N e w s f r o m U n i o n C o l l e g e s u m m e r 2 0 0 6

MEET STUDENT, FACULTY AND ALUMNI RESEARCHERS

Also . . .� Union author creates campus ministries resource book� Homecoming 2006� Hurricane relief trip

MEET STUDENT, FACULTY AND ALUMNI RESEARCHERS

Also . . .� Union author creates campus ministries resource book� Homecoming 2006� Hurricane relief trip

Thinking for TomorrowThinking for Tomorrow

. . . build the future with ForeSight.

The past was built with vision . . .

People today are retiring younger and living longer than everbefore. While you likely can expect better health and a longer life than

your ancestors, you also shoulder a greater financial burden because

you have to ensure your financial security for an ever-increasing span of

years. You may be surprised to learn that some planned giving strategies

allow you to receive an uninterrupted stream of income for your life-

time, reduce your taxes and make a deferred gift to Union College.

To find out more about these planned giving strategies, please request

our complimentary ebrochure “Retirement Income Plans – Ways to Pay

You More” by contacting Todd Mekelburg

www.ucollege.edu/advancement/plannedgiving.It takesForeSight...

Todd MekelburgDirector of Leadership Giving

Union College3800 South 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68506

402.486.2503 or tomekelb@ucollege.edu

CORDCORDmagazine staff: Jacque L. SmithDirector of Public Relations/Editor

Steve Nazario Director of VisualCommunications/Designer

Scott Cushman ’03Assistant Director of Public Relations/Assistant Editor

Krissy Ball ’06 Kristina Johnson ’06Graphic Design Assistants

Becky Dewey ’07Cheryl Huff Kennison ’02Laura Rumsey Poblete ’03Lauren Bongard Schwarz ’04Kate Simmons ’06 News Writers

Articles and photos as credited.

p Indicates more information is available onUnion’s Web site or read CORDmagazineonline: www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine.

Union College Alumni AssociationOfficers and Board Members:

Loren Dickinson ’57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President

Darrel Huenergardt ’65. . . . . . . . . . . .President-elect

Don Dick ’55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Past President

Darrel ’65 and Carol Barker ’70 Huenergardt . . . . . . . . . . . . Board Members-at-large

Greg ’00 and Kim Childers ’01 Steiner. . . . . . . . . . . GOLD Rep ’95-’05

Holly Weiss Kaiser ’78 . . . . . . . . .Class Rep ’78-’94

Sherrie Johnson Fandrich (’69). . .Class Rep ’58-’77

Jim ’56 and Patricia Gordon ’57 Spaulding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Rep up to ’57

Janya Nordgren Mekelburg ’86. . . . . . . . . . Alumni Activities Director

LuAnn Wolfe Davis ’82 . . . . . . . . Vice President for Advancement

About the cover: In the 50 years since his graduation fromUnion College in 1956, Dr. Charles Sims hasbecome a pioneer in the field of cryogenictissue preservation.Photographer: Steve Nazario

© 2006 Union College all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced without permission. CORDmagazine is published as aservice to Union College alumni and friends.We encourage readers to submit letters and article ideas. Please send inquiries, submissions and address changes to:

CORDmagazine Union College 3800 South 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68506 or alumni@ucollege.edu.

Editorial/4 Campus News/5

CORDmagazine 3

CORDVol. 71, No. 2 Summer 2006

Banking on the Future/14

Union alumnus pioneerscryogenic tissue preservation

Dr. Charles Sims ’56

Reconstructing Spring Break/8

Campus Memories/12 Class-ifieds/31 In Memory/33

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Hidden Gems/18Shining a light on Union’s researchand contributions

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Finding AllergyAnswers/29

Pediatrician follows path ofresearch to Harvard Medical School

Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul ’90

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n a society where the term “research” is often distortedinto advertising declarations proclaiming the benefits of miracle diets and teeth whitening products, it is easy tobecome cynical about the subject. In higher education arenas,however, true research continues to be a trigger topic forgrant funding and an avenue for showing an institution’s academic prowess. Accomplishments on a smaller teaching-focused campus like Union College can be overshadowed bythe prosperous foundations and fellowships propelling theacademic research culture.

At Union, the academic climate is quite different than“publish or perish” institutions. For 115 years, the campusgoals and structure have been configured to promote serviceand career preparation through personal instruction morethan scholarly publication and faculty prominence. Yet afterdoing some research of our own (see p.18), our staff helpedconfirm that investigation, analysis and presentation do have an important and vibrant presence in a variety of

disciplines across campus.Beyond faculty and students, Union alumni are using the

skills they developed in college and applying them in waysthat are adding to society such as asthma prevention (p. 29)and cryogenic tissue preservation (p. 14).

While Union College may not have regular press confer-ences under the clock tower unveiling the results, faculty andstudents are engaged in research from many angles. The context of research at Union continues to be shaped aroundstudent success and involvement, and while recognition isoften an outcome, the process of learning is the main focus.So before you delve into Union’s research highlights, I hopeyou will find a glimpse of the level of faculty dedication tostudents through Jim McClelland’s reflections on the gift ofteaching. “Mr. Mac,” as he is lovingly known, is a great example of an accomplished professional who places thehighest value on teaching and nurturing students.

In February, Jim McClelland was honored with the OutstandingAchievement in the Arts award, which is sponsored by theAdventist Alumni Achievement Awards Foundation. The awardincluded $5,000 for an Adventist school, which McClelland des-ignated to Union College. The following isan excerpt from his acceptance speech atthe awards banquet in Scottsdale, Ariz.

here are two things in my life that Iknew early on I had to do. One was todraw and paint. The other was to teach. Itis difficult if not impossible for me to sep-arate the two. They are bound together insome spiritual way with my service toGod and my reasons for being on thisearth.

I did not grow up in a Christian home,and I do not know whether my publicschool teachers were Christians or not,but I came to see Jesus in them before Icame to know God in any other way. Inever wanted to be anything but a teacherbecause of my own kind, loving teacherswho understood I needed to draw andinspired and nurtured my love for natureand art.

Now, I am humbled and grateful for the sacred privilege ofbeing a teacher and for the gift of expressing my love for Godand His world in pencil and paint. As a teacher, I want to share

with my students the joy that being an artist has brought tome—the joy in seeing form and color, patterns and texturesand in turning a canvas or paper into an illusionary image thatexpresses viewpoint and feeling.

Douglas Cooper has written in hisbook, Living God’s Joy, that God receivesand generates joy by creating. “One waythe heavenly Father has honored man isby sharing His nature with him in theform of creative ability,” Cooper writes.“You are enough like God so that unlessyou are creating something, you are notexperiencing fullness of joy.”

Ellen White calls teaching “the nicestwork ever entrusted to men.” With thehelp of the Holy Spirit, teachers are privi-leged to be in the business of helping stu-dents make their dreams come true. Wewho teach can be enablers in helping tomake dreams come true—or sometimeswe can also shatter those dreams.

Langston Hughes has said, “For ifdreams die, life is a broken winged birdthat cannot fly.” I pray that God will evergrant me the sacred privilege of being adream maker. I want to see my studentssoar. I want to see them become all thatGod designed them to be.

There are two things that I would gladly do without pay—teach and paint. God has granted me a charmed life because Ihave been able to make not just a salary but a life of doingboth.

EDITORIAL RESEARCH: IT’S STILL THE THOUGHTS THAT COUNT_______________________________________________________________________________

Introduction by Jacque L. Smith, Editor

by Jim McClelland, Art Professor

Pictured with President David Smith(right) Jim McClelland receives an awardfor Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.

The nicest work

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hile in his teens, Bobby Harrisonfirst saw the ivory-billed woodpecker inthe pages of Life magazine (April 7,1972). More than 30 years later, he wasone of the first people to see the famousbird that has eluded researchers fordecades. In February, Harrison presentedat Union College his experience with thelong-thought extinct ivory-billed wood-pecker. Despite a snowstorm that day,100 community guests and students ven-tured out to hear Harrison discuss hislife-long connection to the elusive birdand his sightings.

“I always believed that the ivory-billedwoodpecker still lived, and finding onehas been a dominant force in my life formore than three decades,” Harrison said.“Finding an ivory-bill was a 33-yeardream come truefor me.”

The mysteriousivory-billed wood-pecker has beenthe topic of nation-al attention andcelebration sincespring 2005 whenthe journal Sciencereported on itsWeb site (April 28,2005) the bird hadbeen rediscoveredin the Big Woodsof easternArkansas. Prior to this report, it had beenmore than 60 years since the last con-firmed sighting of the species. Evidenceregarding the ivory-bill, the largest wood-pecker in North America, was gatheredduring a yearlong search led by TheNature Conservancy and Cornell Lab ofOrnithology involving more than 50experts, including Harrison.

Harrison, an associate professor of artand photography at Oakwood College inHuntsville, Ala., was one of the first threepeople involved in the search for thefamous bird. Since the rediscovery in2004, which was kept quiet for almost ayear to allow for confirmation, Harrisonhas been catapulted from being one of aminority convinced the dream sightingwould come true to a celebrity in wildlife

Rediscovering the ivory-billed woodpeckerby Jacque L. Smith

and conservation circles.In 1995, Harrison began searching for

the bird in Florida and later continued inGeorgia and Louisiana. Some in the scientific community have been skepticalof the sightings, but Harrison told thegroup gathered at Union College that heand his friend, Tim Gallagher, know whatthey saw: distinct markings including atell-tale flash of white on thesecondary wing.

“Tim and I immediately yelled, ‘ivory-bill’ simultaneously,” Harrison said. “Wewere in shock, but our independentsketches confirmed our sighting.”

He has since seen the ivory-billedwoodpecker five times, but doesn’t knowif those sightings were the same birds. He

reports seeing both amale and a female.

Harrison isone of the recipientsof the prestigious2006 Explorer’s ClubConservationist of theYear Award and hasreceived three awardsin the Nature’s Bestphotography competi-tions. He was alsofeatured in the televi-sion series, Nature’sBest Photography,and has publishedarticles on birds andphotography in most

North American birding magazines andcalendars. While in Lincoln, he was inter-viewed by KUCV, Union’s former radiostation which is now the mother stationof Nebraska’s public radio system.

Union College co-sponsored the eventwith the Wachiska Audubon Society,which meets on the Union College cam-pus. Russell Duerksen, WachiskaAudubon member, initiated Harrision’svisit by inviting him to present to theornithology class that he teaches forUnion.

“The rediscovery of the ivory-billedwoodpecker is arguably the greatestevent in ornithology in more than a cen-tury,” Duerksen said. “Hearing a first-hand account of Bobby’s monumentalsightings was a rare and wonderful

opportunity for students and otherwildlife enthusiasts.”

pFor more information on the ivory-billed woodpecker, including a detailedaccount of the sightings and conservationefforts surrounding the search, visit theBig Woods Conservation Partnership Website: www.ivorybill.org

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Nursing achievesperfect report

n April 8, Union College’s nursingprogram received official results from theNovember 2005 accreditation visit of theCollegiate Commission of NursingEducation (CCNE). The program has beengranted a 10-year accreditation status—themaximum possible accreditation span.

“The program received a perfect sur-vey with no recommendations,” said JeffJoiner, chair of the Division of HealthSciences.

“Congratulations to the entire facultyand staff of the nursing program on theachievements and hard work reflected inthis outstanding accreditation outcome,”said Malcolm Russell, vice president foracademic administration.

This is the fourth of Union’s academicprograms to receive accreditation results inthe last two years. The education, physi-cian assistant and social work programs allsuccessfully completed accreditationreviews.

OOBobby Harrison signs and critiques a printof an ivory-billed woodpecker for anAudubon Society guest.

While searching for ivory-bills, Harrisontries to blend with the scenery in anArkansas swamp.

Union professor receives business awardisa Forbes, Union College associate pro-

fessor of finance and accounting, is a recip-ient of The Lincoln Business Journal 40Under 40 Award.

Presented at a breakfast on May 12, theaward celebrates the accomplishments of40 Lincoln-area entrepreneurs, businessowners, managers and professional menand women under 40 years of age.

Forbes graduated from Union Collegein 1992 and later graduated summa cumlaude with an MBA from the University ofNebraska-Lincoln. Forbes worked for sixyears at Deloitte & Touche and became anaudit manager before returning to Union asan associate professor of finance andaccounting in 2002.

“I appreciate the confidence from mycolleagues very much and am honored tobe part of the Union College family,”Forbes said.

Forbes was nominated for the award by

LL several coworkers including Arlie Fandrich,Division of Business and Computer Sciencechair. “Lisa approaches teaching from avery student-centered perspective,”Fandrich said. “She is interested in the suc-cess of her students both professionally andpersonally and is always willing to provideextra help when needed. Known for herabilities in organization, Lisa is always wellprepared and motivated. She is an excep-tional teacher and business mentor.”

We need your

stories and reflections

to help celebrate Project Impact’s

25th anniversary event on Aug. 24.

Please contact Campus Ministries

before Aug. 10 with your reflections on volunteer service:

402.486.2508 or juokimi@ucollege.edu.

p Look online after the eventfor photos and

highlights.www.ucollege.edu/projectimpact

Full details of Project Impact 25

will be included in the next issue of CORDmagazine.

Union honored ascommunity partner

arlier this year, Union College was pre-sented the Friendship Home CommunityPartner Award for hosting the Safe Quartersdrive. The Friendship Home board ofdirectors president, Kris Baack, presentedthe award to Sharon Russell, conferenceand guest services coordinator, who accept-ed on behalf of Union College. In October,volunteers across the city joined in the SafeQuarters drive and collected loose changefrom Lincoln neighborhoods before return-ing to the Union College campus, theevent’s collection and distribution point.The fundraiser collected $131,000 for theFriendship Home—a shelter for womenand children of domestic violence. ˜BD

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Laura,Thank you for six years of hard work andfun in Marketing Communications. Wemiss you and wish you all the best in yournew pursuits. ~Steve and Jacque

Pictured: Laura Poblete, Steve Nazario,and Jacque Smith.

