. equal-opportunity employer. and your staff put into the last issue I like many folks across the country, of Spartan Magazine, and my appre- was disappointed that your editorial ciation for the letters section of the work was preempted. SPARTAN MAGAZINE 5 LETTERS Now more than ever, I believe it is expresses his glorious feeling about ARLINGTON, TX imperative that you, as representa- his performance in Chicago and tives of your school, should return all of the opportunities that have to the responsible journalism free of accrued to him. These Spartans are external infl uence. grateful for their MSU education and Publishing it would likely do a experience. These young Spartans great deal to contribute to the heal- inspiring courageous stories of very ing the school has said is important. diff erent fi elds are interesting reads. Thank you for reading. Betty J. Sanford With respect, EAST LANSING Andrea DeMaggio LAKE HOPATCONG, NEW JERSEY TRANSPARENCY IS NECESSARY Thank you for your work as Editor POETIC JUSTICE of Spartan Magazine. It has to have Thank you for sending the new issue been a challenging year for you, of Spartan. It’s beautiful, and more especially with what happened with than just substantive. The letters the “Teal Issue.” Perhaps by early column is a force on its own and the 2020, the new president will endorse response to the “suppressed” issue a teal edition, as more time will have makes a bigger statement, I think, passed.