Press Releases

Category: Press Releases

Mile 3: Lawrence Connections Help Popular Appleton Music Fest Grow, Thrive

When Appleton’s four-day Mile of Music kicks off “Mile 3” of its handcrafted artisan festival Thursday, Aug. 6, Lawrence University’s facilities, educators and alumni musicians will be in the thick of the home-grown festival’s budding success.

More than 200 artists from 21 states and Canada— bands as well as solo performers — delivering more than 800 live performances at 60 venues along College Avenue and the Fox River will turn downtown Appleton into a veritable non-stop concert Aug. 6-9.

Organizers estimate the four-day festival will draw 40,000-50,000 attendees.

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Bright Kind — Alex Bunke ’09, Eric Klosterman ’10 and Jeanna Salzer — brings its soul-inflected, synth-driven music to the Radisson Courtyard on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The Lawrence Memorial Chapel, the festival’s largest venue, will once again play host to several of its headline acts, including a pair of folk duos on Friday evening, Aug. 7: Kacy and Clayton, second cousins from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and the Los Angeles-based Grammy Award-nominated The Milk Carton Kids.

Other performances will be held in Lawrence’s Stansbury Theatre, Harper Hall and the Viking Room in Memorial Hall.

One of the aspects that truly sets Mile of Music apart from other festivals is its emphasis on music education, which is supported by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Leila Ramagopal Pertl, the festival’s music education curator and 1987 Lawrence graduate, hand-picked a team of Lawrentians and area music teachers to help festival goers of all ages rediscover their “inner musician” through an extensive array of hands-on, participatory events, workshops and demonstrations.

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As the Mile of Music’s education curator, Leila Ramagopal Pertl ’87 (left) works with festival goes to rediscover their “inner musician.”

“We provide interactive, creative, music-making opportunities for festival goers to connect to that music-maker spirit common to them and the Mile of Music performing artists,” said Pertl. “The music education events enhance the overall experience of the festival by considering the community as a vital part of the music-making that goes on at the Mile.  This type of engagement has a deep impact that will last far beyond the four days of the event, and gets people all the more excited to return for the next Mile.”

More than 40 music education events, ranging from Samba drumming, New Orleans band jams and Balinese gamelan to song-writing workshops, Ghanaian drumming and dancing, and a workshop for aspiring backup singers, will be presented.

“Mile of Music is one of the rare national music festivals that puts music education as a core value and our music education team makes that philosophy a beautiful musical reality,” said Pertl.

In addition to leading the music education activities, 16 Lawrence alumni will be among the festival’s performers, including:

  • Bright Kind: Alex Bunke ’09 and Eric Klosterman ’10, Saturday, Aug. 8, 5:40 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Radisson Courtyard.
  • Porky’s Groove Machine: Nick Allen ’14, Ilan Blanck ’16, Eli Edelman ’14, Casey Frensz ’14, Matt Gunby ’13, Matt Lowe ’13, Marshall Yoes ’14, Friday Aug. 7, 7:10 p.m. – 8 p.m., XTRA 920.
  • Ross Catterton ’08: Thursday, Aug. 6, 1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p..m., Spats/Spatio; Sunday Aug. 9, 3:55 p.m. – 4:45 p.m., The Ambassador.
  • Holy Sheboygan: Julia Blair ’11, Cameron Carrus ’13, Ben DeCorsey ’10, Jeff Edenberg ’10, Rachel Graber ’13, Liam O’Brien ’10; Saturday, Aug. 8, 7:15 p.m. – 8:05 p.m., Lawrence Viking Room.

    Porky's-Groove-Machine_newsblog
    The all-Lawrence alumni band Porky’s Groove Machine returns to Mile of Music for a Friday, Aug. 7 performance at XTRA 920.

Nathan Litt, a 2008 Lawrence graduate, is largely responsible for making sure things run smoothly as the festival’s behind-the-scenes director of operations.

“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Lawrence. The festival would not be what it is today without the strong support, involvement and encouragement of the college,” said Litt. “From the Music Education Team and the alumni performing artists, to the administration and our impressive student interns and volunteers, so many Lawrentians have been instrumental in helping ensure the success of this festival right from the start.

“The Lawrence connection has provided invaluable contributions over the course of the last two years,” Litt added, “and as an alumnus, that’s extremely meaningful to me.”

New for this year’s festival, and complementing the music will be a series of art-related activities, among them:

• A pop-up alley gallery that will turn an east end College Ave. alley into a thriving “art alley” and a venue during the festival. Designed to create an art environment that develops a vacant downtown space, welcomes diverse audiences, promotes creativity and community involvement, and supports local arts and humanities organizations, the Alley Project will feature a music stage, bar area, food truck and other vendors. The alley is located between a vacant former bank building now owned by Lawrence and the History Museum at the Castle (approximately 326 E. College Ave.)