Laura Rumsey Poblete ’03 worked atUnion College for two summers beforeshe transferred to Union for her last twoyears of college. After graduating in May2003 with a major in English, Laura shiftedto a full-time position in MarketingCommunications as Web content manager/writer. In addition to her outstanding fea-ture writing, Laura contributed toCORDmagazine as a news writer, copy-editor and most recently assistant editor.Laura developed the online format forCORDmagazine in addition to managingthe Union College Web site for threeyears. Laura and her husband, Allen,moved to Orlando, Fla., in April.

6 SUMMER 2006

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Sharon Russell and Kris Baack

Lisa Forbes (center) is recognized duringthe 40 Under 40 Award event in May.

CORDforKKiiddss

Count the Clock Towers

Share CORDmagazine with thekids in your life. Help them enter acontest just for them. We have hidden 10 clock tower symbolsthroughout the magazine. See iftogether you can find all 10 grayCand black Cclock towers in thisissue, including this page, and wina chance at a free Union College T-shirt! *

Here’s what to send:

• Child’s name• Address• Phone number• E-mail address• Name of adult who shared

CORDmagazine• Relationship to child (mom, dad, aunt, grandpa, neighbor)

• Page numbers of the 10 clock towers

Here’s how to send it:

Mail: CORD for Kids—Summer 05/063800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506

E-mail: news@ucollege.eduOnline: www.ucollege.edu/cordkids

Last issue’s winners:Daniel—Rockland, Wis.Jonathan—Rockland, Wis.Caitlynn—Lincoln, Neb.

The Winter 05/06 CORDmagazinehad clock towers on these pages:6, 10, 15, 16, 24, 27, 29, 33, 34

* All entries are due Sept. 15, 2006.Submissions will be entered into adrawing with up to five winners.

CORDfor

2006 -2007 Campus CalendarNew Student Orientation Aug. 13-14Registration Aug. 15-16

Fall Semester Classes Begin Aug. 17Project Impact Aug. 2425th Anniversary

Fall Preview Days Oct. 5-8College Days Oct. 26-29(MAU academies)

Parents Weekend Nov. 3-5Registration Jan. 8Spring Semester Jan. 9Classes Begin

Homecoming Weekend Apr. 5-8Spring Preview Days Apr. 12-15Home School Sneak Peek Apr. 26-29Graduation Weekend May 11-13

Fitts named Teacherof the Year

uring the Homecoming WeekendAcademic Convocation in April, Dr. BillFitts, English professor at Union College,received the Teacher of the Year Awardfor excellence in teaching. The award isthe first given by the Dean’s StudentAdvisory Committee, in what is hoped tobecome an annual tradition.

“Dr. Fitts is compassionate toward stu-dents and just as willing to learn as he isto teach,” said Jody Boyce, leader of theall-student committee and presenter ofthe award.

“When an award comes from the stu-dents, it actually means more than if itwere from the administration and col-leagues,” Fitts said. Known for makingstudents work hard to earn good grades,Fitts was surprised to receive the award.“It means the students are saying, ‘Yes,you are hard, but we learned.’ To me, nogreater compliment could have beengiven because of who gave it.” ˜BD

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CORDmagazine 7

Union students will have a new apartment option when they return tocampus this fall. Construction of theapartment-style student housing complexfor older and married students is onschedule for completion by Aug. 1.Details from the Aug. 16 grand openingcelebration and a photo tour will beincluded in the next issue ofCORDmagazine.

Student housing nears completion

Union welcomes149 new alumni

n May 14, Union College awardedassociate and baccalaureate degrees to 149students during the annual commencementceremony in the College View Seventh-dayAdventist Church. The service recognized18 graduates from December 2005, 105May graduates and 26 prospective Augustgraduates. Among this group, five studentsgraduated as Union Scholars and 10 stu-dents earned two degrees for a total of 159degrees. Rich Carlson, Union College chap-lain of 25 years and father to two of thegraduating seniors, was the commence-ment address speaker and challenged theclass of 2006 to live each day as if it werea dance before God.˜JS

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y spring break had everything aspring break should: lots of beach houses,bonfires and very little sleep. The only dif-ferences were that these beach houseswere filled with debris and moldy insula-tion, the bonfires were made of woodfrom destroyed buildings, and the littlesleep I got was on a cot.

On March 9, I loaded into a big redvan with nine other students and Dr. andMrs. Abbey and headed for Waveland,Miss. Eighteen hours and several cargames later we reached our destination.

As Dr. Abbey figured out where wewould be staying that night, we waited inthe van until we spotted a bonfire on thebeach. When we approached the peoplearound the burning flames, we realized

they were students from SouthernAdventist University celebrating their lastday of service in Mississippi. We spentabout an hour with these students, and itwas clear that God had brought ourgroups together. Through them weacquired all the connections we neededfor the week: a place to stay and people tocontact to get organized.

The extent of the destruction inWaveland and Bay St. Louis was incredi-ble. In Waveland, only 35 of 7,000 houseswere livable after Hurricane Katrina. Ithought that so many months after the dis-

aster, most of it would be cleared away,but I was wrong. There were couches intrees, boats on rooftops and neighbor-hoods in pieces. Years and years of workstill remain. It will take a lot of time,money and dedication to bring the townsback to normal.

Throughout the following days itbecame more and more apparent that Godwas leading the efforts of our group. Wedid more than move boxes, clear drywalland remove moldy insulation; we builtrelationships with one another and withthe people of the community. We wereable to meet, spend time and pray with allthose we helped. While we may not haveexperienced a typical spring break, it wasan invaluable one.

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Reconstructing Spring Break

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A Union College group spent spring break in Waveland, Miss., to aid in cleanupefforts after Hurricane Katrina. Many of the students were international rescue andrelief majors.

A capsized boat in a serene river is oneof many souvenirs the hurricane leftbehind in Mississippi.

Union students Aaron Kent, Tony Paciniand Kel Harold work on projects of demo-lition and reconstruction during a springbreak trip in Waveland, Miss.

Laura Hanson wears a demolition maskand suit.

In March, Don Abbey, chair of the Divisionof Science and Mathematics, and JanellaAbbey, college academic administrationassistant, led a group of Union College stu-dents to Mississippi to clean up afterHurricane Katrina. Many of the studentswere international rescue and reliefmajors. Just a few days after their arrival,Union students began supervising othervolunteer groups at various sites. Some laidbrick or cleared yards of debris, while oth-ers worked in individual houses, guttingeverything that had been made unsalvage-able by flooding. The group witnessed trag-ic devastation, learned of heroic rescuesand seized the opportunity to transform thecommunity through their compassion andhard work.

Tony Pacini, sophomore IRR major,was one of the students inspired to showcompassion in the midst of chaos. ˜KS/BD

by Tony PaciniInternational Rescue and Relief major

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CORDmagazine 9

n April 29, 100 students and staff fromUnion College and College View Academyjoined 650 Lincoln participants who walkedto the Nebraska capitol building and slepton the Centennial Mall to raise awarenessfor children half a world away.

The Global Night Commute was createdto draw attention to the thousands of chil-dren in Uganda who have been abductedand forced to participate in the Lord’sResistance Army, a rebel army known formutilating and murdering civilians. Most ofthe children are from 8-14 years old. Morethan 300,000 children have been taken bythe rebels, according to Invisible Children, afoundation created to change the plight ofthese children.

“I feel every step I take is helping thosechildren,” said Jessica Dorval, president of

Walking for theChildren:Union participates in GlobalNight Commute

by Becky Dewey

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Global Night results• Nationwide participation:

more than 70,000 people

• Lincoln participation: 857 people (about 100 from Union College andCollege View Academy)

• Lincoln’s turnout was the eighth highest of the 126 participating cities across the United States.

• Lincoln is one of 20 cities to be featured in the updated version of the Invisible Children documentary.

• Of the 15 representatives organizingthe Lincoln Global Night Commute, half were from Union College, including six students, one profes-sor and one alumnus.

pFor more information about the film,the Ugandan children and what’s beingdone, visit www.invisiblechildren.com.

the Union College Peace and Social JusticeClub. “It’s a simple way for students toreach out in a humanitarian way. And that’swhat Christianity’s all about.”

“People were writing letters to senators,so it wasn’t just a big camp out,” said WalterAnderson, senior health science major whoparticipated. “We made it known that thesenators have our support if they can doanything to help the situation.”

Invisible Children is a non-profit organi-zation working toward peaceful govern-ment involvement. According to KatieBradel, an employee of Invisible Childrenfor the last two years, “Many senators aresympathetic, but don’t think enoughAmericans know or care. We’re here to saywe do.”

Among those who took notice of theLincoln demonstration were Channel 10/11News, Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng andCongressman Jeff Fortenberry. “It’s extraor-dinarily impressive that the kids from theUniversity of Nebraska and Union Collegewould come to give attention to childrenthousands of miles away,” Fortenberry said.

PA program classachieves exam success

he physician assistant graduating classof 2005 achieved a 100 percent pass rateon the Physician Assistant NationalCertifying Examination. This certificationis required before a physician assistantcan legally practice in the United States.All graduates passed on their firstattempt.

According to Mike Huckabee, physi-cian assistant program director, reachingthis 100 percent first-time pass rate is amilestone for Union’s relatively youngprogram. Graduates from the 2005 classare employed across the country, includ-ing locations in Georgia, Iowa, Maryland,Missouri, and several in Nebraska.

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arson Lifestyle Center is celebrating its25th anniversary this summer. Since 1981,the health facility has grown to offer thecampus and community exercise optionsfrom weight training to water aerobics. InMarch, the center’s pool was closed threemonths for ceiling structural repairs.

Donnie Epp, Lifestyle Center memberfor 23 years, has tried out several otherpool facilities in the area, but couldn’tfind one that measured up. “Larson is awonderful, clean, beautiful pool withgreat people to be around,” said Epp, age83. “It’s a bright, cheery place and makesyou feel good to see it and swim in it.”

Each month more than 2,000 commu-nity guests use the Lifestyle Center inaddition to Union students and employ-ees. Annually, more than 4,000 swimminglessons are taught in the center’s 25-meterpool.

Ric Spaulding, director of the facilityfor 16 years, says the Lifestyle Centerserves as the introduction to UnionCollege and the Seventh-day Adventistchurch for many people in the communi-

Lifestyle Center celebrates 25 years

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Ric Spaulding and Donnie Epp

ty. “So many times I run into peoplewhose first connection to Union Collegeis swimming lessons at Larson,”Spaulding said. “I hope the communitymembers have a positive image aboutSeventh-day Adventists from their experi-ence at Larson. We have fun and enjoylife.”˜BD

pLearn more about Larson LifestyleCenter online at:www.ucollege.edu/lifestyle.

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n 1976, more than 80 percent of ele-mentary schools in the North AmericanDivision Adventist system were multi-grade, yet no Union College elementaryeducation majors were being trained forthat environment. Virginia Simmons, thenprofessor of education, and CharlesFelton, chair of the education division,planned a laboratory school: a multi-grade classroom where student teacherscould gain much needed experience andelementary students could benefit from alow student-teacher ratio. What began asan experiment has become a 30-yearsuccess known as George Stone

Elementary School. Since its founding,one basic principle has guided theschool’s curriculum: the belief that chil-dren’s academic, social and spiritualthriving depend on working at their ownpace and within their own abilities.

This nontraditional approach to gaug-ing a student’s knowledge and abilitiescomes as a challenge to some studentteachers who have experience only withthe letter grade system. “Students aredivided into groups by their individuallearning level instead of by grade,”explained Emily Eskildsen ’06, educationmajor and student teacher at GeorgeStone last year. “So one student may usea seventh-grade math book and be in aneighth-grade level reading group. I check

students’ papers and hand them back.They make corrections before I check offthe assignment as finished. Students havethe opportunity to fix their mistakes, sore-teaching is happening constantly.”

With this unconventional system, stu-dents from George Stone score consis-tently above average on the Iowa Testsof Basic Skills. Several students havebecome valedictorians of their graduatingclasses in high school or academy. Oneformer student is now an Oxford Scholar.

Yet successfully educating elementarystudents is only half the mission ofGeorge Stone. The original impetus

behind the school was the goal ofpreparing education majors for Adventistelementary schools. Multi-grade class-rooms still compose more than 80 per-cent of these schools, and George Stoneis the only place in the Adventist schoolsystem where education majors canreceive this kind of training.

“Superintendents from across thecountry are always looking for UnionCollege graduates who have taught atGeorge Stone because of their skills witha diversity of ages and learning abilities,”said Joe Allison, current principal andUnion’s Division of Human Developmentchair. “Some people ask if we can affordto keep George Stone open. I tell themwe can’t afford not to.”

George Stone Elementary School: Teaching teachers and students for 30 years

IIby Kate Simmons

Emily Eskildsen, a student teacher at George Stone, explains a math assignment.

ince 1898, students have used therock pile as a landmark and meetingspot on the front of campus. A newonline community seeks to recreatethose functions for alumni. The RockPile (www.ucollegecommunity.org),launched on June 19, provides a perfectway for friends and family from aroundthe world to connect or reconnectonline.

“I’ve lost touch with so many of mygood friends from Union,” said PaulineSutton Morse ’76. “Once we all startusing the Rock Pile, we’ll be able to getin touch regardless of where life hastaken us after Union.” One advantagethe Rock Pile has over other online com-munities is its narrow audience, onlyUnion College alumni. “We’ve workedhard to make this community a safe andprivate place for our friends,” said JanyaMekelburg, alumni activities director.

The site’s features include photo gal-leries, message boards, private and pub-lic forums, alumni notes, personal pro-files and a group and private chat func-tion, with more feature still being devel-oped.

Joining the Rock Pile is just foursteps away:1. Go to www.ucollegecommunity.org. 2. Click on “First Time Login.” 3. Search for your name. 4. Enter your personal I.D. number (thiscan be found above your address on theback of CORDmagazine).

Questions regarding the Rock Pilecan be directed to alumni@ucollege.edu.

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Looking ahead...Mark April 5-8 on your calendarsand encourage your friends to joinyou at next year’s HomecomingWeekend. In 2007, the honorclasses will be:’37, ’47, ’52, ’57,’67, ’77, ’82, ’87 and ’97.

