Io Triumphe! Spring-Summer 2012

‘We have to do what’s right’

Alumni in Medicine Achieve Breakthroughs 14 Briton Chris Greenwood Dons Lions Jersey 20 Kudos to “Travels with Brit” Contest Winners 41

io Triumphe!spring-summer 2012 The mAgAzine for Alumni And friends of Albion College

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Dave Camp, ’75, shapes public policy from one of the most powerful posts in Congress.

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Albion College changes lives. Whether you are a graduate, a parent, or a friend of the College, your life has been impacted by people, places, or moments at Albion.

Recognize something or someone that made a difference in your life by giving to the areas that mean the most to you.

Give online at www.albion.edu/givenow or by calling 517/629-0347. Albion’s fiscal year ends June 30. Your gift matters.

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Staff

Editor: Sarah Briggs

Contributing Writers: Marian Deegan, Bobby Lee, Davi Napoleon, Jake Weber

Class Notes Writer: Luann Shepherd

Design: Katherine Mueting Hibbs

Marketing/Communications: John Thompson, John Perney, David Lawrence

Io Triumphe! is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224. It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.

Letters to the editor may be sent to: Office of Marketing and Communications, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224. E-mail: [email protected] Wide Web: www.albion.edu

About Our Name

The unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer, Horace. Some phrases were taken from other college yells and others from a Greek play presented on campus during the period.

In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart:

Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe! Haben swaben rebecca le animor Whoop te whoop te sheller de-vere De-boom de ral de-i de-pa— Hooneka henaka whack a whack A-hob dob balde bora bolde bara Con slomade hob dob rah!Al-bi-on Rah!

Cover photo of the Cannon House Office Building is courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. The inset photo is courtesy of the Midland Daily News.

Io TrIumphe!

spring-summer 2012 The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Albion College

Io TrIumphe!

(Top) Jordan Raiford, assisted by Samantha Salhaney, sounds the senior horn, announcing senior speaker Aaron Croad during commencement May 5.

Features

10Independent SpiritDave Camp, ’75, holds sway in Congress.

14Profiles in HealingMeet four alumni who combine patient care with impressive research.

20Chris Greenwood Pursues NFL Dream This Briton standout is now training with the Detroit Lions.

Departments

2 Presidential Ponderings

3 Briton Bits

22 Giving to Albion Leadership gifts advance library renovation.

24 Alumni Association News

29 Albionotes

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A Message to Students StartingTheir College SearchI will admit it. I am a proud graduate of Albion College. I am neither “liberal” nor am I an “artist” of some kind. So what is this branch of higher education we call liberal arts, and how can it be relevant to your search for the right college?

Like any other high school senior, I chose the school that felt right to me. I was influenced by my parents to look at high-quality liberal arts colleges. I decided I wanted to be a well-read person, and a liberal arts education made sense to me. I chose Albion College because it has a strong liberal arts tradition, along with pre-professional institutes which direct career interests. I was accepted into Albion’s Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management. The Gerstacker Institute has its own course of study, and its students complete two off-campus internships. . . . I liked merging a liberal arts curriculum with the practical side of career preparation.

I worked hard at Albion. In my earliest coursework it was obvious that much was expected of me, and I needed to actively engage in my education. My professors knew my name, and it was common to be invited to a home-cooked dinner or evening seminar at a professor’s home. I wasn’t so much sitting in class, absorbing the teaching; instead it

The College Decision: A Case for the Liberal Arts

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felt like I was in a conversation which lasted over four years and many professors. . . . [Beyond my classes,] my two internships were excellent experiences and helped focus my career interests.

The liberal arts philosophy makes for a college experience of rigorous intellectual development in multiple branches of knowledge. Students are educated in a comprehensive way and are thus prepared to meet the challenges of a lifetime. . . . Students are challenged to write and speak, to debate, to experiment with new ideas in a setting which is at one level intimate—small classes with actual professors (not graduate assistants)—and at another level, infinite in the scope of ideas and intellectual thought explored.

Private colleges which excel in delivering this educational experience are often not understood, even by college-bound seniors. These colleges cannot give you a BCS bowl experience or a chance during March Madness. They have quaint campuses tucked away in small towns, not the mega-university boom towns many associate with a college experience. But students in these smaller communities find plenty to do both on- and off-campus.

When I started my career at Dow Corning, I was immediately struck by my ability to navigate the company and to communicate effectively with people. . . . I spent 15 years in our business organization

To find out how you can assist in bringing students to Albion, contact:Admission Office: 800/858-6770; [email protected] Engagement Office: 517/629-0448; [email protected]

Earlier this spring, trustee Don Sheets reflected on the impact of his Albion education on his life and career in an op-ed column that appeared in the Midland Daily News. Because he eloquently describes the qualities that make the Albion experience so distinctive, I wanted to share his thoughts with the readers of Io Triumphe!, and also encourage each of you to help spread the word about Albion in your personal interactions with your friends, colleagues, and prospective students, and, where appropriate, in your local media. We can all have a role in attracting the next generation of Brits to Albion!

Donna [email protected]

doing marketing and commercial management jobs in some very complex, technical fields like electronics. I was not born to do this. My liberal arts education helped me develop versatility and the ability to confront new situations.

Let’s return to your college decision. The sticker price of a good liberal arts college can seem daunting. However, it can be affordable. Private colleges have financial aid programs and award merit scholarships in significant amounts. Almost 100 percent of students at these institutions receive some form of aid or scholarships. . . . So, my advice to students is: apply to the schools that interest you, regardless of the published cost. Once accepted, you can work on an affordable plan.

What will you experience at a selective liberal arts college?• Youwillsurroundyourselfwithstudents

who share your passion to learn and make the world a better place.

• Youwillknowyourprofessorspersonally,and they will care about you. They will also challenge your mind as few have, or will.

• Youwillhaveopportunitiestoserveyourcollege and the community at large.

• Youwillbeabletoparticipateinathletics,music, theatre, student government, and other activities. Sometimes all at once. Try to do that at a major university.

• Youwilldevelopcriticalthinkingskillsandan ability to communicate your ideas.So, in the end, it matters to be trained in

your chosen field. But, it also matters to be able to synthesize new ideas, adapt to new thinking, communicate your ideas, persuade others, and integrate the rush of new information into a world view which makes sense and which can be the core of a fulfilling life. Take a look at a liberal arts college—it just might be the right choice for you.

J. Donald Sheets is executive vice president and chief financial officer for Dow Corning Corp. in Midland. He also serves as an Albion College trustee. This is an edited version of a column that appeared in the Midland Daily News, April 23, 2012.

By J. Donald Sheets, ’82


BR !TON B!TSTHE LATEST NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

2012-13 Programs Expand World ViewOur increasing interdependence as a global community will be the focus of Albion College’s theme year for 2012-13. The year will explore diversity within and across international borders and bring speakers and other visitors to campus from around the world.

“Our students will have the opportunity to hear from speakers who represent an array of cultures, nationalities, and political perspectives,” said Sally Walker, co-leader of the year’s program planning, “and they will expand their understanding of their roles as global citizens.”

Leading off the fall events Sept. 7 will be Opening Convocation speaker Damon Keith, who is senior judge for the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. During his 40-year career as a federal judge, Keith has made landmark decisions addressing many issues, including sex discrimination, affirmative action, and school desegregation.

Other fall events will celebrate Albion’s sister-city ties in France and its volunteer service connections with Batchingou, Cameroon. In addition, the Richard Smith Common Reading Experience book for this year is A School for My Village: A Promise to the Orphans of Nyaka by Ugandan writer Twesigye Jackson Kaguri.

Internationally acclaimed author Alexander McCall Smith has been selected

to give the 2013 Calvaruso Keynote Address April 18 during Albion’s Isaac Student Research Symposium. Best known for his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series set in Africa, he has written more than 80 books. Born in what is now Zimbabwe, McCall Smith became a law professor in Scotland and later returned to Africa to help set up a new law school at the University of Botswana.

Visit www.albion.edu/news for event details during the 2012-13 year.

Gov. Snyder Addresses Class of 2012By Jake Weber

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder shared his insights on life and work with the nearly 380 members of the Albion Class of 2012 at the College’s commencement ceremony May 5.

Snyder underscored the need for active leadership. “As you live your life, do it with

‘relentless positive action,’” he said, recalling a mantra he has used since taking office as governor in 2011. “I’ve never seen a problem solved by blaming anyone . . . bring everyone together to find a solution and be relentless in applying that solution and taking on the next problem.”

Snyder concluded, “This is a day you'll never forget, but when people ask me what was my special day, I say it’s still to come. So enjoy today [knowing that] when you’re

done celebrating . . . you’ve got the skills and the experience to . . . reinvent the world and reinvent Michigan.”

A former president of the technology firm Gateway, Snyder is also the parent of Jeff Snyder, ’10.

In praising the class, President Donna Randall noted their “amazing journeys” with service projects and research done everywhere from downtown Albion to Cameroon, Suriname, and Honduras. She also cited the numerous

national awards and scholarships the students have received. “We’re incredibly proud of you and all you’ve achieved,” said Randall. “And we know that more impressive accomplishments are still to come.”

Senior speaker Aaron Croad reflected on what he and his classmates have gained through their Albion education. “[The liberal arts curriculum] helped us see life’s circumstances from different points of view, and now we do this almost instinctively,” Croad said. “In an increasingly globalized world, our ability to see things from different perspectives is a quality that sets us apart.”

For more photos and video coverage of the 2012 commencement ceremony, go to: www.albion.edu/commencement.

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Gov. Rick Snyder received a doctor of humane letters degree shortly before his commencement address.

This year’s graduates head off to earn advanced degrees at institutions including the University of Edinburgh and to work at organizations such as the Chicago Center for Urban Life and the Big Four accounting firms.

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New Names in Advancement OfficeTwo Albion College alumni recently joined the Office of Institutional Advancement staff.

Todd Morris, ’95, formerly a sales representative for BioMedix Vascular Solutions, joined the staff as director of development for the West Coast region in January. Morris handled the Virginia and Washington, D.C. territory out of the Leesburg, Va., office and consistently ranked among the top sales leaders for the company.

Prior to his work with BioMedix, Morris served as the associate executive director of theYMCAinFairfaxCounty,Va.,andasaterritory sales representative for Life Fitness.

