Saint Francis Magazine Fall-2011

in this issuefeatures6 Flight Patterns

Steensma’s journey lands him home at USF

8 Team USFDrives Concentra EHS in Fort Wayne

10 Superstar RocksAct I stages signature ’70s piece

12 Extreme MeasuresBueter protects in rugged Yellowstone

14 Path Finder

16 SOCA Students Shine at Annual Art Show

17 Crown JewelUSF Crown Point facility opens

18 Docents DeliverGuiding tours just one way to help USF

20 Across the WorldUSF learns, lends a hand

22 David TurnleyThree conversations

41 Coloring Our WorldTree ribbon project stresses values

sections Campus/Faculty News 26-29

Athletics 30-33

Commencement 34-36

Alumni News 37-41

Planned Giving 43

22USF’s DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis barrels to the basket against Cornerstone University in the NAIA championship game. The Cougars delivered another awesome season for USF fans as national finalists.

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Fantasic colors lend drama to a scene from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” USF’s spring musical. Drawing loosely from the lives of Jesus and the apostles, the rock opera highlighted political and interpersonal struggles between Jesus and Judas Iscariot while also addressing 1970s issues and concerns. Nearly 2,000 theater lovers filled the North Campus Auditorium for the two weekend runs for the play, considered a cultural icon of the ’70s.

On the cover Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and documentary filmmaker David Turnley returned to his hometown of Fort Wayne to teach photo and film journalism at USF in the spring semester. Turnley gave a lecture and pre-screened his latest documentary for the community during his term at USF.

Flights of fancy capture the attention of USF students under the influence of “feather fever” through biology and business professor Joe Steensma. A lover of winged creatures an expert bird watcher, Steensma conducts bird-watching tours for the campus community and anyone who wants to learn more about avian creatures of all types. A USF alumnus, he has come full circle from business ownership and back to USF as a teacher, creating his own flight pattern.

Protecting soldiers is the passion of USF alumnus and U.S. Army Capt. Jon Springer, who developed Tactical NAV, a software application for combat soldiers. The software protects them as they use iPhones to track their routes, accurately map, plot and save waypoints, email location information, coordinate systems, use night mode, stamp photos with date and shooting parameters, and lock compass points during battle.

Docents deliver the Brookside story as they escort groups on tours through the restored mansion, which opened to the public last Christmas. The community’s fascination with the former Bass family home has heightened since the award winning project restored the mansion to its former opulence. The alumnae-led docent group is one of many vital ways in which alumni can stay connected while volunteering their talents to their alma mater.

Cover photo by Steve Vorderman; on this page, top photo by Tim Brumbeloe; bottom left photo and bottom right photo by Steve Vorderman

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Time flies swiftly here at the University of Saint Francis, and we are already busily engaged with classes, projects, athletics, activities—all that makes a new semester such an exciting time.

But new beginnings remind us of the blessings of the past semester, which you will see recorded in this Saint Francis magazine issue. We hope you enjoy the colorful journal of activities and achievements since the year began, and consider it a keepsake.

We proudly opened the doors of our new Crown Point facility to a growing number of students in January. Traveling from Fort Wayne for the building’s dedication and blessing proved enjoyable and enlightening for us, as we toured our expanded classrooms and labs and met with the Crown Point campus, community and Catholic leadership.

We were fortunate to host a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and New York Times journalist in the spring. As an instructor, Fort Wayne native David Turnley helped students explore photojournalism and documentary filmmaking. We also enjoyed a rare experience in the pre-screening of David’s latest documentary, “Shenandoah, PA,” with discussion at the North Campus. New York Times reporter and visiting Woodrow Wilson Fellow Karen Arenson, also spoke to the USF and local communities about education issues.

Our winter and spring athletes again made us proud. The men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to NAIA nationals, with the men emerging finalists. Junior Jean Marqueling repeated last year’s win in the outdoor track and field finals as national champion in the hammer throw.

We were privileged to launch another group of graduates into a world of success and service during commencement at the Memorial Coliseum. Bishop John D’Arcy drew our attention to the true purpose of higher education at our baccalaureate Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Our remodeled Brookside, the former Bass family home, opened in December to much excitement. An alumnae-led team of docents now escorts and enlightens tour groups on the home’s history.

As we continue our journey as a Catholic, Franciscan institution, we learn more of the contributions and successes of our graduates. We are proud of them and have recorded a number of their stories here.

We hope you are equally proud of your association with USF and invite you to visit often, engage, volunteer and continue to contribute to all that makes our university so special.

May God bless you richly in your walk with the Lord.

Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF President

message from our

president

Above photo and photo on next page by Steve Vorderman

reverence the UNIQUE DIGNITY of EACH PERSON

Magazine | Fall 2011

reverence the UNIQUE DIGNITY of EACH PERSON

Office of University RelationsDonald F. SchenkelVice President for University Relations

Jay NusselExecutive Director of Development and Alumni Relations

Debra A. BoggsDevelopment, Alumni and Brookside Coordinator

Lisa CourtneyExecutive Secretary

Maria DidierAssistant Alumni Director

Lynne McKenna FrazierDirector of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Sister M. Marilyn Oliver, BSE ’62Planned Giving and Missions

Sandie PhalenDirector of Marketing and Development for USF Crown Point

Kristen A. RiebenackDirector of Development

William J. SlaytonDirector of Campaigns and Major Gifts

Jessica (Meyer) Swinford, BBA ’98, MBA ’10Alumni Director

Tatiana WalzerData Manager and Development Administrative Assistant

Magazine Staff

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Trois K. Hart

EDITOR Yvonne Schroeder

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Carla Satchwell, BA ’00

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Sister Marilyn Oliver, BSE ’62 Jessica (Meyer) Swinford, BBA ’98, MBA ’10

SPORTS WRITER Bill Scott

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Lynne McKenna Frazier

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Danielle (Vonderau) Kiefer, BA ’99

PUBLISHERUniversity of Saint Francis 2701 Spring St., Fort Wayne, IN 46808 260-399-7999, sf.edu/magazine

FALL 2011The magazine of the University of Saint Francis is published twice annually by the USF Marketing Department and distributed without cost to alumni, faculty, staff and other friends of the university.

Steensma’s journey lands him home at USF

“My brothers and I were sledding at Franke Park, and I crashed into a tree. So I’m lying there crying, when I see the crash jarred loose a squirrel. Then an owl swoops down five feet from my face, catches the squirrel and eats it! I was fascinated, and from then on I wanted to study birds.”

-DR. JOE STEENSMA, BS ’94

flightpatterns

7saint francis magazine | fall 2011

Dr. Joe Steensma remembers the exact moment when flight impacted his life and formed a metaphor for his journey.

“I’ve been into birds from age 5,” the USF biology and business professor recalled. “My brothers and I were sledding at Franke Park, and I crashed into a tree. So I’m lying there crying, when I see the crash jarred loose a squirrel. Then an owl swoops down five feet from my face, catches the squirrel and eats it! I was fascinated, and from then on I wanted to study birds.”

While ornithology wasn’t in his future (he never wanted to burn out on something he loved by making it a job), he has soared to some very high places on the wings of Saint Francis College support, preparation and the ability to seize opportunity.

His close connection to the college formed early. A Fort Wayne boy from a hardscrabble neighborhood, he and his brothers often rode their bikes to the campus to fish and explore a place Steensma called “an island apart from where we lived. It was a city on the hill. It had a big castle—that was so iconic—it had a planetarium—it was a fascinating place.”

His mom and two brothers were his only family in his early life. His mother married Tom Steensma, a Presbyterian minister, and when he was 11 years old, the family moved to Decatur, a small town in an adjacent county. “I was in the fourth grade, I was from a different world, and I really was not sure how I was going to fit in,” he said. “I wasn’t a bad kid, but I sometimes found myself in trouble, both academically and with the law.”

Working in a grain elevator during high school, he watched some of his siblings tackle college without success. “I saw that, and thought I wouldn’t make it, either.”

With his mother’s encouragement, he found his way back to Saint Francis College, riding his bike 52 miles, round trip, to attend classes. “I had a great experience and developed the confidence I could learn,” he said. “I had a work study with physics professor Sister Michael Ann, and she set up a little cot in her lab so I could spend the night if I had a late class, because she knew I rode my bike. Then I moved to campus in my sophomore year, and it became my home.”

He graduated from SFC in biology with a 3.95 grade point average because “I was able to learn the way I learn. People mature at different levels. I had a lot going on in my head, but it all came together at around age 18 or 19,” he said.

His high average gained him entrance to the prestigious graduate program at St. Louis University, where he earned a master’s degree in toxicology and biostatistics. That led to jobs with the U.S. Department of Energy, Ingersoll-Rand and North American Van Lines.

Convinced in 1999 that he could launch his own business, he began in his basement, and six months later Industrial Solutions Group literally took off. Then he hired a succession of graduates from the environmental science program at the University of Saint Francis, and alumni supported alumni to nurture the company.

In 10 years, Industrial Solutions grew to one of the most well-known and respected environmental health and risk management companies in the country, working in 47 U.S. states and five countries to serve over 280 of the Fortune 500 companies, among others.

But Joe was now at ground zero on a 10-year plan to bring him back to USF to teach. “The final objective was to bring my experience back to the classroom,” he said. “The business was very profitable, and I could have been greedy and continued our growth. But my wife, Kristie (Faller) Steensma (BSN ’94) and I had accomplished our goals. Once we did, it just seemed superfluous to keep going gangbusters when a less chaotic, more balanced life was waiting for us.

“The company was very healthy, very profitable, and had no debt. I felt as though I had done in business all that I needed to do.”

So he sold Industrial Solutions Group in 2008, coming full circle back to USF after orbiting the world professionally. He couldn’t be happier.

“I love it, and I can’t imagine being any place else at any time. The university has been extra good to me by letting me teach biology, which is my love, and business, which is my gift. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Matt Smith and Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership Dean Helen Murray got together and let me teach in both places.

“What’s great for students is that my understanding of biological systems and their near perfection helps me understand how a business relationship works. Then you can take business and apply it to science, which shows the utility of business to science students. It’s a match made in heaven.”

Heaven. Guess that’s as high as you can fly.

flightpatterns

Photos by Steve Vorderman

8 saint francis magazine | fall 2011

“To start at a very young age, do what you want, and see growth from virtually nothing to a significant enterprise in a large, publicly traded company is a fantastic experience.”

-ANDY PYLE, BA ’98, DIRECTOR OF EHS OPERATIONS

TEAM USF Drives Concentra EHS in Fort Wayne

Eleven years ago, USF biology graduate Joe Steensma founded The Industrial Solutions Group in Fort Wayne, transforming it into a successful environmental, health and safety company. Before selling his company to Concentra four years ago, Steensma built a team of experts from talented USF graduates and interns, who today are taking Concentra’s Environmental, Health, and Safety Services (CEHSS) to the next level.


