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Innovator
Vol. 35 No. 2 - Winter 04-05:
ClassNotes
Dr. David Aussicker (PhD CSHPE) is vice president of St. Joseph Health System Foundation. St. Joseph Health System is the nation’s largest nonprofit healthcare organization with corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. Aussicker is a former faculty member and administrator at Tulane University, American University, and most recently, Old Dominion University.
Betty (Holbert) Beard (PhD 1985) has completed a six-month (2003) Fulbright award in Malawi. Her work concerned the care of vulnerable and orphaned children. She hopes to return to Malawi in 2005 to continue studying community based orphan care programs. HIV/AIDS is pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. She adds, “On a happy note: our sixth grandchild arrived in 2004!”
Virginia Walcott Beauchamp (BA 1942; MA 1948) was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
J.D. Birchmeier (BS 1965, MBA 1974) was selected as “Outstanding Science Educator” in 2000 by the Metro Detroit Science Teachers. Now semi-retired, he has taken advantage of the extra time to begin writing curriculum for Michigan Virtual High School, an online mode of education. He won an award from ISTE in 2003 for Human Space Exploration, wrote “Astronomy for High School,” and co-wrote “Earth Science.” The latter contains significant Michigan geology content.
Dr. Polly (Pauline) Buchanan (PhD 1990, Adult & Continuing Education) was promoted from Associate Dean to Interim Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Michigan University until August 2004. She has served on the faculty in Hotel and Restaurant Management for 19 years, and has since returned to her position as Associate Dean.
Richard M. Campbell (MA 1972; PhD 1975) has been Elected Trustee of North Harris Montgomery Community College District, 2004-2010.
John Kevin Cox (BA English 2000) has been chosen to serve as the English Department Chair at Grosse Pointe North High School.
Barbara R. DuBois (BA 1948; MA 1952; Certt. 1952) has published two poetry chapbooks in 2004: “A Greek Suite,” and “Country Style.” She writes regular book review columns for the Socorro (NM) Public Library newsletter, the Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge newsletter, and the Socorro newspaper.
Richard Ellis (PhD 1991, CSHPE) has been made Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at John Brown University in Arkansas. Earlier in 2004, he participated in a strategic planning session at Northwest Arkansas Community College led by CSHPE professor Dick Alfred.
Eddie Fergus (PhD 2002) has had his doctoral dissertation published in September 2004 by Routledge Press. The work is entitled, “Skin Color and Identity Formation: Perceptions of opportunity and academic orientation among Mexican and Puerto Rican youth”.
Kay (Kelcher) Ferrando (BA in Education) with her husband Jon, had her third child on May 18, 2003. Isabelle Ashley joins Emily (5) and Jackson (3).
Dr. Margarito J. Garcia
(PhD Curriculum & Instruction 1984) has been appointed assistant professor of education at Sul Ross State University’s Rio Grande college in Eagle Pass, TX. Among other varied past teaching assignments, he has taught at Michigan State, Indiana University and the University of Texas at Arlington, as well as at the University of Michigan Flint campus.Kendra Hearn (AB English Ed 1993) in December 2003, was appointed Director of Curriculum for the Lincoln Consolidated School District (Ypsilanti, MI.)
Paul Krieger (BS with certification 1986) has just published “A Visual Analogy Guide to Human Anatomy.” The book is a unique stand-alone supplement for which Krieger is both author and illustrator. Sample pages can be viewed at the Morton Publishing website: www.morton-pub.com. Krieger has been teaching at Grand Rapids Community College for the past 13 years.
Jane Birdsall Lander (AB Ed, English) is an educator, writer and nationally exhibited artist. She is project manager and co-author of the St. Louis Public Art Curriculum Kit, a national model for object-centered, integrated curriculum. Birdsall-Lander organized a consortium of ten regional not-for-profit arts organizations that, along with the Education Council, provided funding for the project. The kits were distributed to the St. Louis area teachers and educators who served on the Teacher Advisory Committee for the kit, as well as given to other educators, schools and universities. In addition, the kits are available on loan through the St. Louis Public Libraries, the St. Louis County Libraries, and can be viewed and/or downloaded as a .pdf file at www.ci.clayton.mo.us/main/publicart.asp
Mel Miller (AB (LSA) 1971; Certt 1971) was presented the Special Service Award from Macomb County Bar Association in recognition of his promotion of legal and judicial fields within schools. He coordinates a number of civic programs, such as the Macomb Lawyer-Teacher Partnership that brings lawyers and judges to upper elementary classrooms; assists with the Macomb Law Day Program; coordinates a distance learning “Government Connections;” and assists with other programs and projects.
Sam Muller (MEd 1971), a retired teacher, last summer worked in a six-month program as a Genesee County (MI) Naturalist. He planned and put on many programs for children ages 7-12. The program was
free, but children had to be accompanied by a parent. The lessons were on nature and simple horticulture. The program was funded by a grant from the James A. Welch Foundation.
