academics · summer 2011 academics the heart of the college summer 2011 8/11/11 3:43 pm page 1....

T O D AY

A SMALL COLLEGE OF NATIONAL DISTINCTION

S U M M E R 2011

AcademicsThe Heart of the College

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:43 PM Page cov1

F THE FALL CONVOCATION is Bethany’s figurative “New Year’s Day,”Commencement is its “New Year’s Eve.” It is always gratifying, albeitnostalgic, to send off gifted and accomplished stu-dents — the Class of 2011 was no exception — andalso to say “good-bye” to long-serving faculty. This

year on May 14, we recognized two exceptional professors,Jay Buckelew, a 2010 finalist for the Merit Foundation ofWest Virginia Professor of the Year and 2011 recipient ofthe President’s Award for Excellence in Performance whohas devoted 42 years of his life to Bethany College, andRandy Cooey, also retiring after 45 years of committedservice and teaching excellence. They have both dedicatedalmost all of their academic lives to student learning in the liberal arts traditionso integral to Bethany College. Heartfelt thanks go to both for the legacy theyhave left in educating thousands of students during their time here.

Excellence in teaching is one of several threads recurring throughoutBethany’s rich tapestry, linking students and alumni from several generations.In this issue, alumnus Greg Heilmeyer ’89, now national president of Phi KappaTau fraternity, recalls his first experience at Bethany during his campus visit asa high school student, remembering that Professor Albert Ossman spent morethan an hour chatting with him. That personal attention made his collegechoice easy. Then, after enrolling, he recounts an American history class meet-ing in Professor William Young’s home.

Several decades later, Bethany continues to foster exceptionally close tiesamong students and professors and among alumni. Further, Bethany’s giftedfaculty continues to demonstrate its ongoing excellence, earning outside recog-nition. For example, Dr. Mary Ellen Komorowski, Matthew Quay AmmonProfessor of Mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics andComputer Science at Bethany College, recently earned the West VirginiaCouncil of Teachers of Mathematics’ 2011 College Teacher of the Year award.Komorowski was installed in March 2011 as inaugural appointee to theendowed professorship,

Now, moreover, Bethany’s younger faculty members are poised to continuethe College’s longstanding tradition of excellence in teaching.

Among “rising stars” profiled in this issue are Assistant Professor ofChemistry Lisa Reilly, who balances her teaching duties with chairmanship ofthe Curriculum Committee and New Faculty Orientation; Dr. Katrina Cooper,assistant professor of psychology, who is making her mark not only in theclassroom, but also as director of the First Year Experience and academic advi-sor to Phi Mu sorority; and Dr. Wiley Cash, assistant professor of English, whoteaches English and creative writing at Bethany. Professor Cash is the author ofone novel, Rain Barrel, set for publication in spring 2012, with a second under-way. The books have been sold to William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins.

In his May 14 Commencement address, Pittsburgh Pirates Board ChairmanRobert Nutting noted to graduates that their Bethany College experience mightfulfill their need for “a sense of permanence in the midst of change.” Evidencingthe intimate ties that link Bethanians with their alma mater is their frequentreturn to campus to share professional and personal insights with students andto reunite with one another. Heilmeyer was among hundreds who returned tocampus for Alumni Weekend this spring. Among alumni representing severalclasses and generations speaking on campus this spring were ThomasBuergenthal ’57 H’81, former judge on the International Court of Justice andLobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at The GeorgeWashington University Law School in Washington, DC, who served as featuredguest speaker at Founders Day ceremonies March 3.

Also returning were Marie E.(Zuberbuehler) DeParis ’83, vice pres-ident of marketing and businessdevelopment for SNY, the official tel-evision home of the New York Mets,Jets and Big East Conference, whodelivered the Keynote Address at the27th annual Kalon ScholarshipLuncheon March 5 as part of theKalon Leadership ScholarshipCompetition for incoming freshmenwith exceptional academic, leader-ship and service records. In addition,Kaye Hearn, a 1972 Bethany graduateand the second woman to serve onthe South Carolina Supreme Court,addressed Bethany College seniorwomen at this year’s DarlineNicholson Breakfast. Justice Hearnserves as a remarkable example of aBethany alumna who has diligentlyand skillfully pursued her passion tomake a positive difference.

On the sports front, Bethany’sstrong tradition of scholar-athletescontinues. The men’s basketball teamconcluded a stellar 21-8 season undersecond year Head Coach AndrewSachs, advancing to the NCAANational Tournament while display-ing the strong sense of pride associat-ed with this accomplishment. With astrong cast of returnees, the outlookis bright for next season. The softballteam finished 29-16 and, once againunder veteran mentor Jan Forsty,advanced to the NCAA NationalTournament. Both track and fieldsquads advanced to the ECAC championships with a host of indi-vidual records falling along the way.The new men’s varsity lacrosse team,which has completed its inauguralseason, is poised for success in 2012,with 19 players eligible to return next spring.

As we end another successful yearin which the College itself and manyBethanians fulfilled their owndreams, it seems appropriate to con-clude with a memorable quote fromJustice Hearn to women graduatesthat is applicable to all, “Don’t allowanyone to steal your dreams. Listento the music of your own soul. For ifyou don’t, it may stop playing.”

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

CLOSE TiesI

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:43 PM Page cov2

Bethany Today is a biannual publication of Bethany College. For additional copies of this publication, or more information on the college, please call (304) 829-7221.EditorElizabeth Van Iersel

Managing EditorRebecca (Guinan) Rose ’01

Contributing EditorDawn LippmanBrian Rose ’98

Contributing PhotographersTodd JonesMartin Santek Photography

Design + ProductionMSK Partners, Inc.

Issue DateSummer 2011

Printed in the U.S.A.

Address all correspondence concerning this magazine, including class notes, submissions and address changes to:

OFFICE OF ALUMNI AND PARENT RELATIONSBETHANY COLLEGEBethany, West Virginia 26032(304) 829-7411or via e-mail to: [email protected]

www.bethanywv.edu/alumni/news

Would you like to receive alumni news andevent notices via e-mail? Please be sure toupdate your contact information with the Officeof Alumni and Parent Relations at (304) 829-7411or via e-mail at [email protected].

No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout the prior permission of the editor.

Bethany admits students of any race, color, sex, handicap and national or ethnic origin.

©Bethany College 2011

CONTENTS

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1O N T H E C O V E R Technology can do many things for us. But in the end, it’s our ability to read, speak andwrite well that helps determine our futures.Bethany’s younger faculty members such as Lisa Reilly, Katrina Cooper, and Wiley Cashare poised to continue the College’s longstandingtradition of excellence in teaching. We present inthis issue of “Bethany Today” what the futureholds for the College, beginning on page 10.

O N T H E W E B B E T H A N Y W V. E D UL AT E S T E V E N TSSPORTS UPDATESAND MUCH MORE

p.6

A S M A L L C O L L E G E O F NAT I O NA L D I ST I N C T I O N

10 Southern ExposureNorth Carolina native Wiley Cash is theauthor of one novel, A Land More KindThan Home, with a second underway

12 The Right ChemistryProfessor Lisa Reilly prepares graduatesfor careers in industry and business

14 Close EncountersKatrina Cooper helps students make the leap into Bethany College

16 Fostering LeadersLarry Grimes leads the Buffalo Seminaryas it fosters new church leaders

4 Noteworthy20 Sports30 Class Notes

T O D AY

A SMALL COLLEGE OF NATIONAL DISTINCTION

SUMMER 2011

AcademicsThe Heart of the College

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:43 PM Page 1

Bethany’s gifted faculty continues to demonstrate its ongoing excellence, earning outside recognition.Moreover, Bethany’s younger faculty members are poised to continue the College’s longstanding tradition of excellence in teaching.

2

“”SUMMER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGE

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:43 PM Page 2

Senior AdministrationDr. Scott D. MillerPresident of the College

William R. KieferExecutive Vice President and General Counsel

Dr. Darin Fields Vice President for AcademicAffairs and Dean of Faculty

Sven de JongVice President for Institutional Advancement

Center for InstitutionalAdvancementDr. Scott D. MillerPresident of the College

Sven de Jong ’95Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Deidra Hall-Nuzum ’06 Executive Assistant to the President

Dr. Mort GambleAssistant to the President

Shirley KempDirector of Advancement Services

Judy PyleExecutive Assistant forAdvancement

Michele Rejonis ’94Director of Alumni andParent Relations

Merlinda LeesAdministrative Assistant forInstitutional Advancement

Dr. Larry Grimes, ’64Director of Church Relations

Rebecca Rose ’01 Director of Communications

Brian Rose ’98 Sports Information Director

Dawn Lippman Media Relations Specialist

Sharon MonigoldDirector of Bethany HeritageProgram and Archivist

Betty Van Iersel Editor of Bethany Today

For more than 170 years, Bethany Collegehas been a highly contemporary institu-tion based in the tradition of the liberalarts. The College offers a wide array ofstudies, awarding Bachelor of Science

and Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 25fields of study, many with options for emphasisand a Masters of Art in Teaching. Students alsohave the option of including one or more optionalminors as part of their programs.

The College’s program of liberal arts educationprepares students for a lifetime of work and a lifeof significance. Bethany places particular emphasison leadership and incorporates pre-professionaleducation in dentistry, engineering, law, medicine,physical therapy, public administration, theologyand veterinary medicine.

Bethany’s 1,300-acre campus is located in thenorthern panhandle of West Virginia in the foothillsof the Allegheny Mountains. Pittsburgh, America’sMost Livable City, is a 50-minute drive from campus.Wheeling, W.Va.; Washington, Pa.; and Steubenville,Ohio are less than a half-hour away.

Founded by Alexander Campbell, who providedthe land and funds for the first building and servedas the first president, Bethany has been a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with the ChristianChurch (Disciples of Christ), since its inception. This religious body, of which Campbell was one ofthe principal founders, continues to support and encourage the College, but exercises no sectarian control. Students from virtually every religious community attend Bethany.

The approximately 1,000 Bethany students repre-sent 28 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Ricoand nine countries.

VALUES Bethany College is an academic community foundedon the close interaction between students and faculty in the educational process. Bethany Collegevalues intellectual rigor and freedom, diversity ofthought and lifestyle, personal growth within acommunity context, and responsible engagementwith public issues. Its programs are designed toengage the mind through emphasis on discipline inthinking, motivation in the search for knowledgeand acquisition of the intellectual resources for alifetime of learning embolden the spirit through theopportunity for intellectual challenge, collaborativeenterprise, athletic competition, artistic expression,personal growth and meaningful work enlarge theworld through exposure to the abundant diversityof thought and lifestyle of the human community,support for personal engagement with societies andcultures different from one’s own and commitmentto service.

Gary M. NovakPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

G. Ogden NuttingWheeling, West Virginia

Robert NuttingWheeling, West Virginia

Edward J. SeeNew Fairfield, Connecticut

Lewis P. WheelerOakland, Pennsylvania

Trustees EmeritiO. John AlpizarPalm Bay, Florida

F. D. BloemekeAlpharetta, Georgia

Walter M. BortzCharleston, SC

Neil ChristmanAlpharetta, Georgia

James L. CollinsWheeling, West Virginia

Gordon B. DalrympleAtlanta, Georgia

Douglas D. DanforthPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

George M. DavisOwings Mills, Maryland

Robert W. Ewing, Jr.Jackson, Wyoming

William R. HoagPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Rodney B. HurlMarysville, Ohio

Thomas P. Johnson, Jr.Poultney, Vermont

Harry MartensWeston, Massachusetts

John McLaughlinAllison Park, Pennsylvania

Robert PontonPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ann C. PrestonSan Francisco, California

John W. RennerCleveland, Ohio

William S. RyanBaltimore, Maryland

Robert A. SandercoxLititz, Pennsylvania

Harold R. WatkinsIndianapolis, Indiana

Officers of theBoard of TrusteesGregory B. JordanChair

Robert J. McCannVice Chair

Scott D. Miller President of the College

Janet A. LongSecretary

Board of TrusteesWilliam B. AllenParkersburg, West Virginia

Elizabeth S. AtholPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

George M. “Ken” BadoSan Francisco, California

Marc B. ChernenkoWellsburg, West Virginia

Richard G. ClancySan Diego, California

W. Darwin CollinsUniontown, Pennsylvania

James F. CompanionWheeling, West Virginia

Scarlett L. FosterSt. Louis, Missouri

Fred M. HarrisHagerstown, Maryland

Sy HolzerPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Asa J. JohnsonNew York, New York

Gregory B. JordanPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Arthur B. Keys, Jr.Arlington, Virginia

Linda D. LewisNew York, New York

Janet A. LongElyria, Ohio

Robert J. McCannNew York, New York

Eugene MillerBoca Raton, Florida

Scott D. Miller, ex-officioBethany, West Virginia

John W. MullenNashville, Tennessee

G. William NewtonNashville, Tennessee

B E T H A N Y C O L L E G E , A S M A L L C O L L E G E O F NAT I O NA L D I ST I N C T I O N,WA S F OU N D E D M A RC H 2 , 1 8 4 0.