A former varsity football and baseball player, Morris was inducted into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

John Thompson, ’02, was named associate vice president for marketing in March. He leads the development and

implementation of a strategic marketing initiative that integrates admission, academics, athletics, student life, and institutional advancement.

For more than seven years as principal associate at BluFish Consulting, LLC, in Marshall Thompson attracted and maintained corporate and non-profit clients, managed creative design, implemented marketing plans, and led market research projects.

Thompson is no stranger to the College, having attended Albion for two years before earning a B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University.

Morris

Albion’s Methodist Relationship ReaffirmedThe University Senate of The United Methodist Church (UMC) recently reaffirmed Albion College’s UMC affiliation, after an in-depth review last fall. Albion was founded by Methodist clergy in what was then Michigan Territory in 1835, and has maintained its relationship with the church since that time. United Methodist representatives continue to sit on the College’s Board of Trustees. Albion is one of 120 United Methodist-related educational institutions in the United States. “We are proud of Albion’s 176-year heritage and the many current students and alumni who are active leaders in the United Methodist Church,” Albion President Donna Randall said. The College received notification of the reaffirmation this spring, following an independent review and visit conducted by members of The United Methodist Church’s University Senate. Albion received its visit from the University Senate delegation in September 2011, and the recommendations of the visiting team were reviewed by the full University Senate in late January 2012. Criteria for evaluation included institutional integrity, well-structured programs, sound management, and clearly defined church relationships.In its official letter, the University Senate “approved Albion College for continued listing as a United Methodist-related institution of Higher Education.” As part of the report, the visiting team noted that “the College is committed to the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, and it’s extremely effective in its work with diversity and social justice issues.” “I’m happy that the University Senate celebrated our good work with diversity and understand it in theological terms,” said Daniel McQuown, College chaplain. “The students I work with are passionate in engaging diversity in many forms, and that matches the church’s Social Principles in furthering God’s kingdom.”

Thompson

A replica of a bronze sculpture of President Gerald R. Ford that stands in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda was installed during a special ceremony in the Robinson Hall atrium in March. The sculpture, known as a maquette, stands near the office suite of the College’s Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, established in honor of the 38th president in 1977. In an earlier ceremony at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Susan Ford Bales presented the sculpture to President Donna Randall. The maquette was made possible by gifts from Herold “Mac” Deason, ’64, Brett Decker, ’93, George Heartwell, ’71, David Hogg, ’69, and Paul Huth, ’77, under the leadership of Albion trustee Joe Calvaruso, ’78, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Sculpture Celebrates College’s Ties with President Ford

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Students Consult on Redesign of City’s Web SiteBy Dan Myckowiak, ’14

It’s not every day that students are given the opportunity to engage with their surrounding community and take a hands-on approach to their learning, but that’s just what happened this past semester during a management consulting class taught by economics and management professor Vicki Baker. The class consulted with the city of Albion to help redesign its official Web site.

“It was a good way to get involved with the city of Albion, and also work in a consulting type of field,” said Brett Timmer, ’12.

The students were mentored by Michael Brown, ’87, the interactive director at Full Circle, a marketing and interactive agency in Grand Rapids.

“I worked with an exceptional group of students on the Albion City Web site project,” Brown said. “They were attuned to details, unafraid to ask the difficult questions, and demonstrated a refreshing work ethic. Our goal was to work on a project that would get the students out in the community and one that would live on long after they’ve left. Once the new site has been developed, I believe we will have accomplished this and more.”

The class met with local residents to understand how the new Web site could benefit the different stakeholders in the Albion community.

“I think the hands-on learning approach was really good. It’s about being able to communicate with people and learning how to problem-solve,” said Katie Blumberg, ’14. “In this project we came across real issues where we had to find real solutions.”

Members of Albion’s local government and community were enthusiastic about the class’s participation and receptive to their ideas.

“They were very impressed that we were willing to put our time into the project, and with the quality of ideas we put forth,” Timmer said. “I think we represented Albion College well.”

The class focused on developing a sitemap that improves the organization of the information on the city’s Web site. Students examined the Web sites of other cities and states throughout the country, in order to develop recommendations for Albion’s new Web site. Timmer said the new streamlined Web site could help attract new residents and businesses, but this project wasn’t just helpful to the city. It was equally beneficial for the students involved, who had a chance to apply their liberal arts education directly in the community.

“It gave me a real-world experience, and I think that is really valuable,” Blumberg said. “I hear from my friends at other colleges who haven’t had these opportunities, so I feel lucky.”

Furthermore, the project allowed students to experience Albion in a way they hadn’t before.

“As college students, I think sometimes we are in our little world and don’t see what’s in the city surrounding us,” Blumberg said.

“We got to learn a lot more about the city. The history of Albion is pretty cool, and a lot of people don’t notice that.”

For Timmer, he saw a side of Albion’s citizens that he didn’t know existed. He realized just how tight-knit the Albion community is.

“The people we met with genuinely care about Albion. The people who live here want to see the community improve,” Timmer said. “This Web site is a tool that they can use to do that.”

An undergraduate internship with the city of Albion’s Downtown Development Authority helped Michael Brown, ’87, (center) launch his career in the business world, and because of that experience he says he chose to give back by mentoring students working on the city’s Web site redesign.

Kids ’n’ Stuff Children’s Museum 10th Anniversary CelebrationOpen house and reception with museum founder and former College first lady Rebecca Mitchell, Aug. 23, 2012, 3-4 p.m. at the museum. Albion College alumni and friends are welcome.

www.kidsnstuff.org

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Faculty Earn International RecognitionPianists Put Practiced Hands to Carnegie Hall Recital

By Jake Weber

Alumni and friends reveled in the outstanding talent of Albion’s piano faculty, as David Abbott and Lia Jensen-Abbott performed a Carnegie Hall recital in February. A number of Albion residents traveledtoNewYorkCityfortheconcertin Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, joining areaalumniandNewYorkresidentslooking for an evening of piano music. The recital was part of David Abbott’s sabbatical activity, an “extension of the international concerts I gave last year in China, Switzerland, and France,” he said. “Carnegie is one of the premier halls in the country, if not the world, for classical music, and it was wonderful performing there.” Lia Jensen-Abbott played “Das Jahr” (“TheYear”)byFannieMendelssohn-Hensel, a virtuoso piece attempted by few pianists. Abbott performed works by Mendelssohn contemporaries Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann.

Baker’s Research Sheds Light on Unethical Workplace BehaviorBy Leanne SmithExcerpted from MLive, April 18, 2012

The findings of a research study published by an Albion College professor may help employers tell if job candidates are predisposed to unethical behavior at work. Vicki Baker, economics and management professor, worked with colleagues from the London Business School, Cornell University, the University of Michigan, and Pennsylvania State University on the project. . . . She thinks this kind of research would have been beneficial for [companies that have discovered employees engaged in unethical and illegal acts]. “All you have to do is watch the nightly news and realize the individuals doing the ‘perp walks’

knew what they were doing was wrong, but their self-interest at the end of the day trumped moral and ethical behavior,” she said. . . . The study uses eight criteria to measure a person’s tendency to use different justifications to make bad behavior acceptable. They include lying to protect friends or playing dirty to achieve noble ends, making an illegal act seem less harmful when compared to another, placing blame on an authority figure, telling small lies if no one is hurt, and not being responsible for their actions because others are committing the same unethical act. “Youcanputpeopleinsituationsthatcould trigger these responses, and the people who are predisposed to have them will have them,” Baker said. Baker believes testing this on job candidates could help employers make good hires, and that training workers to identify situations that could lead to unethical acts could help them from acting on them. “I don’t see how this is any different than doing a background check,” Baker said. The study has been published in the journal Personnel Psychology.

Baker is now using the results from the research in teaching her classes on human resource management.

Cocks Authors Book on Illness in Nazi Germany By Bobby Lee

Historians have held to the assumption that Nazi Germany built a society where individualism was stamped out because everyone in the “master race” was subordinated to the collective “racial community.” While the racial community was a reality, history professor Geoff Cocks argues that individuals still looked out for their own material interests and that this was exhibited most significantly in the way Germans were concerned about their health.Cocks assembled numerous first-person accounts—diaries, works of literature, and archival documents from Europe, the United States, and Israel—to complete his new book, The State of Health: Illness in Nazi Germany. The book, published by the

Lia Jensen-Abbott rehearses at Carnegie Hall.

Geoff Cocks with his latest book.

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Oxford University Press, was released in the United States in early April. “The Nazis didn’t manage to destroy the modern tradition of people thinking in terms of their individual selves and their needs, especially when it came to health and illness,” he said. “One of the great continuities in modern German history . . . is the role of individuals looking out for individual material interest. Everyone was raised in an environment of mass consumption where individuals satisfied their needs, and that didn’t go away under Nazi Germany. It just got harder to do.” Cocks added the suffering brought on by the Second World War increased individuals’ desire to access and hoard medical resources in particular. The topic of health, it turns out, was ubiquitous in Nazi Germany. “The Nazis made racial health and individual health a matter of constant conversation as well as negotiation,” Cocks said. “People worried about health because theNazisweresaying,‘You’reallgreatAryans,and that means there are certain standards, and you have to stay healthy.’ While the Nazis

were brutal to their enemies, they had to cultivate as well as discipline their own people to be soldiers and workers.”

Psychologist Examines Optimal Time for CreativityBy Jake Weber

Individuals can spend a lifetime trying to understand why it’s so easy to complete a crossword puzzle one day, and a struggle to figure out a single clue the next. According to a study co-authored by psychology professor Mareike Wieth and recently published in the journal Thinking & Reasoning, the answer could be as simple as the time of day the individual is working on that puzzle. The optimal time to complete creative tasks, Wieth found, runs opposite to the belief that it’s best to tackle the problem when you’re at your peak. Therefore, the best time for a “morning person” to sit down with that puzzle is in the afternoon, while “night owls” do their best creative thinking in the morning.

