Summer 2008 ERSITY MAGAZINE Carousel Transylvania’s production is a smash hit ALUMNI WEEKEND ■ COMMENCEMENT 2008 ■ ARIS CANDRIS ‘73 Alumni Weekend 2008: Picture Perfect More than 630 alumni and guests enjoyed a great weekend of renewing old acquaintances and making new ones during Alumni Weekend. Here are a few photo highlights of the event. For more coverage, see article beginning on page 14. ■ Enjoying the class of 1998 dinner are, from left, Melissa (Keach) and Nathan Underwood, Ben Senninger, and Monty Absher. ■ Jill Brooks Pellerin '75 enjoys seeing her former bas- ketball and field hockey coach, Pat Deacon, at the Pioneer Hall of Fame reception in the Beck Center. ■ From left, Traci Kramer Shaw '94, Christy Cowgill Harris '93, and Clarissa Short Beiting '93 relax during an afternoon at the races at Keeneland. ■ Janice Jackson Boyd '58 and Monnie Gortney Talley '58 check out the scrapbooks during their class gath- ering at Graham Cottage. ■ Ann Spradling Hake '58, Chris Hobgood '58, and Eleanor ■ From left, Carolyn Hensley Reynolds '69, Nancy Geoghegan Pike Lollis Rose '61 visit with biology professor emeritus Lila '68, Cliff Pike '68, and Mike Reynolds '68 take a break from racing Boyarsky during the class of 1958 dinner at Malone's. action at Keeneland. TransylvaniaUNIVERSITY MAGAZINE SUMMER/2008 Features 14 COME TOGETHER Alumni return to Transylvania for a weekend of celebrating friendships, family, and memories 16 A RECORD-SETTING CLASS 259 graduating seniors at commencement 2008 make up the largest class in Transylvania history 18 SEAT OF POWER Aris Candris ’73 is the new CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company, a global leader in nuclear power Around Campus 2 Faculty receive awards, promotion, tenure page 14 4 Sociology professor J. Richard Thompson retires 5 Mathematics and computer science professor James E. Miller retires 9 Transy community supports immigrant student Sports 11 Baseball makes NCAA tourney, sets win record 12 Men’s golf team finishes 11th in nation in NCAAs Alumni News and Notes 20 Class Notes 22 Distinguished Achievement Awards 25 Distinguished Service Awards 26 Marriages, Births, Obituaries On the cover First-year students Garrett Causey and Ashley Stafford were part of a cast of 26 students, plus an orchestra of 17, that Director of Public Relations: Sarah A. Emmons ! Director of Publications: performed the Rodgers and Hammerstein Martha S. Baker ! Publications Writer/Editor: William A. Bowden ! Editorial musical Carousel in May to large and Assistant: Lori-Lyn Hurley ! Publications Designer: Barbara Grinnell appreciative audiences in Haggin Auditorium. See story on page 2. Transylvania is published three times a year. Volume 25, No. 3, Summer 2008. Photo by Joseph Rey Au Produced by the Office of Publications, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY 40508-1797. Send address changes and alumni news to Alumni Office, Transylvania University, 300 North Broadway, Lexington, KY 40508-1797, fax to (859) 233-8797, or e-mail to [email protected]. Around Campus FACULTY RECEIVE BINGHAM AWARDS, PROMOTIONS, TENURE Five Transylvania professors “While I expect students to static field of inquiry,” she said. course has a kind of narrative,” have been recognized with absorb certain particularly signifi- It is her intention to promote he said, “and doesn’t come Bingham Awards for Excellence cant historical details, I always a love of learning for learning’s across as a potpourri of loosely in Teaching, and five other fac- emphasize that history is much sake, not just as a way to moti- related topics. This helps stu- ulty members have been grant- more than the ‘names and dates’ vate students to perform in the dents see the themes and big- ed tenure and promotions. approach students may be famil- classroom. “If students are to ger ideas inherent in the course History professor Gregg Bock- iar with from high school,” he embrace the goal of under- content.” etti, psychology professor Melis- said. “Instead, I emphasize the standing the human condition, Amy Maupin came to Tran- sa Fortner ’96, psychology pro- importance of students’ under- they must do so from personal sylvania in 2001 after earning fessor Mark Jackson, education standing of general course desire,” she said. “Otherwise, an Ed.D. from the University of professor Amy Maupin, and themes, as this will make the learning dissolves into passive Tennessee and teaching at the Robert England, who joins the course experience particularly acceptance of facts and truths.” University of Alabama, computer science faculty in Sep- useful in their larger academic Mark Jackson came to Tran- Tuscaloosa. tember, received Bingham and post-academic careers.” sylvania in 2003 after earning a Her goals as a professor of Awards. Melissa Fortner came to Ph.D. from the University of education are tied to her belief Bingham Awards are accom- Transylvania in 2004 after earn- Kentucky. One of his goals as an that the teacher should be one panied by annual salary supple- ing a Ph.D. from The Pennsylva- educator is to help