BETHANY COLLEGE SUMMER 2011 3

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:43 PM Page 3

SUMMER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGE4

B E T H A N Y T O D A Y

Buckelew Professor of Year Finalist

The Faculty MeritFoundation ofWest Virginia’sannouncementthat BethanyCollege Professorof Biology Albert“Jay” R. Buckelewwas selected one

of five finalists for its 2010 Professorof the Year marks the second time inthree years that a Bethany professorhas been chosen for that honor. JohnBurns, also a professor of biology,was a contender for the 2008 award.

Well-known nationally and inter-nationally for his work in microbiolo-gy and ornithology, Dr. Buckelewjoined the Bethany faculty in 1969and has authored two books, morethan 50 articles and abstracts andnumerous book reviews. He serves asa section editor for Proceedings of theWest Virginia Academy of Sciencesand is also editor of The RedstartJournal of the Brooks Bird Club,headquartered in Wheeling, WVA.He has accumulated numerous hon-ors, including the West VirginiaWildlife Federation’s Conservationistof the Year award in 1996.

Justice ThomasBuergenthal LeadsFounder’s Day CelebrationAlumnus and honorary degreerecipient Thomas Buergenthal ’57H’81, former judge on theInternational Court of Justice andLobingier Professor of ComparativeLaw and Jurisprudence at TheGeorge Washington University LawSchool in Washington, DC, was fea-tured guest speaker at FoundersDay ceremonies March 3 celebratingthe 171st anniversary of the foundingof Bethany College. Festivitiesincluded the traditional Founder’s

Day Convocation in historicCommencement Hall.

Judge Buergenthal arrived in theUnited States when he was 17 yearsold after spending more than 10years of his child-hood in Germancamps, includingAuschwitz. Heearned his J.D.from New YorkUniversity LawSchool and anLL.M. and S.J.D.in international law from HarvardUniversity. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles andmore than a dozen books, includingthe first international human rightslaw textbook in the United States.Judge Buergenthal recently pub-lished A Lucky Child: A Memoir ofSurviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy,which has been translated into morethan 10 languages.

Alumna Addresses Kalon Scholars

Another promi-nent alumna,Marie E.(Zuberbuehler)DeParis ’83, vicepresident of mar-keting and busi-ness developmentfor SNY, the offi-

cial television home of the New YorkMets, Jets and Big East Conference,delivered the Keynote Address at the27th annual Kalon ScholarshipLuncheon March 5, as part of theKalon Leadership ScholarshipCompetition for incoming freshmenwith exceptional academic, leader-ship and service records.

DeParis oversees SNY consumermarketing, including on-air promo-tion, advertising, affiliate marketingand sales promotion. She recently

won another New York “Emmy”Award for SNY brand commercialsthat she produced and threeProMaxBDA North AmericaPromotion & Marketing Awards fortelevision commercial campaignsand promotional spots.

The Kalon Scholarship Weekendrepresents a unique opportunity forhighly talented future Bethany students to hear from alumni whocontinue to build upon the founda-tion of resources, growth and opportunity they established here as undergraduates.

Bethany Hosts Oreon E. Scott LecturesIn May, Bethany College hosted the56th annual Oreon E. Scott Lecturesat Bethany’s MountainsideConference Center. This year’s fea-tured speaker was Dr. BruceEpperly, director of continuing edu-cation and professor of practical the-ology at Lancaster TheologicalSeminary. The event’s focus was”Loosely Christian: Theology,Spirituality, and Mission for aPostmodern Church.” Dr. JamesJohnson, president of LexingtonTheological Seminary, spoke duringthe Timothy Luncheon May 2.

Monday’s events concluded with aworship service at Bethany MemorialChurch with a sermon by Dr.Epperly, “Beyond Scarcity Thinking:Living by Adventure and Abundance(I Kings 17:8-16 and Luke 5:1-11)” anda reception at Pendleton Heights.

Humanities FacultyAwarded Two Month-LongFellowshipsWiley Cash, assistant professor ofEnglish, has been awarded twomonth-long fellowships to theMacDowell Colony and Yaddo, wherehe will work on his second novel insummer 2011. Notable alumni of

Noteworthy

Albert “Jay” R. Buckelew

Thomas Buergenthal

Marie E.(Zuberbuehler)DeParis

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 4


MacDowell and Yaddo includeauthors Willa Cather, James Baldwin,Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker andJonathon Franzen. Cash’s first novel,A Land More Kind Than Home, isscheduled to be released by WilliamMorrow/Harper Collins in early 2012.(see profile, page 10)

Grimes Names to WestVirginia Humanities CouncilLarry Grimes, professor of Englishemeritus and director of church rela-tions, has been elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directorsof the West Virginia HumanitiesCouncil. Previously he served twoterms as a Citizen Member of theProgram Review Board of theCouncil. The Council provides grantsupport for a number of humanities-based projects in the state throughdistribution of National Endowmentfor the Humanities funds and pri-vate funding.

Buckelew and Rose Named President’s AwardRecipients at HonorsConvocationProfessor of Biology Albert “Jay”Buckelew and Director ofCommunications Rebecca Rose ‘2001,earned the 2011 President’s Award forExcellence in Performance by facultyand staff, respectively, at the April 14Honors Convocation. Buckelew was afinalist for West Virginia Faculty ofthe Year in 2010; Rose, a communica-tions major with a public relationsconcentration, returned to campus asa member of the Office of Media Staffin 2005 and was named director ofcommunications in 2008.

Bethany College WelcomesNew AdministratorsGerald E. “Jerry” Stebbins, associatedean of student affairs at Washington& Jefferson College since 2001, beennamed dean of students at BethanyCollege and will assume the positionJuly 1. Previously, he served as assis-tant dean of student affairs, interimdirector of career services, director ofresidence life and Greek life, and res-

idence area coordinator/assistantdirector of student activities atWashington & Jefferson.

“Jerry Stebbins brings a wealth ofexperience inStudent Affairs tothis importantleadership role atBethany,” said Dr.Darin E. Fields,vice president foracademic affairsand dean of the

faculty. “With his deep understand-ing of the integral relationshipbetween the student living and theacademic learning experience on aresidential liberal arts campus, Jerrywill be an essential member of theDivision of Academic and StudentAffairs at Bethany College.”

In a second key appointment,Sheila Nelson-Hensley, who has

worked for morethan two decadesas a financial aidprofessional and asa director for 12,has been nameddirector of finan-cial aid. Nelson-Hensley possesses

a wealth of experience in financial aidand finance management and for-merly served as director of financialaid for Bluefield College in Bluefield,VA. She has also worked at FerrumCollege in Virginia, where she wasdirector of financial aid, and atWashington & Jefferson College andUrsinus College, where she wasassistant director.

“Sheila’s remarkable expertiseand leadership experience in finan-cial aid management are invaluableassets to Bethany as we continuallystrive to strengthen our service toour students and their families,”stated Bethany College PresidentScott D. Miller.

Students Honored at ConvocationAmong exemplary students recog-nized at the April 14 HonorsConvocation with the Francis O.Carfer Prize as “outstanding senior”

was chemistrymajor Lindsay A.Sobotka. ThePrize is presentedto the senior who,in the judgment ofthe HonorsCommittee, hasmade the mostoutstanding contribution to theCollege, by exhibiting sound academ-ic accomplishments, along with loy-alty, service and devotion to Bethany.

April M. O’Brien, asenior communi-cations major,received theBethany 2000Prize recognizingthe senior who hasbest demonstratedloyalty and com-

mitment to Bethany College in a widerange of activities over the course ofher studies. The recipient must main-tain a GPA of 3.0 or higher while dis-playing the characteristics of enthusi-asm, dependability and dedication.

Among other top studentawardees, Alyssa M. Schrecengost, abusiness adminis-tration major,received thePittsburghBethany CollegeClub Award as“outstanding jun-ior woman.” Theaward is based onthe qualities of leadership, character,conduct and scholarship.

Alexander C. Stubbs, a businessadministration major, was awardedthe W. F. Kennedy Prize asOutstanding Junior Man. The prize,established by Mr. Kennedy ofWheeling, is awarded on the basis of

the student’s con-tribution to theCollege communitylife through leader-ship in activities, inpersonal character,and scholarship.Many other talent-ed students earned

departmental and other honors.

Sheila Nelson-Hensley

Gerald E. “Jerry” Stebbins

Lindsay A. Sobotka

Alexander C. Stubbs

Alyssa M. Schrecengost

April M. O’Brien

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 5


Pittsburgh Pirates Board ChairmanRobert Nutting Addresses BethanyCollege 2011 Graduates.

Recognizing the graduates’ wisdom in attending a col-lege that seeks to develop the whole person, Nutting notedthe lasting value of a liberal arts education in a quicklychanging world. “You’ll be using technology that hasn’tbeen invented and probably will retire from a companythat doesn’t even exist today,” he said, remarking that theskills they have developed at Bethany will become increas-ingly critical as they move forward in their careers.

Referring to the mind as a flame that must be fed andstrengthened throughout their lives, even after leavingBethany, he challenged the graduates to continue to “learnto think broadly, to challenge, to be curious and to usethose tools that the faculty have nourished.”

Nutting closed with an affirmation that, for each grad-uate, there will be times when they have a sense that lifeis moving by quickly — and that they will need and seeka sense of permanence in the midst of change. “Let mesuggest that for each of you that might be your experienceat Bethany,” he concluded. “Remember your timehere…the good and the bad. And when you need tobelieve that something of real importance can last forever,I hope you will think of this place . . . As you move for-ward to the many successes that you all will find, remem-ber this place.”

Bethany Board of Trustees member Robert Nutting isthe President and CEO of Ogden Newspapers, Inc.,Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Pirates andChairman of Seven Springs Mountain Resort. The Nuttingfamily has a majority interest in the Pirates and owns bothOgden Newspapers and Seven Springs Resorts.

Nutting has a longstanding commitment to education,serving as Chairman of the Board of the Linsly School

(Wheeling, W.Va.) as a board member of The ThacherSchool (Ojai, Calif.) and as past Chairman of the WestVirginia Independent Colleges & Universities.

Nutting has also taken an active leadership role inmany professional and charitable organizations. He wasinstrumental in the launch of the Pirates’ charitable arm,Pirates Charities, an organization dedicated to strengthen-ing the Pittsburgh region, with special emphasis on sup-porting youth health, fitness and education. He wasrecently honored as “Light of the Valley” by the WheelingYMCA for his contributions toward improving the lives ofchildren and families in the Ohio Valley.

Nutting serves as a board member and Treasurer of theNewspaper Association of America and is a formerPresident of the West Virginia Press Association. Nuttingsupports various environmental programs and is Vice-Chairman of the Nature Conservancy/West Virginia

2 0 1 1C O M M E N C E M E N T

President of Ogden Newspapers, Inc. and Chairmanof the Board of the Pittsburgh Pirates Robert Nuttingspoke to Bethany College’s 2011 graduating class aspart of the institution’s 171st AnniversaryCommencement Weekend. Nutting delivered hisremarks, “Your Most Valuable Gift: Time,” toBethany’s 135 graduating seniors on May 14 in theNutting Gymnasium of the Hummel Field House.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 6

Chapter and the former Chapter President and currentmember of Trout Unlimited. In addition, Nutting serveson the Board of Directors at the Carnegie Natural HistoryMuseum in Pittsburgh.

Nutting lives in Wheeling, W. Va., with his wife Leslieand three daughters. He earned his B.A. in AmericanHistory from Williams College in Massachusetts. He is alicensed commercial pilot and flight instructor, as well asan avid fisherman and skier.

Bethany College President Dr. Scott D. Miller alsoaddressed the graduates. “After today, you will no longerbe Bethany students. For the rest of your lives, you will beBethany alumni, joining the more than 22,000 distin-guished men and women whose many achievements andcontributions speak well of their experiences at this smallcollege of national distinction.”

He continued, “Your four years here . . . have beenremarkable both here and around the world . . . Mostimportant, you have achieved your education at a timewhen the idea of being ‘educated’ continues to be influ-enced by technology and the astonishing amount ofinformation at our fingertips. Your commitment to life-long learning has therefore never been more important.Our faculty members and administrators urge you to

continue to challenge your mind as a way of nourishingyour spirit.”

Miller concluded, “Tomorrow, you will enter the so-called ‘real world,’ pursuing employment or graduatestudies. But today marks a time for you to indulge yourdreams. The great African-American abolitionist andhumanitarian Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slav-


SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 7


ery to serve the Union during the Civil War, reminds us,‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Alwaysremember, you have within you the strength, thepatience, and the passion to reach for the stars to changethe world.’”

The Rev. Dr. Todd Adams, Associate General Ministerand Vice President for the Christian Church (Disciples ofChrist), delivered remarks to the graduating seniors dur-ing the College’s Baccalaureate service on May 13. Rev.Adams was presented with an honorary Doctor ofDivinity during the Commencement Ceremony.

Rev. Adams serves as the Associate General Ministerand Vice President and Chief of Staff for the GeneralMinister and President of the Christian Church (Disciplesof Christ). His many responsibilities include workingclosely with the Disciples of Christ General Assembly,General Board, Disciples Mission Fund and Promotion,Treasury Services, Stewardship Ministries andCommunication Ministries.

