moravian college magazine spring 2013

MoravianSPRING 2013

A LEGACY OF LEARNINGTransforming Young Lives

Moravian

photo by John Kish iV

2 Prelude She was proud to be of service. Priscilla Payne Hurd (1919 – 2013)

4 President’s Letter We honor our Moravian family connection.

10 Success Breeds Success Alumni share their successes for the betterment

of students.

14 Connected for Life Moravian alumni and students form a special bond.

16 A President Plans His Retirement The Thomfordes wrap up their time at Moravian.

18 The Moravian Effect Laura Queen ’96 She followed a less-traditional route and now

encourages others to follow their hearts.

5 Out & About

20 Greyhound Sports

22 Alumni News

24 Class Notes

spring2013

Moravian College Magazine : Brenda Lange, editor; Mark J. Fleming, sports editor; Christie Jacobsen ’00, web manager; Susan Overath Woolley, director of publications; Michael P. Wilson, director of public relations.

Photographer: John Kish IV

Alumni relations: Marsha Stiles MBA ’99, director; Patricia Murray Hanna ’82, assistant director.

Copyright 2013 by Moravian College. Photographs and artwork copyright by their respective creators or by Moravian College. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reused or republished in any form without express written permission.

Cover: Priscilla Payne Hurd enjoyed working closely with Moravian students in various leadership initiatives. Photo by Michael P. Wilson.

<< “Cherish every moment and

embrace each new experience at

Moravian. Challege yourself to make

a difference not only in your own life,

but in the lives of others.” >>

prelude Stories from the Moravian community

2 MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE SPRING 2013

Phot

o by

Mic

hael

P. W

ilson

She was proud to be of service

SPRING 2013 MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE 3

By Brenda Lange

Even as a young woman, Priscilla Payne Hurd knew she was meant to be of service to others. Growing up in Chicago, she would often visit Hull House, one of the country’s early settlement houses, in which the children of the poor were educated and cared for by volunteers — including Prill, as she was always known to her friends.

After attending a private boarding school for girls near Washington, D.C., Hurd graduated from Finch College and the University of Chicago, fol-lowed by the New York School of Radio Technique. The weekly radio show, UN Calling You, was pro-duced by Hurd on the campus of Lehigh University. She also was a columnist for the Bloomington Indiana Tribune for a time.

Over the years, Hurd became deeply involved in social outreach, healthcare, and cultural and educational organiza-tions across the Lehigh Valley. Hurd joined Moravian’s Board of Trustees in 1974 and became its first woman chair in 1999, a post she held for eight years before passing the gavel to Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68.

Chynoweth, who joined the board in 1991, remembers that Prill was a friend almost from their first meeting. “She welcomed me and took me under her wing,” she says. “I have no idea why. I didn’t know anything about her at the time.” But Prill became a role model and mentor and by the end of that decade, the two women had become close friends.

Having broken the gender barrier at Moravian, Hurd took her position quite seriously, and as she did in all things, dealt in a straightforward, concise manner that left no doubt as to her intentions. She is remembered by many as someone who quickly grasped complex situations, asked intelligent questions and then acted on the answers.

“And it wasn’t just what she asked, but the way she asked,” says Chynoweth. “She was always respectful, never demeaning.”

That consideration was evident to all. With a quick sense of humor and devotion to learning, she endeared herself to those whose paths she crossed, whether in the boardroom, classroom, or out and about on campus. From students to staff support person-nel to faculty and administrators. She was quick with a smile and

a hello. She cared about who people were and always was inter-ested in what was going on in their lives.

“She had a tremendous need to give,” says Chynoweth. “To give leadership and service and to make sure people were okay and moving ahead. These were the gifts that mattered most to her.”

As chair, Hurd proudly led the College to improve its infra-structure and programs, including the construction of the new academic complex that bears her name. The list of her contribu-tions is long, and her passion for everything the College embodies is evident; her devotion to the mission at Moravian will live on.

But most important to Hurd and Moravian College was her willingness to give the time necessary to ensure students were af-forded the best possibilities for success. As a powerful, visionary and effective leader, Hurd made things happen without looking back or second-guessing herself, even over the hardest decisions. Her candor and integrity allowed her to deal with tough issues, and she demanded that those who worked with her act the same way. Her unpretentious and fun-loving ways also allowed others to relax and be comfortable around her, in spite of the fact that some could be intimidated — until they got to know her.

Even students more than half a century her junior were quickly put at ease by her genuine nature. They were able to engage and talk with her and all the years, differences and barriers disappeared.

“She cared about the students and Moravian because that’s what our mission is here, and she believed deeply in that mission,” says Chynoweth. “There wasn’t anyone at Moravian she didn’t want to know and love and nurture.” W

Left: Hurd cut the ribbon on the academic complex that bears her name in 2002.

Above: Hurd mingled with graduates and faculty during President Thomforde’s inauguration.

Facing page: Priscilla Payne Hurd passed the gavel to Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68 in 2007.

Priscilla Payne Hurd (1919 – 2013)

<< Cherish every moment and embrace each new experience at Moravian. Challege

yourself to make a difference, not only in your own life, but in the lives of others. >>


Dear Men and Women of Moravian,

Sometimes we may find ourselves using words that we can readily define but whose origins we cannot identify. Alumni is one of those words.

Of course, alumni are the people who have graduated from a certain school, college or university. Many of you are Moravian alumni. But did you know it comes from a Latin word for foster child? How interesting! We are born into our families of ori-gin, and with our parents and siblings we share experiences that shape our lives. But we also are part of the Moravian family. Through our affiliation with the College, we have become part of a new family — a great group of men and women with whom we have shared experiences in the classroom and laboratory, on athletic fields and the concert hall, in dormitories, fraternities and sororities, and in the city of Bethlehem.

These experiences shape us in many positive ways. We discover our genuine gifts and abilities. We hone them through our studies, through our engagement in campus life and co-curricular activities and through the relationships we develop with our classmates — our “brothers and sisters” — of the Moravian family.

As alumni, you have Moravian as your alma mater. This phrase also is Latin and means nourishing mother. And so, Moravian is like our mother, and you, the alumni, are her children, part of a vast and wonderful family.

As alumni, you are part of a great and worthy mission that reaches back more than two centuries and forward indefinitely. We all, alumni and friends of Moravian, can be proud of our heritage of educating men and women from all backgrounds and launching them into lives of professional accomplishment and community service.

As alumni, you have the opportunity to support this mission with your time, talents and treasures. You have the opportunity to support each new generation of family members by serving as mentors to current students, by networking with recent gradu-ates to help them find jobs, and by support-ing the Moravian Scholarship Fund, so that the door to a Moravian education remains open to all students of ability and promise.

I encourage you to live out your pas-sion for your Moravian family. Our alma mater has nurtured our minds and our hearts, has brought us into personal rela-tionships lasting a lifetime, and has opened the world to us in unimagined ways.

In closing, let me say that Kathy and I thank each of you for welcoming us into the Moravian family with such warmth and confidence. Serving as president of Moravian College and Moravian Theolog-ical Seminary has been a great and singular privilege. We are most grateful to have had this opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you!

Chris ThomfordePresident

fromthePRESIDENT

Pho

to b

y Jo

hn

Kis

h iv

Around CAmpus

Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68 has completed her term as chair of Moravian’s Board of Trustees, a post she has held since October 2007. Prior to her appointment, she served as chair of the Seminary Board of Trustees, dur-ing which she chaired the presidential search committee for the hiring of President Christopher Thomforde. During her tenure as College chair, she led the strategic planning process which saw many improvements to both the academic program and campus facilities.

Among the recent additions to the academic program are the Advancing Into Moravian (AIM Program) and new Master of Science degrees in nursing and in human resource management. She oversaw the completion of the Hurd Integrated Living and Learning Community (the HILL) in partnership with the Bethlehem Area Moravians. She directed other campus improvements in response to student feedback, including renova-tions to the Haupert Union Building, the addition of the new state-of-the-art Fitness Center and improvements to residence halls.

Her leadership guided the introduction of Moravian Theological Seminary’s successful capital campaign and significant renovations to the Bahnson Center. More recently, she aided the College in launching its first comprehensive capital campaign, which is now underway.

“Lyn Chynoweth has served both the College and the Seminary as chair of their Boards of Trustees in an exemplary manner,” commended President Thomforde. “She challenges the Board to think about the most important strategic issues facing us, and encourages and supports the administrators in their work. No one works harder than she does to advance the missions of the College and the Seminary.”

Ken Rampolla ’79, trustee and chair of the Campaign for Moravian, will succeed Chynoweth at the April board meeting. Rampolla has played an active role since earning his degree in economics. He has been integral to the success of the Steel Field Campaign, formation of the Blue & Grey Club, and he received the Gillespie Award in 2006 for his contributions to the athletics program at the College.


HAPPENINGS . . .

April 22Accepted Students Day Accepted students (and their parents) begin their journey as Greyhounds.

for morE dEtAIlS, SEE www.morAvIAN.Edu/NEwS or cAll 610 861-1300

Board of Trustees changes leadership

April 26Celebration ...... of President thomforde’s tenure at moravian. watch for details.

Pho

to b

y Jo

hn

Kis

h iv

Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68 addresses the audience during the kick-off dinner for the College’s first comprehensive capital campaign, The Campaign for Moravian, in October 2011.

May 11CommencementHuB QuAdrANGlE10 a.m. • Moravian’s 271st year closes with commencement ceremonies outdoors behind the HuB.

May 17 & 18Alumni Weekend & Founder’s DaymorAvIAN cAmPuS9:30 a.m. friday through 4 p.m. Saturday • Celebrate what it means to be a moravian graduate.


Around CAmpus

morAvIANBooKSHElf

n Gary Olson, professor and chair of political science, has just had his book Empathy Imperiled: Capitalism, Culture, and the Brain published by Springer Verlag.

Olson writes that the evolutionary process has given rise to a hard-wired neural system that equips us to connect with one another. He argues that empathy, the “most radical of human emo-tions,” has been short-circuited by the dynamic

convergence of culture, politics and the brain under the dominant influence of hegemonic neoliberal capitalism.

The book, Olson’s fourth, explores how the system blunts, brackets off and otherwise channels empathy’s liberating potential. This study offers a provocative, empirically grounded dissent from capi-talism’s narrative about human nature.

The Moravian College community will welcome a new president on July 1, when Bryon Grigsby ’90 becomes the 16th president in the College’s 271-year history. Since 2008, Grigsby has served Shenandoah University in Virginia as senior vice president and vice president for academic affairs. In this role, he instituted a new first-year seminar program and helped develop a successful $65 million capital campaign, among other accomplishments — all while continuing to teach courses in his fields of expertise, including composition, Chaucer, Shakespeare, medieval and early modern literature, and the history of medicine and disease.

Grigsby earned his degree in English at Moravian, an M.A. from Wake Forest University and a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago, specializing in medieval literature, early modern literature, and the history of medicine. He has pub-lished a monograph and a collection of essays as well as serv-ing as the general editor for the online journal Medica.

Prior to joining Shenandoah University, Grigsby held several administrative and academic positions at Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J., where he also assisted the president in completing a $38 million capital campaign, helped grow the adult and online curricula and instituted the college’s strategic plan.