“People intuitively know there are certain times of the day when they are better at certain tasks, but I’ve always wanted to test that,” Wieth said. Wieth and colleagues at Michigan State University asked 428 students to solve a set of problems that tested their analytical thinking and creative insight at different times of day. The researchers then looked at the students’ performance in conjunction with each one’s optimal time of day. They believe it’s easier to complete insight problems at non-optimal times of day because the process in the brain that usually suppresses distracting information shifts, allowing for more creative thought. While Wieth was sold on the importance of her work, she has been surprised with the coverage it has gained through Time, Men’s Health, and Scientific American magazines and the BBC World Service, among others. “I knew it was something neat but as an academic you don’t expect the popular press to pick up on it,” Wieth said. “It’s a validation.”

Sustainability Major Has Global ReachAlbion College and its French partner, the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines(UVSQ),aretakingaglobalapproach to sustainability studies in more ways than one. The two institutions recently signed an agreement to implement a new program for Albion students that will involve them in sustainability studies on both institutions’ campuses.

Students may now complete an undergraduate major in sustainability studies, which will culminate in a degree from Albion and a certificate of sustainability studies, equivalent to completing the first year of a master’s program at UVSQ. The new major will provide a worldwide perspective on key environmental problems and solutions.

“This new program with UVSQ builds on the good work that Albion College has already been doing through its Center for Sustainability and the Environment,” said President Donna Randall. “We have much to learn from our European counterparts

about incorporating sustainability into everyday life, and this international partnership will enable our students to see best practices in action and bring those practices back home to the United States.”

Albion’s major in sustainability studies will offer an interdisciplinary program melding the sciences, social sciences, and humanities for students wishing to prepare themselves to meet current and future environmental challenges.

Martin O’Connor, the director of the International Center for Research in Ecological Economics, Eco-Innovation & Tool Development for Sustainability (REEDS) at UVSQ, and Albion chemistry professor Andrew French will begin teaching courses in the sustainability studies major this fall. Albion’s sustainability studies majors will also take courses at UVSQ in the fall semester of their junior year.

Albion President Donna Randall signs the agreement implementing a new program that will involve Albion students in sustainability studies on the Albion and University of Versailles Saint-Quentin (UVSQ) campuses. At right is Martin O’Connor, representing the UVSQ.

Students in Albion’s new sustainability studies major will spend at least one semester in France in the UVSQ’s sustainability program based at the Bergerie Nationale de Rambouillet complex (pictured). UVSQ is considered one of the top research institutions in the world.

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short takes Two Minutes with . . . Ann Whitmer By Jake Weber

Ann Whitmer is Albion’s director of financial aid.

Io Triumphe!: What are the most common misperceptions people have about financial aid?

Whitmer: A lot of parents don’t think they’ll qualify for financial aid, but most Albion families are in fact eligible for aid. There’s a common misperception that loans are not part of financial aid, but they’re actually the largest form of financial aid that the federal government provides. Also, applying for aid is a fairly simple process. I just registered my son for the ACT, and there were more steps to that than completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Come again? I’ve heard horror stories about completing the FAFSA.

The federal government has done a lot to streamline the FAFSA—for instance, some of the information fills in directly from IRS data.

Okay, if applying for aid is so easy now, where does your office come in?

One thing we do is translate financial aid jargon into “real” English. One of our biggest roles is helping families understand what resources are available. We know paying for college can be confusing—we spend a lot of time working individually with families to develop their own personal plan so they realize how affordable Albion can be. Also, there are families with unique circumstances—financial data they provide on the FAFSA might not reflect a job loss, taking care of elderly parents, or a medical emergency. We can understand when a family’s financial picture isn’t reflected on the FAFSA, and we have resources to help.

You’re a serious runner—marathons and triathlons. What keeps you going?

I coach a running team with over 300 members, and my son is an all-state track and cross country runner. I see running from different perspectives with each person’s challenges and goals, which I help them reach. I also set my own goals to accomplish. I wouldn’t say I love running, but I’m passionate about the running culture. It’s a big part of my life. I have a lot of dust bunnies because of it.

You also helped coach Albion’s FITT Brits this year. That’s a cool story.

We had 27 Albion people participate in the Borgess Kalamazoo Marathon and related running events the day after the College’s commencement. A number of those folks ran the half marathon for the first time. That group came from Albion College’s Year of Wellness activities. Our graphic designer, Katherine Hibbs, and I started sharing our running stories, and it grew from there.

We tell people it doesn’t cost much more to go to Albion than to a state school. Is that really true?

When you look at the financial resources that Albion provides, as well as the federal government, we end up providing larger scholarships and grants. Public universities usually don’t offer many grant resources, and the scholarships we provide are pretty phenomenal. We reward those students who work really hard. Add in grants, work-study, loans—we get pretty close to what a student would pay at a public institution. When you consider our small classes and the quality of an Albion education—we’re a good value.

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When Ann Whitmer is not in the Financial Aid Office, you’ll probably find her out running. She has competed in six marathons/ultra marathons, over 20 half marathons, and five triathlons, including the Borgess Kalamazoo Marathon May 6. She also provides encouragement for the many other College staff members who run or walk competitively through Albion’s FITT Brits program.


Service Comes Naturally to Marissa Cloutier, ’14By Bobby Lee

Sophomore Marissa Cloutier has taken full advantage of the opportunities Albion College has to offer—both on campus and off.

A biology major planning a health care career, Cloutier is also a member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service and the women’s tennis team. She is already a two-time All-MIAA performer, advancing to the first team this season after posting a 14-6 record at No. 1 singles and gaining a second-team award as a member of the squad that last year captured the MIAA championship and competed in the NCAA Division III championships.

Over the past two years, Cloutier has engaged in volunteer experiences—stretching from downtown Detroit to rural Honduras to Jewish heritage sites in Poland—that have changed how she sees the world. This past December she journeyed to Honduras with a group from Global Medical Brigades, spending a week working in a temporary clinic that saw more than 450 patients in three days.

“I was surprised to see just how much of a difference exists between Honduras and the United States in terms of the availability of medical care,” Cloutier says. “In the town where our temporary clinic was located, the residents would normally have to travel three hours by foot to receive any kind of medical care. I found it extremely gratifying to help

provide medication and treatment to these people who needed it so badly.”

Closer to home, in January she got an intensive look at revitalization efforts in Detroit along with 19 other Albion students in the Sleight Leadership Program.

The students toured Detroit landmarks such as the Heidelberg Project, the Eastern Market, and the Detroit Institute of Arts, volunteered at the Earthworks Urban Farm, and visited the Capuchin Soup Kitchen before making small-group presentations focused on revitalizing Detroit.

“I didn’t know what to expect [going into the Detroit experience],” Cloutier says. “I knew the city was struggling, but I didn’t know how the people there felt about the issues facing the city.”

She adds, “I was pleasantly surprised to hear that so many people were optimistic about the future of Detroit. There are a

lot of people working toward change and making the city a better place. There are so many motivated people downtown who are starting up businesses and working on community improvement projects. The positive changes that are occurring within the city are truly remarkable.”

After hearing from local leaders, the Albion students were placed in groups tasked with developing grant proposals for community improvement. Cloutier’s group met the challenge by introducing a plan for a program in which art students from around the country would come to Detroit to turn a vacant building into a unique, evolving work of art and learn about the city’s rich artistic culture.

“We called our project ART Detroit, or Artistic Revitalization and Transformation,” she says. “The project would introduce art students to the city with the hope that some of them would consider Detroit as a place to live and work permanently in the future. By bringing many students into the city temporarily, ART Detroit would also help to generate more income for the city’s restaurants and tourist attractions.”

During her first year at Albion, Cloutier traveled to Poland for a week in May 2011 as one of 22 students participating in Albion’s Holocaust Studies Service-Learning Project. As in past trips taken every other year since 2001, the group spent much of its time restoring a Jewish cemetery in the city of Wroclaw and also visited several Holocaust memorial sites.

G O B R ! T S !

Briton Sports on the WebDid you know that you can find all of the following on the Albion College sports Web site?

• Sportsnewsandresults

• Schedulesandrosters

To receive regular

sports updates, sign up

for Briton SportsNews

at: www.albion.edu/

sports/ or e-mail Bobby

Lee at [email protected].

• SportsNetbroadcastschedules

• Sportsarchives

Follow the Britons at: www.albion.edu/sports/.

It’s the next best thing to being here!

Marissa Cloutier, the Britons’ No. 1 singles player in women’s tennis, traveled to Honduras last December with the other student volunteers in Global Medical Brigades. She says her experience in a health clinic there gave her a new appreciation for the quality of care available here in the U.S.

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INDEPENDENTSPIRIT

Even as he has risen through the ranks on Capitol Hill, Congressman Dave Camp,’75, has maintained his deep Michigan roots.

Sometimes it’s the simple gestures that really count. In a stop at Greenville, Michigan during a recent tour of his district, Congressman Dave Camp presented an army veteran, surrounded by over a hundred family members and well-wishers, with a medal the man had received for bravery during World War II. The new medal replaced one that had been lost many years ago. It was an emotional moment for the former soldier, now in his eighties—and it was for Dave Camp too.

Those occasions when he can connect personally with his constituents are every bit as memorable for Camp as his legislative successes on Capitol Hill, according to those who know him well.

“I think it really shows how much Dave cares that he takes time to honor veterans in that individual way,” says Allie Judson Walker, ’08, who began working for Camp as a student intern and has been on staff as his scheduler for the past three years.

Serving one of Michigan’s largest Congressional districts—it includes 14 counties and stretches from Saginaw to Traverse City—Camp continues to live in Midland, his hometown, and regularly catches a Friday night flight out of Washington in order to spend the weekend with his family.

“Despite all the other things he has going on,” says longtime friend and fellow Midland resident Tom Ludington, ’76, “David is committed to being an active participant in his children’s lives.”

When he’s back in the district, you’ll find him touring manufacturing plants, meeting with health care providers, and talking with college students at job fairs. “He regularly maintains town hall meetings where he invites public input,” Ludington notes. “I suspect in any circumstance where a constituent has a strong opinion David would make the effort to be accessible and respond. He understands that part of his role as a representative is to listen, and he’s very effective at it.”

Returning home serves as an important release valve for Camp, who is now in his second year as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful positions in Congress. It’s also one of the most demanding since the committee makes policy decisions on the economy,

By Sarah Briggs

12 | Io Triumphe!

health care, and social welfare. Under its jurisdiction are trade law, Medicare, Social Security, and unemployment programs. As chairman, Camp plays the leading role in setting the committee’s agenda and crafting legislation that will impact people’s everyday lives.