He is also the liaison to the Christian ChurchFoundation, Pension Fund, Church Extension, Wilshire

Christian Church Foundation, and the National CityChristian Church Foundation.

Rev. Adams has served as the Senior Minister ofMemorial Drive Christian Church, Houston, Texas. He isa 1994 graduate of Chapman University, where he earnedhis degree in political science. He continued his studies atPhillips Theological Seminary, where he received his mas-ters of divinity in 1997. Wesley Theological Seminary pre-sented him with a doctor of ministry in stewardship andleadership in 2007.

Rev. Adams’ academic research has focused on thesteward as a biblical image of leadership. His work hasaddress critical issues regarding leadership in the church,concerns also developed during his time serving in aLewis Fellowship that focused on pastoral and congrega-tional leadership.

He also presents workshops for the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ) on a variety of topics, including non-profit governance, congregational leadership, congrega-tional staff management and stewardship.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 8


VALEDICTORIAN APRIL M.O’BRIEN of Columbus, Ohio, com-pleted her college career with tophonors during Bethany College’s2011 Commencement ceremony onMay 14. Dr. Darin E. Fields, VicePresident for Academic Affairs andDean of the Faculty, presentedO’Brien with the College’s Oreon E.Scott Award, given annually to thesenior graduating with the highestacademic standing.

“It is a genuine honor to be ableto award the Oreon E. Scott awardto valedictorian April O’Brien,”Fields stated. “Her outstandingscholarship and leadership atBethany during her four years is atestament to her extraordinarycharacter and drive. She is truly aremarkable young woman, andBethany College is proud to haveher as one of our new alums.”

O’Brien, who earned a Bachelorof Arts degree in Communicationsand Media Arts, passed her SeniorComprehensive Exams — writtenand oral assessments required forgraduation from Bethany College— with distinction, an honorreserved for those who performunusually well.

Professor M.E. YancosekGamble, Chair of the Department ofCommunications and Media Arts,remarked, “In all that she does, sherepresents all of us with responsi-bility, class, distinction and dedica-tion.” Gamble continued, “She isamong those exemplary studentswho personify the very best thatBethany is and can be, honoring theCollege’s traditions and its futurepossibilities.”

Known for her exemplification ofthe meaning of leadership and com-mitment, O’Brien’s activitiesthroughout her four years at Bethanydemonstrate not only superior aca-demic achievement, but the ability toorganize and communicate effective-ly while maintaining her fundamen-

tal commitment to enriching the lifeof the Bethany College community.

During the College’s HonorsDay Convocation in April, she wasawarded the Bethany 2000 Prize(Senior Achievement Award) hon-oring a senior who has demon-strated loyalty and commitment tothe College; and the CharlotteManion Yurko Award, presentedto the Communication senior withthe highest scholastic average inthe major.

O’Brien was a member of severalhonor societies and campus groups,including Alpha Psi Omega, SpanishHonor Society, Mass Media Club,Committee on Student MediaExperiences, Society for CollegiateJournalists and the Bethany CollegeCheerleading Squad.

She was a founding member of theGamma Sigma Alpha Bethany honorsociety chapter; a volunteer with theYWCA; fundraising chair for AlphaPsi Omega; a justice of Bethany’s stu-dent court; treasurer of her fresh-man, sophomore, junior and seniorclasses; a senior fellow with theDepartment of Communications and

Media Arts, secretary of the StudentGovernment Association; and assis-tant editor of The Tower (BethanyCollege campus newspaper).

She has earned a wide variety ofawards and honors, including theMargaret Woods Prize in SpanishExcellence; the James Keegan Prizefor International Communication;the Jessie Pulcipher Prize inCommunications; the Vira I. HeinzWomen in Global Leadership TravelAward; and the Slaymaker-KinseyAward in 2009 and 2010. She wasalso named Tower Staffer of theYear and was a Bethany CollegeKalon Scholar.

O’Brien worked as president ofAlpha Xi Delta sorority and was anofficial spokesperson for Wendy’sInternational.

She has served in three intern-ships — with NBC; WNCI, anArbitron top-rated radio station; andLas Rosas, a radio station and publicrelations firm in Córdoba, Argentina.

O’Brien will also compete in the2011 Miss West Virginia ScholarshipPageant and represents the state’sNorthern Panhandle region.

Valedictorian April O’Brien Receives Bethany College Oreon E. Scott Award

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 9


[NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARS]

SOUTHERNEXPOSURENorth Carolina native WILEY CASH, teaches English andcreative writing at Bethany, and is the author of onenovel, A Land More Kind Than Home, set for publicationin spring 2012, with a second underway.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 10

T


THE FACULTY Merit Foundationof West Virginia’s announcementthat Bethany College Professor ofBiology Albert “Jay” R. Buckelewwas selected one of five finalists forits 2010 Professor of the Year Awardmarks the second time in three yearsthat a Bethany professor has beenchosen for the honor. John Burns,also a professor of biology, was a con-tender for the 2008 award. Now,moreover, Bethany’s younger facultymembers are poised to continue theCollege’s longstanding tradition ofexcellence in teaching. AssistantProfessor of Chemistry Lisa Reillybalances her teaching duties withchairmanship of the CurriculumCommittee and New FacultyOrientation. Dr. Katrina Cooper,assistant professor of psychology, ismaking her mark not only in theclassroom, but also, as director of theFirst Year Experience and academicadvisor to Phi Mu sorority. And Dr.Wiley Cash, assistant professor ofEnglish, who teaches English andcreative writing at Bethany, is theauthor of one novel, A Land MoreKind Than Home, set for publicationin spring 2012, with a second under-way. The books have been sold toWilliam Morrow, a division ofHarperCollins, and, at the time ofthis article, have been sold to pub-lishers in Germany, France and theUnited Kingdom.

Dr. Cash serves as advisor to boththe Bethany College Writers’ Cluband The Harbinger literary magazine.He is also the College’s faculty athlet-ic representative to the NCAA. Hisessays on Southern literature haveappeared in The Thomas Wolfe Review,American Literary Realism, CLAJournal and other publications. Alongwith Dr. Reggie Young and Dr.Marcia Gaudet of the University ofLouisiana at Lafayette, he co-authored the book This LouisianaThing That Drives Me: The Legacy of

Ernest J. Gaines (University ofLouisiana Press, 2009).

He holds a B.A. in literature andlanguage from the University ofNorth Carolina-Asheville, an M.A. inEnglish from the University of NorthCarolina-Greensboro, and a Ph.D. inEnglish from the University ofLouisiana-Lafayette.

In spring 2011 Cash concludedcourses in Southern literature andcomposition and a fiction writingworkshop.

“If you aren’t interested in read-ing, I can’t teach you how to write,”says Cash of his counsel to Bethanystudents.

“I can certainly teach structure,composition and development, butit’s much harder to teach consistency,habit and drive,” he admits.

Successful writers must have awillingness to fail repeatedly, henotes, and “it’s difficult to teach thatdegree of purpose and intensity,especially to undergraduates whohave so much else happening in theirlives.”

His fiction students’ first writingassignment is, in fact, not to write astory about anything. Instead, theywrite about a place or object that theyknow — a beach, a front porchswing, a neighborhood — and subse-quently produce stories based onthese familiar themes.

“One can’t produce emotion in avacuum,” he points out. “Storiesemanating from the tangible, the pal-pable, will elicit emotion.”

Though Cash says he doesn’t oftenget writer’s block, he does find itchallenging to find the time to writefor one to two hours every day.

“Some days, there seems to be aninvisible barrier around my desk,” hechuckles. “I don’t often enjoy thewriting process much.”

Dr. Cash, who will spend his sum-mer at two prestigious writingcolonies, the MacDowell Colony inNew Hampshire and Yaddo inupstate New York, will be on leave inFall Semester 2011 so that he candeliver the first draft of his secondnovel to the publisher by January 15,2012. The untitled novel tells the

story of an ex-minor league baseballstar who abandons his young familyfor a life of petty crime in Gastonia,N.C., Dr. Cash’s hometown.

His month-long sojourns at thecolonies that have produced writersincluding Flannery O’Connor, WillaCather, James Baldwin, Alice Walkerand Jonathan Franzen will enablehim to “concentrate on writing with-out outside pressures.” At the end ofthe summer, he is scheduled to sub-mit the first 50,000 words of his sec-ond novel to the publisher.

“That looming deadline is a bitdaunting,” he acknowledges.

Cash’s first novel, A Land MoreKind Than Home, about the death ofan autistic 12-year-old boy during achurch healing service, is set in ruralNorth Carolina. It is inspired by aclipping he saw as a doctoral studentat the University of Louisiana-Lafayette about a similar incident atan African-American storefrontchurch in Chicago.

“I knew I couldn’t set it in Chicago,a place I hadn’t visited at that time,but I knew I could write about NorthCarolina,” Dr. Cash explains.

“When I write, I rely on what Iknow.”

He encourages students in his fic-tion-writing class to do the same,beginning with hand-drawn “neigh-borhood maps” of their childhoodneighborhoods. He asks them to por-tray graphically who lived in whathouses and which were “safe” forchildren to enter and which were“scary.” His students also map thetopography of their hometowns:rocks, trees, bodies of water andother features.“Beginning writersoften overuse words to evoke emo-tion,” he says. “To connect with thereader, I encourage my students tocut away words and, instead, to writeabout palpable things.”

To read an excerpt and view a trailerof Dr. Cash’s upcoming novel, go towww.wileycash.com

“When I write, I relyon what I know.”

“Successful writersmust have a willing-ness to fail repeatedly.”

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 11



h

he

t

g h t

c

ir

me

is t

ry

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 12


NOW COMPLETING HER third academic yearat Bethany, Assistant Professor of Chemistry LisaReilly has often found herself teaching analyticalchemistry one moment, chairing a meeting of theCurriculum Committee the next and perhaps end-ing the day with a session of her new, experimentalcourse, “Enology: Introduction to Wine Science.”Student participants must be at least 21, she notes.

Dr. Reilly, along with her departmental col-leagues, has just concluded reviewing SeniorProjects, the capstone project which tiesall academic courses together. Thisyear’s three graduating seniorsresearched projects delving intosuch diverse areas of inquiry asthe effectiveness of hyaluronicacid beauty products on facialwrinkles; cholesterol rising ter-penes in coffee and chocolateand their effects on body weight;and the relationship between IQand metallic content of human hair.Such in-depth original research asundergraduates will give Bethany studentsa competitive edge in future graduate study, shebelieves.

“When I was in graduate school (at OklahomaState University, where she earned her PhD inchemistry in 2006), it was expected that you wouldlearn research skills as a graduate. Now, there is an increasing expectation that you will alreadypossess these skills coming into a program,” she notes.

Dr. Reilly’s own research experience includesthat of a National Research Council ResearchAssociate and Chemical and Biological DefensePostdoctoral Fellow at the Edgewood ChemicalBiological Center from January 2007 to July 2008and again in summer 2009.

Bethany’s four concentrations in forensics, biochemistry, secondary education and the profes-sional track in chemistry prepare graduates forcareers in industry (median starting salary rangesfrom $32,000 to $60,000, depending on the field) orfor professional programs in fields including medi-cine, veterinary science, pharmacy and dentistry.

One of this year’s graduates, Lindsay Sobotka,selected as the Francis O. Carfer Prize winner formost outstanding graduating senior, will enter the

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine inLewisburg, W.Va. this fall; Chris Smurthwaite willenter the pharmacy program at DuquesneUniversity in Pittsburgh; and Samantha Vitale willbe teaching chemistry at Pendleton County HighSchool, Franklin, W.Va.

On average about half of the chemistry majorsenrolled at Bethany are women, Dr. Reilly pointsout, which is consistent with national statistics and

demonstrates the strides women have beenmaking in entering science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics fields. All program alumni will gradu-

ate with the solid knowledge baseto enter innovative fields such asbioengineering and “green”careers requiring a mastery ofchemistry. In addition, “chemo-metrics,” the subject of Dr.

Reilly’s Ph.D. thesis in analyticalchemistry and one of her academic

specialties, now provides experiencein quantitative analytical techniques

using instrument and data analysis includ-ing UV-VIS spectroscopy, circular dichroism, andnuclear magnetic resonance. Her students alsomaster computer skills in data analysis programssuch as MatLab and Unscrambler, all essential forcareers in analytical chemistry and related areas.

Since being a teaching assistant and lecturer ather graduate alma mater, Oklahoma StateUniversity, she has appreciated Bethany’s low stu-dent-faculty ratio and opportunity to interact moreclosely with students than was possible at a large,comprehensive research institution.

“It’s a whole different world and level of studentengagement that a professor gets to experience at asmall liberal arts institution,” she observes.

On a personal note, Dr. Reilly is happy to becloser to western Pennsylvania, the region inwhich she was raised and where she earned herBachelor of Science degree in chemistry fromMercyhurst College summa cum laude.