In making the announcement, both outgoing board chair Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68 and chair-elect Ken Rampolla ’79 commended the president-elect for his achievements as a teacher and scholar and his innovation as an administrator. “Grigsby is passionate about Moravian. He brings the leadership skills, global visions, technological experience, and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to guide Moravian to a more distinguished position in higher education,” said Chynoweth.

New president will arrive in JulyBryon Grigsby ’90

Bryon Grigsby ’90

Pho

to b

y Jo

hn

Kis

h iv


The ongoing renovation work to Collier Hall of Science continues, with great strides having been made in 2012 and other work on line for completion by the start of the 2013-14 academic year.

Renovations to Collier’s laboratories and class-rooms will help the College keep pace with the rapidly changing fields of science and technology and provide an improved environment for Moravian students to study and learn.

To that end, a new anatomy and physiology lab is being built adjacent to new student study spaces on the third floor. And one floor below that, work on a computational modeling lab is underway. The laboratory will allow for high-end computing and sophisticated analysis of scientific data, including a geographic information system (GIS) that enables data to be captured, managed, analyzed and displayed in ways that reveal geographic trends and patterns.

Although changes to this point have been fully funded, one of the next steps, requiring an additional $1.2 million, is one of the most exciting parts of the project, and will benefit all science students, according to Gordon Weil, vice president for academic affairs.

A so-called “super lab” will be constructed on Collier’s main floor, just off the lobby. This laboratory will consist of a physical chemistry lab and a bio-

chemical/quantitative analytical chemistry lab. These laboratory spaces will be divided by a seminar room and an instrumentation room. The exterior walls of this laboratory complex will be glass, allowing visual access from the surrounding hallways.

“Being able to see students and faculty working shoulder to shoulder on new super lab equipment will put the excitement of science on display,” says Weil about the glass-walled rooms.

“The super lab will enable us to continue to sup-port student/faculty research … something we do very well at Moravian … and not only to support current research, but to expand it,” he adds.

Gary Carney, vice president for advancement, says, “We have already received some generous leadership gifts for the super lab. It is my hope that alumni, parents and friends will recognize the importance of this space for our science students and provide the remaining financial support necessary to make it a reality.”

For more information about ways to support the work at Collier Hall of Science, contact Gary Carney, vice president for institutional advancement, at [email protected] or 610-625-7910.

Renovations continue on Collier Hall of Science

Rendering of the new super lab that will be built in Collier Hall of Science.

Around CAmpus

Practicing a sustainable lifestyle is more than putting bottles and cans at the curb. Much has happened behind the scenes to encourage expanding the community’s definition of “sustainability” in keeping with the year’s IN FOCUS theme. Directors Diane Husic, chair and professor of biological sciences, and Don St. John, emeritus professor of religion, have conveyed the importance of a sustainable future, as it relates to economic prosperity, and as it ensures the health and well-being of the human race and the environment.

“My hope is that this year’s theme, which is so interrelated with the other three themes (poverty and inequality, health and healthcare, and war and peace) will

begin moving us toward the type of institution that prepares students to be re-sponsible custodians of the earth, of ecosystems and of each other,” says Husic.

In addition to recycling daily waste, a Green Move-Out is planned by the Environmental Coalition. Student volunteers will collect electronics, clothes, furniture and anything else that students no longer need or want, and ensure they are disposed of properly. Through a class led by Husic and Hilde Binford,

chair and professor of music, 270 incandescent light bulbs in the Jo Smith resi-dence hall were replaced with CFL bulbs — a savings of up to $20,000 over the

course of their 11-year lifespan.Other departments have made less obvious changes. The dining service has made ar-

rangements to recycle cooking oil, cardboard and food waste. They also have begun using biosafe soaps. The facilities department also is doing its part, as they manage recyclable waste such as scrap metals, paint, vehicle oil, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries and paper products. They even donate used furniture to local Salvation Army stores.

As each department takes a close look at how it can contribute to a more sustainable campus, and each student steps up to take on a bigger role in contributing to the same, Moravian College will continue to move toward being the responsible steward of the earth that Husic has set as her goal.

—Brianna Vanbuskirk ’13

Sustainability–IN FOCUS

Pho

to b

y m

ich

ael

P. w

ilso

n

Caption

GuEStSPEAKING

dr. Julian Agyeman, professor and chair of the department of urban and environmental planning and policy (uEP) at tufts university, gave moravian’s annual dr. martin luther King lecture in January. His talk, The Dream Lives On: Toward a ‘Just’ Sustainability, focused on bridging the gap between environmental activism and social justice activism, as part of the college’s IN focuS theme of sustainability.

Agyeman argued for environmental justice, the idea that the environment plays a role in social justice, equality, human rights and people’s quality of life. He said, “where people trash their environments, they’re often trashing human and civil rights.” He noted that social justice needs to become part of the discussion around sustainability and the environment.

He encouraged the environmental justice movement to focus on five goals: planning intercultural cities, fair shares of environmental space, focusing on the environment as it relates to human well-being and happiness, urban agriculture and food justice and spatial justice. He also noted that we will see progress only if we involve all types of people from around the globe. —Steve Delturk ’13

The dream lives on



The Environmental Studies & Sciences Program recently received a much-needed resource through a gift of 70 acres of land in northern Northampton County within the Kittatinny Ridge Corridor. The A. John ’50 and Lillian K. Deputy Field Center for Environmental and Biological Sciences, a gift from Jay Deputy, serves as an outdoor laboratory in which students and faculty can conduct various experiments and research.

In December 2011, the Environmental Studies & Sci-ences Program also received a grant of $383,600 from the

Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. One immediate use of the funds was the purchase of a new 15-passenger van that will be used to transport students and equipment to the Deputy Field Center and other locations.

Last semester, students in Dr. Frank Kuserk’s ecology class initiated two studies designed to monitor long-term ecological changes. Teams of students collected and dried leaves and placed each sample into a mesh litter bag. They then secured the bags into a section of the stream that runs through the Deputy Field Center.

This spring students in Kuserk’s aquatic biology class will retrieve the bags, weigh them to determine

loss of material due to decomposition, and then collect and identify the macroinvertebrates most responsible for the changes. The purpose of the project is to find out which type of leaves decompose fastest and to determine whether different species of macroinvertebrates have a preferred food source.

The students also spent time this fall establish-ing 20- x 20-meter forest plots. Within each plot, they catalogued every tree’s type, basal height diameter and condition, whether healthy or diseased. Moravian is participating in this Permanent Forest Plot Project along with several other colleges and universities across North America in order to monitor changes in forests due to such things as climate change and development.

New Deputy Field Center dedicated

The consensus is in: Moravian’s first half-unit winter term was a success. Two online courses — special topics classes that gave students a chance to try something a little different — were full. Music, Memory and Language was taught by Sarah Johnson, assistant professor of psychol-ogy, and Program Music was taught by Carol Traupman-Carr, dean of curriculum and academic programs.

The third class was a traditional, face-to-face class on business writing, a slimmed-down version of the semester-long course, and was taught by Mary Comfort, an adjunct in the English department.

“We will probably run the winter term again,” says Traupman-Carr, “since it seems there is a demand and a

need. For students who may be a credit or two shy of graduating, want to get ahead, or want to stay intellectually engaged over break, this could be the perfect answer.”

Johnson called the term a whirlwind, but says, “The students in my course were enthusiastic and engaged, and they came away from the course with a working knowledge of the psychology of language and memory that they can apply in their own lives. Several students have told me that they won’t look at song lyrics the same way again.”

Winter Term

Students already have made great use of the gift of 70 acres of land in Northampton County.


Success Breeds SucceSS

Moravian alumni help students navigate a path to professional fulfillment.

N umbers don’t lie. Within 10 months of graduation, 93 percent of Moravian’s Class of 2011 was either employed or enrolled in post-graduate study. But numbers don’t tell the whole story, either. A significant factor in that success rate is an alumni network com-mitted to preparing students for the future.

And alumni aren’t just phoning it in. They really care. Take Julia Gasdaska ’07, for instance. As a student, she attended the Coffee & Connections networking reception where she met John Kolchin ’57 and his wife, Barbara. They became pen pals connected by their shared Moravian experience. The Kolchins even attended several plays in which Gasdaska performed at the Arena Theatre, and she still has their handwritten letters.

“They made me feel like I was part of the Moravian family. That friendship is quite special to me,” says Gasdaska, who, as assistant director of leadership giving, helps organize alumni-student networking opportunities.

Students visit New York City as part of an alumni-student networking event.

By Kate Helm ’05

Gasdaska’s relationship with the Kolchins illustrates the genuine interest Moravian alumni have in current students. And that type of interest isn’t easy to find. While talking to a friend who attends a large university, Wendy Fomby ’14 mentioned how Moravian stresses the value of the alumni network in a stu-dent’s career exploration process. Her friend couldn’t relate.

Alumni involvement and career development opportunities permeate campus — so much so that students have to make an effort not to get involved, says Amy Saul, director of career development. Saul presents information on available college resources to first-year students and encourages them to start exploring their interests early. She emphasizes that they are not alone; alumni who were once in their shoes are excited to help them discover their passions and options.

Recruiting alumni is an easy sell. When it comes to helping a student, one thing that neither Saul nor Marsha Stiles, M.B.A. ’99, director of alumni relations, has ever heard is “no.”

“Alumni love engaging with students,” says Stiles. “Many alumni are grateful for their Moravian experience and frequently comment on how well prepared they were as graduates entering their professions. By helping students learn about career choices, alumni have a profound effect on their lives. What a great legacy for all alumni to share.”

That legacy is what inspires Kyle D’Angelo ’12, a staff ac-countant at ParenteBeard in Cherry Hill, N.J., to give back. He at-tended last fall’s Philadelphia networking event held at the Union League. About 75 students and alumni turned out for the event hosted by Bill Lloyd ’79, a broker for Tactix Real Estate Advisors in Radnor, Pa., and member of the Union League.

Trustee Andy Hart ’90, senior vice president at Tiffany & Co.

and president of Tiffany subsidiary Laurelton Diamonds, hosted a networking event at the Tiffany offices in New York City earlier last year, with nearly 90 in attendance.

A second sell-out New York City event was held in the fall, this time in that city’s Union League, and was hosted by Michael Ellis ’72 and Jim Hutchinson ’69. The student groups also were able to visit the New York Stock Exchange, thanks to Kraig Correll ’90, or the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, thanks to John Quinones ’92, both members of the Leadership Council. Quinones also hired a Moravian student as an intern last year.

“Moravian is built on a long history of successes, and in order to succeed in the future, it is important to continue to provide resources for undergraduates,” says D’Angelo, who credits an on-campus networking night for accounting majors with helping him

gain insight into his field. “The network of Moravian alumni is an important part of the education the College pro-vides.”

Before these events, Saul hosts prep sessions to ensure the students are ready to make a good first impression. She coaches them on business etiquette, handshakes and eye contact, and how

to create a 10-second pitch. The events, themselves, are an exercise in collaboration, where many groups contribute to make them the best they can be. The Alumni and Student Alumni associations, the offices of Alumni Relations and Career Development and the Leadership Council all co-sponsor these off-site events.

