1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

Alumnaessay
And the Emmy goes to…
Katharin Czink ’91,
medical producer at
WGN News in Chicago,
interviews a source for
a medical story (photo
courtesy of Northwestern
Memorial Hospital).
Not only does Katharin Czink ’91 love her job, she’s pretty good at it.
Czink has earned two coveted Emmy Awards for medical segments she
produced at WGN News in Chicago, one of the largest and most competitive television markets in the country. “I work closely with the
medical reporter to put these stories together,” Czink says, “but as the
producer, I’m responsible for the bulk of the research, interviews and
field work. It’s a great gig.”
Each day I have the opportunity to continue learning —
about medicine and research and life and death.
“The Heart Goes On” 2003 Emmy Award winner
Just before Christmas, a drunk driver kills Anthony, a vibrant, athletic and giving 18-year-old. His mother, Elisa, donates many of her
son’s organs. But for months after Anthony’s death, Elisa is haunted by not knowing who received her son’s heart. After
seeing WGN’s story on the progress of a heart
The perfect blend
of writing and science
by Katharin Czink ’91
I came to Augustana in 1987 knowing I would major in English and go on to be a journalist. Over the course of four years that conviction did not
change except during a brief and misguided period when I fantasized about
law school. So I went about my business,
filling fall, winter and spring terms with
the appropriate credits — Modern Fiction,
Shakespeare and as many writing tutorials and journalism courses as I could
squeeze into my schedule. Then, during
my junior year, I discovered an entirely
new world (and building) — science.
That’s when I began combining
Parkander’s Chaucer with Tallitsch’s
Human Anatomy and Tweet’s TwentiethCentury Literature with Turnquist’s
Principles of Physiology. Certainly I
wasn’t organic chem-worthy or even 400-level biology material like my premed friends, but basic science had struck
a chord with me. And at the time I had
absolutely no idea that the coursework
would become so valuable.
30 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Fast forward several years later. Today
my work is a reflection of my undergrad
combination, but not by design. In no
way did I ever imagine writing and science could blend together so well and
unearth an interest I didn’t even know I possessed. I truly credit my professors at Augie. I believe the combination of
English and science fostered my love of
writing about medicine. From my first job after graduation to my work today as medical producer at WGN News in
Chicago, science has become my beat.
One of the best perks of my work is the access. I have access to medical institutions, laboratories, surgeons and
scientists — people I find completely fascinating. My job is to interview them and
learn about the research they are conducting or the latest techniques they are using in the operating room. Then I write about their work and help put
their stories on television each night.
My job has led me to places and people I’ve never imagined. I’ve traveled
to a remote village in Alaska where I
spent three days with teen-age paramedics, 14- and 15-year-old girls who fight
fires and deliver medical care in a tiny
town with no doctor. I’ve interviewed
Iraqi physicians who came to Chicago to learn reconstructive surgery techniques
so they could return home and mend
patients severely injured from the war.
I’ve visited the laboratory where the very
first embryonic stem cells were isolated.
There I interviewed scientists who are
implanting newly formed neural cells
into the brains of primates bred with
Parkinson’s disease.
I’ve covered internet-fueled drug
abuse, spinal cord injury (in dogs!) and pediatric skin cancer. And then there are the patients who have allowed
our cameras to capture their most private
moments — at their bedsides before they
are wheeled into heart surgery or in the
labor-and-delivery room during childbirth. To be a part of it all is such an
honor.
I wish I could say I meticulously plotted my career path. But the truth is
I’m just lucky. Each day I get to do something I love and that I find fascinating.
Each day I have the opportunity to continue learning — about medicine and
research and life and death. And now
that I think about it, maybe that’s the
best part of the job.
transplant patient named Brian, her intuition tells her this young man is the one.
“Elisa calls us and we put her in touch with
the regional organ bank,” Czink says. “It
turns out she is right.” Weeks later with the
help of WGN, the two meet each other.
Czink’s crew captures the emotional visit on camera.
To this day Elisa and Brian remain close friends. “The
story turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime situation, and
hopefully we were able to raise awareness of organ donation as well,” Czink adds.
“Addicted.com” 2004 Emmy Award winner
How easy, and how safe, is it to buy strong, addictive medications on the Web? With her mother’s credit card and her permission, a 12-year-old girl is asked to buy Vicodin, Valium and
Darvon over the internet. Even without a prescription, her order is
filled with no questions. “Websites promise online doctors will fill
your prescription, but in many cases the drugs are coming from overseas and the medication may not be what you bargained for,” Czink
explains. The series also showed how U.S. Customs agents screen tiny
packages believed to be narcotics coming into the country.
“The DEA is trying to fight the internet drug war,
but officials admit the vast ring of dealers on the
Web are eluding authorities,” Czink says.
31
Alumnaessay
And the Emmy goes to…
Katharin Czink ’91,
medical producer at
WGN News in Chicago,
interviews a source for
a medical story (photo
courtesy of Northwestern
Memorial Hospital).
Not only does Katharin Czink ’91 love her job, she’s pretty good at it.
Czink has earned two coveted Emmy Awards for medical segments she
produced at WGN News in Chicago, one of the largest and most competitive television markets in the country. “I work closely with the
medical reporter to put these stories together,” Czink says, “but as the
producer, I’m responsible for the bulk of the research, interviews and
field work. It’s a great gig.”
Each day I have the opportunity to continue learning —
about medicine and research and life and death.
“The Heart Goes On” 2003 Emmy Award winner
Just before Christmas, a drunk driver kills Anthony, a vibrant, athletic and giving 18-year-old. His mother, Elisa, donates many of her
son’s organs. But for months after Anthony’s death, Elisa is haunted by not knowing who received her son’s heart. After
seeing WGN’s story on the progress of a heart
The perfect blend
of writing and science
by Katharin Czink ’91
I came to Augustana in 1987 knowing I would major in English and go on to be a journalist. Over the course of four years that conviction did not
change except during a brief and misguided period when I fantasized about
law school. So I went about my business,
filling fall, winter and spring terms with
the appropriate credits — Modern Fiction,
Shakespeare and as many writing tutorials and journalism courses as I could
squeeze into my schedule. Then, during
my junior year, I discovered an entirely
new world (and building) — science.
That’s when I began combining
Parkander’s Chaucer with Tallitsch’s
Human Anatomy and Tweet’s TwentiethCentury Literature with Turnquist’s
Principles of Physiology. Certainly I
wasn’t organic chem-worthy or even 400-level biology material like my premed friends, but basic science had struck
a chord with me. And at the time I had
absolutely no idea that the coursework
would become so valuable.
30 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Fast forward several years later. Today
my work is a reflection of my undergrad
combination, but not by design. In no
way did I ever imagine writing and science could blend together so well and
unearth an interest I didn’t even know I possessed. I truly credit my professors at Augie. I believe the combination of
English and science fostered my love of
writing about medicine. From my first job after graduation to my work today as medical producer at WGN News in
Chicago, science has become my beat.
One of the best perks of my work is the access. I have access to medical institutions, laboratories, surgeons and
scientists — people I find completely fascinating. My job is to interview them and
learn about the research they are conducting or the latest techniques they are using in the operating room. Then I write about their work and help put
their stories on television each night.
My job has led me to places and people I’ve never imagined. I’ve traveled
to a remote village in Alaska where I
spent three days with teen-age paramedics, 14- and 15-year-old girls who fight
fires and deliver medical care in a tiny
town with no doctor. I’ve interviewed
Iraqi physicians who came to Chicago to learn reconstructive surgery techniques
so they could return home and mend
patients severely injured from the war.
I’ve visited the laboratory where the very
first embryonic stem cells were isolated.
There I interviewed scientists who are
implanting newly formed neural cells
into the brains of primates bred with
Parkinson’s disease.
I’ve covered internet-fueled drug
abuse, spinal cord injury (in dogs!) and pediatric skin cancer. And then there are the patients who have allowed
our cameras to capture their most private
moments — at their bedsides before they
are wheeled into heart surgery or in the
labor-and-delivery room during childbirth. To be a part of it all is such an
honor.
I wish I could say I meticulously plotted my career path. But the truth is
I’m just lucky. Each day I get to do something I love and that I find fascinating.
Each day I have the opportunity to continue learning — about medicine and
research and life and death. And now
that I think about it, maybe that’s the
best part of the job.
transplant patient named Brian, her intuition tells her this young man is the one.
“Elisa calls us and we put her in touch with
the regional organ bank,” Czink says. “It
turns out she is right.” Weeks later with the
help of WGN, the two meet each other.
Czink’s crew captures the emotional visit on camera.
To this day Elisa and Brian remain close friends. “The
story turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime situation, and
hopefully we were able to raise awareness of organ donation as well,” Czink adds.
“Addicted.com” 2004 Emmy Award winner
How easy, and how safe, is it to buy strong, addictive medications on the Web? With her mother’s credit card and her permission, a 12-year-old girl is asked to buy Vicodin, Valium and
Darvon over the internet. Even without a prescription, her order is
filled with no questions. “Websites promise online doctors will fill
your prescription, but in many cases the drugs are coming from overseas and the medication may not be what you bargained for,” Czink
explains. The series also showed how U.S. Customs agents screen tiny
packages believed to be narcotics coming into the country.
“The DEA is trying to fight the internet drug war,
but officials admit the vast ring of dealers on the
Web are eluding authorities,” Czink says.
31
Alumniupdate
Billie Lee is chairman of the board of directors for the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program.
Judy Schadt Belan is the author of East
Moline: A Centennial History 1903-2003.
1945
1959
Art Puotinen has been installed as pastor of
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Elgin, Ill.
David Rhea has retired from Bakersfield
(Calif.) Community College.
1965
1960
Bruce Brunsvold is chief financial officer of
Idea International, Anchorage, Alaska.
Philip Johnson is a consulting geophysicist in
New Orleans, La.
1966
1961
Nancy Seiler Bartels is senior editor at Reed
Business Information, Oak Brook, Ill.
(received as of June 30, 2005)
1950
Ralph Brodd served as co-chair of the second
International Conference on Polymer Batteries
and Fuel Cells in Las Vegas, Nev.
1964
George Olson’s novel, Sexual Divide, A
Journey of Hope to Bridge the Chasm, has
been published.
Class Notes
1958
%$°
7*3(*/
*4-"/%4°
Ray Jacobson has been inducted into the
Illinois High School Football Coaches’ Hall of
Fame. He spent 24 years in football at Bowen,
Steinmetz and Lake View high schools.
1954
Viking territory
Ever wonder where Augustana Vikings land after graduation? Not surprisingly, most alumni do not wander far with 52 percent claiming an Illinois address. The state of Iowa comes in at No. 2, albeit a quite
distant second place at 7.6 percent. The upper Midwest, namely Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan,
attracts its fair share of graduates, but obviously many of our alumni also feel right at home in warmer
locales. California, Florida, Texas and Arizona harbor a significant share of Vikings within their borders.
(The 10 states with the most alumni are shaded in blue.) There isn’t a state without a single graduate, but it
might take a little time to find fellow alumni in such places as West Virginia and New England. Too much
snow, perhaps. Of the nearly 200 alumni living outside the States, the majority have settled in Sweden (29)
and Canada (24). Curious about fellow graduates in your corner of the world? Call the Alumni Office at
(800) 798-8100 x7202 to begin your search.
source Augustana’s current database of 17,576 alumni
Harriet Smith Olson has been named outstanding philanthropist by the Quad Cities
chapter of the Association of Fund Raising
Professionals.
1956
Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa,
honored R. Keith Allen, emeritus professor
of theater and speech, by naming part of the
new DeWitt Theatre Arts Center the R. Keith
Allen Black Box Theatre.
James Johannsen is a multimedia technician
at Brevard Community College, Melbourne,
Fla.
1962
John Califf has been appointed development
director of the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod.
He recently traveled to Arusha, Tanzania, with
a delegation from the Synod.
Rod Joslin is chief executive officer of alseT
Capital, LLC, Chicago.
1967
John Beacon is provost and vice president
of academic affairs at Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo.
Charles Kurth is working for the Moline (Ill.)
Gospel Temple.
Karl Espelie, professor of entomology at the
University of Georgia, received the outstanding advising certificate of merit from the
National Academic Advising Association.
1963
Paul Holmer is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Clinton, Iowa.
Carol Stoj Tempel is a learning specialist for
the Charleston County (S.C.) School District.
Marcia Koffron Mackenbrock’s book,
Postmark Naperville, An A-Z History, has
been published.
Markki Nelson is a teacher for American
Educare, Chicago.
John Puotinen has been appointed senior
vice president for advancement at the
University of Dubuque (Iowa).
1968
John Bell was the 2004 recipient of the E.B.
Burwell, Jr. Award of the engineering division
of the Geological Society of America. He was
also elected as a fellow in the Society.
Raymond Kleinhaus is outreach coordinator
for Carroll County Senior Services, Savanna,
Ill.
1969
Larry Johnson is a technology consultant at
Tetagers End, Clearwater, Fla.
Craig Kuriger has written a book, Organizational Change: Case Studies in the Real
World.
Dan Reynolds, a sales executive for Xerox
Corp., has been granted a year-long leave
to assist Prevent Child Abuse Illinois with
resource development. He is president of the
Moline Public Library.
Roger Thomas has been named the commissioner of the North Central Conference,
which comprises seven institutions in four
states. He also serves on the NCAA Division II
Management Council.
President George W. Bush appointed David
Fleming as a trustee of the James Madison
Foundation, Washington, D.C.
1957
Glenn Bergmark retired after almost 40
years as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church,
Lemont, Ill. He has also served the community through the Lemont Christian Clergy
Association, the Fire Protection Commission,
the Fire Department (chaplain) and the public
schools (volunteer music teacher).
Andrew Prinz received the prestigious
Founders Medal from Elmhurst (Ill.) College,
where he has been a faculty member since
1969.
Capturing the prairie’s wonder
A 1958 Augustana graduate continues to draw attention to the vanishing
American prairie. The University of Iowa Press has published two decades of
George Olson’s drawings and watercolors in the book The Elemental Prairie:
Sixty Tallgrass Plants. The book, which also features “The Running Country,”
an essay by John Madsen, presents 60 images of tallgrass plants, from the
familiar purple coneflower to the less common rattlesnake master. “George
Olson and John Madsen are the artist laureate and poet laureate of the prairie,” says Robert McCracken Peck, senior fellow and librarian, Academy
of Natural Sciences. “They capture its beauty, complexity and magic in
ways that allow us to really see and feel and understand this uniquely
American habitat and all that it represents.”
Don Sundquist is a consultant with Sundquist
Anthony LLC, Washington, D.C.
32 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
33
Alumniupdate
Billie Lee is chairman of the board of directors for the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program.
Judy Schadt Belan is the author of East
Moline: A Centennial History 1903-2003.
1945
1959
Art Puotinen has been installed as pastor of
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Elgin, Ill.
David Rhea has retired from Bakersfield
(Calif.) Community College.
1965
1960
Bruce Brunsvold is chief financial officer of
Idea International, Anchorage, Alaska.
Philip Johnson is a consulting geophysicist in
New Orleans, La.
1966
1961
Nancy Seiler Bartels is senior editor at Reed
Business Information, Oak Brook, Ill.
(received as of June 30, 2005)
1950
Ralph Brodd served as co-chair of the second
International Conference on Polymer Batteries
and Fuel Cells in Las Vegas, Nev.
1964
George Olson’s novel, Sexual Divide, A
Journey of Hope to Bridge the Chasm, has
been published.
Class Notes
1958
%$°
7*3(*/
*4-"/%4°
Ray Jacobson has been inducted into the
Illinois High School Football Coaches’ Hall of
Fame. He spent 24 years in football at Bowen,
Steinmetz and Lake View high schools.
1954
Viking territory
Ever wonder where Augustana Vikings land after graduation? Not surprisingly, most alumni do not wander far with 52 percent claiming an Illinois address. The state of Iowa comes in at No. 2, albeit a quite
distant second place at 7.6 percent. The upper Midwest, namely Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan,
attracts its fair share of graduates, but obviously many of our alumni also feel right at home in warmer
locales. California, Florida, Texas and Arizona harbor a significant share of Vikings within their borders.
(The 10 states with the most alumni are shaded in blue.) There isn’t a state without a single graduate, but it
might take a little time to find fellow alumni in such places as West Virginia and New England. Too much
snow, perhaps. Of the nearly 200 alumni living outside the States, the majority have settled in Sweden (29)
and Canada (24). Curious about fellow graduates in your corner of the world? Call the Alumni Office at
(800) 798-8100 x7202 to begin your search.
source Augustana’s current database of 17,576 alumni
Harriet Smith Olson has been named outstanding philanthropist by the Quad Cities
chapter of the Association of Fund Raising
Professionals.
1956
Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa,
honored R. Keith Allen, emeritus professor
of theater and speech, by naming part of the
new DeWitt Theatre Arts Center the R. Keith
Allen Black Box Theatre.
James Johannsen is a multimedia technician
at Brevard Community College, Melbourne,
Fla.
1962
John Califf has been appointed development
director of the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod.
He recently traveled to Arusha, Tanzania, with
a delegation from the Synod.
Rod Joslin is chief executive officer of alseT
Capital, LLC, Chicago.
1967
John Beacon is provost and vice president
of academic affairs at Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo.
Charles Kurth is working for the Moline (Ill.)
Gospel Temple.
Karl Espelie, professor of entomology at the
University of Georgia, received the outstanding advising certificate of merit from the
National Academic Advising Association.
1963
Paul Holmer is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Clinton, Iowa.
Carol Stoj Tempel is a learning specialist for
the Charleston County (S.C.) School District.
Marcia Koffron Mackenbrock’s book,
Postmark Naperville, An A-Z History, has
been published.
Markki Nelson is a teacher for American
Educare, Chicago.
John Puotinen has been appointed senior
vice president for advancement at the
University of Dubuque (Iowa).
1968
John Bell was the 2004 recipient of the E.B.
Burwell, Jr. Award of the engineering division
of the Geological Society of America. He was
also elected as a fellow in the Society.
Raymond Kleinhaus is outreach coordinator
for Carroll County Senior Services, Savanna,
Ill.
1969
Larry Johnson is a technology consultant at
Tetagers End, Clearwater, Fla.
Craig Kuriger has written a book, Organizational Change: Case Studies in the Real
World.
Dan Reynolds, a sales executive for Xerox
Corp., has been granted a year-long leave
to assist Prevent Child Abuse Illinois with
resource development. He is president of the
Moline Public Library.
Roger Thomas has been named the commissioner of the North Central Conference,
which comprises seven institutions in four
states. He also serves on the NCAA Division II
Management Council.
President George W. Bush appointed David
Fleming as a trustee of the James Madison
Foundation, Washington, D.C.
1957
Glenn Bergmark retired after almost 40
years as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church,
Lemont, Ill. He has also served the community through the Lemont Christian Clergy
Association, the Fire Protection Commission,
the Fire Department (chaplain) and the public
schools (volunteer music teacher).
Andrew Prinz received the prestigious
Founders Medal from Elmhurst (Ill.) College,
where he has been a faculty member since
1969.
Capturing the prairie’s wonder
A 1958 Augustana graduate continues to draw attention to the vanishing
American prairie. The University of Iowa Press has published two decades of
George Olson’s drawings and watercolors in the book The Elemental Prairie:
Sixty Tallgrass Plants. The book, which also features “The Running Country,”
an essay by John Madsen, presents 60 images of tallgrass plants, from the
familiar purple coneflower to the less common rattlesnake master. “George
Olson and John Madsen are the artist laureate and poet laureate of the prairie,” says Robert McCracken Peck, senior fellow and librarian, Academy
of Natural Sciences. “They capture its beauty, complexity and magic in
ways that allow us to really see and feel and understand this uniquely
American habitat and all that it represents.”
Don Sundquist is a consultant with Sundquist
Anthony LLC, Washington, D.C.
32 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
33
1970
1975
Janet Heick Burch is president of the Central
Iowa Chapter of the Society for Human
Resource Management.
Paul Bloom is a firefighter with the City of
Madison (Wis.) Fire Department.
Judy Swanson Lounsberry is office administrator for Denver (Colo.) Urban Ministries.
Jan Bowman ’62
‘What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy’
Dr. Dorothy Parkander —first person to be appointed to the first fully endowed
academic chair in the history of the college, first woman to have an academic
chair named after her when her former students raised the money to do so —
pause for breath — celebrated her 80th birthday last March.
Parkander, a member of the Class of 1946, taught in Augustana’s English
Department from 1947 to 1996. Close to 150 former students and Augustana
associates sent birthday wishes to her,
including Dr. Jan Bowman ’62, who even
What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy
wrote a poem to celebrate Parkander’s birthday. Bowman is professor emerita of English
if I could
at California Lutheran University.
is that she made me sit up
and pay attention, stretch
my spine and open my mind
as if I were riding on the crest
of an extended simile, battered
by allusions and ideas I rarely
understood but determined
to hang on until washed ashore
by wave upon wave of words
meted out like lifesaving veils
and rugged rafts to a traveler
who in that damp Old Main
classroom began to witness
a rosy-fingered dawn unlike any
either she—or Homer—had ever seen.
Jan Bowman ’62
“I’m honored and grateful, and very proud of Jan’s achievements,” Parkander says.
A few months after Parkander’s birthday,
Bowman visited campus to read from her new collection of poetry entitled Carved Like
Runes. Karen Herseth Wee wrote the book’s
foreword, so it was only fitting that her
daughter, Rebecca Wee, former Quad Cities
Poet Laureate and an assistant professor of
English at Augustana, introduce Bowman.
At the reading, Bowman asked the audience’s permission to read a poem not
included in her newly published book. Much
to the delight of those gathered at the library,
Bowman read the piece she wrote for her former professor entitled “What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy.” The allusions are to The
Odyssey, which Parkander taught with great
love and success for many years.
1971
Roland Filippi has been named regional
general counsel (western hemisphere) for
BP, PLC.
James Bailor is a judge for the State of
Virginia.
Marguerite Dybicz Folkers is assistant manager at Tweeter, Naperville, Ill.
Connie Edlefson Frankenfeld serves on
the Continuing Professional Development
Advisory Group for the Graduate School
of Library and Information Science at the
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Recently, at the request of the Library of
Congress, she served on the National Digital
Information Infrastructure and Preservation
Program Advisory Committee.
Michael Weindruch is vice president of sales
and marketing for The Swing of the Quad
Cities baseball team.
David Livingston, with pianist Gregory
Theisen, released a new CD entitled Water
of Life.
Former Missouri Governor Bob Holden
reappointed Karl Zobrist in 2004 to another
four-year term on the Kansas City (Mo.) Board
of Police Commissioners.
1972
Wayne Miller, senior pastor of St. Mark’s
Lutheran Church, Aurora, Ill., is teaching
Christianity at Aurora University.
1973
David Carlson directs the International Polar
Year from an office at the British Antarctic
Survey in Cambridge, England.
Mark Johnson is senior chemist at Sun
Chemical, Goose Creek, S.C.
Judy Brana Neergaard, accupressurist and
holistic practitioner, owns Creative Balance
Accupressure and Holistic Massage, Maple
Grove, Minn.
William Szydlowski is a Vernon Sales
Promotion sales executive in the Tampa Bay,
Fla., area.
Willie Van is a treatment specialist for
Sangamon County, Springfield, Ill.