➜

Jason Morrison, BS ’96 Director of

Environmental Services

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Andy Pyle, BA ’98 Director of EHS

Operations

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Phil Gregg, BS ’02, MS ’11

Senior EHS Consultant

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T.J. Unger, BS ’03 Account Executive

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Justin Hoover, BS ’11 EHS Staff Consultant

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Nick Alles, USF Intern

Now part of the Humana family of businesses, Concentra operates EHS departments in Cincinnati, Dallas and Atlanta, in addition to Fort Wayne, providing consulting services to businesses to help minimize occupational injuries, illnesses, and operational impact on the environment and ultimately maximize productivity and profitability.

CEHSS has essentially doubled since acquisition by Concentra in 2007 and is widely regarded as a leading safety, industrial hygiene and environmental firm in North America.

The company has national impact and underscores the focus on community service imbued in USF graduates. “Ultimately our job is helping companies and their employees stay healthy and safe within the workplace so they can enjoy their lives,” said Account Executive T.J. Unger, who joined the company under Steensma’s leadership nine years ago.

Senior team member and USF environmental science graduate Jason Morrison became the first in a succession of university friends to join Steensma and begin building the company. “Joe and I went to USF together—he was a junior and I was a freshman—and he and I worked at Lindenwood Nature Preserve in Fort Wayne,” Morrison said.

“When the company started, I ran the Environmental Services Division in 2000. It started with just Joe, and then me, and then we added Andy Pyle and interns Phil Gregg and T.J. Unger. We had all attended USF together,” said Morrison, now Director of Environmental Services for Concentra EHS.

Pyle’s decision to join the company provided amazing opportunities, he said. “To start at a very young age, do what you want, and see growth from virtually nothing to a significant enterprise in a large, publicly traded company is a fantastic experience,” said Pyle, now Director of Operations.

Concentra EHS in Fort Wayne continues to tap the talent pool at USF. “We typically have one or two USF interns,” Pyle said. “Many employees have come as interns and become full-time hires. The best talent we’ve taken from internships has been from USF.” So it’s no surprise that intern Nick Alles and EHS Staff Consultant Justin Hoover have more recently joined Concentra EHS in Fort Wayne from USF.

But the group does more than hire from USF—they contribute to the environmental science program. “We stay close to the program over there and provide input in the undergraduate courses,” Pyle said. “We provide guidance and direction on what we’d like to see from students as interns. We go in and address classes,” said Gregg, a graduate of USF’s environmental master’s program and an EHS staff consultant who has nearly seven years with the company.

They have a broad-based interest in USF talent. “Not all our employees have science degrees,” Pyle said. “We have pulled from business and art, and some have studied in the nursing department, too. All our folks think outside the box.”

Throughout the business success story, friendships remain. “We still talk about school. A handful of us were friends before this all started. And we definitely know how to have fun,” Pyle said.

Their friendship with Steensma also continues. “He obviously played an important part in getting things started 11 years ago, getting Jason on board and creating a foundation,” Pyle said. “We still work with him on some projects, and he’ll help us out when we ask.”

So what began as a circle of friends has come full circle to provide national environmental and safety services—with USF as its Fort Wayne center.


From the lurid, glow-in-the-dark peace signs and modern-day clothing to the columns and archways of ancient architecture, the University of Saint Francis’ Act I Drama Club set the stage for “Jesus Christ Superstar” to be exactly what it was —part traditional passion play and part ’70s-era political outcry.

ACT I STAGES SIGNATURE ’70s PIECE


Loosely based on the Gospels’ account of the last week of Jesus’ life, the rock opera that hit the Broadway stage in 1971 highlighted political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus. But it also stood as an icon of 1970s issues and concerns, with lyrics laced with contemporary slang and oblique references to modern-day events mixed into the political dialogue. Hence, the anachronistic costuming and stage set employed by director Brad Beauchamp.

“When ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ was first mentioned as a potential musical, I immediately knew I wanted to set it in present day,” Beauchamp said in his director’s notes. “I found the political and social parallels to what’s happening currently in our world interesting—how would we react if the events occurred today? Would we follow the wise teacher, sometimes into dangerous circumstances, or would we question him? After all, Jesus was perceived as a political activist, radical by some.

“I stressed early on to the cast that our intent ... was not to treat this musical as a biblical re-telling. ... The show doesn’t focus on Jesus’ teachings, but the clash between a grass roots movement and an established, powerful governmental authority. It was originally written in commentary to the politics of the 1960s, but it is certainly interesting to consider the politics of our world today.”

USF’s version spotlighted well-known area actor Todd Frymier as Judas and another familiar face, James Jacob Wilhelm, as Jesus. Some talented USF students brought their gifts to the stage in what Beauchamp called “an amazing journey.” Freshman Katie Boyers, in the role of Mary Magdalene, brought a strong voice and stage presence to such numbers as “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”

Quentin Jenkins, who played a priest and apostle and performed in the ensemble, studies communications with a focus on film and video production at USF. He brought to the show experience from several School of Creative Arts (SOCA) plays, including last semester’s “Diary of Anne Frank.”

Matt Deprizio, a USF business major, and senior Dane Starkey returned to the SOCA stage after appearing in “All Shook Up.” Starkey also appeared in “You Can’t Take It With You” and “Diary of Anne Frank.”

SOCA stage familiars Meghan Flanary, Tara Petitt and USF graduate Melissa Boyle also returned to add depth, while newcomers Gemma Shaw, Chelsie Schwartz, Dani Jenkins, Maggie Leavell, Kristen Blossom and grade school students Mackenzie Wilhelm, Emily Frymier and Ava Beauchamp enhanced the production. A strong cadre of talent also came from Northrop, Harding, Homestead and North Side high schools and a home-schooled student.

Junior Lauren Bachle was stage manager and junior Kevin Boner was house manager for the show’s run. The entire band, sound and light board were operated by students in the Music Department’s music technology program.

Photos by Tim Brumbeloe 11saint francis magazine | fall 2011


extrememeasures

BUETER PROTECTS IN RUGGED YELLOWSTONE

It all happens at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and park ranger and 1983 Saint Francis College business administration graduate Joseph Bueter has spent the past 22 years providing law enforcement and emergency services for visitors to the remote and wild area.

While most visitors arrive well prepared for the intricacies and danger of visiting Yellowstone, “we deal with the exceptional visitors,” Bueter said. With snow falling and spring still distant, Bueter embarks nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. to respond to incidents. He could spend the whole shift on a rescue mission or on patrol to ensure safety and enforce the law in the park.

He routinely manages the interaction between the park’s human visitors and wildlife residents. “The crowd gets too close, and we have to re-establish the separation,” Bueter said. “Almost daily there’s a lost person. They’re usually rescued within an hour, but occasionally it takes a few days. Some people get off the boardwalk in the geyser field and get burned. The work day never finishes like it starts.”

But while he provides a lot of emergency aid, law enforcement and education also play into his job. A 1993 graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, he specializes in drinking and driving enforcement and training. “I’m a breath

When Saint Francis College alumna Elaine Bueter traveled to Yellowstone National Park for her granddaughter’s high school graduation in May, she saw her son, Joe, also an SFC grad, in action. As a park ranger, he was responding to traffic accidents related to a two-foot snowstorm, actually making an ambulance run on graduation day.

“He loves the park and action,” mused Elaine, back in Fort Wayne and spring like weather. “I always say it’s a great place to visit,” she said, humorously trailing off to indicate full-time residence would not be her cup of tea.

But if places are beverages, then Elaine’s all-time favorite drink is USF. A volunteer docent at Brookside, she has treasured memories of her college days, earning a music education degree in 1957, and student life when the university was an all-girls school.

Before college, she taught baton and music and wanted to continue in music. “They offered me a scholarship that led me right to them. I could live at home, and it was such a small class, we are still friends.”

Today, Brookside stirs a lot of memories, as its ballroom was her music department. “We drove everybody in the library crazy with the racket learning all the instruments,” she said. Trinity Hall was a dormitory and “smoker”—a gathering place, whether one smoked or not. In a building behind Brookside, Sister Maurella and Sister Clara conducted art classes.

After graduation, Elaine taught music at East Allen County Schools before turning her attention to her family and a 50-year career giving home piano lessons.

But throughout the years she maintained her Saint Francis connection and friends, returning to campus for alumni parties and Christmas activities. “My heart is still at Saint Francis—I love the college and always have,” she said.

THE OFFICE: 3,500 square miles of heavily forested mountains and geyser fields.

THE INHABITANTS: Grizzlies, black bears, moose, bison, elk, wolves, coyotes, pronghorns, deer, eagles, trumpeter swans and bighorn sheep.

THE CUSTOMER: 3-4 million people annually from all over the world.

THE JOB: Treating people mauled by grizzlies, gored by bison or burned by geysers, making helicopter and snowmobile rescues, finding the lost, fighting fires and responding to drownings, falls, airplane crashes, car wrecks and heart attacks.

Love of a Lifetime USF is the place for Bueter

test manager and train rangers on detection. From swift water to high elevation to fire rescue and jail operations, we take turns taking the lead and instructing. Teaching or learning is easily one quarter of what I do,” he said.

While at SFC, he took a part-time job at St. Joseph Hospital, which led him to become a paramedic in Fort Wayne and New Haven. That segued to the park service and law enforcement. He worked for Denali National Park in Alaska, Ozarks National Scenic Riverways in Missouri and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter County before arriving at Yellowstone. Placement in Yellowstone is competitive and driven by prior training and experience.

Years of experience make him calm on the job. “It’s rewarding more than exciting,” he said. “And challenging. Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’m entrusted with protecting such incredible natural features and managing such complex incidents.

“I feel good about what I’ve accomplished. There are over 400 units in the park service, but Yellowstone’s one of the crown jewels.”

Bueter lives in the park with his wife, who teaches ranger classes, CPR and first aid, and two children, a daughter graduating high school this year and a son in high school.

Above photo by Steve Vorderman


Springer, a 2009 USF communications graduate, has hit his stride. A battalion fire support officer with the 101st Airborne Division, he created AppDaddy Technologies to produce Tactical NAV, a software application for combat soldiers. Tactical NAV allows soldiers to use iPhones to track their routes, accurately map, plot and save waypoints, email location information, coordinate systems, use night mode, stamp photos with date and shooting parameters, and lock compass points during battle.

Springer used it in Afghanistan to direct artillery fire into a Taliban stronghold, destroying it and arresting its assault on his battalion. Small wonder the world has taken notice. CNN used Skype software to interview Springer in Afghanistan about the software application. A story by an Australian journalist sent the story to GlobalPost, an online-based international news agency.

But his life path wasn’t always so clear. “I took a back trail instead of a highway but still got to my destination,” he said. USF sent him in the right direction.

A football player and admittedly complacent student, he knew he faced a turning point. “I was taking Jane Martin’s mass communication class in 2001, came in late and was just really casual about the whole thing. I needed a direction, so I asked my coach if he thought the military was a good route for me.”

U.S. Army Capt. Jon Springer’s invention saves lives, but he credits the University of Saint Francis with saving his—a couple of times.

PATH FINDER

With his coach’s encouragement, he enlisted, landing in Fort Bragg, N.C. with the 16th Military Police Brigade as a combat journalist. Within five weeks, the rookie public affairs officer began receiving communications from major news networks about the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison camp in Iraq, and received a baptism by fire in the coverage of major world news.