Union introducesthe Rock Pile onlinecommunity

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n 1906, after months of digging throughGeneral Conference yearbooks and Reviewand Herald archives for information onmissionary work conducted by alumni, thegraduating class presented Union Collegewith a map of the world featuring goldencords hung from Lincoln out to whereveralumni had gone as missionaries. One hun-dred years later, more than 1,900 cordshave been hung, stretching to every conti-nent except Antarctica. At this year’s home-coming, the annual Hanging of the GoldenCords honored this 100-year legacy as 26new cords were hung.

“The type of missionary we send ischanging,” said Rich Carlson, campus chap-lain. “Local workers now have the trainingand expertise the Seventh-day Adventist

church once looked for long-term, profes-sional missionaries to provide, but studentmissionaries from Union College continueto be a sought-after commodity around theworld. The expanding student missionsprogram is vital in maintaining a world-wide vision.”

This changing paradigm was reflectedin the service itself, giving two pioneers ofthe student missions program prominentroles. Gerald Lake ’66, Union’s first stu-dent missionary, led the procession of flagsand Mauri Bascom ’56 gave the address.Bascom served the Adventist church for 18years in East Asia and helped launch thelanguage school system that now employsstudent missionaries throughout the world.

A highlight of the evening was thepresentation of a painting by Steve Creitz’93. The painting, now displayed in theEverett Dick Building, depicts Jesus in aprayer-shawl of flags watching over theworld as golden cords stretch out from theclock tower. The depiction represents thecollege and gospel as supranational bondsthat transcend borders. “We still need mis-sionaries,” said Carlson, “partly because westill need returned missionaries to keep thenon-national world view of our church.”˜SC

Homecoming 2006highlights

ould you like to know what’s happening at Union betweenCORDmagazine issues? We want you tobe in the loop. That’s why Union hasdeveloped a new electronic publication,Around-the-Clock News. You may recog-nize the name from Union’s former print-ed publication. While some of the con-tent remains similar, this e-newsletter isdelivered directly to your inbox and isavailable to anyone with an interest inUnion College. In addition toCORDmagazine, Around-the-Clock News

WW

omecoming weekend 2006, from April6-9, saw more familiar faces return to cam-pus than previous years. “About 400 peo-ple registered,” said Janya Mekelburg,alumni activities director. “That’s about 100more than last year and, of course, wecan’t keep track of how many attend with-out registering. The meetings werepacked.” The 50- and 60-year classes (’56and ’46) were especially well represented,with more than 50 attendees in each class

pFind photos online at the Rock Pile:www.ucollegecommunity.org

Congratulations alumni golf tournament winners

First flightFirst: Bill Holderbaum and Randy McWilliams ’91Second: Ryan and Bob Beck ’76

Championship flightFirst: Rob Beck ’01 and Aaron Fritz ’98Second: Brannon Shea ’02 and Jamie Wasemiller ’96

HHII100 years of Golden Cords

provides an insider’s perspective onUnion College and is distributed more fre-quently. Alumni, please make sure wehave your current e-mail address throughvisiting the Rock Pile online community(see announcement on page 10). If youare not a Union alum, you can send an e-mail to alumni@ucollege.edu andrequest to be added to the distribution list.

Jacque Faucher Beck enjoys hor d’oeuvers at the President’sReception.

Recent student missionaries participatein the Parade of Nations.

CORDmagazine 11

Steve Creitz and Rich Carlson.

NEWSAROUND-THE-CLOCK

Union ReflectionsThis year’s honor classes have provided these memories preparedfor their honor class booklet, Reflections. Consistently, alumnireminisced of Friday night vespers, life-inspiring teachers, win-ters, Colorado nursing experiences, the College View churchambiance, new experiences, meeting a spouse and lifelongfriends. Portions of the memories are shared here.

Compiled by Becky Dewey

Romance

I met my wife of 55 years at Union—best memory ever.Ed Collier ’51

I remember looking out the windows of South Hall to see what girlswere coming to the cafeteria so my arrival at the line could be coincidentally timed.

Timothy Mercer ’81

I first met my future spouse at the Handshake. He was helping serverefreshments. Next meeting was in Dr. Firth’s economics class. Fromthe first row, I looked to the back row of the room, and there was thishandsome boy with reddish-brown hair smiling at me. I wrote homeand told my mom about him—not knowing who he was. I also toldmy roommate, Judy. She told me he had a girlfriend—my heart sank.God worked anyway, and he is my husband of 38 years.

Pat Colvin Diehl ’66

Fun With Friends

As Men’s Club leader, I paid Johnny Carson $50 to entertain us at theSouth Hall Christmas banquet in 1949. Believe it or not, Johnny’shumor was appropriate to our Christian campus. Carson was a discjockey at an Omaha radio station at the time and worked with hisdummy, “Eddie Delaney.” He was known at that time simply as JohnCarson.

Warren Zork ’51

After one of the banquets, my friend and I took off our shoes and rannylon footed through the snow back to the dorm.

Cynthia Hoffman Hillman ’66

Union College was where I was first introduced to pizza—Valentino’spizza!

Annie Liem ’66

Some of us fellows wanted to spend the night in the old clock tower.Our sleep was interrupted. We did not think about the big clock’sloud gong going off every hour on the hour.

Vernon Heglund ’46

I was appointed the official door locker at the library when I workedthere. One day I locked the doors and went home at noon. The con-ference board was meeting in one of the rooms. They all had to crawlout the window to get to lunch.

Stacia Alexenko Merickel ’46

I remember holding Bob Gabriella by the ankles at the top of theclock tower while we removed a Mickey Mouse face from the clockface after a Halloween prank!

Scott Daarud ’76

Putting Mickey Mouse on the clock tower.Gary Brendel ’66

Spiritual Reflections

Graduating from high school in 1933 and having just been baptizedinto the Seventh-day Adventist faith—a very green Christian —Iowe an introduction to Adventist lifestyle and mission to Union,Miss Rees and faculty. Friends I met there have been lifelong treas-ures. Union was a hallowed place to me and still is.

Eleanor Kirkpatrick Rice ’36

The cinnamon rolls served every Friday evening. They never lasteduntil their intended Sabbath morning breakfast.

Joyce Lyon Marks ’46

I remember Friday evening vespers in old College View church, thestring quartet led by Professor Engel and Dean Pearl Rees and herdormitory worships—informative, education, spiritual.

Marilyn Brown ’51

Union College was very influential in my spiritual life as I wasn’traised in the Seventh-day Adventist faith. I joined the Adventistchurch during World War II, shortly before I was drafted into thearmy.

Keith Wiseman ’51

The heart of Union was its spiritual component. It permeated thestaff, classes, work and friendships. The bustle of the week came to a

CAMPUS MEMORIES_________________________________

12 SUMMER 2006

halt as we ushered in the Sabbath with reverent worship in thedorm, a special candlelight supper by Miss Whitfield, an encour-aging foreign mission program and an inspiring vespers with thoseheavenly song services. Afterwards there was often anothersongfest around the piano. It was a real feast.

Heidi Nuessle ’66

I remember the Week of Prayer with Morris Venden in the late’70s. That week gave me assurance of salvation in Jesus throughfaith in Him if I stay connected by a personal friendship.

Clinton Anderson ’81

Selected Memories

The nursing class of 1951 has a round robin class letter goingfrom west to east—sometimes it takes two or three years to makethe rounds—but so far we have been able to keep it going!

Florence Kearnes Buttler ’51

While sitting in Dr. Fitt’s American Literature class discussingThoreau, I first thought of traveling abroad as a student mission-ary. That experience affected the course of my life dramatically.

Sophie Anderson Berecz ’96

At Union I met Annabelle Evans, to whom I was married for 50years before her death in 1994. I appreciated Professor L. W.Cobb for his instilling in me the love of the best in literature.Pearl Hall was an inspiration. Frank Marsh was a favorite teacherin biology; he helped me form a lifelong hobby in paleontology.Union’s teachers in my major ministerial courses gave soundfoundation for my life’s work.

Wayne Moore ’46

I remember Friday afternoon football outside Prescott Hall, stir-fry with Romeo, great friends, Pastor Greg’s sermons, Kwik Shopruns, Roeske’s Friday song service, dumpster diving for Doritos,the old terminals included in each dorm room, mounds of laun-dry, late nights, study breaks and worship cards.

Shayne Daughenbaugh ’96

I was one of the few guys in the dormitory who had stayed towork in the dorm on Christmas Eve when old South Hall burned. I was in Willis Hargreaves’ room in the new bathroomwindow and saw the fire just a few feet away. We got fire hoses and tried to put the fire out but it burned down despite our bestefforts. We stayed too long on the top floor and had to crawldown the hall and down the stairways on our knees in blacksmoke to make our way out. The fire department drove a ladder

truck up to the window to get us, but we made it on our own. Ardyce Weatherall ’56

I remember removing the corner stone of the old ad building asthe building collapsed around us.

Lynn Schlisner ’76

I learned that if one was honest with Miss Rees she would trustyou with the world.

Madeleine Douma Coy ’46

I remember sitting on a bench watching the old College Buildingbeing knocked down. It was sad and yet when it was gone thenew building looked so new and modern.

Joy Hilliard Wilder ’76

My first year at Union was the year the women convinced theadministration that they could wear blue jeans to class.

Peter Teller ’81

I remember as a freshman when Union College got computers ineach dorm room. We were advanced! I remember the new libraryand the atrium being built. We had a Christmas ornament con-test that year to decorate the tree in the atrium. The thing Iremember the best and still love about Union is the people.

Larinda Hoskinson Fandrich ’86

I remember …Being afraid to go to the cafeteria by myself at first and makinggreat friends. Giving our first nursing shots to oranges. Bikingeverywhere, no car … my kids can hardly imagine. Traipsing through Japan with a camera—sharing Bible storieswith Japanese teens, assisting in baby deliveries, and teachingJapanese women how to breastfeed when I had no experience.

Donna Hilderbrand Jaster ’81

For four years, the best times for me were on Saturdays when alarge group of us (ranging from freshman to seniors) wouldspend the day together relaxing and enjoying one another’s com-pany. Whether it was at a local park, on the lawns of the campusor at someone’s house, we always managed to find a place whereall of us could go.

Jamie Wasemiller ’96

CAMPUS MEMORIES_________________________________

CORDmagazine 13

C

story by Cheryl Huff Kennison ’02photography by Steve Nazario

Union alumnus pioneers cryogenic tissue preservation

Union alumnus pioneers cryogenic tissue preservation

G“

CORDmagazine 15

et the broadest and deepest understanding of the world so you’re prepared for the unexpected, and

then be open when the totally unexpected presents itself.”Dr. Charles Sims’ own statement is a perfect summary of his

life. Being prepared for and open to the unexpected has beenhis motto since attending Union College as a pre-med studentin 1956.

Sims was a transfer student to Union College fromSouthwestern Junior College, now Southwestern AdventistUniversity, and was the first member of his family to attend col-lege. His decision to attend Union wasn’t so much a consciousdecision but more the path of least resistance based on geogra-phy and the relationships between the respective Seventh-dayAdventist regional conferences.

“I was quite naïve when I arrived at Union,” Sims says. “Asit turned out, Union was a very good college for me. It wassmall, the faculty were caring and supportive of each individualstudent. It is only in hindsight that I realize how truly fortunateI was to have had such a caring and nurturing environment forthose critical formative years of my life.”

Sims sees one of the primary goals of education to providestudents with the tools to continue to learn and teach them-selves so education doesn’t stop at graduation. Educationbecomes a lifelong tool.

“I was taking pre-med, but the classes that had the greatestimpact on me were my history and language classes, taught byRobert Cleveland and Harry Reinmuth,” Sims says. “Looking atlanguages and peoples tied things together. They were thecourses that provided me with a platform to continue toexplore the world around me as an adult.

While at Union and during his medical school education atLoma Linda University, Sims pictured himself as a country doc-tor, using science to help people. Upon graduating from LomaLinda University in 1960 and completing an internship at WhiteMemorial Hospital in Los Angeles, he followed his predictedpath and worked at a family practice in Crescent City, Calif.,from 1961-1964. That’s when the unexpected presented itself.

“As rewarding as the family practice was in terms of helpingpeople, I became more interested in becoming an expert in anarea of medicine,” Sims says.

Soon after, Sims applied and was accepted into a pathologyresidency. After working at two different hospitals in pathologyand as the laboratory director and chief of pathology for a largereference laboratory, Sims was hired at Century City Hospital inLos Angeles in 1976. One year later the unexpected happenedagain.

Dr. Cappy Rothman, a specialist in male infertility and urolo-gist at Century City Hospital, was directed to Sims because of hisextensive laboratory and pathology experience. Rothman wantedto establish a sperm bank to create a practical and viable solutionto a painful dilemma he had witnessed in his profession: theoften-traumatic effect of sterilization on men and their families.

With each of them making an initial investment of $1,000,

G

“Voyage into the unknown. Much like

Columbus, what you discover may not

be what you set out to find. ”

“

Charles Sims and his partner, Cappy Rothman, launched thecord blood cell storage component of their business in 1997.These nitrogen-filed containers make the long-term storageprocess possible.

Approximately 100 cc of blood is collected immediately afterbirth from the mother’s umbilical cord and shipped to thestorage processing lab. The blood is prepared for separationto harvest the stem cells.

Canisters containing cord blood are placed in a centrifugethat rapidly spins to separate plasma and the white and redblood cells.

The science of cell storage

16 SUMMER 2006

The red blood and stem cells sink to the bottom of the bagthat is removed from the centrifuge.

During the retrieval process, the mother is tested for infec-tious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Each sample mustalso clear a battery of tests again in the lab before it can beapproved for safe storage.

The small fill tube (left) is divided into a few sample cell sec-tions that can be tested in the future without disturbing themain collection. The cells are sealed and double insulated inthe package.

The sealed package is cataloged and labeled.

The cells are enclosed in a protective metal case designed tofit into large storage trays in the cryogenic storage tanks.

Before the cord blood cells are placed in the nitrogen-filledtanks, the storage package temperature is slowly lowered by asmall computer-controlled freezer. Unlike sperm cells, stemcells require a gradual temperature decrease of one degreeper minute. The process takes about 60 minutes to reach thelong-term freeze zone of -60 to -80 degrees F. The whole test-ing and freezing process must be completed within fourhours of opening the cord cell transport container.