After meeting Dylan Stroup ’10, a member of the Leadership Council and a financial professional at AXA Advisors, LLC, in Bethlehem at the Philadelphia networking reception, accounting major Zena Mhrtam ’14 landed an internship this spring with his company. She also is interning this semester at Specialty Minerals in Bethlehem. Last semester, Mhrtam interned with the College’s department of economics and business.

“Attending these events has allowed me to gain much more insight into exactly what I can do with my degree,” says Mhrtam, who is still deciding whether she’d like to become a CPA or a financial advisor. “I have been exposed to so many professionals, and it has been helpful to practice interacting with them.”

Lloyd, who also has visited with members of the Amhrein Investment Club, says that meeting with alumni as a student was instrumental in shaping many of his career decisions. He was an active member of the club and calls it “the single most important activity that influenced my career.” Lloyd even met the club’s namesake, trustee Irving Amhrein, and participated in College-


Andy Hart ’90 speaks with students at the first off-campus alumni-student networking event held in New York City in the spring of 2012.

<< It feels good to give back, help others, and be reinvigorated by the youthful optimism and energy that Moravian students exude. >> — Andy Hart ’90

Pho

to b

y jo

hn

kis

h iv


sponsored trips to Wall Street and mock interviews. It was a Moravian alumnus who hired Hart for his first job

as an inventory control analyst at AMETEK’s U.S. Gauge Divi-sion in Sellersville, Pa. A member and past chair of the Leadership Council, Hart feels a strong sense of responsibility to continue that tradition. In addition to hosting the networking reception, he has visited with the Economics and Business Club and an economics class. Hart also arranged for a Tiffany representative to be among the 36 employers at the recent on-campus Career and Internship Fair; the company was searching for a summer intern to fill a posi-tion created for that purpose.

“I’m passionate about Moravian and the caliber of students it is producing. Alumni who have benefited from their own Moravian experiences have a responsibility to help today’s students as they move into careers,” says Hart. “It feels good to give back, help oth-ers and be reinvigorated by the youthful optimism and energy that Moravian students exude.”

Making connectionsThe annual Coffee & Connections reception has successfully

connected students with alumni in a variety of fields for more than a decade. More than 60 alumni returned to campus this year to share career advice and their experiences with students. The event is co-sponsored by the offices of Alumni Relations and Career Development.

Attendance has increased across the board as more students realize the value of networking and the necessity of beginning their

career search while still in college. This year’s two-day Backpack to Briefcase had 80 juniors and seniors and 40 alumni participating. It also was the first year the event was open to juniors, who had separate agendas from seniors.

The conference-style event features mock interviews, résumé reviews, an etiquette dinner, and workshops including how to use social media professionally, graduate school admissions and managing a budget. Of course, networking is a built-in compo-nent, with formal workshops on how to network and then build on those relationships as well as informal opportunities to mingle with alumni.

Along with his participation in the career fair and networking events, Stroup ran mock interviews during Backpack to Briefcase, and feels strongly that students should make every effort to get involved with those in their field.

“Careers are hard to find right now. Referrals into a job are much more powerful than blindly applying, and staying connected provides for that,” he says. “When I was a student, it was hard for me to gain an understanding of life after college. All I knew was I was ready to work really hard to meet my personal goals. It wasn’t until I started taking advantage of the Career Center that I started gaining insight into what I would do with my financial economics degree. Attending a career fair is where I found my current job and I love it.”

Fomby, an accounting major, met Laura Haffner ’86, area president of the Lehigh Valley Division of Wells Fargo Bank, at this year’s Backpack to Briefcase. During her mock interview, Fomby learned that Haffner’s office is located in the same building as Le-high Gas in Allentown, where Fomby is interning this semester. The two hit it off so well that they have since met for lunch where Haff-ner shared her own experiences of balancing work, life and school.

Haffner also has hosted students for internships at the bank, served on panel discussions, and made classroom presentations. Always on the lookout for talented students to join Wells Fargo, she also conducts on-campus interviews, which is how Haffner began her own banking career.

“The Moravian students I meet are impressive and driven to

Success breeds success

<< I love to look around the room at these professional

networking events and see generations of Hounds

gathered together, laughing, shaking hands and sharing

their Moravian experiences. >> — Julia Gasdaska ’07

Students toured the New York Stock Exchange as part of the fall New York City alumni-student networking event.

Amy Saul, director of career development, welcomes Jarrett Laubach of Hawley Realty, to the annual Backpack to Briefcase event in January. He volunteered his time on behalf of Amy Hawley ’76, owner of Hawley Realty.

Pho

to b

y b

ren

da

la

ng

ePh

oto

by

mic

ha

el P.

wil

son

succeed,” she says. “I always gain a renewed spirit when I have the chance to interact with them.”

Internships and externships open doorsDriven is an excellent way to describe Fomby. In addition to

her internship with Lehigh Gas this semester, she is interning at Air Products in Allentown, where she helps the company integrate new accounting tax software. At Lehigh Gas, she works closely with the CFO and assistant controller of wholesale operations. Her audit work helps ensure the company is in compliance since recently going public on the New York Stock Exchange. Last semester, she interned at Victaulic Company in Easton, where she helped prepare financial statements for its Singapore branch.

Saul describes internships as “absolutely critical to the career search.” Employers want to see that graduates have the knowledge, and that they have successfully applied that knowledge outside the classroom. Internships immerse students in corporate culture while allowing them to gain valuable on-the-job experience.

“Working in a classroom setting and looking at the numeri-cal values in a textbook are nothing compared to the fast-paced environment [at Lehigh Gas] where I’m putting the numbers into perspective,” says Fomby, who plans to work for a CPA firm after graduation. “My internships also gave me the confidence to not be afraid of my mistakes, but to learn from them.”

According to Saul, Moravian’s internship program is unique be-cause of its flexibility. Unlike many other colleges and universities, Moravian allows students to complete an internship at any point in their college careers. Internships can be for-credit, which are usually unpaid, or not-for-credit, which usually are paid positions.

Several alumni recently made gifts to the College to provide $1,000 stipends to qualifying students completing internships. Sean ’97 and Renee Richardson ’96 will fund a student participat-ing in a government-related summer internship in Washington, D.C. Brian ’02 and Jaime Corvino ’04 will fund a student serv-ing a summer internship in the healthcare industry. And Richard Hooper ’85 will provide a stipend for a deserving student pursuing an internship in any field.

If an internship is an immersion experience, then the Career Connections externship program is a snapshot of different careers and industries. Students typically spend one day over the winter break with alumni in a field they want to learn more about. About 25 students have participated annually since the program began in 2009. Saul and Gasdaska are working with Leadership Council to increase the number of available alumni and correspondingly, the number of students who can participate.

The Leadership Council identified the support of career devel-opment as one of its top priorities. Almost every member of the council has committed to hosting a student for a day of learning and networking.

“Clearly, our alumni feel strongly about seeing our students succeed or they would not attend events or stay in touch with students,” says Gasdaska. “I love to look around the room at these professional networking events and see generations of Hounds gathered together, laughing, shaking hands and sharing their Moravian experiences. It is so neat to me to picture alumni on campus as students sitting in class in Comenius Hall and then, sev-eral years later, see them come together to help current Moravian students experience the same success.” W


Moravian College stood for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness long

before the country’s founding fathers wrote that famous phrase into the

Declaration of Independence. But what does “happiness” really mean?

One First-Year Seminar class dissected that concept last fall and

conceived of ways they might invest in their own happiness through their

years at Moravian College. Katie P. Desiderio, assistant professor of

management in the economics and business department, partnered with the

alumni relations office to match alumni with students in a mentor/mentee

relationship to break down how Moravian helps students find happiness. This

is the first time such a partnership has been formed.

Seventeen pairs of students and alumni were given six prompts to

stimulate conversations about their expectations and experiences at

Moravian. They discussed the mission statement and how it can serve as the

foundation for success in college and beyond. Later, they listed the resources

available at the College to create a successful first-year experience. The

participants also met in person several times over the course of the semester.

“This is an excellent learning model that provides our first-year students

with support as they transition to the college setting. Our alumni are delighted to

be engaged with these students as they explore their foundation for happiness

and build a network of resources,” says Marsha Stiles MBA ’99, director of

alumni relations. “The outcomes of this prototype are measureable from both

the student and alumni perspective and are transferrable in many ways.”

“The students explored happiness in their individual lives in the context

of optimizing performance,” Desiderio says. “We explored ways of thinking,

reactions to our readings, self-reflection and how to express responses in an

analytical and thoughtful way. In an effort to create awareness for our own

happiness, we must understand the cultural implications that stimulate our

lives,” she adds.

In another student-alumni collaboration, 32 female former student-

athletes worked with the students in a history class taught by Jane Berger,

assistant professor of history. The point of the project was to explore the

alumnae’s experiences pre- and post-passage of Title IX legislation.

Students reviewed yearbooks from the decade in which “their” alumna

graduated. They researched newspapers and other documents from the time,

and incorporated their findings with the answers to interview questions they

posed to their partner. Their results were compiled into posters that were

displayed during Title IX events earlier this semester.

“Students had the chance to see changes over time and through the help

of the alumnae, were able to put faces to those places in history,” says Berger.

—Brenda Lange

Joining forcesAlumni join students in the classroom.


Whether it’s because of the small and intimate class sizes and campus setting, the emphasis on the liberal arts or simply the caliber of students Moravian attracts, Moravian Col-

lege graduates have a habit of reaching back and helping students.The flow of Moravian knowledge began with the first faculty

and continues today in the same spirit of intellectual curiosity. Not surprisingly, some of Moravian’s most dedicated teachers are themselves Moravian graduates. Joe Shosh graduated summa cum laude from Moravian in 1988 and currently serves as chair of the education department and director of graduate education. He be-lieves outreach and ambassadorship have always been an implicit part of the Moravian teaching contract.

“We just see it as part of our role,” he explains. “When we’re working with Moravian students in the classroom, there’s a sense of community, of mutual growth and support. My uncle graduated from Moravian in 1972, and I remember being a kid on campus and having that feeling of belonging.”

This sense of community flows through the students, to each other and into the world beyond campus as they graduate and move on to their vocational pursuits.

One of those students, Rob Verrone ’90, went to work right after graduation as a real estate analyst associate for Bear Stearns. Four years later, he moved to Wachovia Bank, where he ran the real estate division for 14 years. During that time, he brought in Borko Milosev ’04 as an unpaid intern, after Milosev reached out to him.

“He commuted two hours each way (from Bethlehem to New York City),” recalls Verrone. “Some nights, he slept under his desk.” Shortly after graduation, once he was getting paid, Milosev moved into a one-bedroom apartment, where he lived with two other Moravian alums. “I saw that he was really smart, passionate and focused,” Verrone says. That’s why, when he left Wachovia to start Iron Hound Management, a real estate consulting, advisory and brokerage firm, in 2008, he took Milosev with him.

Now Verrone participates in alumni networking events and sometimes speaks to senior classes, sharing his knowledge and experiences.

Milosev’s ambition led him to form his own real estate invest-ment firm, Post Road Management, several years later. Rather than take umbrage, Verrone became an investor. “He deserves to be successful, and I wanted to support him,” Verrone explains.

When things got busy, Milosev reached out to Moravian’s of-

fice of career development, knowing he’d find high-caliber intern candidates there. “I look for people who are hungry and smart and who care about their work. I know Moravian graduates are prepared to work,” he says.