“I sat in the front row for the first Abu Ghraib court martial. I was a Private First Class, and I walked the prison and saw the whole thing with top military officials. I was thinking, ‘Three years ago I was sitting in COM class not taking it seriously, and here I am in the center of something they could be covering in class,’” he said.

But his unfinished USF degree troubled him. “There was not a day I didn’t think about finishing. I was always questioning whether I was doing the right thing.”

Back in Fort Bragg after one combat tour in Iraq, he was approached about officer candidacy. His college credit and military performance had already earned him a promotion to sergeant. One obstacle stood between him and officer candidate school (OCS)—he had 84 course credits and needed 90.

“I called USF and asked how I could get this done. They factored my military Defense Information School credits along with my transcripts, and within three weeks I got a phone call from Jane Martin, who said I received 21 transfer credits. It was good enough to begin OCS, and the Army offered to pay me to come back to USF later to finish my degree. God blessed me, and I am so thankful for the opportunity. I finished OCS and became a commissioned U.S. Army Second Lieutenant on May 27, 2006,” he said.

After another stretch in Iraq as a field artillery officer, he came back home to finish his long-delayed degree in 2008, graduating in 2009. The second chance allowed him to achieve a 3.9899 grade point average for the two semesters, elevating a barely passing GPA to 2.86 at graduation. “Going to school again was just such an opportunity,” he said.

He walked in military dress blues topped by cap and gown at commencement. “I was very proud to be part of USF, and the Army allowed me to get this degree. It’s the greatest achievement of my life. The thought of not finishing drove me. I proved to myself I could do it,” he said.

Two days later he packed for a trip to Fort Sill, Okla. to take on the Field Artillery Captain’s Career Course. In December, he arrived back at the 101st Airborne Division—this time as a battalion fire support officer—deploying to Afghanistan in May 2010.

Ready for the fray, he embarked with a “Let’s do this!” attitude. But soon he saw tragic life loss as a fire support officer for his brigade, as the enemy attacked from mountain elevations. “We took seven rockets the first day, and at the end of June, two soldiers were killed by a rocket,” Capt. Springer said.

“It takes mapping the world to get it to do what it does,” he said. “During a rocket attack, we took out the app and called for artillery fire. The enemy fire stopped cold, because you can traverse to the location in the terrain and send the fire there.”

Through it all, USF has been his touchstone. “If the defense company discussion comes, I will seek advice from USF, my parents and family about the right thing to do,” he said. “If not for Jane Martin approving my credits, I wouldn’t have graduated and had these experiences. I am blessed and deeply grateful for everything and everyone who helped.”

He determined to find a way to better protect combat soldiers. Being “in it to win it,” he toured attack sites where U.S. deaths occurred and interviewed officers for information to lower fatalities. So began the process of developing Tactical NAV.

SPRINGER’S USF JOURNEY LEADS TO LIFESAVING SOFTWARE

“It’s all based on soldiers’ feedback. I’m getting emails from them about what they need, and that’s what I’m putting in it. If it saves lives, I’ve accomplished my goals.”

-JON SPRINGER, BA ’09


The opening of the annual USF Student Art Show at the Rolland Center for Visual Arts and Communication packed a visual wallop, as USF students in the School of Creative Arts (SOCA) displayed their best creations of the year to appreciative friends, families and art lovers on April 9. Over 500 pieces were accepted for the exhibit.

Crowds packed the galleries to view wall artwork matted and framed by the students, an art installation by Holly Hardin-Clabaugh, mixed media work by Alexandria Baker and other creative offerings like masks created by Michael Dickman and presented to students for personalized decoration.

The opening included some kudos. Around 200 awards and scholarships were presented, and SOCA valedictorian Charlene Griffin received recognition for her artwork and animation. High Achievement, outstanding class award and outstanding senior, junior, sophomore and freshman awards were also given. The show ran through May 6.

SOCA

stud

ents

shin

e at a

nnua

l art

show

1 2

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4

5

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1-Justine Hettler; 2-Alexandria Baker; 3-Derek Hibbs; 4-Andrea Jandernoa; 5-Kevin Leigh-Manuel; 6-Holly Hardin-Clabaugh


The University of Saint Francis Crown Point (USFCP) opened its new facility in January to serve a record enrollment of 141 students.

Features of the newly constructed 15,000-square-foot building at 12800 Mississippi Parkway include eight classrooms, a computer lab and resource center—all designed to meet an increasing need for educational services for up to 350 students.

In addition to a convenient, easy-to-access location, the new facility offers special features designed to enhance studies. To support the university’s nursing programs, a four-bed nursing lab and a two-bed, state-of-the-art simulation lab offer the latest in classroom-integrated technology and simulated emergency medical training. Complementing construction of the new campus are new nursing programs, including a bachelor of science in nursing for registered nurses, now offered online in the fall semester.

The Catholic Diocese of Gary and Crown Point government officials and businesspeople joined USF officials, staff, faculty and students for a private dedication and blessing of the new facility on Jan. 21, when Bishop Dale J. Melczek blessed the building and stakeholders toured its amenities.

Groundbreaking for the new Crown Point campus was in September 2010. The Crown Point location is a regional education center for the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, which began the program by utilizing space at Saint Anthony Medical Center in 2006. USFCP emphasizes the university’s mission in the Franciscan, Catholic tradition, with the focus on a student-centered community and a one-to-one, direct educational exchange between student and instructor.

CROWN JEWELUSF Crown Point facility opens

BLESSING THE SITE The Catholic Diocese of Gary and Crown Point government officials and businesspeople joined University of Saint Francis officials, staff, faculty and students for the dedication and blessing of the new University of Saint Francis Crown Point facility on Jan. 21.

Becoming docents for Brookside tours came naturally to Luanne Obergfell and Leanne Mensing.Since both are USF alumnae, they remember the mansion from their college years and have watched its transformation over time. Now impeccably restored to its former grandeur, Brookside draws considerable public attention. Obergfell and Mensing are members of a new team of docents standing proud and ready to guide interested folks through it.

Obergfell, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1956, well remembers the former Bass mansion as the college library. “When we were in school here, there were card catalogs lined up in the foyer,” she said, casting a glance at today’s gracious entryway as she awaits the arrival of her tour group. “Sister Ida was at a table there to check out books.” With her granddaughter now a freshman nursing student at USF, she made time this spring for a special tour to show her the campus centerpiece.

Mensing, the other half of the day’s docent team, chairs the seven-member group. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1960 and a master’s in special education in 1967, and has some Brookside memories of her own.

DOCENTS deliverGUIDING TOURS just one way TO HELP USF


USF alumnae Leanne Mensing, left, and Luanne Obergfell conduct

Brookside tours as docents.


KEEP BROOKSIDE beautiful

“Having music appreciation class in the ballroom is one of many things I recall, and we loved going down into the stacks in the basement—we called it ‘the catacombs’—and just hanging out and of course, studying,” she said. “Sister Ida was such a good librarian and made sure we knew all we needed to know about the building.”

If re-engaging with your alma mater sounds rewarding, many avenues exist for alumni interested in doing just that. Besides serving as docents, alumni can offer internships or job shadowing for students at their businesses, help out as staff on campus visit days or serve on the Alumni Cabinet, among many other opportunities.

To learn more about volunteering at USF, contact Director of Alumni Relations, Jessica Swinford at 260-399-8032 or [email protected].

If you love Brookside, the restored Bass mansion, you are not alone. It was home to the entire Saint Francis College in the mid-’40s and served as a classroom and library over the years. It provides the most vivid memories for many alumni.

The community also treasures it as a historical touchstone and a portal to the grandeur of the past.

Now restored through donor generosity, its doors are open and its beauty accessible.

You can help preserve this magnificent restoration as a historical gift for generations of alumni and friends by giving to the Keep Brookside Beautiful Fund. This fund guards against wear and tear on the 100-year-old building and supports its operation. Help keep the Brookside legacy beautiful by contacting Executive Director of Development and Alumni, Jay Nussel at 260-399-8031 or [email protected].



Koinonia. It’s “community” in Greek, and aptly named as a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to focus upon faith and friendship.

Thirty USF students and adult leaders Josh Stagni, Campus Ministry director, and Sister Gayle Rusbassan headed to Mount Alverno, the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, Ind., at the end of chilly January for the eighth Koinonia. The student-led retreat allows participants to pause, reflect on their life views and draw strength from one another. They enjoy talks, prayer, Mass, fellowship and contemplation.

Oh, and a few zany things happen, too. “The students can be funny and goofy—and we can be, too,” Stagni said. “It’s so busy here at school, and it lets us get away for a weekend to regroup, physically and mentally,” he said. Being Catholic is

across theWORLDUSF lends a hand, learns

KOINONIA BUILDS FAITH, FRIENDSHIPnot a requirement. “Having the purpose of reflecting on their faith is an added dimension,” Stagni said. “Non-Catholics have learned and grown from Koinonia, too.” Observing the time and effort student leaders put into the retreat gratifies the adult leaders. “From a staff standpoint, that’s awesome to see,” Stagni said.

“The retreat always gives that time with Christ that I often lack due to a busy schedule,” said Nichole Wellman. “This year I was the coordinator for Koinonia. The job allowed me to look at the group as a whole rather than be simply a member. I was more likely to notice when people really needed someone to talk to, and notice any particular spiritual growth.”

Koinonia meets early each semester, providing students with an avenue to meet people and form strong friendships to rely upon all semester.

My study trip to the Bahamas changed my life in a way that I can never fully explain. Not only was Andros Island one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, but it made me realize how fortunate I am. Although I would love to live in a tropical paradise, I could not imagine living in near-poverty and being content, but the Bahamians make the most out of every day. They are very laid-back and appreciative of all they have.

There was nothing better than having class on the beach or snorkeling in the clear ocean waters to see some of the most beautiful underwater scenery. Getting up by 6 a.m. to see the beautiful birds on the island became routine. The best part of the trip, besides the beauty, was interacting with the local Bahamians.

The students went to church with the Bahamians, saw how they worshipped, and learned about their spirituality. The second week, we went to the Bahamian New Year parade, “Junkanoo.” Groups of people had elaborately decorated costumes, danced to music and were judged at the end.

On one of my last nights, we went to a school and played soccer with some of the Bahamian kids. They really appreciated a chance to scrimmage, as well as our donations of soccer equipment and jerseys. The food was definitely different, but I kept an open mind. Franklin, a local Bahamian, let us all try fresh conch meat. A few students walked down the street to get some snacks, and we tried fresh sugar cane.

BAHAMAS: A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE By Lauren Mey, environmental science major



From March 13 to 18, USF Department of Science professor Dr. Pam Lord, Department of Education licensing adviser Maureen McCon and USF sophomores Sarah Haas and Meghan Seals worked in a remote region of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Kentucky to improve housing for impoverished residents as part of Work Fest 2011, an outreach of the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP).

“I am always amazed to see how the students connect with others,” said Lord, a Work Fest veteran. “Many come and are shy. They are not sure what to expect. However, within the first day of their experience, they have new friends.”

