Non-Profit Alumni Relations U.S. Postage Towson University PAID 8000 York Road Towson University Towson, MD 21252-0001 Change Service Requested UNIVERSITY FALL 2016 Pass along any duplicate copies to a friend and advise us of error by sending back your mailing label. Thank you. Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains an address at your home, please send the correct address to Alumni Relations, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252-0001. CELEBRATE HOMECOMING / SAT., OCT. 22 Join us for a high-spirited day of food, fun and football at the Alumni Tailgating Festival before the Tigers take on the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. TAILGATING: 11:30 a.m. / FOOTBALL: 3:30 p.m. To tailgate in the Alumni Tailgating Festival area, you MUST reserve a designated space. Call the Office of Alumni Relations at 410-704-2234. Reservations are first-come, first-served. More details are inside on page 23 or visit www.tutigertracks.com/homecoming THEATRE SIGNS For football tickets, call 1-855-TU-TIGER (1-855-888-4437) or visit towsontigers.com The world of deaf playwright and author Willy Conley ’98 MFA BIG PICTURE ITALIAN FOCUS The Duomo, the Gothic cathedral in Siena, Italy, formed the perfect backdrop for Bekka Inglefield to snap a picture of her friend Marilyn Hartzell when the women took a side trip to the Tuscan city. They were among 11 students from TU’s College of Education who spent more than two weeks studying in the Italian cities of Vicenza, Reggio Emilia and Florence as part of TU’s Study Abroad Program The students—most of them elementary, mid- dle or secondary education majors—were part of the university’s “Teaching with an International Perspective” program. Photo by Peggy Ryan STUDENT SPOTLIGHT FEATURES ““On a sunny summer day, the panels are estimated to produce as much as eight to 10 percent of the campus electrical load.” HERE COMES THE SUN 12 | RUSHING TO THE PROS Five Former Tigers Make the NFL. Four years ago TU students came up with a bright idea—install solar DEPARTMENTS panels to power campus buildings. Former SGA members Samantha Figueroa ’16 and Drew Voigt ’16 PRESIDENT’S LETTER | 4 14 | POWERED BY THE PEN were two key advocates who TU’s nonprofit writing course teaches students worked with campus engineers NEWS & NOTES | 5 and procurement staff to ensure to write grants and empower communities. the project was financially and logistically feasible. WE ASKED | 10 This fall, 4,000 solar panels will Wayne H. Nelson discusses | HEARING EYES begin soaking up the sun on the emergency preparedness. Willy Conley ’98 MFA, professor of General Services building, Barton theatre arts at Gallaudet University, and Douglass Houses, and the ALUMNI NEWS | 23 celebrates deaf identity and culture University Union and the Union Celebrate Homecoming 16 Garage. Distinguished Alumnus and both on and off stage. The panels are expected to Deans Recognitions produce nearly 2,000 megawatt Joseph Ferrante Scholarship hours of solar energy per year that 20 | NOT IN HER BACKYARD will help reduce energy costs on PHILANTHROPY | 29 Activist Destiny Watford helped stop plans campus. to build an incinerator in her neighborhood. “We were just freshman when Alumni Giving Increases | DREW VOIGT ’16 we presented the idea, and now Robert Ward Endowed That victory won the TU senior worldwide Scholarship in Creative Writing MAJOR: INFORMATION it’s coming to fruition,” says Voigt. acclaim and a $175,000 Goldman “It’s been awesome to see that with TECHNOLOGY Environmental Prize. passion and teamwork, students CLASS NOTES | 32 EXECUTIVE TEAM can turn big ideas into reality.” The Right Steps LEADER, TARGET “Being involved in the solar com- An Animated Guy mittee has been a really rewarding experience overall,” Figueroa says. “I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to finish out my time at Towson | SAMANTHA then with seeing a project I began FIGUEROA ’16 working on my freshman year come MAJOR: MASS COMM full circle.” BENEFITS ASSOCIATE, WILLIS2 TOWERS WATSON 3 TU BRINGS NEW ENERGY TO BTU TOWSON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM towson university’s partnerships and relationships with greater baltimore UNIVERSITY communities get a new focus with btu. Just PRESIDENT’S LETTER The energy that makes Center for Geographic Towson University a Information Studies Sayin’ FALL 2016 ISSUE leader in innovation is (CGIS), and a relation- I am enjoying my first fall in Maryland— being converted into ship with Building Steps, and soon my first Towson University BTU, the new name of a nonprofit dedicated Homecoming—as the academic year gets the outreach and part- to helping city students into full swing. Kim Schatzel nership efforts that join graduate from college. We welcomed more than 22,250 Towson President TU with organizations Now, only nine percent Tigers to campus this term. Of those, about in Greater Baltimore to of city high school 4,840 were new students, and about half Ginny Cook make significant differ- graduates finish