Ralph Zanck is director of membership
accounting at Pacific Care, Phoenix, Ariz.
1974
Denise Guyer is an editor/writer at GSP
Marketing, Inc., Chicago.
George Kapetanakis works in the Office of
Beautification for the North Carolina State
Department of Transportation, Raleigh.
34 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Dana Dufield is test lab manager for G & W
Electric Co., Blue Island, Ill.
Jon Zemke is a clinical massage therapist at
Joliet (Ill.) Pain Care Center.
1976
Nancy Bohlander Bloom is an accountant and
controller for Walgreen’s, Janesville, Wis.
Karla Close serves as president of the
Kentuckiana Corporate Volunteer Council. She
is a volunteer development specialist with
Metro United Way, Louisville, Ky.
Mark Johnson is director of the Region 5
office of the Agency for Toxic Substance and
Disease Registry/Centers for Disease Control.
The office is based in Chicago and includes
the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Indiana and Ohio.
Bill Simpkins has been promoted to professor of hydrogeology in the Department of
Geological and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa
State University, Ames. He is a fellow in the
Geological Society of America, having recently
chaired the hydrogeology division, and he
received a Master Teacher award from the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa
State.
1977
Rocco Carbone received the Who’s Who
Among America’s Teachers award for the
past two years. He teaches at Kepner Middle
School, Denver, Colo.
Carl Hubbard retired from Lockheed Martin
Corp. as senior staff system engineer and
from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel.
Patty Besch Huff is coordinator of special
projects in the Development Office at
Augustana College.
Daniel Johnson is director of business development at Knowlysis, Downers Grove, Ill.
Denise Hogbin Novak has been elected
vice president/president-elect of the North
American Serials Interest Group. She is
head of acquisitions, University Libraries, at
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.
1979
David Evans is president of The George Evans
Corp., Moline, Ill.
Michael Sturek is professor and chair of
cellular and integrative physiology at Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Eunice Happ Taylor is senior developer at
Nationwide Insurance, Freeport, Ill.
Maryfaith Greenhalgh Weiss is national talent acquisition manager for Avon Products.
1980
Wayne Benson is executive vice president of
EPL, Inc., Shoal Creek, Ala.
Vicki Basiletti Dapolito is a veterinarian at
Merrimac (N.H.) Veterinary Hospital.
John Hildner is pastor of Christ Lutheran
Church, Clarendon Hills, Ill.
Steve Hollingsworth is director of CARE India,
an international humanitarian organization.
Scott Lockard is senior vice president at U.S.
Bank, Madison, Wis.
Gene Pavinato is vice president and chief
financial officer of Murphy Brothers, East
Moline, Ill.
1981
Karin Simpson Oehlwein teaches kindergarten for the Morris (Ill.) School District.
Ken Paulus is president and CEO of Harvard
Vanguard Medical Associates, Boston, Mass.
Robert Rosen is coordinator of youth transition services in the City of Chicago Mayor’s
Office.
Diane Uddenberg Sturek is adjunct professor at Indiana University Kelley School of
Business, Indianapolis.
1982
Karen Bartenfelder Allingham is a registered
nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore,
Md.
Sandra Sandstrom Dasso is a language class
teacher at Enterprise (Fla.) Elementary School.
Daniel DeWitte is an accountant for Iowa East
Central Train, Bettendorf.
Dan Diller is majority deputy chief of staff for
the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He is a staff member for Senator Richard
Lugar of Indiana.
Ross Heath received recognition from the
U.S. State Department for “contributing
immeasurably to the Department’s success in
meeting wide area network connectivity goals
for the embassies and consulates overseas.”
Mark Larson has been installed as senior
pastor of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran
Church, St. Charles, Ill.
Julie Lundt Nord is bookkeeper for Limestone
Christian Stores, Rockford, Ill.
John Paul is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S.
Air Force at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Karen Erickson Redlinger has been promoted
to corporate travel accounts representative
with International Travel Associates, West Des
Moines, Iowa.
Marty Sauer is dean of admissions and
financial aid at North Central College,
Naperville, Ill.
Charlie Schlenker received the Edward R.
Murrow Award from the Radio and Television
News Directors Association. He is assistant
news director at WGLT Public Radio.
Rick Scott had a son, Colin Alexander, on
November 9, 2004 (Teresita).
1985
Sarah Laros Clatanoff is a physical therapist
at Rush Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago.
Ramona Schabel Kitching is a certified
physician assistant in the Family Practice
Department at the Oswego Dreyer Medical
Clinic, Oswego, Ill.
Donald Helgeson has been promoted to
senior national field service manager at New
Edge Networks, Vancouver, Wash.
Jeff Scarpinato opened Employee Benefits
Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois, a division of
Holmes Murphy & Associates.
Robert Holmen is an animator at Global
Knowledge, Richardson, Texas.
Michael Wall is a professor at Georgetown
University, Washington, D.C.
Lorri Mezger Lorenzen is a human resources
clerk at Time-Warner Book Group.
Joy Prowell West has been named medical
director of the Department of Obstetrics/
Gynecology at Roseland Community Hospital,
Chicago.
Thomas Losby is proprietor of Chameleon
Solutions, Bryan, Ohio.
Andrew Wind is senior account executive with
Zurich, Nashville, Tenn.
1983
Mary Frazell married Richard Wilkie on
September 18, 2004.
Laura Winton received the master’s degree in
performance studies at New York University.
John Isbell has been promoted to full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Gary Neal is managing member of Neal & Uhl,
PLLC, Eagle, Idaho.
Marilyn Jackson received the Ph.D. degree
in higher education and social change from
the Western Institute for Social Research,
Berkeley, Calif. She works at the Western
Institute as assistant to the president, and
also at the Ecumenical Peace Institute.
Catherine Kries Wind has been promoted
to vice president commercial lending at
AmSouth Bancorporation, Nashville, Tenn.
Linda Prinz Hoffman had a son, Connor, in
August 2004 (Greg). Linda is chief financial
officer at William N. Joy, Aspen, Colo.
1984
Lois Peterson Kent had a son, Wyatt Owen
Saburo, on March 30, 2005 (Craig).
Thomas Mokry is the western area director of
sales for Silkroad Technology.
Jeanne Elliott Enright had a son, Joseph Kole,
on May 18, 2004 (William; Grace, 4).
Julia Allen is senior claims specialist at PIC
Wisconsin, Madison.
Kirk and Julie Setchell Bednar had a daughter, Emily Gwinn, on January 18, 2005 (Ryan,
Kyle).
Marybeth Grant Beuttler received the
Ph.D. degree in movement sciences from
Hahnemann Programs of Rehabilitation,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa. She
has been granted tenure in the Department
of Physical Therapy at the University of
Scranton.
Jean Ferguson is a reference librarian at Duke
University, Durham, N.C.
Jeffrey Georlett is lead grant writer for The
Night Ministry, Chicago.
Chris Jensen is audit manager at McDonald’s
Corp., Oak Brook, Ill.
Thorsten Johnson is finance assistant for the
City of Coralville, Iowa.
Todd Obmascik is chief operating officer/chief
financial officer for Global Development and
Environmental Resources.
Stephen Rader is information technology
manager at Landon Stark, Falls Church, Va.
Lanette Skow Rasmussen had a daughter,
Maren Sandra, on June 12, 2004 (Kurt; Sanna,
10, Karl, 7).
Heather Krans Schlichter is human resources
manager of cooking.com.
Diane Holke Sweeney had a son, Daniel John,
in March 2005 ( Jack; Becca, 4, Brian, 2).
Mary Parker Cipolle is a diabetes nurse educator at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, Pa.
Ken Hodel married Sandra Fuller on
November 27, 2004.
1987
Lynne Garrett Cornett had a son, Daniel
James, on April 4, 2005 (Ralph; Benjamin, 3,
Joshua, 1).
Jeffrey Frick has been appointed acting
registrar at Illinois Wesleyan University,
Bloomington, where he is associate professor
and chair of chemistry.
Donna Baker Hodel is assistant plant manager at Kenworth Truck Co., Renton, Ill.
Barbara Wuchte has been promoted to
manager-support at Veritas Software, Oak
Brook, Ill.
Beth Repay Swanson is assistant director of
annual giving at Augustana College.
Joan Frank is an optometrist with Downtown
Eye Care, Indianapolis, Ind.
1978
Kathleen Maloney Stelzer married Fred
Berglund on December 18, 2004.
1986
Todd Gustafson is a nature and wildlife
photographer working for Nicon and National
Geographic. He is also a freelance trumpet
player.
John Glimco has been named principal of
West Aurora High School, Aurora, Ill.
Steve Petersen is human resources manager
at Coulter Companies, Peoria, Ill.
Steve Penny has been promoted to senior
vice president, chief information officer, and
member of the management committee at
Trustmark Insurance Co., Lake Forest, Ill.
1988
Melissa Becker married Kurt Francis on April
16, 2005. She is chief investigator for the
Chicago Board Options Exchange.
Jay Hatch won the Illinois girls basketball
state championship as head coach at Alleman
High School, Rock Island.
Laura Johnson is a veterinarian with Cascade
Veterinary Clinic and Mohawk Veterinary
Hospital, Springfield, Ore.
35
1970
1975
Janet Heick Burch is president of the Central
Iowa Chapter of the Society for Human
Resource Management.
Paul Bloom is a firefighter with the City of
Madison (Wis.) Fire Department.
Judy Swanson Lounsberry is office administrator for Denver (Colo.) Urban Ministries.
Jan Bowman ’62
‘What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy’
Dr. Dorothy Parkander —first person to be appointed to the first fully endowed
academic chair in the history of the college, first woman to have an academic
chair named after her when her former students raised the money to do so —
pause for breath — celebrated her 80th birthday last March.
Parkander, a member of the Class of 1946, taught in Augustana’s English
Department from 1947 to 1996. Close to 150 former students and Augustana
associates sent birthday wishes to her,
including Dr. Jan Bowman ’62, who even
What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy
wrote a poem to celebrate Parkander’s birthday. Bowman is professor emerita of English
if I could
at California Lutheran University.
is that she made me sit up
and pay attention, stretch
my spine and open my mind
as if I were riding on the crest
of an extended simile, battered
by allusions and ideas I rarely
understood but determined
to hang on until washed ashore
by wave upon wave of words
meted out like lifesaving veils
and rugged rafts to a traveler
who in that damp Old Main
classroom began to witness
a rosy-fingered dawn unlike any
either she—or Homer—had ever seen.
Jan Bowman ’62
“I’m honored and grateful, and very proud of Jan’s achievements,” Parkander says.
A few months after Parkander’s birthday,
Bowman visited campus to read from her new collection of poetry entitled Carved Like
Runes. Karen Herseth Wee wrote the book’s
foreword, so it was only fitting that her
daughter, Rebecca Wee, former Quad Cities
Poet Laureate and an assistant professor of
English at Augustana, introduce Bowman.
At the reading, Bowman asked the audience’s permission to read a poem not
included in her newly published book. Much
to the delight of those gathered at the library,
Bowman read the piece she wrote for her former professor entitled “What I’d Like to Tell Dorothy.” The allusions are to The
Odyssey, which Parkander taught with great
love and success for many years.
1971
Roland Filippi has been named regional
general counsel (western hemisphere) for
BP, PLC.
James Bailor is a judge for the State of
Virginia.
Marguerite Dybicz Folkers is assistant manager at Tweeter, Naperville, Ill.
Connie Edlefson Frankenfeld serves on
the Continuing Professional Development
Advisory Group for the Graduate School
of Library and Information Science at the
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Recently, at the request of the Library of
Congress, she served on the National Digital
Information Infrastructure and Preservation
Program Advisory Committee.
Michael Weindruch is vice president of sales
and marketing for The Swing of the Quad
Cities baseball team.
David Livingston, with pianist Gregory
Theisen, released a new CD entitled Water
of Life.
Former Missouri Governor Bob Holden
reappointed Karl Zobrist in 2004 to another
four-year term on the Kansas City (Mo.) Board
of Police Commissioners.
1972
Wayne Miller, senior pastor of St. Mark’s
Lutheran Church, Aurora, Ill., is teaching
Christianity at Aurora University.
1973
David Carlson directs the International Polar
Year from an office at the British Antarctic
Survey in Cambridge, England.
Mark Johnson is senior chemist at Sun
Chemical, Goose Creek, S.C.
Judy Brana Neergaard, accupressurist and
holistic practitioner, owns Creative Balance
Accupressure and Holistic Massage, Maple
Grove, Minn.
William Szydlowski is a Vernon Sales
Promotion sales executive in the Tampa Bay,
Fla., area.
Willie Van is a treatment specialist for
Sangamon County, Springfield, Ill.
Ralph Zanck is director of membership
accounting at Pacific Care, Phoenix, Ariz.
1974
Denise Guyer is an editor/writer at GSP
Marketing, Inc., Chicago.
George Kapetanakis works in the Office of
Beautification for the North Carolina State
Department of Transportation, Raleigh.
34 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Dana Dufield is test lab manager for G & W
Electric Co., Blue Island, Ill.
Jon Zemke is a clinical massage therapist at
Joliet (Ill.) Pain Care Center.
1976
Nancy Bohlander Bloom is an accountant and
controller for Walgreen’s, Janesville, Wis.
Karla Close serves as president of the
Kentuckiana Corporate Volunteer Council. She
is a volunteer development specialist with
Metro United Way, Louisville, Ky.
Mark Johnson is director of the Region 5
office of the Agency for Toxic Substance and
Disease Registry/Centers for Disease Control.
The office is based in Chicago and includes
the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Indiana and Ohio.
Bill Simpkins has been promoted to professor of hydrogeology in the Department of
Geological and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa
State University, Ames. He is a fellow in the
Geological Society of America, having recently
chaired the hydrogeology division, and he
received a Master Teacher award from the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa
State.
1977
Rocco Carbone received the Who’s Who
Among America’s Teachers award for the
past two years. He teaches at Kepner Middle
School, Denver, Colo.
Carl Hubbard retired from Lockheed Martin
Corp. as senior staff system engineer and
from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel.
Patty Besch Huff is coordinator of special
projects in the Development Office at
Augustana College.
Daniel Johnson is director of business development at Knowlysis, Downers Grove, Ill.
Denise Hogbin Novak has been elected
vice president/president-elect of the North
American Serials Interest Group. She is
head of acquisitions, University Libraries, at
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.
1979
David Evans is president of The George Evans
Corp., Moline, Ill.
Michael Sturek is professor and chair of
cellular and integrative physiology at Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Eunice Happ Taylor is senior developer at
Nationwide Insurance, Freeport, Ill.
Maryfaith Greenhalgh Weiss is national talent acquisition manager for Avon Products.
1980
Wayne Benson is executive vice president of
EPL, Inc., Shoal Creek, Ala.
Vicki Basiletti Dapolito is a veterinarian at
Merrimac (N.H.) Veterinary Hospital.
John Hildner is pastor of Christ Lutheran
Church, Clarendon Hills, Ill.
Steve Hollingsworth is director of CARE India,
an international humanitarian organization.
Scott Lockard is senior vice president at U.S.
Bank, Madison, Wis.
Gene Pavinato is vice president and chief
financial officer of Murphy Brothers, East
Moline, Ill.
1981
Karin Simpson Oehlwein teaches kindergarten for the Morris (Ill.) School District.
Ken Paulus is president and CEO of Harvard
Vanguard Medical Associates, Boston, Mass.
Robert Rosen is coordinator of youth transition services in the City of Chicago Mayor’s
Office.
Diane Uddenberg Sturek is adjunct professor at Indiana University Kelley School of
Business, Indianapolis.
1982
Karen Bartenfelder Allingham is a registered
nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore,
Md.
Sandra Sandstrom Dasso is a language class
teacher at Enterprise (Fla.) Elementary School.
Daniel DeWitte is an accountant for Iowa East
Central Train, Bettendorf.
Dan Diller is majority deputy chief of staff for
the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He is a staff member for Senator Richard
Lugar of Indiana.
Ross Heath received recognition from the
U.S. State Department for “contributing
immeasurably to the Department’s success in
meeting wide area network connectivity goals
for the embassies and consulates overseas.”
Mark Larson has been installed as senior
pastor of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran
Church, St. Charles, Ill.
Julie Lundt Nord is bookkeeper for Limestone
Christian Stores, Rockford, Ill.
John Paul is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S.
Air Force at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Karen Erickson Redlinger has been promoted
to corporate travel accounts representative
with International Travel Associates, West Des
Moines, Iowa.
Marty Sauer is dean of admissions and
financial aid at North Central College,
Naperville, Ill.
Charlie Schlenker received the Edward R.
Murrow Award from the Radio and Television
News Directors Association. He is assistant
news director at WGLT Public Radio.
Rick Scott had a son, Colin Alexander, on
November 9, 2004 (Teresita).
1985
Sarah Laros Clatanoff is a physical therapist
at Rush Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago.
Ramona Schabel Kitching is a certified
physician assistant in the Family Practice
Department at the Oswego Dreyer Medical
Clinic, Oswego, Ill.
Donald Helgeson has been promoted to
senior national field service manager at New
Edge Networks, Vancouver, Wash.
Jeff Scarpinato opened Employee Benefits
Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois, a division of
Holmes Murphy & Associates.
Robert Holmen is an animator at Global
Knowledge, Richardson, Texas.
Michael Wall is a professor at Georgetown
University, Washington, D.C.
Lorri Mezger Lorenzen is a human resources
clerk at Time-Warner Book Group.
Joy Prowell West has been named medical
director of the Department of Obstetrics/
Gynecology at Roseland Community Hospital,
Chicago.
Thomas Losby is proprietor of Chameleon
Solutions, Bryan, Ohio.
Andrew Wind is senior account executive with
Zurich, Nashville, Tenn.
1983
Mary Frazell married Richard Wilkie on
September 18, 2004.
Laura Winton received the master’s degree in
performance studies at New York University.
John Isbell has been promoted to full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Gary Neal is managing member of Neal & Uhl,
PLLC, Eagle, Idaho.
Marilyn Jackson received the Ph.D. degree
in higher education and social change from
the Western Institute for Social Research,
Berkeley, Calif. She works at the Western
Institute as assistant to the president, and
also at the Ecumenical Peace Institute.
Catherine Kries Wind has been promoted
to vice president commercial lending at
AmSouth Bancorporation, Nashville, Tenn.
Linda Prinz Hoffman had a son, Connor, in
August 2004 (Greg). Linda is chief financial
officer at William N. Joy, Aspen, Colo.
1984
Lois Peterson Kent had a son, Wyatt Owen
Saburo, on March 30, 2005 (Craig).
Thomas Mokry is the western area director of
sales for Silkroad Technology.
Jeanne Elliott Enright had a son, Joseph Kole,
on May 18, 2004 (William; Grace, 4).
Julia Allen is senior claims specialist at PIC
Wisconsin, Madison.
Kirk and Julie Setchell Bednar had a daughter, Emily Gwinn, on January 18, 2005 (Ryan,
Kyle).
Marybeth Grant Beuttler received the
Ph.D. degree in movement sciences from
Hahnemann Programs of Rehabilitation,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa. She
has been granted tenure in the Department
of Physical Therapy at the University of
Scranton.
Jean Ferguson is a reference librarian at Duke
University, Durham, N.C.
Jeffrey Georlett is lead grant writer for The
Night Ministry, Chicago.
Chris Jensen is audit manager at McDonald’s
Corp., Oak Brook, Ill.
Thorsten Johnson is finance assistant for the
City of Coralville, Iowa.
Todd Obmascik is chief operating officer/chief
financial officer for Global Development and
Environmental Resources.
Stephen Rader is information technology
manager at Landon Stark, Falls Church, Va.
Lanette Skow Rasmussen had a daughter,
Maren Sandra, on June 12, 2004 (Kurt; Sanna,
10, Karl, 7).
Heather Krans Schlichter is human resources
manager of cooking.com.
Diane Holke Sweeney had a son, Daniel John,
in March 2005 ( Jack; Becca, 4, Brian, 2).
Mary Parker Cipolle is a diabetes nurse educator at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, Pa.
Ken Hodel married Sandra Fuller on
November 27, 2004.
1987
Lynne Garrett Cornett had a son, Daniel
James, on April 4, 2005 (Ralph; Benjamin, 3,
Joshua, 1).
Jeffrey Frick has been appointed acting
registrar at Illinois Wesleyan University,
Bloomington, where he is associate professor
and chair of chemistry.
Donna Baker Hodel is assistant plant manager at Kenworth Truck Co., Renton, Ill.
Barbara Wuchte has been promoted to
manager-support at Veritas Software, Oak
Brook, Ill.
Beth Repay Swanson is assistant director of
annual giving at Augustana College.
Joan Frank is an optometrist with Downtown
Eye Care, Indianapolis, Ind.
1978
Kathleen Maloney Stelzer married Fred
Berglund on December 18, 2004.
1986
Todd Gustafson is a nature and wildlife
photographer working for Nicon and National
Geographic. He is also a freelance trumpet
player.
John Glimco has been named principal of
West Aurora High School, Aurora, Ill.
Steve Petersen is human resources manager
at Coulter Companies, Peoria, Ill.
Steve Penny has been promoted to senior
vice president, chief information officer, and
member of the management committee at
Trustmark Insurance Co., Lake Forest, Ill.
1988
Melissa Becker married Kurt Francis on April
16, 2005. She is chief investigator for the
Chicago Board Options Exchange.
Jay Hatch won the Illinois girls basketball
state championship as head coach at Alleman
High School, Rock Island.
Laura Johnson is a veterinarian with Cascade
Veterinary Clinic and Mohawk Veterinary
Hospital, Springfield, Ore.
35
Brenda upsets Oprah
A few months after Brenda Czajka ’75 Barnes was featured on the front page
of USA Today, Forbes.com selected her as the eighth most powerful woman in
the world—more powerful than Oprah Winfrey, who came in ninth. Barnes is
the chief executive officer of Sara Lee, with a global workforce of 150,400 and
$19.6 billion in sales in 2004.
According to Forbes.com: “Barnes, 51, became chief executive earlier
this year after Sara Lee announced a major restructuring that included the
planned sale of product lines totaling $8.2 billion in revenue. At the same
time, she is tackling corporate inefficiencies by encouraging shared purchasing between divisions and less bureaucracy.
Brenda Czajka ’75 Barnes
“Barnes raised eyebrows when she left PepsiCo in 1998 to spend more
time with her family. Ever since Barnes got back on the ‘on-ramp’ into the corporate world, she has been the most oft-cited example in the business press
of a woman who ditched her corporate career to spend time with her family,
only to regain corporate power.”
Anne Williams Sawin had a daughter, Abigail
Rose, on July 19, 2004 (Michael; Emily, 6,
Joshua, 3).
Tiffany Lyden is the statewide extension lake
specialist for the University of Wisconsin,
Stevens Point.
Daniel and Juliana Mead Nielsen had a
daughter, Violet Leigh, on October 19, 2004
(Louie, 1).
Steven Olk is tax manager, U.S. tax compliance, for Borders Group, Inc., Ann Arbor,
Mich.
Peter and Tiffany Thies ’94 Karas had a
daughter, Olivia Grace, on December 14,
2003. Peter is sales director for Hospira.
Marni Teramana is an emergency medicine
physician in Dayton, Ohio.