The trip is an exploration in sociology and compassion that impacts students and gives them a larger picture of the world, Dr. Lord said. “I think the students gain a new appreciation for the things they have. Eastern Kentucky is a very poor area due to the loss of coal mining. The families are struggling to stay together and survive day to day with decent housing. To see that is a new experience for many of our students.”

across theWORLDUSF lends a hand, learns

The visit disproves a lot of misconceptions. “Something we all ponder is the number of ‘hollers’ with lots of stuff on the lawns and on the nearby mountains. Why don’t they clean it up? It is cost. They must pay to have garbage removal from a narrow passage in the mountains,” she said.

The trip transforms students, which inspires and touches Dr. Lord. “I love to meet the students the first day we travel. They are new persons when we return,” she said. “They have new energy and greater appreciation for the many ways they can contribute to others when they step outside their shell.”

A USF group has traveled to Work Fest for the past four consecutive years, under the leadership of various faculty and staff members including Lord, McCon, Dr. Carl Jylland-Halverson, assistant nursing professor Wendy Clark, Director of Residential Life and Housing Andy McKee and financial aid counselor Gwen Hefty.

When six biology, nursing and education students from the University of Saint Francis’ Formula for Life group set out to assess Haitian orphanages in the spring, they didn’t know what they’d find.

What they discovered, in at least one orphanage, renewed their spirits. A chubby, healthy 18-month-old had grown from a 5-month-old so severely malnourished and dehydrated, her survival was in doubt.

Why? Because USF’s student-led Formula for Life, a yearly run/walk event, raised funds to send infant formula and toddler cereal to her orphanage. After assessing the orphanage run by Father Andre Sylvestre, the group discovered a greater need in filling the nutritional needs of resident children up to age 8.

They decided to help—again. From accumulated funds, they will pay the $500 monthly food bill for the orphanage for a full year. “This way, Father Andre will be able to tailor his food buys to cover the ages of the children,” said USF’s Dr. Amy Obringer, USF biology professor and Formula for Life faculty sponsor. “He won’t have to worry about being able to feed them and can focus on structural needs and expansion to accommodate more children.”

Junior nursing student Amanda Pedro is the student leader for Formula for Life and participated in the Haiti trip. “In our research of the other orphanages and hospitals in Haiti, as a group we were speechless, initially,” Pedro said. “Father Andre’s

orphanage was one of the nicer, better kept places we stayed. USF is one of his primary sources of food for the now 22 abandoned or orphaned young children he is caring for. One child in particular, Jerrilyn, Father Andre called his ‘miracle baby.’ She was brought to Father by her grandmother at 5 months old, in a state of severe malnourishment. Father and his housemothers nursed her back to health with the formula that USF provided. She is now 18 months, healthy, happy and chubby! Just like babies should be.”

Those who wish to aid orphaned Haitian children can help maintain this vital food source by participating in the fourth Formula for Life on the USF campus in spring 2012. It’s a real formula for improving young lives.

USF SERVES: CHRISTIAN APPALACHIAN PROJECT WORK FEST 2011

HELP FOR HAITI: F4L FEEDING ORPHANS FOR A YEAR


DAVIDTURNLEYTHREE CONVERSATIONS


MIRROR IMAGESPulitzer winner’s lens views all of us

When David Turnley trains his camera lens on a subject, he symbolically holds up a mirror. And while the Pulitzer Prize-winning documentary filmmaker graphically captures some of the best—and worst—of which humankind is capable, he’s really saying, “Look. Under a different set of circumstances, this could be me, or you. It could be anyone.”

Recording everything from the brutality of Tiananmen Square to everyday cruelties under South African apartheid to the hope and despair of the urban poor in Fort Wayne, Ind., Turnley, who spent last semester teaching photo and documentary journalism at USF, has employed the compassion that says we all stand on the same ground, wherever it might be.

As football players for Fort Wayne’s Elmhurst High School, Turnley and his twin brother, Peter, delivered a serious one-two defensive punch to opposing high school teams in the ’70s. When an injury took Peter out for a season, he got a camera and a book on photography. That launched a discovery era, and the boys began filming the neighborhood of their black teammates in downtown Fort Wayne. “That was when I understood photography was a voice to scream about mutual respect,” David said.

The result is “McClellan Street,” the Turnley brothers’ photographic record of the trials and triumphs of those residents. The experience became the model for David’s method of immersing himself in the lives of subjects to capture their essence. “There are two ways of getting to know the ‘other.’ One is to treat them as another, and the other is just to jump in. When you open your eyes and heart—people get that.”

So he “jumped in,” moving from the University of Michigan to the Sorbonne, to the Detroit Free Press and then to South Africa in 1985 for an apartheid story. Travel to 75 countries and a Pulitzer in 1989 for documenting three revolutions followed. On a separate trajectory, Peter became a world-renowned photojournalist, producing cover shots for Newsweek.

David attributes much of his world view to his parents, an orthodontist father and pianist mother, both “madly in love for 52 years. They have tremendous fun and respect for each other. They were very engaged with civil rights and worked with the PTA and Rotary Club on school desegregation. My high school only began bussing in 1972, which made it very diverse and made us great in football,” he said.

He also factors place and time. “My family lived in the oldest house in the county, the Chief Richardville House, until I was 8,” he said. “The experience allowed me an extreme sense of wonderment. I could roam acres of land [in the Miami Treaty Grounds] that still held Indian relics. The house had trap doors. It was a fantasyland for a child, and a compelling time in U.S. history.”

Of all his imagery, he finds a depiction of joy most moving. “I filmed the young daughter of a farm worker in South Africa, playing a raggedy guitar and looking up at her dad, who’s playing a guitar held behind his head like guitar players do,” he said.

That joy in the transcendent human moment resonates throughout his work and philosophy.

“It’s always in pursuit of an understanding of myself and the world I’m looking at,” he said. “I feel like I’m looking at a big, big family. I feel a generosity of spirit toward them, not judgment. Once you suspend judgment and embrace the humility of your own foibles, there is so much more interest in their stories.”

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BACK TO THE SOURCEOn revisiting and teaching in Fort Wayne

David Turnley holds his Fort Wayne roots dear, and he demonstrated that as a spring semester photo and film journalism teacher and lecturer at USF.

Students of all ages and skill levels listened in rapt attention as Turnley helped them explore something in a deeply personal way. Each chose a subject and employed Turnley’s techniques to intimately examine and portray the person or situation.

He also presented the lecture, “Exposing Humanity,” to illuminate the public on the concepts and philosophy involved in the making of compelling documentaries, and held a book signing for his latest book, “Mandela: Struggle and Triumph.”

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to come to my own hometown and get a sense of what’s going on in their hearts and minds. It reminds me of the place I was in my own life. It’s going back to my own source to get in touch with that,” he said.

“I’ve been in New York for 12 years, but it’s really nice to just get out. There’s something wonderfully humbling about Fort Wayne, and I have found that here in the leadership of USF, as well.”

Teaching at USF filled a unique need at this time in his life.

“I’m at a place where I wonderfully enjoy mentoring people. It’s a great privilege to be interacting with people about this passion. I can’t imagine more fun than telling stories with others who enjoy it and want to learn. Mentoring is nurturing people’s voices and passions, getting them away from their fears and really just helping them to get out of their own way,” he said.

The devotion to place recurs in an expression of gratitude. “I can’t thank USF enough for the support of me and my brother over the years.”

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“I’ve been in New York for 12 years, but it’s really nice to just get out. There’s something wonderfully humbling about Fort Wayne, and I have found that here in the leadership of USF, as well.”

-DAVID TURNLEY


EXPOSING THE “OTHER”Turnley screens “Shenandoah, PA”

In a move atypical of the industry, David Turnley screened a rough cut of his latest documentary, “Shenandoah, PA,” for the USF community and the Fort Wayne public in April. The first world screening of the new work, the event was hosted by the USF School of Creative Arts (SOCA) as part of its Closer Look Lecture Series.

The film was chosen for a Contemporary Issues Documentary Grant from the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization founded by actor Robert Redford and dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Turnley’s film was among 18 other feature-length documentaries chosen for the grant from a field of 750 submissions from 111 countries.

“I’m not sure anyone has screened a rough cut before to more than a half dozen people,” Turnley said in advance of the event. “I suggested it to Dean Rick Cartwright and Colleen Huddleson of SOCA as an offering in USF’s spring semester. I am ecstatic to get feedback from people from my own hometown. I value their empathy and compassion, and Fort Wayne shares Shenandoah’s working class background.”

“Shenandoah, PA” documents the story of four white football players from the film’s namesake town, charged with beating undocumented Mexican immigrant Luis Ramirez to death. In it, Turnley focuses his storytelling eye on a deeply felt portrait of a community on trial.

“It’s a battleground for national issues,” Turnley said. “This is a coal mining community of 6,000 that is facing severe economic challenges because the U.S. has lost its viability as a manufacturer. The town is in demise. It is also an immigrant town with a very proud and patriotic heritage. It is economically challenged as the coal mining and other industries have left, leaving people struggling to get by.”

He spent a season with the football team to understand the texture of the society, its profound patriotism and tradition of toughness, while also immersing himself in all of the town’s people, traditions and cultures. What results throws the harshness of the violence into relief with a compassionate view of the multi-layered town—its block parties, devoted football parents, Catholic christenings and Hispanic weddings.

“It’s a portrait of a small, working-class coal mining town,” Turnley said. “It’s not my motive to be judgmental, but rather to hold up a mirror to myself and my fellow Americans.”

After the film screening, Turnley led several hundred viewers in a discussion on the film’s themes in the North Campus Auditorium.

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Friday, October 143-4 p.m. Posture, Ergonomics and Stress (Dr. Matt Hopf, BS ’01)

3-4:15 p.m. Reconsidering Rockwell (Dr. Beth Kuebler-Wolf)

3-5 p.m. All Things Chuck (Dr. Larry Wiedman)

3-5 p.m. Bird Watching 101 (Dr. Joe Steensma, BS ’94)

3-5 p.m. Personal Finance: Learning to Read and Use Financial Information to Make Decisions (USF Business professor)

Saturday, October 158 a.m. Check-in for Homecoming Cougar Spirit 5k Run/Walk

9 a.m. Homecoming 2011–Cougar Spirit 5k Run/Walk

9 a.m. Alumni Baseball Game, Baseball Field

9-11 a.m. USF Nursing Heritage: A Journey through Time, Doermer Health Sciences Center

10 a.m. A Dedication and Blessing for the USF Nursing Display, Doermer Nursing Commons

10 a.m. Alumni vs. Alumni Softball Game, Softball Field

10 a.m. Alumni Men’s Soccer Game, Coonan Field

10 a.m. Arts and Sciences Tailgate, Bonzel parking lot

10 a.m. School of Business Tailgate, Clare Hall parking lot

10-11:30 a.m. Tours of Brookside (formerly Bass mansion)

10-11:30 a.m. Alumni Association Tent, Brookside Plaza

Noon USF Football Game vs. Marian, Bishop D’Arcy Stadium, Alumni Tent, South End Zone

2-4:30 p.m. Tours of Brookside (formerly Bass mansion)

2-4:30 p.m. Alumni Association Tent, Brookside Plaza

4 p.m. Mass in Saint Francis Chapel at the West End of Trinity Hall

4-7 p.m. Alumni Family Dinner, Hutzell Athletic Center

5:30 p.m. Alumni Men’s Basketball Game, Hutzell Athletic Center

Broadcast Your SpiritThere are plenty of ways to show your Blue and Broadcast Your Spirit during

Homecoming 2011! Put on your running shoes and show up for the first-ever Cougar Spirit Run, a 5k run-walk on Saturday morning. Catch up with friends and grab some grub at the south end zone Alumni Tent, or join the SOAS tailgate party. Catch the History of Nursing display in Doermer. Tour Brookside. Watch fellow alums relive their college days on the sport fields, and don’t miss the signature event—when the Cougars cream Marian at the Saturday Homecoming game.