To the observer, Camp comes across as mild-mannered and unflappable. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have strong opinions on policy questions. As the author of a bill that had broad Republican support during the health care reform debates two years ago, he sharply criticizes the Affordable Care Act and continues to call for repeal of the act and for development of alternative legislation that would give increased access to medical care while controlling the costs of that care.

On Albion’s campus this spring to deliver a lecture for the David H. Aldrich Speaker Forum, Camp emphasized that creating jobs and boosting the U.S. economy remain critical tasks for the Congress. And nowhere is that more important than in his home state, where the unemployment rate, while improving, still stands at more than eight percent.

“One of the chief issues for Michigan right now is getting our economy up and growing again,” he says, “and getting jobs created so we can have a dynamic future.”

He stresses, “We need to be prepared to embrace opportunities as they come along and try to compel action. I think we have to do what’s right—what’s right for the economy and for this country.”

Camp sees tax reform as a key means to improve the economic climate, and now has made that issue a top agenda item for the Ways and Means Committee. His current thinking on tax reform has been shaped by his membership in 2010 on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, commonly known as the Simpson-Bowles Commission. Along with Senator Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota), Camp headed the commission’s tax reform task force.

“We worked within the commission to highlight the need for tax reform by eliminating the credits, deductions, loopholes, and some of the special provisions that riddle the tax code,” Camp explains. “That framework was adopted by the commission. We looked at how low we could get tax rates if we

could close off some of these loopholes. I have taken that approach as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.”

Despite the challenges of taking strong—and controversial—action in an election year, Camp believes the momentum is there for changes in the tax code.

“Now you’re seeing candidates from both parties engaging on the issue of tax reform,” he observes. “I’m going to continue to aggressively pursue comprehensive tax reform. It’s good for our families, as well as for businesses. I feel we need to push forward this year.”

While bipartisanship has become a political liability for some members of Congress, Camp remains committed to working with his Democratic colleagues, particularly on issues that have a direct impact on Michigan.

“Something I’ve been very interested in has been trying to preserve and protect the Great Lakes from invasive species, particularly Asian carp,” he says. “I believe we need to close the Chicago canal, and we’re still waiting for numerous studies from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s been a very slow process. It’s a real concern, not only because of the economic impact, but because the ecosystem is far too important to put in jeopardy.”

Together with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Camp in April introduced the Stop Invasive Species Act, which would require the Corps to submit an action plan to Congress with immediate options for stopping Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The Corps announced in May that it was moving up its timetable and would report back in late 2013.

Demonstrating his command of the issues currently before Congress, Camp impresses his listeners with his ability to break down complexity and get to the heart of the matter.

“Congressmen have so many different types of concerns to balance,” Tom Ludington observes. “David takes a great deal of time to study the subjects that he is legislating on—far more than many legislators. He doesn’t just accept third-party explanations of the legislation or its implications or


consequences. He takes the time personally to think through the subject matter.”

Camp has earned the respect of his Congressional colleagues, Ludington maintains, because of his “unimpeachable integrity” and his commitment to public service.

“He is a Congressman for all the right reasons,” Ludington says. “He is there because of an intense personal commitment to being a representative. He’s not there to advance a personal agenda. . . . He truly views himself as a public servant and works very hard to find an effective and balanced approach to whatever legislative issues are before him.”

His analytical turn of mind, Camp says, was nurtured at Albion by professors who pushed their students to think independently and defend their opinions. The close relationships with professors were invaluable on many levels.

“This is a place where you do get to know your professors,” he reflects. “The one who comes to mind for many of us is Julian Rammelkamp—his history courses were some of the toughest on campus. But he instilled in students a sense that no matter who you were you had some special quality to bring to that class and, whatever it was, you were going to shine.”

In particular, he recalls Rammelkamp’s final exams lasting up to four hours, which seemed like an eternity at the time. Now, Camp quips, he wishes some of the contentious meetings he attends would last only four hours.

As he travels across his district, Camp says he is often asked, “Is anything going to get done in Washington this year?”

“It’s a big challenge in an election year,” he admits, “but big challenges can lead to big successes.”

Camp insists that the Congress is listening to what the people have to say. “A government is only as responsive as its citizens are vocal,” he concludes. “It’s very important to get involved.”

Dave Camp has served as a U.S. Congressman since 1991. Earlier in his career, he practiced law in Midland. He also served as special assistant attorney general in Michigan from 1980 to 1984. Camp earned a J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. He and his wife, Nancy, a former attorney, have three children.

Dave Camp continues to live in Midland, his hometown, and he visits regularly with constituents across his district, such as this group in Owosso earlier this spring. He also personally signs more than 30,000 pieces of constituent mail each year.

As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp has put lowering taxes high on the agenda. In a recent speech at Albion, he noted, “I think the tax code needs to collect revenue the government needs to run, and it needs to do it as efficiently as possible. . . . It should not be a tool of industrial policy. It should not pick winners and losers. I recognize it is not going to be easy to make progress in this direction, but the American people are demanding action.”

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WITH QUESTIONS about health care costs, quality, and access

much in our national consciousness, it seemed the right time to take

a look at the contributions Albion alumni are making in health care

delivery today and how their work is impacting the future of medicine.

On the following pages, you will meet four alumni who are combining

patient care with impressive research leading to new and more effective

treatments and an improved quality of life for those they serve. These

alumni are just a few of the hundreds of Albion graduates who are

doing similarly outstanding work across the spectrum of health care

professions. Sharing these stories also seemed especially appropriate

as Albion College wraps up its year devoted to health and wellness.

Throughout the past months, we have educated ourselves on a broad

range of health topics, instituted some “preventive maintenance”

programs, and otherwise celebrated that most precious gift, our health.

PROFILESIN

HEALING


PETER ROSSI, ’93 JOSEPH COREY, ’87 LORI GROVER, ’85 NATE SOWA, ’03

16 | Io Triumphe!

The word cancer strikes the mind like a blow. In the immediate aftermath of diagnosis, patients struggle to understand complex treatment options and explanations about appropriate nutrition, physical activity, and medication.

“These patients really deserve a lot,” explains radiation oncologist Peter Rossi, ’93. “Cancer is a difficult diagnosis to comprehend. Our patients need a very multidisciplinary, compassionate approach to care.”

As assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University’s School of Medicine, Rossi has forged a career that combines clinical practice with research and an emphasis on education that encompasses his students, his patients, and his peers. Within his sub-specialization in prostate and gynecological cancers, Rossi is involved in groundbreaking research to improve patient survival. He is also working to establish international practice quality review standards for his fellow physicians.

Rossi traces his commitment to education and evidence-based medicine to the principles he learned at Albion. “My chemistry professor, John Crump, was a key mentor,” he remembers. “College was my first exposure to the ‘teacher-scientist’ with great expertise. As a student, you make assumptions about scientific principles. When you dig deeper, you learn that these principles are based on a series of experiments conducted via the scientific method, with scientific rigor. That’s the ideal I was taught at Albion. Now I teach these same principles to my residents and medical students.”

Cancer treatment had always intrigued Rossi. After medical school at Wayne State University and a residency at Wake Forest’s Medical Center, he decided to follow several of his Wake Forest mentors who had been recruited to Emory’s highly regarded Winship Cancer Institute.

As an academic physician, Rossi works in partnership with the university’s medical

physicists and industry programs to explore ways to deliver radiation treatment more precisely, and with less damage to adjacent healthy organs. He was the first physician in the world to use the Calypso image-guided radial therapy system together with Rapid Arc technology, and the first to publish on its use. These technologies are able to track the motion of the tumor so that radiation can be more accurately delivered, sparing healthy tissue.

“Our ultimate goal is to have patients five years down the road tell us that their quality of life is better,” says Rossi. “We don’t want the treatment to be worse than the disease. We want it to enhance outcomes.”

Rossi’s research studies are similarly focused on improving patient outcomes. One promising FDA-registered investigation is studying a new way to administer seed prostate cancer treatment that reduces acute side effects. “Seed implant treatments have

robust long-term data and outcomes for prostate cancer control that are superior to treatments like proton and focal therapies,” Rossi explains. “Still, a lot of men avoid seed implant treatment due to the side effects. It would be a big game-changer if we could eliminate those side effects and improve the treatment experience.”

Another group of studies is integrating a high-soy diet into radiation and chemotherapy treatment protocols. “It turns out that certain compounds in soy enable radiation and chemotherapy to work better, and may protect normal organs,” notes Rossi. “If we can help patients by incorporating a soy diet that can actually improve their quality of life [into the future], that is very exciting.”

Patient education is also essential for good outcomes following cancer treatment, according to Rossi. “Behavior modification can be an incredibly powerful tool,” he explains. “We know that if patients diagnosed with prostate or breast or ovarian cancer do some exercise, it will mean a 30 percent reduction in their risk of cancer recurrence. Exercise is more powerful than any of our second-line therapies.”

“Education is absolutely critical,” Rossi stresses. “I’m constantly talking to my residents about their responsibilities so they’ll have an understanding of their role. Our patients are on a voyage, and we are a part of it. It is our job to use all of the tools at our disposal to help our patients. I am involved in an extensive range of research collaborations as well as a demanding clinical practice, but I make it a point to have medical students with me every day.

“When I think back to my college years at Albion, I think that my success was due in part to the extraordinary people who helped me. I try to live by that lesson now, by helping to mentor the next generation along, just as Dr. Crump and other Albion professors did for me.”

written by Marian Deegan | photograph by Bryan Meltz

Peter Rossi says he chose to enter academic medicine because it allows him to advance medical research and to teach the next generation of cancer specialists. Today he lectures and instructs nationally on improved techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer, and he is involved in establishing practice quality review standards for other radiation oncologists.

PETER ROSSI, ’93Advancing Novel Approaches to Cancer Treatment


On a trip to Ontario in October of his senior year at Albion, a car accident landed Joe Corey, ’87, in the hospital. His broken leg required surgery, and he walked on crutches through much of the next year. Still, this story isn’t a sad one: Corey’s traumatic experience got him wondering precisely how nerves heal following injury, and he’s still on that quest today.