Brendan Maher has been elected partner
in the law firm of Williams & McCarthy,
Rockford, Ill.
Gilbert Olander is new business director for
icrossing, Chicago.
Eric Parthen had a son, Kale Josef, on January
3, 2005 (Kelly).
Tola Khin is a teacher at TeachLondon,
London, U.K.
Michael Ricaurte is a consultant and
registered representative with the Principal
Financial Group, Oak Brook, Ill.
Jason Powell has opened a Sound Realty
office in Chicago.
Karla Loveall is an assistant director for
the Program for Teaching East Asia at the
University of Colorado, Boulder.
Kevin ’93 and Chris Reich Waden had a
daughter, Allison Grace, on March 31, 2005
(Rebecca, 3).
Susan Olson Wassel had twin daughters,
Caitlin and McKenna, on December 7, 2004.
John ’90 and Kimberley Fulton Wendel had
a son, John Fulton, on November 16, 2004
(Olivia, 1).
Kevin Zielke had a son, Adam David, on
February 17, 2005.
Kathryn Paisley Kennedy is a behavioral
specialist and a gifted education specialist for
the Chapel Hill (N.C.) City Schools.
Elizabeth Wight Kerscher is a substitute
teacher for the Winthrop Harbor (Ill.) School
District.
Steve McAtee is supply chain manager/consultant at Brown Shoe, St. Louis, Mo.
Louis Schlickman started a solo practice,
Meridian (Idaho) Adult Medicine, PLLC.
Melinda Swanson is a massage therapist in
Berkeley, Calif.
1989
Christopher Butler is chief software engineer
at Vista Clara, Inc., Westminster, Colo.
David and Jacquelyn Relitz ’91 Knoeppel
had a daughter, Margot Faith, on November
11, 2004. David is a chemical advisor at Total
Petrochemicals, LaPorte, Texas.
Kevin Nellis received the master’s degree
in educational administration from the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Lisa Roos Rusnak is financial manager at
Pasulka & White, Chicago.
1990
Andrea Arduini is in the fire claims department at State Farm Insurance, Bloomington,
Ill.
Laju Balani received the Ph.D. degree in
world religions from Baylor University, Waco,
Texas.
Deanna Strang Grivetti had a daughter,
Sarah Reagan, on June 2, 2004 ( John;
Elizabeth, 2).
Roxanne Watt Head received the master’s
degree in information systems management
from Loyola University, Chicago.
36 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Darlene Skow Johnson is associated with
Advanced Dermatology, Aurora, Colo.
Whitney Gagnon Kim had a daughter,
Madeline Ann, on March 13, 2005 ( John;
Benjamin, 3).
Dawn Jensen Klasmann had a daughter,
Megan, on March 16, 2004 (Erik; Sydney,
4). Dawn is a business analyst at Dave &
Buster’s, Addison, Ill.
David Kozbiel is an account executive at
Yellow Transportation, Crest Hill, Ill.
John and Kimberley Fulton ’91 Wendel had
a son, John Fulton, on November 16, 2004
(Olivia, 1).
Chuck Witt teaches math and physics at
Lyons Township High School, LaGrange, Ill.
1991
Amit Bhatia received the M. Div. degree from
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield,
Ill. He is assistant pastor at North Shore
Assembly of God, Skokie, Ill.
Erik Kramme is senior equipment specialist
at Advanced Medical Optics, Chicago.
Jodi Urban Breen had a son, Charlie Robert,
on June 6, 2004 (Rob; Jack, 2).
Laura Chitwood Lee had a daughter,
Samantha Aerin, on December 17, 2004
(Martin).
James Garwood is senior vice president, India
Country Manager, at IRMC in India.
Lisa Collins McComb is director of corporate
communications for Pampered Chef.
Henry Hall won the Illinois girls basketball
state championship as assistant coach at
Alleman High School, Rock Island.
David ’89 and Jacquelyn Relitz Knoeppel
had a daughter, Margot Faith, on November
11, 2004.
1992
Jeffrey Benson is a physician with the
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Michael and Christina Anderson Bloeser
had a daughter, Sonja Waverley, on August
4, 2004.
Shane Brown writes a weekly humor/life
column for the Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/
Leader newspapers and is co-founder and
administrator of excellentonline.com.
Jeff Carmichael is an attorney in the business
and tax sections of Hall, Render, Killian,
Heath & Lyman, Indianapolis, Ind.
Scott Christiansen is executive producer of
First Business.
Tara Roberts Nieves teaches at Richmond
Berton High School, Lindenhurst, Ill.
Jeffrey and Nobuko Nakata Kollmeyer had
a son, Alexander, on March 15, 2005.
Harrietta Kapsalis Christodoulos had a child,
Zephaniah, on October 7, 2004 (Branden).
Katherine Brown Rothermel had a daughter,
Sarah Katherine, on September 3, 2004
(Brad). Katherine is the owner of Muscle
Therapy Clinic, Durand, Ill.
Steven Korsan has his own practice, City
Central Physical Therapy, LaSalle, Ill.
Brent Dahl had twins, Colleen Carolyn and
Justin Joseph, on February 10, 2005 ( Joy;
Alex, 3). Brent is controller for Brunswick
Corporation’s New Technologies division,
Lake Forest, Ill.
Lori Larsen is reporting compliance coordinator at Palmer College, Davenport, Iowa.
Eleanor Eusebio Sangalang is an occupational therapist at St. Joseph’s Medical
Center, Joliet, Ill.
Lynn Lauer is accounting supervisor for Corn
Belt Energy, Leroy, Ill.
Joyce Kornacki Sawin had a son, Jake
Alexander, on February 8, 2005 (Clint).
Keith and Tracey Atwell ’93 Manbeck had
a son, Jackson Riley, on December 28, 2004
(Kelley, 8, Tommy, 5).
Jon Sjolund is editor for The IR Corp., Tokyo,
Japan.
Amy Sunderlage has been promoted to
director of customer operations at
Educational Resources, Elgin, Ill.
Lisa Traut has been named president of the
Chicagoland Television Educators Council.
She is a television production instructor at
Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, Ill.
Melissa Middleton, a teacher at Roscoe
(Ill.) Middle School, is a Golden Apple Award
nominee.
Jeff Palzer had a son, Augustine Genovesi, on
May 28, 2005 (Julia).
James and Anne Marie Jezierski Patrick had
a son, James Michael, on May 19, 2004.
John Doonan has been named manager,
motorsports team development, at Mazda
North American Operations, Oakbrook
Terrace, Ill.
Lisa LaRosa Fiorenza is an associate with
Plante & Moran, Elgin, Ill.
Kim Fox is assistant director of the Magis
Initiative at Loyola University, Chicago.
Wendy Wolf Howell is a director for the
Riverside (Ill.) School District.
Margaret White Hulligan had a son, Mason,
on March 14, 2005 (Bill; Will, 4).
Steve Kerno is an analyst with Deere & Co.,
Moline, Ill.
Jeanne Johnston Meier is a hospitalist nurse
practitioner at St. Mary’s Hospital, Green
Bay, Wis.
Eric Rowell had a son, Jude Elias, on April 4,
2005 (Amy; Anna, 3).
John and Laura Murray ’95 Schmidt had
a daughter, Cameryn Nicole, on August 13,
2004.
Jennifer Rakstad had a son, Henry Michael
Wallace, on November 9, 2003 (Michael
Wallace).
Tania Snyder Stori had a daughter, Maya
Marie, on February 6, 2005 ( James). Tania is
senior underwriting attorney with Attorneys’
Title Guaranty Fund, Champaign, Ill.
Chad ’95 and Tami Droegmiller Secor had
triplets, Jessica Elise, Andrew John and
Benjamin Peter, on February 28, 2005 (Daniel,
2). Tami is an internal medicine physician.
Kathleen Elder Schipper is the high school
principal for the Thomson (Ill.) Community
School District.
Kevin and Chris Reich ’91 Waden had a
daughter, Allison Grace, on March 31, 2005
(Rebecca, 3).
Cristina Vital has been promoted to
district manager for the Social Security
Administration, Gallup, N.M.
Ander Smith is an attorney with Agnew Law
Office, Rockford, Ill.
Cathy Groth White had a daughter, Annie Jo,
on February 22, 2005 (David; Zachary, 2).
1995
William Street had a daughter, Carley, on
September 3, 2004 (Candace; India, 3).
William is director of education at Busch
Gardens, Tampa, Fla.
Jennifer Beckmann Wong had a son, Mason,
on March 10, 2005 (David; Alexandra, 8,
Marissa, 7, Evan, 6).
Doug Bickford is district director of the
Muscular Dystrophy Association, Davenport,
Iowa.
Chad and Tami Droegmiller ’94 Secor had
triplets, Jessica Elise, Andrew John and
Benjamin Peter, on February 28, 2005 (Daniel,
2). Chad is an ear, nose and throat physician.
Kris Yung is supervisor of occupational therapy at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital,
Downers Grove, Ill.
Rachel Brooks is director of Ombudsman
Educational Services, Libertyville, Ill.
Jason Shadle is a police officer with the
Pepper Pike (Ohio) Police Department.
Ryan Conway is an agent with Country
Insurance & Financial Services, McHenry, Ill.
Chris Simmons has been elected president
for the Cascades Chapter (Alaska, Ore.,
and Wash.) of the Association of Commuter
Transportation for a two-year term.
Carolee Rabjohns is the office manager at
Strategic Feedback, Woodridge, Ill.
Bradd Westemeyer had twins, Owen and
Charlie, on September 1, 2004. Bradd is the
owner of Westy’s Ice Cream and Coffee, West
Des Moines, Iowa.
1994
David and Leigh Ann Brown Westland had
a daughter, Meg Catherine, on September
22, 2004.
Nick Bennyhoff is a library cataloger at Saint
Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
1993
Jim Boyd had a son, Jack, on August 29,
2004 ( Jenny; Justin). Jim is a pharmacist with
Caremark, Phoenix, Ariz.
Jill Meyer Andersen owns Lonesome Cottage
Furniture Co., Breezy Pointe, Minn.
Christine Broadston received the M.Ed.
degree in curriculum and instruction from the
University of Houston, Texas.
Kelley Gerrans Budd had twins, Jacob and
Corey, on March 14, 2005 (Greg).
Tracey Farero Cardoso is assistant registrar
at Trinity University, Washington, D.C.
Yasmin Ali Conroy is lead teacher for
the Children’s Home & Need Foundation,
Carpentersville, Ill.
Beth Crookham is casting director for
Fincannon & Associates, Wilmington, N.C.
Jodi Shields Dastur had a son, Owen, on April
7, 2004 (Sean; Cole, 2).
Lisa Maricle Forney had a daughter,
Samantha Angel, on February 11, 2005 (Clint).
Ken Knoll had a son, Payton Knight, on
January 6, 2005 (Debbie). Ken is in internet
sales with Jack of All Games.
Keith ’91 and Tracey Atwell Manbeck had
a son, Jackson Riley, on December 28, 2004
(Kelley, 8, Tommy, 5).
John and Jodi Ellis ’96 Christein had a son,
Keith James, on February 17, 2005. John has a
surgical fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
Minn.
Forrest and Gail Pearson Clingerman had
a daughter, Sabina Grace, on February 25,
2005.
Nicole Weinzierl Dawson is in human
resources at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Chicago.
Elisa Guerrero married Andy Fliege on
December 18, 2004.
Amalia Parthenios Deligiannis had a son,
Alexandros John, on June 24, 2004 ( John).
Brad Diericx is vice president of finance for
Insurance Corporation of Hanover, Itasca, Ill.
Erik and Molly Williams ’97 Dubberke had
a daughter, Jane Anneliese, on October 27,
2004.
Vanessa Cici Fry had a son, Christopher
James, on November 1, 2004 (Thomas).
Vanessa has started her own law firm in Villa
Park, Ill.
Kimberly Nordstrom Goodley received the
M.B.A. degree from St. Ambrose University,
Davenport, Iowa.
Christina Silvio Haggerty is marketing
director at American Marketing Association,
Chicago.
Kathryn Harris is an environmental engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Portland, Ore.
Erika Cederberg Hamilton had a daughter,
Trinity Blair, on September 1, 2004 (Charles).
Erika is a program officer with the Nebraska
Humanities Council, Lincoln.
Peter ’95 and Tiffany Thies Karas had a
daughter, Olivia Grace, on December 14,
2003.
Daniel Henning is director of financial operations for Equity Residential’s Condominium
Division, Aurora, Ill.
Tracy Kopp married Michael Sharkey on June
19, 2004.
Kristi Waters Hess had a daughter, Emma
Rose, on February 26, 2005 (Steve).
Jennifer Tucker McCutcheon had a son,
Benjamin Wesley, on May 11, 2005 (Scott;
Katie, 3).
Kirk Horne is a software architect at Calamos
Investments, Naperville, Ill.
Necco McKinley is regional sales manager for
Harcourt Achieve, Austin, Texas.
Kevin Naylor is director of sales and marketing for Ignition Athletics Performance Group,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Janelle Nettz married Andrew Riopell on
September 5, 2004.
John ’94 and Laura Murray Schmidt had
a daughter, Cameryn Nicole, on August 13,
2004.
Debra Toppert Smiddy had a son, Logan
Dean, on September 14, 2004 (Michael).
Gwendolyn Snyder is a fellow in international
emergency medicine at the University of
Rochester (Minn.) Medical Center.
Jeffrey and Michelle Milner Stiglic had a
daughter, Taylor Marie, on July 3, 2004.
Daniel and Lisa Kasarsky ’01 Stirratt had a
son, Jonah Matthew, on June 27, 2005.
Jay Swanstrom teaches for the Downers
Grove (Ill.) School District.
Jeff Thomson is an organizational effectiveness analyst with Caremark, Chicago.
Heather Traina is an accountant at Modern
Metal Products Co., Loves Park, Ill.
Elin Ulrich married Matthew Cook on
September 4, 2004.
Phil Vancil is store manager for Martin &
Bailey, Bloomington, Ill.
Andrew and Laura Menter ’97 Voress had a
son, Logan Jon, on June 25, 2004.
Tracy Vroman had a daughter, Ava Vroman
Banaszak, on July 8, 2004 (John Banaszak).
37
Brenda upsets Oprah
A few months after Brenda Czajka ’75 Barnes was featured on the front page
of USA Today, Forbes.com selected her as the eighth most powerful woman in
the world—more powerful than Oprah Winfrey, who came in ninth. Barnes is
the chief executive officer of Sara Lee, with a global workforce of 150,400 and
$19.6 billion in sales in 2004.
According to Forbes.com: “Barnes, 51, became chief executive earlier
this year after Sara Lee announced a major restructuring that included the
planned sale of product lines totaling $8.2 billion in revenue. At the same
time, she is tackling corporate inefficiencies by encouraging shared purchasing between divisions and less bureaucracy.
Brenda Czajka ’75 Barnes
“Barnes raised eyebrows when she left PepsiCo in 1998 to spend more
time with her family. Ever since Barnes got back on the ‘on-ramp’ into the corporate world, she has been the most oft-cited example in the business press
of a woman who ditched her corporate career to spend time with her family,
only to regain corporate power.”
Anne Williams Sawin had a daughter, Abigail
Rose, on July 19, 2004 (Michael; Emily, 6,
Joshua, 3).
Tiffany Lyden is the statewide extension lake
specialist for the University of Wisconsin,
Stevens Point.
Daniel and Juliana Mead Nielsen had a
daughter, Violet Leigh, on October 19, 2004
(Louie, 1).
Steven Olk is tax manager, U.S. tax compliance, for Borders Group, Inc., Ann Arbor,
Mich.
Peter and Tiffany Thies ’94 Karas had a
daughter, Olivia Grace, on December 14,
2003. Peter is sales director for Hospira.
Marni Teramana is an emergency medicine
physician in Dayton, Ohio.
Brendan Maher has been elected partner
in the law firm of Williams & McCarthy,
Rockford, Ill.
Gilbert Olander is new business director for
icrossing, Chicago.
Eric Parthen had a son, Kale Josef, on January
3, 2005 (Kelly).
Tola Khin is a teacher at TeachLondon,
London, U.K.
Michael Ricaurte is a consultant and
registered representative with the Principal
Financial Group, Oak Brook, Ill.
Jason Powell has opened a Sound Realty
office in Chicago.
Karla Loveall is an assistant director for
the Program for Teaching East Asia at the
University of Colorado, Boulder.
Kevin ’93 and Chris Reich Waden had a
daughter, Allison Grace, on March 31, 2005
(Rebecca, 3).
Susan Olson Wassel had twin daughters,
Caitlin and McKenna, on December 7, 2004.
John ’90 and Kimberley Fulton Wendel had
a son, John Fulton, on November 16, 2004
(Olivia, 1).
Kevin Zielke had a son, Adam David, on
February 17, 2005.
Kathryn Paisley Kennedy is a behavioral
specialist and a gifted education specialist for
the Chapel Hill (N.C.) City Schools.
Elizabeth Wight Kerscher is a substitute
teacher for the Winthrop Harbor (Ill.) School
District.
Steve McAtee is supply chain manager/consultant at Brown Shoe, St. Louis, Mo.
Louis Schlickman started a solo practice,
Meridian (Idaho) Adult Medicine, PLLC.
Melinda Swanson is a massage therapist in
Berkeley, Calif.
1989
Christopher Butler is chief software engineer
at Vista Clara, Inc., Westminster, Colo.
David and Jacquelyn Relitz ’91 Knoeppel
had a daughter, Margot Faith, on November
11, 2004. David is a chemical advisor at Total
Petrochemicals, LaPorte, Texas.
Kevin Nellis received the master’s degree
in educational administration from the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Lisa Roos Rusnak is financial manager at
Pasulka & White, Chicago.
1990
Andrea Arduini is in the fire claims department at State Farm Insurance, Bloomington,
Ill.
Laju Balani received the Ph.D. degree in
world religions from Baylor University, Waco,
Texas.
Deanna Strang Grivetti had a daughter,
Sarah Reagan, on June 2, 2004 ( John;
Elizabeth, 2).
Roxanne Watt Head received the master’s
degree in information systems management
from Loyola University, Chicago.
36 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Darlene Skow Johnson is associated with
Advanced Dermatology, Aurora, Colo.
Whitney Gagnon Kim had a daughter,
Madeline Ann, on March 13, 2005 ( John;
Benjamin, 3).
Dawn Jensen Klasmann had a daughter,
Megan, on March 16, 2004 (Erik; Sydney,
4). Dawn is a business analyst at Dave &
Buster’s, Addison, Ill.
David Kozbiel is an account executive at
Yellow Transportation, Crest Hill, Ill.
John and Kimberley Fulton ’91 Wendel had
a son, John Fulton, on November 16, 2004
(Olivia, 1).
Chuck Witt teaches math and physics at
Lyons Township High School, LaGrange, Ill.
1991
Amit Bhatia received the M. Div. degree from
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield,
Ill. He is assistant pastor at North Shore
Assembly of God, Skokie, Ill.
Erik Kramme is senior equipment specialist
at Advanced Medical Optics, Chicago.
Jodi Urban Breen had a son, Charlie Robert,
on June 6, 2004 (Rob; Jack, 2).
Laura Chitwood Lee had a daughter,
Samantha Aerin, on December 17, 2004
(Martin).
James Garwood is senior vice president, India
Country Manager, at IRMC in India.
Lisa Collins McComb is director of corporate
communications for Pampered Chef.
Henry Hall won the Illinois girls basketball
state championship as assistant coach at
Alleman High School, Rock Island.
David ’89 and Jacquelyn Relitz Knoeppel
had a daughter, Margot Faith, on November
11, 2004.
1992
Jeffrey Benson is a physician with the
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Michael and Christina Anderson Bloeser
had a daughter, Sonja Waverley, on August
4, 2004.
Shane Brown writes a weekly humor/life
column for the Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/
Leader newspapers and is co-founder and
administrator of excellentonline.com.
Jeff Carmichael is an attorney in the business
and tax sections of Hall, Render, Killian,
Heath & Lyman, Indianapolis, Ind.
Scott Christiansen is executive producer of
First Business.
Tara Roberts Nieves teaches at Richmond
Berton High School, Lindenhurst, Ill.
Jeffrey and Nobuko Nakata Kollmeyer had
a son, Alexander, on March 15, 2005.
Harrietta Kapsalis Christodoulos had a child,
Zephaniah, on October 7, 2004 (Branden).
Katherine Brown Rothermel had a daughter,
Sarah Katherine, on September 3, 2004
(Brad). Katherine is the owner of Muscle
Therapy Clinic, Durand, Ill.
Steven Korsan has his own practice, City
Central Physical Therapy, LaSalle, Ill.
Brent Dahl had twins, Colleen Carolyn and
Justin Joseph, on February 10, 2005 ( Joy;
Alex, 3). Brent is controller for Brunswick
Corporation’s New Technologies division,
Lake Forest, Ill.
Lori Larsen is reporting compliance coordinator at Palmer College, Davenport, Iowa.
Eleanor Eusebio Sangalang is an occupational therapist at St. Joseph’s Medical
Center, Joliet, Ill.
Lynn Lauer is accounting supervisor for Corn
Belt Energy, Leroy, Ill.
Joyce Kornacki Sawin had a son, Jake
Alexander, on February 8, 2005 (Clint).
Keith and Tracey Atwell ’93 Manbeck had
a son, Jackson Riley, on December 28, 2004
(Kelley, 8, Tommy, 5).
Jon Sjolund is editor for The IR Corp., Tokyo,
Japan.
Amy Sunderlage has been promoted to
director of customer operations at
Educational Resources, Elgin, Ill.
Lisa Traut has been named president of the
Chicagoland Television Educators Council.
She is a television production instructor at
Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, Ill.
Melissa Middleton, a teacher at Roscoe
(Ill.) Middle School, is a Golden Apple Award
nominee.
Jeff Palzer had a son, Augustine Genovesi, on
May 28, 2005 (Julia).
James and Anne Marie Jezierski Patrick had
a son, James Michael, on May 19, 2004.
John Doonan has been named manager,
motorsports team development, at Mazda
North American Operations, Oakbrook
Terrace, Ill.
Lisa LaRosa Fiorenza is an associate with
Plante & Moran, Elgin, Ill.
Kim Fox is assistant director of the Magis
Initiative at Loyola University, Chicago.
Wendy Wolf Howell is a director for the
Riverside (Ill.) School District.
Margaret White Hulligan had a son, Mason,
on March 14, 2005 (Bill; Will, 4).
Steve Kerno is an analyst with Deere & Co.,
Moline, Ill.
Jeanne Johnston Meier is a hospitalist nurse
practitioner at St. Mary’s Hospital, Green
Bay, Wis.
Eric Rowell had a son, Jude Elias, on April 4,
2005 (Amy; Anna, 3).
John and Laura Murray ’95 Schmidt had
a daughter, Cameryn Nicole, on August 13,
2004.
Jennifer Rakstad had a son, Henry Michael
Wallace, on November 9, 2003 (Michael
Wallace).
Tania Snyder Stori had a daughter, Maya
Marie, on February 6, 2005 ( James). Tania is
senior underwriting attorney with Attorneys’
Title Guaranty Fund, Champaign, Ill.
Chad ’95 and Tami Droegmiller Secor had
triplets, Jessica Elise, Andrew John and
Benjamin Peter, on February 28, 2005 (Daniel,
2). Tami is an internal medicine physician.