Reflecting on her Bethany College experience, “Iam thankful for the rare opportunity to teach onsuch a beautiful campus situated in a caring com-munity with enthusiastic students and supportivecolleagues, administration and staff,” Dr. Reillyconcluded.

y

Assistant Professor of Chemistry LISA REILLY, along with her science departmentalcolleagues, is helping to prepare graduates for careers in industry or for professionalprograms in fields including medicine, veterinary science, pharmacy and dentistry.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 13

I

SUMMER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGEWINTER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGE14


IN ADDITION TO being amongthe nation’s oldest, Bethany’s FirstYear Experience, including JTerm, isunique in being required of all first-year students.

“We think all entering studentsdeserve contact with their facultyadvisors and small class interactionright from the start,” says DirectorKatrina Cooper, assistant professorof psychology, who has led the pro-gram since 2007, previously servingas assistant director. Cooper alsoteaches one of the approximately 17first-year seminars each FallSemester. Topics this year haveranged from “All about Crime,” to“Science and Pseudoscience,” “TheBeatles and their Times” and “Sex,Drugs and rock n Roll.” Cooper, whoteaches the latter, says the seminarfocuses on risk-taking and calculatedvs. mindless choices.

Designed to bridge the gapbetween high school and college,home and campus, the seminarsallow students to gain confidence and“make the leap” into college whileexploring topics of special interestoutside their intended major.Consistent, close contact with at leastone faculty member, a seminar leaderwho also serves as the student’s advi-sor for the first year and oftenbeyond, is a hallmark of the program,as are seminars capped at 18 studentsmaximum. Many are even smaller.

In the Fall Semester, studentsenroll in FSEM 111 First Year

Seminar, along with FSEM 112 FirstYear Engagement, First Year Success:A Transition Course. Then, duringJTerm in the first three weeks ofJanuary, they enroll in FSEM 113 TheFirst Year JTerm Experience. All fos-ter engagement with fellow first yearstudents and provide not only a“family away from home” and abuilt-in support system, but alsoenhance academic outcomes.

“I was beaming like a proud par-ent,” said Cooper, who had justattended (2011) Honors Convocation,noting that this year’sCommencement will mark the firstin which she will see “her” first-yearstudents earn degrees.

“As I walk across campus, I oftensee students from my seminar clus-tering together in groups. Manytimes, as we hope, these first campusfriendships evolve to create lifetimebonds.”

Although it is tailored to the enter-ing student’s needs, Bethany’s stu-dent-centered First Year Experiencealso enhances both enrollment andretention, Cooper notes. All acceptedstudents are immediately offered a

rank-ordered choice of seminars, andthe faculty works hard to accommo-date one of their top three choices,she adds. Further, though the pro-gram includes all first-year students,those who may be at risk of not beingretained for either social or academicreasons can be identified early intheir college experience and referredto appropriate campus resources.

For the many first-year studentsundecided about their intendedmajor, the seminars can also helpinform their majors, she notes.

In addition to her teaching andadministrative responsibilities,Cooper also serves as academic advi-sor to Phi Mu sorority at Bethany,attending all Tuesday night chaptermeetings.

“My door is always open,” shenotes of her availability to counselchapter members. “Many times, Ifind that they will seek me outbecause they know me from theweekly meetings.” She furtherpoints out that because BethanyCollege does not permit formal soror-ity or fraternity rush during the FallSemester, the First Year Experienceallows students to develop a widerange of friendships before pledginga Greek letter organization.

Now concluding her fifth year ofteaching at Bethany, Cooper contin-ues to value the close college commu-nity.

“Leaving would be like leavingfamily,” she concludes.

KATRINA COOPER, assistant professor of psychology, helps students “make the leap”into college while exploring topics of special interest outside their intended major.Consistent, close contact with faculty members is a hallmark of the program.

“As I walk across campus, I often see students from myseminar clustering togetherin groups.Many times, as we hope, these first campusfriendships evolve to createlifetime bonds.”

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 14


WHEN GREGORY M. (Greg)Heilmeier ’89 pledged Phi KappaTau’s Phi Chapter at Bethany College,he was a “cradle legacy.” His father,Jim, once served on the fraternity’snational council, and as a child,Greg’s family vacations were sched-uled around national conventions.

“I thought everyone spent theirsummers attending Phi Tau events,”he recalls. Today, he is continuingthat legacy as national president ofthe 88-chapter national fraternity.His two-year term which began inJuly 2010 has already taken him toLos Angeles, San Francisco,Lexington, KY, and Nashville, TN,among other cities, including visitswith collegians and alumni. The fra-ternity is headquartered at MiamiUniversity in Oxford, OH, where itwas founded. His Facebook friendsalready include dozens of currentmembers and alumni from Phi andother chapters. By the time his termends in July 2012, Greg hopes to havevisited at least half the fraternity’schapters.

He credits his wife, Theresa, forbeing supportive of his travels, whichoften take him away on weekends.

“Holding down essentially twojobs is a challenge I could not suc-cessfully undertake without herunderstanding,” he notes.

This Alumni Weekend, hereturned to Bethany where he andbrothers from the Phi chapter dedi-cated a memorial in honor of fellowmember Richard Meess ’50. InOctober 2008, he celebrated PhiChapter’s 85th anniversary on theBethany campus. Chartered in 1923,the chapter is one of the few that didnot suspend operations duringWorld War II.

He has remained close to manyPhi Taus from different decades atBethany as well as to other class-mates, including Troy Costain ’89,Tom Skena ’85, and John Sayers ’81and recalls being a member of thewedding parties of many.

“Your fraternity brothers are with you at the times of your greatesttriumphs: at your marriage and thebirth of your children. They are alsothere at times of your deepest sor-rows,” he notes, recalling that afterthe death of his mother, Virginia, in1993, “my Phi chapter brothers wereamong the first people I called.”

A native of Akron, OH, Greg cameto Bethany from a large, public highschool in suburban Cuyahoga Falls,attracted by its small size and per-sonal student-faculty relations.

A one-hour conversation with Dr.Albert Ossman during a high schoolvisit in his junior year pretty much

cinched his selection. Later, heremembers that his favorite class,“Contemporary American Historyfrom the 1940s to the present,” washeld at Professor William Young’shome.

Recalling the challenge that com-pleting a course in research methodswhile also preparing for SeniorComps entailed, Greg credits the aca-demic rigor of Bethany for enablinghim to add value as a member of sen-ior management of his family’s busi-ness, Tasty Pure Foods, a regionalwholesale food distributor. TheAkron-based company founded byGreg’s grandfather is now in its thirdgeneration; Greg’s father Jim is stillactive, as are three older brothers.

“Very few of the classes that I tookat Bethany are directly related towhat I do now in the sales, marketingand administration of the company,”he notes, “but all of what I assimilatedat Bethany—often unconsciously —about how to think has enabled meto adapt as family-owned businessmust do to thrive.”

Other Bethany memories includea semester spent studying German inVienna and another in Washington,DC, as a junior and lettering in golfas a freshman and sophomore. Hisfraternity and professional dutiescurrently allow him little time toengage in the sport.

“It is a bit frustrating when I playtoday, because although I can visual-ize the shots I want to make, I nolonger have the muscle memory toexecute them,” he explains.

Like alumni through the ages, Greg continues to appreciateBethany’straditions and academic rigor.

Recalling the Bethany tradition of Opening Convocation (unliketoday, entering students did notprocess through Oglebay Gates; that was a custom reserved forCommencement), Greg concludeswith the admonishment of formerPresident Former Bethany PresidentTodd H. Bullard (1980-1988) that hehoped at the end of each day on campus, they would be “as tiredmentally as they are physically.”

“I was,” he says.

Band of BrothersAs national president of Phi Kappa Tau, GREG HEILMEIERstays connected with his fraternity brothers

SUMMER 2011 8/30/11 4:15 PM Page 15

DSUMMER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGE16

DIRECTOR OF CHURCHRelations Larry Grimes ‘64, profes-sor emeritus of English, a notedHemingway Scholar and publishedpoet, has “retired” twice — in June2009 from the faculty at Bethany,where he taught English for nearly40 years, and more recently as pastorof Community Christian Church inBeech Bottom, W.Va., which heserved for 15 years. In his third roleas director of church relations for hisalma mater, Dr. Grimes’ responsibili-ties include overseeing the BuffaloSeminary, Historic Bethany and theCampbell Archives.

In concert with the Office of theChaplain and the Department ofReligious Studies, his office supportsthe mission of the College by prepar-ing students for leadership positionsin the 21st century Church. Further,through the work of BuffaloSeminary, it provides continuingeducation opportunities for clergyand laity.

“Bethany’s rich heritage as atraining ground for leaders in theChristian Church (Disciples ofChrist) provides the root-stock fromwhich our present has evolved,” Dr.Grimes explains. “The preparation

of thoughtful, faithful church lead-ers was essential to (Alexander)Campbell when he foundedBethany, and it remains central toour mission today.”

Campbell was committed to awell-educated clergy and laity whichcould use their minds and read theBible as one reads other books, saysDr. Grimes. “Today, we are continu-ing that legacy by fostering churchleaders who have the intellect to dealwith the complex issues posed by apluralistic 21st century.”

Supporting and enhancing thatmission is Buffalo Seminary at

Fostering LeadersContinuing Bethany’s rich heritage as a training ground for leaders in the ChristianChurch (Disciples of Christ), LARRY GRIMES is helping oversee the BuffaloSeminary whose goal is to help foster church leaders who have the intellect to deal with the complex issues posed by a pluralistic 21st century.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 16


Bethany College. Re-established inJuly 2009, it emphasizes the continu-ing education of all orders of min-istry — ordained, licensed and lay —especially among the ChristianChurch (Disciples of Christ.) Its focusin on practical ministry in a time ofrapid cultural and technologicalchange, accomplished through short-term workshops, lectures series andother outreach activities.

The modern Buffalo Seminarytakes its name from Campbell’s origi-nal “Buffaloe Seminary,” an academyoriginally in the founder’s home that

existed for six years from 1818-1824.Writing in Bethany: the first 150years, author Lester G. McAllisternotes, “The school soon attracted notonly a number of young men whowished to study with Campbell butalso young people of both sexes whosimply wanted to receive a good basiceducation…Most of the students livedand boarded in the Campbell home.

“Alexander found disappointmentin the results,” McAllister continues.“Nevertheless, Buffalo Seminary wasthe forerunner of the college that wasto come.”

“Although we have changed thename to the contemporary spelling,in many ways we are going back toCampbell’s vision; the modern proj-ect has many parallels with the origi-nal,” says Dr. Grimes.

One vehicle implementing thatvision is a series of lectures, conduct-ed at the Mountainside ConferenceCenter and often available to partici-pants live and via streaming video. InMay 2011, Bethany College hosted the56th annual Oreon E. Scott Lectures,a two-day session incorporating three

lectures. This year’s featured speakerwas Dr. Bruce Epperly. The event’sfocus was “Loosely Christian:Theology, Spirituality, and Missionfor a Postmodern Church.” Dr. JamesJohnson, president of LexingtonTheological Seminary, spoke duringthe Timothy Luncheon May 2. Inaddition, lectures by Drs. HaroldDoster and Peter Morgan were givento celebrate the 200th anniversary ofthe Brush Run Church.

Part of Dr. Grimes’ work involvesworking with regions of the sponsor-ing denomination to provide ongoingtraining and support for clergy —most regions are moving towardrequiring continuing education forordained clergy — as well as for“commissioned ministers.” Membersof other denominations also partici-pate. In addition, though internshipsin the Office of Church Relations forcurrent Bethany students, he hopesto encourage younger church leadersto become involved with area congre-gations and religious groups. Active,involved church leaders sometimesevolve into commissioned orordained ministers later in life, oftenin a bi-vocational role.

In the next months and years, healso expects to visit more localDisciples of Christ churches to askthe question,” What can BethanyCollege do for your congregation?”He believes that over time, theanswer will lead to a larger percent-age of students from the sponsoringdenomination.

Celebrating and preservingBethany’s historic past is another

focus; his office is working on waysto memorialize the bicentennial ofthe founding of the Campbell’s firstchurch in Pennsylvania some 12miles from the Bethany campus.

“Bethany College has done anextraordinarily good job of marryingthe past vision of our founder whoseworld was almost exclusivelyChristian with that of a modern plu-ralistic society, a growing portion ofwhich, as recent surveys demon-strate, does not perceive a specialneed for formal religion in theirlives,” he concludes.

A member of the Commission onthe Ministry (DOC) in West Virginia,Dr. Grimes has lectured andpreached in churches across thecountry. He was recently appointed aboard member of the West VirginiaHumanities Council and in 1991earned the T.A. Abbot Award forTeaching Excellence from TheDivision of Higher Education of theChristian Church (Disciples ofChrist). Three times Bethany stu-dents named him “Professor of theYear” (Richard B. Kennedy Award),and he also received the BethanyAlumni Faculty Recognition (JamesE. Allison) Award.

Now that he is “down to just onejob,” Dr. Grimes will remain in thehome in Bethany that he has sharedfor the past 39 years with his wife,Carol Ducker Grimes ’66. They weremarried in Bethany MemorialChurch. However, they plan tospend more time in Colorado withtheir daughter, Rebecca Gostlin, aclinical therapist.