And that’s how Milosev found Greg Scarlato ’12. He was impressed with Scarlato’s hustle and dedication. “We work long hours and I need someone who’s going to be alongside me 24/7 if I need them. A lot of other things I can teach, but I need someone who cares and will do their job well, not someone who just wants the paycheck. I saw that willingness and ambition [in Scarlato], and hired him.” Scarlato is now the general manager of Milosev’s nine-employee firm.

Meanwhile, Milosev spends a good deal of time and energy giving back to Moravian through service on the Leadership Coun-cil. “Amy Saul [director of career development] and I joke that I’m on campus almost every month,” he says with a chuckle.

“I owe a great education to Moravian, as well as the introduc-tion to Rob Verrone,” he says. “The only way I can pay that back is to work with Moravian students and grads and pass on that success, help out on campus and provide some financial support.”

Developing opportunitiesIt all starts in Moravian’s Career Center, where director Amy

Saul provides opportunities for current students to plan for life after graduation. She supervises the center, arranging individual career counseling, advising and assessment, and coordinates special programs while directing on-campus employer recruitment efforts.

Events involving students and alumni, including Backpack to Briefcase, Coffee & Connections and off-campus networking

An unbroken bondAlumni-student connections link past and future

By Mary Shafer

Amy Saul works with Lauren Orchard in the Career Center.

pho

tos

by j

oh

n k

ish

iv


<< I was really fortunate that Moravian gave me an opportunity 20 years ago,

and I have the moral obligation to help pay it forward. I’m proud of my Moravian

education and I want to share that with others. >> —John Quinones ’92

events, all help students turn their eye toward the future and make crucial connections that often serve them well.

In addition to participating in formal and informal networking events, alumni are encouraged to give back through service on the Leadership Council. With a current roster of 40, and plans to add 20 more alumni in the near future, the Leadership Council advises the Board of Trustees in ways to fulfill the College’s mission. The Council also works closely with the Career Center in matching up students with appropriate internships and jobs.

Beginning in the fall, students will have the chance to partici-pate in a new externship program. Interested current students will be paired with Council members in their area of interest, and will visit them on the job for a full day of observation and on-the-job learning. These experiences are expected to help students more fully understand their potential careers and possibly return to the company as interns or even paid employees.

“The Leadership Council is an organized group dedicated to supporting the College’s mission, asking their classmates to get involved, and making it a priority to provide career opportuni-ties for graduates through recruitment fairs and similar events,” says Julia Gasdaska ’07 assistant director of leadership giving and council liaison. “They are making a difference for our students in career development, enrollment and fundraising.”

Continuing a legacyInnumerable alumni are simi-

larly motivated, acting as ambas-sadors for the College and creating new connections in countless ways. Some of these connections go back many decades, such as with recent graduate Dylan Stroup ’10. He attended Moravian through the influence of his fifth-grade teacher, Molly Dinneen ’64, who was a graduate of Moravian’s teaching program. She, in turn, was encour-aged to study at Moravian by her high school teacher, Harriet Hoy Moyer ’34.

Stroup, now a financial profes-sional with AXA Advisors LLC, in Bethlehem, found his posi-tion through an interview during Moravian’s annual career fair. “A professor mentioned this company, I contacted Amy Saul, and she

helped me train for interviews and refine my first résumé,” says Stroup. “Most importantly, she reinforced the connection between me and the manager at AXA Advisors, which helped greatly in getting an offer.”

Stroup now sits on the Leadership Council, and his office currently has four Moravian College students working on various projects and shadowing advisors. It’s all part of his belief that al-ums should give back whenever they can. “I speak with the Career Center at least once a month to make sure I am doing all I can to provide insight into my field to both students and alumni,” he says. “I feel Moravian College does an excellent job providing opportu-nities for alumni, students, faculty and staff to help one another.”

He also nurtures a hope that, at some point, he’ll be able to leverage the frequent trips he makes to local high schools into an opportunity to become an active ambassador for Moravian. “I always see posters on the walls for other colleges and logo pen-dants and key rings the career counselors give away to students. I’d love to be able to leave these kinds of things with the Moravian logo to make them more aware of the great option they have in choos-ing this school.” W

A Major League advantageAfter graduating in 1992, John Quinones spent the summer working at Butler

Service Group, a technical recruiting firm. During that internship, sponsored

by Moravian psychology professor Robert Brill, Quinones got an introduction

to the basics of human resources management. He went on to get his Master

of Science degree in industrial labor relations at Baruch College. He’s now

vice president of recruitment for the Office of the Commissioner at Major

League Baseball (MLB), where he’s been since 2008.

Last year, he met Jenelle Mirro ’11 through Backpack to Briefcase.

“She was impressive from the moment I met her,” he recalls. They agreed

Mirro would spend a day shadowing him at work, and he arranged for her to

meet with colleagues from MLB’s licensing and special events department

for informational interviews. He encouraged her to apply for a summer

internship and she became possibly the first Moravian student to intern at MLB.

Her credentials got her the internship, Quinones says, “But her relationship with me through Moravian

helped put her on the radar. I meet a lot of talented students with varying levels of skill and presentation every

day, and coming in with that kind of potential door opener helps them stand out from the crowd.”

Quinones helps assure Moravian will be able to continue giving graduates that leg up in the employment

marketplace by sitting on the Leadership Council and participating in alumni networking events. “I was really

fortunate that Moravian gave me an opportunity 20 years ago, and I have the moral obligation to help pay it

forward. I’m proud of my Moravian education and I want to share that with others,” he says.

John Quinones ’92.

After a long career spent in either a pulpit, classroom or president’s chair, Christopher Thomforde has earned the right to relax. Deciding to retire wasn’t a decision made

lightly, but after seven years at the helm of Moravian College, President Thomforde and his wife, Dr. Kathy Thomforde, have done just that.

“We just want to chill for a while,” he said from his memorabilia-filled office on Colonial Hall’s second floor. “We want to visit with our family and friends, to catch our breath and decide what we want to do next. For too many years, we have squeezed in time with our five children and seven grandchildren, and now we will have plenty of time to be with them.”

That choice of a next act will be made from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where two of the couple’s children and Kathy’s mother live. They also have plenty of friends nearby from their days as professor and administrator at St. Olaf College.

A major decision must be made soon, and the Thomfordes are already at work choosing their new home. Although they both like Cape Cods, the 6-foot, 8-inch president is wary of their notori-ously low ceilings. And surprisingly, this is his first time buying his own home.

“I went from my parents’ home to a dorm to housing provided for me by the church or college I was working for at the time,” he explained.

One thing is certain, their new home must contain a multitude of bookshelves. The wall behind his office desk is full of books he refers to

A president plans his retirementBy Brenda Lange

The Thomfordes wrap up their time at Moravian.


pho

tos

by j

oh

n k

ish

iv


frequently, and he has a plan to finally read all the books friends have given him over the years — 207 in all.

Writing and travel are also on President Thomforde’s retire-ment to-do list. Starting places are Vermont, Florida and Switzer-land, where their three other children, their spouses and grandchil-dren live. Italy is on the list, as are Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

“And I’ve never seen the Grand Canyon,” he said. “Fortunately, there is a very good airport near our new home.”

Although Thomforde has no desire to take on a big project, he may be enticed to be a visiting preacher, work with a prison minis-try, mentor young students at a local school or something similarly fulfilling — something to make a difference. He also plans to do some writing based on notes from sermons, speeches, and journals he has saved since 1974, his first year teaching.

“I have learned so much from so many over the years,” he said. “Writing from these notes would be a way of processing this wisdom and seeing how my beliefs have developed over the years.” One idea he has is to compile a booklet for friends with 365 indi-vidual thoughts or anecdotes.

“And if I don’t come up with that many, then I can make it 12, one for each month,” he said with a laugh.

Thomforde’s presence and easy smile will be missed by all who have interacted with him during his tenure at Moravian. He already has received notes and emails from students, and has been stopped as he makes his way around campus by those wishing him well in his retirement.

“I will miss all the wonderful people I have come to know here — the good people of Moravian and the great purpose of this college,” he said. “It’s been a privilege to work with the students, faculty, staff and alumni here, at an institution whose mission I

A president plans his retirement

Facing page: President Thomforde (often in his Moravian cap) was a ubiquitous presence on campus. He confers a diploma during Commencement 2012.

Clockwise from left: Board chair-elect Ken Rampolla ’79 and board chair Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68 join Thomforde during the Comenius Dinner in October 2012. Chynoweth, Thomforde and Brittany Beard ’12 cut the ribbon at the opening of the Fitness Center. Thomforde spoke at various events at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.Helping students on move-in day was a tradition, as was cheering on Greyhounds through every sport. President and Dr. Kathy Thomforde join Amos the mascot in the spring of 2012.

wholeheartedly support … to help these young men and women discover their gifts and passions and to help them learn.

“Moravian’s mission of inclusion is exceptional, and I have felt most in line with this College of all the places I’ve worked, as my personal commitments have meshed so well with that of Moravian.”

Thomforde has been known for his easy relationships with stu-dents, and often is seen eating his lunch on one of the benches that dot the campus while in conversation with a student or two. He’s also a regular at athletics and cultural events. He explains that his years of teaching and acting as a college chaplain have made student interaction a way of life.

Thomforde acknowledged the often challenging nature of leading the College through the economic crisis that has gripped the country for most of his presidency. “When the economy collapsed, good people and the College’s mission were threatened by outside forces,” he said.” Staff and the board have done a great job of wrestling with the issues, but there is more that needs to be done. It is challenging.”

For the next couple of months, Thomforde will wrap up busi-ness, and say his goodbyes as he prepares to welcome his successor July 1, when Bryon Grigsby ’90 takes over the office. He adds he thinks hiring an alumnus is a masterstroke, showing confidence in Moravian’s process. “Bryon Grigsby and everyone at Moravian will need to plan for the future, as higher education is changing dramati-cally. His knowledge and experience with technology will help bring us into that future.”

And in the meantime, he and Kathy continue to plan for their new roles.

“We promised each other not to make any big commitments for one year,” he says. “But who knows what may be next?” W


Laura Kellers Queen ’96 remembers her Moravian ex-perience as surreal. But not because of the all-nighters she pulled or any other student endeavor. No, Queen’s experience was unlike anyone else’s in her graduat-

ing class. As a junior, Queen was a married mother of a 1-year-old girl. She worked a full-time job and commuted to classes two nights a week from her office in Bristol.

“I remember wondering why the bad weather always hit on Mondays and Wednesdays,” says Queen from a conference room in Colonial Hall recently. “Coming here was a labor of love, and felt like coming home, even after so many years.”

Queen’s winding pathIn the fall of 1985, Queen was a recent high school

graduate, a volleyball player who liked Moravian’s small campus and opportunities for relationships with faculty. In addition, her grandmother had offered to pay for her edu-

cation if she attended a liberal arts school within 200 miles of her Upper Bucks County, Pa., home.

Queen gladly ac-cepted the financial help to attend Mora-vian and majored in psychology. When that funding stopped un-

expectedly after her sophomore year, Queen went to work and took summer classes. In 1987, she and a classmate became engaged, got married, and moved to Manheim, Pa., for his job. Eighteen months later, they moved back.

“In the summer of 1992, I decided to continue my education and discovered I was pregnant after starting classes,” she says. Rhiannon was born in March of 1993.