CORDmagazine 17

they established the California Cryobank in 1977. Their firstoffice was located in a broom closet in the hospital and con-sisted of a microscope, some laboratory junk, and a second-hand fridge and desk they purchased at a yard sale. Afterincreasing their space to a slightly larger office they rented for$175 per month on a month-by-month basis, they hired theirfirst employee, a part-time student they paid on a percentage-of-fees basis.

“At that time there were no free-standing sperm clinics inthe Western United States,” states Sims. “There were times itlooked very, very bleak.”

Over the next few years, the clinic continued to grow.Then in 1978 the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) birth in theworld took place in England.

“We thought, ‘Can we do this?’” Sims says. “Because wedidn’t know any better, we thought we could.”

After meeting with Dr. Patrick Steptoe, the doctor who per-formed the first IVF procedure, the California Cryobank startedthe second IVF program in California, the third in the UnitedStates.

“It was exciting to be able to participate in this excitingnew area of science,” Sims says. “Just like in the biologicalworld, we need to be able to change to our environment.”

In 1993, another scientific discovery, stem cell transplanta-tion using umbilical cord blood stem cells, led to more changefor Sims. After several years of researching the feasibility andpossibility of expanding into this area, Rothman and Simsopened Family Cord Blood Services in 1997, the only cordblood bank owned and operated by physicians. This companycollects cord blood, processes and stores stem cells using aspecialized process, and provides the stem cells should theybe needed for treatment.

“We decided to take a chance and become a pioneer inthis field,” states Sims. “To be able to help people and familiesin this way is incredibly rewarding.”

Sims has not only been a pioneer in the scientific compo-nent of this field, but he has also played a major role in shapingand debating national policy regarding transplantation of stemcells from umbilical cord blood. Additionally, he has beeninstrumental in developing a national organization for privatecord blood banks.

While Family Cord Blood Services has provided stem cellsfor a small number of transplants, Sims’ real hope is that hisclients never have to use their stored stem cells, but he knowsthis likelihood will continue to increase over time.

“If there is no expectation of problems at birth, the likeli-hood of needing the stems cells is one in 2,700,” Sims says.“Cells can be used for other members of the family in manycases. Obviously, this field holds an enormous number ofhealth applications.”

Currently stem cell transplantation is being used to treatmore than 45 malignant and non-malignant diseases in childrenand adults, including anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, immunedisorders and genetic disorders. New treatments continue toemerge as scientists research potential future treatments for avariety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, musculardystrophy, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Sims and Rothman have seen their dreams move from asmall broom closet to one of the largest laboratories of itskind, with their recent relocation to a custom-built 21,000square foot building. This move marks an important step intheir ongoing mission to help clients start families. CaliforniaCryobank now ships specimens throughout the United Statesand to over 30 countries worldwide and has a large staff thatis fluent in 16 languages and includes genetic counselors,donor matching counselors and a technical staff available tophysicians and patients.

“Voyage into the unknown,” advises Sims. “Much likeColumbus, what you discover may not be what you set out tofind. It may be more interesting and rewarding.” C

Cord Blood Banking Facts

What exactly are stem cells? Stem cells are the “parent cells,” which give rise to all

other cells in the human body. They are found in the bloodof the umbilical cord and are key building blocks of bloodand the immune system. They are the origin of white bloodcells that fight infection, red blood cells that carry oxygenand platelets that promote clotting and healing.

How is the umbilical cord blood collected?The process is simple. After delivery, the physician, nurse

or midwife collects blood from the umbilical cord in a spe-cial bag and packages it in a custom-designed transportationkit for shipping to the processing and storage facility.

What happens to the cord blood after it is collected andshipped to the facility?

Once the sample is received, it goes through extensivetesting and processing to retrieve the stem cells. Then theyare cryogenically frozen and stored at the facility.

How long can umbilicalcord blood stem cells bestored?

To date, umbilical cordblood has been successfullystored for up to 15 years.Theoretically, cord blood canbe stored indefinitely.

Who should consider savingtheir child’s umbilical cordblood stem cells?

Any parent who wants toassure their child and otherfamily members will haveaccess to stem cell treatmentsin the future. Banking cordblood is particularly importantfor families with a genetic pre-disposition to certain illnessesor those of diverse ethnic backgrounds, as well as those withchildren whose genetic links to parents are unavailable, likein the case of adoption or assisted reproduction.

Guest speaker, Charles Sims,responds to a question whilepresenting to Union sciencestudents during HomecomingWeekend.

18 SUMMER 2006

s I set out to write an article

covering campus research, I

started with two prominent topics in

mind: Dr. Brian Wong’s cancer preven-

tion research and Dr. Veneracion

Cabana’s lipoprotein research for heart

disease. While these are certainly

significant and compelling projects, I

began to uncover more and more

activities all across campus—hidden

gems of service and contribution that

are quietly emerging in their own fields

with their own significance.

The scope of the article quickly

expanded, and I soon realized it would

be impossible to adequately cover each

of the service projects, presentations,

publications, performances and

research activities that Union College

faculty participate in each year. With

that in mind, this article is not intend-

ed to be a comprehensive report on

campus research, but rather a glimpse

into the heart of Union’s faculty

through their many contributions that

go beyond classroom lectures and

graded essays.

story by Laura Poblete ’03photography by Steve Nazario

CORDmagazine 19

t Union, classes are taught by professors—not graduate students.” This statement is often used to emphasize Union’s focus

and strength in providing quality, personal education tostudents. While Union has positioned itself as a teachinginstitution rather than a research facility, this does notstop faculty from delving into cutting-edge research andmaking valuable contributions to society.

According to Malcolm Russell, vice president for aca-demic administration, 20 percent of faculty annuallyreport academic research—original research conveyingsomething new to a specialized audience—or juried artand music performances that have passed an entrancetest. This group doesn’t include another 10 to 20 per-cent of faculty who reach out to general society eachyear through church publications, presentations at work-shops and other contributions.

“Research is part of being a college,” Russell said. “Ifwe didn’t have it, we wouldn’t really be a college. Butit’s not everything here. The nice thing about Union isthat our faculty are doing both—researching and teach-ing.”

Union’s focus on providing quality education for stu-dents is enriched, not eclipsed, by the research thattakes place. The opportunities research creates lendstrength and excitement to each student’s educationexperience.

“Research helps keep professors up to date in theirfields and benefits the students,” Russell said.“Professorsoften involve students in their projects, giving them first-hand research experience.”

While full-time teaching responsibilities can some-times create challenges for professors—much of theirresearch is conducted on their own time with their ownresources—this dedication once again demonstrates thepassion of Union’s faculty.

Advances in cancer preventionDr. Brian Y. Y. Wong, professor of biology, has been

researching cancer prevention methods for more than15 years since his doctoral dissertation in 1990. Whilehis dissertation focused on how certain Chinese herbscould prevent chemical mutagenesis and carcinogenesis(the production of cancerous cells), since coming toUnion, Wong has shifted his emphasis to study theeffects of the herbs on preventing cancer cells from fur-ther development.

“Some of my student assistants helped me discoverthat different compounds from two Chinese herbs canactually induce the cancer cells to die,” said Wong.“That was my turning point. Once I saw that, I said,‘This is promising. There are a lot of things we can dowith that.’”

With those encouraging findings, Wong and hisresearch students have focused on apoptosis—the inher-ent programmed dying process—of cancer cells. To aid

20 SUMMER 2006

in this research, Wong acquired two pairs of mice as a dona-tion from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.1 Students andWong bred the mice and fed them with extracts from theChinese herbs Scutellaria barbata (SB) and Oldenlandia diffusa(OD). The mice, which have multiplied to approximately 40,are genetically engineered with the prostate cancer gene tonormally start the cancer development process at 10 weeks old.Results showed tumor development in mice given the herbs tobe considerably slower than in mice not fed the herb. Theonset of cancer was delayed at least four to six weeks, whichin humans would translate to seven or eight years.

Since these initial findings, Wong has worked to verify theresults. He has been confirming his animal studies with specificdosages of the herb extracts and seeing higher correspondingproportional inhibition of cancer formation. Most recently,Wong has tested a dosage of 32 milligrams of the SB extract,which delayed the onset of cancer by seven weeks in mice.

“If a human could take an equivalent dosage, I believe itshould work to delay the onset of cancer for a normal humanbeing for a chemoprevention purpose.” Wong said.

He is now confident of the data and is preparing a manu-script for the Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and PreventionJournal by the American Association of Cancer Research. Hereceived an invitation in 2004 to write the paper; however, withfull-time teaching responsibilities as a priority, completion ofthe paper has been put on hold.

Wong does not underestimate the value of teaching. Morethan 15 biology majors have gained valuable experience astemporary apprentices in his research. Erin Wisbey ’01, MistyJanes Wehling ’01, Brian Wehling ’01, Arthur Pangemanan ’01,Josh Holweger ’01 Frankie Rose ’02, Violet Onkoba ’03,Hannah Wong ’03, Peter McHenry ’03, Nancy Rexinger ’03,Heidi Erickson ’03, Amy Shepherd McHenry ’04, Joella Geary’04, Christina Smith Bridger ’04, Alessandro Cavalcante ’04 andMelinda McKenney ’05 are among the Union graduates whohad a hand in Wong’s cancer prevention findings and otherresearch. All have had their results accepted in peer-reviewedabstracts accompanied by oral or poster presentations.Currently, Rick Yang, biology major, continues the tradition asWong’s research assistant.

Research projects are a requirement for all B.S. biologymajors in the Research III and IV classes. However, with onlyone credit for each class, much of the research is a result of thestudents’ volunteer time and effort beyond the class requirement.

“Research significantly helps the students because they are notjust running one experiment; they are working toward a biggergoal,” Wong said. “They know the difficulty of research and learnthe techniques: how to plan, how to follow up the data, how tointerpret it, and finally how to put it into readable format.”

Wong earned an undergraduate degree in education, biolo-gy and religion from Hong Kong Adventist College in 1981. In1983, he earned a religion degree from Loma Linda University.He earned a Ph.D. in biology from Loma Linda in 1992. Wongthen earned master’s degrees in biology and administration andleadership from Loma Linda in 1995. Since then, Wong hasworked as a guest lecturer at the University of the West Indiesin Trinidad, professor of biology at Caribbean Union College,vice president for administration at Caribbean Union College,

1 Union College complies with all National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies forhumane treatment of animals. In addition, Union College maintains a three-personAnimal Care Committee, led by a practicing veterinarian, with regular checkupsfor proper treatment of animals under the college’s care.

Dr. Brian Y. Y. Wong (right)

continues his search for the

prevention of cancer. After

seven years at Union, more

than 15 students have had the

opportunity to assist Wong in

his research, including

current student Rick Yang,

junior biology major.

Scutellaria barbata (SB)

Oldenlandia diffusa (OD)

CORDmagazine 21

and professor of biology at Union College since 1999. His publi-cations include more than 20 peer-reviewed abstracts and posterpresentations, many with assistance from students, more than 10articles in peer-reviewed journals, and a variety of awards andhonors.

After seven years at Union College, Wong will transfer toPacific Union College this summer where he plans to continuehis research as time and resources allow. He plans to take twopairs of mice for reproduction. While Wong’s cancer researchwill likely not continue at Union when he leaves, new andexciting research opportunities are surfacing in the biologydepartment.

Insight into heart disease Sometimes in the world of science, an unexpected discovery

can completely reshape a researcher’s course. This was the experi-ence for Dr. Veneracion G. Cabana, professor of biology, whilestudying immune responses at Rush Medical College in Chicago in1983.

“I was isolating protein in the cold room [walk-in refrigerator]over night,” Cabana said. “When I came back the next morning, Isaw cloudiness and thought, ‘Is this bacteria?’ Then it dawned onme—fat! I did some tests to confirm, and viewing the results, Icalled out to everybody, “Look, look!’”

Cabana had serendipitously discovered a decrease in good cho-lesterol, or high-density lipoproteins (HDL), due to the increase of aprotein called serum amyloid A (SAA). This protein has since beenrecognized as one of the predictors of heart disease. Cabana’sresearch shows that this protein increases more than 1,000-foldwithin 24 to 48 hours after the onset of infection or inflammation(see figure 1). This results in the decrease or disappearance of HDL(see figure 2), which means inflammation could be connected toatherosclerosis and heart disease. Serum amyloid A is also one ofthe proteins responsible for protein-folding diseases such asAlzheimer’s, amyloidosis and mad cow disease.

This does not mean that SAA is completely negative for thebody. “Why would the body produce it 1,000-fold within 24 hours?There has to be a purpose,” Cabana said. Her research centersaround finding that purpose.

Since her discovery 23 years ago, Cabana has been researchingthis subject at the University of Chicago. She came to Union Collegein 2003, and though Union’s lab facilities are more limited, Cabanacontinues her research as time and resources allow.

During the summers and occasionally during semesters withlighter class loads, she works on her research at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Cabana originally requested a grant fromUNL, but due to lack of resources on Union’s campus, the universityinvited her instead to become a member of the research faculty atthe Redox Biology Center. This center studies the effects of oxida-tion reduction in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism.

On campus, Union’s biology department recently purchased anultracentrifuge, a powerful machine used to separate microscopicparticles by spinning up to 70,000 revolutions per minute. In addi-tion to generating data for Cabana’s research, this machine allowsBen Thornton’s developmental biology students to assist him in aportion of his dissertation research on campus (see description onpage 27).

Jelena Mateljevic ’05, Filipe Pereira and Greg Okimi, seniorbiology majors, and Heather Dickman, junior health sciences major,have recently conducted research under Cabana’s supervision aspart of their bachelor of science research requirements. In addi-

Dr. Veneracion Cabana (far

right) has been researching

lipoproteins and the causes of

heart disease for more than

23 years. Now as a professor

at Union College, Cabana’s

biology students have the

opportunity to assist her in

this research.

figure 1

figure 2

C

tion, Cabana assisted several students from her fall 2005human physiology class on a project about the effect of sleepon muscle endurance. The students, including ChristopherWiles and Oscar Lucar, junior health science majors, presentedtheir research at the Nebraska Academy of Science (NAS)annual meeting at Nebraska Wesleyan University in April 2006.NAS provided partial funding for their projects.

