The Roar of the Tigers Justine Hoerning, a music major and Honors College alumna, climbed atop the 700-pound bronze tiger near Towsontown Boulevard to let out a celebratory roar after May’s Commencement. The roaring tiger is the newest of a trio of metal mascots, gifts from the TU Alumni Association. COMING HOME 8 In the transition from combat to the classroom, Towson University serves those who have served. ONE WOMAN SHOW 12 FEATURES Baltimore theater icon Vivienne Shub takes the stage to receive TU honorary degree. WALKING ON THE WILD SIDE 14 Jamie Rappaport Clark ’79, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, fights for America’s native species. IN OTHER WORDS 18 Taking Spanish out of the classroom and into the community. PRESIDENT’S LETTER 2 NEWS AND NOTES 3 ALUMNI NEWS 22 Homecoming The Newest Tiger DEPARTMENTS Alumni Awardees PHILANTHROPY MATTERS 32 Celebrating Scholars Studying in Israel What’s Your Number? CLASS NOTES 36 Note Worthy The Organizer WEB EXTRAS 41* Swimmer Qualifies for Olympic Trials Library to House Ehrlich Collection for Public Leadership Studies Graduation Speeches from May 2012 *Available only at www.towsonalumnimagazine.com to our readers Published three times a year by the President’s Office for Towson University’s alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Please send comments and contributions to Towson, University Relations, Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252-0001. Telephone: 410-704-2230. Please send address changes to Alumni Relations, s I conclude my first semester, I thank all Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252-0001. students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters Maravene Loeschke for the privilege of working with you. A President Thanks to your advocacy, the governor and legislature Ginny Cook have reaffirmed their commitment to higher education. Editor While some cuts were made to the budget of the Lori Armstrong University System of Maryland and all schools will have Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations a small tuition increase, I am happy to report that our Lori Marchetti two major capital projects were funded. The pedestrian Art Director/Designer walkway over Osler Drive, and the renovation and addition Kanji Takeno to Smith Hall will move forward on time. Staff Photographer We are also celebrating many other accomplishments: Assistant Photographer • The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: Desirée Stover 2012 Edition selected TU as one of the country’s most Designers environmentally responsible campuses; David Calkins, Pat Dideriksen, Chris Komisar, Kathy Malanowski, Rick Pallansch Nancy Grasmick ’61 • The Maryland Higher Education Commission approved Contributors TU’s building in Harford County, which will help us serve became TU’s Daniel Fox, Wanda Haskel, Hannah Kaufman, “ Harford County students in our 2+2 programs; Emily Koch and Jan Lucas Presidential Scholar for Innovation in • Nancy Grasmick ’61 became TU’s Presidential Scholar for Office of Alumni Relations Innovation in Teacher and Leader Preparation. Nearly $3 410-704-2234 or 800-887-8152 Teacher and Leader million has been raised to support this work. This includes Towson University’s policies, programs and activities comply with federal and state laws and University System Preparation. a $2 million grant from the National Math and Science of Maryland regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, Initiative and the Maryland State Department of Education sex, disability and sexual orientation. Towson University to create a UTeach program at Towson that will prepare is a smoke-free campus. students to become science, technology and mathematics www.towson.edu www.towsonalumnimagazine.com teachers; • In May, more than 3,400 students graduated and we awarded two honorary degrees. ” ECO BOX The fall semester promises excitement with the activities of Inauguration Week, including the debut of Using this combination of our International Flag Walkway, the grand opening of the papers saves the following: Institute for Well-Being in Towson City Center, and more. WOOD USE: 10 TONS Please join in the excitement. Visit the campus. I am NET ENERGY: 26,000,000 BTUs sure you will be amazed by the stunning new views. GREENHOUSE GASES: 6,431 LBS CO2 You may even want to pose for a picture on the new WASTEWATER: 29,000 GALLONS bronze tiger donated by the Alumni Association at the SOLID WASTE: 1,838 POUNDS gateway entrance on Towsontown Boulevard. I hope Environmental impact estimates were made using to see you soon. the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. The Towson text pages are printed on forest-friendly Utopia Dull paper. The cover is printed on Utopia Gloss Maravene Loeschke using Eco-Pride inks. President 2 towson FALL 2012 FALL 2012 towson 3 news & notes Published three times a year by the President’s Office for Towson University’s alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Please send comments and contributions to Towson, University