• Art, story and song performances and presentations by local historian/author/musician Frank Anderson regarding Wisconsin’s rich musical history

• A Houdini-themed exhibit by local and regional artists

• An art exhibition by Mile 3 performing artists

• A Wisconsin musical history portraits exhibit

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

 

 

Lawrence featured in 2016 edition of Fiske Guide to Colleges

Cited for its “outstanding liberal arts curriculum, knowledgeable and caring faculty, an administration that treats students like adults and charming setting,” Lawrence University once again has earned a spot in former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske’s annual guide of the top colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and Great Britain.Fiske-Guide_#3_newsblog

Since 1985, the annual “Fiske Guide to Colleges” has offered a selective, subjective and systematic look at approximately 300 of the “best and most interesting” schools as a resource for college-bound students, their parents and high school guidance counselors. Institutions featured in the guide are profiled on everything from academics, social life and financial aid to the campus setting, housing and extracurricular activities.

In his 2016 guide, Fiske, who spent 17 years as education editor of the New York Times, calls Lawrence “unpretentious” and describes its academic climate as “intimate and intense” and the social life as “varied and eclectic.” With its renowned conservatory of music, Fiske says Lawrence appeals “to both the left and right side of students’ brains.”

Fiske launched his guide as a tool to broaden students’ horizons about American higher education and help them select a college that best coincides with their particular needs, goals, interests, talents and personalities.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Printmaker Warrington Colescott Featured in Wriston Galleries Summer Exhibition Serie

The satirical wit and vivid imagination of Wisconsin-based printmaker Warrington Colescott will be featured in Lawrence University’s second annual summer exhibition series at the Wriston Art Center Galleries. “The Artwork of Warrington Colescott” opens July 15 and runs through Aug. 16.

The galleries’ summer series is designed to engage the Fox Valley community in a conversation about artworks and artists of the Midwest.

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Warrington Colescott, “The History of Printmaking: Ben Franklin at Versailles,” 1976

With an international reputation for his innovative techniques, Colescott has applied his unique interpretative skills to historical and contemporary subject matter ranging from the Lewis and Clark expedition to the on-field dominance of the Green Bay Packers. Much of his work explores themes centered around politics, the follies and horrors of war, abuse of power and wealth and relationships between men and women.

In addition to highlights from Lawrence’s own permanent collection, the exhibition also includes Colescott’s complete “History of Printmaking” series, in which he blends historical information on the development of printmaking techniques with his own humorous interpretations of events.

A one-time political cartoonist and former professor at the University of Wisconsin, where he taught for 37 years, Colescott, now 94, makes his home in Hollandale, Wis.

The Wriston Art Center galleries are free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.; closed Mondays.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

$1.5 Million Gift Establishes Endowed Professorship in Innovation

During a 38-year career with 3M, the company that developed Scotch Tape and the Post-it Note, Dwight Peterson learned the importance of innovation and creative thinking.

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Dwight and Majorie Peterson have donated $1.5 million to establish an endowed professorship in innovation. Adam Galambos, associate professor of economics, will be the first holder of the professorship.

Peterson, a 1955 Lawrence University graduate, is a firm believer that a liberal arts education can be a hotbed of innovation because of the way liberally educated students think about ideas and problems from the perspectives of multiple disciplines and look at old problems in new ways.

To fuel innovative thinking at Lawrence, Peterson and his wife, Marjorie, have established an endowed professorship in innovation with a $1.5 million gift.

Adam Galambos, associate professor of economics, has been named the first holder of the Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professorship in Innovation.

Appointments to endowed professorships are made in recognition of academic and artistic distinction through teaching excellence and/or scholarly achievement. Galambos was one of three faculty leaders who launched Lawrence’s program in innovation and entrepreneurship in 2008.

Dwight Peterson, a former member of the Lawrence Board of Trustees (2005-2013), spent his entire professional career at 3M, where he says innovation is ingrained in the company’s culture.

“The long term history of 3M is based on continuous development of new products,” said Peterson, citing Wet-Or-Dry sandpaper, masking tape, Scotch Tape, magnetic recording tape and reflective sign sheeting as examples of the many products the company has created. “I learned about Lawrence’s program in innovation and entrepreneurship a few years ago and found it stimulating.

“We’ve been thinking about being able to help the school in a major way and decided that innovation really fit my interest most closely,” Peterson added. “The idea of looking at things from new and different perspectives, of doing collaborative interdisciplinary work, of having a culture where there is the possibility to fail — and it is acceptable — and then start over and rework it, that all fits very well with a Lawrence education.”