students of society’s greatest public intel- ments for five years. A commit- nia State University. She teaches understand that human behav- lectuals. “The teacher,” she said, tee comprised of outside educa- courses ranging from Founda- ior is complex and has complex “should be the model of intel- tors selects the award recipients tions of the Liberal Arts to causes. “Questions about why lectual curiosity and an agent for based on classroom visits, Developmental Psychopathology, people do the things they do change and social justice.” essays, and student evaluations. and is guided in her teaching by rarely, if ever, have simple To this end, she aims to inspire Gregg Bocketti came to her understanding of the broad answers,” he said, “and the ori- her students to ask the big ques- Transylvania in 2004 after earn- goals of liberal education—that gins of behavior rarely, if ever, tions, particularly, “What does it ing a Ph.D. from Tulane Univer- liberal education promotes can be traced back to a single mean to be human?” sity. With a primary focus in understanding of the human cause.” “I bombard my students with Latin America and the condition, of humanity itself. He said that achieving a ‘why’ questions,” she said. “As Caribbean, his aim as a teacher Psychology courses, she said, deeper understanding of human often as possible I give students is to widen and deepen stu- provide students with a social behavior requires approaching choices and ownership of the dents’ knowledge and under- scientific perspective on humani- issues from multiple perspec- class. Because I teach construc- standing of history, and to ty. In her classes, she endeavors tives and appreciating the com- tivist pedagogy, it is especially develop their abilities in discov- to communicate not just facts plex interactions of the factors important for me to incorporate ering, examining, and respond- but methods. “I portray psychol- addressed in each perspective. such constructivist principles fre- ing to knowledge. ogy as a dynamic, rather than “I try to ensure that each quently.” In choosing readings, she often steers clear of traditional The show featured a cast of 26 students and ‘Carousel’ is smash hit textbooks, turning instead to an orchestra of 17. Senior Sarah Billiter as Julie philosophical essays, books by The Transylvania theater and music programs Jordan and sophomore Cameron Perry as Billy contemporary scholars, and lit- staged one of their most successful musicals Bigelow played the romantic leads. Drama pro- erature, including poetry. The ever when they presented three performances fessor Tim Soulis produced and directed the poet, she maintains, is the per- of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterpiece, show, music professor Ben Hawkins was music son who best keeps the ques- Carousel, to large and appreciative audiences director and conductor, and junior Shayanna tion alive: what is my purpose in Haggin Auditorium in May. Little was choreographer. and place in this world? Carousel opened on Broadway in April 1945, and ran for 890 performances. It was turned ••• into a Hollywood film in 1956, and named best Promotions and musical of the 20th century by Time magazine. tenure Speaking of his interpretation of Carousel, Anthropology professor Chris Soulis noted that the script of the gritty, honest Begley and philosophy profes- play “...suggests that those who only conform sor Ellen Cox have been grant- to societal expectations are just as lost as those ed tenure and promotion to who seek total freedom. A carousel is fun, but associate professor. Promotion also predictable, and you have to get off to to full professor has been grant- experience real life.” ed to physical education/exer- cise science professor Sharon ! Cameron Perry (second from right) as Billy Brown, physics professor Jamie Bigelow, with a chorus of sailors. Day, and sociology professor Brian Rich. Joseph Rey Au 2 TRANSYLVANIA club and Fair Trade Week organizer, said she knew the Miller receives national ODK award notoriety of the blockbuster film would attract a large crowd to Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) recognized James E. Miller, Campbell’s lecture, but that he professor of mathematics and computer science, as its was asked to speak because his outstanding 2008 faculty adviser at its recent national messages tied in well with the meeting in Atlanta. Miller was presented the Robert W. goal of the event, which is to Bishop Faculty Adviser Award for outstanding service to educate the campus about what the local Circle and to the Society. ODK, The National fair trade means and how we Leadership Honor Society, was founded in 1914 to recog- ‘Blood Diamonds’ can use our consumer power to nize exceptional leadership among college students, fac- make socially conscientious ulty, and administration members. author visits campus decisions. ••• APPLAUSE Greg Campbell, author of “His first-hand account of Shaw awarded Goldwater Scholarship Blood Diamonds: Tracing the how the diamond trade perpet- Junior biology major Katharin L.