“How I got to Moravian was an interesting coalescence of people and events,” says Queen. “I had older friends in high school who got to Moravian before I did, and I lived through their experiences. I liked the small social environ-ment, so I felt comfortable.”

Originally set to study pre-law, Queen remembers

an advisor told her, “Law school will teach you law. You might as well major in something you like. Do something you love or it is drudgery and saps your energy.”

She took that advice to heart, and today, dispenses her own version of it, based on her life experiences.

“Those words still ring in my head in my conversations with others,” says Queen who is a human resources and administration executive in the pharmaceuticals industry. “Even though I left, there was never a question that Mora-vian was where I would finish my degree.”

The only question was what form that degree would take. Where was her focus, her passion? Having worked in finance, she thought she might change from psychology to finance or accounting. But when asked if she loved what she did every morning, the answer, “No, I get up and go to work,” caused her to re-think that.

“I knew I needed to make a shift in my daily activities. I looked at the requirements to complete a major in indus-trial organizational psychology, and realized that would be a good course of study. It was a good place to get back on my path,” says Queen, who graduated with her B.A. and a certificate in human resources.

Queen’s path may have diverged from that taken by most high school graduates who attend college; how-ever, it was not all accidental. A methodical and strategic thinker, Queen says she focused her attention very clearly and made some career changes within her workplace at the time — the Bucks County Office of Employment and Training. Moving from the finance to human services side was just one step she took.

She was working there full time, and became part of a group that restructured human services benefits, training and development, and job retraining, developing centers that combined various job services, including job readiness assessment and job search advice.

Making learning funFrom start to finish, Queen counts 11½ years on the

way to the sunny spring day when she stood on Moravian’s quad, walked up to receive her diploma and peeked over the heads of her classmates to find her 3-year-old daughter in the crowd.

She forged her own path By Brenda Lange

And now she leads others

The Moravian Effect: Laura Kellers Queen ’96

<< Moravian is like a family.Its intimacy transcends the sticker on the back of your car, and the common

story between Moravian grads transcends time. >>


Today Rhiannon is a 20-year-old sophomore at Gwynned Mercy College, who grew up surrounded by books and papers and a mom who immersed herself and her daughter in academe.

“I would put her on the floor in a library conference room, on a blanket with her toys, and run to make copies or get books for my research,” recalls Queen of the days before laptops and the Internet. “She would ask me in the morning, ‘Mommy, are we going to school today?’ She has only ever known me as a student, and has always been a part of my academic life.”

A couple years after Queen graduated, that marriage dissolved, but by then she was back in working-student mode, determined to move further in her career than she had originally dreamed — on a somewhat different path — and happily remarried and with two stepchildren.

Queen didn’t stop with her bachelor’s degree. From Moravian, she went on to earn her master’s degree in HR administration from West Chester University, and is just weeks away from defend-ing her dissertation for her Ed.D. in human and organization learning from The George Washington University.

“I always have tried to make learning fun,” says Queen. “It’s about integrating your learning into life, and seeing every aspect of the world as an opportunity to learn something new. Shed the no-tion that education is something done to you … invite learning as an aspect of your existence that is inspiring, and share it with others.”

One of the newest alumni to join Moravian’s Leadership Council, Queen anticipates how membership will allow her to work directly with students. Through the externship program,

for example, she will host students for day-long experiences through which they will learn about her job responsibilities and work environment. “Alumni go out into the world and bring back knowledge and experiences to help provide for others. This alumni stewardship is so important,” says Queen.

“Laura will be an asset to the Leadership Council because she has a genuine interest in helping others and a sense of gratitude and pride for her experience at Moravian,” says Julia Gasdaska ’07, as-sistant director of leadership giving and liaison to the council.

“Laura is a great role model because she has made education a priority in her life; she is especially inspiring to those of us who are worried about following a preconceived traditional path to success. Her advice is ‘follow your heart,’ which shows she under-stands there is not one specific plan that works for everyone,” adds Gasdaska.

“Laura is proof that when it comes to pursuing an education, there isn’t just one window of opportunity, there can be many, at dif-ferent times in our lives, if we challenge ourselves to pursue them.”

Queen calls Moravian the most formative of her multiple academic experiences and her touchstone, and she is proud to contribute to the common relationship that has been created for current students by those who have gone before. “Moravian is like a family,” says Queen. “Its intimacy transcends the sticker on the back of your car, and the common story between Moravian grads transcends time.” W

Laura Queen ’96

Laura Queen was the mom of 3-year-old Rhiannon when she graduated with her B.A. in psychology.

PH

OTO

BY

jOH

n k

isH

iv

Hall of Fame inductees honored at dinnerNearly 170 attended the Athletics Hall of Fame dinner held in Johnston Hall November 9.

William Marsh ’56 received the Robert Martin Herbstman Award, for exemplify-ing the ideals of Moravian College athlet-ics both as a student and an alumnus.

The team honoree was the 1989 Men’s Track & Field team, represented by 16 members of the team. During the presenta-tion, the late Doug Pollard, professor of physical education and head men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field coach, was fondly remembered, and his wife, Donna, and daughter Casey, hung medallions around the necks of the team members.

The following were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Heidi Wolfsberger Peoples ’02 and Tara Wartman McClimon ’98,

both women’s cross country and women’s track and field, Anthony Jaso ’50, football, and Fred Reinhard, honorary inductee, a major contributor and consistent supporter of the Greyhound athletics program for many years.

Men’s cross country repeats as Landmark championsThe men’s cross country team won its second straight Landmark Conference title, capturing the 2012 Landmark Conference Championship meet at the Fort Rob-erdeau Historic Site in Altoona hosted by Juniata College on October 27. Dillon Farrell ’13 captured the individual title with a winning time of 26:02.20 on the 8,000-meter course. He finished fourth at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, earning All-Region honors and competed

greyhoundsports


www.moraviansports.com

2013 Hall of Fame nominations

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Hall of Fame, Team and Robert Martin Herbstman awards. To nominate an alumna or alumnus, visit www.moraviansports.com and click on Hall of Fame at the top right side of the page. Nominations will be accepted until April 30.

Anthony Jaso ’50, Heidi Wolfsberger Peoples ’02, Fred Reinhard, Tara Wartman McClimon ’98 and William Marsh ’56 pose at the Hall of Fame induction.

pho

tos

by m

ar

k fl

emin

g

Members of the 1989 Men’s Track & Field team at their induction to the Moravian Hall of Fame.


at the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Greyhound men finished with a team score of 39 points, while Susquehan-na University was second with 54 points and the United States Merchant Marine Academy placed third with 75 points.

Farrell earned Landmark All-Confer-ence First Team and Runner of the Year honors for his winning time. He was first of the race’s 84 runners by 43.5 seconds. Joining Farrell on the All-Conference First Team with top seven finishes were Donnie Noble ’13 in third place, Alec Duncan ’15 in fourth place and Dylan Marton ’13 in fifth place.

Jake Donchez ’13 was 31st for the Greyhounds to round out the top five and Maxwell Korten ’16 was 75th. Jeremy Rigotti ’16 was 77th and Samuel Ansman ’14 was 84th.

Women’s soccer dominates Landmark awardsKirsten Schall ’15 was named Landmark Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year last fall while Eileen Black ’13 earned Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She was named the ECAC Divi-sion III South Defensive Player of the Year and named to the NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team.

Head Coach Brienne Smith was named Landmark Conference Coach of the Year after leading the

Greyhounds to a 10-8-2 record to go with a Landmark Championship Game ap-pearance, and an ECAC Division III South Championship Tournament appearance.

Schall, who was also a Landmark All-Conference First Team selection, led Moravian with eight goals and seven assists for 23 points. Schall was on the All-Conference Second Team a year ago.

Black, also a Landmark All-Conference First Team selection, anchored the defense while serving as an offensive threat after tallying three goals this fall. Black, who earned her fourth All-Conference selection, helped the Greyhounds post seven shutouts thanks to her leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

Alexis Wright earns Lehigh Valley honor

Alexis Wright ’15 was selected as the Pete Nevins Lehigh Valley Small College Women’s Basketball Player of the Year on February 12 in a vote by the media, coaches and sports information directors in attendance at the organization’s final luncheon of the year. Wright is the third Moravian women’s basketball player to earn this honor. Kelly Applegate ’07 and Kate Harrison ’10 won previously.

“She’s one of the most athletic players to come through Moravian,” said head coach Mary Beth Spirk. “She changes the game on the offensive and defensive ends.”

Wright, a forward, had helped Moravian to a 20-6 overall record and an 11-3 Landmark Conference record through the Landmark Conference Tournament. The Greyhounds reached the postseason for the 12th straight year. As of February 25, Wright led the Greyhounds with averages of 16.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game to go with 56 blocked shots, 48 steals and 39 assists. Wright recorded the first 20-20 in school history versus DeSales University on November 20, with 28 points and 20 rebounds. She has already moved to 15th in school history with 517 career rebounds after the Landmark Tournament.

Kirsten Schall ’152012 Landmark Conference Men’s Cross Country Champions

Alexis Wright

pho

to b

y J

D C

avr

iCh

ph

oto

gr

aph

y

pho

to b

y b

ren

t h

ug

o

pho

to b

y b

ren

t h

ug

o


Alumni and student award-winners shineMoravian College’s Twelfth Annual Alumni Awards ceremony, held December 8 in Peter Hall, honored five alumni and three current students for their exceptional achievements and dedication to Moravian. Kelly Rindock ’03, president of the Alumni Association, welcomed everyone and intro-duced President Christopher Thomforde, who gave opening remarks.

Thomforde remarked on the beauty of Peter Hall, and pointed out the gorgeous stained glass windows, saying that the light which often shines through them is related to the College’s motto, Via Lucis, which means the way of light. He said that Mora-vian students “have been like bright shining lights in a confounding world.” Turning to the award recipients seated on the stage, he finished, “Thank you for shining brightly.”

The Alumni Fellows Awards for aca-demic excellence and service to the College and community were presented to three students, Alicia Altemose ’14, Katelyn Cohen ’14, and Michael O’Gorman ’13, by Alyson Remsing ’03. O’Gorman also was presented with an award for his outstand-ing Honors project, which focused on social media and politics.

This year, two Young Alumni Achieve-ment Awards were presented. The first went to Bill Trub ’03, who majored in English, went on to be an English

alumninews TO REACH THE ALUMNI HOUSE: 610 861-1366 OR WWW.MORAVIAN.EDU/ALUMNI

professor, published poet and Peace Corps volunteer, and now teaches at a program for low-income teenagers in Brooklyn.

Scott Williams ’04 received the second award. He was introduced by his wife, Cathleen Lavelle Williams ’05, who said, “Moravian instilled in Scott the desire to learn passionately and live passionately.” In his acceptance remarks, Williams said, “My parents always taught me to fol-low my heart and follow my passion, and Moravian reinforced that for me.”

The 2012 Benigna Education Award was presented to Kathleen Figlear Malu ’73, who has taught in many settings over the years, including Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, expressed gratitude for those who taught her: “The Moravian faculty inspired me, supported me, and helped mold me into the award recipient I am today.”