It's all fun, it's all good, it's all Blue!

ALUMNI AWARDS RECIPIENTS

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME AWARD RECIPIENTS

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1: Dr. James Hoot ’72; Distinguished Alumnus 2: Andy Pyle ’98; Distinguished Service by an Alumnus 3: Leo Procise ’06; Distinguished Young Alumnus 4: Michael Mastrangelo, M.D.; Honorary Alumnus

1: David Malone ’86; Soccer 2: Jeff Rekeweg; Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach 3: Lindsay (Mitchener) Schott ’02; Softball 4: Andy Papagiannis ’06; Football

Congratulations to our distinguished alums and Athletic Hall of Fame recipients!

For more information, visitsf.edu/homecoming

HOMECOMING SCHEDULE

October 14-15, 2011


Customize your University of Saint Francis support with a specialty license plate. No matter where you journey, everyone will know you cheer for USF! Order at myBMV.com or at license branches.

Call 260-399-8051 for more information.

ACCELERATE YOUR USF SUPPORT

USF, Ivy Tech team on nursing educationThe University of Saint Francis signed an articulation agreement with Ivy Tech Community College in February to provide a mechanism for graduates of the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program at Ivy Tech to articulate into USF’s Registered Nurse to Master of Nursing (RN-MSN) sequence. All Indiana Ivy Tech ASN graduates are eligible. The signing is the fourth such agreement between the two schools. USF has a total of 12 articulation agreements covering more than 100 programs and courses with six institutions of higher learning. For more information about the articulation agreement with Ivy Tech, contact Amy Knepp, NP-C, MSN, RN, chairperson and assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences at [email protected]. For more information about transferring credits to USF, go to sf.edu/registrar/transferofcredit.shtml.

Congratulations to our distinguished alums and Athletic Hall of Fame recipients!

Contemplating tragedyUSF students view “Tragedy, Memory, & Honor,” a 9-by-35-foot painting commemorating the attacks of Sept. 11,

2001. The piece is part of an exhibit by Chicago artist Bruno Surdo, which opened with the Presidential Gala in USF’s Weatherhead Gallery on Sept. 10. Surdo flew to New York City shortly after the disaster, where he observed

first hand the carnage in the aftermath of the attack. The collage includes debris collected from the site.

Top photo by Steve Vorderman


Woodrow Wilson Fellow for 2011 and former New York

Times education editor and reporter Karen Arenson

visited the USF campus March 21-27, giving two

free public presentations about education, visiting

classrooms, meeting faculty and touring the campus.

On Tuesday, she elaborated on emerging future careers in “Shift Happens: Careers and Vocations in the 21st Century,” a panel discussion with faculty members Frank Connor, Joe Steensma and Connie Collins and moderated by Assistant Provost Dr. Andrew Prall.

The panel examined the responsibility of colleges and universities to prepare young American students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing nation and world, with complexities such as rising gasoline prices, Middle East revolutions and the flight of Midwest state lawmakers from their legislative floors. “Today you will hear real-life stories on how the panelists have adapted to changes in their own careers,” Prall said.

Arenson detailed her journey through various professions before becoming a journalist and had some advice for her listeners in the Doermer Center for Health Science Education. “Find out what you love, study broadly, get to know your professors and classmates—how they balance their lives, what they read and where they volunteer. And take courses you didn’t think you’d take,” she said.

On Thursday she presented “Money for Nothing? Higher Education in America,” a discussion focused on the past, present and future of higher education, based on her 30 years in economics and higher education news and her service as a trustee at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

NYT journalist, Wilson Fellow visits

(M.I.T.). Questions such as why the cost of higher education has risen faster than the cost of living, whether every student needs higher education, and what the best path is for today’s students in this rapidly changing world were examined.

During her tenure at the New York Times, Arenson was one of the first reporters to chronicle the growing use of early decision admissions and the explosion in endowments at some colleges and universities. She also paid close attention to the financial and political battles of public universities and to issues of student preparation and remedial instruction. She majored in economics at M.I.T. and earned a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

USF has participated in the Woodrow Wilson Fellows Program for the past two years to generate dialogue on current issues within higher education, including academic honesty, ethics, the wealth gap between larger and smaller institutions and the importance of the liberal arts tradition, among other subjects. The program has brought prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, business leaders and other nonacademic professionals to campuses across the United States for over 35 years.



For the fifth year, USF served its community by providing a site for Focus on Health, a community-wide effort to enhance wellness and expand awareness of good health practices. Community residents lined up at the North Campus for free health screenings and reduced-fee medical tests.

USF’s School of Health Sciences (SOHS) students, along with students from other schools on campus, assisted the many exhibitors to educate on wellness, said Diane Martin, an instructor in the Physical Therapist Assistant program and coordinator of Focus on Health on campus.

“They get the experience serving, learn about their own health, and the community receives the information to encourage general wellness,” Martin said. Students in the school’s Exercise Science Department gave demonstrations on Zumba and yoga every half hour, and students from the Keith Busse School of Business and Psychology Club also made contributions from their fields of study.

Focus on Health is part of the university’s Wellness Committee initiatives, which have included initiating a smoke-free campus and hosting Focus on Health each year.

In addition to the free basic tests for blood pressure, body mass analysis, vision and colorectal cancer, the university joined the other sites in providing the new A1C hemoglobin test for diabetes, in addition to blood chemistry, thyroid, prostate and other blood tests for a nominal fee.

USF-specific tests included an ankle brachial index test to measure blood flow to legs, a test for balance to screen for the likelihood of falling and mammograms by Francine’s Friends. Screenings for hearing, bone density, foot care and skin abnormalities were also available.

IStan, one of the simulated patients from the SOHS Simulation Lab, was on-site to give viewers a look at the range of behaviors and vital signs the simulations exhibit as learning tools for USF health careers students. Faculty members and nurse practitioners also provided health summary reviews and resource referrals after the screenings.

OUR FOCUS healthy bodies

When you add up the district American Advertising Federation (AAF) Addy Awards, USF’s communication arts and graphic design (CAGD) students definitely come in on the plus side. In fact, a USF student has captured Best in Show in the student category at the AAF spring Addy Awards for the past three years—ever since the AAF added the student category.

This spring, USF’s Caitlin Nelson earned the Best in Show distinction, but USF CAGD students also brought home nine other gold and 13 silver awards for a total of 23. CAGD students at USF are encouraged to become involved in Insignia Advertising, USF’s official college chapter of the AAF, which welcomes the student members to the local Addy Awards. Besides attending and entering the Addy Awards, CAGD students in Insignia coordinate the Addy Gallery and have the opportunity to network with area advertising professionals.

Students in the CAGD program also benefit from regular portfolio reviews with faculty, internships with professional design agencies, 24-hour access to secured facilities, numerous gallery and lecture programs, and travel abroad opportunities.

Each spring, area designers meet with CAGD students to critique their portfolios and offer valuable insight about the marketplace and the profession. Many students have been offered internships from these sessions.

That adds up to success.

It all adds up to Excellence for SOCA

Photos by William Bryant Rozier

Ages Feats for the

Cougars provide another memorable men’s basketball season.


Time won’t completely dispel the sting of losing the 2011 NAIA National Championship game, but it will dull it and put the last two years of University of Saint Francis men’s basketball in perspective. What a two-year run it was, unprecedented in USF men’s basketball history.

Remember that the 13th-seeded Cougars were the only team to give No. 4-seeded Cornerstone University a real challenge in the Golden Eagles’ flight to the 2011 NAIA National Championship. The Cougars won the first four games by 8, 2, 4 and 3 points to become just the second team in the 20-year history of Division II to play in back-to-back national championship games. Dating back to the Cougars’ 2010 title trot, USF had won nine consecutive games in the NAIA Championship, all by eight or fewer points. CU entered the 2011 championship game with an average margin of victory of 27 points in its first four tournament games.

USF trailed 31-28 at halftime after leading 14-6 early in the first half. CU, which finished 33-4 including two wins over USF, opened up a 49-41 lead only to see the 2010 champion Cougars go on a 14-4 charge to take a 55-53 lead with 8:20 to play on Q Owens’ driving two-point basket. DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis hit his first free-throw attempt with 6:52 to play to forge the 10th and final tie of the game at 58. He missed the second free throw. The Cougars had two chances to take the lead before CU nailed back-to-back 3-pointers for a 64-58 lead. Owens cut the deficit to 64-60, but the Cougars got no closer.

USF was left to wonder—what if Sawyer-Davis had been healthy?

Nobody knew that the man who delivered one more double-double in the 80-71 defeat—20 points, 11 rebounds—was playing like a cell phone with half a bar left. There were a few fans in the crowd who had seen “Dey” play more than 100 games who wondered what was wrong. He only made 5-of-24 shots and went 0-for-5 from 3-point range, always short.

The answer came about 36 hours later after the team returned to Fort Wayne. Sawyer-Davis drove home to Anderson since it was spring break, but didn’t stay long. He experienced difficulty breathing and was taken to an emergency room in Anderson, then was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Indianapolis. Bronchitis, which he played with in the last two games, had gone septic, putting Sawyer-Davis in a life-threatening condition.

“If he’d been bumped right or fallen right, he could have been in a life or death situation,” USF head coach Chad LaCross recalled.

After an overnight stay in the hospital, Sawyer-Davis left with a “pic line” to keep antibiotic medication fighting the infection. He missed the first week back after spring break, and USF postponed the post-season celebration for a week so Sawyer-Davis could make it.

“It makes his performance in the title game even more impressive, and you can’t help but wonder ‘what if,’” LaCross said. “We took 80 shots and had 20 offensive rebounds. That’s hustle plays. I thought we were after every loose ball. We just kept fighting.”

Ferdie Morales-Soto had 10 offensive rebounds, more than the entire CU team.

So what to savor from another memorable season is how USF fought off Northwest (Wash.) 87-79, then knocked off No. 4 Bellevue (Neb.) 76-74 on Matt Edmonds’ put-back bucket. Remember how USF edged No. 12 Davenport (Mich.) 61-57 and then overcame College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 67-64 with more than 4,000 Bobcat fans providing deafening vocal support. Who knows how much those first four wins took out of the Cougars while CU was playing 12 players every game. That win over C-of-O was the third consecutive USF post-season elimination game win on the opponents’ home floor.

The high point of the 2010-11 season was the way USF won the 2011 Mid-Central College Conference Tournament title as the No. 3 seed. Under LaCross, the Cougars became just the fourth team in 18 years to win the MCC Tournament title game on the road, upsetting the defending tournament champion and 2011 regular season champion, Indiana Wesleyan, 76-63 on their home floor.