“Research helps students with critical thinking. In myMethods of Research Class, one thing I have emphasized is theability to analyze and make conclusions from data, not just tak-ing somebody’s word for it,” Cabana said. “And of course theyget real experience with the excitement of research. Studentswill work until midnight if they have to because they are soexcited about seeing the results.”

Cabana has seen that excitement in her own scientific find-ings as well as more personal discoveries. “I was working withall this background in lipoproteins and lifestyle,” Cabana said,“but I wasn’t paying attention to my own lifestyle—I wasn’t liv-ing the Adventist health message.”

One day about 15 years ago at an American HeartAssociation scientific session, Dr. William Castelli from HarvardUniversity spoke about the effects of lifestyle on heart disease.Although not an Adventist himself, he used statistics from theAdventist health study conducted at Loma Linda University toshow that a healthy lifestyle does make a difference.

“I thought, ‘Lord, help me. I am not part of those statistics.’He had put me on the front-line, cutting edge of researchabout cholesterol and atherosclerosis, but I wasn’t payingattention to the health message until the Lord arrested myattention by a fellow scientist. All of a sudden, the taste formeat and everything else disappeared for me.”

Cabana has recognized the Lord’s leading in all areas ofher life. “I didn’t know anything when I came to the UnitedStates, but the Lord was good. He led me to places where Icould be exposed to research,” Cabana said.

She earned her undergraduate degree in 1964 fromPhilippine Union College (now Adventist University of thePhilippines). After coming to the United States in 1968, Cabanaearned a master’s degree in microbiology from the Universityof Illinois-Chicago (UIC) in 1972 and a Ph.D. in microbiologyand immunology from UIC in 1980. From 1972-1975, she stud-ied cholesterol at the University of Washington in one of thefirst lipoprotein centers established in the United States. Shereturned to Chicago in 1976 where she taught at UIC whilecompleting her doctorate, then worked at Rush MedicalCollege until her SAA protein discovery, when she transferredto the University of Chicago.

Cabana has been internationally recognized as a leadingauthor in lipoprotein research with more than 25 peer-reviewedarticles, five non-peer-reviewed articles, more than 50 abstractsand academic presentations, a chapter in Biochemistry andBiology of Plasma Lipoproteins, and a variety of grant awards.

In the future, Cabana would like to further study themolecular mechanisms of the disease process—why the SAAprotein increases and why it affects the good cholesterol.“Atherosclerosis and its fatal consequence, heart disease, is thenumber one killer in the United States, and Alzheimer’s is alsoone of the most feared diseases,” Cabana said, “These aresome of the main problems in [American] society, so theresearch can have a pretty huge impact.”

“I really enjoyed the opportunityto do research side by side withpeople who frequently havepapers published in the major sci-entific journals. Working at UNLfor the summer helped me betterunderstand where I want to gowith my degree and how to bettermeet these goals. It also helpedme appreciate the good educationI have gained.”

— Through the assistance and encourage-ment of Union College science faculty—Dr.Carrie Wolfe, Dr. Charles Freidline and Dr.Veneracion Cabana—Rilla Westermeyer,senior chemistry major, studied proteinstructures in the body as part of a summerresearch opportunity at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln, which fulfilled theresearch requirements of her major.

22 SUMMER 2006

“My research with Dr. Wongwas important preparation for mycurrent role as a graduate student.It gave me practical laboratoryskills, a sense of independentresearch and experience with theups and downs of laboratoryresearch. The small hands-onenvironment at Union and thecaring Christian atmosphere pro-vided me with the training I needto carry on my research education

and eventually find ways to improve peo-ple’s lives.”

— Amy Shepherd McHenry ’04 assistedWong with cancer prevention research asa biology major at Union. She is nowstudying infectious disease as a second-year graduate student at the University ofNotre Dame with a focus on malaria. Inthe future, she plans to teach at a univer-sity and continue her malaria research.

CORDmagazine 23

BUSINESS AND COMPUTER SCIENCEAdministrator evaluations

In fall 2005, Barry Forbes,associate professor of business,began a project in his AdvancedHuman Resources Managementclass to create evaluations for theadministrators at Union College.The idea came from a generalfaculty and staff meeting inAugust when President DavidSmith shared his goal to implement a process for administratorevaluations. Creating the evaluations became a significant com-ponent of the two-semester class, which is taught by KimSteiner, assistant professor of business, in the spring. The sevensenior business administration majors in the class created ques-tionnaires to be given to the administrators’ boss, peers andsubordinates. The questionnaires will go through final revisionsand approval by President’s Council before the evaluationprocess begins.

Computer software As chair of Union’s Administrative Software Evaluation (ASE)

Committee, Lisa Forbes, assistant professor of accounting andfinance, integrated her spring Auditing class into the informationgathering process for the committee. Twelve students, mostlysenior accounting majors, broke into groups of three to inter-view Union College Accounting office staff and document fourmajor accounting systems: accounts payable, student accountsreceivable, other accounts receivable and payroll personnel. TheASE Committee will incorporate the students’ completed proj-ects, which include a written report and flow chart, into theirresearch as they continue the process to determine campusneeds in a new computer software system.

Student tax assistance For two years, students who have completed the fall indi-

vidual taxation class are provided an opportunity to help immi-grant and low-income taxpayers complete their tax returns aspart of the government’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance(VITA) program. Arranged by Malcolm Gaskin, assistant profes-sor of accounting, students meet with taxpayers at public loca-tions in Lincoln (this year at Holmes Elementary School), inter-view them, and prepare their return.

“This program is a very direct way of using a class to helpthe community,” Gaskin said. “It is also a great experience forstudents to see how their knowledge learned in the classroomis successfully used in society.”

In addition to Union’s more prominent scientific research, a wide spectrum of research activities and service projects carry on quietlyto benefit society and the local community. The following division and faculty highlights provide a small sampling of these activities.pFind the complete 2006 faculty awards list online: www.ucollege.edu/facultyawards2006.

Summer Research Grants

For the last two years, Union College AcademicAdministration has awarded summer research grants of$1,500 each to faculty who submit proposals for research inan academic area. The proposals are reviewed by a sub-committee of the LEAD (Lifetime Education and ActiveDiscipleship) Committee, formerly known as the GeneralEducation Committee. Following the summer study, facultypresent their results in a presentation on campus. � February 2005: Larry Ray presented “Redesigning Precalculus for In-depth Understanding: an Experiment in Cooperative Learning.”

� March 2005: Ken Hoppmann presented “Globalism, Gray Matter, and Groups: How One Assignment Made a World of Difference.”

� March 2005: Michelle Velazquez Mesnard and Elizabeth Rodacker-Borgens presented “Multicultural Initiatives for the Future of Adventist Higher Education.”

� March 2006: Joe Allision presented “Enhancing the Instructional Quality of a Freshmen Level Class.”

� March 2006: Joann Herrington presented “Best Practices forStudent Engagement.”

� March 2006: Chris Blake presented “Searching for a Leadership Program to Love: What Does the Data Tell Us?”

“It was good to representUnion in the community. It wasan opportunity to minister topeople by using the talentsGod has given me for a good,needful purpose. It also helpedme for the future by giving mesome resume-building experi-ence in my field.”

— Othnel Belford, senior busi-ness administration major,helped local taxpayers on Monday nightsfor six consecutive weeks in January andFebruary 2006 as part of the VolunteerIncome Tax Assistance program.

FINE ARTSPhotography

In March 2006, photographyby Bruce Forbes, associate professor of art and graphicdesign, was accepted into the21st annual five-state photogra-phy competition and exhibitionin Hays, Kan. One photographreceived an award. Forbes haspreviously been accepted intothis juried exhibition in 2003 and 2004.

Persian music performancesIs Iran a friend of the United States? Would you like to visit

Iran? These two questions open a Persian music presentationput on by Ken Hoppmann and Mahour Mellat Parast. For thepast four years, Hoppmann, associate professor of music, has

partnered with Parast, anIranian musician, to help raisecultural awareness for gradeschool students in Lincoln.Supported by a grant from theNebraska Arts Council,Hoppmann and Parast visit fifthgrade classrooms, primarily inpublic schools, and begin theirpresentation with a short testmeasuring the students’ knowl-edge about the Middle East.Following the test, Parast talksabout the Persian culture and musical traditions, explaining hisinstrument, the tar, as the traditional string instrument of Persia.Hoppman and Parast then perform pieces that combine westernmusic with Persian traditions.

“Right now we are fighting a lot of negative perceptionsbecause of the war,” Hoppmann said. “After the presentation

CAMPUS MINISTRIESReligious beliefs survey

How strongly do Union College students feel about their

basic Christian beliefs? Rich Carlson, Union College chaplain,

wondered this after seeing the results from a national survey

by The Barna Group on religious beliefs among a random

sampling of Christian denominations.

According to the 2000-2001 survey, Adventists ranked

average to low on their agreement with statements about

basic Christian beliefs, such as “Jesus Christ lived a sinless

life.” These results were gathered from a sampling of 89

Adventists. For complete information on this survey, visit

www.barna.org.

Carlson decided to compare these results with the

responses of Union College students. In February 2006, he

distributed surveys with questions identical to the Barna sur-

vey in Union College classrooms. Teachers administered the

surveys in their classes and received 374 completed surveys

out of 500 distributed. The responses contrasted greatly with

Barna’s national results.

“The disparity between results reconfirms to me the quali-

ty of students we have at Union College and their commit-

ment to the basic beliefs of Christianity,” Carlson said.

*The number in parentheses indicates the percent of Union studentswho either agreed or strongly agreed (4 or 5 on a 5-point scale).

**Union’s Campus Ministries office feels that while Union students arepassionate about sharing their Christian faith, many are hesitant toimpose their specific doctrinal beliefs on others. The survey makesno distinction in these two types of witnessing, which may helpexplain the lower levels of agreement.

1. The Bible is totally accurate in all 64 69 (92)*that it teaches.

2. I have an obligation to share my religious 42 28 (60)faith with those who believe differently.**

3. Religious faith is important. 73 75 (91)

4. Satan, or the devil, is a real being who 37 84 (95)can influence people’s lives.

5. Good works cannot earn a person 32 80 (92)salvation. Salvation is a gift from God through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.

6. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life during his 45 88 (94)three decades on this earth.

7. God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, 76 90 (97)perfect creator of the universe who still rules the world today.

8. I am absolutely committed to Christianity. 53 60 (85)

Strongly agree = 5 on a 5-point scale

Barna UnionSurvey Question % strongly % strongly

agree agree

Campus ministries manualIn May 2003, Gina Jacob ’03 began a two-year, grant-funded internship in Union’s Campus

Ministries department with the goal of researching and producing a manual for effective campus

ministry leadership on college campuses. Jacob traveled to all North American Division Adventist

colleges and universities, researching the trends, needs and current methods for creating a positive

and empowering spiritual environment for students. The research has culminated in the book

Crafting a Culture: A Guide to Successful Campus Ministries, published by AdventSource in March

2006. pwww.adventsource.org (For the full story, read CORDmagazine online:

www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine/ministrybook.)

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C

we ask the same two questions, and we’ve seen an over-whelming change for the positive.”

Hoppmann and Parast presented their findings at the Pan-Pacific Business Association conference in Anchorage, Alaska,in May 2004. They are currently applying for additional fundingto continue their project.

Parast also performs each year in Hoppmann’s Traditionaland World Music class.

Hummingbird paintings

Watercolor hummingbirdpaintings by Jim McClelland,professor of art, were used asillustrations for TheHummingbirds of NorthAmerica, Smithsonian InstitutePress, by Paul Johnsgard, pro-fessor of Ornithology at theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In February 2005, McClellandwon the OutstandingAchievement in the Arts awardsponsored by the AdventistAlumni Achievement AwardsFoundation. The award is

accompanied by $5,000 for an Adventist school, whichMcClelland designated for Union College.

CD releases Ryan Wells, professor of music, released his third piano

album, An Afternoon Concert, in December 2005. He hasreleased two previous albums: Night Songs (2004) and Shadesof Enchantment (1995). Rudy Dennis, associate professor ofmusic, and Bruce Forbes, associate professor of art and graphicdesign, both assisted in the production of Wells’ albums.

HEALTH SCIENCESCultural competency survey

As physician assistant students enter and exit the PA pro-gram, they take a survey measuring their knowledge, skills andawareness in cultural sensitivity. The survey was taken fromthe Multicultural Awareness-Knowledge-Skills Survey (MAKSS),a well-established survey for mental health professionals, andtailored for physician assistants by Union faculty (with theauthor’s permission). Results show that while in the PA pro-gram, the students’ knowledge and skills increase significantly.However, perceived awareness has not increased significantlyand even showed a decrease one year.

“Our explanation for these results has been that as webecome more knowledgeable and skilled at cultural competen-cies, we are more aware of our inadequacies,” said MichaelHuckabee, director of the physician assistant program.

An article titled, “The Impact of Education and Experienceon Physician Assistant Students’ Perception of CulturalAwareness, Knowledge and Skills” by Janella Abbey, formerresearch assistant for the PA program and current administrativeassistant for Academic Administration, was published in theJournal of Allied Health in March 2006.

Deployment research projectThrough the support of a federal grant, the physician assis-

tant program is studying factors in students’ choice of employ-ment after graduation, particularly when choosing to work inunderserved communities. After surveying the graduates todetermine what factors they identify as important, programfaculty review the graduates’ cultural competency scores andexperiences with underserved populations while at Union.

“We hope to find correlations between the experiences stu-dents have at Union and graduates’ decisions to seek employ-ment in underserved communities,” Huckabee said. “Webelieve this could be of high interest, especially if we deter-mine there are factors that can be influenced by the educa-tional system that lead to greater commitment to serving theunderserved.”

Community outreach eventsStudents in the physician assistant program regularly give

lectures in public high schools on sexual health and responsi-bility; two high schools have invited the students to their healthclasses on a quarterly basis. PA students presented at CollegeView Academy chapel services each Friday in February onabstinence, STDs, peer and media pressure, and healthy rela-tionships. In addition, PA students give an average of 15-20presentations a year in grade schools on growth and develop-ment.