Relations, Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252-0001. Telephone: 410-704-2230. Please send address changes to Alumni Relations, Cloaks of Invisibility Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD 21252-0001. PHYSICS PROFESSOR TRAPS LIGHT TO MAKE OBJECTS “DISAPPEAR” Maravene Loeschke President Ginny Cook To achieve this, the team coated a microlens Editor array—which comprises many minute lenses—with Lori Armstrong a thin film of gold and arranged it above a sheet of Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations glass also coated in gold. When a laser was directed Lori Marchetti between the two layers, its light was manipulated INAUGURATION WEEK Art Director/Designer around each lens, thereby creating a cloaked zone SEPTEMBER 9–15 Kanji Takeno in each. Staff Photographer The effect is to slow or even stop the light, THE INAUGURATION OF Assistant Photographer Desirée Stover creating a trapped rainbow. DR. MARAVENE LOESCHKE AS THE THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT Designers “In our array, light is stopped at the boundary of David Calkins, Pat Dideriksen, Chris Komisar, each of the cloaks, meaning we observe the trapped OF TOWSON UNIVERSITY Kathy Malanowski, Rick Pallansch rainbow at the edge of each cloak,” explains SEPTEMBER 14 • 2 P.M. Contributors Smolyaninova, an associate professor in the TOWSON CENTER ARENA Daniel Fox, Wanda Haskel, Hannah Kaufman, Emily Koch and Jan Lucas Cloaked areas appear as dark circles surrounded by concentric rings. Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences. (Image courtesy of Vera Smolyaninova.) “This means we could do ‘spectroscopy on-a-chip’ Office of Alumni Relations The inauguration of Dr. Maravene 410-704-2234 or 800-887-8152 and examine fluorescence at thousands of points Loeschke is an action-packed week, A Towson University professor has published a Towson University’s policies, programs and activities all in one go.” beginning with the play “Love Letters” comply with federal and state laws and University System research study that would make J.K. Rowling proud. on Sept. 9. It features Dr. Loeschke and of Maryland regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, Vera Smolyaninova, in collaboration with her husband, C. Richard Gillespie. Other sex, disability and sexual orientation. Towson University events include the dedication of the is a smoke-free campus. colleagues from TU and the University of Maryland, Light from a laser was International Walkway, a concert, www.towson.edu has successfully created a first-of-its-kind collection manipulated around each lens, pep rally, Japanese tea ceremony, www.towsonalumnimagazine.com of 25,000 “invisibility cloaks,” each measuring just art exhibits, the ribbon cutting for 30 millimeters in diameter, which can slow down creating a cloaked zone. the Institute for Well-Being, Ailey II and harness light. Dance Concert, a football game, and ECO BOX the formal inauguration ceremony. The result is a “trapped rainbow,” which can be The applications of this research, which was used to effectively make an object appear invisible. Using this combination of recently published in the New Journal of Physics, are papers saves the following: Inspired by researchers published in Physical For a full schedule of events, wide ranging, and include camouflage, biomedicine please visit www.towson.edu/ Review B, who first wrote about positioning micro- WOOD USE: 10 TONS and sensing. inauguration or events.towson.edu. NET ENERGY: 26,000,000 BTUs scopic cloaks on a two-dimensional grid, Smolyani- nova and her team have turned an abstract concept Read the research paper and see a video— GREENHOUSE GASES: 6,431 LBS CO2 http://iopscience.iop.org/1367-2630/14/5/053029 WASTEWATER: 29,000 GALLONS into a physical product. SOLID WASTE: 1,838 POUNDS Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. The Towson text pages are printed on forest-friendly Take another look at Towson online. Utopia Dull paper. The cover is printed on Utopia Gloss using Eco-Pride inks. We have links to websites and emails contained in the stories. You’ll also find Web extras, including Melanie Rowland, who finished 65th at the Olympic Swimming Trials, information about Cook Library housing the Ehrlich Collection for Public Leadership Studies and graduation speeches from May’s commencement. 2 towson FALL 2012 FALL 2012 towson 3 news & notes the summer, and this fall, continuing a streak of Kathryn Klassic in 10 additional cycles will be triumphs. California. The victories available for hire. Of the last five major earned them one of 40 Pedal Pushers Despite the small number regional competitions, the national spots at the of bikes, Cockey says, Towson team has won four, National Debate Tourna- When TU rolled out its “it’s a start in reducing including the 2010 Mid- ment held at Emory Univer- bike rental program in the carbon footprint of Atlantic Regional, the 2010 sity in Atlanta last spring. March, Rob Cockey was students at TU” and hopes CSC Cyb3rBattl3ground While the pair was in line.