Kathleen Elder Schipper is the high school
principal for the Thomson (Ill.) Community
School District.
Kevin and Chris Reich ’91 Waden had a
daughter, Allison Grace, on March 31, 2005
(Rebecca, 3).
Cristina Vital has been promoted to
district manager for the Social Security
Administration, Gallup, N.M.
Ander Smith is an attorney with Agnew Law
Office, Rockford, Ill.
Cathy Groth White had a daughter, Annie Jo,
on February 22, 2005 (David; Zachary, 2).
1995
William Street had a daughter, Carley, on
September 3, 2004 (Candace; India, 3).
William is director of education at Busch
Gardens, Tampa, Fla.
Jennifer Beckmann Wong had a son, Mason,
on March 10, 2005 (David; Alexandra, 8,
Marissa, 7, Evan, 6).
Doug Bickford is district director of the
Muscular Dystrophy Association, Davenport,
Iowa.
Chad and Tami Droegmiller ’94 Secor had
triplets, Jessica Elise, Andrew John and
Benjamin Peter, on February 28, 2005 (Daniel,
2). Chad is an ear, nose and throat physician.
Kris Yung is supervisor of occupational therapy at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital,
Downers Grove, Ill.
Rachel Brooks is director of Ombudsman
Educational Services, Libertyville, Ill.
Jason Shadle is a police officer with the
Pepper Pike (Ohio) Police Department.
Ryan Conway is an agent with Country
Insurance & Financial Services, McHenry, Ill.
Chris Simmons has been elected president
for the Cascades Chapter (Alaska, Ore.,
and Wash.) of the Association of Commuter
Transportation for a two-year term.
Carolee Rabjohns is the office manager at
Strategic Feedback, Woodridge, Ill.
Bradd Westemeyer had twins, Owen and
Charlie, on September 1, 2004. Bradd is the
owner of Westy’s Ice Cream and Coffee, West
Des Moines, Iowa.
1994
David and Leigh Ann Brown Westland had
a daughter, Meg Catherine, on September
22, 2004.
Nick Bennyhoff is a library cataloger at Saint
Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
1993
Jim Boyd had a son, Jack, on August 29,
2004 ( Jenny; Justin). Jim is a pharmacist with
Caremark, Phoenix, Ariz.
Jill Meyer Andersen owns Lonesome Cottage
Furniture Co., Breezy Pointe, Minn.
Christine Broadston received the M.Ed.
degree in curriculum and instruction from the
University of Houston, Texas.
Kelley Gerrans Budd had twins, Jacob and
Corey, on March 14, 2005 (Greg).
Tracey Farero Cardoso is assistant registrar
at Trinity University, Washington, D.C.
Yasmin Ali Conroy is lead teacher for
the Children’s Home & Need Foundation,
Carpentersville, Ill.
Beth Crookham is casting director for
Fincannon & Associates, Wilmington, N.C.
Jodi Shields Dastur had a son, Owen, on April
7, 2004 (Sean; Cole, 2).
Lisa Maricle Forney had a daughter,
Samantha Angel, on February 11, 2005 (Clint).
Ken Knoll had a son, Payton Knight, on
January 6, 2005 (Debbie). Ken is in internet
sales with Jack of All Games.
Keith ’91 and Tracey Atwell Manbeck had
a son, Jackson Riley, on December 28, 2004
(Kelley, 8, Tommy, 5).
John and Jodi Ellis ’96 Christein had a son,
Keith James, on February 17, 2005. John has a
surgical fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
Minn.
Forrest and Gail Pearson Clingerman had
a daughter, Sabina Grace, on February 25,
2005.
Nicole Weinzierl Dawson is in human
resources at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Chicago.
Elisa Guerrero married Andy Fliege on
December 18, 2004.
Amalia Parthenios Deligiannis had a son,
Alexandros John, on June 24, 2004 ( John).
Brad Diericx is vice president of finance for
Insurance Corporation of Hanover, Itasca, Ill.
Erik and Molly Williams ’97 Dubberke had
a daughter, Jane Anneliese, on October 27,
2004.
Vanessa Cici Fry had a son, Christopher
James, on November 1, 2004 (Thomas).
Vanessa has started her own law firm in Villa
Park, Ill.
Kimberly Nordstrom Goodley received the
M.B.A. degree from St. Ambrose University,
Davenport, Iowa.
Christina Silvio Haggerty is marketing
director at American Marketing Association,
Chicago.
Kathryn Harris is an environmental engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Portland, Ore.
Erika Cederberg Hamilton had a daughter,
Trinity Blair, on September 1, 2004 (Charles).
Erika is a program officer with the Nebraska
Humanities Council, Lincoln.
Peter ’95 and Tiffany Thies Karas had a
daughter, Olivia Grace, on December 14,
2003.
Daniel Henning is director of financial operations for Equity Residential’s Condominium
Division, Aurora, Ill.
Tracy Kopp married Michael Sharkey on June
19, 2004.
Kristi Waters Hess had a daughter, Emma
Rose, on February 26, 2005 (Steve).
Jennifer Tucker McCutcheon had a son,
Benjamin Wesley, on May 11, 2005 (Scott;
Katie, 3).
Kirk Horne is a software architect at Calamos
Investments, Naperville, Ill.
Necco McKinley is regional sales manager for
Harcourt Achieve, Austin, Texas.
Kevin Naylor is director of sales and marketing for Ignition Athletics Performance Group,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Janelle Nettz married Andrew Riopell on
September 5, 2004.
John ’94 and Laura Murray Schmidt had
a daughter, Cameryn Nicole, on August 13,
2004.
Debra Toppert Smiddy had a son, Logan
Dean, on September 14, 2004 (Michael).
Gwendolyn Snyder is a fellow in international
emergency medicine at the University of
Rochester (Minn.) Medical Center.
Jeffrey and Michelle Milner Stiglic had a
daughter, Taylor Marie, on July 3, 2004.
Daniel and Lisa Kasarsky ’01 Stirratt had a
son, Jonah Matthew, on June 27, 2005.
Jay Swanstrom teaches for the Downers
Grove (Ill.) School District.
Jeff Thomson is an organizational effectiveness analyst with Caremark, Chicago.
Heather Traina is an accountant at Modern
Metal Products Co., Loves Park, Ill.
Elin Ulrich married Matthew Cook on
September 4, 2004.
Phil Vancil is store manager for Martin &
Bailey, Bloomington, Ill.
Andrew and Laura Menter ’97 Voress had a
son, Logan Jon, on June 25, 2004.
Tracy Vroman had a daughter, Ava Vroman
Banaszak, on July 8, 2004 (John Banaszak).
37
1996
Andrew and Jennifer Voigts Bartlett had a
son, Maxwell Henry, on September 3, 2004
(Christopher and Clayton, 4).
Brian Baseggio is quality assurance analyst
at Information Resources, Inc., Chicago.
Nancy Spinelli Beffa works for Safeway
Services, Waukesha, Wis.
Michelle Hagg Brandt is assistant director of annual giving at Kellogg School of
Management, Northwestern University,
Evanston, Ill.
Ed Brophy is business manager for the
Winfield (Ill.) School District.
John ’94 and Jodi Ellis Christein had a son,
Keith James, on February 17, 2005.
Jacquie Sticca ’05
Dream makers
(continued from page 21)
Education classes at Augustana prepared her well, Sticca says, but
there’s nothing like standing in front of 23 first-graders in an actual
classroom. When MacDonald eventually gave her full responsibility for the class, Sticca was slightly surprised but extremely grateful.
“Suddenly I have this class but it worked out fine, and it gave me a lot
of confidence,” she says. “Christine and I worked well together from
the first day of school so it was a fairly seamless operation.”
Sticca led the first-graders through a unit on plants by herself. “I
enjoy hands-on science projects so this was especially fun for me,” she
says. After the students completed the unit, she videotaped them as
they pointed out the parts of a plant and explained how seeds grow.
“That meant a lot to me because they really got it!”
She always knew teaching was time-consuming, but her
Augustana friends were shocked at how much time she spent preparing lessons. Students can tell if a teacher comes in unprepared, Sticca
says. “If you want to be flexible and be able to respond to students’
interests, you have to be organized,” she adds. “Christine’s classroom
is so organized, any teacher can walk in and begin teaching.”
Today, Sticca has 23 first-graders of her own at Fiske Elementary
School in Chicago, near the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Her biggest challenge so far has been creating an organized classroom
that works for her and her students. Her experience at Eugene Field
gave her a resource to deal with the challenges she’s encountering.
Whether it’s moving students’ desks into small groups rather than
rows or sending a newsletter home to parents every Monday, Sticca
can build on ideas she has seen in action.
“I tried to share with her the knowledge I’ve gained over the
course of my career, both positive and negative,” MacDonald says.
“Most of all, I wanted her to realize that all kids can learn…a good
teacher has to find out how to help them.”
Jera Hull Deal had a daughter, Lillianne
Annaliese, on April 13, 2005 (Brad; Allie, 5,
Julianna, 3). Jera is executive vice president
for BR Deal Group, Peoria, Ill.
Joel and Patricia Blackburn Geisz had a
daughter, Darby Gabrielle, on June 9, 2005.
Tom “Stymie” Skawski II married Rebecca
Flowers on May 8, 2005.
Susan Monahan Gervase had a son, Owen,
on November 15, 2004 (Tessa, 1).
Andrea Cerekwicki Szwabowski had a
daughter, Ava Katharine, on July 16, 2004
( James). She is a part-time speech pathologist with Therapy Care, Batavia, Ill.
Jason Hall had a daughter, Allison, on
October 8, 2004 (Carrie).
Vito and Stephanie Esparza ’97 Tamburello
had a son, Nicholas Samuel, on March 23,
2005.
Deborah Fredericks Thoennes had a daughter, Mariska, on April 12, 2005 ( Joe).
Todd ’97 and Lesley Frenell Willems had a
son, Samuel Robert, on December 18, 2003
(Gabriel, 2).
1997
Scott Bashaar is regional vice president for
Countrywide Full Spectrum Lending Division,
Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Beth Petersen Gylling had a daughter,
Annika Eleanore Maria, on November 18,
2004 (Bjorn).
Scott Bauersfeld was elected Rock Island
Township supervisor.
Shannon Vater Hackett is a laboratory technician for BD Biosciences, San Jose, Calif.
Andrew Bertelsen had a son, Evan Kai, on
June 1, 2005 (Erin). Andrew is planning and
budget manager for Coconino County, Ariz.
RuthAnne Kunke Hall is a management analyst for the City of Elgin, Ill.
Peggy Imbus married David Brady on August
21, 2004. She is an audit manager with
McGladrey & Pullen, Schaumburg, Ill.
Megan Kennedy married John Farrell on
December 18, 2004. She is director, peacebuilders initiative, for Catholic Theological
Union, Chicago.
Jonathan Kern is senior research scientist at
Merck & Co., West Point, Pa.
Dawn Heidemann Kraus had a daughter,
Alyssa Evelyn, on June 10, 2004 (Brett).
Jill Rietveld Krysinski had a son, Jackson
Tillman, on June 26, 2004 (Scott). Jill teaches
biology and chemistry at Bloom High School,
Chicago Heights, Ill.
Chad Lewis is vice president, private client
group, at USBank, Davenport, Iowa.
James Marturano is an account manager at
Assurance Agency, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Jennifer Heidenreich McCabe has her own
speech therapy business, Excel Pediatric
Therapy Services, Eldridge, Iowa.
Cherie McGuire is an account executive for
Clear Channel Radio, KYLD 94.9 FM, San
Francisco, Calif.
Ann Robertson is a physical therapist at
Athletico, Chicago.
38 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Kara Peterson Sand teaches for the Skokie
(Ill.) School District.
Jim Bond is a watershed planner with the
Montana Department of Environmental
Quality, Helena.
Lynn Molitor Brock had a son, Campbell
Joseph, on October 8, 2004 (Derek).
Anne Schnack Bousselot had a daughter,
Laila Anne, on October 15, 2004 (Matthew;
Tyler, 2).
Magda Zemaitaitis Cilella had a daughter,
Helena Victoria, on September 25, 2004 (Sal).
Amy Conner received the Ph.D. degree in
psychology from Kansas State University,
Manhattan.
Katie Danek married Todd Harfst on October
2, 2004.
Kirra Lemke Denten had twins, Joshua Isaak
and Grace Noelle, on December 1, 2004
(Rocky).
Christopher Hawkins married Renee Keith on
June 11, 2005. He received the M.Div. degree
from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
Jesse Heath received the M.B.A. degree from
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. He is
now a senior consultant with Central States
Mortgage, Milwaukee, Wis.
Julia Dyson Woessner had a son, Luke, on
September 16, 2004 (Daniel).
1998
Cynthia Mader is assistant head science
librarian at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
1999
J.J. and Kristin Hegi Manning had a daughter,
Lauren Alicia, on February 13, 2005.
Kevin ’00 and Cynthia Heisler Behrens had a
son, Kyle, on February 15, 2005.
Sarah Cruse Matkovich received the doctor
of dental surgery degree from the University
of Iowa, Iowa City. She is a dentist with
DeWitt (Iowa) Family Dentistry.
Amy Wilner Beno had a son, John Charles, on
May 23, 2005 (Charles).
Randy and Michelle Pierson Micheletti had
a son, Tobias, on October 23, 2004. Randy
is product manager, education, at Fisher
Scientific, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Amanda Benson Cooley had a son, Kade
Michael, on December 6, 2004 (Phil). She
teaches sophomore English at Marcus High
School, Flower Mound, Texas.
Calley Boultinghouse Barnes had a son,
Cade Michael, on February 23, 2005 ( Jeff ).
Calista Montag married George Hospodarsky
in December 2004.
Dimy Doresca had a daughter, Alice Eva, on
April 11, 2005 (Pascale).
Erin Hill is the health services coordinator at
Life Line Screening, Peoria, Ill.
Ryan Brosseau is a firefighter/paramedic with
the Frankfort (Ill.) Fire Department.
Rochelle Monteith teaches at Rock Falls (Ill.)
High School.
Melissa Stagg Haak had a son, August
William, on May 6, 2005 (Gregory).
Chris Kutsunis married Amy Borgo on July
26, 2003. Chris is a clothing buyer at Four
Seasons, Geneseo, Ill.
David Brown had a son, Noah Johnston, on
March 23, 2005 (Katie). David teaches at
Fremont (Neb.) Public Schools.
Ken Neumann married Thea Needham ’99 on
September 25, 2004.
Christine Carlson Hanson is a chemist with
Agraenergy Resources, Princeton, Ill.
Erika Mark spent four months working for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is a biologist
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Baltimore, Md.
Kari Forest Broz is senior accountant at
Synovate, Chicago.
Colleen Nolan married Kevin Clark on
February 26, 2005. She is a controller at
Zurich American Insurance, Schaumburg, Ill.
David Hanson is a biology/chemistry teacher
and football coach at Warrensburg-Latham
(Ill.) High School.
Michelle Burke is a speech-language
pathologist for the Schaumburg (Ill.) School
District.
Jonathan ’00 and Danielle DeCillo Pugh had
twin sons, Nicholas John and Nathan Paul, on
June 6, 2004.
Karen Sullivan James had a son, Cameron
Bantoft, on January 7, 2005 (Tony).
Jodie Corey married Jeffrey Behrens ’00 on
April 30, 2005.
Robert and Jennifer Livingston ’00 Roth had
a son, Macnamara Henry, on November 8,
2004. Rob received the M.B.A. degree from
DePaul University, Chicago.
Paige Satkowski Hendricks is director
of education for Sylvan Learning Centers,
Newport News, Va.
Amy Norris Miller had a son, Andrew Mark,
on September 24, 2004 (Chris).
Stephanie Sottos Moen had a son, Luke
Joseph, on March 28, 2005 (Tim; Lily, 5,
Mark, 3).
Deanna Dyer Mumford had a daughter,
Maverick, on August 30, 2004 (Michael).
Jaci Pinnell received the J.D. degree
from Georgetown University Law Center,
Washington, D.C.
Lea Anne Guettler Stoughton had a son,
Andrew Edward John, on April 4, 2005
(Michael; Phoebe, 2).
Marcy Sylvester is chair of the information
technology department at Rockford (Ill.)
Business College.
Erik ’95 and Molly Williams Dubberke had
a daughter, Jane Anneliese, on October 27,
2004.
Anthony and Jonelle Truax ’98 Valladares
had a daughter, Angelita, on May 13, 2004.
Cathie Quast Gans had a son, Jackson
Timothy, on August 16, 2004 (Tim).
Todd and Lesley Frenell ’96 Willems had a
son, Samuel Robert, on December 18, 2003
(Gabriel, 2).
Jerzy Wojcik is manager, global regulatory
affairs, at Baxter Healthcare.
Theresa Harlan Monson teaches for the
Muslim Association of Rockford (Ill.).
Vito ’96 and Stephanie Esparza Tamburello
had a son, Nicholas Samuel, on March 23,
2005.
Doug Ferrier had a son, David Ken, on
September 9, 2004 (Sanae; Daniel, 2).
Saskia Walter Kewley is a business sales
executive at MCI, Denver, Colo.
senior analyst with Trinity Medical Center,
Rock Island, Ill.
Joy Crowther received the Ph.D. degree in
immunology from the University of Iowa, Iowa
City. She is currently a post-doctoral fellow at
Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Ryan Hebard teaches at Knoxville (Ill.) High
School.
Jill Little DiMartino had a daughter, Jessica
Nicole, on August 16, 2004 ( Jim).
Jill Moline Eccher had a son, Braden Anthony,
on March 1, 2005 (Marc).
Andrew ’95 and Laura Menter Voress had
a son, Logan Jon, on June 25, 2004. Laura
received the master’s degree in social work
from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Russell VanWetzinga had a son, Russell IV,
on April 19, 2004 (Julie).
Amy Serandos Vitale had a daughter,
Isabella, on October 11, 2004 (Andy; Gianna, 1).
Ryan Voigts married Jaimy Beatty ’01 on
March 4, 2005.
Antoinette Tortorello Allaway received the
master’s degree in education administration
from North Central College, Naperville, Ill.
Kim Craig and Troy Swanson were married
on June 18, 2005.
Kelley Johnsen Doty had a son, Trent Alan,
on March 6, 2005 (Ted; Kelsey, 3).
Leslie Tennis Garay teaches sixth grade at
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, West
Dundee, Ill. She also attends National-Louis
University, Evanston, Ill.
Tiffani Tremble Greenfield is a clinical
research associate at Oncology Hematology
Associates, Peoria, Ill.
Shadia Haddad received the J.D. degree from
Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is assistant
state’s attorney in Winnebago County,
Rockford, Ill.
Kira Ballak Hansen teaches science for
Carmel/Clay Schools, Carmel, Ind.
Tiffany Meyer Hildebrand had a son, Lucas,
on June 7, 2004 (Mark).
Carie Baughman Kreiner had a son, Bennett
Bradley, on February 16, 2005 (Brad).
Amy LaChance married Ryan Carey on July
31, 2004.
Amy Bushong Lee had a daughter, Reagan
Elizabeth, on March 3, 2005 ( Jon). She is a
Jennifer Wrzesinski Rytina had a son, Colin
John, on September 15, 2004 (Charles).
Jamie Sanders is Siebel CRM software trainer
with AT&T Business, Boston, Mass.
Brian Sebastian is territory sales manager for
Mine Safety Appliances, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Kimberly Smetana married James Laubinger
on November 6, 2004.
Holly Richardson Smith had a daughter,
Haley Ann, on April 14, 2005 (Buddy).
Angie Bardoel Spaulding is a speechlanguage pathologist at Hammond-Henry
Hospital, Geneseo, Ill.
Shelley Franzen Johnson had a son, Kevin
Matthew, on May 25, 2005 (Matthew; Ashley, 2).
Nadine Johns Langston had a son, Thomas
James, on March 4, 2005 (Justin).
Craig ’00 and Kari Sanderson Legel had
a son, Jeremiah Matthew, on November 2,
2004.
Craig ’00 and Shaunna Kinroth Lyon had a son, Bradley Clarke, on March 30, 2005.
Karolyn Martin married Philip Tincher on
September 25, 2004.
Patrick McCreight is national account manager at Sage Software, Chicago.
Thea Needham married Ken Neumann ’98 on September 25, 2004.
Anne Wehrman Stoefen is a registered nurse
at the Minneapolis (Minn.) Veterans Affairs
Medical Center.
Aaron Newman is director of student activities at Aurora (Ill.) University. He also has
been appointed to the National Intramural
& Recreational Sports Administration Board
of Ethics.
Anthony ’97 and Jonelle Truax Valladares
had a daughter, Angelita, on May 13, 2004.
Steven Oh is lead CRA at ICON Clinical
Research, Deerfield, Ill.
Megan Tappendorf Welch had a son, Grant,
on March 2, 2005 (Michael; Thomas, 3).
Carrie Henrickson Pauly had a son, Samiel
James, on October 13, 2004 (Brian).
Martha McCall Whitmer received the J.D.
degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City,
and now has her own practice in Davenport,
Iowa.
Nick and Kate Robertson Polyak had a son,
John Nicholas, on January 24, 2005 (Chase, 2).
39
Once upon a time…
Augustana graduates are always doing interesting things, but how many can say
they’ve renovated a house with a member of royalty? Elizabeth Burke ’01 may be in a
class by herself after teaming up with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, for a special
episode of the home design show While You Were Out on The Learning Channel (TLC).
At the time, Burke was a development associate with the Illinois division of SOS
Children’s Villages, an international non-profit child welfare agency that builds villages for children who have been removed from their biological families due to abuse,
neglect and/or abandonment. Unlike traditional foster care, SOS reunites children with
their siblings to live together with a trained
SOS foster parent until they reach adulthood,
Burke says.
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois consists of
two sites, one in Lockport and a relatively new
one on the south side of Chicago, which is the
first urban foster care village in the world.
“Fergie is SOS’s national spokesperson,
and she joined forces with TLC’s While You Were
Out to redecorate an entire house in Lockport
Village,” Burke says.
The surprise makeover was in the home
of an extraordinary SOS mother who took in
a group of eight siblings at Lockport Village
Elizabeth Burke ’01 and Sarah Ferguson
in 1995. After the two oldest siblings were
grown and moved out on their own, she legally
adopted the six youngest and accepted another 10-year-old child into her family. Burke
says everyone was inspired by this woman’s commitment to children in need, prompting SOS-USA, TLC and Ferguson to coordinate the home makeover.
This is the first time the program has taken on such an extensive renovation, as
well as the first time the show has been hosted by a royal celebrity.
“Fergie was so wonderful and gracious, even after working around the clock for 48 hours helping to get the house done in time,” Burke says.
Nikki Cross is an account executive with
Centex Home Equity, St. Louis, Mo.
Mindy Thornton Olson is a logistics analyst
at Deere & Co., Moline, Ill.
Scott Dellefave is with JP Morgan Chase,
Chicago.
Brian Oster is a sales representative at Four
Seasons Sunrooms, Davenport, Iowa.
Keri Droegmiller received the master’s
degree in clinical counseling psychology from
Illinois State University, Normal.
Alvin and Willona Olison ’02 Portis had a
son, Kyle Olison, on May 24, 2005.
Kelli Estes married Michael Kirby on June 11,
2005. She is a physical therapist at Ingham
Regional Medical Center, Lansing, Mich.