The Medallion of Merit was presented to Betsey Tait Puth ’51, a graduate of the original Moravian College for Women. Bertie Francis Knisely ’69, who introduced Puth, instructed the audience to “imagine this room without the windows,” and described how the exquisite stained glass windows were covered for 20 years before Puth initiated their restoration. “Peter Hall has always meant so much to me,” said Puth, as she described her memories of vis-its to “the chapel,” as it was known then.

Lastly, the Comenius Alumni Award was presented to David B. Vasily M.D. ’71 for his extensive medical work in the field of dermatology and laser surgeries. Knisely also introduced Vasily. His enthusiasm for Moravian was apparent as he recalled his college days where his classes were “so ex-citing and stimulating that I couldn’t wait to go to my next class!” Vasily then turned to President Thomforde’s initial theme of light. “Light is my world,” he stated as he described his cutting-edge research and development of lasers, and he is thank-ful to have a part of “the light that leaves Moravian with every student.”

—Karen Purkey ’13

Pho

tos

by j

oh

n k

ish

iv

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Alumni Association Awards. To nominate an alumna or alumnus, visit www.moravian.edu/alumni and click on Alumni Recognition. Or call the Alumni Relations office at 610 625-7874 for a paper form. Nominations will be accepted until April 30.

Top: Award recipients and their presenters: Front row: Bill Trub ’03, Joyce Hinnefeld, Katelyn Cohen ’14, Michael O’Gorman ’13, Kathleen Figlear Malu ’73, Helen Churko. Middle row: Bertie Francis Knisely ’69, Betsey Tait Puth ’51, Alicia Altemose ’14 Back row: David Vasily ’71, Cathleen Lavelle Williams ’05, Scott Williams ’04 .

Above: Comenius Alumni Award Recipient David Vasily M.D. ’71 and his wife Ida Vasily.


SAVE THE DATES!fOR DETAILS OR REgISTRATION, CONTACT THE ALUMNI HOUSE: 610 861-1366 OR WWW.MORAVIAN.EDU/ALUMNI.

April 20Alumni Wine Tasting at Vynecrest Vineyard

May 6 Golf Classic

May 8 Celebration for 2013 Comenius Graduates and Alumni

May 11Commencement and Reception for Legacy Graduates

May 17 & 18 Founder's Day and Alumni Weekend

Suzanne Kmet-Diaz ’91, her husband, Bill, and children Victoria and Nicholas enjoy decorating their house.

Need hires

Chris Thomforde stands with Ray and Pam Messerschmidt Pfeiffer ’87 at the home of Woody Grossman ’66 and Beth J. Rivers.

RECEnT HAppEninGSGingerbread house decorating party Dec. 2The Lehigh Valley Alumni Home Club hosted a gingerbread house decorating party on campus. The HUB Pavilion was a festive place while alumni, faculty, students and their families created masterpieces and made memories.

For anyone who loves Led Zeppelin, Get the Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World is a must-read. Just published by Denny Somach ’74, the book contains 28 full-length interviews he did during his years as a Grammy Award-winning inde-pendent producer. As CEO of Denny Somach Produc-tions, he has created syndicated and network radio programming that includes Live from the Hard Rock Café for NBC, and Rolling Stone Magazine’s Continu-

ous History of Rock and Roll for ABC. He also has appeared on numerous TV shows such as Today and Dateline NBC.

“Led Zeppelin is probably the most popular band in the world as far as classic rock goes,” says Somach from his office in Havertown, Pa. “I wrote this book because I had all these great interviews and photos, and decided a book was the best format to share them.” The coffee-table style book also includes a day-by-day chronology with behind-the-scenes details of the band’s ad-ventures and achievements, a discography and samples of tickets and other memorabilia.

Somach double-majored in English and art and worked as a DJ in Allentown while a student and later for WYSP in Philadelphia before starting his production company.

ALUMNIBOOKSHELf

Has your book been published recently? Please share the good news; write [email protected].

Alumni Gathering inTexas January 16Woody Grossman ’66 and Beth Rivers hosted an alumni gathering at their Fort Worth home on January 16. President Thomforde greeted the guests and gave them an update on the College.

Don ’52 and Judy Cohen, Woody Grossman ’66, and Brett Eater ’98

Now it's easier to stay fitMemberships to the Moravian Fitness Center are now available to alumni. This 10,000-square-foot, one-year-old facility provides state-of-the-art equip-ment that makes it easier to stay fit. For more infor-mation about the Fitness Center and how to join, visit www.moraviansports.com and click on Inside Athletics, then Fitness Center, or call 610 861-1313.


classnotes

Class correspondents without e-mail access:

1943 – Margaret L. Albright, 129 N. 11th St., Allentown, PA 18102

1943 – June Bright Reese, 801 N. Wahneta St., Apt. 203, Allentown, PA 18109

1946 – Ada Zellner Flower, 834 Hilltop Road, Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11771

1952 – Mary T. Pongracz, 321 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem, PA 18015

1954 – Helen Desh Woodbridge, 3574 Browning Lane, Bethlehem, PA 18017

1955 – Helen Varady Keyser, 2038 Kemmerer St., Bethlehem, PA 18017

For Comenius Center alumni notes

Dee Lohman; [email protected] or Sherron Quinn; [email protected]

1945Jane Smith Ebelhare; [email protected]

1947Margaret Loveless Browne; [email protected]

1949Norma Boldt Wynne; [email protected]

1952Dr. Frank J. Kessler is a retired

Nazareth physician who has been selected to the Nazareth Blue Eagle Education Foundation Wall of Fame for his dedi-cated service to the Nazareth Area School District. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and maintained a family practice for 30 years.

Martha Marossy Collins is retired and busier than ever, with six children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchil-dren to enjoy. Her love and interest in mu-sic continue to be a major part of her life.

Dolores Pfeffer Wolfe continues to work on the subsistence farm with her son, Jeff, and his wife, Dori.

Evelyn Buss Conover is moving to Virginia to be closer to her daughter Jean, a nurse who helps people with their medical bills.

Jeannette Rhoads Nesbit lives near St. Louis, near one of her six children. Her other children live in California, Colorado, Ohio and Kentucky. She has 11 grand-children. Jeanette had major surgery in March. She continues her love of music and the arts by enjoying all St. Louis has to offer.

Zora Martin Felton could not make the reunion last May as she was on vacation during the reunion activities.

1954Helen Desh Woodbridge has en-

joyed seeing college friends at Moravian alumni luncheons, and Founder's Day events, where Rita Dikon Adams, Sister Millicent Drake, Shirley Beck Dutt, Lois Lutz Geehr and her husband, Fred, and Marian Wagner represented the class in May 2012. Now she is looking forward to Founder's Day on May 17 and Alumni Weekend. Helen continues to sew “Polly Heckewelder” dolls on Tuesday mornings with the ladies’ sewing group at Central Moravian Church where she also meets monthly with one of the women’s groups, Circle 6.

1955Bam McCombs Justice has recently

moved to a retirement home in Sarasota, Fla., and is thrilled to be there.

1956Tom Ortwein has been an avid football

fan for 74 years and still remembers his first football game. He is currently an usher at the University of Notre Dame home games, and considers it a dream come true. He also plays in a softball league in Florida.

1957Pearl Stein; [email protected]

1958Daneen Jones Phelps; [email protected]

1959Kathy Werst Detwiler; [email protected]

Moravian College Magazinepublishes all class notes that we receive. We reserve the right to edit for space or style. Some information may appear only online at www.moravian.edu/classnotes.

All class correspondents with an e-mail address are listed within the notes. Some correspondents without e-mail access are listed below. If your class year is not shown or does not list a named correspondent either here or online, e-mail your information to [email protected] or mail to Pat Hanna, Alumni Relations Office, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018. DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSIONS:June 1 for the summer 2013 issue.October 1 for the fall 2013 issue.

PHOTO POLICY FOR CLASSNOTES:• Please send us your image as a jpg file

at 300 dpi.• We publish one photo per wedding or birth.• We welcome photos of gatherings of alumni

and will publish as many as space permits.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CLASS NOTE SUBMISSIONS, GO TO WWW.MORAVIAN.EDU/CLASSNOTES


1960James Houser; [email protected] Peter French; [email protected]

Lt. Col. Bernard L. Nehring, who lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

A retired chemistry and biology teacher from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario, Col. Nehring was commis-sioned in the Loyal Edmonton Regi-ment (3rd Bn. Princess Patricia’s Ca-nadian Light Infantry), transferred to the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment), served in 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion, and retired as Commanding Officer of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, St. Catharines, Ontario.

He also has received the Canadian Centennial Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, Canadian 125th Anni-versary Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Canadian Forces Decoration.

1961Sam Maczko; [email protected]

1962Merr Trumbore; [email protected] or Emma Demuth Williams; [email protected]

1963Bill Leicht; [email protected]

1964Kathleen Cavanaugh; [email protected]

Dr. Joseph Merola, chief of OB-GYN at St. Luke’s University Hospital, has been selected by the Nazareth Area Blue Eagle Education Foundation as one of its 2012 Wall of Fame honorees. Dr. Merola is also a well-known and respected speaker who has had many professional articles pub-lished during his career.

1965Robert Houser; [email protected]

Darryl Dech, a retired pastor, has become the new director of music at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Temple, Pa.

1966David Berg; [email protected]

1967Kathie Broczkowski Klein; [email protected]

Joy Willow will be performing at the Sonora Bach Festival in the Presbyterian Church of the 49ers in Columbia, Calif. Joy has directed and composed for several church and community choirs and has taught voice privately for 30 years. She is also active in the visual arts and poetry.

1968Jill Stefko; [email protected]

1969Tim Tedesco; [email protected]

Dr. Dave Saltzer has retired from his psychology practice but he will continue to teach courses at Penn State through 2013. Noel DeSousa recently visited and the two men did some serious guitar jamming.

Eric Ruskoski introduced Bill Marsh ’56 as the 2012 recipient of the Robert M. Herbstman Award at Moravian in November. The Herbstman award recog-nizes an alumnus/a whose quality of team-work, leadership and selflessness exemplify

David Mengel ’96 and his wife, Sally, welcomed Lilly Grace on December 8. She is their fourth child after sisters Ashley, Rebecca and Heather. She weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces and was 18.5 inches.

Brian ’02 and Jaime Marks Corvino ’04 welcomed a son, Cameron, on November 30. He weighed 6 lbs., 10 ounces.

Thatcher Joseph Bigley

Births

Emily Kristine Staudt

Cameron Corvino

Suzanne Farina Brett ’99 and her hus-band, Jonathan, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Reagan Kendall, on June 23. Their first child, Patrick Avery, was born October 14, 2010.

Paul Staudt ’90 and his wife, Michelle, became the proud parents of a daugh-ter, Emily Kristine on July 19.

Joseph ’06 and Jaime Hillegass Bigley ’06 welcomed a son, Thatcher Joseph Bigley, on September 18. He was 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 21.5 inches.


classnotes

the spirit of Moravian College athletics. Bill played four years of varsity football (quarterback) and baseball. As team cap-tain in his senior year, Bill’s team lost only one game and narrowly missed playing in the Tangerine Bowl. Bill Marsh was Eric’s high school football coach and introduced Eric to Moravian.