PA students assisted with employee health screening pro-grams at Lincoln businesses, including Duncan Aviation andLincoln Plating in the 2005-2006 school year. They providedblood pressure screenings at a local Walgreens and Russ’sMarket in October 2005, and on occasion, they provide moreelaborate screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol,blood sugars and health risks.

CORDmagazine 25

Institutional Research and Assessment

Most people familiar with Union’s administration buildingeasily recognize the fifth floor window with Kenna LeeCarlson’s helpful smile as the place to finalize graduationrequirements or obtain transcripts. The Records office, how-ever, shares locations with the office of Institutional Researchand Assessment, both directed by Osa Berg. This less visiblebut significant function is responsible for compiling a varietyof information each year for the benefit of administration,campus committees, current students, prospective studentsand other constituencies. A sample of this research includes:� Yearly survey of current students rotating between the National Survey of Student Engagement, which measures what students want out of college and how they spend their time in college, and the Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey, which measures the importance of various aspects of college life and how well Union meets those expectations.

� Enrollment projections and trends.� Development of retention, graduation and placement rates.� Development and analysis of cost effectiveness data by division and program.

� Annual division reviews with report from division chairs. � Complete program review for each discipline every five years.

Foot clinicsThe health sciences division

continues to impact the commu-nity and surrounding towns byproviding free foot clinics. ThisJanuary, Charlotte Schober,associate professor of nursing,Kelli Wehling, contract nursingteacher, and eight students fromthe Community Health Nursingclass conducted a foot clinic forclients at the Senior Center inPalmyra, Neb. Physician assis-tant students join nursing stu-dents throughout the year foradditional foot clinics, including a back-to-school foot care spe-cial event for youth through the Matt Talbot Kitchen.

Global researchStudents in the internationalrescue and relief (IRR) programare expanding their worldviewthrough a variety of class andservice projects. In Seminar inInternational Service, studentslearn about international serviceand global ministry opportuni-ties. Part of this training involvesa research project and classpresentation on a country ofeach student’s choosing. DougTallman, IRR program associatedirector, taught the class for thefirst time last semester with 11junior and senior IRR majors.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENTPublications and presentations

Joann Herrington, associate professor of education, hasrecently published and presented various research topics. Shepublished “Ministry to the Midwest: History of the Central StatesConference” about the beginnings of Adventist evangelism inMidwest African-American communities in the February 2006issue of Outlook. Herrington also published “Building LiteracyThrough Home/School Partnerships” in the 2005 April/May edi-tion of Adventist Journal of Education on how home/schoolconnections benefit student literacy. In addition, she presenteda day-long workshop on the topic of teacher professionalism toKansas-Nebraska teachers in February 2006.

“I did quite a bit of research into what qualities or criteriaare considered to be ‘professional’ and found that by many ofthe standard definitions, teachers are not considered to be pro-fessionals,” Herrington said. “I decided to make the case forwhat does make teaching worthy of being called a profession,and what we as teachers can do to make the public aware.”

First BookThe Division of Human Development continues to serve the

community through its participation with First Book, a nationalnonprofit literacy program providing books to low-income chil-dren. Union started a First Book Campus Advisory Board in2004. Comprised of Union College students, the board isresponsible for raising funds and choosing appropriate organi-zations through which to distribute the books. Senior elemen-tary education majors Megan Jones and Emily Eskildsen workedwith Herrington this year to write grant proposals, from whichthey received a $500 Borders gift certificate and a $500 VerizonYouth Service Grant with a matching $500 from NFL Charities.These donations were presented to local elementary schools.

“Learning about other culturesand people is one of my favoritethings to do. The project openedthe door for me to becomefriends with an Ethiopianwoman from work. Interactingwith her makes me aware of myfaulty beliefs and judgments Ihave made in ignorance. We areall so much more alike than wethink. I hope I will continue tosee the diversity in the world as

a challenge to learn and grow.”

— Leslie de Fluiter is a senior nursing,religion and international rescue andrelief major. With the help of anEthiopian woman with whom she worksat Saint Elizabeth Regional MedicalCenter, de Fluiter researched and pre-sented a report on the country ofEthiopia for Doug Tallman’s Seminar inInternational Service class.

“A child’s success in theclassroom and in life is deter-mined in a large part by howwell he or she can read. FirstBook exposes kids to literacy,and literacy means hope.Writing the grant proposals[with Joann Herrington] hasgiven me experience for futureinteraction with nonprofitorganizations. I hope to impactthe children where I will teachin the same way the children of Lincoln will be helped by First Book.”

— Emily Eskildsen, senior elementaryeducation major, helps provide books tolow-income children through herinvolvement with First Book UnionCollege.

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CORDmagazine 27

HUMANITIESShort story publication

In 2004, Chris Blake, associate professor of English, pub-lished a short story entitled, “The Most Mature Thing I’ve EverSeen” in Wings Activity Book 9, a Swedish anthology publishedby Almqvist & Wiksell. The story appeared between pieces byAmerican poet Langston Hughes and A.A. Milne of Winnie thePooh fame. Blake’s short story about breaking down barriers ina clique-filled high school was previously published in ChickenSoup for the Teenage Soul (1997) and Insight magazine (1987).

Women’s Commission As a member of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Women’s

Commission (LLWC), Elizabeth Rodacker-Borgens, associate

professor of English as aSecond Language (ESL), pre-sented “A Place At The Table,”in August 2004 at OxfordUniversity in England. Theresearch presented statisticaldata on the percentage offemales in prominent positionsin the Lincoln-Lancaster Countyarea.

Along with Chris Blake andMark Robison, associate profes-sor of English, Rodacker-Borgens nominated Kate Simmons, senior communicationmajor, for the Sojourner Truth award. The award is given bythe Women’s Commission to a woman between 14-40 years oldwho works to improve the quality of life for women in Lincolnor Lancaster County. Simmons received the award at the LLWCInternational Women’s Day Luncheon on March 10.

RELIGIONMark and New Testament research

Tom Shepherd, professor of religion, is active in NewTestament research, particularly focusing on the Gospel ofMark—the subject of his doctoral dissertation. In the early 90s,Shepherd noticed at the Society of Biblical Literature meetingsthat no group was discussing the book of Mark. He wrote aproposal that resulted in the Mark Group for the Society ofBiblical Literature, of which Shepherd is chair. This involvementhas influenced Shepherd to continue focusing on Mark for hisprofessional activities. A sample of these include:

� New Testament coordinator for an upcoming book on hermeneutics due to be published in 2007 by the Biblical Research Institute (BRI) of the General Conference.

� Author of a chapter titled “Interpretation of Biblical Types, Parables, and Allegories” in Understanding Scripture: An Advent Approach, published in 2005 by the Biblical Research Institute (edited by George W. Reid).

� Editor of an upcoming edition of Biblical Interpretation, a journal dealing with the Temple Theme in the Gospel of Mark.

� In fall 2006, Shepherd will teach the narrative analysis methodology he uses extensively in his Mark research for a Union Scholars course on the Gospel of Mark.

Creation radio talksJohn Kurlinski, associate professor of religion, is co-host for

“Sink the Beagle,” a light-hearted radio program addressingissues of evolution and creation. The program, which originatedon KTSY in Idaho approximately six years ago, has now beenon the air twice weekly for nearly five years at LifeTalk Radio,a Christian radio network with nationwide coverage. Kurlinskico-hosts the show with Stan Hudson in Spokane, Wash.

Creation issues were the focus of Kurlinski’s doctoralresearch—making the complex more simple. “My goal is tohelp believers know that if they have faith in a short age forlife, they are not naïve or ignorant,” Kurlinski said. “We believethere is enough evidence from the Scriptures and science tohave faith in the Genesis account. Does it answer all questionsand solve all problems? No. But neither does science. In fact ittakes greater faith to believe modern science’s origin stories.”

Social work studentapplies leadershipskills

“Teachers at Union Collegereally believe in their stu-dents,” said Sheritha Smittick,junior social work major.“They put you in leadershippositions and trust that youcan do it.”Last semester, Smittick’sleadership training was put tothe test while serving as proj-

ect coordinator for the “Walk a Mile” program. During her internship with Nebraska Appleseed, Smittick

paired seven people from low-income backgrounds withseven policy makers from across Nebraska—includingLincoln Mayor Coleen J. Seng.

“Sheritha had a lot of energy and passion for what shewas doing,” said Becky Gould, Nebraska Appleseed welfaredue process project staff attorney.

The “Walk a Mile” program in Nebraska was originallystarted in 2003 by James Goddard ’04, a Union College stu-dent and Nebraska Appleseed intern. For a month, the “Walka Mile” pairs are asked to talk on the phone once a weekand participate in two activities together. Examples of possi-ble activities include going to the food bank or welfareoffice, attending a public hearing or visiting the legislature.

“We’ve been placing students at Nebraska Appleseed asinterns for five or six years,” said Bruce Schlieder, socialwork associate professor and director of field education.“Union College students are known for their focus, dedica-tion, productivity and good client skills.”

Smittick said Union College provided her the essentialtraining in critical thinking, application and creativity to getthe job done. “Those basic skills made the transition to workin the real world easier,” said Smittick.

Union College requires social work students to have twoyears of internship, instead of the traditional one year expect-ed at other colleges. “Two years of internship expose stu-dents to multiple work environments early on,” saidSchlieder. “And students’ coursework comes alive. Theyunderstand the big picture so much better.” ˜BD

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SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICSDissertation researchassistance

Students in the spring 2006Developmental Biology classare assisting Ben Thornton,assistant professor of biology,with a portion of his dissertationresearch.

The students, four seniorbiology majors, are looking forinduction of the P450 gene,which helps detoxify exogenouscompounds, after exposingdrosophila (fruit flies) toAtrazine. A common herbicide in the Midwest, Atrazine hasbeen linked to the formation of testicular oocytes in frogs(testes and ovaries within in the same frog) and mammarytumor formations.

The students expose the fruit flies and prepare microsomesfor activity analysis using an ultracentrifuge. Thornton thentakes the microsomes to UNL for analysis.

“I want to know which genes are being induced or sup-pressed by Atrazine and what their protein products are, thusdetermining which biochemical pathways in the body may beaffected by exposure to this commonly used herbicide in theMidwest,” Thornton said.

Math educators researchFor the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 academic years, the math

department researched ways to better prepare secondary math-ematics teachers through a grant from the National ScienceFoundation. All four of Union’s math teachers, Larry Ray,Patricia Anderson, Lowell Hagele and Keith Riese, have partici-pated in this project. Ray attended the PreparingMathematicians to Educate Teachers (PMET) summer work-shops in New York in 2003 and 2004.

“Cooperative learning is a veryuseful skill that isn’t taught orused a lot in most math class-rooms. Being able to have a partin such an experience reallyenriched my education. I usedsome cooperative learning activi-ties during my student teachinglast fall and plan to use it evenmore in the future.”

— Michelle Weikum, seniormath education major, assisted Dr. LarryRay at the National Council of Teachers ofMathematics conference in April 2005. Shewas the teacher’s assistant in Ray’sPrecalculus class, which experimented withcooperative learning techniques.

“Working with Dr. Wong pre-pared me well for research in agraduate school setting. Experimentsrarely work out the way they aresupposed to the first time or eventhe second time. I learned a lotabout patience and perseveranceduring my project, characteristicsthat I have continued to develop inmy career in science. I also appreci-ated Dr. Wong’s interest in and con-cern for his students. He is there tohelp his students succeed, and in thisrespect he has also influenced the way that I teach.”

— After earning a master’s degree from theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Misty JanesWehling ’01 worked as a researcher at theUniversity of Washington. She now teachesanatomy and physiology and microbiologyat Black Hawk College in Illinois. While atUnion, Wehling worked with Wong to testwater in Holmes Lake for the presence of E. coli and potential mutagens.

“Any and all research is helpfulin preparing for a future in scienceor medicine. It looks great on a CVand supplies the groundwork formore serious research in graduateschool.”

— While a student at Union, ErinWisbey ’01 tested the mutagenic/carcinogenic properties of a nearbylake with Wong. She graduatedfrom Loma Linda University in2005 and now works as a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology.

As a result, Union’s math faculty hosted a math educationworkshop in summer 2004 for Mid-America Union (MAU) acad-emy math teachers to collaboratively improve math educationin Mid-America. Ray put on another workshop in April 2005 forMAU academy math teachers in conjunction with the AnnualMeeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics inAnaheim, Calif. Two senior math education students, AllisonChristenson and Michelle Weikum, assisted Ray in this work-shop.

The project has also led to revision of the curriculum forthe math education major and a trial of cooperative learningstrategies in Ray’s Precalculus class. C

ransitioning from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond is a challenging experience for

most of us. When Wanda Phipatanakul graduated from Unionin 1990 with a degree in pre-medicine, it was more like a min-now being thrown into the ocean. For Phipatanakul, the transi-tion took patience, organization and time management, thesame skills she employs daily in her research.

Phipatanakul, a board-certified pediatric allergist and immu-nologist, juggles a full work schedule. An assistant professor ofpediatrics, she is full time faculty at Harvard Medical School,where she oversees fellows training for allergy specializations,teaches medical students, presents lectures, helps teach Boston-area pediatric residents about allergies and asthma, participatesin committees and completes administrative tasks. As part ofher dual appointment, Phipatanakul also spends two half-daysa week seeing patients as an attending physician at BostonChildren’s Hospital.

She was immersed in Adventist education from childhoodthrough medical school, when she achieved the highest levelsof education available. After a year-long internship at LomaLinda University, Phipatanakul completed her residency atChildren’s Hospital of Los Angeles and then moved to a fellow-ship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. When her fel-lowship ended, Phipatanakul accepted a job at Harvard MedicalSchool in Boston.

“It was a big change coming from a small-town school andending up in a big place like this,” says Phipatanakul.

It was during her three-year fellowship at Johns Hopkins

that Phipatanakul set her focus on allergies and asthma throughguidance from her mentor. “I became excited about researchand began to develop a career based on a focused path ofthings I was becoming an expert on,” says Phipatanakul. “Priorto my fellowship, I was mostly clinical, learning how to takecare of patients, but I really learned a lot from my fellowshipand carried that on as I joined the faculty here at Harvard.”