Nathan Fierce received the doctor of osteopathy degree from Des Moines (Iowa) University.
Julia Higgins Ratchford is a speech-language
pathologist for the Metron Integrated Health
System, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Melinda Finkral is office manager at the law
firm of Polsky & Associates, Chicago.
Daren Rauch had a daughter, Makenna, on
September 15, 2004 (Sarah).
Kyle Ford is product manager at Yahoo!, Inc.,
Santa Monica, Calif.
Brett Roberts is a physical therapist at
Riverview Hospital, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Jeromy Franks married Lindsay Brink on
December 4, 2004.
Michael Rodriguez married Abby Hewes ’01
on June 18, 2005.
Jessica Bowling Gallo teaches English at East
Peoria High School, Peoria, Ill.
Robert ’98 and Jennifer Livingston Roth
had a son, Macnamara Henry, on November
8, 2004.
Chad Genac is senior compensation specialist at Brunswick Corp., Lake Forest, Ill.
Heather Hoffman received the master’s
degree in physician assistant studies from
Midwestern University College of Health
Science, Downers Grove, Ill.
Linnae Johnson is deputy coroner for the
Lake County Coroner’s Office, Waukegan, Ill.
Suzanne Van Berschot Klimowski is a rehab
physical therapist at Christ Hospital, Oak
Lawn, Ill.
Lisa Randazzo received the M.B.A. from St.
Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Carrie Crumpler Reed received the master’s
degree in teaching and leadership from St.
Xavier College, Chicago.
Marilee Reu married Paul Tuite on April 30,
2005.
Erika Roloff married Chad Johansen ’01 on
March 5, 2005.
Lisa Schroeder married Juan Carlos
Baracaldo on January 7, 2005.
Carrie DeBlecourt Simkus received the Ph.D.
degree in cell and molecular biology from
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. She is
a research fellow at Georgetown University
Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Sarah Whitebread Stoodley is a special
education teacher for the LaGrange (Ill.) Area
Department of Special Education.
Beth Swanson married Joshua Johnson on
May 27, 2004. She is a speech-language
pathologist at EBS Healthcare, Champaign,
Ill.
40 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Tim and Diane Faivre Swiat had a son,
Benjamin Matthew, on June 30, 2005. Tim
is manager, branch examiner, at Morgan
Stanley, Riverwoods, Ill.
Joseph Tolnai is quality assurance specialist
for ShopLocal.com, Chicago.
2000
Joslyn Albright received the M.D. degree
from the University of Kentucky College of
Medicine, Lexington. She is a general surgery
resident at Loyola University Medical Center,
Maywood, Ill.
Charles Assell practices optometry at Elburn
Eye Care in Elburn, Ill.
Jeffrey Behrens married Jodi Corey ’98 on
April 30, 2005.
Kevin and Cynthia Heisler ’99 Behrens had a
son, Kyle, on February 15, 2005.
Jonathan and Danielle DeCillo ’98 Pugh had
twin sons, Nicholas John and Nathan Paul, on
June 6, 2004.
Sarah Knoop is assistant market representative at May Merchandising Co., St. Louis, Mo.
Tenay Maholmes Lee had a son, Jacob, on
March 22, 2005 (Brittney, 5).
Mia Beth Ruthey has been nominated by former students for Who’s Who Among American
Teachers. She teaches English literature at
United Township High School, East Moline, Ill.
Marianne Siess married Charles Smith ’04
on July 24, 2003.
Matthew Stone married Laura Potter on June
4, 2005.
Amanda McDermott teaches in the Moline
(Ill.) School District.
Jon Turner had a son, Ashton, on September
21, 2004 (Jasmin; Abel, 3). Jon is director of
golf and head golf professional at the Prairie
Woods Golf Course, Avalon, Wis.
Emily Brittain is a Peace Corps volunteer
serving in Armenia.
Carianne Bruner is a pharmacist at
Walgreens, Chicago.
Todd Mueller graduated from the Chicago
Police Academy.
Laila Baghdadi is a pastry cook at Vanille
Patisserie, Chicago, and attends Kendall
College School of Culinary Arts.
Jeff Bass received the M.B.A. degree from St.
Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Jaimy Beatty married Ryan Voigts ’97 on
March 4, 2005. Jaimy received the doctor of
chiropractic degree from National University
of Health Sciences, Lombard, Ill., and now
practices at Advanced Physical Medicine and
Therapy, Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Nellie Berger is director of marketing and
events at Rockford (Ill.) College.
Joseph Besheer is an investment representative at Fidelity Investment, Northfield, Ill.
Anna Bjorklund received the doctor of
occupational therapy degree from Creighton
University and is now an occupational therapist at ProCare 3, Inc., Omaha, Neb.
Elizabeth Bremner received the M.A.T.
degree from Concordia University, River
Forest, Ill.
Heather Miller Tritt had a son, Jackson
Matthew, on June 4, 2005 (Adam).
Melissa Muehler is premium services and
banquets manager for The Swing of the Quad
Cities.
Dan Asleson received the M.B.A. degree from
the University of Notre Dame (Ind.) and is now
development director for the Illowa Council,
Boy Scouts of America.
Todd and Carrie Wilson Swanson had a son,
Andrew Todd, on March 10, 2005. Carrie is
a physical therapist at OSF St. Mary Medical
Center, Galesburg, Ill.
David Martinez is a resident physician at
David Grant Medical Center, Fairfield, Calif.
Noelle Midlock married Christopher Harris on
December 18, 2004.
Jessica Argyle is program supervisor at The
Arc of Rock Island.
Matt Boland is a loan services representative
at Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union,
West Lafayette, Ind.
Craig and Shaunna Kinroth ’99 Lyon had a
son, Bradley Clarke, on March 30, 2005.
Misty Johnson Meinig is a human resources
specialist at Siemens Westinghouse Power
Corp., Orlando, Fla.
Jamie Allmendinger has been promoted to
market director at the American Diabetes
Association, Northern Illinois region, Chicago.
Kami Condon Strunk had a daughter, Taryn
Kay, on October 18, 2004 (Derek).
Sania Tong married Gabriel Argao on August
7, 2004. She received the master’s degree in
public health sciences from the University of
Illinois, Chicago. She is now an environmental
scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Craig and Kari Sanderson ’99 Legel had
a son, Jeremiah Matthew, on November 2,
2004.
2001
Brandy Weis married Mark Frederiksen on
December 11, 2004. She is a substance
abuse counselor at Crossings Recovery
Centers, Patchogue, N.Y.
Ben Whitebread works at the Toledo (Ohio)
Zoo as a large mammal zookeeper.
Sara Carton is an accountant at Modern
Woodmen of America, Rock Island.
Katherine Connolly is director of Trinity
Services’ Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Program in Tinley Park, Ill.
Moses and Twanna Rayborn Edwards had a
daughter, Alessandra Janae, on April 1, 2005.
Moses received the J.D. degree from Southern
Illinois University School of Law.
Eric Gjerde teaches for the Moorhead (Minn.)
School District.
Brett Griffin is assistant general manager at
Menards, Moline, Ill.
Andrew and Sarah Eckel ’02 Harrison had
a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on March 18,
2005.
Abby Hewes married Michael Rodriguez ’00
on June 18, 2005.
Nils Holgersson is human resources generalist at MoSys, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.
Laura Requet Hoss received the master’s
degree in accountancy from St. Ambrose
University, Davenport, Iowa. She is a staff
accountant at Doyle and Keenan, Davenport.
Chad Johansen married Erika Roloff ’99 on
March 5, 2005.
Beth Johnson is a geological outreach
coordinator for the Family Museum of Arts
and Sciences, Bettendorf, Iowa. She is also
a graduate student and teaching assistant at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
Victoria Johnson received the master’s
degree in occupational therapy from Western
Michigan University. She is employed by
Fitzgibbon Hospital, Marshall, Mo., as an
occupational therapist.
Courtney Sherbeyn Jones had a daughter,
Olivia, on February 24, 2005 (Matthew;
Abigail, 2). Courtney was promoted to senior
business analyst at KONE, Inc., Moline, Ill.
John Klimowski is an environmental consultant for EBI, Evergreen Park, Ill.
Katie Kroener teaches for Marquardt School
District, Glendale Heights, Ill.
Mike Krzyzaniak received the M.D. degree
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
He is now a general surgery resident with the
U.S. Navy, San Diego, Calif.
Janet Lucchesi Kurinsky is a vocal music
teacher for the Naperville (Ill.) School District.
Troy Larson married Julie Krack on September
4, 2004. He received the master’s degree in
biology from Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.,
and now attends Illinois State University,
Normal.
Janel Matousek married Jonathan Sullivan
’04 on February 5, 2005.
CJ Glawe received the M.D. degree from
the University of Illinois Chicago School of
Medicine and is now a psychiatry resident at
New York University Medical Center.
Michele Martin McKenzie received the
master’s degree in teaching from Aurora
(Ill.) University. She teaches fourth grade
at Lakewood Creek Elementary School,
Montgomery, Ill.
Lindsay Grant married Marc O’Neal on
December 4, 2004. She received the doctor
of physical therapy degree from Washington
University, St. Louis, Mo., and is a physical
therapist in Bourbonnais, Ill.
April Moore received the M.D. degree from
Southern Illinois University, Springfield.
She is now a family practice resident at the
University of Illinois College of Medicine,
Rockford.
Anders Carlson ’00 finally
hangs up the pair of boots
he bought in Anchorage,
Alaska, while on a field trip
with Dr. Jeff Strasser.
Anders Carlson, Iceman
Current students might take it as a word of caution: be careful what you pick as a topic for
that next paper. It just might turn into a career. When Anders Carlson ’00 had to write a
paper for Dr. Jeff Strasser’s geomorphology course, he thought he’d found a rather obscure
subject in the retreat of the Canadian ice sheet. Little did he know.
During graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Carlson found that little was, in
fact, all anyone knew about the disappearance of the Laurentide Ice Sheet from northern
Canada. Now a doctoral student at Oregon State University, Carlson received the J. Hoover
Mackin Award from the Geological Society of America (G.S.A.) to support his research into
the long-gone glacier.
“We’ve sort of assumed that it was gone by about 7,000 years ago, but no one really
knows when it disappeared,” Carlson says. Or, for that matter, exactly why it disappeared.
And finding those answers might help scientists better understand not just the past, but
the future as well.
“There are two remaining ice sheets on a scale of the Laurentide—the one covering
Greenland and the one covering Antarctica. If Greenland’s were to melt, you’d see a sixmeter rise in global sea level. If Antarctica’s disappears, we’re talking about a 60- to 70meter rise,” he says. “So long, New York.”
Not that such a cataclysm is imminent, but Carlson’s work in describing the retreat of the
Canadian ice sheet may help us understand recent increases in sea level—whether they’re
related to melt in Greenland or Antarctica, and whether they’re due to anthropogenic
causes or natural processes.
According to Strasser, this represents a massive project for a Ph.D. thesis. “But Anders
has the self-motivation and determination to accomplish it. When he sees a problem, he
just attacks it,” Strasser says. “He’s well-deserving of the Mackin Award because of those
qualities.”
—Kai Swanson ’86
Editor’s Note As this issue goes to press, Carlson reports that it appears the Laurentide Ice
Sheet disappeared approximately 6,800 years ago. “The disappearance was rapid, and the
ice sheet wasted in less than 700 years,” he says. “This shows how sensitive ice sheets are
to a warming climate and suggests that the Greenland Ice Sheet may be similarly sensitive to
global warming…not good for the future.”
41
Once upon a time…
Augustana graduates are always doing interesting things, but how many can say
they’ve renovated a house with a member of royalty? Elizabeth Burke ’01 may be in a
class by herself after teaming up with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, for a special
episode of the home design show While You Were Out on The Learning Channel (TLC).
At the time, Burke was a development associate with the Illinois division of SOS
Children’s Villages, an international non-profit child welfare agency that builds villages for children who have been removed from their biological families due to abuse,
neglect and/or abandonment. Unlike traditional foster care, SOS reunites children with
their siblings to live together with a trained
SOS foster parent until they reach adulthood,
Burke says.
SOS Children’s Villages Illinois consists of
two sites, one in Lockport and a relatively new
one on the south side of Chicago, which is the
first urban foster care village in the world.
“Fergie is SOS’s national spokesperson,
and she joined forces with TLC’s While You Were
Out to redecorate an entire house in Lockport
Village,” Burke says.
The surprise makeover was in the home
of an extraordinary SOS mother who took in
a group of eight siblings at Lockport Village
Elizabeth Burke ’01 and Sarah Ferguson
in 1995. After the two oldest siblings were
grown and moved out on their own, she legally
adopted the six youngest and accepted another 10-year-old child into her family. Burke
says everyone was inspired by this woman’s commitment to children in need, prompting SOS-USA, TLC and Ferguson to coordinate the home makeover.
This is the first time the program has taken on such an extensive renovation, as
well as the first time the show has been hosted by a royal celebrity.
“Fergie was so wonderful and gracious, even after working around the clock for 48 hours helping to get the house done in time,” Burke says.
Nikki Cross is an account executive with
Centex Home Equity, St. Louis, Mo.
Mindy Thornton Olson is a logistics analyst
at Deere & Co., Moline, Ill.
Scott Dellefave is with JP Morgan Chase,
Chicago.
Brian Oster is a sales representative at Four
Seasons Sunrooms, Davenport, Iowa.
Keri Droegmiller received the master’s
degree in clinical counseling psychology from
Illinois State University, Normal.
Alvin and Willona Olison ’02 Portis had a
son, Kyle Olison, on May 24, 2005.
Kelli Estes married Michael Kirby on June 11,
2005. She is a physical therapist at Ingham
Regional Medical Center, Lansing, Mich.
Nathan Fierce received the doctor of osteopathy degree from Des Moines (Iowa) University.
Julia Higgins Ratchford is a speech-language
pathologist for the Metron Integrated Health
System, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Melinda Finkral is office manager at the law
firm of Polsky & Associates, Chicago.
Daren Rauch had a daughter, Makenna, on
September 15, 2004 (Sarah).
Kyle Ford is product manager at Yahoo!, Inc.,
Santa Monica, Calif.
Brett Roberts is a physical therapist at
Riverview Hospital, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Jeromy Franks married Lindsay Brink on
December 4, 2004.
Michael Rodriguez married Abby Hewes ’01
on June 18, 2005.
Jessica Bowling Gallo teaches English at East
Peoria High School, Peoria, Ill.
Robert ’98 and Jennifer Livingston Roth
had a son, Macnamara Henry, on November
8, 2004.
Chad Genac is senior compensation specialist at Brunswick Corp., Lake Forest, Ill.
Heather Hoffman received the master’s
degree in physician assistant studies from
Midwestern University College of Health
Science, Downers Grove, Ill.
Linnae Johnson is deputy coroner for the
Lake County Coroner’s Office, Waukegan, Ill.
Suzanne Van Berschot Klimowski is a rehab
physical therapist at Christ Hospital, Oak
Lawn, Ill.
Lisa Randazzo received the M.B.A. from St.
Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Carrie Crumpler Reed received the master’s
degree in teaching and leadership from St.
Xavier College, Chicago.
Marilee Reu married Paul Tuite on April 30,
2005.
Erika Roloff married Chad Johansen ’01 on
March 5, 2005.
Lisa Schroeder married Juan Carlos
Baracaldo on January 7, 2005.
Carrie DeBlecourt Simkus received the Ph.D.
degree in cell and molecular biology from
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. She is
a research fellow at Georgetown University
Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Sarah Whitebread Stoodley is a special
education teacher for the LaGrange (Ill.) Area
Department of Special Education.
Beth Swanson married Joshua Johnson on
May 27, 2004. She is a speech-language
pathologist at EBS Healthcare, Champaign,
Ill.
40 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Tim and Diane Faivre Swiat had a son,
Benjamin Matthew, on June 30, 2005. Tim
is manager, branch examiner, at Morgan
Stanley, Riverwoods, Ill.
Joseph Tolnai is quality assurance specialist
for ShopLocal.com, Chicago.
2000
Joslyn Albright received the M.D. degree
from the University of Kentucky College of
Medicine, Lexington. She is a general surgery
resident at Loyola University Medical Center,
Maywood, Ill.
Charles Assell practices optometry at Elburn
Eye Care in Elburn, Ill.
Jeffrey Behrens married Jodi Corey ’98 on
April 30, 2005.
Kevin and Cynthia Heisler ’99 Behrens had a
son, Kyle, on February 15, 2005.
Jonathan and Danielle DeCillo ’98 Pugh had
twin sons, Nicholas John and Nathan Paul, on
June 6, 2004.
Sarah Knoop is assistant market representative at May Merchandising Co., St. Louis, Mo.
Tenay Maholmes Lee had a son, Jacob, on
March 22, 2005 (Brittney, 5).
Mia Beth Ruthey has been nominated by former students for Who’s Who Among American
Teachers. She teaches English literature at
United Township High School, East Moline, Ill.
Marianne Siess married Charles Smith ’04
on July 24, 2003.
Matthew Stone married Laura Potter on June
4, 2005.
Amanda McDermott teaches in the Moline
(Ill.) School District.
Jon Turner had a son, Ashton, on September
21, 2004 (Jasmin; Abel, 3). Jon is director of
golf and head golf professional at the Prairie
Woods Golf Course, Avalon, Wis.
Emily Brittain is a Peace Corps volunteer
serving in Armenia.
Carianne Bruner is a pharmacist at
Walgreens, Chicago.
Todd Mueller graduated from the Chicago
Police Academy.
Laila Baghdadi is a pastry cook at Vanille
Patisserie, Chicago, and attends Kendall
College School of Culinary Arts.
Jeff Bass received the M.B.A. degree from St.
Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Jaimy Beatty married Ryan Voigts ’97 on
March 4, 2005. Jaimy received the doctor of
chiropractic degree from National University
of Health Sciences, Lombard, Ill., and now
practices at Advanced Physical Medicine and
Therapy, Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Nellie Berger is director of marketing and
events at Rockford (Ill.) College.
Joseph Besheer is an investment representative at Fidelity Investment, Northfield, Ill.
Anna Bjorklund received the doctor of
occupational therapy degree from Creighton
University and is now an occupational therapist at ProCare 3, Inc., Omaha, Neb.
Elizabeth Bremner received the M.A.T.
degree from Concordia University, River
Forest, Ill.
Heather Miller Tritt had a son, Jackson
Matthew, on June 4, 2005 (Adam).
Melissa Muehler is premium services and
banquets manager for The Swing of the Quad
Cities.
Dan Asleson received the M.B.A. degree from
the University of Notre Dame (Ind.) and is now
development director for the Illowa Council,
Boy Scouts of America.
Todd and Carrie Wilson Swanson had a son,
Andrew Todd, on March 10, 2005. Carrie is
a physical therapist at OSF St. Mary Medical
Center, Galesburg, Ill.
David Martinez is a resident physician at
David Grant Medical Center, Fairfield, Calif.
Noelle Midlock married Christopher Harris on
December 18, 2004.
Jessica Argyle is program supervisor at The
Arc of Rock Island.
Matt Boland is a loan services representative
at Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union,
West Lafayette, Ind.
Craig and Shaunna Kinroth ’99 Lyon had a
son, Bradley Clarke, on March 30, 2005.
Misty Johnson Meinig is a human resources
specialist at Siemens Westinghouse Power
Corp., Orlando, Fla.
Jamie Allmendinger has been promoted to
market director at the American Diabetes
Association, Northern Illinois region, Chicago.
Kami Condon Strunk had a daughter, Taryn
Kay, on October 18, 2004 (Derek).
Sania Tong married Gabriel Argao on August
7, 2004. She received the master’s degree in
public health sciences from the University of
Illinois, Chicago. She is now an environmental
scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Craig and Kari Sanderson ’99 Legel had
a son, Jeremiah Matthew, on November 2,
2004.
2001
Brandy Weis married Mark Frederiksen on
December 11, 2004. She is a substance
abuse counselor at Crossings Recovery
Centers, Patchogue, N.Y.
Ben Whitebread works at the Toledo (Ohio)
Zoo as a large mammal zookeeper.
Sara Carton is an accountant at Modern
Woodmen of America, Rock Island.
Katherine Connolly is director of Trinity
Services’ Psychosocial Rehabilitation
Program in Tinley Park, Ill.
Moses and Twanna Rayborn Edwards had a
daughter, Alessandra Janae, on April 1, 2005.
Moses received the J.D. degree from Southern
Illinois University School of Law.
Eric Gjerde teaches for the Moorhead (Minn.)
School District.
Brett Griffin is assistant general manager at
Menards, Moline, Ill.
Andrew and Sarah Eckel ’02 Harrison had
a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on March 18,
2005.
Abby Hewes married Michael Rodriguez ’00
on June 18, 2005.
Nils Holgersson is human resources generalist at MoSys, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.
Laura Requet Hoss received the master’s
degree in accountancy from St. Ambrose
University, Davenport, Iowa. She is a staff
accountant at Doyle and Keenan, Davenport.
Chad Johansen married Erika Roloff ’99 on
March 5, 2005.
Beth Johnson is a geological outreach
coordinator for the Family Museum of Arts
and Sciences, Bettendorf, Iowa. She is also
a graduate student and teaching assistant at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
Victoria Johnson received the master’s
degree in occupational therapy from Western
Michigan University. She is employed by
Fitzgibbon Hospital, Marshall, Mo., as an
occupational therapist.
Courtney Sherbeyn Jones had a daughter,
Olivia, on February 24, 2005 (Matthew;
Abigail, 2). Courtney was promoted to senior
business analyst at KONE, Inc., Moline, Ill.
John Klimowski is an environmental consultant for EBI, Evergreen Park, Ill.
Katie Kroener teaches for Marquardt School
District, Glendale Heights, Ill.
Mike Krzyzaniak received the M.D. degree
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
He is now a general surgery resident with the
U.S. Navy, San Diego, Calif.
Janet Lucchesi Kurinsky is a vocal music
teacher for the Naperville (Ill.) School District.
Troy Larson married Julie Krack on September
4, 2004. He received the master’s degree in
biology from Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.,
and now attends Illinois State University,
Normal.
Janel Matousek married Jonathan Sullivan
’04 on February 5, 2005.
CJ Glawe received the M.D. degree from
the University of Illinois Chicago School of
Medicine and is now a psychiatry resident at
New York University Medical Center.
Michele Martin McKenzie received the
master’s degree in teaching from Aurora
(Ill.) University. She teaches fourth grade
at Lakewood Creek Elementary School,
Montgomery, Ill.
Lindsay Grant married Marc O’Neal on
December 4, 2004. She received the doctor
of physical therapy degree from Washington
University, St. Louis, Mo., and is a physical
therapist in Bourbonnais, Ill.
April Moore received the M.D. degree from
Southern Illinois University, Springfield.
She is now a family practice resident at the
University of Illinois College of Medicine,
Rockford.
Anders Carlson ’00 finally
hangs up the pair of boots
he bought in Anchorage,
Alaska, while on a field trip
with Dr. Jeff Strasser.
Anders Carlson, Iceman
Current students might take it as a word of caution: be careful what you pick as a topic for
that next paper. It just might turn into a career. When Anders Carlson ’00 had to write a
paper for Dr. Jeff Strasser’s geomorphology course, he thought he’d found a rather obscure
subject in the retreat of the Canadian ice sheet. Little did he know.
During graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Carlson found that little was, in
fact, all anyone knew about the disappearance of the Laurentide Ice Sheet from northern
Canada. Now a doctoral student at Oregon State University, Carlson received the J. Hoover
Mackin Award from the Geological Society of America (G.S.A.) to support his research into
the long-gone glacier.
“We’ve sort of assumed that it was gone by about 7,000 years ago, but no one really
knows when it disappeared,” Carlson says. Or, for that matter, exactly why it disappeared.
And finding those answers might help scientists better understand not just the past, but
the future as well.
“There are two remaining ice sheets on a scale of the Laurentide—the one covering
Greenland and the one covering Antarctica. If Greenland’s were to melt, you’d see a sixmeter rise in global sea level. If Antarctica’s disappears, we’re talking about a 60- to 70meter rise,” he says. “So long, New York.”
Not that such a cataclysm is imminent, but Carlson’s work in describing the retreat of the
Canadian ice sheet may help us understand recent increases in sea level—whether they’re
related to melt in Greenland or Antarctica, and whether they’re due to anthropogenic
causes or natural processes.
According to Strasser, this represents a massive project for a Ph.D. thesis. “But Anders
has the self-motivation and determination to accomplish it. When he sees a problem, he
just attacks it,” Strasser says. “He’s well-deserving of the Mackin Award because of those
qualities.”
—Kai Swanson ’86
Editor’s Note As this issue goes to press, Carlson reports that it appears the Laurentide Ice
Sheet disappeared approximately 6,800 years ago. “The disappearance was rapid, and the
ice sheet wasted in less than 700 years,” he says. “This shows how sensitive ice sheets are
to a warming climate and suggests that the Greenland Ice Sheet may be similarly sensitive to
global warming…not good for the future.”
41
Cindy Chinlund Mueller received the J.D.
degree from John Marshall Law School,
Chicago.
Elizabeth Newell received the M.D. degree
from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and is
now a pediatrics resident at the University of
Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Kathleen Nolan received the J.D. degree from
Valparaiso (Ind.) University and is now an
attorney with Thomas Burdelik & Associates.
Heather Pelkey received the D.V.M. degree
from the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. She is now a veterinarian at the Animal Clinic of Romeoville (Ill.).
Andrea Piasecki is a physical therapist with
Rock Valley Physical Therapy, Moline, Ill.
Megan Blair Randazzo received the master’s
degree in elementary education from
Roosevelt University, Chicago.
Tonya Rayborn is a supervisor with State
Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.
Danielle Ricci received the master’s degree
in curriculum and instruction from Concordia
University, River Forest, Ill. She has been
recognized in the 2005 edition of Who’s Who
Among America’s Teachers.
Amy Rice received the master’s degree in
medical genetics from Brunel University,
London. She works at the Wessex Regional
Genetics Laboratory, Salisbury, United
Kingdom.
Brian Rust is a police officer in the City of
Evanston, Ill.
Kristen Schipper received the J.D. degree
from the University of Notre Dame, South
Bend, Ind.
Amy Slawter received the M.D. degree from
the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is
now an emergency medicine resident at the
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Justin Smith is an environmental scientist
with Seneca Environmental Services,
Bettendorf, Iowa.
Chad Snook is a firefighter/paramedic with
the City of Moline, Ill.
Suzanne Steele is customer service manager
for order processing at Deere and Company.
Daniel ’95 and Lisa Kasarsky Stirratt had a
son, Jonah Matthew, on June 27, 2005. Lisa
teaches biology at Rock Island High School.
Deanna Swanson is human resources
assistant at Driehaus Capital Management,
Chicago.
Heather Tabbert is a project manager with
the Regional Transportation Authority,
Chicago.
42 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Closing the gap
Ryan Tillman received the M.B.A. degree
from Mississippi State University. He is a
management associate at Trustmark National
Bank, Jackson, Miss.
Los Angeles Academy Middle School in South L.A. is a world away from the farm Justin Betzelberger ’03 grew up on near Pekin,
Illinois. But every day he goes to work as part of the Teach for America Corps, he does so with the knowledge he’s doing his part
to address a problem with potentially critical consequences for our society.
Ethan Tritt teaches math and coaches football for the Spring Branch School District,
Houston, Texas.
“The mission of Teach for America is to close the educational achievement gap in the U.S.,” Betzelberger says. “There’s a passion among Corps members to give their students the opportunity to succeed.”
Katy Boultinghouse Wehr had a daughter,
Riley MacKenzie, on May 19, 2005 (David).
Among the students with whom he works, 11.4% are proficient at grade level in English, while only 7.4% are at grade level in math. Nationally, Teach for America reports that nine-year-olds in low-income communities are three grade levels behind on average, and are seven times less likely to graduate from college than those in higher income areas.
Andrea Weidner received the D.V.M. degree
from the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. She is now a large animal veterinarian at the Kiel (Wis.) Veterinary
Clinic.
Teach for America members receive a salary, plus an AmeriCorps education award. Betzelberger is using that to help complete
a master’s degree at Loyola-Marymount. Teach for America also has a “Sponsor a Teacher” program, in which major contributors
are paired with Corps members. Betzelberger not only had the chance to meet his patron, but also was his guest at a Los Angeles
Lakers basketball game.
Stephanie Wessel married Adam Reyburn
on May 28, 2005. She received the M.D.
degree from the University of Illinois College
of Medicine and is now a family practice resident at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
A biology major at Augustana, Betzelberger also minored in Spanish. That came in handy during his last round of parent conferences, 40 out of 46 of which he conducted in Spanish.
When he completes his two-year commitment, Betzelberger says he’d like to continue working with Teach for America, possibly as a recruiter in addition to teaching. Actually, that process has already started. On September 22, he was on campus as part of an alumni panel at the college’s weekly convocation. Betzelberger talked about how his Augustana experience helped
him discover his true vocation.
Jennifer Wilkes is a mortgage broker at The
Mortgage Department, Inc., Chicago.
Stevie Yuhas is an account executive at
Colangelo Synergy Marketing, Chicago.
2002
Darcy Ahrens received the master’s degree in
communication disorders from Bowling Green
(Ohio) State University.
Leah Angelo is a logistician at the Rock Island
Arsenal.
Kelly Bagsby and Michael Nelson were married in April 2004. Kelly is a registered nurse
on the leukemia unit at Johns Hopkins Cancer
Center, Baltimore, Md.
Jessie Bazzell married Den Diduch on
December 31, 2004. She teaches language
arts at Forrestville Valley Middle School,
Forreston, Ill.
Laura Bromann is an equity research assistant at William Blair & Co., Chicago.
Brad Carlock is general manager of Carlock &
Associates, Cape Coral, Fla.
Sean Cavanaugh is director of governmental
affairs for the Quad City Area Realtor Assoc.,
Moline, and the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Area
Assoc. of Realtors.
Elizabeth Choporis received the M.Ed. degree
in higher education, student affairs administration from Loyola University, Chicago. She
is now assistant director for student activities
at Elmhurst (Ill.) College.
Erik Christian had a daughter, Madelyn
Therese, on February 14, 2004 (Amanda).
Elizabeth Anderson Christiansen received
the master’s degree in occupational therapy
from Midwestern University. She is now an
occupational therapy aide at Capital Medical
Center Hand Therapy Clinic, Olympia, Wash.
Laura Davis is drama director and teacher for
the Oak Grove (Mo.) School District.
Patrick Hunt is a loan closer in the small
business association division at Banco
Popular, Rosemont, Ill.
Ginger Joseph Seidensticker has been
promoted to manager, corporate sales and
service, for the Colorado Crush football team.
Shameka Jones is an office assistant at
Benedictine University, Lisle, Ill.
Erin Slattery is inventory management specialist at the Rock Island Arsenal.
Jessica Ertmer married David Barker on
September 18, 2004. She is an international
buyer at WMH Tool Group, Elgin, Ill.
Julie Lewis is a legislative assistant at the
American College of Surgeons, Washington,
D.C.
Anne Altheide Sloniker is a graphic designer
at American Marketing & Publishing, DeKalb,
Ill.
Lisa Freberg is with Enterprise Rent-a-Car,
Phoenix, Ariz.
Gretchen Maher is a senior internal auditor at
Baker & McKenzie, Chicago.
Derek Strom married Kimberly Baker ’03 on
August 7, 2004.
Emily Garbisch received the doctor of
physical therapy degree from Washington
University, St. Louis, Mo., and now is a physical therapist at Athleticoes, Chicago.
Darcy Mason is a credit analyst at LaSalle
Bank, Chicago.
Jarmanese Torrance is a copywriter for Media
Alliance, Oak Brook, Ill.
Jessica DeMay is a jeune fille au pair for the
Aymerich Family in Saint Germain en Laye,
France.
Kashaundra Gaston received the J.D. degree
from Northern Illinois University College of
Law, DeKalb.
Katie Hancock teaches science at Wheaton
(Ill.) North High School.
Andrew ’01 and Sarah Eckel Harrison had
a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on March 18,
2005.
Luke Hawkins married Amy Linden on
October 23, 2004. He is a compliance auditor
at Modern Woodmen of America, Rock Island.
Brian Holba married Megan Carlson ’04 on
May 28, 2005.
Valerie Hughes married Brock McConchie
on September 6, 2003. She is a secretary at
Blackhawk State Bank, Milan, Ill.
Cara Hummel married Scott Nelson ’03 on
March 19, 2005.
Caroline Meinike is a social worker for
Lutheran Social Services.
James Triveri is an engineer at Prince, Carol
Stream, Ill.
Kristina Meyers married Kevin Pitz on June
28, 2003. She is a recreation therapist at
Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Ky.
Jennifer Weber is an occupational therapist
with Arlington Pediatric Therapy, Arlington
Heights, Ill.
Adam Michels is a speech-language pathologist for the Oswego (Ill.) School District.
Lisa Wisniewski is a teacher for the Woodridge (Ill.) School District.
Vicki Monti received the doctor of physical
therapy degree from Washington University,
St. Louis, Mo.
Karen Yackley is a deputy clerk for the U.S.
Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, Chicago.
Andrea Muschetto married Michael Purcell
on March 26, 2005. She is a guidance counselor at West Aurora (Ill.) High School.
Mehgan Blair O’Hearn is a hydrologist for the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Alvin ’00 and Willona Olison Portis had a
son, Kyle Olison, on May 24, 2005.
Patrick Rigg is a graduate student at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
2003
Brad Amundsen is a credit analyst at LaSalle
Bank, Tampa, Fla.
Kyle Anderson married Lindsey Resch on
October 9, 2004.
Kimberly Baker married Derek Strom ’02 on
August 7, 2004.
Brad Bartels is with Clearbrook, Arlington
Heights, Ill.
Jason Busch is a reporter with The Monroe
Times, Monroe, Wis.
Sarah Cernekee is a patrol officer with the
Yorkville (Ill.) Police Department.
John Childers attends National–Louis
University, Evanston, Ill.
Lindsay Clarke and Ryan Koenig were
married on October 16, 2004. Lindsay is
marketing director of New Horizons Computer
Learning Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Ryan is
a business banker for Wells Fargo Bank, also
in Cedar Rapids.
Sarah Cullen is an information systems assistant at Baruch College, New York, N.Y.
Brenda Curry married John Macke on June
18, 2005.
Benjamin Doetch married Melissa
Liebenstein on February 18, 2005.
Sarah Dorner is a production operator at
BioMerieux, Lombard, Ill.
Carrie Engstrom teaches high school English
in South Elgin, Ill.
Mikhail Giza had a daughter, Norah
Rhiannon, on April 27, 2005 (Elizabeth).
Kristin Hanekamp teaches physics at Warren
Township High School, Gurnee, Ill.
Matthew Hawkins received the master’s
degree in sports management from Illinois
State University, Normal.
Brett Herbeck received the master’s degree
in speech pathology from Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale.
Kate Holcomb married Ed Balogh, Jr., on
December 18, 2004. She received the master’s degree in teaching from the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She now teaches
English at the Islamic Foundation School,
Villa Park, Ill.
Kate Hooper received the master’s degree
in speech pathology from the University of
Nevada, Reno.
Meghan Howell is senior support technician
at Techteam Global, Davenport, Iowa.
Matthew Jennings is head men’s volleyball
coach at St. Ambrose University, Davenport,
Iowa.
Jessica Kopp Johanningmeier is a quantitative reasoning consultant at Cornell College,
Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Brijan Knapp is a mental health clinician at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Alison Krueger teaches at the New England
Center for Children, Southborough, Mass.
Amy Laytham is an elementary special education teacher for the Park Hill School District,
Kansas City, Mo.
Marinne Lorch Leonard received the master’s
degree in English from Southern Illinois
University, Edwardsville. She is an instructor
at Lewis & Clark Community College, Godfrey,
Ill.
Kristen Lewandowski received the master’s
degree in social work from the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is a social
work case manager at Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial
Hospital.
Julie Lucchesi is a speech-language pathologist for the Wilmette (Ill.) Public
School District.
Alexander Maidak and Sarah O’Hern had a
daughter, Madelyn, on October 31, 2004.
Nicole McGowan is a case manager at
Bethany for Children & Families, Moline, Ill.
Thomas Merritt is a conductor for the B&SF
Railway, Needles, Calif.
Melissa “Moe” Mlot is in customer relations/
sales at Sterling Lumber Co., Blue Island, Ill.
Jackie Moon is an account executive at Silver
Jeans, Chicago.
Scott Nelson married Cara Hummel ’02 on
March 19, 2005.
Sheila Nguyen received the master’s degree
in public health from Washington University,
St. Louis, Mo.
Lori Papineau is head women’s volleyball
coach at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis.
Michael Patterson teaches business education at Homewood-Flossmoor High School,
Flossmoor, Ill.
Jaclyn Pfeiffer received the master’s in urban
and regional planning from the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is an urban
planner with DMJM+Harris Planning, Phoenix,
Ariz.
Aubrey Purdy is a research associate at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
43
Cindy Chinlund Mueller received the J.D.
degree from John Marshall Law School,
Chicago.
Elizabeth Newell received the M.D. degree
from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and is
now a pediatrics resident at the University of
Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Kathleen Nolan received the J.D. degree from
Valparaiso (Ind.) University and is now an
attorney with Thomas Burdelik & Associates.
Heather Pelkey received the D.V.M. degree
from the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. She is now a veterinarian at the Animal Clinic of Romeoville (Ill.).
Andrea Piasecki is a physical therapist with
Rock Valley Physical Therapy, Moline, Ill.
Megan Blair Randazzo received the master’s
degree in elementary education from
Roosevelt University, Chicago.
Tonya Rayborn is a supervisor with State
Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.
Danielle Ricci received the master’s degree
in curriculum and instruction from Concordia
University, River Forest, Ill. She has been
recognized in the 2005 edition of Who’s Who
Among America’s Teachers.
Amy Rice received the master’s degree in
medical genetics from Brunel University,
London. She works at the Wessex Regional
Genetics Laboratory, Salisbury, United
Kingdom.
Brian Rust is a police officer in the City of
Evanston, Ill.
Kristen Schipper received the J.D. degree
from the University of Notre Dame, South
Bend, Ind.
Amy Slawter received the M.D. degree from
the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is
now an emergency medicine resident at the
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Justin Smith is an environmental scientist
with Seneca Environmental Services,
Bettendorf, Iowa.
Chad Snook is a firefighter/paramedic with
the City of Moline, Ill.
Suzanne Steele is customer service manager
for order processing at Deere and Company.
Daniel ’95 and Lisa Kasarsky Stirratt had a
son, Jonah Matthew, on June 27, 2005. Lisa
teaches biology at Rock Island High School.
Deanna Swanson is human resources
assistant at Driehaus Capital Management,
Chicago.
Heather Tabbert is a project manager with
the Regional Transportation Authority,
Chicago.
42 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Closing the gap
Ryan Tillman received the M.B.A. degree
from Mississippi State University. He is a
management associate at Trustmark National
Bank, Jackson, Miss.
Los Angeles Academy Middle School in South L.A. is a world away from the farm Justin Betzelberger ’03 grew up on near Pekin,
Illinois. But every day he goes to work as part of the Teach for America Corps, he does so with the knowledge he’s doing his part
to address a problem with potentially critical consequences for our society.
Ethan Tritt teaches math and coaches football for the Spring Branch School District,
Houston, Texas.
“The mission of Teach for America is to close the educational achievement gap in the U.S.,” Betzelberger says. “There’s a passion among Corps members to give their students the opportunity to succeed.”
Katy Boultinghouse Wehr had a daughter,
Riley MacKenzie, on May 19, 2005 (David).
Among the students with whom he works, 11.4% are proficient at grade level in English, while only 7.4% are at grade level in math. Nationally, Teach for America reports that nine-year-olds in low-income communities are three grade levels behind on average, and are seven times less likely to graduate from college than those in higher income areas.
Andrea Weidner received the D.V.M. degree
from the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. She is now a large animal veterinarian at the Kiel (Wis.) Veterinary
Clinic.
Teach for America members receive a salary, plus an AmeriCorps education award. Betzelberger is using that to help complete
a master’s degree at Loyola-Marymount. Teach for America also has a “Sponsor a Teacher” program, in which major contributors
are paired with Corps members. Betzelberger not only had the chance to meet his patron, but also was his guest at a Los Angeles
Lakers basketball game.
Stephanie Wessel married Adam Reyburn
on May 28, 2005. She received the M.D.
degree from the University of Illinois College
of Medicine and is now a family practice resident at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
A biology major at Augustana, Betzelberger also minored in Spanish. That came in handy during his last round of parent conferences, 40 out of 46 of which he conducted in Spanish.
When he completes his two-year commitment, Betzelberger says he’d like to continue working with Teach for America, possibly as a recruiter in addition to teaching. Actually, that process has already started. On September 22, he was on campus as part of an alumni panel at the college’s weekly convocation. Betzelberger talked about how his Augustana experience helped
him discover his true vocation.
Jennifer Wilkes is a mortgage broker at The
Mortgage Department, Inc., Chicago.
Stevie Yuhas is an account executive at
Colangelo Synergy Marketing, Chicago.
2002
Darcy Ahrens received the master’s degree in
communication disorders from Bowling Green
(Ohio) State University.
Leah Angelo is a logistician at the Rock Island
Arsenal.
Kelly Bagsby and Michael Nelson were married in April 2004. Kelly is a registered nurse
on the leukemia unit at Johns Hopkins Cancer
Center, Baltimore, Md.
Jessie Bazzell married Den Diduch on
December 31, 2004. She teaches language
arts at Forrestville Valley Middle School,
Forreston, Ill.
Laura Bromann is an equity research assistant at William Blair & Co., Chicago.
Brad Carlock is general manager of Carlock &
Associates, Cape Coral, Fla.
Sean Cavanaugh is director of governmental
affairs for the Quad City Area Realtor Assoc.,
Moline, and the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Area
Assoc. of Realtors.
Elizabeth Choporis received the M.Ed. degree
in higher education, student affairs administration from Loyola University, Chicago. She
is now assistant director for student activities
at Elmhurst (Ill.) College.
Erik Christian had a daughter, Madelyn
Therese, on February 14, 2004 (Amanda).
Elizabeth Anderson Christiansen received
the master’s degree in occupational therapy
from Midwestern University. She is now an
occupational therapy aide at Capital Medical
Center Hand Therapy Clinic, Olympia, Wash.
Laura Davis is drama director and teacher for
the Oak Grove (Mo.) School District.
Patrick Hunt is a loan closer in the small
business association division at Banco
Popular, Rosemont, Ill.
Ginger Joseph Seidensticker has been
promoted to manager, corporate sales and
service, for the Colorado Crush football team.
Shameka Jones is an office assistant at
Benedictine University, Lisle, Ill.
Erin Slattery is inventory management specialist at the Rock Island Arsenal.
Jessica Ertmer married David Barker on
September 18, 2004. She is an international
buyer at WMH Tool Group, Elgin, Ill.
Julie Lewis is a legislative assistant at the
American College of Surgeons, Washington,
D.C.
Anne Altheide Sloniker is a graphic designer
at American Marketing & Publishing, DeKalb,
Ill.
Lisa Freberg is with Enterprise Rent-a-Car,
Phoenix, Ariz.
Gretchen Maher is a senior internal auditor at
Baker & McKenzie, Chicago.
Derek Strom married Kimberly Baker ’03 on
August 7, 2004.
Emily Garbisch received the doctor of
physical therapy degree from Washington
University, St. Louis, Mo., and now is a physical therapist at Athleticoes, Chicago.
Darcy Mason is a credit analyst at LaSalle
Bank, Chicago.
Jarmanese Torrance is a copywriter for Media
Alliance, Oak Brook, Ill.
Jessica DeMay is a jeune fille au pair for the
Aymerich Family in Saint Germain en Laye,
France.
Kashaundra Gaston received the J.D. degree
from Northern Illinois University College of
Law, DeKalb.
Katie Hancock teaches science at Wheaton
(Ill.) North High School.
Andrew ’01 and Sarah Eckel Harrison had
a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on March 18,
2005.
Luke Hawkins married Amy Linden on
October 23, 2004. He is a compliance auditor
at Modern Woodmen of America, Rock Island.
Brian Holba married Megan Carlson ’04 on
May 28, 2005.
Valerie Hughes married Brock McConchie
on September 6, 2003. She is a secretary at
Blackhawk State Bank, Milan, Ill.
Cara Hummel married Scott Nelson ’03 on
March 19, 2005.
Caroline Meinike is a social worker for
Lutheran Social Services.
James Triveri is an engineer at Prince, Carol
Stream, Ill.
Kristina Meyers married Kevin Pitz on June
28, 2003. She is a recreation therapist at
Eastern State Hospital, Lexington, Ky.
Jennifer Weber is an occupational therapist
with Arlington Pediatric Therapy, Arlington
Heights, Ill.
Adam Michels is a speech-language pathologist for the Oswego (Ill.) School District.
Lisa Wisniewski is a teacher for the Woodridge (Ill.) School District.
Vicki Monti received the doctor of physical
therapy degree from Washington University,
St. Louis, Mo.
Karen Yackley is a deputy clerk for the U.S.
Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, Chicago.
Andrea Muschetto married Michael Purcell
on March 26, 2005. She is a guidance counselor at West Aurora (Ill.) High School.
Mehgan Blair O’Hearn is a hydrologist for the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Alvin ’00 and Willona Olison Portis had a
son, Kyle Olison, on May 24, 2005.
Patrick Rigg is a graduate student at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
2003
Brad Amundsen is a credit analyst at LaSalle
Bank, Tampa, Fla.
Kyle Anderson married Lindsey Resch on
October 9, 2004.
Kimberly Baker married Derek Strom ’02 on
August 7, 2004.
Brad Bartels is with Clearbrook, Arlington
Heights, Ill.
Jason Busch is a reporter with The Monroe
Times, Monroe, Wis.
Sarah Cernekee is a patrol officer with the
Yorkville (Ill.) Police Department.
John Childers attends National–Louis
University, Evanston, Ill.
Lindsay Clarke and Ryan Koenig were
married on October 16, 2004. Lindsay is
marketing director of New Horizons Computer
Learning Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Ryan is
a business banker for Wells Fargo Bank, also
in Cedar Rapids.
Sarah Cullen is an information systems assistant at Baruch College, New York, N.Y.
Brenda Curry married John Macke on June
18, 2005.