The list of accolades and records goes on and on, but in the interest of space, we say farewell and best of luck to four special seniors on the 2010-11 Cougars team in Sawyer-Davis, Morales-Soto, Matt Edmonds and Austin Leisure.

National NAIA Champions in 2010National NAIA runner-up in 2011First-time Mid-Central College Conference Tournament champions in 2011Just second team to play in back-to-back NAIA National Championship Games in 20-year history of NAIA Division II TournamentBack-to-back NAIA All-American first-team selection for DeJovaun Sawyer-DavisBack-to-back NAIA Championship ‘Hustle’ Awards for Ferdie Morales-Soto56 wins, 19 losses ... a .747 winning percentage the last two seasons



Mascot Johnny Cougar has a new look, designed specifically for USF, to show off for fall semester sports.While Old Johnny served USF well for a lot of years, he appeared a bit rumpled and the worse for wear. The newly designed Johnny is distinct to USF, with his look corresponding to the USF Athletics logo. The suit has a fan in the head and a belt to chill and wrap around the middle of students who literally step into the mascot persona.

New Johnny is still the fighting cat about town, but he’s approachable, not scary, to kids. Decked out with USF-blue claws and paw print tattoo, he’s sure to add to the excitement of the USF athletics scene. Just tell any kids old enough to recognize he’s different that Johnny went to a spa for rejuvenation.

H-e-e-e-r-r-e’s

Johnny!

USF women advance to NAIA DII nationalsUSF’s eighth-ranked and second-seeded women opened the NAIA Division II national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, on March 9 against 25th-ranked and seventh-seeded Cedarville, but bowed out to the Yellow Jackets in a 73-58 loss. NAIA All-American 1st Team selection senior Julie Seiss closed out her outstanding USF career with 18 points.

USF outscored CU 10-7 in the first nine minutes of the second half before CU regained a double-digit lead. The Lady Cougars again clawed back in contention to cut the deficit to four with 2:39 to play. Junior Amanda Pedro nailed two free throws, slicing CU’s advantage to 62-58. Bianca Woods nearly stole the ball, but couldn’t get control and CU regained possession around the 2:12 mark, leading by the same four-point margin. USF was forced to foul and the Yellow Jackets finished the game hitting their foul shots.

The Cougars were a stronghold in the top-10 for the season, keyed by the scoring of Seiss, Pedro and leading USF scorer junior Kayla Mullins, along with skilled play from Woods, Stacia Shepherd, Vini Dawson and Meghan Prible. Newcomers Abby Kinder, Jenelle Wilson, Kali Ackison and Courtney Bolen also contributed to the successful season.

On Feb. 28, the Cougars again reached the MCC Tournament finals but lost to Indiana Wesleyan at Marion, Ind.


Steak and potatoes. Eggs and bacon. Baseball and hot dogs.

Some things just fit together well, and now, like Kareem and the skyhook, add University of Saint Francis senior Jean Marqueling and the hammer to the list.

Marqueling cemented her name in the hammer throw by winning her second consecutive NAIA Outdoor National Track & Field Championship title on May 26 at the Indiana Wesleyan University Track and Field Stadium. A Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger High School graduate, she secured her second consecutive national title with a release of 190 feet, 5 inches.

Her victory also makes her a three-time NAIA Outdoor All-American and a six-time NAIA All-American in track and field competition, both record-setting marks for USF.

“I felt like there was more pressure this year because I won last year, everybody knew me and you just never know what will happen at nationals, especially today with all the different weather elements,” Marqueling said later after spending more than four hours warming up, cooling down, competing and then waiting for the finals.

The competition was delayed when one of the competitors was hit by an errant release. And there was another delay to re-calibrate the measuring device. And at times there was a driving rain. Fortunately, Marqueling maintained her footing while several other competitors slipped and fell in the cement ring as they attempted to throw the hammer.

“Jean is so consistent, so you really don’t worry much about how she is going to perform,” USF head coach Sarah Thrall said. “I’m amazed how she didn’t let anything phase her today. She’s had an impressive career, especially the last two years. The whole university is proud of what she has accomplished.”

She will continue working on her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a concentration in health and exercise science and health services. She earned her associate’s degree as an X-ray tech last year, so fall semester is her last at USF.

TWICE AS NICEUSF’s Marqueling repeats as national hammer throw champ

MEN’S BASKETBALL• DeJovaunSawyer-Davis,Sr.namedNAIAAll-Americanfirstteam,NAIANationalChampionshipTournamentTeam,MCCPlayeroftheYear

• QOwens,Jr.namedNAIAAll-Americansecondteam,NAIANationalChampionshipTournamentTeam,All-MCCsecondteam

• FerdinandMorales-Soto,Sr.namedNAIANationalChampionship“Mr.Hustle”Awardwinnersecondyearinarow,All-MCCHonorableMention

• KevinDawson,Jr.namedNAIAScholar-Athlete

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL• JulieSeiss,Sr.,NAIAAll-Americanfirstteam,MCCPlayeroftheYear,All-MCCfirstteam

• KaylaMullins,Jr.,All-MCCsecondteam

• JanelleWilson,Fr.,MCCAll-FreshmanTeam

• ViniDawson,Sr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete

TRACK AND FIELD—INDOOR• JeanMarqueling,Sr.,NAIAAll-American,WeightThrow

TRACK AND FIELD—OUTDOOR• JeanMarqueling,Sr.,NAIAAll-American,HammerThrowChampion,All-MCCHammer,Discus,ShotPut

• MollyGetts,Sr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete(distance)

• WendyMahlan,Sr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete

• LynnAltevogt,Sr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete• KatieGeraghty,Jr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete

• NicoleNewton,Jr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete(jumps,sprints)

• BrittanyHutker,Jr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete(distance)

BASEBALL• DerekCoverstone,Jr.,All-MCC• BenMartin,Jr.,NAIAScholar-Athlete

SOFTBALL• AlyssaKumpfmiller,Fr.,All-MCC• WhitneyPiercefield,Sr.,All-MCCHonorableMention

Cougars on the ProwlUSF WINTER AND SPRING ACCOLADES

Johnny!33saint francis magazine | fall 2011


You can’t miss the sense of family at the University of Saint Francis. It’s everywhere, from the professor who takes the extra time to help, to the president’s smile of encouragement, to the friendly “hello” exchanged across the spacious, green campus.

Sometimes the USF family affair crosses generational lines, as it did for mother and daughter graduates Angie Springer and Amy Guest when both earned degrees May 7.

Springer, an assistant in the School of Arts and Sciences (SOAS), in many ways typifies the life of an adult student seeking opportunity through USF. She began an education degree straight out of high school, but did not finish. A 25-year career in manufacturing followed before her journey brought her to USF.

She found immediate support. “When my boss found out I hadn’t finished my degree, he said, ‘You’re finishing,’” Springer said. “So I say it took me 35 years to get a bachelor’s degree.”

At USF, her education credits transferred into the bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, which gave her the scope of knowledge she wanted. “I studied lots of different things, which I love. I enjoy learning and will probably take more classes.”

The support she received as a working student seemed—well, like family. “I felt the family closeness at USF right away, and after six years, it just gets stronger and stronger,” she said. “My professors are as excited as my family about my graduation.”

Daughter Amy developed a passion for human rights through her courses and exposure to the Franciscan values driving everything at USF. A dedicated professor helped her engage and focus. “Dr. Jason Jividen was great in political science class, and he wanted to know us as people outside of class, too,” she said.

Although her bachelor’s degree in political science and history prepares her for planned graduate work in international law and human rights, she has also applied to the Peace Corps. “If the Peace Corps comes through first, that’s what I’ll do,” she said. “Focusing on one Franciscan value each year and taking a comparative genocide class opened my eyes to the inhumanity in the world and made me want to do something about it.”

That’s the way the USF family works. It’s catching. Like a pebble tossed in a pond, the loving support ripples outward in ever-widening circles, eventually clasping everyone in a world embrace.

COMMENCEMENT a Family Affairfor mother and daughter graduates

USF GraduatesSeek Truth on the Wings of Faith and Reason

Referring to a metaphor in which the Pope likened faith and reason to wings upon which the human heart rises to contemplate truth, Bishop Rhoades exhorted the degree candidates to apply the message to their lives. “In your journey, seek the truth through these two wings. Only then will you not stumble in life,” he said.

He also urged them to overcome evil with good. “We Americans prize our freedom, but freedom is not the license to do whatever we want, even evil. How will you use yours in your journey? When we use it as we should, to do good, we combat evil and are truly free,” he said.

Higher education should be expressed through moral living, he said. “As beneficial as your studies are, they will only bear fruit when accompanied by a moral life. True fulfillment … is not in wealth, fame, power or achievement, but in a moral life that seeks to overcome evil with good.”

He called love “the ultimate truth and best expression of goodness,” which is attainable through God. “The experience of love causes the light of God to enter into the world. Love is possible and we can practice it because we are created in the image of God, who is love,” he said.

During the conferral of degrees, valedictorians from the five schools led their classmates in crossing the stage to receive diplomas. Valedictorians were Ashley Norton of the School of Arts and Sciences, Tiffany Steinbrunner of the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership, Charlene Griffin of the School of Creative Arts, Allison Minnich of the School of Health Sciences and Kathleen McClellan of the School of Professional Studies.

USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF, made closing comments. “The word ‘commencement’ means ‘to begin,’ and today marks the beginning of a lifetime of continued learning and accomplishment,” she told graduates. “Live the values you’ve learned wherever you might be. Be true to yourself, your loving God and what you’ve learned here. Take your place and live your life in faith and active service.”

University of Saint Francis commencement speaker Most Rev. Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades cited Pope John Paul II during his May 7 address in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, urging nearly 500 graduates to seek to know the truth, pursue goodness, live moral lives and reflect love as they go forward to build post-college lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

-JEREMIAH 29:11

Bishop Rhoadesto



Making your way successfully along the journey of life often requires a helping hand. Many USF students had an opportunity to personally thank those helping hands on April 27 at the university’s seventh annual Scholarship Luncheon.

One hundred scholarship sponsors, students and USF faculty and staff shared lunch and much more—university life, students’ future plans, the donors’ connection to the university and their personal lives. Those informal discussions are the heart of the event. But they also heard from speakers representing donors and student recipients.

Thomas Gallmeyer offered insights on giving from Winston Churchill to Mother Teresa. He’s been guided by such observations as his own perspective on philanthropy has grown, he said. Tom is very involved with USF, where he is a director and member of the University Relations Board. He sits on the board of the Arthur & Josephine Beyer Foundation, which supports a scholarship to the university, and personally sponsors an annual scholarship with his wife, Cathy.

Andrea Jandernoa looked back over her four years at USF, which concluded with her graduation in May with degrees in art and English. Her journey has taken her far afield from the USF campus. An assignment from a book in a freshman class not only hooked her into reading the entire book: the next summer she traveled to Ethiopia, where she met the book’s author. The summer before her senior year, she taught in India. Her USF education has deeply affected her, and she thanked those who had helped her. Andrea received the Maurice Papier Scholarship for the 2010-2011 school year, given to an outstanding art student.