In eighth grade, when Corey read The Andromeda Strain, he was riveted by a story that takes readers through the process of forming hypotheses and creating experiments to test them, in pursuit of a killer disease. “I said to myself, ‘Wow, this is the coolest thing in the world, the fact that someone could have a question about something so important and answer it.’ From that point, I knew I was going to be a scientist.”

At Albion, he sometimes took five science classes at a time, he recalls. Singing in the College Choir and Briton Singers got him out of the lab and gave him some of his best friends. John Stoddard, ’87, who also sang in the choir, remembers late nights walking around the quad, discussing hopes and dreams. “We would tease Joe … that he was going to be in school forever. However, we also knew that long education was what he wanted and what would lead him to work he loved. Joe has always been focused, determined, and a very hard worker.” Classmate Heather Sano, ’87, says, “We always knew Joe would make it. He never wavered from what he wanted to do.”

But what exactly did he want to do? By graduation, he had majors in chemistry and math/physics. He wanted to solve problems—that was certain. But what scientific problems to investigate? There were so many intriguing possibilities.

“When I was lying in the hospital, I started to ask questions about how one could use robotics, computers, and technology to solve surgical problems,” he says. That led him to pursue an M.S. in biomedical

engineering at Case Western Reserve, working on neural prostheses that would stimulate peripheral nerves in paralyzed limbs. He then completed M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Illinois, where he patterned cultured neurons into networks designed to study learning and memory.

Today, in his laboratory at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare Center, where he also is a staff neurologist and head of neurology education, he makes nanofibers that can help regenerate nerves that have been damaged. “We need to get nerve cells to talk to one another again,” he says, “especially when cells have been cut or separated in an accident. When the injury site is close to the target

nerve, often they can be reconnected.” But if injuries occur far from the muscle where the nerve is connected, the muscle in a body part may atrophy before the connection can be made, and regeneration will often fail. So pointing nerves in the right direction and accelerating regeneration are the essential components of his task.

Corey’s lab was the first to create a nanofiber substrate that was compatible with cultured motor and sensory neurons, the two types of nerve cells most important in nerve regeneration. Using these substrates, he and his colleagues found that motor neurons grown on these nanofibers form axons and dendrites, the “wires” of nerve cells that connect and talk to one another, about 10 times faster than nerve cells grown on substrates without nanofibers. Corey’s work may also help researchers studying multiple sclerosis (MS) to better understand how MS damages cells and also shed light on how to repair brain circuits damaged by MS.

An assistant professor of neurology and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, he says teaching and research energize him. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Corey has collaborated with colleagues on numerous scientific journal articles. “Often when we get a bunch of different minds together, we move much faster through the thinking process,” he reflects. “I wouldn’t be as happy in an environment where I just saw patients all the time and where I didn’t interact with colleagues or residents. I really benefit from their originality and creativity.”

Patients energize him, too. “I saw a patient yesterday who had an acute inflammatory nerve disease which left his shoulder paralyzed,” he says, explaining that there is no process to treat him at present. “I came back to the laboratory today inspired to look at these problems.”

written by Davi Napoleon | photograph by Steve Kuzma

Neurologist Joe Corey also holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, and he continues to conduct research at the intersection of these two fields as he and his colleagues develop “synthetic scaffolds” to encourage the regrowth of nerves following an injury. His current work suggests that nanofibers may offer a useful way to support this regeneration.

JOSEPH COREY, ’87Regenerating Nerve Cells with Nanotechnology

18 | Io Triumphe!

Much of what matters to Lori Latowski Grover, ’85, professionally and personally, began at college. During her senior year, an off-campus independent study enabled her to work with an optometrist practicing in Albion. By the time the study was over, she had discovered her career path and set her sights on optometry school. Extracurricular involvements, which included serving as president of the Panhellenic Council and activities at her sorority, Delta Gamma, helped her develop leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively. And it was at Albion that she met her future husband, Michael Grover, ’86, now a physician and vice chair of family medicine at the Mayo Clinic-Scottsdale (Arizona).

After completing her professional degree at the Illinois College of Optometry, Grover practiced in Michigan, Ohio, and California before she and her family settled in Scottsdale in 2003. Two years later she was invited to teach at Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, and in 2007 she received a Clinician Scientist Research Training Award from the National Eye Institute that gave her the opportunity to pursue a second graduate degree at Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health in combination with her faculty position at the Wilmer Eye Institute.

Today, the nationally recognized clinician and educator continues her “double life,” maintaining her home with Mike in Arizona and traveling several times each month to Baltimore. She is now completing her Ph.D. in health policy and management, while directing research for the Leadership Program for Women Faculty based in Hopkins’ School of Medicine. She even manages to do grand rounds throughout the country and lecture internationally.

“There were definitely trade-offs,” Grover says. “When you get an opportunity like this, you have to say ‘yes’ and ‘thank you’ and go with the flow.” Fortunately, her daughter, Kate, now at Tulane University in New Orleans, was already in high school when

Grover took on two addresses. “The timing for this opportunity was key. If she still had been in elementary school, it would have been more logistically challenging for all of us.”

Even then, the Hopkins offer might have been hard to resist. Throughout her clinical career in vision impairment and rehabilitation, she had been involved in policy work at the state and national levels—health care delivery models and policy had always informed her practice. But when working one-on-one with a small group of patients, her view was necessarily narrow. This was her chance to broaden her perspective by interacting on a larger scale.

At Hopkins, Grover has developed a nationwide research network of colleagues

who help her investigate the best ways to deliver health care, work that addresses a variety of issues, including cost-effectiveness and the use of electronic health records. “We don’t yet have a refined understanding of what constitutes ‘best practices’ for patients who live with chronic disease like vision impairment,” she says. “I’m in a field where we’re still moving forward to find the best processes of care.”

In her research, she relies on colleagues who are still full-time clinicians in the trenches as she once was. She gathers information from their practices and patients about what they do and how it affects patient outcomes, and then evaluates how care might be further improved.

She has remained in touch with Albion through her involvement with the College’s mentorship program. She gave an assist to Jordan Kus, ’12, who was impressed by Grover’s genuine interest in her. “I was looking for an internship and not having much luck. Without hesitation, Dr. Grover called around and got me an internship at Johns Hopkins—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Kus, who guesses Grover’s trust in her resulted from their shared Albion experience.“Itreallyisafamily.Youmeetsomeone on the street and bond because you both went to Albion,” she adds.

It’s not surprising that Grover wants to give back to a school where the faculty is committed to sharing experiences and time with students. Grover recalls the late biologist, Ewell “Doc” Stowell, who took classes on fieldtrips into the wilds, where they would put together books of preserved flora. “We’d be trudging through the woods at 8 a.m., and he was always bounding ahead of the pack and in better shape than we students were,” Grover says. Biology professor Ruth Schmitter “was instrumental in obtaining an electron microscope at Albion, a huge deal at the time. She was incredibly generous with her time in sharing with us her knowledge about this new technology, and was a great example for all of us—and especially her women students—in many ways.”

written by Davi Napoleon | photograph by Keith Weller

A specialist in low vision rehabilitation, Lori Grover is currently an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research has focused particularly on the care of older patients with chronic vision impairment. She has developed a nationwide network of colleagues to help her evaluate treatments and establish best practices in their field.

LORI GROVER, ’85Envisioning Better Health Care


Every year, nearly half of all Americans make a doctor’s appointment to seek treatment for pain. In a health care landscape where pain management has been limited by temporary relief and potentially dangerous side effects, Nate Sowa, ’03, wanted to make a difference.

While completing the M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, Sowa identified some new avenues for pain therapy during his dissertation research. For this work, he was one of two graduate students in the nation—and the first from UNC—to receive the Council of Graduate Schools/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award last year. The award recognizes those who have made “unusually significant and original contributions to their fields.”

He credits his Albion professors with opening the doors that led to his research opportunities.

As a biology major at Albion, Sowa was encouraged by his faculty adviser, Dale Kennedy, to do a research project with her through the College’s Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA). “I didn’t even know that this was an option for a freshman,” he remembers. His research on campus later paved the way to a college internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) doing bench work in the National Cancer Institute’s laboratory.

“Everyone at Albion seemed to have an interest in seeing students succeed,” Sowa says. “In addition to the generous help and support of the professors in the Biology Department, I still remember the biomedical ethics course I took with Bindu Madhok, who later wrote one of my letters of recommendation for medical school. The liberal arts gave me valuable tools for relating to people and connecting with my patients.”

During his medical studies, he settled on neurobiology as his focus, and he then

joined a research team led by Mark Zylka, a UNC physiologist specializing in therapies for chronic pain. “Pain commands a huge investment in health care dollars, and for a variety of complex reasons, we don’t do pain control very well,” Sowa explains. “Mark was looking for new ways to target pain, with an emphasis on a translational approach—we really wanted the things we were studying to have an application in treating people down the road. That was important to me.”

“Most medication for pain affects myriad parts of the body, with various side effects,” Sowa says. “We know that pain caused by a sunburn is not the same as pain caused by trauma. We were trying to find a solution with broad application, so we focused on potential targets that were specific to the pain-sensing nerve cells in the body, following up on Mark’s previous work

in this area. We were lucky enough to find something interesting.”

Sowa’s team identified an enzyme called prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP). When tested in mice, PAP was able to relieve different types of pain, including heat-induced pain, inflammatory pain, and neuropathic pain. One dose of PAP relieved pain for days; by contrast, the effects of morphine last for only a few hours. Just as significant, mice treated with PAP experienced no side effects, even under the highest doses.

But the researchers did not know what the enzyme was doing physiologically. Sowa suspected that PAP was targeting a molecule known to suppress pain. After assessing PAP activity with many different molecules, he was able to confirm his theory with animal testing. It will take several years of additional research before PAP can be developed commercially, but this enzyme promises a totally new approach to targeting pain.

Sowa begins his medical residency in psychiatry in July, where he hopes to use his neuroscience research skills to study mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. “These are areas where lots of exciting research is being initiated, and a great deal is unknown,” he explains. “Pain drugs work in the periphery of the body. Psychotic medications target the brain, which is much more complicated neurologically—it’s an even bigger challenge.”