“The preparation of thoughtful, faithful churchleaders was essential to(Alexander) Campbell when he founded Bethany,and it remains central to our mission today.” – Director of Church Relations Larry Grimes,

professor of English emeritus

President Miller’s involvement with Council ofColleges and Universities of the Christian ChurchBethany President Scott D. Miller continues to serve as a national leader in cultivating theunique partnership Bethany and other Disciples-related institutions have with the church.As an active participant in the Council of Colleges and Universities of the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ), he plays a key role in exploring the many opportunities for positivechange central to such a relationship — including developing servant-leaders; promot-ing peace, justice and ecological sustainability; and fostering global awareness. PresidentMiller was one of four college presidents to be elected to the group’s current Presidents’Council Executive Committee, for which he serves as secretary.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 17

TODAY, AS A judge for 25 yearsand the second woman to siton South Carolina’s Supreme

Court, Justice Kaye Gorenflo Hearncan observe three women presentlyserving on the United States SupremeCourt. Her daughter, Kathleen, 22,will enter law school this fall.

A cum laude history major, formercheerleader, Alpha Xi Delta presidentand vice-president of the Associationof Women Students at BethanyCollege, Justice Hearn “never imag-ined that I would one day be consid-ered a trailblazer for women.”

Yet, she entered law school at theUniversity of South Carolina afterleaving Bethany, graduating fifth inher class and later earning anL.L.M.degree from the University ofVirginia. She served as chief judge ofthe South Carolina Court of Appealsfrom 1999-2009 before her election tothe Palmetto State’s Supreme Court,where she is responsible for writing

decisions on some 30 cases each year.She previously served on the SouthCarolina Court of Appeals from 1995-2009, serving as its Chief Judge forthe last 10 years of her tenure there.Prior to becoming an appellate judge,Hearn was a trial judge, serving as afamily court judge for nine years.While Chief Judge of the Court ofAppeals, she served as president ofthe Council of Chief Judges, a nation-wide network of chief judges of inter-mediate courts of appeal.

“Law is a fertile ground for thosewith a liberal arts education,” shenotes. Pointing to her history classesat Bethany, where she “took everyclass” taught by Professor ChandlerShaw, she says the rigor of thecoursework and preparing for seniorcomps, which she passed with dis-tinction, provided solid preparationfor the intensive, content-heavynature of the cases she must review.

Since joining the Supreme Court,

Hearn has been involved in numer-ous complex cases, including deathpenalty appeals, voter and electioncases, and constitutional challengesto municipal and state statutes.

Enrolling at Bethany fromWarren, Pa., Justice Hearn did the“traditional things that women did atcollege in the 1970s,” including pledg-ing a sorority and becoming a cheer-leader, but two seminal events fromher Bethany experience stand out.

The first was studying Italian lan-guage and art at a convent in Romeand traveling to Greece in the sum-mer following her junior year as therecipient of the Vira I. Heinz Womenin Global Leadership Travel Award.“It was a life-changing event thatstretched me beyond my comfortzone and opened my eyes to thewonder and beauty of the world,”she remarks.

The second, even more pivotal,came when representing Bethany’swomen students at a conference inWashington, DC, she learned thatwomen at that time earned 59 centsfor every dollar earned by men per-forming the same work.

“That experience represented areal turning point for me,” sheremarks. “Initially, I was confused;then shocked; and finally, angry. Itwas then that I first truly under-stood what it meant to be a womanin this world.”

That awareness was tested furtherin her early days as a law school stu-dent and young alumna.

Although her parents fully stoodbehind her decision to enroll, “manycommented that it was ‘nice becauseyou can probably marry a lawyer andwork as his secretary,’” she laughs.She did, however, meet her futurehusband, attorney George Hearn, inlaw school. After graduation, humorhelped her in encounters such as an


“My experience as a young lawyer in the 80s is aworld away from where you are right now…timesand opinions have changed since I sat where yousit today. I dared not dream of being a judge as ayoung girl because there were no women judgesin the world I lived in.”

Justice Kaye G. Hearn ’72 addressing graduating senior women at theDarline Nicholson Breakfast, Bethany College, May 2011.

Beyondthe Bench

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 18

interview for a clerkship with JuliusB. Ness, a justice on the SouthCarolina Supreme Court known forhis outspokenness.

On their initial meeting in hischambers which, ironically, are nowhers, Ness told her, “I have a lot ofproblems with you…first of all, you’rea girl.”

“I replied, ‘Sir, I guess you’ll haveto talk to God about that.’ Helaughed, and a few minutes later, heoffered me the job. I accepted on thespot,” she recalls. Justice Hearn notesthat she not only became Ness’s firstwoman law clerk, but later, “hebecame my dear and trusted friend,as well as the great mentor of my life.He taught me how to think and actlike a lawyer and a judge.” Ness con-tinued to provide Hearn with supportand guidance until his death in 1991.

Hearn is the first former SouthCarolina Supreme Court law clerk tobecome a justice herself and nowoccupies the same office in theSupreme Court building occupied byJustice Ness at the time of their fate-ful first interview.

Her early career was not withoutits tribulations, however. “When Ifirst began practicing in HorryCounty (S.C.) in the late 1970s, somemen preferred to deal with my malecounterparts rather than do busi-ness with me. One even repeatedlyreferred to me as ‘Princess,’” Hearnrecalls.

She is widely respected through-out the state for her “integrity, intel-lect, likeability and desire to give

back,” in the words of a recent maga-zine profile. Judge Lisa Kinon, whohas known Hearn for 20 years,describes her friend and neighbor asher role model: “She sets an examplenot only for all women lawyers, butall members of the legal profession.”

In addition, she remains close toher friends, including Bethany class-mates Marsha Carlin ’72, a sororitysister, and former roommate LauraCramblet, ’72 recently reuniting withthem and other alumnae after speak-ing on campus.

“I have not accomplished all thiswithout the help of many others,”Hearn notes. Her mother, KathleenGorenflo, moved to the family’sConway home in 1988 to help care fortheir then infant daughter, Kathleen,and continues to play an active andstabilizing role in their lives. She alsocites her law clerks, now numberingsome 25, “who have become a part ofmy family and to whom I amextremely loyal.”

In addition to her parents andNess, Justice Hearn also credits hermarriage to fellow attorney GeorgeM. Hearn, a Conway, S.C., attorneyand a member of the South CarolinaHouse of Representatives who repre-sents District 105, for “making mylife golden.”

“George has been a full partner inmy professional and family life, andwe were also fortunate to have prac-ticed together for six years (in Lorisand Myrtle Beach, S.C.),” she says.

The couple, who has lived andworked together for more than 30

years, has been active in the Theaterof the Republic in Conway, S.C., andhas performed in numerous produc-tions, including recently withKathleen in “South Pacific,” in whichHearn and her daughter played nurs-es and “washed that man right out oftheir hair” together.

Known for occasionally “lettingher hair down” literally, she and herformer Clerk of Court, Ken Richstad,are famous locally for their karaokeperformance as “Dolly Parton andKenny Rogers” as part of a charityfundraiser sponsored by the SouthCarolina Judicial Department. Theduo has also appeared as “Sonnyand Cher.”

In her time away from the bench,Justice Hearn also enjoys skiing,cycling, and spending time at thefamily’s beach house, “Adjourned,”and hosting dinner parties. She oftencooks with daughter Kathleen. Inaddition, she is a choir member andformer senior warden at St. Paul’sEpiscopal Church, Conway, whileserving on the boards of both theUniversity of South Carolina Schoolof Law and the Charleston (S.C.)School of Law.

Speaking to senior women atBethany College in May, Hearn sum-marized her philosophy of continual-ly mentoring other younger profes-sionals: “When you achieve successin your chosen career, don’t pull theladder up behind you.”

“If I have any legacy, I’d like to beremembered as a mentor to younglawyers,” she concludes.


Career Highlights South Carolina Supreme Court, Columbia and Conway, SCJustice, 2010-present

South Carolina Court of Appeals, Columbia and Conway, S.C.Chief Judge, 1999-2000; Associate Judge, 1995-1999

South Carolina Family Court, Horry and Georgetown Counties, S.C.15th Circuit Family Court Judge, 1986-1995 (Chief Administrative Judge, 1987-1995)

South Carolina Supreme Court, Columbia and Bamberg, S.C.Law Clerk to the Honorable Julius B. Ness, 1977-1979

Charleston School of Law, Charleston, S.C.Adjunct Professor of Appellate Advocacy, 2006, 2007 and 2008

Stevens, Stevens, Thomas, Hearn and HearnPartner and Associate, 1979-1986

“Law is a fertile ground for those with a liberal

arts education.”

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:44 PM Page 19

SUMMER 2011 BETHANY COLLEGE

CHAMPIONSHIP

S P O R T S

20

FORM

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 20


ON THE HARDWOOD, the Bethany women sat at 7-9overall and in the second tier of the PAC standings afterthe opening wave of conference games. The Bison wouldrebound by winning six of the final nine games in the reg-ular season, including a 4-1 mark in road games, to rise upthe PAC rankings and earn the fourth seed for the leaguetournament.

Capping the big swing was a 65-58 triumph in the regu-lar season finale at Washington & Jefferson, which securedthe fourth seed and a home game in the PAC Tournamentquarterfinals. Senior Tara Harris led the way in the winwith 16 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore KaylaTaormina posted 12 points, nine boards and four assists, asBC snapped a seven-game losing streak at W&J that datedback to 2004.

In the first round of the PAC Tournament, Bethany wasmatched up with Grove City after the teams split the regu-lar season meetings. The Bison claimed a five-point half-time lead, but would shoot just 31 percent in the secondhalf. The Wolverines would make 45 percent of their shotattempts after halftime and rallied for a 66-59 win over BC,who was led by another sterling effort from Harris. As the

only senior on the Bethany roster, she set a career-highwith 20 points and added nine boards in her final game.

Three Bison were named Honorable Mention All-PACfollowing the year, the first all-conference award for each.Harris led the team in rebounding (6.4) and averaged 7.6points as well, while junior Katelynn Hackathorn was sec-ond in the PAC in field goal percentage (49.2) and posted8.9 points and 6.2 rebounds a contest. Taormina roundedout the honorees after finishing second on the team inscoring with 9.8 points and third in rebounding with 6.0caroms per game.

In the pool, Bethany’s women’s team turned one of itsbetter seasons in recent memory. The team collected fourdual-meet victories during the year, including wins overPenn State-Altoona, Frostburg State, Urbana and Davis &Elkins, bettering their total from the year before by one. Apair of records was also broken throughout the year,including the 200 Free Relay record going down in the winover Penn State-Altoona.

The 200 Free Relay record would be reset again at thePAC Championship meet, as the foursome of sophomoreTheresa Smith, junior Jennifer Briskey, senior CynthiaRichardson and sophomore Melissa Davis finished in atime of 1:47.52. Then in the last event of theChampionship meet, Richardson, Smith, junior SaraReass and Davis completed the 400 Free Relay with atime of 3:55.75 to surpass that school mark and end theseason on a high note.

The men’s season was highlighted by a 111-101 victoryover Penn State-Altoona during the regular season. At theconference meet, junior Jared Patrick scored in the 100 and200 Fly and a pair of divers registered strong efforts.Sophomore Vinnie Giangiulio took fifth place in both div-ing events and freshman Jon Gray was right behind him insixth place. Their performances helped both receiveSecond Team All-PAC distinction following the campaign.

B E T H A N Y W I N T E RSPORTS 2011 RECAPThe winter sports season may have beenhighlighted by the Bison men’s basketballteam winning the PAC title, but thewomen’s basketball and swimming anddiving programs provided quite a bit ofexcitement as well with solid seasons.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 21


[ S P O R T S ]

BETHANY MEN’S BASKETBALLAfter being picked to finish third in the PAC preseason poll, the Bethany men’s basket-ball team struggled with losses in three of the first five games of the 2010-11 season.But the Bison would turn things around quickly and building momentum throughout theyear, the Green and White would make it a season for the record books by adding totheir PAC-record with a 13th conference title.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 22


ALTHOUGH THE BISON droppedAllegheny in the season opener, therewere speed bumps ahead. Losses onthe road at Baldwin-Wallace andnationally-ranked Wooster and JohnCarroll left BC with a 2-3 record justbefore opening PAC action. Bethanygot back on track by routing CaseWestern and rolled through the earlyportion of the league slate by beatingWestminster and Waynesburg andthen built a six-game winning streakgoing into the holiday break withwins over Geneva, Franciscan andFrostburg State.

The New Year did not bring quitethe same success early on forBethany, as losses in the closing sec-onds at Thiel and at home againstSaint Vincent by a combined threepoints left BC at 9-5 overall at 3-2 inthe conference. The Bison recoverednicely, going out on the road to defeatThomas More 71-66, which started astring on nine wins in 10 outings.The lone blemish was a costly one, asa 66-59 defeat to Thiel helped theTomcats clinch the top seed andhome court advantage in the PACTournament.

Bethany didn’t close the regularseason on a strong note, as a hot-shooting W&J squad claimed a 74-67win in the regular season finale,which dropped BC down to the thirdseed for the PAC Tournament. TheBison opened the league playoffsagainst #6 Westminster, who wasupset-minded early by streaking out

to an 18-8 lead to start the game. Butthe Bison seized control by outscor-ing the Titans 39-5 over the final 11minutes of the half and they wouldadvance with a 90-58 thrashing.