Daniel Muraida (PhD, Educational Psychology, 1988) is currently working for the U.S. Air Force in San Antonio as a research psychologist. His principle duties focus on the development and analysis of surveys on public health issues within the active duty force. He is also responsible for the development of training interventions that address Air Force public health issues. He recently returned to UM to take a course in Hierarchical Regression Models through the Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques. “The course was great,” says Muraida, “and the Ann Arbor summer was as beautiful as ever.”
Michael S. Nykos (MA 1959; PhD 1970) has been appointed by Colorado’s Governor Owens to a four-year term on the Board of Trustees, Colorado School of Mines. Also in 2004, he was also elected to a two-year term as president of the Board.
George Osenko (MA 1955) has served education for 38 years as a teacher and principal in Charlevoix, MI.
Joann Ozog (MA 1969) was selected by NBC Chicago-affiliate Channel 5 to receive the Jefferson Award for her outstanding volunteer work on behalf of the Polish Museum of America. Among her accomplishments are the museum’s annual Polish American Heritage Month program and art contest, annual Old Fashioned Christmas Wigilia programs, and participation of the museum in the Polish Constitution Day parade. She has also been an active and successful fundraiser for the museum.
Barbara Pachter (AB Ed 1970) recently published her seventh book: “The Jerk with the Cell Phone: A survival guide for the rest of us” (Marlowe & Co.). She is a business communications consultant and teaches business etiquette, assertiveness and conflict resolution in a business setting worldwide. Her website is: www.pachter.com.
Laurence Peters (PhD, English and Education) currently directs the Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium (MARTEC) at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Jeanne Judson Prentice (BA in Ed, 1940) and her husband, Clifford Jack Prentice (BS 1941, Aero Engineering), celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on August 5, 2004. She had served as Class Secretary of her graduating class.
Mary J. (Fisher) Schuttler
(BA and Certification, 1983) received her PhD in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Spring 2004 and was promoted to full professor at the University of Northern Colorado, also in Spring 2004. She serves as the coordinator of Theatre Education.Judith (Kazdan) Silver (ABEd 1970) has been married to Ian Silver for 34 years. They live in London, Ontario and have three children: Melanie (32), married to Sean, with two sons, Duncan (5) and Connor (2), living in London, Ont.; David (28), married to Alexis, living in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Laura (25), teaching English in Japan. Kazdan completed a pre-master, in school librarianship in 1989, a masters in Library and Information Science in 1995, and currently runs her own business doing internet management and consulting.
Steven Skalka (EdD 1994) is participating in Fulbright Educator Exchange for school administrators, during the 2004/05 school year,. In October, his exchange partner, Stephen Kings - Headmaster of Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Brixham, England worked here at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, MI. Skalka will be working with him at his school in Great Britain during March 2005.
Jan Stephens (BS in Elementary & Special Ed 1963; MA in Special Ed 1966) retired in 2002 from Ann Arbor Public Schools after teaching emotionally impaired and learning disabled students for 27 years. Now she spends her time with duplicate bridge, the stock market, travels, and her six grandchildren. She is planning her next big trip to Scotland and Ireland.
Irene (Clutter) Stocks (BA and Certification, 1946) says, “Life is exciting!” That comment encompasses a family of 12 children and 31 grandchildren with her husband, Charles Portt; graduate degrees from Oberlin, Vanderbilt, and Ashland and Trinity College; a career as a minister for the United Church of Christ serving in Ohio, Michigan, New York, California, and Pennsylvania; occasional substitute teaching; and service as minister-in-residence at Vanderbilt and fellow at the Chicago Theological Seminary. By the time this issue is published, the couple will have retired to Molokai, HI.
Olive Wade (MA, 1962) has had the Boone County (IN) Retired Teachers Volunteer Certificate named for her. She has also received the Clock Award from the Indiana Methodist Children’s Home in recognition for her community service as a retired teacher.
*Elaine Vetenge-Wright (BA 1958) died in May 1997. She was married to Wilbur I. Wright, a 1955 UM alumnus.
*John W. Walcott (MS 1948) died in February 2003. He was the brother of Virginia Walcott Beauchamp, noted above.
Nancy Louise (Kubanek-Casmer) Woolworth
(AB 1954, AM 1959) has written 16 articles and one book in history and anthropology. For 15 years she wrote environmental impact statements for federal, state and local governments and private firms. She is currently writing a book on effect of Euro-Americans on Dakota Indians, 1659-1863. After obtaining her Baccalaureate in 1954m she became a substitute teacher in Dearborn Heights, MI until 1960; then again substituted in Minnesota classrooms from 1982 to 1990.Christie (Kleinlein) Youngblood (ABEd, 2000) has completed her third year teaching 8th grade physical science and American history in Romeo, MI. In 2003 she married Terence Youngblood and the couple had a baby, Caleb Terence, on Mother’s Day, 2004.