The eagerness in his voice turns thoughtful as he reflects on his years at Albion. “The small liberal arts college experience has so many advantages,” he says. “I don’t know if a larger school would have presented the research opportunities that I had early on. They really shaped my development, and I applaud Albion’s supportofundergraduateresearch.Youmemorize a lot of facts when you are going through school, but Albion also taught me how to think. Critical thinking skills are invaluable. I owe Albion a lot.”

written by Marian Deegan | photograph by Will Owens

While completing the M.D./Ph.D. program at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Nate Sowa made discoveries that could lead to more effective techniques for pain management. His interest in neurology also took him to the University of Cape Town in South Africa where he spent three months assisting a research team studying neuropathy in HIV-affected adults.

NATE SOWA, ’03Exploring Ways to Knock out Pain

20 | Io Triumphe!

CHRIS GREENWOODD

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Albion College cornerback Chris Greenwood, ’13, has joined the Detroit Lions following his selection in the National Football League draft this spring. He was the 13th pick of the fifth round (No. 148 overall).

A Detroit product who prepped at Martin Luther King High School, Greenwood follows four Britons who were NFL picks in the 1950s and 1960s. Jim Hurd, ’60, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1959. Dave Neilson, ’66, current commissioner of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, and the late Ron Springer, ’66, were selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1966, and Barry Siler, ’67, by the New Orleans Saints in 1967. Joe Felton, ’87, an offensive lineman, played in two games for the Detroit Lions during the 1987 season.

“Playing in the NFL has been my life dream, my life goal,” Greenwood said, on learning he was drafted. “I chose Albion because it gave me an opportunity to play. It has become my family, and it’s something that’s always going to be a part of me. My work ethic has brought me a long way, and today is the realization of a dream I’ve had all my life.”

An economics and management major, Greenwood was a three-time All-Michigan Intercollegiate

Athletic Association first-team pick. He gained American Football Coaches Association Division III All-American and league Defensive Most Valuable Player awards in 2011 after leading Albion to the MIAA title and a berth in the NCAA Division III championships. His signature play of the 2011 season was a 70-yard interception return for a fourth-quarter touchdown as the Britons eked out a 28-27 victory over league rival Alma College on Oct. 8. Greenwood completed his career by returning four interceptions for touchdowns.

“Chris has great individual talent, but what made him special is how he blended with the team,” Albion head coach Craig Rundle said. “He was one of the most humble kids we had on the team. He’s a great athlete, great player, and an impressive young man.”

Matt Arend, Albion’s director of athletics, added, “We are proud to have Chris represent Albion in the National Football League. I have watched Chris’ dedication to preparing himself to play at that level, and we are excited he will have the opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.”

Greenwood is now training with the Lions.

Pursues NFL Dream with Lions

MEDIA BUZZ

By Bobby Lee

As one of only a handful of Division III players drafted in the NFL this year, Chris Greenwood attracted plenty of media attention leading up to and following the draft. Michigan news organizations, including the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News, Fox Sports Detroit, and MLive.com have covered him extensively, and he also earned mentions in D3football.com, NBCSports.com, NFL.com, and SI.com.

Chris Greenwood launched his National Football League career May 11-13 by participating in the Detroit Lions’ rookie minicamp. Learn more in a video interview with Greenwood at the Lions’ headquarters by going to: www.albion.edu/greenwood.

CHRIS GREENWOOD

Albion College’s distinctive “Albion Advantage” lays an even stronger path from college to career, thanks to recent major gifts in support of the Stockwell Library renovation plans. The College completed Phase I of the Stockwell renovation with the opening of Cutler Commons on the building’s main level last fall. The College has now entered Phase II of the library campaign, which includes the redesign of Stockwell’s lower level and top floors.

Phase II of the renovation project officially began with the announcement in April of a $1-million grant from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation of Midland. The foundation’s gift anchors a $6.15-million fundraising campaign currently under way for further improvements in this landmark building. In particular, the Gerstacker

Foundation gift will assist with the incorporation of advanced technology in the library and will support the move of the Office of Career Development into the John S. Ludington Career and Internship Center on the building’s lower level.

In May, the College announced that an estate gift of former Dow Corning executive and Albion trustee John Ludington, ’51, will also help underwrite the Ludington Career and Internship Center. His children, who helped make this gift possible, include current trustee Thomas Ludington, ’76, Laura Ludington Hollenbeck, ’78, and Annie Ludington Sullivan, ’82.

“We’re very excited about how the Ludington Career and Internship Center supports the Albion Advantage,” said Albion College President Donna Randall. “Our faculty and facilities are first-rate in their ability to prepare students for 21st-century careers. The Ludington Center will offer valuable assistance to our students as they conduct their job or graduate school search.”

G ! V ! N G T O A L B ! O N

Leadership Gifts Advance Library Renovation Project

After relocation of all print materials to the Mudd building, the upper two floors of Stockwell Library will be redesigned with flexible spaces for individual and group study. Each floor will overlook a light-filled atrium that will connect all four levels of the building.


The Ludington Career and Internship Center will provide four-year career-readiness support to students. Technologically-enhanced interview rooms, a workshop/presentation room, and professional space for recruiters and graduate school representatives will expand the Career Development Office’s current capabilities. The Ludington Center will also facilitate connections between students and alumni mentors, companies, and universities around the world.

“This Center will give Albion students a competitive advantage,” said Mary Jones, director of career development. “It will increase their exposure to experiential learning opportunities, expand possibilities for interviews and networking, and increase participation in career planning.”

The Ludington Career and Internship Center is just one facet of the Stockwell project’s second phase. The entire structure will be redesigned to reflect new approaches to teaching, learning, and research. One of the most notable innovations coming in Phase II is a flexible space for experimental teaching and learning—often called a “sandbox” for new technology. A second area will be

outfitted with advanced instructional technology supporting innovative approaches to teaching.

The books and other print materials in Stockwell will be moved to the adjacent Mudd building, and the existing stacks will be removed, making way for a four-story atrium filling Stockwell’s interior with natural light. In addition, the electrical and mechanical infrastructure will be updated to support evolving technology needs.

Reimagined as a comprehensive learning center, the library will also allow a dynamic collaboration among numerous academic services, including librarians, instructional technologists, media services, academic support and tutoring, and related programs such as the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.

To learn more about Phase II of Albion College’s library campaign, please contact the Development Office, [email protected], or call 517/629-0402.

The John S. Ludington Career and Internship Center on Stockwell’s lower level will provide areas for research and resume preparation as well as interview rooms equipped for videoconferencing. The “sandbox” experimental classroom will support idea generation and multimedia information-sharing.

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A L U M N ! A S S O C ! AT ! O N N E W S

Saluting Our “Top 10 in 10” for 2012

Among those honored as the 2012 “Top 10 in 10” Young Alumni Award recipients were: (left to right) Jordan Troisi, ’06, Sara Wycoff, ’08, Mark Ostach, ’04, Michael Thomas, ’06, Jonathan Smith, ’08, Iain Charnley, ’05, and John Paul Walters, ’02. Unable to attend were honorees Derek Burkholder, ’04, Grace Keeney, ’08, and Sarah DiPonio Padilla, ’03.

From a governor’s office to racing stables, and from Providence, Rhode Island to São Paulo, Brazil, the “Top 10 in 10” again affirmed the diversity of fields and locations in which Albion alumni distinguish themselves. Mark Ostach, ’04, creator of an Internet start-up and chief operating officer for Digerati in Detroit, spoke on behalf of this year’s recipients.

Young Alumni Award recipient Sara Wycoff, ’08, works alongside Rich Baird, ’78, in the executive office of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, providing strategic counsel.

Honoree J.P. Walters, ’02, a specialist in cloud computing, visits with his faculty mentor Dave Reimann (math and computer science) prior to the ceremony.

2012 Young Alumni AwardsDerek A. Burkholder, ’04Ph.D. CandidateFlorida International UniversityMiami, Florida

Iain G. Charnley, ’05Chief Resident PhysicianGrand Rapids Family Medicine ResidencyGrand Rapids, Michigan

Grace C. Keeney, ’08InternCustom Comercio InternacionalSão Paulo, Brazil

Mark A. Ostach, ’04Founder, mymentalspace.comChief Operating Officer, DigeratiDetroit, Michigan

Sarah DiPonio Padilla, ’03Associate VeterinarianOffice of Daryl Easley, D.V.M.Lexington, Kentucky

Jonathan C. Smith, ’08Financial ConsultantThe Wall Group of Wells Fargo AdvisorsProvidence, Rhode Island

Michael C. Thomas, ’06Head Boys’ Basketball CoachKalamazoo Central High SchoolKalamazoo, Michigan

Jordan D. Troisi, ’06Visiting Assistant Professor of PsychologyWidener UniversityChester, Pennsylvania

John Paul Walters, ’02Computer Scientist, Information Sciences InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaArlington, Virginia

Sara E. Wycoff, ’08Strategic AdvisorExecutive Office of Gov. Rick SnyderLansing, Michigan

To learn more about the Top 10 in 10 or submit a nomination for the 2013 Young Alumni Awards, go to: www.albion.edu/alumni.


The Alumni Association Board of Directors serves as the official connection between Albion alumni and the College. The board represents alumni through advising the Office of Alumni Engagement and communicating with trustee Stephen Greenhalgh, ’74, the Alumni Association’s liaison with the Board of Trustees. This spring, the Alumni Association appointed nine new members, including two recent graduate representatives, and reappointed an incumbent to fill terms beginning July 1, 2012. Named to a second term was Barbara Swancutt Wiese, ’78. Leaving the board this year were: Cheryl Henderson Almeda, ’91, Wanda Read Bartlett, ’60, Olivia Gardner, ’09, Deardra Kearney, ’09, and Henry Wineman, ’92. Elected as board president, effective July 1, 2012, was Herb Lentz, ’00.

The new board members include: Karla Christenson, ’73. After graduating

from Albion, Christenson went on to earn a second bachelor’s degree in microbiology and public health in 1978 and a D.V.M. degree in 1981, both from Michigan State University. She practiced small animal veterinary medicine for 12 years. In 1992 she began employment with the Michigan Department of Agriculture—Animal Industry Division and retired in June 2011 as a senior field veterinarian. She lives in Grand Blanc.