1970Garry Earles is a nationally recognized

trainer, speaker and consultant on child and adolescent mental health conditions and accompanying issues. Over the past ten years, he has presented hundreds of day-long seminars, delivered numerous keynote addresses and consulted with thousands of educators and clinicians to help them understand and appreciate what youth experience when challenged by a mental health condition. He sends special “shout-outs” to classmates Johnny, Spinner, Dinesh, Corky, Beverly, Martha and Lance. He would love for classmates to drop him a line at [email protected]. www.garryearles.com.

1971John Madison; [email protected]

The skin rejuvenation product, Dermachromatic, patented by David Vasily, M.D., was featured on Today in January as part of a segment on 2013 beauty break-throughs. It was also featured in a New York Times article.

1972Terrell McMann; [email protected]

1973Dennis Jones; [email protected] or Priscilla Barres Schueck; [email protected]

1974Cyndee Andreas Grifo; [email protected]

Lisa Hahn Egan ’00 still remembers the moment she knew she wanted to spend her life helping others. At Moravian, the psychology major was a mentor for a

local elementary school student who had Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder on the autism spectrum that affects social skills and behavior. The student tried to make friends by talking at length about her favorite topic, the video game Pokémon. Hahn Egan, who helped the younger student practice interacting with

other children, was inspired by the girl’s desire to learn better social skills.

“She tried so hard to make friends, but due to her limited social skills and her difficulty understanding the nuances of social interactions, she wasn’t accepted by her classmates,”

says Hahn Egan. “She truly inspired me to want to help children with Asperger’s and to try and make the world an easier place for these individuals so they are accepted despite their differences.”

Today Hahn Egan is a clinical neuropsychologist at Neuropsychology Associates of New Jersey, where she evaluates pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients with referral questions that are clinical or forensic in nature. Helping parents discover answers about why their children struggle in school or experience behavioral problems is one of the greatest rewards of her work.

Just like that elementary student, Hahn Egan knows that everyone needs a cheerleader to help them reach their potential. She found her own mentor in Lori Toedter, professor of psychology.

“The one-on-one attention from my Moravian professors was invaluable in guiding me toward my career and for helping me become the person I am today. Dr. Toedter was never judgmental, and was always encouraging,” recalls Hahn Egan, who earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

“She made me feel comfortable and capable of achieving my goal of earning a doctorate in psychology. Without her encouragement and support, I might not have completed my graduate school program.” —Kate Helm '05

Problem solverLisa Hahn Egan ’00, clinical neuropsychologist

<< The one-on-one attention from

professors was invaluable in guiding me

toward my career as well as helping me

become the person I am today. >>


State Rep. Bob Freeman was reappoint-ed committee chair of the House Local Government Committee for the 2013-2014 legislative session. He has served as Democratic chairman of the committee since the 2007-2008 session and directed action on bills that deal with land use plan-ning, development and urban revitalization efforts.

1975Susan Bacci Adams; [email protected]

Bob Gratz and his wife, Nancy, are the proud grandparents of two boys. Jackson Kees was born on July 26 in Los Angeles, to their daughter Jennifer. Connor James Oakley was born on November 21 to their other daughter, Katianne.

Susan Bacci Adams is proud to an-nounce that her daughter, Jacqui, became engaged in October to a fellow Staten

Islander, Charlie Dallaria. They are plan-ning a March 2014 wedding.

1977John Fauerbach; [email protected]

1978Dawn Allen; [email protected]

Caitlin Dean ’12 and Aaron Bach ’10 were married on October 5 at the Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, N.J. Members of the bridal party included alumni Katie Lynn ’12, Caitlin Adolph ’11, Robert Hercik ’11 and current student Madeline Webb ’13. Other alumni in atten-dance include Valerie Mariotti ’09, Kat Dieck Roberts ’07, Emily Starner ’09, Carolyn Latkovich ’12, Jaki Borden ’12, Jillian Pagliei ’10 and Stephen Gross ’11. Current students included Lauren Kowalczyk ’14 and Samantha

Anderson ’13. Dawn Ketterman-Benner, Moravian’s head women’s tennis coach, also attended. Angela Delonti ’06 and Kevin Munley were married July 28 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Archbald, Pa. The reception was held at Genetti Manor. Shaza Toumeh Henshaw ’06 was a bridesmaid. Other Moravian attendees were Jessica Santiago Sallit ’06 and Deanna DiSarro ’06. After a honey-moon in Jamaica, the couple resides in Peckville, Pa.

Amanda deVillers ’09 and Justin McCutcheon were married on September 22. Her bridesmaids in-cluded two Moravian alumnae, Kayda Norman ’09 and Katarina Birle ’09. Amanda is currently working toward her master’s degree at the University of Guam and is employed as a biologi-cal technician at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam.

Ellen Blum ’00 married Matthew Hager on November 3 at St. Agatha and St. James Church in Philadelphia.

Weddings

Caitlan Dean and Aaron Bach

The reception was held at the Inn at Penn on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Rebecca Schreiber Goode ’00, Becky Ziegenfuss Lyons ’99 and Leigh MacDonald Pecoriello served as bridesmaids. Also in at-tendance were Lori Steiner Garvin ’00 and Francis Garvin ’99, Kathy Stiely Frank ’97 and Jud Frank ’94, Nicole George Jahelka ’02 and Amanda Samok Rex ’02. Becky Lyon’s daugh-ter, Sophia Lyons, aged 8, served as one of the flower girls.

Gina Cain ’05 and Casey Galligan ’06, September 15.

Ellen Blum and Matthew Hager


classnotes

1980Molly Donaldson Brown; [email protected]

1981Craig “Kegger” Bartlett; [email protected]

1982Lori Vargo Heffner; [email protected]

David Sommers recently had a show-ing of his art at Fox Optical’s gallery in Bethlehem. Some of his works can be found at his website www.davidsommer-sart.com. David continues to teach and coordinate some of the diversity and multi-cultural programs at Moravian Academy.

1983Karen Skoyles; [email protected]

Connie Challingsworth has been appointed president of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Business Women Networking Involving Charity and Education. Connie is a certified life coach, re-career coach, retirement coach and facilitator of the Too Young to Retire program.

1984Diane Sciabica Mandry; [email protected]

Michael Macy has been named Embassy Bank’s vice president of com-mercial lending for the Lehigh Valley. He has more than 22 years of banking experience. He also serves on the boards of the Nazareth Lions Club, the Easton Children’s Home, the Nazareth Ambulance Corps and the Nazareth YMCA.

1985Lynn Muschlitz LaBarre; [email protected]

1986James and Lynda Farrell Swartz; [email protected]

It’s probably difficult to surprise President Christopher Thomforde

with a gift he has never received, or dreamed of, before. Yet, Scott

Williams ’04, vice president for Men’s Health Network in Washington,

D.C. and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors,

recently did just that.“I wracked my brain to find something that would adequately

express my gratitude, and that of my fellow alumni, for President Thomforde’s service to the College, and I finally hit on this,” he says.

The framed citation, entered into the Congressional Record by Rep. Charlie Dent (R) in late January reads: “House of Repre-sentatives, Honoring the service of Dr. Christopher M. Thomforde, President of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary.” It goes on to list the president’s achievements during his seven-year tenure as Moravian’s 15th president.

Working with Marsha Stiles, director of alumni relations, Julie DelGiorno, President Thomforde’s chief of staff, and the staff in Rep. Dent’s office, Williams was able to successfully meet his goal.

“Originally, I wanted to find a way to honor the president’s efforts, time, compassion, excellence and tireless leadership of the College and in the Bethlehem community,” remembers Williams. “Then I thought of a framed page from the Congressional Record, and it

seemed like the perfect token of appreciation from the D.C. alumni club.”

Even though the Washington alumni event at which Williams had intended to present the resolution to President Thomforde was postponed, he was able to meet with Thomforde for a private dinner, and gave it to him then.

“I really wanted to do it for him,” says Williams. “It was a team effort, and he was completely surprised and grateful.” —Brenda Lange

A surprise tribute says 'thank you!'

Ph

oto

by

br

en

da

La

ng

e


wedding is planned.Angie Yi has joined the Lanap &

Implant Center of Pennsylvania as the director of patient relations. Angie has extensive experience in office and billing management and also in working with patients preparing for surgeries.

1994Todd Burkhardt has recently been pro-

moted to lieutenant colonel in the Army.

1987Diane Hvizdak Taylor; [email protected]

1988Dianne Pelaggi Irr; [email protected]

1989Kerri Selland Pepoy; [email protected]

1990Mary Beth Sierzega Afflerbach; [email protected]

1991Melissa dePamphilis Jarman; [email protected] orChristine A. Palermo-Wallach; [email protected]

1992John S. Nunnemacher; [email protected] orMichael Q. Roth; [email protected]

1993Guy Walton is

pleased to announce his engagement to Michele Confalone. A June 2013

"My work is my mission and passion in life,” says Scott

Williams ’04, vice president of Men’s Health Network in

Washington, D.C.Advocating for men and their families, Williams has spoken about

men’s health issues at policy briefings at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and the Food and Drug Administra-tion, on CNN and MSNBC, and in the New York Times and Washington Post. Recently he served as the U.S. contributor for an international men’s health policy review project for the World Health Organization.

Williams is working to break down traditional barriers, such as the belief that supporting men’s health would mean denying support for other health concerns. He and his colleagues have had great success with targeted outreach initiatives, such as Women against Prostate Cancer, which unites the voices of all family members for men’s health. “I believe we’re making a real impact,” he says.

Williams points to the “real world” experiences gained through Moravian as his first big steps toward the career he loves. “The Washington Semester program — which included two courses at American University, a research project, and internship on Capitol Hill — gave me a real understanding of how the system works,” says Williams, who majored in political science and minored in business.

“Seeing what my professors talked about in class really got my blood boiling. I knew Washington was where I had to be if I were to practice political science.

"Moravian has programs that take you out of your comfort zone. You have opportunities to learn outside the classroom, to see how thing works on the national and world stage. Without the tools I got from Moravian, I don’t think I could do what I do today.” —Kate Helm ’05

A View of the world stageScott Williams ’04, vice president, Men's Health Network

<< Moravian has programs that take

you out of your comfort zone. You

have opportunities to learn outside the

classroom, to see how thing works on the

national and world stage. >>


classnotes

He was a distinguished military graduate of Lehigh University’s ROTC program, and has served in the Army for 20 years in a multitude of assignments as an infantry officer. He earned his master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and is currently working on his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Tennessee. Upon completion, he will return to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., to teach philosophy.

1996Deb Yuengling Ferhat; [email protected]

1997Tiffany Shenman; [email protected]

Tiffany Shenman lives in Hoboken, N.J., where she been a realtor with Prudential Castle Point Realty for 12 years. She also works at the Guttenberg School District as a teacher for students with autism. After a whirlwind year of recover-ing from losing her Hoboken home in a fire earlier in the year, things have certainly turned around for her and she ended 2012 by getting engaged to Fred Volze on their 5-year anniversary on December 8. They will be married on May 26 in Hoboken.

1998Jennie Coughlin Joshi; [email protected]

1999Christina Fulton; [email protected]

Karyn Talarico has worked for BB&T Bank in Florida since 2008 as a private advisor team director for the Gulf Coast Region with BB&T Wealth. She has recent-ly been promoted to senior vice president.