In the semifinals, the Bison trav-elled to #2 Saint Vincent. The teamssplit a pair of hotly-contested regularseason meetings and the rubbermatch proved to be another barn-burner. After seven lead changes andthree ties in the first half, Bethany led28-26 at the break. In the second half,BC led by as many as 12, but thatmargin was trimmed to one andSaint Vincent had possession. TheBearcats missed two free throws anda jumper in the final 30 seconds,allowing Bethany to hang on for a 66-65 win to move on to the PACTournament title game.

Bethany’s quest for the conferencecrown meant a trip to top-seededThiel, who was 13-1 against PACteams during the year and a perfect12-0 at home going into the finalgame. After trailing by as many asnine in the first half, BC trimmed thedeficit to five by halftime and madetheir move early in the second half.There would six ties and nine leadchanges in the final 20 minutes, butthe final change came when NickWilcox hit a jumper with 3:54 to gothat gave Bethany the lead for good.

That bucket started a 14-6 game-ending spurt for the Bison, whomade a season-high 27-of-33 from thefoul line (82 percent) to rally for the

74-67 win. The stars were plentifulfor BC and were led by BritishAlexander, who totaled 19 points, 12rebounds, five blocked shots and fivesteals. Joining him with 19 points wasReece Mabery, who sank 11 freethrows, and James Barton chipped inwith 14, including 12 in the secondhalf.

By winning their PAC-record 13thleague crown, Bethany also securedan automatic bid to the NCAATournament for the seventh time.The Bison were matched up withManchester (Ind.) College in theopening round and the Spartansgrabbed control with a 15-0 run tostart the game. Bethany was able toget within as close as five points earlyin the second half, but Manchesterheld off every BC surge after that andended Bethany’s season with a 70-58decision. It would be the final gamein Green and White for seniors RyanMcFadden, who scored 18 in theNCAA loss, Dustin Opalka and RayGardner.

Two Bethany players were hon-ored with All-PAC laurels followingthe season. Alexander grabbed FirstTeam recognition after setting a newschool record with 67 blocked shots,while also averaging 13.3 points, 8.8rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.Sophomore Nick Wilcox was theteam’s leading scorer with 13.5 pointsand also posted 6.8 rebounds and 2.1steals per game to earn Second TeamAll-PAC.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 23


[ S P O R T S ]

THE SOGGY SPRING weather did little to dampen theefforts of the track and field program, which found successfrom start to finish during the season. Bethany hosted thePAC Championship meet for the first time since 2001 andBC student-athletes put on a show for the home crowd,winning four conference titles, earning 14 All-PAC honorsand one provisionally qualifying for NCAA Championships.

The initial PAC championship was won on the openingday of the meet when freshman Ben Gregg took first placein the javelin and provisionally qualified for NCAAChampionships with a throw of 195-4. The next day sawBethany dominate in the running events, as sophomoreMarcus Johnson won the 100 (11.21), freshman AarickJones took first in the 200 (22.69) and freshman ArkangeloJames earned the conference title in the 800 (1:56.54).Those performances helped Bethany finish third overall asa team, its best finish since 1996.

Highlighting the weekend for the women was seniorDesiree Finley, who was Second Team All-PAC in the polevault and earned Honorable Mention All-PAC in the 400hurdles, 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

The season didn’t end there, as the Bison sent 10 quali-fiers to ECAC Championships. The top finish came fromJames, who was fifth in the 800 with a school record andNCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:52.54. Finley alsobroke her own school record in the 400 hurdles (1:05.62),which gave BC three new school marks for the season to goalong with freshman Cory Yarrington’s effort in the 3,000Steeplechase (9:51.73).

Although James and Gregg provisionally qualified forNCAA Championships, their efforts came up just short ofearning an invitation to the national meet. Although sinceboth are only freshmen and only one of the All-PAC per-formers was a senior, the future is bright for the Bisontrack and field programs.

On the tennis court, Bethany, who had gone winless asrecently as 2009, had a chance at its first winning seasonsince 1999, but came up short in the season finale and set-

tled for a 6-7 overall record and 3-4 mark in the PAC. It stillproved to be the most wins by the team since ’99 and thethree conference wins was the highest total by a Bisonteam since 2007.

At PAC Championships, BC finished tied for fourthplace overall after having two singles players and two dou-bles teams claim third place. In singles, senior DustinOpalka and freshman Dustin Maiolo won the consolationmatches at #1 and #4 singles, respectively. The doublestandems of Opalka and junior Jared Patrick finished thirdat #1, as did the duo of freshman James Peterson and juniorRyan Rokisky at #2.

In baseball action, Bethany’s season got off to a strongstart with wins in four of their six games down in Florida.Although the Bison had difficulties in PAC play, their sea-son was highlighted by taking two of three from the even-tual top seed Grove City, as well as a 4-1 victory overWashington & Jefferson, a game that saw sophomore BradKubis break the school record for career saves (16).

After the season, which saw Bethany finish with a 12-23mark, three players were named All-PAC. Senior CF TylerDillinger, who broke the 10-year old Bethany record forcareer hits after compiling 199 in his tenure, was selectedfor First Team, as was Kubis (.346, 1 HR, 25 RBIs), whilejunior catcher T.J. Zarewicz (.383, 3 HR, 28 RBIs) waspicked for Second Team.

On March 3, the Bethany athletic department welcomedits newest sport to varsity status when the men’s lacrosseteam began its initial season with a game against DivisionII St. Andrews from North Carolina. The first season ofcompetition can have its rough patches and this one did forthe Bison, who finished the season 1-11. The highlight tothe year came on March 26 when sophomore KyleArrington scored five goals and had seven points, as BCscored nine goals in the second half to pull away for a 13-6victory over Ohio Valley.

Arrington completed the year as the team’s top scorer,amassing 16 goals and five assists for 21 points. FreshmanRobbie Foster was second with eight goals and 10 pointsand freshman Corey Doneski was the top defender, forc-ing 10 turnovers and scooping up 56 ground balls, bothteam-highs.

The rainy spring weather may have affected the golf teammore than anyone, as many of their matches were pushedback or canceled altogether. The Bison did manage to get inthree tournaments before playing at PAC Championships,where Bethany finished in seventh place overall. The team’soverall score was actually 72 shots better than the score post-ed the year before at the conference match.

Bethany did nearly have a golfer bring back All-PAChonors for the second consecutive year. Rokisky, who alsoplayed for the tennis team, shot a two-day total of 158 (77-81) to finish in a four-way tie for 11th place, one shot awayfrom earning Second Team All-PAC distinction. FreshmenNolan Wilson (164) and Peter Franklin (168) were the nexttop scorers for the Bison.

B E T H A N Y S P R I N GSPORTS 2011 RECAPIt was a record-setting spring sports season for the Bison programs, withnumerous records falling and multipleconference championships earned intrack and field, the men’s tennis teamposting its best record in recent memory,a longtime baseball record going downand the men’s lacrosse team making itsvarsity debut on the Bethany campus.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 24


SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 25


THE SEASON GOT off to a strongstart down south, as BC posted a 7-3mark in Florida. The signature winsof the trip came on the Monday, whenBethany pulled out a pulsating 10-9triumph in 11 innings overTransylvania, an NCAA Regionalteam from the season before, andthen knocking off #9 Cortland State4-2 in eight innings. The Bison did hita bump in the road upon returningnorth, as the Green and Whitedropped six of their first nine gamesand was at 10-9 overall after losingtheir first league game of the seasonto Westminster.

Bethany would get back on trackquickly, as a 6-0 win overWestminster to split that April 6thtwinbill started a 14-game PAC win-ning streak. The Bison were pro-pelled to the top of the conferencestandings with the winning streak,which featured a sweep over defend-ing league champion Thomas Moreby scores of 1-0 and 4-1. Decisive 4-1and 9-1 triumphs at Washington &Jefferson put the Bison in position toclinch the top seed for the conferencetournament and they clinched the #1spot with an 8-0 shutout over Thiel inthe final regular season doubleheaderof the year.

Hosting the PAC Tournament forthe second year in a row, Bethanywent through the playoffs unscathedto add to its impressive collection ofconference titles. Pitching carried theBison through the weekend, as onday one the outstanding work of soph-omore Emily Jump lifted BC to a 1-0win over Waynesburg and a 2-1 victoryover Thomas More that put Bethanyinto the title game. Jump hurled a four-hit shutout over Waynesburg in theopener and limited TMC to one run onsix hits in the second win, while all theoffense was supplied by a MariaVallone RBI double and a Cortney Laxrun-producing single.

In the championship game, theBison matched up with Thomas Morefor the third straight year. The Saintshad come away with wins the previ-ous two seasons, but this time theBison would not be denied. SeniorCortney Newland threw a four-hitshutout and senior Chelsea Butler’stwo-out RBI single in the bottom ofthe 7th gave the Bison a 1-0 win overThomas More to clinch the team’sfirst league crown and NCAARegional appearance since 2008.

Bethany was shipped to theAdrian (Mich.) Regional for NCAATournament play, but it would not

have the same ending as the PACTournament. The Bison nearly ralliedfrom a five-run deficit in their firstgame with Baldwin-Wallace, but BCfell short by a 6-3 count. The next dayin the elimination bracket, the Greenand White had their season end with atough loss to Alma, which concludedthe careers of seniors Butler, Newland,Lax, Andrea Thomas and AllieFluharty. Together, the group posted arecord of 112-75 overall, including 44-14in the PAC, two conference titles, twoNCAA Regional appearances and twoECAC Tournament bids.

The awards came piling in at theconclusion of the season. Thomas,who hit .436 for the year with team-highs in homers (four), RBIs (36) anddoubles (17) was named the PACPlayer of the Year and Jan Forsty wasselected as the conference’s Coach ofthe Year. Other Bison earning FirstTeam All-PAC were Butler, Jump andVallone, while Lax nabbed SecondTeam laurels. The Bison were alsorecognized on a higher level whenThomas and Vallone, who set a newsingle-season record for hits with 65,were tabbed First Team All-CentralRegion and Butler, who set theBethany all-time record for hits with191, garnered Second Team honors.

BETHANY SOFTBALLAfter coming agonizingly close to winning the conference title each of the last two years,the Bethany softball team broke through in 2011 and dominated the PAC to capture theprogram’s 13th league crown, which is the most in the history of the PAC.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 26


NOT ONLY WAS 2010-11 A STRONG SEASON forBethany College athletics on the fields and courts, it wasanother outstanding year for Bison student-athletes tocontinue to impress academically as well.

For the first time since 2007, a pair of Bethany baseballplayers were voted to the Capital One Academic All-District II team. Senior second baseman Eric Fudala andsophomore infielder/pitcher Brad Kubis both earnedSecond Team accolades, the first BC players to receive thehonor since Brent Owens in 2007.

Fudala hit .272 this past spring with 14 RBIs and gradu-ated with a GPA better than 3.8 as a business major.Kubis, who set the Bethany career saves record this sea-son, batted .346 and drove in 25 runs on the diamond andalso has a GPA above 3.5 as a biology major.

It was one of two academic honors Fudala earned this

spring, as he was one of 29 Bethany student-athletes whoearned a spot on the PAC Academic Honor Roll. To makethe list, a student-athletes must have competed in either awinter or spring sport and posted a GPA of 3.6 or higherduring the spring semester. The 29 Bison to make the listis the highest total since 2007 when 32 Bethany student-athletes earned a spot on the Spring Honor Roll.

Fudala was also one of six Bison who earned a perfect4.0 for the semester and was one of five BC baseball play-ers to make the list, the most by a Bethany men’s team.Taking top honors among all the programs was the PACchampion softball team, as well as women’s basketball,who both put six on the Honor Roll. Down below is acomplete list of Bethany’s 2011 PAC Spring AcademicHonor Roll members.