Even as a child, Phipatanakul knew she wanted to be adoctor. Both her parents are physicians, and she grew up in ahome devoted to caring for others. “I was pre-med from dayone at Union,” says Phipatanakul. “It’s in my family. I didn’tever really want to do anything else—I wanted to help peo-ple.”

Now that she’s graduated to research work, Phipatanakultakes pride in providing relief for an ever-increasing number ofindividuals. “I feel it can be helpful for society to really under-stand disease processes,” she says.

Currently in the middle of a five-year National Institutes ofHealth grant, studying the risk factors of mouse allergen on thedevelopment of childhood asthma, about 80 percent ofPhipatanakul’s time is devoted to clinical research and othergrant-related endeavors.

Most of Phipatanakul’s research experience has focused onthe role of indoor allergens, such as pets and dust and theirrelation to asthma, allergies and allergy-related diseases. Themouse allergen study started in homes and has recentlybranched to pilot work in schools. Mouse allergen has beenshown to be present in both urban and suburban dwellings,

by Lauren Bongard Schwarz ‘03

TT

CORDmagazine 29

30 SUMMER 2006

and Phipatanakul is concerned about exposure away fromhome. For children who spend the majority of their day in aclassroom, mouse allergen at school may be a significant factorin developing and worsening asthma or allergies.

Phipatanakul’s new research in schools is encouraging in itsscope. According to Phipatanakul, while most home-basedefforts impact one or two children, school-wide attention to andintervention in allergy and asthma risk factors can help manychildren avoid illness or diminish pre-existing symptoms.

Clinical research, Phipatanakul’s main endeavor, is lesswhite-jacket-and-microscope and more interviewing, talking andexamining. She spends a lot of time in the field, initially meet-ing with superintendents, teachers and school nurses to gainneeded support to complete her inquiry, and later working pri-marily with children during the study. Phipatanakul gathers sta-tistics in the form of questionnaires, lung function and allergytests and dust sampling then submits the samples for analysis.When the data returns, Phipatanakul analyzes the findings tosee how well her hypothesis checks out. Phipatanakul regularlyshares her findings with colleagues by publishing in medicaljournals.

From computer work and e-mail to creating articles, grantproposals and textbook chapters, writing, reading and typingfactor in to many of Phipatanakul’s tasks. Although they soundmundane when compared to the importance of her research,Phipatanakul cites these hallmarks of a liberal arts educationamong the most important skills she picked up in high schooland at Union College.

Throughout her career, Phipatanakul has published approxi-mately 25 papers, including a recent (2004) study showing thatinfants exposed to large amounts of dust-borne bacteria, knownas endotoxin, were less likely to develop eczema, a commonchildhood affliction.

Phipatanakul also serves as a chair for the Indoor AllergenCommittee at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma andImmunology, the national allergists organization. The committeeis aligned with her research focus of improving awareness ofand focus on indoor allergens and their relationship to asthmaand allergies, and is currently creating physicians’ papers onmold allergies and asthma morbidity.

However busy and prestigious her career, Phipatanakul stillcounts her family as her number one achievement. She met herhusband, a wills, trusts and estate attorney, in 2000 after trans-ferring to Boston from Baltimore. The couple welcomed their

daughter in 2004 and areeagerly anticipating the birthof a son this summer.

“It’s been a long road ofeducation and schooling, anda lot of highlights for me havecome very recently,” saysPhipatanakul. “There arealways goals to aim for, butit’s not all about career. I’m afamily person, balancing mycareer and home life.” C

Environmental allergy controls Allergy sufferers may find relief by taking additional meas-

ures to control the source of allergens in their homes.

Dust mitesWarm, moist areas such as bedding, carpets and upholstery

attract dust mites.• Cover mattresses, box springs and pillows in mite-poof encasings with pores less than 10 microns.

• Wash bed linens weekly at 130-degrees. Avoid throw pillows and other hard-to-wash bedding.

• Run stuffed animals through the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes every other week

• Remove upholstered furniture and carpeting from bedrooms or vacuum twice a week (allergic family members should not vacuum); avoid sitting on carpet.

• Avoid humidifiers.

Animal allergensFind a good home for pets that cause allergies. If removing

the pet is impossible:• Restrict pets from bedrooms and use bed encasings with pores of six microns or less.

• Purchase a HEPA air cleaner.• Keep pets clean—bathe at least twice a month and fre-quently wipe down with damp towels to remove dander.

• After visiting a home with animals, immediately bathe, shampoo hair and wash clothes.

• Beware of unexpected exposure from horse or hog hair mattresses, furniture, carpet padding or horse hair plaster inolder homes.

Cockroach and mouse control• Routinely exterminate pests.• Clean thoroughly.• Prevent pests from returning by patching cracks and holes in walls, flooring and piping.

• Limit food to two rooms and make sure the kitchen is as clean as possible.

Mold control• Humidity encourages mold growth; keep homes, including basements and bathrooms, dry. Clean areas prone to mold;watch for moisture.

• Thoroughly clean or remove carpets and upholsteries in basements and bathrooms; remove musty-smelling items.

• Avoid humidifiers or clean them daily. Keep humidity at less than 50 percent.

Pollen controlPlants release pollen from spring through the first frost. Tocontrol pollen entering your home:• Close doors and windows during pollen season.• Cool your home with air conditioners; remove pollen particles with a HEPA filter.

• Allergic people should bathe and wash their hair thorough-ly at bedtime to prevent pollen-contaminated bed linens.

Cigarette smoke, aerosol sprays, perfumes, powders, fragrantcleaning materials, paint, solvents, glues and adhesives mayaggravate allergies and asthma.

Wanda Phipatanakul andher husband, Dani Ruran,with daughter, Hana

CLASS-IFIEDS_____________________________

1930sWalter Foreman ’33 workedon his first double acrosticpuzzle at Union College backin the 1930s. There was agathering in the office ofProfessor Thomas Little whichincluded Walter’s wife-to-be,Clayoma Engel and himselfamong many others. He stillenjoys double acrostic puzzlesbecause they “exercise mynonagenarian brain” andbring back fond memories ofUnion College.

1940s Del Parkins WatsonSaldecke ’48 lives in Yucaipa,Calif., and attended the UnionCollege Loma Linda areachapter meeting. She wasinducted into SouthwesternAdventist University’s Hall ofFame in 2003.

1950s Dick Wilmot ’52 lives inGrand Terrace, Calif., withhis wife, Naomi SchwabWilmot (’49). They’re enjoy-ing retirement and the fel-

lowship of many friends—some from Union College.Dick looks forward to theSecond Coming, but willkeep swinging the golf clubsuntil then.

G Mackson-Hemphill ’53lives in Loma Linda, Calif.She received a golden cordfor going to Tanganyika, EastAfrica. In 1991-92, she wentto the People’s Republic ofChina. She is now retired.

Roger Heinrich ’56 lives inColton, Calif. His first wife,Evelyn Preston Heinrich(’56), passed away in March2005. He married JeanneAnderson Weikum in July2005. He returned to UnionCollege to celebrate his 50-year reunion in April.

Duane ’57 and KathyGeorge Huey (‘47) live inPortland, Ore. Duane is stillworking as a part-time staffauditor for the OregonConference. Kathy enjoys car-ing for their granddaughterone or two days a week.

Maxine Reed Duncan ’59lives in Apple Valley, Calif.She is the librarian atBarstow Junior High School.She plans to retire at the endof the 2005-2006 school year.

1960sKenneth ’66 and Ella JeanShable Albertsen ’66 live inScottsdale, Ariz. Ken hastaught for 40 years now andsays, “Thank you, UnionCollege, for preparing me toteach. I have loved the ‘trip.’You had the best teachers.”Ella Jean is the librarian atCactus Shadows High School.She writes, “Life is good.”

Kermit ’67 and RonnaleeOlson Netteburg ’68 live inSilver Spring, Md. Kermit isnow on the pastoral staff atSligo Church in Takoma Park,Md. Ronnalee teaches nursingat Columbia Union College.

Rich Reiner ’69 has beennamed president/CEO of theMulti-State Division ofAdventist Health System. Inthis capacity, he will provideleadership to the hospitals inGeorgia, Kentucky,Tennessee, North Carolina,Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas,Colorado and Texas. Richjoined Florida Hospital andAdventist Health System in1985 with an extensive back-ground in finance and humanresources. Prior to thisappointment, Rich served asexecutive vice president ofthe Florida Division andFlorida Hospital and presi-dent/CEO of the RockyMountain Region of AdventistHealth System. He looks for-ward to the opportunity towork with the strong leader-ship teams and staffs in thesehospitals.

1970s Naomi Modeste ’71 lives inColton, Calif. She is a professorat Loma Linda UniversitySchool of Public Health. Inaddition to teaching, she’s thechairman of the HealthEducation Department. She’sbeen at the university for thelast 15 years. A golden cordwas hung for her after return-ing to Trinidad and Tobago,where she served for severalyears.

1980s Jackie Ordelheide Smith ’84and her husband, Bobby, areproud to announce the arrivalof Dillon Daneel and DawsonBakrom. They were born onSept. 27, 2003, in Novosibirsk,Russia, and joined Jackie andBobby on Dec. 20, 2005.

Susan LaFever ’86, hornist,appeared live in performanceat the U.S. Open Women’sFinal on Sept. 10, 2005, onCBS. Song of Solomon, a youthgospel choir from Harlem, andthe Water’s Edge Brass Quintet,of which Susan is a member,backed up Il Divo, a pop-operamale vocal quartet, and EdinaMenzel, the star of Broadway’sWicked. Center court was thefocus of the musical and visualextravaganza that was broad-cast worldwide with severalshots of the hornist and themajestic sound of brass.

1990sTodd Hoyt ’93 was hired asmarketing and media relationsdirector for MonumentGraphics and Communicationsin Grand Junction, Colo.Todd’s responsibilities includeworking with clients and theirpublic relations, marketing andadvertising needs for the localadvertising agency. Toddenjoys time with his dog,

CORDmagazine wants tohear from you. You havetold us this is your favoritesection. Now tell us whereyou are, what you’re doing,or just send greetings.

Direct your letters to: Class-ifieds Alumni Office Union College 3800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506

e-mail: alumni@ucollege.edumake changes online atp www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine

’67 denotes graduation year(’67) denotes last year attendedor preferred class year

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CORDmagazine 31

PEOPLE PLACEMENTS__________________________________________

Miles, living and promoting ahealthy lifestyle and stayingconnected to his communityand Union College classmates.

Byard Parks ’93 lives andworks in Turkey with his wife,Ania, and childern, SamuelMiracle and Elijah Watchman.Byard is an internationallysought after motivationalspeaker and trainer. Currently,he’s pursuing entrepreneurialinterests in the region ofancient Asia Minor in the foot-steps of the apostle Paul.Students looking for adventureand learning in a Muslim con-text are welcome to join hisforeign exchange student pro-gram.

Bryan ’97 and JennieWhittle Nickell ’95 aredelighted to announce thebirth of their third little girl.Gabrielle Sage was born onMarch 16, 2005. Gabrielle joinsher big sisters, 7-year oldKalesta and 5-year oldBrooklyn. Bryan is a dentist inSpringboro, Ohio, and Jennieenjoys being a work-at-home

mom and home educator. Jennifer Hall ’98 and JamesTeh were married Aug. 21,2005, in Glendale, Calif.Jennifer is an event plannerfor LH InternationalPromotionz and James is adeputy district attorney forSan Diego County.

2000s Seth Pierce ’03 lives inBerrien Springs, Mich. Herecently had his first bookpublished, entitled, Pride andSeek. It was publishedthrough Review and Heraldand is available at the ABC.He and his wife, AngelaMathews Pierce ’03, havemoved to Andrews to workon masters’ degrees. He isworking toward a master’s indivinity while Angela is pur-suing a master’s in specialeducation. They both missUnion even more now thatthey are at another school,and they look forward toreturning to the Kansas-Nebraska Conference in acouple years.

Karen Prera Campbell ’03and her husband, LeeJae ’03,live in Lincoln, Neb. Theirson David was joined by anew brother, Jesse Jonathan,on May 20, 2005.

Kenneth ’04 and JessicaCasebolt Scharffenberg ’04were married on Oct. 9, 2005,in Lincoln, Neb. Their minis-ter was Joe Martin fromLoveland, Colo. Martin wastheir director and friend fromworking as literature evangel-ists during four summers.Kenneth and Jessica metwhile attending UnionCollege and worked togetherfor four summers. They start-ed dating and fell in lovetheir senior year.

Darin ’05 and StephanieDetlor Gottfried ’04 weremarried in Monument, Colo.,on June 12, 2005. Theymoved to Fletcher, N.C.,where Darin is an accountantat Park Ridge Hospital.Stephanie is the administra-tive coordinator at FletcherAcademy.

PeoplePlacementsScott Cushman ’03 becameUnion’s assistant director ofpublic relations and assistanteditor of CORDmagazine.Cushman previously workedas an adjunct instructor ofEnglish at Union and an ESLinstructor at SoutheastCommunity College. He grad-uated from Union with abachelor’s in English, history

and social science and is cur-rently finishing his master’s incomposition and rhetoric atthe University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Kate Flowers ’04 joinedUnion as mailroom assistant.Flowers graduated fromUnion with a bachelor’s instudio art and a minor ingraphic design and has previ-ously worked as a marketingassistant. Her husband,Shane ’03, works at Union inInformation Systems.

Lisa Bednar Forbes (’81)joined the Advancement staffas capital campaign assistant.Previously, she worked asdirector of student accountsat Union. Forbes is attendingDoane College and plans tograduate with a businessmanagement degree inDecember 2006. She is mar-ried to Bruce ’86, associateprofessor in fine arts.

Matthew Fredregill joinedPlant Services as an electri-cian. He earned a degree inelectrical technology fromSoutheast Community Collegein 2005. He married MeganBartzatt ’06 on June 18.Megan graduated in May witha degree in nursing.

Nancy McBride joinedEnrollment and StudentFinancial Services as studentfinancial advisor. Nancy previ-ously worked in the Divisionof Business and ComputerScience as office manager.