Leigh Greden, ’95. As an Albion student, Leigh Greden served as Student Senate president and was a member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service. After earning his law degree at Case Western Reserve University in 2000, he practiced law for 10 years with two of Michigan’s largest law firms and then joined Eastern Michigan University in 2010 as executive director of government and community relations. Greden lives in Ann Arbor.

Mark Lindemood, ’75. Mark Lindemood led institutional advancement programs at Kent State University, the Texas Tech University System, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Lindemood is currently director of the Fund for Excellence

at IU Health Goshen Hospital in northern Indiana. He received his M.Div. degree from Methodist Theological School, and his D.Min. degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Deborah Mason Lindemood, ’75, live in Goshen, Ind., and have two daughters including Abbe Lindemood Ernstes, ’01.

Abram Loper, ’01. Abe Loper is the executivedirectoroftheYoungProfessionalsof Central Virginia where he works with the regional Economic Development Council to help attract a young workforce. He is also an executive committee member for the regional Workforce Investment board. Loper holds an M.B.A. and an Ed.S., both from Liberty University. After graduation, he worked in the educational and nonprofit sectors for seven years. He lives in Lynchburg, Va. with his wife, Emily, and son, Liam.

Robert Maxfield, ’63. Bob Maxfield has been involved in public education since 1964 as a teacher, building administrator, and superintendent in both the Berkley and Farmington school districts. In 2004 he was honored as Michigan Superintendent of the Year.Hecurrentlyisanassociateprofessorinthe Department of Educational Leadership at Oakland University. Bob and his wife, Sara Meriwether Maxfield, ’64, reside in Huntington Woods.

Paula Prevost-Blank, ’89. Paula Prevost-Blank earned her M.D. degree at Wayne State University in 1993. After she completed a residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, she and her husband, John Blank, ’90, moved to Traverse City in 1997 where she joined a private practice in dermatology. She has served as the chair for the Dermatology Department at Munson Hospital. She and her husband have a daughter, Sabrina. Several of her family members attended Albion, including her sister, Kristen Prevost Cares, ’03.

Barbara Weidendorf, ’83. Recipient of an M.A. from Wayne State University, Barbara Weidendorf has taught German, French, and economics at West Bloomfield High School for 22 years, and has been honored as GermanTeacheroftheYearbytheGermanAmerican Heritage Foundation International. Active in Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Detroit, she has served on the board there for over 20 years. She lives in Farmington Hills. Among her Albion connections is her mother, Celia Cook Weidendorf, ’56.

The following have been named recent graduate representatives on the board: Caroline Dobbins, ’12. A graduate of Albion’s Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management, Caroline Dobbins was recently selected for the Challenge Detroit program, where she will work for the next year on sharing positive attributes about Detroit through Web-based and traditional media. Albion graduates in her family include her parents, Bill, ’74, and Karen Knudson Dobbins, ’74, and her sister, Emily Dobbins Verbeke, ’03.

Mark Stevenson, ’12. Mark Stevenson willjoinErnst&Young’sDetroitofficethissummer as a staff advisor. A member of the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management while at Albion, he studied for a semester at the International College of Management in Australia. Active in Habitat for Humanity and other community service groups on campus, he also traveled to New Orleans to work on houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

To view the entire Board of Directors roster, go to: www.albion.edu/alumni.Interested in joining the Board of Directors? Send an e-mail to [email protected] for more details on the board’s responsibilities.

Meet Your New Alumni Association Board Members GredenChristenson MaxfieldLindemood Loper

Weidendorf Dobbins StevensonPrevost-Blank

26 | Io Triumphe!


2012 HomecomingPut on your purple and gold and show your Briton pride at Homecoming this year! The football team takes on the Kalamazoo Hornets on the new turf at Schmidt-Fraser Field, and the women’s soccer squad matches up against the Trine Thunder. And there’s something for the whole family—come early for the Homecoming parade, stop by the Alumni Association Welcome Tent, and then head for the pregame pep rally and picnic lunch and the Family Activity Tent. Don’t miss this chance to visit with friends and classmates and enjoy Albion’s campus in its best fall colors.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

9 a.m.–6 p.m. Registration and Information Desk Open First Level and Langbo Living Room, Kellogg Center Begin your visit here by picking up your nametag, updated schedule of events, and preregistered event tickets, and enjoy refreshments with staff and alumni in the Langbo Living Room. Hosted by current members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

12 noon Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon and Ceremony Science Complex Atrium A luncheon and awards ceremony will honor this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.

6 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony Upper Baldwin Dining Room Help us recognize this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to athletics as students or alumni.

8 p.m. Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Herrick Center Reserve tickets at 517/629-0344 or [email protected].

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13

8 a.m.–4 p.m. Registration and Information Desk Open First Level, Kellogg Center

8 a.m. Golden Years Breakfast Upper Baldwin Dining Room All alumni who graduated in 1962 or before are invited to this complimentary breakfast.

8:30 a.m. Alumni Band Rehearsal Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium (west end zone) Join the British Eighth as an alumni band guest. For more information, please con-tact Sam McIlhagga, director of bands, at [email protected].

10 a.m.–1 p.m. Welcome Tent Located on Hannah Street A stop at this tent is a must! Mingle with fellow alumni, learn about alumni chap-ters in your area, and explore ways you can remain involved at Albion.

10 a.m.–2 p.m. Health and Wellness Open House The Depot (behind the Ferguson Building) Open to all alumni who are interested in health and wellness.

10:30 a.m. Homecoming Parade Join us for a parade through the heart of campus on Hannah Street.

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Pep Rally and Lunch for Alumni, Parents, Faculty, and Students Lomas Fieldhouse, Dow Recreation and Wellness Center All are invited to a pregame luncheon. There will be reserved seating for reunion-year classes.

12 noon Women’s Soccer vs. Trine University Alumni Field

12–3:30 p.m. Family Activity Tent Near the Dow Recreation and Wellness Center Children’s activities for all ages will be available for families to enjoy!

1 p.m. Football vs. Kalamazoo College Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium Help our new mascot cheer on the Britons! The halftime program will fea-ture the Homecoming Court, the British Eighth, and the Alumni Band.

4 p.m. Intercultural Affairs Gathering Welton House For more information, contact the Intercultural Affairs Office at 517/629-0501.

6–8 p.m. Swimming and Diving Reunion Dow Recreation and Wellness Center All swimming and diving team alumni are invited back to campus to honor recently retired Coach Keith Havens.


2012 Homecoming8 p.m. Music Department Homecoming Collage Concert Goodrich Chapel The concert will include various music groups of all different types.

Reception in Honor of Professor Len Berkey Gerstacker Commons, Kellogg Center Stay tuned for more information about a Department of Anthropology and Sociology reception honoring Len Berkey, professor of sociology, who will retire in December 2012.

Art Exhibit Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Photography by Curtis Hans Miller Open during posted hours.

Open Houses/Receptions Please go to www.albion.edu/homecoming for more information about open houses and receptions. Departments, Institutes, fraternities, and sororities will be hosting Homecoming events during the day on Saturday.

Saturday Class Reunions For classes ending in “2” or “7,” 1952-2012. See details at: www.albion.edu/homecoming.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14

Worship and Praise Services Wesley Chapel Sunday worship services at First United Methodist Church of Albion. 9 a.m., Contemporary. 11 a.m., Traditional. All are welcome.

2 p.m. Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee See Friday schedule for details.

2012 HOMECOMING AWARD RECIPIENTSAlbion College will hold recognition ceremonies during Homecoming Weekend honoring alumni for their contributions to and passion for Albion College, their communities, and their professions.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Please see www.albion.edu/alumni for the list of 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award winners.

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

IndividualsChristopher J. Behling, ’94 (Swimming)James M. Corbeil, ’88 (Baseball)Kellie S. Gehrs, ’95 (Swimming)Martin P. “Chip” Heyboer, ’95 (Football)Kyle A. Klein, ’97 (Football)David S. Lefere, ’97 (Football)Molly K. Maloney, ’00 (Swimming)Garth A. Richey, ’60 (Track)Ronald J. Wasczenski, ’77 (Football)

CoachesD. Scott Frew (Tennis)Keith B. Havens (Swimming and Diving)

Teams1982 Men’s Track and Field1993 Women’s Tennis

2012 CLASS REUNIONSClass reunions are located in Albion, Battle Creek, Marshall, and Jackson this year.

CLASS OF 1952 Location to be announcedCoordinated by Albion College

CLASS OF 1957 Battle Creek Country ClubChairs: Carolyn Carr Christ, Edmund Jenkins

CLASS OF 1962Schuler’s Restaurant, MarshallChairs: Dennis Cawthorne, William Crane

CLASS OF 1967Daryl’s Downtown, JacksonChair: Cathy Ford Crabb

CLASS OF 1972Wendell Will Room, Stockwell Library, Albion CollegeChairs: Barbara Olson Rafaill, Nancy Graham Roush

CLASS OF 1977Upper Baldwin Dining Room, Albion CollegeChair: Susan Sadler

CLASS OF 1982Schuler’s Restaurant, MarshallChairs: Laura Wills Fitzgerald, Anne Lundquist

CLASS OF 1987Bellemont Manor, Albion CollegeChairs: Cynthia Carr Falardeau, Keith King, Dianne McLaren-Brighton

CLASS OF 1992Cascarelli’s, AlbionChairs: Sheila Bucci Geister, Jennifer Lewicki

CLASS OF 1997Science Complex Atrium, Albion CollegeChair: Joseph “Josh” Green

CLASS OF 2002Schuler’s Restaurant, MarshallChairs: Larry Lloyd, Jared Merchant, Kerry Wright

CLASS OF 2007Arcadia Ales, Battle CreekChair: Meagan Burton-Krieger

CLASS OF 2012Pregame Tailgate, Ferguson Building Parking Lot, Albion CollegeCoordinated by Albion College

28 | Io Triumphe!


Albion College’s Third Annual Grand Getaway

AlbionCo-Chair: Barbara Sehnert Lange, ’70 E-mail: [email protected] Co-Chair: Kimberly Frick Arndts, ’84 E-mail: [email protected]

Southern CaliforniaChair: Melissa Peterson Roudabush, ’00 E-mail: [email protected]

ChicagoChair: James Gignac, ’01 E-mail: [email protected]

New EnglandChair: Jon Smith, ’08 E-mail: [email protected]

Washington, D.C.Chair: Kristen Neller Verderame, ’90 E-mail: [email protected]

DetroitChair: Eric Backman, ’08 E-mail: [email protected]

Check out what’s happening near you . . .Our regional alumni chapters have been busy in recent months, and there’s more to come. Look for upcoming events at www.albion.edu/alumni.