Kristen Romano Gardiner is a finan-cial advisor for Morgan Stanley. She and her partner at Morgan Stanley recently hosted a seminar at the Hanover Township Community Center titled Make Money During This One Day Flat Next Day Volatile Market.

2000Faithann Cheslock Barron; [email protected] or Lisa Hahn Egan; [email protected]

Frank Bruno and his nephew wrote a Christmas book which was published in November, titled Paranormal Santa. Visit [email protected] for more information or to place an order.

Donnie Hawk was recently appointed as the new head coach for Bangor High School football team, his alma mater, after coaching and teaching for 13 years at Pen Argyl.

2001Courtney Parrella; sunshine92779msn.com

In May 2012 Elicia Stein published a fiction novel titled The PTA Man, under her pen name Elise Stein. The book is available on Amazon as a paperback or ebook. She has an author page on Amazon and also an author website www.elisestein.wordpress.com. Elicia has a doctorate in clinical psychology and works for the gov-ernment as a clinical psychologist.

2002Brienne Wilson Rodriguez; [email protected]

Suzanne O’Connor recently got en-gaged to Richard Hahl. A fall 2013 wed-ding is planned.

2003Regina Lacombe Laine; [email protected]

2004Jessica Naugle; [email protected]

2005Regina LaCaruba; [email protected]

2006Lauren Bahnatka Bachner; [email protected]

Bryan Wolf was recently named Nazareth Area High School’s new baseball coach. Brian also teaches fifth grade lan-guage arts and social studies at Nazareth Area Intermediate School.

2007Laura Sahlender Boyer; [email protected]

Marissa Sharon is now working as a pastry chef at Doma in Beverly Hills, Calif. The restaurant opened at the end of October to rave reviews and is quickly becoming a neighborhood favorite.

Marissa Iezzi is a music teacher at Roberto Clemente Charter School in Allentown. Her students sang at the National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., on January 19 as part of the festivities leading up to the inaugura-tion of President Obama. Marissa and her students all had tickets to watch Obama’s ceremonial swearing-in.

2008Janelle Pham [email protected]

Alexandra Turrel and Christopher Zucchero are engaged. A summer 2013 wedding is planned. Alexandra is currently pursuing her Master of Education degree with reading specialist certification at Cabrini College. She teaches first grade in the Central Bucks (Pa.) School District.

Rebecca Angstadt Roche is a cost accountant for A & H Sportswear. In December she received the Hidden Treasures Award for her efforts with the implementation of their new Blue Cherry inventory management system.

Jasmin Maurer has served as the executive assistant for the Peace Economy Project (PEP) in Missouri, for the past year. She was recently selected to be the organi-zation’s new executive director.


Raised in Keyport, N.J., the youngest of three, Kurt Poling ’89 was the first in his family to attend college. Naturally, he didn’t really

know about Moravian College, but as a standout football player in high school, Moravian knew about him.

“Charlie Heidecker ’74 (a member of the Greyhounds 1970 championship football team and a track coach) would call my house, and he talked to my mom so many times, telling her he just wanted me to visit Moravian,” remembers Poling. “And she made me visit because she had promised Charlie that I would!”

Poling had visited Juniata College and liked it, but fell in love with Moravian on his first visit. “When I stepped on campus and met Doug Pollard, a football and track coach, and Jimmy Joseph ’86, who took me on my first tour, I knew this was the place for me,” Poling says.

That knowledge grew with his years here, playing football for four years, and studying first to be a teacher and coach, then changing his major to business and French, and finally to graduating with a degree in management. After taking a class in investment banking during January Term (which was required for two years then) with James Ravelle, professor in the economics and business department, Poling knew he was headed for the world of business.

“The six-week course was a total immersion into what Wall Street was all about,” says Poling. “I had also taken business law with Dr. Ravelle, and I began to learn about economics and capitalism, and just the way he looked at things influenced me to switch my major.”

As intense as Poling’s work in the business classroom and on the football field were, he values the liberal arts classes he also was exposed to, including what he learned in his second January Term in junior year about the earth, music and religion. He also learned the value of Moravian’s small class sizes.

“Although the campus is intimate and quaint, it is also very intense,” he explains. “You cannot hide in the classroom at Moravian. At some large schools, you get your grades posted on the wall, listed by Social Security number. But at Moravian, the professor will know who you are and what you’re capable of achieving — even what you’re thinking.

“You have to develop the ability to have input in that classroom. And I challenge any-one to find someone with a Moravian degree who isn’t able to think more critically because of their education at Moravian and add something of value to the business they’re involved with.

“Put athletics on top of that, with the additional demands, and you have a person who has been tested and tried before entering the real world,” he says.

For Poling, the real world, in some respects, has been an exten-sion of his Moravian experience, as he has stayed active with the Alumni Association, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 and is vice president of the Blue & Grey Club.

“I developed a confidence that there was nothing I couldn’t do or achieve,” he says. The toughness of football training, the mental challenges of the classroom, and the supportive people of Moravian all combined to instill in Poling the understanding of commitment, hard work, sacrifice and team dynamics.

“There is an interconnedtedness and family feeling at Moravian,” he says. “Everywhere you turn, there’s so much pride in being a Hound. There’s an affinity between us all, a bond between alumni. It’s a people place and we have very good people at Moravian who help make the difference in who you are in the future.” —Brenda Lange

Moravian found himKurt J. Poling ’89, first vice president, investments, Wells Fargo Advisors

<< I challenge anyone to find someone with a

Moravian degree who is not able to think more

critically because of their education at Moravian. >>


classnotes

2009Cassidy Thomas; [email protected]

Marc Braxmeier and Maria DeBonis recently got engaged and are planning a July 2013 wedding. Marc works at Lutron Electronics in Coopersburg, Pa., and Maria teaches math for the Bethlehem Area School District.

Anthony Giovanni Jr. graduated from East Stroudsburg University in May 2012 with a master’s degree in management and leadership of public administration.

Bob Kadel is pleased to announce his engagement to Megan Ritchey ’08. A November 2013 wedding is planned.

Perry Freifeld is an account execu-tive for Verrex for the metropolitan New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. Perry will deliver Verrex’s full range of AV systems solutions to the corporate market as well as manage and develop several of Verrex’s largest clients and projects.

Mark Maglione has been awarded Teacher of the Year at Lillian Drive Elementary School in Hazlet, N.J. He cred-its his success to the outstanding professors he had at Moravian and the impact they had on his life.

Sheri Bieniek is engaged to Steve Rockhill. An October 2013 wedding is planned.

2010Kelly Schneider; [email protected]

Christopher Morrison has been hired as one of the newest members of the Manville, N.J., police force after being a dispatcher for two and a half years.

2011Rachel Kleiner; [email protected]

Jessica Mitchell recently accepted the position of orchestra director for Lebanon Middle and High schools in Lebanon, Pa.

Donna Henn Parra, MBA has been promoted to materials manager, pur-chased finished goods at Victaulic. She is responsible for the Regional Distribution Center (RDC) and branch inventories of purchased finished goods. In addition to

ensuring availability and inventory per-formance of these items, Donna will help lead improvement of processes, metrics, and cross-functional development of best practices and standard work, which will drive long-term materials management improvements.

Donna joined Victaulic as a buyer/planner II in January 2012. Previously, she held purchasing positions at Ingersoll Rand and Lehigh Consumer Products. Donna is also an American Production and Inventory Management (APICS) certified supply chain professional (CSCP) and is currently working towards her APICS production and inventory management certification (CPIM).

2012Ali Zucal; [email protected]

Armando Chapelliquen has been working with the New York Public Interest Research Group as the project coordinator at Bronx Community College since August 2012.

Emily Cohen and Brittany Garzillo ’13 received a College Production Award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) during the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards ceremonies on September 22 at the Sheraton Society Hill in Philadelphia.

Emily was the executive producer, editor and director of photography on a documentary produced last spring titled Three Students, Three Expressions of Art. Brittany was the writer, reporter and producer. They received the College Production Award in the category of “Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs” for the documentary, which focused on Moravian’s art department and detailed how three exceptional students followed their passions for the arts and used art to express themselves and illustrate who they are. They were part of the inaugural semester of PBS39 College Production U, a 15-week session in which television professionals from PBS39 partnered with Moravian College to produce this docu-mentary.

Kevin Kirsche has accepted a position at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia working as a graphic designer.

Elizabeth Wagner Chase ’38 – October 8

Hilma Louise Stirk Myers ’40 – November 27

Nelson Newhard Jr. ’40 – December 20

Ruth Hemmerly Kelly ’41 – October 16

Doris Roemer Pardee ’41 – October 30

Barbara Ellen Uhrig ’41 – November 13

Frank Senn ’42 – December 26

Lucille Shaffer Wenck ’44 – October 20

Margery Stroman Kocher ’46 – January 2

Doris Kutz Close Raleigh ’46 – November 23

George Kirkpatrick ’47 – November 17

Samuel Pellegrino ’48 – December 6

Harold Allen ’49 – January 1

Lois Rabenold Kimble ’49 – January 22

Jeanne Caffey Dumont ’50 – June 2

Richard E. Brown ’51 – December 28

Verna Lunglhofer Cowin ’52 – January 3

F. Barry Stipp ’52 – May 13

Elizabeth Kuss Erney ’54 – November 30

Mary Jeane Moser Romer ’54 – January 6

Donald Wallace Cunfer ’57 – October 21

Donald Seyfried ’57 – December 12, 2012

Richard J. Berner ’58 – November 28

Dolores Dumer Sopko ’58 – October 5

Peter Gill ’63 – October 21

Sally Deysher Reimer ’63 – January 4

Judy Freeman SantaMaria ’63 – October 12

Edward Weinhofer ’64 – January 7

Emery Francis Herczeg III ’72 – August 7

Douglas William McFarland ’73 –

November 6

Glenn Kleintop ’77 – December 13

Samuel Lawrence Jr. ’77 – December 27

William H. Fowler III ’85 – January 27

Christopher Cambiotti ’94 – October 20

In Memoriam

Gabrielle is just one of Moravian’s students who is learning and growing, thanks in part to the generosity of someone like you.

Be a part of the 10% Initiative and help Moravian meet the challenge of providing an affordable education to deserving students like Gabrielle. Every gift, every year truly makes a difference.

Support scholarships at Moravian.To establish an endowed scholarship or for any scholarship information,

contact Patricia Price, director of planned giving, at 610 625-7915 or [email protected].

The 10% InitiativeCAN make a difference

It’s simple.Increase last year’s giving by 10 percent … increase the number of overall donors by 10 percent … and continue to help more students like chemistry major, Gabrielle Sommer ’14, whose research will someday make a difference.

Take the 10% Initiative challenge, and help a Moravian student change the world.

Make a Difference Today.

Visit www.moravian.edu/giving or call 800.429.9437 or 610.861.1336

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDLehigh Valley, Pa.

Permit No. 521

1200 Main StreetBethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018

moravian collegeMoravian.edu

THE MORAVIAN EFFECT

Laura Kellers Queen ’96 is one of thousands of Moravian alumni who followed the passions they discovered at Moravian and today are leaders in their field.

Laura Kellers Queen ’96

Human Resources and Administration Executive

moravian college magazine spring 2013

Documents

moravian students

moravian community

life moravian alumni

priscilla payne hurd

moravian family connection

finch college

moravian effect laura

assistant director