Bethany Student-Athletes Continue to Impress in the Classroom

Bethany’s Spring 2011 PAC Academic Honor Roll HonoreesNAME YEAR MAJOR SPORT HOMETOWN/H.S.Cassondra Allen JR Social Work Track & Field Washington, Pa./Canon-McMillanSarah Atkins JR Elem. Education Swimming Heath, Ohio/HeathRachel Benda FR Social Work W. Basketball Bridgeport, Ohio/BridgeportMindy Bierhals FR Math Education Softball Saxonburg, Pa./KnochRebecca Braithwaite FR Psychology W. Basketball Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers ValleyMelissa Davis SO Psychology/ Swimming/Track Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster

Social WorkTyler Dillinger SR History Educ. Baseball McKeesport, Pa./McKeesportEric Fudala SR Business Baseball Uniontown, Pa./Laurel HighlandsEmily Jump SO Phys. Education Softball Milford, Del./PolytechJosh Lawrence SR Phys. Education Baseball Mather, Pa./Jefferson-MorganKelli McAbier SR Math Education Track & Field Gnadenhutten, Ohio/Indian ValleyRyan McFadden SR Elem. Education M. Basketball Columbus, Ohio/Mount Vernon Acad.Kristina Moff JR Elem. Education Track & Field Berlin Center, Ohio/Western ReserveCortney Newland SR Elem. Education Softball Carmichaels, Pa./CarmichaelsKaitlyn Pitchok SO Biology Softball Weirton, W.Va./WeirKatie Powell FR Equine Studies Track & Field Belleville, W.Va./HomeschooledSara Reass JR Elem. Education Swimming Newtown, Pa./Council Rock NorthRyan Rokisky SR Political Science Golf/Tennis Weirton, W.Va./Weirton MadonnaHeidi Soriano SO Elem. Education Softball Austintown, Ohio/Austintown FitchStephen Stanley FR Business/Comm. Baseball Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale AreaRyan Summers JR Pre-Phys. Therapy M. Basketball Sistersville, W.Va./Tyler ConsolidatedKayla Taormina SO Pre-Phys. Therapy W. Basketball Monaca, Pa./QuigleyMaria Vallone SO Phys. Education Softball Rochester, N.Y./Webster SchroederJosh Wentz SO Forensic Chemistry Track & Field Philippi, W.Va./Philip BarbourSkylar Williams SO Phys. Education W. Basketball Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson Anne Wilson JR Communications W. Basketball Saegertown, Pa./Cambridge SpringsCory Yarrington FR Undeclared Track & Field Berkeley Springs, W.Va./Berkeley SpringsDavid Yuna JR Biology Baseball Bridgeville, Pa./South FayetteKelly Zogran JR Phys. Education W. Basketball Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 27


BETHANY ADDS FIELD HOCKEY AS 22NDVARSITY SPORTBETHANY COLLEGE hasannounced the addition of women’sfield hockey as its 22nd varsity sportbeginning in the fall of 2012, accord-ing to Bethany Director of Athleticsand Recreation Tim Weaver.

Weaver also announced the headcoach of the program, which will usethe 2011-12 season to recruit beforebeginning a full varsity schedule in2012. Current Bison assistant softballcoach Kristen McGaughey will be thefield hockey head coach and also con-tinue her role with the softball pro-gram. The addition of field hockeycontinues a period of growth for theBethany athletic department, asmen’s lacrosse just completed its firstvarsity season this past spring.

“Bethany is very proud to bringField Hockey back at this excitingtime in our athletics program,” saidWeaver. “Coach McGaughey,through her work with our outstand-ing softball program, has proven to bea dynamic leader and very effectiverecruiter. These are qualities that willhelp her get a startup program on itsfeet and ultimately lead us to having asuccessful team.”

Women’s field hockey is actuallyreturning to the Bison athleticdepartment, as the sport wasdropped following the 1989-90 schoolyear. Bethany fielded a strong fieldhockey program from the late 1970’sthrough the mid-1980’s. The Bisonwon five consecutive Pennwood West

Conference titles from 1977-81 andcaptured two more crowns in 1983and 1984 before claiming the 1985PAC championship with a record of13-3-1 overall and 6-0 in the PAC.

The head coach of the last fieldhockey team in 1989 was Jan Forsty,who is still at Bethany as the headsoftball and women’s tennis coachand associate athletic director. Shehas worked with McGaughey for thelast three years and sees her as anoutstanding coach to start up thefield hockey program again.

McGaughey came to Bethany in2008 after graduating from Ashland(Ohio) University with a Bachelor ofScience degree in Biology. She fin-ished her softball career at Ashlandranked third in career home runs (19)and fifth in career RBIs (99) and wasa two-time All-GLIAC selection, aswell as a First Team All-Great LakesRegion pick as a junior.

Since arriving at Bethany,McGaughey has helped lead theBison softball program to 88 victo-ries in three seasons, including aschool-record 35 in 2010, as well asthree consecutive postseasonappearances. Bethany captured itsPAC-record 13th conference champi-onship in 2011 and earned its sixthtrip to NCAA Regionals.

DOW NAMED NEW HEADSWIMMING & DIVING COACHSTATE UNIVERSITY OF NewYork, Cortland assistant David Dowhas been selected as the new headmen’s and women’s swimming and

diving coach at Bethany College, asannounced by Bethany Director ofAthletics and Recreation Tim Weaver.

Finding someone with Dow’sbackground with a successful pro-gram, as well as his energy andknowledge, was instrumental in thesearch process, according toWeaver. He said that over 70 appli-cations were received as a part of thenational search.

“Coach Dow is an outstanding fitfor Bethany College and our swim-ming and diving program,” said

Weaver. “He hasan outstandingrecord of accom-plishment as botha swimmer andcoach. His win-ning attitude,commitment toexcellence, and

experience at the Division III levelwill have an immediate impact onour program.”

Dow comes to Bethany after atwo-year stint at his alma mater asthe assistant coach. During histenure on the coaching staff, the RedDragon men’s team went 28-5 in dualmeets and finished in second place atthe SUNYAC Championships twice,while the women posted a 21-7record in dual meets and finishedsecond at the SUNYAC meet in 2010and third this past winter.

Aside from the team success, Dowwas highly involved with the individ-ual medley and backstroke traininggroup, which included a two-timeNCAA All-American, two NCAA

[ S P O R T S ]

David Dow

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 28


provisional qualifiers, 10 All-Conference team members and nineindividual school records being bro-ken over a two-year span. In additionto the success in the water, Dowplayed a large role in Cortland’srecruiting and those efforts helpedadd over 30 swimmers to an alreadyestablished group of successful stu-dent-athletes.

Before helping coach swimmers toall-conference and school record per-formances, Dow was achieving themhimself as with the Red Dragons. Afour-year member and two-year cap-tain, he broke the school record inthe 1,000 Freestyle in 2009. Dowclaimed two titles in the 1,650 Free atthe SUNYAC Championship meetand was twice named to the SUNY-AC All-Conference First Team andtwice to the Second Team.

Dow earned a Bachelor’s degree inSports Management with a minor incomputer applications fromCortland. He also completed hiscoursework towards a Master ofScience degree in RecreationManagement in Leisure Servicesfrom Cortland.

PARIKAKIS NAMED NEWWOMEN’S SOCCER COACH FORMER MARY BALDWINCollege women’s soccer coach PeterParikakis has been selected as thenew head women’s soccer coach atBethany College, according toDirector of Athletics Tim Weaver.

According to Weaver, Parikakis’familiarity with Bethany, as well as

his extensive coaching backgroundand energy, made him a great fit forthe position. “We are very happy tohave someone with Pete’s back-

ground and pas-sion for the sportto take over ourwomen’s soccerprogram,” saidWeaver. “Pete hasvery high person-al standards whenit comes to ethics

and character, which was a top pri-ority in our search. We believe Petewill be able to produce a team thatqualifies for the PAC tournamentand ultimately turn it into a top pro-gram in the PAC and the region.

“Having played a role in turningaround Bethany’s men’s soccer pro-gram and with his experience atother liberal arts colleges, Pete is avery good fit and will be able torecruit the type of quality student-athletes who can succeed on the fieldand in the classroom at a small col-lege of national distinction likeBethany,” said Weaver.

This past fall, Parikakis was anassistant for the Bison men’s pro-gram. He helped Bethany reboundfrom a two-win campaign in 2009 to11 victories this past fall, a berth inthe PAC Tournament Championshipmatch and a bid to the ECACTournament, where the Bisonstunned the #1 seed Penn StateBehrend in the opening round andreached the semifinals. Receiving theopportunity to take the reins to thewomen’s program fulfills a long-time

goal for the Follansbee, W.Va., native.“I feel that this is a “homecom-

ing” for me since I am originallyfrom the area,” said Parikakis.“Growing up, Bethany College wasthe place you went to school if youwere a soccer player. And now,being a Bison is a long time dreamwhich has finally come true. I planto re-establish traditions and expec-tations here on the women’s sideand I’m very eager to get to workand start writing the next chapter inBethany Women’s Soccer.”

The program Parikakis takesover is improving, but has failed toqualify for the PAC tournament inrecent years. In 2007, the Bison wononly three games, but in the lastthree seasons, BC has won 24matches and is coming off back-to-back .500 seasons for only the sec-ond time in the 24-year history ofthe program. Bethany completed the2010 campaign with an 8-8-2 recordand a 3-4-1 mark in the PAC.Looking ahead to next season, 10players return who started at least 11matches this past year, includingFirst Team All-PAC selection CassieSpalding (Claysville, Pa./McGuffey),who led the conference in scoringfor the second straight year with 19goals and 42 points.

Parikakis earned his Bachelor ofScience degree in Athletic Trainingfrom Waynesburg in 2001 andearned a Masters of Science inAthletic Coaching from WVU in2006. He is currently enrolled in theMaster of Arts in Teaching programat Bethany.

Peter Parikakis

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:45 PM Page 29


A C H I E V E M E N T SCHARLES “PETE” PERRY ’59 was re-electedto the board of Cyprus AmericanArcheological Research institute inApril 2011.

Novelos Therapeutics recentlyannounced that Bethany graduate DR. JOHN E. NIEDERHUBER ’60 has beennamed to the group’s Board ofDirectors. Niederhuber has served asExecutive Vice President and ChiefExecutive Officer of the Institute forTranslational Medicine of Inova Health System since September 2010.He worked as Director of the NationalCancer Institute (NCI) from 2005 to2010.

JOHN MULLEN ’69, trustee of BethanyCollege, has been named chief executiveofficer of Unitrin Specialty, a leading per-sonal and casualty personal insuranceorganization following 35 years of indus-try experience.

SETH GOLBEY ’76 is the director of plan-ning and external relations at theAmerican Red Cross, Metro New York region.

MarkLogic® Corporation has announcedthat 1977 Bethany College graduate andTrustee KEN BADO, a veteran technologyexecutive who most recently was theexecutive vice president of sales and serv-ices at Autodesk, has been named chiefexecutive officer and a member of theboard of directors.

ZANDY DUDIAK ’77 has been named asso-ciate regional editor for Western Pa.Patch, part of AOL’s new network ofonline Patch news sites. She is also theauthor of “Remembering Monroeville:From Frontier to Boomtown,” which wasreleased by History Press in late 2009.She has received more than 80 national,state and regional journalism awardsduring her career as a writer and editor.

JILL (BAROUDI) NUTTER ’77 has written aseries of historical romance novels forthe inspirational market under the penname Jillian Kent. “Secrets of the Heart,The Ravensmoore Chronicles, BookOne” was released on May 3 in bothtrade paperback and e-book formats.www.jilliankent.com.

CLASS NOTESB E T H A N Y T O D A Y

We’d love to hear from you!We’re interested in hearing howyou are doing. Send or email yourengagements, marriages, births,promotions or other news to bepublished in Bethany Today.

Alumni Weekend 2011More than 100 Bethany grads returned to campus for Alumni Weekend 2011, April 29-May 1, with the Class of 1961celebrating their 50th reunion. Alumni Weekend featured many activities, including the Alumni Association Luncheon,where members of the Class of 1961 presented a check to President Miller in honor of their 50th Reunion.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:46 PM Page 30


BRUCE CAMPBELL ’78 was named FlaglerBeach interim city manager and was oneof the finalists for the permanent job toreplace former Interim City ManagerBernie Murphy. Campbell’s previouswork includes various management positions at The Timken Company andservice as president of Camaco/LorainCounty Automotive.

FRANCES MCDORMAND ’79 received theTony Award for best performance by anactress in a leading role in a play for herrole in “Good People” during the 65thannual Tony Awards.

UBS Wealth Management Americas(WMA) CEO ROBERT MCCANN ’80 partici-pated in a May 9 “Revitalizing America”discussion that featured PresidentWilliam J. Clinton and President GeorgeW. Bush. The event explored solutions toa variety of economic challenges facingthe U.S. and also included approximately400 clients and prospects and 150Financial Advisors.

GREG JORDAN ‘81, global managing part-ner of Pittsburgh-based Reed Smith, wasrecently featured in The Lawyer’s May 16edition. The article examined Jordan’ssuccessful leadership strategies and theReed Smith-Richards Butler merger.

MARIE ZUBERBUEHLER DEPARIS ’83 andSNY have won another television NewYork Emmy Award. This year’s honorswere for SNY brand commercials thatDeParis produced. DeParis was also the2011 Kalon Scholarship Luncheon speak-er at Bethany.

JAMES J. HARRIS ’84 was recently pro-moted to vice president, Real Estate –Legal for Limited Brands, Inc. located inColumbus, Ohio.

Berry College has granted full professorstatus to previously tenured DR. ERICMCDOWELL ‘87, a professor in the institu-tion’s Department of Mathematics andComputer Science.

TOM JINGOLI ’90 has been named one ofthe University of Nevada’s industry exec-utives of the year. A former investigativeagent with the New Jersey Division ofGaming Enforcement, he now works forKonami, a slot machine company withmore than 200 gaming licenses across the

globe. He is also serving his second termas president of the Association of GamingEquipment Manufacturers.

The Health Facilities Association ofMaryland (HFAM) recently announcedits 2011 new leadership team, whichincludes Bethany graduate JOHNSPADARO ’91 as board chair. Spadaroworks as regional vice president ofOperations for SavaSeniorCare, one ofthe largest providers of short-term healthcare services in the United States.