Benjamin Doetch married Melissa
Liebenstein on February 18, 2005.
Sarah Dorner is a production operator at
BioMerieux, Lombard, Ill.
Carrie Engstrom teaches high school English
in South Elgin, Ill.
Mikhail Giza had a daughter, Norah
Rhiannon, on April 27, 2005 (Elizabeth).
Kristin Hanekamp teaches physics at Warren
Township High School, Gurnee, Ill.
Matthew Hawkins received the master’s
degree in sports management from Illinois
State University, Normal.
Brett Herbeck received the master’s degree
in speech pathology from Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale.
Kate Holcomb married Ed Balogh, Jr., on
December 18, 2004. She received the master’s degree in teaching from the University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She now teaches
English at the Islamic Foundation School,
Villa Park, Ill.
Kate Hooper received the master’s degree
in speech pathology from the University of
Nevada, Reno.
Meghan Howell is senior support technician
at Techteam Global, Davenport, Iowa.
Matthew Jennings is head men’s volleyball
coach at St. Ambrose University, Davenport,
Iowa.
Jessica Kopp Johanningmeier is a quantitative reasoning consultant at Cornell College,
Mount Vernon, Iowa.
Brijan Knapp is a mental health clinician at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Alison Krueger teaches at the New England
Center for Children, Southborough, Mass.
Amy Laytham is an elementary special education teacher for the Park Hill School District,
Kansas City, Mo.
Marinne Lorch Leonard received the master’s
degree in English from Southern Illinois
University, Edwardsville. She is an instructor
at Lewis & Clark Community College, Godfrey,
Ill.
Kristen Lewandowski received the master’s
degree in social work from the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is a social
work case manager at Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial
Hospital.
Julie Lucchesi is a speech-language pathologist for the Wilmette (Ill.) Public
School District.
Alexander Maidak and Sarah O’Hern had a
daughter, Madelyn, on October 31, 2004.
Nicole McGowan is a case manager at
Bethany for Children & Families, Moline, Ill.
Thomas Merritt is a conductor for the B&SF
Railway, Needles, Calif.
Melissa “Moe” Mlot is in customer relations/
sales at Sterling Lumber Co., Blue Island, Ill.
Jackie Moon is an account executive at Silver
Jeans, Chicago.
Scott Nelson married Cara Hummel ’02 on
March 19, 2005.
Sheila Nguyen received the master’s degree
in public health from Washington University,
St. Louis, Mo.
Lori Papineau is head women’s volleyball
coach at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis.
Michael Patterson teaches business education at Homewood-Flossmoor High School,
Flossmoor, Ill.
Jaclyn Pfeiffer received the master’s in urban
and regional planning from the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She is an urban
planner with DMJM+Harris Planning, Phoenix,
Ariz.
Aubrey Purdy is a research associate at
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.
43
Kevin Randall is office manager at Kelly’s
Medical Equipment & Supply, Clinton, Iowa.
Katherine Andre attends the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
Charles Smith married Marianne Siess ’00
on July 24, 2003.
J. Iverne Dowie ’36 on February 14, 2005 (see
In memoriam, next page).
Suzanne Robins married Scott Benhart on
June 25, 2005.
Brandt Bennett is a sales representative with
Cintas Corp.
Nick Stafford teaches English (grades onesix) in Incheon, South Korea.
Gladis Lundeen ’37 Allen on February 19,
2005.
Lindsey Ryan teaches seventh- and eighthgrade Spanish at Homer Junior High School,
Homer Glen, Ill.
Sarah Blade teaches at Arrowhead Ranch,
Coal Valley, Ill.
Patrick Stivers is a docket clerk at the law
firm of Heyl, Royster, Voelker and Allen,
Byron, Ill.
Laurel Rider ’38 Anderson on December
29, 2004. Survivors include her husband,
Chester.
John Sturtevant is a sales representative for
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa.
Eleanor Gruenau ’38 McKeever on May 6,
2005. Survivors include her sister, Carma
Gruenau ’42 Drechsler.
Jonathan Sullivan married Janel Matousek
’01 on February 5, 2005.
Floyd Anderson ’39 on March 24, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Louise; daughters, Sharon Anderson ’68 Telleen, Barbara
Anderson ’71 Lindquist; brother, Richard
C. Anderson ’52; and grandson, Anders
Lindquist ’04.
Thomas Sanneman is a financial planner
at American Express Financial Advisors,
Lombard, Ill.
Aubrey Schissel is a chemistry technician at
Exlon Nuclear Power Co.
Sandra Schleicher is a front desk assistant at Eagle Ridge, Galena, Ill.
Jaclyn Smith married Kevin Jensen on June
11, 2005.
Bradley Snyder is a wildland firefighter with
the Cherryvale Fire Dept., Boulder, Colo.
Kristin Pogemiller Stephenson is a manager
with Curves for Women, O’Fallon, Mo.
Douglas Swanson received the M.B.A. degree
from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Nicholas Tarpein is finance manager at
Lujack’s Auto Plaza, Davenport, Iowa.
Elena Terronez is a bilingual service
representative for the Social Security
Administration, Rock Island.
Jennifer Wilson VanDeVelde had a daughter,
Alea Mae, on May 13, 2005 (Neil).
Jennifer Carlson Vaughn teaches history at
Dunbar Vocational High School, Chicago.
Jennifer Vortman is a budget analyst for the
Military Sealift Command, Department of the
Navy, Washington, D.C.
Janis Wegner received the master’s degree
in communication science and disorders from
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth.
Chad Williams is office manager at Miller
Mortgage, Rock Island.
Jill Youngblood teaches biology at Hoffman
Estates (Ill.) High School.
2004
Jon Aagaard is a regional sales associate for
the state of Florida at Claymore Securities,
Lisle, Ill.
Anna Bogner teaches English at Culturlingua,
Leon, Mexico.
Jeremy Brunner is an account representative
at State Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.
Anne Cameron works in collections at Wells
Fargo Bank, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Megan Carlson married Brian Holba ’02 on
May 28, 2005.
Letitia Ceynar is band director for Anamosa
(Iowa) Community Schools.
Tara Crandall is an admissions counselor at
Augustana College.
Jennifer Davis teaches second grade at
Dalzell Elementary School, Princeton, Ill.
Brian Dickey is a project accountant for
William A. Randolph, Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
Karen Flint married Neil Dahlstrom on June
18, 2005.
Nicole Foote is executive team leader for
Target Corp., St. Charles, Ill.
Cheryl Sinibaldo Fundakowski is an administrator at Air Fleet Capital, Leesburg, Va.
Stephanie Grana is cheerleading coach at
Wheaton (Ill.) North High School.
Michael Hansen attends the College of
DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Jeffrey Igou is store manager at Sherwin
Williams, Rock Island.
Kristin Krueger teaches Spanish at Proviso
Township High School, Hillside, Ill.
Joshua Kumpula is general music/orchestra
teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School,
Waukegan, Ill.
Lisa Miller is a quality control analyst in
microbiology at ZLB Behring, Bradley, Ill.
Abby Montgomery married Jerry Hoggard on
December 4, 2004.
Liz Pepke is store manager for Maurices,
Overland Park, Kan.
Stephanie Tetzler attends the University of
Illinois, Chicago.
Katie Tracey teaches at the Princeton (Ill.)
Christian Academy.
Lindsay Welsh Tracy is business relations
specialist at HON, Muscatine, Iowa.
Jason Williams was awarded the Glenn T.
Seaborg Nobel travel award from the Swedish
Council of America to attend the Nobel
Prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. He
is a graduate student in environmental and
forestry biology at State University of New
York, Syracuse.
Vanessa Young is a missionary/volunteer
with the ELCA, Chicago.
2005
Heather Widolff teaches high school English
for the Sterling (Ill.) School District.
Deaths
(notices received as of June 30, 2005)
Wendell Lund ’27 on December 25, 2004. His
wife, Marian, survives him (see Augustana
College Magazine, Spring 2005, page 22).
Marie Saunders ’28 Kerker on February 27,
2005.
Ruth Peterson ’28 Youngberg on February
26, 2005. Survivors include her daughter,
Glenna Youngberg ’64 Sbertoli, and grandchildren, Jennifer Sbertoli ’88 Kreiter and Kyle
Youngberg ’03.
Ida Stenstrom ’29 Engstrom on January 21,
2004. Survivors include her daughter, Nancy
Engstrom ’55 Hinkley.
Jamie Abbitt is case manager for the Rock
Island County Health Department.
Jennifer Polcyn is administrative assistant at
LAGA, Northbrook, Ill.
Sandy Aguirre is credit manager for Wells
Fargo Financial, Davenport, Iowa.
Sarah Powers is a realtor with Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage, Bradley, Ill.
Christine Allard attends Northern Illinois
University, DeKalb.
Lindsay Rowe attends Rush University,
Chicago.
Claretta Brissman ’34 Leonhard on April 13,
2005. Her survivors include daughter, Karen
Leonhard ’61 Lohse.
Erik Anderson is employed at Selden Fox Ltd.,
Oak Brook, Ill.
Kristen Schultz is a pharmacy coordinator at
Tap Pharmaceuticals, Chicago.
Elizabeth Shield ’35 Pool on February 2,
2005.
44 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Miriam E. Peterson ’29 on November 4,
2004.
H. Maurice Carlson ’39 on December 21,
2004. Among survivors is his wife, Phyllis.
Helen Horberg ’39 Gustafson on May 8,
2005.
Werner Meyn ’39 on December 24, 2004.
Survivors include his sister, Helen Meyn ’41
Allen.
Harold Peterson ’39 on May 9, 2005.
Marian Dyce ’40 Bowdich on May 20, 2005.
Eleanor Bergendahl ’41 Anderson on
February 1, 2005. Survivors include her sons,
Donald Anderson ’67 and Kurt Anderson ’72.
Marjorie Baumgarten ’41 Burkland on April
26, 2005.
Ernest E. Carlstrom ’41 in May 2005. His wife
survives him.
Kenneth H. Rogers ’45 on April 8, 2005.
Victor “Bud” Lindquist ’46 on November 24,
2004. His survivors include his wife, Mary Lou
Buck ’47 Lindquist; son, Kirk ’72; daughter,
Kristin Lindquist ’74 Lohmiller; and grandson,
Anders Lindquist ’03.
Hugo Anderson ’47 on March 5, 2005.
L. Jack Ehlers ’47 on October 18, 2004. His
wife, Ida, survives him.
Arthur H. Miller ’48 on April 20, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Lois.
Robert C. Miller ’48 on June 4, 2005.
Survivors include his daughter, Kristine Miller
’70 Morris.
Marilyn Anderson ’48 Munson on June 10,
2005.
Allen Curtis ’49 on June 24, 2005. His wife,
Lillian, survives him.
Herbert Kamerer ’49 on December 30, 2004.
His wife, Alice, survives him.
Kenneth D. Moburg ’49 on January 17, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Jackson
’46 Moburg.
John “Cuzin” Anderson ’50 on January 25,
2005. Among survivors are his wife, Dorothy
Bratlie ’50 Anderson; daughter, Kathy
Anderson ’74 Janicek; granddaughter,
Elizabeth Janicek ’07; brother, William
Anderson ’46; and sisters, Joanna Anderson
’43 Berentson and Sally Anderson ’56
Mishkind.
Charles Harrison ’41 on January 27, 2005.
Duane R. Carlson ’50 on May 30, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Maribeth Wilson
’49 Carlson.
Helen Johnson ’41 Johnson on January 8,
2005. Survivors include her husband, Lloyd
’41, and daughter Bonnie Johnson ’76 Curl.
Clinton Schryver ’50 on October 26, 2004.
Survivors include his wife, Joann Hultgren ’54
Schryver.
Gertrude Ossian ’41 Lundholm on June 30,
2005. Survivors include her sons, Mark ’70
and Peter ’71; daughter, Martha Lundholm ’78
Jansson; and grandson, Nicholas Lundholm
’04 (see In memoriam, next page).
Mona Walz ’51 Dusseljee on May 6, 2005.
Her sister, Jo Walz ’49 Parsons, survives her.
Mary Ann Froude ’42 Kulow on March 9,
2005.
Stowell Masengarb ’42 on March 1, 2005. His
survivors include his son, John Masengarb ’62.
Lois Nicholson ’44 Brandt on December 17,
2004.
Marilyn Whitman ’44 Edstrom on January
16, 2005. Among survivors is her husband,
Paul ’38.
Philip Engdahl ’44 on January 18, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara.
Dorothy Magney ’45 Youngdale on
September 28, 2004.
Mildred Johnson, wife of John Johnson ’45, on
March 2, 2005.
Mary Ann Frazier, wife of Forrest Frazier ’51,
on March 18, 2005.
Eugene L. Johnson ’52 on April 22, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Marguerite
Robinson ’53 Johnson.
Helen Fisko ’52 Knoke on February 23, 2005.
Her husband, Kenneth, survives her.
Janice Nachbauer, wife of Louis Nachbauer
’52, on June 20, 2005.
E. Robert Walther ’52 on February 7, 2005.
His wife, Katie, survives him.
Muriel Peel ’54 Fetzner on January 14, 2005.
Survivors include her son, Carl ’77.
Richard A. Swanson ’54 on March 10, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Lorian Sundelius
’54 Swanson; sons, Scott ’80, Craig ’83, and
Kai ’86; brother, Gerald Swanson ’59; and
granddaughter, Deanna Swanson ’01 (see
page 48).
William M. Berger, Jr. ’55 on April 27, 2005.
His wife, Sally, survives him.
Curtis N. Strate ’56 on April 8, 2005. Among
survivors is his wife, Kay Zimmer ’56 Strate.
Kathryn Anderson ’56 Zimmerman on April
25, 2005.
James B. Lingwall ’57 on June 2, 2005. His
wife, Maxine, survives him.
Emma Anderson, wife of Roger E. Anderson
’58, on December 30, 2004.
Ilinca Zarifopol Johnston, wife of Kenneth R.
Johnston ’59, on January 18, 2005.
David S. Mellander ’59 on March 29, 2005.
Donald E. Stein ’60 on November 29, 2004.
Jerry Dobby, husband of Suzanne Johnson
’62 Dobby, on May 26, 2005.
Marcus K. Bateman ’65 on May 3, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Elaine.
Ronald D. Horner ’65 on April 17, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Sandy, and
brother, Thomas ’66.
Marcella Hallas ’66 Armstrong on May
10, 2005. Survivors include her husband,
William, and daughter, Linda Armstrong ’74
Lindy.
Thelma Dickinson ’66 Johnson on April 21,
2005. Her husband, Howard, survives her.
Richard Dishno ’68 on May 4, 2005. Among
survivors is his wife, Nancy.
Pearl Schlottke Klyber ’69 on January 28,
2005.
James R. Slack ’71 on April 30, 2005.
Shirley A. Young ’72 on May 14, 2005.
Survivors include her mother, Lucille Young.
Greta Sutton ’73 Brooks on February 28,
2005. Her husband, James, survives her.
Robin C. Hoffmann ’75 on August 1, 2004.
Survivors include her mother, Cheris, and
brother, Phillip ’74.
Myra Funkhouser ’82 Marolf on June 16,
2005. Her husband, David, survives her.
Wilma Tosh ’84 on May 6, 2004.
Pamela Zoellick ’92 Hene on June 21, 2005.
Survivors include her husband, David and
son, Erich.
James J. Johnson ’93 on March 31, 2005.
Megan Ellenberger ’98 on February 20, 2005.
Her parents, Frederick ’58 and Karol Johnson
’59 Ellenberger, survive her.
In memoriam
J. Iverne Dowie, 93
An extraordinary member of the Augustana community, Dr. J. Iverne
Dowie died February 14. Blind since the age of 2, Dowie was already something of a celebrity at Augustana when he enrolled here in 1932. He had
been a featured soloist with the Augustana Band on its 1928 European tour,
during which some audiences were incredulous that the violin could be
played so well by a sightless adolescent. Tests of both his blindness and his virtuosity were required at several venues.
Graduating with honors in 1936, Dowie then completed his master’s
in history at the University of Chicago, and later his Ph.D. from the
University of Minnesota. He taught at the Augustana Synod’s Luther
Junior College in Nebraska from 1941 to 1958, and even served one year as acting president of the institution.
Dowie taught in the History Department at Augustana from 1958
to 1979, and served as its chair from 1969 to 1976. After retiring, Dowie
became one of the first clients of APRIS, the Augustana Public Radio
Information Service, a reading program for persons with visual and other
disabilities which is housed by WVIK, Augustana’s public radio station.
One additional note: not only did Dowie walk from his home at 80041st Street to campus, day in and day out for 21 years, but when the house
needed re-roofing, he did it himself.
Gertrude Lundholm, 92
As one longtime friend describes her, Gertrude Lundholm was an avid
reader who was quite knowledgeable and “always raring to go.” She
received her diploma from Augustana in 1941. Four years later, she married
Brynolf “Beany” Lundholm, professor of music and accompanist for the
Augustana Choir and the Handel Oratorio Society for many years.
The Lundholm home often was a gathering place for students, especially when their children — Mark ’70, Peter ’71 and Martha Lundholm
’78 Jansson — attended Augustana. In the Summer 1984 issue of Augustana
College Magazine, the Rev. Tom Church ’68 wrote of the Lundholms on the
occasion of Beany’s death: “The Lundholm house on 34th Street became
my home away from home. We talked about everything from girlfriend
problems to vocational goals. In a sense, some of the credit for my being in the ordained ministry to this day belongs to Beany and Gertrude.”
Following her graduation from Augustana, Gertrude taught elementary
school in Stanton, Iowa, and special education at the state school in Glenwood, Iowa. Later, she was a teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in
Rock Island. She volunteered at Holden Village, an ecumenical Christian
center for renewal, in Chelan, Wash., for 40-plus summers.
“To say that the Lundholm family were fanatics about Holden Village
would be an understatement!” Church said. “But finally I caved in and
applied for a summer staff position. I too am a Holden fanatic.”
Gertrude also was a longstanding member of First Lutheran Church in Moline and the Endowment Society of Augustana. She died June 30 in Rock Island.
45
Kevin Randall is office manager at Kelly’s
Medical Equipment & Supply, Clinton, Iowa.
Katherine Andre attends the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
Charles Smith married Marianne Siess ’00
on July 24, 2003.
J. Iverne Dowie ’36 on February 14, 2005 (see
In memoriam, next page).
Suzanne Robins married Scott Benhart on
June 25, 2005.
Brandt Bennett is a sales representative with
Cintas Corp.
Nick Stafford teaches English (grades onesix) in Incheon, South Korea.
Gladis Lundeen ’37 Allen on February 19,
2005.
Lindsey Ryan teaches seventh- and eighthgrade Spanish at Homer Junior High School,
Homer Glen, Ill.
Sarah Blade teaches at Arrowhead Ranch,
Coal Valley, Ill.
Patrick Stivers is a docket clerk at the law
firm of Heyl, Royster, Voelker and Allen,
Byron, Ill.
Laurel Rider ’38 Anderson on December
29, 2004. Survivors include her husband,
Chester.
John Sturtevant is a sales representative for
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa.
Eleanor Gruenau ’38 McKeever on May 6,
2005. Survivors include her sister, Carma
Gruenau ’42 Drechsler.
Jonathan Sullivan married Janel Matousek
’01 on February 5, 2005.
Floyd Anderson ’39 on March 24, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Louise; daughters, Sharon Anderson ’68 Telleen, Barbara
Anderson ’71 Lindquist; brother, Richard
C. Anderson ’52; and grandson, Anders
Lindquist ’04.
Thomas Sanneman is a financial planner
at American Express Financial Advisors,
Lombard, Ill.
Aubrey Schissel is a chemistry technician at
Exlon Nuclear Power Co.
Sandra Schleicher is a front desk assistant at Eagle Ridge, Galena, Ill.
Jaclyn Smith married Kevin Jensen on June
11, 2005.
Bradley Snyder is a wildland firefighter with
the Cherryvale Fire Dept., Boulder, Colo.
Kristin Pogemiller Stephenson is a manager
with Curves for Women, O’Fallon, Mo.
Douglas Swanson received the M.B.A. degree
from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.
Nicholas Tarpein is finance manager at
Lujack’s Auto Plaza, Davenport, Iowa.
Elena Terronez is a bilingual service
representative for the Social Security
Administration, Rock Island.
Jennifer Wilson VanDeVelde had a daughter,
Alea Mae, on May 13, 2005 (Neil).
Jennifer Carlson Vaughn teaches history at
Dunbar Vocational High School, Chicago.
Jennifer Vortman is a budget analyst for the
Military Sealift Command, Department of the
Navy, Washington, D.C.
Janis Wegner received the master’s degree
in communication science and disorders from
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth.
Chad Williams is office manager at Miller
Mortgage, Rock Island.
Jill Youngblood teaches biology at Hoffman
Estates (Ill.) High School.
2004
Jon Aagaard is a regional sales associate for
the state of Florida at Claymore Securities,
Lisle, Ill.
Anna Bogner teaches English at Culturlingua,
Leon, Mexico.
Jeremy Brunner is an account representative
at State Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.
Anne Cameron works in collections at Wells
Fargo Bank, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Megan Carlson married Brian Holba ’02 on
May 28, 2005.
Letitia Ceynar is band director for Anamosa
(Iowa) Community Schools.
Tara Crandall is an admissions counselor at
Augustana College.
Jennifer Davis teaches second grade at
Dalzell Elementary School, Princeton, Ill.
Brian Dickey is a project accountant for
William A. Randolph, Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
Karen Flint married Neil Dahlstrom on June
18, 2005.
Nicole Foote is executive team leader for
Target Corp., St. Charles, Ill.
Cheryl Sinibaldo Fundakowski is an administrator at Air Fleet Capital, Leesburg, Va.
Stephanie Grana is cheerleading coach at
Wheaton (Ill.) North High School.
Michael Hansen attends the College of
DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Jeffrey Igou is store manager at Sherwin
Williams, Rock Island.
Kristin Krueger teaches Spanish at Proviso
Township High School, Hillside, Ill.
Joshua Kumpula is general music/orchestra
teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School,
Waukegan, Ill.
Lisa Miller is a quality control analyst in
microbiology at ZLB Behring, Bradley, Ill.
Abby Montgomery married Jerry Hoggard on
December 4, 2004.
Liz Pepke is store manager for Maurices,
Overland Park, Kan.
Stephanie Tetzler attends the University of
Illinois, Chicago.
Katie Tracey teaches at the Princeton (Ill.)
Christian Academy.
Lindsay Welsh Tracy is business relations
specialist at HON, Muscatine, Iowa.
Jason Williams was awarded the Glenn T.
Seaborg Nobel travel award from the Swedish
Council of America to attend the Nobel
Prize ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. He
is a graduate student in environmental and
forestry biology at State University of New
York, Syracuse.
Vanessa Young is a missionary/volunteer
with the ELCA, Chicago.
2005
Heather Widolff teaches high school English
for the Sterling (Ill.) School District.
Deaths
(notices received as of June 30, 2005)
Wendell Lund ’27 on December 25, 2004. His
wife, Marian, survives him (see Augustana
College Magazine, Spring 2005, page 22).
Marie Saunders ’28 Kerker on February 27,
2005.