In the 2010-2011 school year, 154 students received more than $272,000 in assistance from the university’s endowed and annual scholarships. Earnings from endowments support scholarships in perpetuity, while annual scholarships recognize gifts of $2,500 and above to the university annual fund.

C E L E B R A T I N G E X C E L L E N C E

Scholarship Luncheon 2011

154 studentsIn the 2011-2012 school year,

$272,000R E C E I V E D M O R E T H A N


checkoutthenewalumnie-newsletter!

Stayupdatedoncomingalumnieventsandnewsbysigningupforournewsletteratsf.edu/newsletter.

USF alumni accustomed to friendly visits from Alumni Director Ed Schaab will be pleasantly surprised to see another familiar face in that role—Jessica Swinford, who received a promotion from assistant alumni director to alumni director after Schaab’s June retirement. The new position excites Swinford, an engaged and energetic alumna herself. She joined USF as student/alumni networking coordinator in 2005, becoming assistant alumni director in 2007. She brought experience as an event coordinator for the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne to the position.

As an undergraduate, she helped the women’s basketball team reach the national tournament in each of the four years spent as a USF player and business administration student. She earned her bachelor’s in business administration in 1998 and completed a master’s in business administration at USF in 2010.

She has a history with the alumni and development offices, working the Annual Fund phone-a-thon and assisting the alumni director with marketing tasks as an undergrad.

She found establishing USF alumni chapters in Indianapolis and Merrillville the most satisfying challenge as assistant alumni director, and looks forward to taking the alumni office to the next level as director. Plans include offering more programs to increase alumni engagement, revisiting the idea of class reunions, establishing stronger relationships with undergraduate students and expanding the alumni website.

“I love USF,” she said. “I met my husband while attending Saint Francis, have many close friends from college that I stay in touch with, and I was able to support and follow my brother while he attended and played basketball at Saint Francis.

Swinford promoted to USF Alumni Director

“It is so gratifying to work for my alma mater. USF is an amazing place to work, and we have awesome employees! Everyone is willing to help and support one another to achieve the mission and goals of USF. I am looking forward to serving the USF alumni.”


1960s: 01 Members of the class of 1961 returned to Fort Wayne for recognition of the 50th anniversary of their graduation during USF’s commencement ceremony on May 7. Each classmate received a corsage at check-in, and they rose as a group for recognition by USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF during the ceremony. One class member traveled from Maryland for the recognition. A reception for the anniversary class took place in the Centennial Room of the Fort Wayne War Memorial Coliseum after commencement. From left are members of the graduating class of 1961: Suzanne Rahe, Judith Skertic, Janice Gillig and Sue Deckelman. With them is USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF. Judith Personett (’62) was selected to receive the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Exceptional Contribution Award. She accepted her award on Aug. 4 in Indianapolis. n 02 The Saint Joseph Hospital School of Nursing class of 1969 held a reunion in fall of 2009 in Fort Wayne. This picture captures those in attendance. Front, from left: Ramona (Springer) Penniston, Kaye Wheeler, Rebecca (Ward) Olsen and Janet (Wilson) McElhaney. Back, from left: Caroline (Martin) Patrick, Christine (DeLucenay) Freeman, Vickie (Osborne) Meyer, Carolyn (Miller) Davis, Pat (Scott) Bowers, Marilyn (Nail) Platt and Nancy (Burns) Cummings.

keeping connected with alumni and friendsclass notes

alumni news

01

02

1970s:Sister Darla Vogelsang, OSU (MS ’73) celebrated her Golden Jubilee with the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown, Ohio in August with a special liturgy and reception at the Motherhouse in Canfield, Ohio. Sister Darla ministers as a Catholic Chaplain for Humility of Mary Health Partners at its St. Elizabeth, Boardman, and St. Joseph, Warren, campuses. She visits with new admissions of all denominations to provide spiritual care, either through the hospital or their own places of worship, and offers prayer and support to patients, families and the hospital staff in crisis situations. n John Mauch (MS ’77) recently joined Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame as its new president and chief executive officer. Holy Cross Village is a ministry of the Brothers of Holy Cross and a continuing care retirement community.

1980s:Doris Yerger (BSW ’80) recently presented “Twentieth- Century African-American Women’s Club” at the History Center. Originally from Hope, Ark., Doris moved to Fort Wayne in 1947, retiring from General Electric after 25 years. She served as a volunteer for Lutheran Social Services, the Women’s Bureau and other local agencies. She has been a member of the Ultra Art Club for more than 35 years. n Daniel Avila (BA ’81) joined the staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on June 20 as the new Policy Advisor for Marriage and Family. Dan came to the U.S. Bishops’ national office in Washington, D.C., from the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, where he served as Associate Director for Policy & Research, assisting the Roman Catholic Bishops in the Commonwealth since 1997. He has researched and written extensively about marriage, and is expert in the opportunities and challenges of the debate over redefining marriage. He earned his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University and he, his wife and daughter are Indiana natives. He joins USF alumnus Don Clemmer, who works in the U.S. Bishops’ media office. n Edson Beckett (BA ’81), was named Palm Coast Florida’s Gargiulo Art Foundation’s 11th Flagler County Artist of the Year in 2010. Beckett has been teaching photography and graphic design at the Flagler/Palm Coast High School for 22 years and is a widely acknowledged ceramicist and Raku artist. Architectural photography is another of his strengths, and for that versatility he was named Artist of the Year. He is one of few art teachers to receive this prestigious award.


WEWANTTOHEARFROMYOU

HAVE A CLASS NOTE? To update information, simply go to sf.edu/alumni and click on “Stay Connected” or send information to: Jessica Swinford at [email protected] or mail it to University of Saint Francis Alumni Office, 2701 Spring Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808. Thanks for keeping in touch with your alma mater!

1990s:Susan (Memmer) Croteau (BSN ’92) was married in Oct. 2010 to Kevin Croteau. The couple resides in Greenville, S.C. n Shannon Corson (BBA ’93) enrolled at Brevard Community College in the medical assistant program, making the president’s list for excellent achievement fall semester with a 4.0 GPA. n Valerie (Geisel) Kipfer (BSN ’94) is the Texas State Director of Nursing Services for the Department of Aging and Disabilities. Valerie moved to Texas in 2009 to take this position. When not at work, she enjoys time with her husband and three children and their families, including eight grandchildren, who are scattered all over the world—from Texas to Indiana to China. n Paige Hamilton (BLS ’95) and wife Jodie welcomed their second child, Finnegan Thomas, on Feb. 15. He joins big sister, Moria. n Jason McLain (BS ’98) recently accepted a position as assistant principal at Sidney High School in Ohio. n 03 Karen (Rosso) Warner (BSN ’98) and Doug Warner (BLS ’00) welcomed their third child, Nolan Pryce, on Nov. 12. n 04 Trina (Harkenrider) Herber (BS ’99) and her husband, Mark, welcomed Sophia Marie on Fri., Aug. 26 at 7:15 p.m. Sophia weighed 8 pounds, 1.6 ounces and was 20 inches long. n Theresa (Schenkel) Schlegel (BS ’99) and husband, Brent, welcomed their second child, Jonathon Lynn Schlegel, on May 3. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 inches long. He joins big sister, Gracie.

2000s: 05 Spencer Cordonnier (BSE ’00) and wife, Amber, welcomed their third child, Jewel, in July. Big brother Braylon and big sister Aryana are excited for a little sister. n Gina (Giovanelli) Snyder (BSW ’00) and husband, Mike, welcomed their first child on March 13. Their son, Brady Allen Snyder, weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 21 inches. n Stephanie (Frisinger) Hein (BSW ’01) gave birth to Benjamin Gregory on May 11. He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 22 inches long. n Andie (Hines) Mobley (BA ’01) was recently elected board president for the Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne. n Adam Green (BA ’02), a SOCA

computer art graduate, was a member of the animation team for “Tangled,” Disney’s recent animation based on the story of Rapunzel. Green returns to Disney from his previous work on the animated feature “Bolt.” He has also worked on “Horton Hears a Who” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” for Blue Sky Studios. n Joe Klimaski (BBA ’02) is currently serving a commitment with the USAF as an anti-terrorism officer assigned to USAF Special Operations Command stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Joe has been stationed and living in Europe for the last five years, although over two of those years have been split in the Middle East/Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and the Global War on Terrorism (GWoT). He is currently serving as the Air Operations/Parachute Program Manager, 435th Contingency Response Group. Joe will make his way back to the U.S. this coming August to an unknown location. n Jillian Minier (BBA ’02) is currently Director of Admissions at Concorde Career College in Portland, Ore. n 06 Jeanne (Eiserle) Ewing (BA ’03, MSE ’08) and husband, Ben, welcomed their first child on Nov. 18. Felicity Rose Ewing weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 21 inches long. n Jenny Maldonado (BS ’04, MS ’10) works at USF as a lab assistant in the departments of biology and chemistry. She was awarded the 2011 Franciscan Spirit Award during an annual USF employee awards ceremony. USF has presented the award annually since 1994 to the full-time faculty or staff member nominated by peers as the example of one who best lives the Franciscan Values in the university’s values statement. Those values center on reverence for the unique dignity of each person; encouraging a trustful, prayerful community of learners; serving one another, society and the Church; fostering peace and justice; and respecting creation. Nominators described Maldonado as selfless and tireless in her work and commitments, friendly and helpful, sought out by students for her assistance and support, well-liked by faculty members, compassionate toward animals, a military sergeant who can multi-task and bring order to the labs, and possessing a spirit of helpfulness. n

03 04 05 06


Ben Riggs (BA ’10) and I met in 2006, our freshman year at Saint Francis. We were in the same Foundations for Success class. He noticed me early on. I, sadly, didn’t know he existed for some time. A mutual friend of ours, Emily Rice (to whom we are indebted forever), did a little matchmaking on his behalf. When she approached me about him, our exchange went something like this:

Emily: “Do you know Ben Riggs?”Me: “Never heard of him.”Emily: “He’s in our Foundations for Success class?”Me: “Not ringing any bells ...”

Emily: “He sits in the corner?”Me: “Still nothing. Sorry.”

