ST. MARY’S COLLEGE of Maryland FALL 2015 SMART SMURFS Blending the Humanities and Hard Science ARTS BRIDGE Connecting with the Community Through the Arts ST. MARY’S COLLEGE CONTENTS of Maryland FALL 2015 SMCM ALUMNI COUNCIL JULY 2015 – JUNE 2016 FEATURES Executive Board PAGE 6 Danielle Troyan ’92, President SMURF Stands for FALL 2015, VOL. XXXVI, NO. 3 Allan Wagaman ’06, Executive Vice President Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03, Vice President of Operations the Humanities www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree Angie Harvey ’83, Secretary and Hard Science Mark Fedders ’74, Parliamentarian Editor Lee Capristo Jim Wood ’61, Treasurer The interdisciplinary approach to SMURF makes the program Alumni Editor Elected Voting Members Kathy Cummings Thomas Brewer ’05 distinctly St. Mary’s. Design Camille Campanella ’12 Skelton Design David Cribbs ’74 [ PAGE 6 ] PAGE 10 Photographer Geoffrey Cuneo ’10 Bill Wood Donna Denny ’81 Community Arts Barbara Dinsenbacher ’56JC Editorial Board For more than a decade, Arts Karen Anderson, Cheryl Bates-Lee, Kate Fritz ’04 Lee Capristo, Kathy Cummings, Elizabeth Chris Holt ’86 Bridge has provided educational Graves ’95, Missy Beck Lemke ’92, Missy Beck Lemke ’92 Nairem Moran ’99, Karen Raley ’94 Ryan McQuighan ’05 outreach programs in the visual Publisher Laurie Menser ’01 and performing arts to local Office of Institutional Advancement Jeremy Pevner ’09 high school students. St. Mary’s College of Maryland Amanda Kellaher Walker ’01 18952 East Fisher Road Jayson Williams ’03 St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686 PAGE 14 Student Member Helena Klassen ’16 Paul Blanchette The Mulberry Tree is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland’s public hon- (1946-2015) ors college for the liberal arts and sciences. It is Chapter Presidents [ PAGE 10 ] produced for alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, the Annapolis: He was feared and revered. local community, and friends of the College. Erin O’Connell ’91 Remembering the always The magazine is named for the famous Baltimore: original Paul Blanchette. mulberry tree under which the Calvert colonists Dallas Hayden ’06 signed a treaty of friendship with the Yaocomico people and on the trunk of which public notices Boston: were posted in the mid-1600s. The tree endured Kyle McGrath ’11 long into the 19th century and was once a popu- DEPARTMENTS lar meeting spot for St. Mary’s students. The D.C. Metro: illustration of the mulberry tree on the cover Matt Schafle ’10 2 President’s Letter was drawn in 1972 by Earl Hofmann, artist-in- Denver: residence when St. Mary’s College President 3 College News Renwick Jackson launched the magazine. Alisa Ambrose ’85 Copyright 2014 New York: 18 Alumni Connection Christelle Niamke ’05 The opinions expressed in The Mulberry Tree 28 From the Archives are those of the individual authors and not Philadelphia: necessarily those of the College. The editor Vacant reserves the right to select and edit all material. [ PAGE 14 ] Manuscripts and letters to the editor are en- San Francisco: couraged and may be addressed to Editor, The Micah Cupid-Benons ’09 Mulberry Tree, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Southern Maryland: 18952 E. Fisher Rd., St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Cathy Hernandez Ray ’77 Photographs and illustrations may not be reproduced without the express written Western Maryland: Kristi Jacobs Woods ’97 consent of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. COVER: Joe Cirillo’s artistic robot. Staff Photo by Bill Wood Dave Sushinsky ’02, Alumni Director Beth Byrd, Associate Alumni Director OPPOSITE: Autumn campus. St Mary’s College | THE MULBERRY TREE | fall 2015 | 1 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT COLLEGE INSPIRED BY THE ST. MARY’S WAY NEWS his time a year ago, I was “ It’s important that Editor’s Note CAMPUS & COMMUNITY NEWS interviewed for Mulberry Tree as the we do well and we new president. t was great fun to put together TAs I reflect on the year, I remain inspired will do well, in the Spring 2015 issue of the magazine, by the “St. Mary’s Way,” our ethos that chal- this and all that I themed to celebrate this institution’s 175th anniversary. Thanks to Jane Linton lenges us to respect ourselves, others, and the we aspire to do.” ’68jc, who provided identifications on the environment every day. It’s been an incredibly men in the photo on page 14 in the Spring busy year spent trying to understand this “gem” 2015 issue. From left to right, front row they NEW! I’ve been entrusted to lead, learning about our are: Edwin Atkins ’67jc, Richard Russell ’67jc, Southern Maryland neighbors, and interacting with elected officials. We’ve accomplished a Steven Harris ’68jc, Thomas Coleman ’68jc, Environmental Brian Veditz ’68jc, Robert Beyer ’67jc, James Studies Major lot and I