Nicole Onjukka Meharry’04 joined Union as annualgiving director in theAdvancement office. Shegraduated from Union with abachelor’s in English with anemphasis in writing andspeaking. Nicole and her husband, Zeb Meharry ’03,previously lived inFarmington, N.M.

P e o p l e

P l a c e m e n t s

David and Jesse Campbell

Gabrielle, Brooklyn andKalesta Nickell

Todd Hoyt

Kenneth and JessicaScharffenberg

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32 SUMMER 2006

IN MEMORY_____________________________

Marybelle Huffman Owen’28, Keene, Texas, died Nov.16, 2005, at age 99. She wasa retired English teacher andgirls’ dean. She taught atPlatte Valley, Enterprise,Plainview and Broadviewacademies. She is survived byher son, Elwyn Owen ’72and daughter, Dina Schwartz;grandchildren, TeresaCouch ’95, Mark Owen, TimOwen, Mindy Owen, ShereeSchwartz and Terra Schwartz;great grandchild, RylerCouch. She was preceded indeath by her husband, AvaloOwen ’28 in 1990.

Byron Miller (’36),Bakersfield, Calif., died Nov.18, 2005, at age 91. He is sur-vived by his wife, Jean, andson, Brad. His daughter,Carol Flory, preceded him indeath. Byron was a dentist inSacramento, Calif., for 40years.

Willacine Jacobs Dick (’42),La Harpe, Kan., died Oct. 29,2005. She is survived by herhusband, Elwin Dick (’41).

Naomi Pullen Hagenberg(’43), Green Bay, Wis., diedJuly 20, 2005, at age 87.Naomi worked as a secretaryand business owner. She issurvived by her daughters,Eunice Saunders and EileneGarcia. She was preceded indeath by her husband of 53years, Charles ’44.

L. Burton Parker (’44),Longwood, Fla., died Dec.2004. He is survived by hiswife, Rolleen Betts Parker’47.

Gladys Erickson Daarud(’46), Boulder, Colo., diedDec. 8, 2005. Gladys was a

medical secretary for fouryears, a homemaker for 57years and a member of theNational Auxiliary at LomaLinda University. She enjoyedrock hunting, bird watching,animals, camping, attendingchurch and spending timewith her family, especiallyher grandchildren. She is sur-vived by her husband,Richard ’49; children: Scott’76, Steven ’78 and CherylBoulais ’85; and six grand-children.

George Falbisaner ’46,Long Beach, Calif., died Aug.30, 2005. He is survived byhis wife, Betty BruntzelFalbisaner (’44).

Janice Flyger Allen ’49, ElDorado, Calif., died Sept. 25,2005. Janice worked for theyouth department at theMichigan Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists for ashort time before teachingelementary school for nearlythree decades. After retiring,they moved to Placerville,Calif., where they spent someof the happiest, most relaxedyears of their lives. Jan had agreat love for baking, Rookparties, chocolate, reading,shopping, playing the pianoand keeping in touch withfriends. She enjoyed spend-ing time with her two grand-daughters, Erin and Cecily.Janice is survived by her son,Chuck and her daughter,Teryl. She was preceded indeath by her husband, Jerry.

Robert “Bob” Bell ’49, FortWorth, Texas, died Nov. 6,2005, at age 78. Bob servedin the U.S. Army during theKorean War, did graduatework at Stanford University,enjoyed a few years teachingschool and then began acareer in computer program-ming and systems manage-ment for IBM. Upon retire-ment, he worked as a sys-tems engineer consultant forBMC that continued full-timeuntil two days before hisdeath. He was held in the

highest regard by his profes-sional peers for his intelli-gence, problem-solving skillsand workplace congeniality.For Bob, family always camefirst. They enjoyed travel,sports, community organiza-tion and events, and spend-ing time with friends. He issurvived by his wife of 55years, Wanda; daughter, DebiSilvera; sister, Betty Gibb’61; five grandchildren, andone great grandchild. Also avital part of their family wasthe Nkumbas from Malawi,Africa. The Nkumba children,DeWitt, Derwin, Debbie andDruscilla considered Bobtheir grandfather.

Mary Sue Jones Parobek’49, Lodi, Calif., died Sept.26, 2005, at age 85. Mary Sueand her husband, John ’50,served as missionaries inPoona, India, for five yearswhere Mary Sue taughtEnglish at Spicer College.They settled in Ohio whereMary Sue taught elementaryschool. After they retired,Mary Sue and John movedfirst to Florida and then toCalifornia. She enjoyed read-ing, writing family history,canning and cooking. Sheespecially enjoyed spendingtime with her grandchildren.She is survived by her hus-band, John; daughter, Sharon;two grandchildren; sister,Toby Wilson and brothers,Harold and Stanley.

Oliver Pogue ’49, Mayer,Ariz., died Feb. 2, 2006, atage 84 in Loma Linda, Calif.He served in the Army SignalCorps for three and a halfyears and graduated fromLoma Linda University Schoolof Medicine in 1953. Heserved as a missionary inBritish Guiana (now Guyana)for 11 years where hedesigned and oversaw thebuilding of a 50-bed hospitalknown as the Davis MemorialHospital. He practiced medi-cine in Lincoln, Neb., for 20years. During his first yearsin Lincoln, he was a physi-cian for Union College. Afterselling his practice, he servedin Zambia, Rwanda andthroughout the United Statesfor short relief terms and inKorea for three years. Heretired to Arizona in 1993where he enjoyed his largegarden and orchard, as wellas the local and church com-munity service volunteerwork. Oliver was preceded indeath by his parents, Jasperand Mildred, and two sisters,Florence Jones ’37 andMuriel Beltz ’40. He is sur-vived by his wife of 55 yearsBarbara Versaw Pogue ’50;sons, Maynard and Roy(’84); daughters, CarolPogue ’77 and Pam Stilson’84; three granddaughters;three grandsons and brother,Donald.

Harry Reile ’50, Lincoln,Neb., died March 7, 2006, atage 80. Harry was born toJake and Dora Reile inJamestown, N.D., on Feb. 3,1926. On Nov. 27, 1946, hemarried his childhood sweet-heart, Darlene Schroeder(’46). Harry spent his profes-sional life as a teacher,school principal, pastor, edu-cation director in the Oregonand Kansas-Nebraska confer-ences, leadership givingdirector at Union College,and trust services director inthe Kansas-NebraskaConference. His 45-yearworking career was served inthe Seventh-day Adventist

Mary Sue Jones Parobek

IN MEMORY

Death dates and/or obituar-ies have been received forthe following individuals.

CORDmagazine 33

The The IN MEMORY_____________________________

denominational system. Harryis survived by his wife,Darlene Schroeder Reile(’46); daughters, SandraSchwab ’72, Lou AnnFredregill ’73, and JuleneMcAlister ’87; eight grand-children, Tonya McArthur,Jenny Fredregill Leonhardt’03, Brad Moutray ’04,Aaron Fredregill, MatthewFredregill, Jacob Hubbard,Calum Hubbard and QuinnMcAlister.

Lamont White ’50, Drury,Mo., died Sept. 26, 2003, atage 79. He taught highschool chemistry, physics,and physical science for 33years in the state of Missouriwith the last 26 years atMountain Grove High School.

Virginia ChristiansonMadruga Jones ’53, LomaLinda, Calif., died Sept. 7,2005, at age 77. She is sur-vived by her husband, Earl.

Auda McCrea ’54, Yancey,Texas, died April 1, 2004. Hewas a pecan farmer for mostof his life. He is survived byhis wife, Jeanette; daughters,Risë Cady-McCrea and LetitiaRook McCrea and two grand-children.

John Beck ’58, Loma Linda,Calif., died Oct. 10, 2005, atage 91. After graduating fromUnion College, John earned amaster’s from Pacific UnionCollege. He was a teacher

and principal for 40 yearsand taught history, Englishand math. He worked as asubstitute teacher until hewas 85. He is survived by hiswife, Becky Melhoff Beck(’57); son, Don; daughter,Sharon Steward; brother,Edwin Beck ’46; sister,Velma McGruder; four grand-children and four great-grandchildren.

Gwendolyn Husted ’65,Hutchinson, Minn., died Oct.4, 2005, at age 78. She gradu-ated from Union College witha Bachelor of Arts degree inmusic education. While atUnion College, she was thesoprano soloist with theUnionaires. After graduation,she taught piano and organat Wisconsin Academy andIndiana Academy. Shereturned to Hutchinson andtaught private piano andorgan lessons. She wasorganist for the VineyardUnited Methodist Church andalso the CongregationalChurch for many years. Shewas also very active in theMaplewood Academy Alumniorganization. She is survivedby her brother, Gary Husted;uncle, Wesley Husted andmany cousins and friends.

Alva Wilkes Downing (’66),Orlando, Fla., died Dec. 15,2005, at age 78. Alva was aformer employee at UnionCollege. She and her hus-band, Laurence, served over-

seas in Nigeria, thePhilippines and Singapore.She is survived by children,Karen Grob ’69, Kenneth’73 and David (’75). and sixgrandchildren. She was pre-ceded in death by her hus-band, Laurence, and her son,Laurence ’73.

Richard Lauer ’66, BonitaSprings, Fla., died Nov. 13,2005. Richard co-foundedPelican Bay Development, ashopping center developmentcompany. He is survived byhis wife, Freida SanchezLauer (’66); brother, Ronald’66; daughter, Jennifer Ryan;son, Steven; grandchildren,Tyler, Katelyn and Richard.

George Gott (’68), Angwin,Calif., died Dec. 19, 2005.George was a former busi-ness manager of UnionCollege. He is survived by hiswife, Rosella WiedemannGott ’45.

Joy Ockenga BramleyHaaland (’69), Ames, Iowa,died in 2005 from brain can-cer. She married Juel Haalandon June 26, 1988. They had awonderful life together. Joy issurvived by her husband,Juel, and sons, Tommy andPhillip Bramley.

Laurence “Larry” Downing’73, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, diedNov. 24, 2005. He graduatedfrom Union with a bachelor’sin business and worked at

several hospitals including:White Memorial Hospital,Florida Hospital, MarinersHospital and KnoxCommunity Hospital. He issurvived by his wife, Jennifer;children, Lance and Leslie;sister, Karen Grob ’69, Ken’73, and David (’75). He waspreceded in death by hisfather, Laurence.

Notice of the following deathshas been received:

Fredrick E. J. Harder ’36,Azel, Texas, died Nov. 3, 2005.Corneilus Harris ’39,Chicago, Ill., died Oct. 30, 2005.Dean Turner (’44), St. Helena, Calif.Robert Warner (’45),Riverside, Calif., died Sept. 25, 2005.Lillian Mantz Barnett ’46,Loma Linda, Calif., died Dec. 23, 2005.Wanda Johnston Sample(’47), Ketchum, Okla., died in 2005.Ruby Birch ’51, Sedan, Kan., died Jan. 15, 2006.Ruth Gantz Weis (’52),Amarillo, Texas, died Aug. 10, 2005. Don Franklin (’57), Cortez, Colo., died March 24, 2005. Mary Lou Sigmon ’68,Lynwood, Calif., died Aug.17, 2005.

34 SUMMER 2006

To order a copy of An Afternoon Concert, contact Ryan Wells via e-mail at rywells@ucollege.edu or by phone at 402.486.2600 ext. 2334.

music professor and concert pianist, has released his third professional recording, An Afternoon Concert.

“My desire for this project was to paint a broader stylistic picture,” Wells said. “I tried to order the program in a natural progression much like one would find in a live concert or recital.”Mozart's “Sonata in C Major, K. 330” begins the CD with sparkling virtuosity and elegant charm. This

work is followed by a set of five “Songs Without Words” by Felix Mendelssohn. The next selection isChopin’s “Fantasie-Impromptu,” one of his most famous works. Richard Faith’s introspective “Nocturne inA Minor” provides a haunting contrast. Concluding the project is Franz Liszt’s incomparable “Un Sospiro,”a work of deeply moving and expressive power.

Wells is working on a fourth collection featuring music reflecting French Impressionism by Debussy,Faure, Ravel and others. The projected completion date is fall 2007.

Ryan Wells

or Dr. Dale Marcotte, 1951 graduate of Union College, his

commitment to health care continues into retirement. After

selling his opthamology practice in the Boulder, Colo. area,

Dr. Marcotte chose to continue serving the rural community

of Julesburg. Once a month, in all types of weather condi-

tions, he makes the trek out to the eastern plains of

Colorado to visit patients. The residents of this rural commu-

nity depend upon the health care services he is able and

willing to give.

Dr. Marcotte believes the education he received at Union

College prepared him for a life of service. His desire is to

make sure future students also receive this type of quality

education. He recently partnered with his local conference

trust services department to create a deferred gift using

his retirement fund assets. Eventually, Union College will

receive a portion of these assets which will be used to

establish a merit scholarship for students with

scholastic aptitude. Union College thanks

Dr. Marcotte for his foresight and dedication

to future generations of Union’s students.

To learn more about making a deferred gift to

Union College, including gifts of retirement plan assets,

please contact Todd Mekelburg at Union College,

3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506, 402.486.2503,

e-mail tomekelb@ucollege.edu or visit

www.ucollege.edu/advancement/plannedgiving.

Dr. Dale Marcotte

It takesForeSight...

Spirit of GivingThe

F

Spirit of GivingThe

F

CORDmagazine 35

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CORDmagazine Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDLincoln, NEPermit No. 62

News from Union CollegeVol. 71, No.2 Summer 2006

Published by the Union College Advancement Office3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506

Address service requested

Vision

Union College will be recognized as a passionately Christ-centered community where students excel in learning, gain professional competence, and prepare to influence the future with faith, confidence and integrity.

Mission

Inspired by faith in Jesus Christ and dedicated to a personal student-focused community, Union College empowers students for learning, service and leadership.

.

Focus for the future

In recent years, Union College has been blessed with a sustained increase in enrollment, improved and new facilities and expanded academic programs. All ofthese changes help the campus better meet the challenges of higher education inthe 21st century. This pattern of progress also includes updated mission and visionstatements introduced for the beginning of the 2006-2007 academic year.

A Christian college operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Founded in 1891 in Lincoln, Nebraska