She proceeded to show me his picture on Facebook, and told me he thought I was cute and wanted to go out with me. The rest, as they say, is history! We just got married about 10 months ago, and we’re eternally grateful to God, Saint Francis, Emily, and whoever else may have had any role in our meeting.

alumni news

Melissa (Goldsberry) Rice (BS ’04) is currently a Neonatal—Perinatal Fellow at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. n Amy (Tener) Oakes (AS ’05) married Matthew Oakes in Albion, Ind. on Oct. 16. They now live near Somerset, Penn. n Heather (Weddle) Bontempo (BBA ’06, MBA ’08) and Clint Bontempo (BBA ’06, MBA ’08) welcomed their second child, Anthony Michael, on Apr. 23. He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces. Anthony joins big sister, Chloe. n David Stevens (BA ’06) graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Calif. on May 27. He received a Master of Fine Arts with a major in animation and visual effects with an emphasis on 3-D animation. n 07 Erica Tarasovitch (BSW ’06) received a master’s degree in 2007 from the University of South Florida in social work. Erica welcomed Jace Mehki Tarasovitch on Feb. 21. He weighed 6 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 18 inches long. n Tara Richards (BA ’06) is working at Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne as a public safety dispatcher with the University Police. n 08 Jason Beer (BA ’07) is in his third year teaching high school English at South Shore High School for Chicago Public Schools. Jason finished his Teach for America service last June. He and his wife, Cassie, welcomed their first child, son Avram Daniel Beer, into the world on April 26, 2010. n Jenny (Steele) Swan (BSE ’07) and Bill Swan were married on Friday, July 8. n Sarah (Schmitz) Wehrkamp (BA ’07) was recently named student success coach at the Student Success Center located at Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast in Fort Wayne, Ind. Sarah gave birth to Julianna Jennifer (J.J.) on June 29, 2011. She weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 inches long. n Stephanie Fenstermaker (BA ’08), continued her education by pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design at Indiana University, Bloomington. While there, she investigated photography, textiles, metalsmithing and printmaking, along with specialized studies in graphic design, such as bookmaking and letterpress printing. This led to her thesis show, “One by One,” which focused on the slow, physical act of letterpress printing. Each piece was created with handset type, hand-cut illustrations and

traditional bookbinding methods. She is finishing her degree with a study abroad program in Venice, Italy. In August she began a new job as assistant director at the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wis. n Erin LaCross (MSN ’09) received a 40 Under 40 Award from the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, honoring a group of individuals under age 40 who have provided outstanding leadership in the Fort Wayne business community. n Army Captain Jonathan Springer (BA ’09) was highlighted in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel on Jan. 26 for developing an iPhone application called Tactical Nav, designed to organize and assist combat soldiers and to help locate Taliban forces.

2010s:Katelyn (Jacquay) Daniel (BA ’10) is a law student at Saint Louis University. n Joshua Fenner (MSE ’10) is an education counselor for the U.S. Army at Fort Carson, Colo. n Justin Vela (BBA ’10) and Eric Lash (BA/BLS ’10) were highlighted in Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly for their start-up company, GooRoo, which builds online communities. The four-man GooRoo team launched WPCandy.com to build communities around the popular WorldPress open-source blogging software. The team accomplished this with help from the Student Venture Lab, a program Northeast Indiana Innovation Center is revamping to produce more successful business ventures. n Jessica Beer (BSN ’11) is working at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne as a radiologic technologist. n Danielle Collins (BA ’11) recently accepted a position at Bishop Dwenger High School as a communications coordinator. n Nicole Yates (BSN ’11) is working as an RN for Parkview Hospital.

2000s CONTINUED:

07 08

WANT TO SUBMIT A LOVE CONNECTION? Just email Jessica Swinford, Director of Alumni Relations, at [email protected] or mail to Jessica’s attention at: University of Saint Francis, 2701 Spring Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

Love Connections told by Sydney (Deputy) Riggs (BA ’10)


alumni news

1930s Ruth Yarlot, Class of 1936 Mary A. Hoffman, Class of 1937

1940s Betty Laws, Class of 1944 Virginia Knepper, Class of 1945 Barbara Ann Stickley, Class of 1946 Muriel Hornberger, Class of 1947

1950s Phyllis Enfield, Class of 1950 Marlene M. Alter, Class of 1951 Audrey Deitche, Class of 1952 JoAnne Freygang, Class of 1952 Barbara Jean McDaniel, Class of 1955 Suzanne S. Boening, Class of 1956 Dora Hankey, Class of 1956 Merle Louise Ray, Class of 1959

1960s Cathryn Ann Badders, Class of 1963 Jean P. Richards, Class of 1963 L. Carl Nadeau, Class of 1964 John W. Septer, Class of 1967 Vera Nielsen Deal, Class of 1968 M. Virginia Christy, Class of 1969 Elizabeth Dahlgren, Class of 1969 June Haskins, Class of 1969 Dorothy J. Langley, Class of 1969 Daniel Neil Merica, Class of 1969 Betty Louise Thieme, Class of 1969

1970s Lester D. Carvey, Class of 1970 Myron J. Krehbiel, Class of 1970 Richard D. LeBlanc, Class of 1970 Barbara G. Leininger, Class of 1970 Dolores E. Grise-Pawlisch, Class of 1970 Joseph N. Sprunger, Class of 1970 Betty R. Paine, Class of 1971 Barbra L. Lesh, Class of 1971 Charyl Snyder, Class of 1971 Lucille C. Tucker, Class of 1972 Joyce Ann Hevel, Class of 1973 Catherine Gardner, Class of 1974 Sue L. King, Class of 1975 Patricia A. Nicodemus, Class of 1976

1980s Lori A. Moriarty, Class of 1985

1990s Marcia L. Walker, Class of 1996 Cathy Mendoza, Class of 1997

2000s Tammy M. Koker, Class of 2006

in memoriam

Dr. Marian Virginia Christy, Ed.D., 79, of Hot Springs, Ark., died Friday, April 22, at her daughter’s home in Fairmount, Ind. She was a lifelong educator at the University of Saint Francis, where she headed the Special Education Department for over 30 years. She was born July 15, 1931 in Key West, Fla. to the late Emmet Faircloth and the late Mildred Virginia (McKennon) Faircloth. She received her education from Florida State, Saint Francis College in Fort Wayne and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Sister M. Barbara (Stella) Cison passed away on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Our Lady of Angels Convent in Mishawaka, Ind. She completed a bachelor’s degree at USF, then Saint Francis College, in 1950, a master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1958 and a doctorate in languages in 1967 from Fordham University. She taught French and Latin for 11 years at Saint Francis College, where she also served as academic dean from 1977-1981. She also taught at Marian High School in Mishawaka and Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne.


Beloved Professors Pass AwayDr. L. Carl Nadeau, 76, a 48-year educator at the University of Saint Francis, died Friday, March 25 in Heritage Park Healthcare Center in Fort Wayne. Born in Edmundston, New Brunswick, he is survived by his friend, Thomas Smith of Fort Wayne, and sister, Joan Hubert of Edmundston. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvio C. and Jeannette Nadeau.

He was a member of the Cathedral Choir and the Philharmonic Chorus in Fort Wayne. A noted researcher, he wrote “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc,” now housed at the Vatican, the French archives in Paris and the British Museum in London. He also researched “The Mark Twain Papers” at the University of Berkeley, Calif.

USF professor and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception lector and tour guide Dr. Carl Jylland-Halverson recalled Dr. Nadeau’s impact on his life. “Carl made the history of the Cathedral come alive,” he said. “Nobody could give a tour like him. Tonight as I was giving the readings at Mass, I was aware of how my tours are so full of his words. Thank you, Dr. Carl Nadeau, for sharing some of your passions with me. Au revoir, mon ami.”

Dr. Nadeau’s Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, March 30 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. Burial was in Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne.


The uniqueness of the University of Saint

Francis bloomed brightly on a maple tree

outside of the university’s Trinity Hall all

through the dreary winter months. When

spring arrived, USF students invited the

public to campus on April 15 to explain

what the multi-colored ribbons tied to its

branches meant before taking them down.

In November, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership students launched “iActed on Behalf of … ,” an interactive public art project and grassroots movement led by a cross-disciplinary group of students: Melissa Corcoran, chair, and Paige Young, Jessica Rorick, Angela Grigg, Stacy Litchfield and Taylor Morken.

To promote USF’s Franciscan values, engage students, welcome people to campus and promote a sense of community, the project gave students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends a chance to tie a brightly-colored ribbon to one of the tree’s branches after demonstrating a Franciscan value. The beauty of the acts reflected in the colors of the ribbons, each representing a different value: dark blue for selflessness, lavender for poverty, green for education, pink for friendship, light blue for hunger, red for peace, and yellow for wellness.

Three different women affected different members of the group in ways that allowed the students to make the project a powerful experience. “Our lives are filled with women that we look up to, adore and cherish. Three specific women have unknowingly inspired a public art project here at our beloved campus. Each woman put forth a different value that influenced the creation of this particular project,” Corcoran said in an article in the Paw Print student newspaper.

coloringour world

Tree ribbon project stresses values

“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.”

-PSALM 112:9


planned giving

Have you ever thought that it would be nice to have a steady flow of income—and benefit a USF student? Have you ever considered a charitable gift annuity for yourself and/or your spouse? The University of Saint Francis now has a wonderful answer to these questions.

The following two examples show how a charitable gift annuity from USF could work for you—and for our students!

Sally Smith, age 70, is a retired nurse who deeply appreciates the quality of education she received in becoming an accomplished practitioner in the field. She would like to help some current nursing students more easily afford the cost of attending USF. But she needs income from her investments during retirement. She creates a gift annuity at USF with $25,000. For her lifetime, she receives a payout of $1,450 per year. That’s 5.8 percent! And it is very safe since it is backed by the full faith and credit of our university.

The tax benefits make this even more attractive for Sally. In addition to an immediate tax deduction of $8,273, part of the income comes to her tax free. For approximately 15 years, over $1,000 of her income payments have that income tax-free advantage. Since Sally is in the 28 percent income tax bracket, this means her income is the equivalent of 8.2 percent in fully taxable investments.

And Sally knows that her gift will benefit USF students.

Joseph and Jane Jones, ages 60 and 56, respectively, recently retired after 30 years as teachers. They establish a $50,000 CGA with USF. Their annual payment is $2,100, of which $1,367 is tax free. That is a 4.2 percent payout which is the equivalent of a 5.5 percent taxable investment. They also receive an immediate tax deduction of almost $7,000.

And Joe and Jane know that they are helping USF students.

To discuss creating this type of annual personal income plus a gift that benefits students at the University of Saint Francis, please contact:

Sister M. Marilyn Oliver, OSF Director of Planned Giving 260-399-8036, 800-729-4732 [email protected]

dollars for you and dollars for USF

“iActed may be one single tree on campus covered in thin strips of ribbon, but its significance is great…. I hope you can realize that the ribbons are the foundation of what your school was built upon,” she wrote to her fellow students.

Around 3,100 charitable acts were recorded by those who stopped by Brookside, Trinity Hall, the Keith Busse School of Business or Campus Ministry to pick up a ribbon for the tree after making a conscious effort to make the world a better place.

Funded by the university’s Campus Ministry and supported by its Center for Franciscan Spirit and Life, Mission and Values Committee, grounds and maintenance departments, and Council for Shared Governance, the interactive project welcomed the participation of the Fort Wayne community as a way to share these values.

2701 Spring StreetFort Wayne, IN 46808

Change Service Requested

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDFort Wayne, INPermit No. 404

Oct. 1 Alumni tent at home football gameOct. 14-15 Homecoming weekend (see page 26)

Oct. 22 Alumni tent at home football gameNov. 11-13 USF fall play—XanaduNov. 12 Alumni tent at home football gameNov. 18-29 USF fall play—Xanadu

Dec. 3-4, 10-11 Christmas at USFDec. 15 Fort Wayne Alumni event—BrooksideJan. 21 USF Alumni at Komets gameFeb. 11 reCONNECT—Family Day 2012March 3 USF Alumni at Mad Ants game

For more information on USF events, visit sf.edu/alumniAL

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Contemplating tragedy Article on page 27

“In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.”-PSALM 25:2-3

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Saint Francis Magazine Fall-2011

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