believe greater successes are ahead. Eslin ’67jc, Earl Hyde ’68jc, James Johnson Last year I made several predictions about what I planned to do as president. I’m happy ’67jc. Second Row: James Broyles ’67jc, James Beginning this fall, St. Mary’s to say that strategic planning, a hugely important but missing element of the St. Mary’s I Hutchinson ’67jc, Peter Wimbrow ’67jc, offers a new major in environ- mental studies. This is a result embraced in July 2014, is now underway with a planned completion date of May 2016. Malcolm Vankirk ’67jc, John Massie ’67jc, Philip Howard ’67jc, Bill Burnett ’68jc, Joseph of the College’s continuing effort I’m also pleased that some new programming has been initiated to reinforce the Oreto ’67jc, Thomas Lloyd ’68jc. to expand and deepen interdisci- “St. Mary’s Way.” These programs help us to engage in thoughtful ways to mitigate the In September, we marked the start of the plinary and experiential learning violence, prejudice and hate that we experience/witness as citizens in this country and as fall semester with an all-campus “175” photo for students. Barry Muchnick, people in this world. They help us to respond as a community in ways that promote inclu- taken from a crane (see page 27). Be sure to assistant professor of environmen- siveness and equity, and celebrate diversity in its many forms. Tim Wise, our guest speaker check out the 175 website for additional content tal studies, is the College’s first (www.smcm.edu/175). full-time environmental studies earlier this fall, spoke to a packed house on combating racism in the “post-racism” era. In We lost a dear friend and colleague just PHOTO: ASHLEY STOPERA faculty. He and Rebecca Kelly, October, we partnered with the Human Relations Commission of St. Mary’s County to before the start of the fall semester, Paul visiting assistant professor of host a panel on law enforcement and race, and finished the month with political activist Peter Blanchette. A founding member of the SMART Scholarship St. Mary’s is environmental studies, work and scholar Angela Davis. chemistry department, Dr. Blanchette called to Srinivasan a USN&WR with Sue Johnson, professor of St. Mary’s home for 40 years. His students and art, as the environmental studies In November, we look forward to spoken word poet Clint Smith on November 20. We Arvind Srinivasan ’17 was recently awarded the highly compet- “Best College” colleagues pay tribute, starting on page 14. program coordinators. also welcome back Merideth Taylor, professor emerita, who is directing an encore edition itive Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation U.S. News & World Report has Lee Capristo, editor of her original stage production, “Crossroads.” (SMART) Scholarship from the Department of Defense (DoD). once again recognized St. Mary’s Curry Joins These events form our signature 175th anniversary celebrations around our theme, The SMART Scholarship was established to support under- College of Maryland as a top 100 Letter to the Editor national liberal arts college. In the Executive “Celebrating the Past, Forging the Future: St. Mary’s College, 175 Years Proud.” graduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. publication’s “Best Colleges” 2016 Council Special thanks to the many faculty and staff who worked the past two years on our Spring 2015 Issue Throughout the course of his studies, Srinivasan receives a full edition, St. Mary’s is also ranked When I receive The Mulberry Tree issues, I usually Carolyn Curry Middle States re-accreditation self-study report and who hosted the Middle States Commis- scholarship, a stipend, and summer internships at the Naval among the top six public liberal put them aside for later reading. But the Spring joined the Col- sion evaluation team during October. This self-study and the affiliated site visit affirm our arts colleges in the nation and on 2015 issue caught my attention, and I read it from Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), his sponsoring lege in June as the publication’s 2016 “Best Col- commitment to our mission as a public honors college steeped in the traditions of a liberal cover to cover. facility located at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Upon vice president leges for Veterans” list. education: that we are excellent, accessible, affordable and diverse. It’s important that we I congratulate you, in particular, on the feature graduation, he will be placed in a full-time professional posi- for institutional articles. It enriched my understanding of the tion at a defense laboratory, an effort designed to increase WOR advancement and do well and we will do well, in this and all that we aspire to do. S & LD many achievements that have occurred over the W R the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD E E N P executive director . BEST O last 175 years at “the monument school” in South- S R .