Ruth Peterson ’28 Youngberg on February
26, 2005. Survivors include her daughter,
Glenna Youngberg ’64 Sbertoli, and grandchildren, Jennifer Sbertoli ’88 Kreiter and Kyle
Youngberg ’03.
Ida Stenstrom ’29 Engstrom on January 21,
2004. Survivors include her daughter, Nancy
Engstrom ’55 Hinkley.
Jamie Abbitt is case manager for the Rock
Island County Health Department.
Jennifer Polcyn is administrative assistant at
LAGA, Northbrook, Ill.
Sandy Aguirre is credit manager for Wells
Fargo Financial, Davenport, Iowa.
Sarah Powers is a realtor with Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage, Bradley, Ill.
Christine Allard attends Northern Illinois
University, DeKalb.
Lindsay Rowe attends Rush University,
Chicago.
Claretta Brissman ’34 Leonhard on April 13,
2005. Her survivors include daughter, Karen
Leonhard ’61 Lohse.
Erik Anderson is employed at Selden Fox Ltd.,
Oak Brook, Ill.
Kristen Schultz is a pharmacy coordinator at
Tap Pharmaceuticals, Chicago.
Elizabeth Shield ’35 Pool on February 2,
2005.
44 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Miriam E. Peterson ’29 on November 4,
2004.
H. Maurice Carlson ’39 on December 21,
2004. Among survivors is his wife, Phyllis.
Helen Horberg ’39 Gustafson on May 8,
2005.
Werner Meyn ’39 on December 24, 2004.
Survivors include his sister, Helen Meyn ’41
Allen.
Harold Peterson ’39 on May 9, 2005.
Marian Dyce ’40 Bowdich on May 20, 2005.
Eleanor Bergendahl ’41 Anderson on
February 1, 2005. Survivors include her sons,
Donald Anderson ’67 and Kurt Anderson ’72.
Marjorie Baumgarten ’41 Burkland on April
26, 2005.
Ernest E. Carlstrom ’41 in May 2005. His wife
survives him.
Kenneth H. Rogers ’45 on April 8, 2005.
Victor “Bud” Lindquist ’46 on November 24,
2004. His survivors include his wife, Mary Lou
Buck ’47 Lindquist; son, Kirk ’72; daughter,
Kristin Lindquist ’74 Lohmiller; and grandson,
Anders Lindquist ’03.
Hugo Anderson ’47 on March 5, 2005.
L. Jack Ehlers ’47 on October 18, 2004. His
wife, Ida, survives him.
Arthur H. Miller ’48 on April 20, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Lois.
Robert C. Miller ’48 on June 4, 2005.
Survivors include his daughter, Kristine Miller
’70 Morris.
Marilyn Anderson ’48 Munson on June 10,
2005.
Allen Curtis ’49 on June 24, 2005. His wife,
Lillian, survives him.
Herbert Kamerer ’49 on December 30, 2004.
His wife, Alice, survives him.
Kenneth D. Moburg ’49 on January 17, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Jackson
’46 Moburg.
John “Cuzin” Anderson ’50 on January 25,
2005. Among survivors are his wife, Dorothy
Bratlie ’50 Anderson; daughter, Kathy
Anderson ’74 Janicek; granddaughter,
Elizabeth Janicek ’07; brother, William
Anderson ’46; and sisters, Joanna Anderson
’43 Berentson and Sally Anderson ’56
Mishkind.
Charles Harrison ’41 on January 27, 2005.
Duane R. Carlson ’50 on May 30, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Maribeth Wilson
’49 Carlson.
Helen Johnson ’41 Johnson on January 8,
2005. Survivors include her husband, Lloyd
’41, and daughter Bonnie Johnson ’76 Curl.
Clinton Schryver ’50 on October 26, 2004.
Survivors include his wife, Joann Hultgren ’54
Schryver.
Gertrude Ossian ’41 Lundholm on June 30,
2005. Survivors include her sons, Mark ’70
and Peter ’71; daughter, Martha Lundholm ’78
Jansson; and grandson, Nicholas Lundholm
’04 (see In memoriam, next page).
Mona Walz ’51 Dusseljee on May 6, 2005.
Her sister, Jo Walz ’49 Parsons, survives her.
Mary Ann Froude ’42 Kulow on March 9,
2005.
Stowell Masengarb ’42 on March 1, 2005. His
survivors include his son, John Masengarb ’62.
Lois Nicholson ’44 Brandt on December 17,
2004.
Marilyn Whitman ’44 Edstrom on January
16, 2005. Among survivors is her husband,
Paul ’38.
Philip Engdahl ’44 on January 18, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara.
Dorothy Magney ’45 Youngdale on
September 28, 2004.
Mildred Johnson, wife of John Johnson ’45, on
March 2, 2005.
Mary Ann Frazier, wife of Forrest Frazier ’51,
on March 18, 2005.
Eugene L. Johnson ’52 on April 22, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Marguerite
Robinson ’53 Johnson.
Helen Fisko ’52 Knoke on February 23, 2005.
Her husband, Kenneth, survives her.
Janice Nachbauer, wife of Louis Nachbauer
’52, on June 20, 2005.
E. Robert Walther ’52 on February 7, 2005.
His wife, Katie, survives him.
Muriel Peel ’54 Fetzner on January 14, 2005.
Survivors include her son, Carl ’77.
Richard A. Swanson ’54 on March 10, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Lorian Sundelius
’54 Swanson; sons, Scott ’80, Craig ’83, and
Kai ’86; brother, Gerald Swanson ’59; and
granddaughter, Deanna Swanson ’01 (see
page 48).
William M. Berger, Jr. ’55 on April 27, 2005.
His wife, Sally, survives him.
Curtis N. Strate ’56 on April 8, 2005. Among
survivors is his wife, Kay Zimmer ’56 Strate.
Kathryn Anderson ’56 Zimmerman on April
25, 2005.
James B. Lingwall ’57 on June 2, 2005. His
wife, Maxine, survives him.
Emma Anderson, wife of Roger E. Anderson
’58, on December 30, 2004.
Ilinca Zarifopol Johnston, wife of Kenneth R.
Johnston ’59, on January 18, 2005.
David S. Mellander ’59 on March 29, 2005.
Donald E. Stein ’60 on November 29, 2004.
Jerry Dobby, husband of Suzanne Johnson
’62 Dobby, on May 26, 2005.
Marcus K. Bateman ’65 on May 3, 2005.
Among survivors is his wife, Elaine.
Ronald D. Horner ’65 on April 17, 2005.
Survivors include his wife, Sandy, and
brother, Thomas ’66.
Marcella Hallas ’66 Armstrong on May
10, 2005. Survivors include her husband,
William, and daughter, Linda Armstrong ’74
Lindy.
Thelma Dickinson ’66 Johnson on April 21,
2005. Her husband, Howard, survives her.
Richard Dishno ’68 on May 4, 2005. Among
survivors is his wife, Nancy.
Pearl Schlottke Klyber ’69 on January 28,
2005.
James R. Slack ’71 on April 30, 2005.
Shirley A. Young ’72 on May 14, 2005.
Survivors include her mother, Lucille Young.
Greta Sutton ’73 Brooks on February 28,
2005. Her husband, James, survives her.
Robin C. Hoffmann ’75 on August 1, 2004.
Survivors include her mother, Cheris, and
brother, Phillip ’74.
Myra Funkhouser ’82 Marolf on June 16,
2005. Her husband, David, survives her.
Wilma Tosh ’84 on May 6, 2004.
Pamela Zoellick ’92 Hene on June 21, 2005.
Survivors include her husband, David and
son, Erich.
James J. Johnson ’93 on March 31, 2005.
Megan Ellenberger ’98 on February 20, 2005.
Her parents, Frederick ’58 and Karol Johnson
’59 Ellenberger, survive her.
In memoriam
J. Iverne Dowie, 93
An extraordinary member of the Augustana community, Dr. J. Iverne
Dowie died February 14. Blind since the age of 2, Dowie was already something of a celebrity at Augustana when he enrolled here in 1932. He had
been a featured soloist with the Augustana Band on its 1928 European tour,
during which some audiences were incredulous that the violin could be
played so well by a sightless adolescent. Tests of both his blindness and his virtuosity were required at several venues.
Graduating with honors in 1936, Dowie then completed his master’s
in history at the University of Chicago, and later his Ph.D. from the
University of Minnesota. He taught at the Augustana Synod’s Luther
Junior College in Nebraska from 1941 to 1958, and even served one year as acting president of the institution.
Dowie taught in the History Department at Augustana from 1958
to 1979, and served as its chair from 1969 to 1976. After retiring, Dowie
became one of the first clients of APRIS, the Augustana Public Radio
Information Service, a reading program for persons with visual and other
disabilities which is housed by WVIK, Augustana’s public radio station.
One additional note: not only did Dowie walk from his home at 80041st Street to campus, day in and day out for 21 years, but when the house
needed re-roofing, he did it himself.
Gertrude Lundholm, 92
As one longtime friend describes her, Gertrude Lundholm was an avid
reader who was quite knowledgeable and “always raring to go.” She
received her diploma from Augustana in 1941. Four years later, she married
Brynolf “Beany” Lundholm, professor of music and accompanist for the
Augustana Choir and the Handel Oratorio Society for many years.
The Lundholm home often was a gathering place for students, especially when their children — Mark ’70, Peter ’71 and Martha Lundholm
’78 Jansson — attended Augustana. In the Summer 1984 issue of Augustana
College Magazine, the Rev. Tom Church ’68 wrote of the Lundholms on the
occasion of Beany’s death: “The Lundholm house on 34th Street became
my home away from home. We talked about everything from girlfriend
problems to vocational goals. In a sense, some of the credit for my being in the ordained ministry to this day belongs to Beany and Gertrude.”
Following her graduation from Augustana, Gertrude taught elementary
school in Stanton, Iowa, and special education at the state school in Glenwood, Iowa. Later, she was a teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in
Rock Island. She volunteered at Holden Village, an ecumenical Christian
center for renewal, in Chelan, Wash., for 40-plus summers.
“To say that the Lundholm family were fanatics about Holden Village
would be an understatement!” Church said. “But finally I caved in and
applied for a summer staff position. I too am a Holden fanatic.”
Gertrude also was a longstanding member of First Lutheran Church in Moline and the Endowment Society of Augustana. She died June 30 in Rock Island.
45
Alumnusessay
‘The most intense experience of my life’
by Navy Lt. Ken Velez ’94
editor’s note Lt. Ken Velez ’94 is a naval aviator in the U.S. Navy. He
flies the EA-6B Prowler, which provides an umbrella of protection for strike
aircraft, ground troops and ships by jamming enemy radar, electronic data
links and communications. Velez has flown combat missions in Operation
Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The following is his account of relief efforts following the December 26 massive earthquake and devastating
tsunamis in the Bay of Bengal.
I never thought i would be selected as one of the first
Americans to aid in the post-tsunami humanitarian relief efforts. After
all, I really didn’t have the skills my commanding officer needed, such as
foreign language skills or training in advanced first-aid. In fact, I didn’t
write down much on the volunteer assessment sheet—just some construction skills, basic first-aid and time spent as a physical therapy assistant.
Perhaps he wanted more intangible qualities.
When our aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln,
arrived off the north shore of Indonesia on New Year’s
Day, I was in the first wave of helicopters (helos) sent to
establish a logistical hub and move relief supplies from
the Banda Aceh airport. Not knowing what to expect as
we lifted off the flight deck, we quickly caught a glimpse
of the destruction. Numerous corpses floated in the water.
Proceeding further inland, we were amazed that the
coastal town was obliterated. You could see outlines of the foundations of homes. As the earthquake shook them
loose, the tsunamis washed everything out to sea.
At the airport, we found near chaos. No infrastructure
for relief efforts was in place. About 500 Indonesians had
made their way to the airport in search of food, water and a flight out of the area. A few Australians and the
Indonesian military had established a base, and were
accepting supplies. But they did not have helos to move the food and water.
As a Prowler pilot with no helicopter-flying abilities, I was initially sent in to be the liaison to move supplies
along the west coast. Quickly realizing there was no one
to actually liaise with, my executive officer and I became the
primary ground coordinators to
make this relief effort happen.
Working with the
Indonesians and the civilian
relief agencies, we established a system to have 12 helos flying from sunrise to sunset. The helos ferried everything from biscuits, rice, noodles,
milk and water to medical supplies. We transported medical staff, as
well. As our pilots dropped off supplies, Indonesian citizens rushed to
hug them with relief and joy.
Finally our helos were authorized to airlift any injured people they
found back to Banda Aceh. Their arrival was the most intense experience
of my life. These people had been hanging in trees, stuck on mountainsides or crawling on broken roads for days. Some of them were missing
limbs. Some of them were near death. Many of them were children.
The first time I ran to a helo with a stretcher, I felt like everything was in slow motion as the helo’s door opened. I stood and stared in awe because I couldn’t believe how many people were inside. Almost 20
injured men, women and children were piled on top of each other. I just
put it out of my head and helped run them to a tent for treatment. Once
all the helos were empty, I had to
catch my breath to give the helos
and the load team their next misNavy Lt. Ken Velez ’94, left,
sions. This cycle continued all day
assists injured Indonesians
in the intense heat.
at the Banda Aceh airport.
At the end of the third day, as I sat on the floor of the helo for
the ride back to the USS Abraham
Lincoln, I looked over and saw my
executive officer giving me a nod of approval. I smiled, nodded
back, and looked out the open
door. Everybody had pushed
themselves to their mental and
physical limits. The teamwork
and determination out there was
nothing like I’d ever seen. What
makes a person run across an airfield to save someone he doesn’t
know? We don’t speak their language. We don’t share the same
religion. The differences are vast.
But we put all that aside. I’d
never been so proud to be in the
U.S. Navy and an American.
What makes a person run across an airfield
to save someone he doesn’t know?
46 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Ta Prohm Temple within the Angkor Wat complex
A journey of compassion (continued from page 25)
One afternoon Ryder and the three teen-agers
were walking along a street in Siem Reap. One
of Jeffrey’s friends gave a cookie to a 10-year-old
boy who was missing a leg, probably from polio.
The boy immediately broke the cookie into four
pieces to share with his friends. When he was
then given a package of cookies, a crowd of children gathered and the bounty was shared
evenly.
“To me, that’s the epitome of Cambodian culture,” Ryder says. “The children take care of
each other because they see themselves in each
other. Their parents can’t take care of them
because they don’t have the money or they’re off
trying to work somewhere. That’s why I became
involved with the monks’ project at Wat
Damnak Pagoda.”
Somnieng Hoeurn is the head monk at Wat
Damnak Pagoda, a Buddhist temple in Siem
Reap. When he met Ryder last January, there was an instant connection between the two men.
When Hoeurn asked Ryder to help him take care
of the children of Siem Reap Province, Ryder
couldn’t refuse. The Life and Hope Association
assistance program, based at Wat Damnak
Pagoda, provides basic living assistance and educational opportunities to destitute children,
including orphans and street children. If the
children learn English, for example, they have a better chance of getting a job in tourism.
“Dr. Ryder is very important and useful man
for developing my program, the kind of man that
my children and I need,” Hoeurn says. “He is
full of skills and experiences, and most important he is a very good, kind man, and this world
needs the people like him. I should not say that
he is a dentist and a rich man…as you know,
there are many rich men and women in the
world, but they don’t do as him. Why?
“In the Buddhism way, we can say that Dr.
Ryder already has a name as a wise man, as this
is how this kind of person always has done for
this world.”
Ryder says he is not so much religious as he is philosophical. He enjoys finding answers to
life’s problems.
However he’s described, Ryder’s life has been transformed by a remarkable commitment
to less fortunate communities around the world.
And perhaps more importantly, he has channeled
his vision with perseverance, and a rare ability
to follow through. In Cambodia, or any other
country, people like Jon Ryder make a difference.
47
Alumnusessay
‘The most intense experience of my life’
by Navy Lt. Ken Velez ’94
editor’s note Lt. Ken Velez ’94 is a naval aviator in the U.S. Navy. He
flies the EA-6B Prowler, which provides an umbrella of protection for strike
aircraft, ground troops and ships by jamming enemy radar, electronic data
links and communications. Velez has flown combat missions in Operation
Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The following is his account of relief efforts following the December 26 massive earthquake and devastating
tsunamis in the Bay of Bengal.
I never thought i would be selected as one of the first
Americans to aid in the post-tsunami humanitarian relief efforts. After
all, I really didn’t have the skills my commanding officer needed, such as
foreign language skills or training in advanced first-aid. In fact, I didn’t
write down much on the volunteer assessment sheet—just some construction skills, basic first-aid and time spent as a physical therapy assistant.
Perhaps he wanted more intangible qualities.
When our aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln,
arrived off the north shore of Indonesia on New Year’s
Day, I was in the first wave of helicopters (helos) sent to
establish a logistical hub and move relief supplies from
the Banda Aceh airport. Not knowing what to expect as
we lifted off the flight deck, we quickly caught a glimpse
of the destruction. Numerous corpses floated in the water.
Proceeding further inland, we were amazed that the
coastal town was obliterated. You could see outlines of the foundations of homes. As the earthquake shook them
loose, the tsunamis washed everything out to sea.
At the airport, we found near chaos. No infrastructure
for relief efforts was in place. About 500 Indonesians had
made their way to the airport in search of food, water and a flight out of the area. A few Australians and the
Indonesian military had established a base, and were
accepting supplies. But they did not have helos to move the food and water.
As a Prowler pilot with no helicopter-flying abilities, I was initially sent in to be the liaison to move supplies
along the west coast. Quickly realizing there was no one
to actually liaise with, my executive officer and I became the
primary ground coordinators to
make this relief effort happen.
Working with the
Indonesians and the civilian
relief agencies, we established a system to have 12 helos flying from sunrise to sunset. The helos ferried everything from biscuits, rice, noodles,
milk and water to medical supplies. We transported medical staff, as
well. As our pilots dropped off supplies, Indonesian citizens rushed to
hug them with relief and joy.
Finally our helos were authorized to airlift any injured people they
found back to Banda Aceh. Their arrival was the most intense experience
of my life. These people had been hanging in trees, stuck on mountainsides or crawling on broken roads for days. Some of them were missing
limbs. Some of them were near death. Many of them were children.
The first time I ran to a helo with a stretcher, I felt like everything was in slow motion as the helo’s door opened. I stood and stared in awe because I couldn’t believe how many people were inside. Almost 20
injured men, women and children were piled on top of each other. I just
put it out of my head and helped run them to a tent for treatment. Once
all the helos were empty, I had to
catch my breath to give the helos
and the load team their next misNavy Lt. Ken Velez ’94, left,
sions. This cycle continued all day
assists injured Indonesians
in the intense heat.
at the Banda Aceh airport.
At the end of the third day, as I sat on the floor of the helo for
the ride back to the USS Abraham
Lincoln, I looked over and saw my
executive officer giving me a nod of approval. I smiled, nodded
back, and looked out the open
door. Everybody had pushed
themselves to their mental and
physical limits. The teamwork
and determination out there was
nothing like I’d ever seen. What
makes a person run across an airfield to save someone he doesn’t
know? We don’t speak their language. We don’t share the same
religion. The differences are vast.
But we put all that aside. I’d
never been so proud to be in the
U.S. Navy and an American.
What makes a person run across an airfield
to save someone he doesn’t know?
46 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
Ta Prohm Temple within the Angkor Wat complex
A journey of compassion (continued from page 25)
One afternoon Ryder and the three teen-agers
were walking along a street in Siem Reap. One
of Jeffrey’s friends gave a cookie to a 10-year-old
boy who was missing a leg, probably from polio.
The boy immediately broke the cookie into four
pieces to share with his friends. When he was
then given a package of cookies, a crowd of children gathered and the bounty was shared
evenly.
“To me, that’s the epitome of Cambodian culture,” Ryder says. “The children take care of
each other because they see themselves in each
other. Their parents can’t take care of them
because they don’t have the money or they’re off
trying to work somewhere. That’s why I became
involved with the monks’ project at Wat
Damnak Pagoda.”
Somnieng Hoeurn is the head monk at Wat
Damnak Pagoda, a Buddhist temple in Siem
Reap. When he met Ryder last January, there was an instant connection between the two men.
When Hoeurn asked Ryder to help him take care
of the children of Siem Reap Province, Ryder
couldn’t refuse. The Life and Hope Association
assistance program, based at Wat Damnak
Pagoda, provides basic living assistance and educational opportunities to destitute children,
including orphans and street children. If the
children learn English, for example, they have a better chance of getting a job in tourism.
“Dr. Ryder is very important and useful man
for developing my program, the kind of man that
my children and I need,” Hoeurn says. “He is
full of skills and experiences, and most important he is a very good, kind man, and this world
needs the people like him. I should not say that
he is a dentist and a rich man…as you know,
there are many rich men and women in the
world, but they don’t do as him. Why?
“In the Buddhism way, we can say that Dr.
Ryder already has a name as a wise man, as this
is how this kind of person always has done for
this world.”
Ryder says he is not so much religious as he is philosophical. He enjoys finding answers to
life’s problems.
However he’s described, Ryder’s life has been transformed by a remarkable commitment
to less fortunate communities around the world.
And perhaps more importantly, he has channeled
his vision with perseverance, and a rare ability
to follow through. In Cambodia, or any other
country, people like Jon Ryder make a difference.
47
Let me tell you about one moment of joy
in his life that maybe, I guess, I’m the
only one who knows about. It was an
October day, about four or five years ago.
He and I always took a fall bike trip for
three or four days. We had about 20 miles
to go that day. The sky was deep October
blue. The wind was on our backs, but we
were getting tired. We stopped to rest in a small Illinois town along the border of
Wisconsin; somewhere up near Freeport
and Rockford, to eat a power bar. We
found ourselves leaning against the iron
Rev. Richard A. Swanson ’54
Campus Pastor 1966-99
November 22, 1932 — March 10, 2005
For those who could not attend the campus
memorial service for the Rev. Richard
“Swanie” Swanson on March 17, 2005, the following is an excerpt from the reflection presented by President Emeritus Dr. Thomas
Tredway ’57, who traveled many miles with
Swanie during almost 40 years of friendship.
“Much has been said this week about
Swanie’s listening and counseling…about
his capacity to be completely present to
the person with whom he found himself.
And maybe that’s why he was such a help to so many people. Because he had moments in his life of hurting and wondering and being afraid, like we all do. But I can tell you too that he had
times of great joy and great happiness and
to be near him when he was exuding that
happiness and joy was one of the greatest
experiences many of us have ever had….
48 Augustana Magazine | Fall 2005
railed fence of a cemetery in that small
prairie town. We got to talking — as we
did often on our bike rides— about God,
about life and about its purpose. And
somehow or another I mentioned one of the great Calvinist catechisms that children in the Presbyterian tradition still
learn, I think, when they are becoming
church members. It’s a question-andanswer catechism, and the question is
this: What is the chief end of man? And
the catechism gives this answer for those
early Christian children to learn. The
chief end of man is to glorify God and
enjoy Him forever. ‘Oh, Treddy,’ Swanie
said to me. ‘To glorify God and enjoy
Him forever.’ And he leapt up on his Trek
bicycle and sped off down the road as he
always was, way ahead of me, yelling over
his shoulder, ‘Enjoy Him forever!’”
Alumni and other friends of Augustana are
invited to add their memories of Pastor Swanson
to those already posted at www.augustana.edu/
richardswanson.