college, of them transferred from four-year uni- Editor ences in people’s lives. but the Building Steps versities or community colleges. So, we’re More than 9,000 students have been part program helps 80 percent of its participants putting even greater emphasis on helping of the 167 existing partnerships, according earn their degrees. these new and nontraditional students Lori Armstrong to the BTU website. One example is “BTU will demonstrate and represent the launch into college life. Associate Vice President, the community improvement and anthro- energy, power, and work of our university The momentum continued during Presi- Alumni Relations pological advocacy work between TU and through faculty, staff and students, and dential Inauguration week where we cele- the Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood of invests in the Greater Baltimore region brated TU’s proud history of leadership. I Lori Marchetti Southwest Baltimore, led for 10 years through our partnerships with our com- am honored to follow the visionary leaders Art Director/Designer by anthropology professors Matthew munity and business partners,” says TU who led Maryland’s first teacher-train- Durington and Sam Collins. President Kim Schatzel. “It gives greater ing school and guided its evolution over There’s also a web app to help parents purpose and presence to the work already 150 years. Today, TU offers an exemplary Kanji Takeno find the closest quality child care to their underway.” comprehensive education while serving Staff Photographer home or workplace, developed by TU’s the state’s greatest workforce needs and preparing students for postgraduate study. Lauren Castellana We take our role in workforce prepara- Assistant Photographer “We’re developing tion seriously. That’s why we’re developing plans to create a world-class career center DREAM ISLAND | Naoko plans to create a that engages students from internship to Contributors Maeshiba, professor of theatre arts retirement. The center will enhance our Megan Bradshaw, Christine and director of TU’s MFA in Theatre world-class career career advising and job placement for Collins, Ray Feldmann ’77, Arts program, received the $5,000 students after graduation and well into Daryl Lee Hale ’16, Board of Governors Award from the center that their careers. Perhaps as important, it will Kyle Hobstetter, Jan Lucas Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. also forge a stronger connection to the and Gay Pinder The Japanese-born director and chore- engages students business community and highlight TU’s ographer performing in “Dream Island” impact on the workforce and economic Office of Alumni Relations (2015) below. View her award winning from internship development of our state. portfolio. 410-704-2234 or 800-887-8152 to retirement.” Finally, I firmly believe we can com- petitively advantage our graduates if we bakerartist.org/winners/ VISIT continue our work toward becoming an naoko-maeshiba/2016/ inclusive campus where all of our students can thrive and, most important, learn to support others to thrive. A national search VISIT US ONLINE “I got enough of a is underway for the vice president of NURSING inclusion and institutional equity, a new towson.edu TLC | The College of Health Professions is nugget that I was position that will help us advance this one of just 50 schools nationwide—and the @TU institutional priority. magazine.towson.edu only one in Maryland—to receive funding hooked. I knew I There’s significant opportunity ahead to host nursing white coat ceremonies that Nursing white coat for TU to realize its potential as the state’s champion compassionate care. ceremonies champion wanted to expose fastest-growing and second-largest uni- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the compassionate versity. I look forward to working with our American Association of Colleges of Nurs- care. this richness to the alumni, partners, and supporters to build a ing have partnered to help schools of better and stronger foundation for our fu- nursing continue to host the ceremonies, United States.” ture success. There’s much to be proud of which emphasize the importance of at Towson University, and there are great providing humanistic, patient-centered things ahead. care among health professionals. Catherine Horta-Hayden, TU dance professor and outgoing Published three times a year by the Division of Marketing and Communications for Towson president of CORPS de Ballet University’s alumni, faculty, staff and friends. International, regarding her visit Please send comments and contributions to the National Ballet School of to Towson, Marketing and Communications, Kim Schatzel Cuba in Havana and her exposure Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD towson university president 21252-0001. Telephone: 410-704-2230. Please to its unique training system. send address changes to Alumni Relations, Sarasota Herald Tribune online Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson, MD June, 2016 21252-0001 or email [email protected].