The Shelter Island School Board inNew York recently named DR. MICHAELHYNES ’94 the district’s new superin-tendent. He previously served as assis-tant superintendent for curriculum andinstruction for the Plainedge SchoolDistrict in North Massapequa and asan elementary principal in CenterMoriches, a school that was named oneof New York state’s “Rapidly ImprovingSchool Districts” and a “High-Performing/Gap-Closing School.”

DENISE RITTER ‘98 was featured in theKappa Delta national magazine TheAngelos. She was one of nine alumnaehighlighted in a winter 2011 articleabout blogging.

N.C. Wesleyan has named formerBethany coach FRANKIE TAAL ’98 thenew head men’s soccer coach. Taal pre-viously served as assistant coach forthe Bishops for seven seasons afterworking almost 10 years as a playerand coach at Bethany. He was a mem-ber of the College’s 1994 Division IIINational Championship team.

GINA DEBLASIS ’00 was hired as coordina-tion producer by Pikewood Creative. Shespent the past seven years at the eventgroup in Pittsburgh and brings 10 yearsof experience in consulting, public rela-tions and event planning to the role.

The Laurel Highlands School Board(Pa.) unanimously approved the hiringof football coach ZACH JUST ’02, whonow holds a five-year contract to coachthe Mustangs.

LAUREN DEMUNDO MARTIN ’03 is the prin-cipal at Seton-LaSalle High School inPittsburgh.

TESSA WEGENER ’04 was recently award-ed a Fulbright Research Grant, whichwill allow her to conduct nine months ofresearch in Vienna, Austria, toward thecompletion of her dissertation. She is aPh.D. candidate in German Studies atGeorgetown University.

Drive With Pride: Introducing the BethanyCollege License PlateShow how green you really are with the newBethany College license plate.

Available to Bethany College alumni,employees, students, family members, and friends,the Bethany plate is a custom-designed, special-issue offering for all Class A motorvehicles currently licensed in West Virginia.

The Bethany College Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is accepting applicationsNOW for the new plate. We must secure a minimum of 250 applications within the nextfew months to ensure that the plate is produced.

Don’t delay! Applications are available by calling (304) 829-7299, or writing:

Office of Alumni and Parent RelationsBethany CollegeP.O. Box 389Bethany, WV 26032Email: [email protected]

One Class A vehicle currently registered in West Virginia qualifies for one plate at acost of $70 per plate. If you have more than one vehicle, order as many as you need!

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:46 PM Page 31


STEPHANIE PANAS TROUTEN ’05 has beennamed the new director of marketingin the Office of InstitutionalAdvancement at West LibertyUniversity.

AMY FURDA ’06 was recently publishedas second author in the March 10, 2011,edition of Nature. The publication features her research with theDepartment of Pharmacology andChemical Biology at the University ofPittsburgh School of Medicine and theUniversity of Pittsburgh CancerInstitute as part of her Ph.D. program.The article documents informationabout an enzyme DNA ligase that iscritical to life and used in many aspectsof molecular research and genetic engi-neering.

M A R R I A G E SJane C. Dively and PETER KEMP ’56 were mar-ried on April 30, 2011.

Erica Michelle Probert and CHRISTOPHERPAUL WILSON ’03 were married on May 26, 2011.

Erica Lee Nelson and BRIAN JOSEPH COOK ’06were married on April 2, 2011. Bethanians in thewedding were MICHAEL COOK ’00 and MATTCARROLL ’06.

ASHLEE RENEE STEPHENS ’08 and GabrielAdam Hashman were married on October 2,2010. Bethanian ANGELA SCHRIVER ’08 was inthe wedding party.

B I R T H SJENNIFER ANN WIERL ’94 and Paul Josef Wierlwelcomed son Noah on December 17, 2009.

Dawn Avolio and BRIAN AVOLIO ’97 welcomedson Lucas Donald on December 16, 2010.

JESSICA CUNNINGHAM STILLWELL ’98 andREV. CHRIS STILLWELL ’98 welcomed daughterCharlotte Bethany.

Bethany Rafail and JOHN RAFAIL ’99 welcomedtwins Anna Maria and Luca Vincent on March 29, 2011.

TIFFANY BAUMGART WILLETTS ’04 and TJWilletts welcomed daughter Verona Skye onAugust 9, 2010.

KRISTY MCGREW HOWELL ’04 and TJ HOWELL’02 welcomed son Logan Anderson on October 18, 2010.

JESSICA LANIGAN ’07 and DANIEL LANIGAN ’08and welcomed child Rowan on January 31, 2011.

Geho, Lewis, Hurl, Sparks Earn Top 2011 Alumni HonorsDr. W. Blair Geho ’60, Dr. Rodney Hurl ’52, Steffanie D. Lewis ’58 and TheRev. Dennis Sparks ’71 were honored at the annual April 30 AlumniAwards Dinner.

Hurl, of Marysville, Ohio, received the Alumnus of the Year award. Anemeritus life trustee, Hurl formerly served on the Bethany Board of Trusteesfrom 1971-1997. He provided funding for the College to purchase the buildingnow known as the Judith R. Hurl Education Center, named in honor of hislate wife, a 1953 Bethany graduate and member of the College’s first graduat-ing class of education majors. Dr. and Mrs. Hurl also established and con-tributed to the Robert D. and Esther B. Hurl Chemistry Endowment.Recently, Hurl donated his personal library collection of 2,500 volumes to thePhillips Library. A retired physician, he earned his M.D. from the TempleUniversity School of Medicine.

Sparks, the recipient of the Alumni Community Service Award, is anordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and serves asexecutive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches. Through com-munity service related to disasters and as a public policy advocate with afocus on children, the environment, health and corrections, he was a leaderin supporting the families who lost loved ones in the 2010 Upper Big BranchMine disaster. In 2008, he was recognized by the National Association ofSocial Workers (West Virginia Chapter) as its Public Citizen of the Year.Other honors and accolades include the Thomas A. Knight Excalibur Awardfrom the Citizens Action Group of Charleston and the West Virginia Lawyersfor Justice President’s Award. He is currently working as interim pastor forthe First Christian Church in Ravenswood, WVA.

Geho and Lewis were honored with the College’s 2011 AlumniAchievement Awards. Geho, a graduate of Case Western ReserveUniversity’s School of Medicine, formerly served on the School’s faculty andlater accepted a position at the Procter and Gamble Company, where hebecame the first medically trained research physician. In 1981, he embarkedon a new entrepreneurial phase of his career, founding an early biotechnolo-gy firm, Technology Unlimited, Inc., (TUI) in Wooster, OH. There, he led pio-neering teams developing novel nanotechnology delivery systems for drugsranging from insulin to chemotherapies and small molecules for a variety ofdiseases. Since then, he has participated in the formation of a number ofbiotechnology companies, serving as both chief science officer and CEO. Heis a member of the Dean’s Visiting Committee, which provides oversight forCase Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine.

Lewis was a founding attorney, vice president and secretary of theInternational Business Law Firm P.C. (IBLF) in Washington, DC. Since 1999,she has been general counsel to Baltia Air Lines, Inc. and has also held theoffice of general counsel, director of legislative affairs and administration inthe Helicopter Association International. She taught in Pennsylvania,Washington, Alaska and Connecticut from 1958-1964 and also participated inAmerican friends Service Committee and the International Arbetslag proj-ects in Mexico and Sweden.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:46 PM Page 32


There are many ways to

Keep in touchwith BethanyFor the latest news on the College, events andyour fellow alumni, visit bethanywv.edu or godirectly with this link:

TWITTERFollow Bethany President SCOTT D. MILLERand Vice President for InstitutionalAdvancement SVEN DE JONG on Twitter at TWITTER.COM. Get an inside glimpse intowhat takes place on a daily basis at BethanyCollege. Follow Dr. Miller by selectingBETHANYCOLLEGE1, and follow Sven deJong by selecting BETHANYCOLLEGE2. You might be surprised by all that occurs on“The Banks of the Old Buffalo.”

SIGN UP FOR THE OLD MAIN JOURNALThe Old Main Journal, a weekly newslettersent electronically, will keep you up-to-dateon campus happenings. To register to receive the Old Main Journal, visitWWW.BETHANYWV.EDU/INDEX.PHP?CID=2335.

E-SCORESYou can sign up to receive Bethany Athleticresults via e-mail or text message the day ofthe event. It’s an easy process, just followthe link below and sign up. It’s a great wayto keep yourself up to date on Bethany’s athletic progress. ESCORES.STRETCHINTENET.COM/LOGIN.PHP?SCH=BETHANYWV

CARA NICOLE (HENRY) HALLDIN ’06graduated with a Ph.D. from CaseWestern Reserve University on May 15,2011, and will be taking a fellowshipposition with the CDC studying theepidemiology of respiratory diseases at CDC’s National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health inMorgantown, W.Va.

ELIZABETH A. DAVIS ’07 graduated fromthe Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine,Cleveland, Ohio, on May 20, 2011, withthe degree of Doctor of PodiatricMedicine. She will complete a three-year surgical residency in foot andankle surgery at Memorial RegionalHospital South, Hollywood, Fl.

Darlington (S.C.) High School teacherJESSICA DESTEFANO ’09 has been namedDarlington County School District’sOutstanding First Year Teacher. Shewas selected from among seven nomi-nees. She also serves as the head vol-leyball coach and an assistant girls’basketball coach for the school, as wellas the student council sponsor.

CASEY R. GRAY ’09 is the recipient of a2011 United Arts Appeal Project Poolgrant. The awards are given to non-profit organizations and individualartists in Chautauqua County, NewYork State. Gray will perform an organrecital and provide children’s program-ming at the First United MethodistChurch of Fredonia, N.Y., where heserves as organist.

O B I T U A R I E SRUTH MOOS ALEXANDER ’31passed away on June 23, 2011.

H. MYRON KAUFFMAN ’33passed away on March 21, 2011.

MARGARET L. OECHSNER ’34passed away on February 5, 2011.

PAUL F. WARD ’37 passed away in June 2011.

G. HUNTER CULLEY ’38passed away on May 16, 2011.

DOROTHY MARIE RITTER FUNK ’40passed away on April 7, 2011.

TOM B. FOULK ’42passed away on January 28, 2011.

CHARLES B. CLUSS ’43passed away on February 21, 2011.

EDNA ALICE TURNER LEVERIDGE ’44passed away on February 25, 2011.

JUAN ROBERT SWAIN ’47passed away on January 14, 2011.

VIRGINIA ANN WHITE ORAM ’48passed away on April 17, 2011.

G. GORDON GUIST ’49passed away on June 12, 2011.

SHIRLEY SMITH SIENER ’49passed away on June 27, 2011.

JACK BEHRENDT ’50passed away on June 6, 2011. 2011.

RICHARD HOSSENLOPP ’50passed away on May 28, 2011.

RAY FRANCIS JACKSON ’51passed away on February 2, 2011.

JEANNE DETTMER KALEY ’51passed away on January 27, 2011.

WALTER C. MERTON ’52passed away on January 12, 2011.

IRVIN BOYD ETTER ’54passed away on March 11, 2011.

PATRICIA JEAN SUMPSTINE MALLORY ’54passed away on June 6, 2011.

DIANE MORRIS ’54passed away on January 24, 2011.

CAROLE MCFEATERS GRIFFITHS ’55passed away on February 19, 2011.

IRA MARKS ’55 passed away on March 8, 2011.

JOHN ROBERT GROVE ’57passed away on April 6, 2011.

SUSAN SCOTT CELESTIN ’61passed away on February 2, 2011.

JOHN MONTAQUILA ’61passed away on June 3, 2011.

MADANA P. FULLER ’63passed away on May 18, 2011.

JUDITH TORPY WEILAND ’63passed away on February 27, 2011.

JOHN T. KOEDDERICH ’64passed away on January 8, 2011.

GREG LAMAR EMBICK ’67passed away on March 7, 2011.

MARY FLEMING BOOK ’69passed away on March 3, 2011.

DIANE RODEFER DOERS ’69passed away on April 23, 2011.

JANET CAROL HERMSMEIER BOSSANGE ’73passed away on April 13, 2011.

VALERIE LYNN DUFF KENNEDY ’77passed away on June 5, 2011.

MELODY ROBINSON ’86passed away on January 7, 2011.

JOHN W SHIRLEY ’94passed away on February 6, 2011.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:46 PM Page 33


Bethany CollegeBethany, WV 26032-0417

A D D R E SS S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage

P A I DMadison, WI

PERMIT NO. 2223

Ensure YourBethany LegacyWith a Planned GiftMemories can last a lifetime, and Bethany College is made of them.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT BETHANY? WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?Honor your memories, and strengthen A Small College of National

Distinction, by including Bethany College in your financial plans. Whether you designate a bequest, create an endowment, or choose

a life-income-producing planned gift, Bethany will work with you toensure your legacy.

Our new brochure “I Remember…” offers many options for creatingyour planned gift. For a confidential, no-obligation gift consultation,please call the Bethany College Office of Institutional Advancement at304-829-7723. Visit us online at www.bethanywv.edu.

What is it worth to you to make a lasting legacy to Bethany College?Let us help you discover the answer.

SUMMER 2011 8/11/11 3:46 PM Page 34

academics · summer 2011 academics the heart of the college summer 2011 8/11/11 3:43 pm page 1....

Documents