Great Lakes BayChair: Patrick Schefsky, ’06 E-mail: [email protected]

Southwest MichiganChair: Olivia Gardner, ’09 E-mail: [email protected]

Traverse CityCo-chair: Carol Brouwer, ’70 E-mail: [email protected]: Sandy O’Niel, ’70 E-mail: [email protected]: Adam Whitson, ’06 E-mail: [email protected]

West MichiganCo-chairs: Pete, ’06, and Katie Tornga Grostic, ’06 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

If there is not already a chapter in your area, e-mail [email protected] or call 517/629-0247 to discuss opportunities to network with fellow alumni.

Spring picnic, Victory Park, Albion

March alumni reception, historic Temple Theatre, Saginaw/Great Lakes Bay

September 28-30, 2012 | Grand Hotel | Mackinac IslandGo to www.albion.edu/grandgetaway to learn about the

special opportunities available during the Grand Hotel’s 125th anniversary season and to make your reservation, or call the

Office of Alumni Engagement at 517/629-0448.

This event is made possible through the generous hospitality of Albion College trustee Dan Musser, ’86, president of the Grand Hotel.


Office of Annual Giving | Albion College | 611 E. Porter St. | Albion, MI 49224

Here are our contest winners. To view all of the great submissions we received, go to: www.flickr.com/photos/albioncollege.

You also can find a downloadable pdf of Brit at www.albion.edu/takebrit so you can continue to take him along wherever you go. Just send your new photos to [email protected]. Or use Facebook—post your photo to the Albion College wall (facebook.com/albioncollege), tag Albion College, or tag Brit (facebook.com/albionbriton). Either way, be sure to include your name, class year, and a brief description for your photo.

We appreciate the efforts of everyone who participated in our contest!

BRIT’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURESOur “Travels with Brit” contest exceeded expectations! Thanks to our alumni and friends, our mascot Brit (or at least his paper stand-in) had the opportunity to tour the world, trekking across snow fields in Alaska, soaking up the sun in Hawaii, consorting with kangaroos in Australia, and admiring ancient temples in Greece, to name just a few of the locations he visited.

CATEGORY: COOLEST LOCATION WITH BRIT

Lynda Barrow and Heather Howard Bloom, both ’83, really pushed the envelope to get this shot with Brit while scuba diving off Cozumel. All the other college mascots are green with envy.

CATEGORY: LONGEST DISTANCE TRAVELED WITH BRIT

Brit traveled 9,234 miles when he accompanied Ila Sloan Leavy, ’58, from her home in Greeley, Colorado on a trip to Australia to visit classmate Glenn Powell, ’58, near Adelaide. Runners-up in this category were Lewis Cardenas, ’02, Annie Lerew, ’04, and Donna Eng, ’03, who took Brit to Brunei, and Kris Kareti, ’90, who brought him along to Abu Dhabi.

CATEGORY: FUNNIEST POSE WITH BRIT

Brit clearly has musical talent to go along with that athletic physique. Who knew? Thanks to Diane Dunn, ’68, for making him sound so good.

CATEGORY: LARGEST NUMBER OF ALUMNI WITH BRIT

Cathy Spencer Minster, ’86, and her Albion friends traveled back in time with Brit as they piled into this 1957 Ford Thunderbird (“Pinky”) owned by Kim Hagerty, ’78. Pictured with Pinky (left to right) are: Penny Schubert Sweeney, ’85, Kim Hagerty, ’78, Dianne Shotwell Hamilton, ’75, Cathy Spencer Minster, ’86, Maggie Schmittling, ’04, Mackenzie Bickel, ’04, Anna Marten, ’86, and Tess Bates Williams, ’87. All are current or former staff members for the Hagerty Insurance Agency in Traverse City.

JULY-SEPTEMBER ALBION EVENTS SCHEDULENOTE: Some dates may be subject to change. Please check www.albion.edu/alumni for more information and additional upcoming events. Invitations will be mailed for specific off-campus events. On-campus events are shown in white. Go to www.albion.edu/calendar for information on all arts, sports, and other campus events.

JULYJuly 11 Grand Slam Baseball: Great Lakes Loons vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels*

July 17 Grand Slam Baseball: Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Angels*

July 19 Grand Slam Baseball: West Michigan Whitecaps vs. Peoria Chiefs*

July 26 Grand Slam Baseball: Lansing Lugnuts vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods*

AUGUSTAugust 4 Briton Classic Golf Outing, Medalist Golf Club, Marshall, Mich.

August 9 Grand Slam Baseball: Battle Creek Bombers vs. Wisconsin Rapids Rafters*

August 10 Grand Slam Baseball: Traverse City Beach Bums vs. Schaumburg Boomers*

August 13 Grand Slam Baseball: Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers*

August 25 Fall Kickoff

SEPTEMBERSeptember 5 Briton Bash

September 7 Opening Convocation

September 8 Albion Community Day

September 8 Class of ’61 Football Team Reunion

September 15 Football Tailgate, Benedictine vs. Albion, Naperville, Ill.

September 27 Marquette, Mich. Event

September 28-30 Grand Getaway, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

*Home team is listed first. Purchase tickets online at: www.albion.edu/alumni/grandslam.

See reverse side for October, November, and December events.

Information for Alumni, Parents, and FriendsPlease see corresponding dates on the events schedule:

Grand Slam BaseballSoak up the sights and sounds of the ballpark with Albion College alumni, parents, friends, and current students. These are family-friendly events.

Briton Classic Golf OutingOpen to all Albion College alumni, parents, friends, and current students. Enjoy a round of 18 holes with fellow Britons at the Medalist Golf Club in Marshall, Mich. while supporting the athletic annual fund, which provides monies to all 21 collegiate teams.

Fall KickoffJoin us for the men’s and women’s soccer alumni games as well as other alumni athletic events.

Briton BashEver wonder what students do outside of the classroom at Albion? Join us for a picnic dinner attended by current students, faculty, staff, community members, and alumni. Check out the more than 100 clubs on campus and fun carnival-like games. This is a family-friendly event.

Albion Community DayShow your Albion spirit by joining Albion community members, friends, parents, alumni, and students for a day filled with activities including peewee football games, kids’ activities, and the Albion vs. Wheaton home football game.

Class of ’61 Football Team ReunionJoin the undefeated 1961 Albion football team for a walk down memory lane highlighted by the many records set and team accomplishments. Reconnect with the guys you haven’t seen in years. For more information, contact Scott Draper at [email protected] or 517/629-0624.

Marquette, Mich. EventVisit with President Donna Randall at a special event for Marquette area alumni, parents, and friends.

Grand GetawayJoin Albion alumni, parents, and friends for a very special weekend at the Grand Hotel during the hotel’s 125th anniversary season. Our Grand Getaway weekend is made possible by the generous hospitality of Albion College trustee Dan Musser, ’86, president of the Grand Hotel.

Continued on reverse side.

CATEGORY: LONGEST DISTANCE TRAVELED WITH BRIT

CATEGORY: FUNNIEST POSE WITH BRIT

OCTOBER-DECEMBER ALBION EVENTS SCHEDULENOTE: Some dates may be subject to change. Please check www.albion.edu/alumni for more information and additional upcoming events. Invitations will be mailed for specific off-campus events. On-campus events are shown in white. Go to www.albion.edu/calendar for information on all arts, sports, and other campus events.

OCTOBEROctober TBD David H. Aldrich Speaker Forum in Law, Justice, and Society

October 7 Jewish Alumni Reunion

October 12-14 Homecoming/Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony/ Hall of Fame Ceremony

October 13 Swimming/Diving Reunion

October 24 Philadelphia Event

NOVEMBERNovember TBD Basketball Tailgate, Oakland vs. Albion, Rochester, Mich.

November TBD Flint Event

November 9-10 Family Weekend

DECEMBERDecember TBD Tree Lighting

December 9 Festival of Lessons and Carols

December TBD Chicago Event

See reverse side for July, August, and September events.

David H. Aldrich Speaker Forum in Law, Justice, and SocietyThe Aldrich Speaker Forum honors the life and memory of David Aldrich, ’75.

Jewish Alumni ReunionJewish alumni, parents, and friends will join us for the first-ever Jewish Alumni Reunion. Reconnect with friends, meet current students, share in the last day of Sukkot, and learn about how spiritual life has evolved at Albion. Hosted by the Albion College Hillel and the Office of Alumni Engagement.

HomecomingDetailed information on all Homecoming events appears at www.albion.edu/alumni.

Swimming/Diving ReunionSwimming and diving teammates from across the years will gather as we honor Coach Keith Havens upon his retirement and dedicate the new scoreboard, blocks, and timing system.

Philadelphia EventJoin Philadelphia area alumni, parents, and friends for a special event featuring Albion’s director of career development. Take time to network with area friends and current students interning in the greater Philadelphia area.

Flint EventJoin Albion alumni, parents, and friends from the Flint area for a special event.

Family WeekendGet a glimpse of what life has been like for your student’s first months of college. Don’t miss the sports, departmental open houses, regional parent networking opportunities, and much more.

Tree LightingJoin Albion students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and community members for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree on the Quad.

Festival of Lessons and CarolsBegin your holiday season with this traditional concert featuring the Albion College Concert Choir.

Chicago EventConnect with Chicagoland alumni, parents, and friends.

‘We have to do what’s right’Io TrIumphe!The Magazine for aluMni and friends of Albion College

Lions Draft Briton Cornerback Chris GreenwoodOn joining the Detroit Lions after his selection in the fifth round of the National Football League draft, Chris Greenwood, ’13, follows four Britons who were NFL picks in the 1950s and 1960s. An American Football Coaches Association Division III All-American, he is now training with the Lions and says this opportunity is “the realization of a dream I’ve had all my life.” Find the full story on page 20.

Marketing/Communications Office

611 East Porter StreetAlbion, MI 49224-1831

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Io Triumphe! Spring-Summer 2012