David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty, said the college was “very excited and grateful” for the Peterson’s gift establishing the professorship in innovation.

“The ability to create what is new is one of the primary goals of a liberal education,” said Burrows. “As the world changes more and more rapidly, this ability looms larger in its importance. Professor Galambos has established a brilliant record as a person who engages in the creation of new ideas and new approaches. He is an ideal person to hold this professorship.”

“The idea of looking at things from new and different perspectives, of doing collaborative interdisciplinary work, of having a culture where there is the possibility to fail — and it is acceptable — and then start over and rework it, that all fits very well with a Lawrence education.”
— Dwight Peterson ’55

While thrilled to be named the professorships inaugural holder, Galambos said its establishment is the result of the collaborative efforts of many.

“Dwight and Marjorie’s generosity is wonderful recognition of the work we have done over the past few years, starting with Marty Finkler in economics, who introduced the idea of entrepreneurship to the Lawrence community more than 10 years ago, and John Brandenberger in physics, who first proposed that we teach innovation,” said Galambos, who joined the Lawrence faculty in 2006.

“In addition to Marty and John, the variety of courses and co-curricular programming we now have in I&E is a result of the enthusiasm and commitment of a number of other colleagues as well, including Gary Vaughan in I&E, Dena Skran in government, Tim Troy in theatre arts, Brian Pertl in the conservatory, and art department members Rob Neilson, Ben Rinehart, John Shimon and Julie Lindemann. The Petersons’ gift is a great affirmation of all of their efforts and encouragement to continue to bring I&E to Lawrence students in new ways.”

A number of student-created and directed ventures have grown out of the I&E program — the Rabbit Gallery, a pop-up art gallery in downtown Appleton, Greyfell Theatre, a company devoted to producing student-written plays, the Paper Fox, a printmaking workshop with a community programming component and the Lawrence Baroque Ensemble, a student performance group that focuses on community outreach activities — and other projects continue to be created by students who have taken I&E courses.

This spring, students Joe Bazydlo and Eddie Elizondo were among 20 finalists from among more than 250 teams from around the country to deliver a presentation in Princeton University’s Entrepreneurship Club’s annual national competition. They pitched a smart phone app — Trailblazer — to be used by hikers and other trail users to unlock preloaded information about specific locations in U.S. national parks was was developed in Lawrence’s “In Pursuit of Innovation” course.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Open House: Lawrence welcomes student visits July 13-18 for Wisconsin Private College Week

Lawrence University will hold a week-long “open house” for students and their families July 13-18 as part of the 20th annual Wisconsin Private College Week sponsored by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU).

Private_College_Week_2015_newsblogStudents are invited to take advantage of campus tours, meet with admission counselors and get answers to financial aid and scholarship information questions during Wisconsin Private College Week. Students can register to win one of two iPads as part of a WAICU-administered drawing.

“While reading about a college online or in snazzy viewbooks is a nice way to learn the facts about a school,” said Ken Anselment, Lawrence’s dean of admissions & financial aid, “there’s nothing like a campus tour to fully engage all of your senses — which goes a long way toward helping you determine how you actually feel about a college.”

Lawrence is one of 24 state institutions participating in Wisconsin Private College Week. To schedule a visit, contact the Lawrence Admissions Office, 920-832-6500.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Five Lawrence Faculty Members Granted Tenure

Five members of the Lawrence University faculty have been granted tenure appointments by the college’s Board of Trustees.

Based on recommendations by the faculty Committee on Tenure, Promotion, Reappointment and Equal Employment Opportunity, and President Mark Burstein, tenure was granted to Madera Allan, Ameya Balsekar, Samantha George, Lena Khor and Michael Mizrahi. Each also was promoted to associate professor, except for George, who already held the rank of associate professor.

“I am very excited about the energy, enthusiasm and intelligence of the faculty members who will be starting tenure line positions in the fall of 2015,” said David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty. “Each brings special skills as both a teacher and a scholar. They will help enhance already strong programs and add to Lawrence’s quality as an institution where students learn and grow as liberally educated persons, ready to lead fulfilling lives and engage successfully with issues of the contemporary world.”

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Madera Allen

Allan first joined the Lawrence Spanish department in 2008 as an instructor and was given an assistant professor appointment the following year. Her scholarship interests include Medieval and early modern Spanish and Latin American cultural production.

She has presented research at the annual Midwest Modern Language Association convention, the Renaissance Society of America annual meeting and the International Congress on Medieval Studies, among others. A former editorial assistant for Hispanic Review, Allen serves as Lawrence’s faculty advisor for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest study abroad program in Costa Rica.

Allen graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Reed College and earned both a master’s degree and her Ph.D. in Hispanic studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Ameya Balsekar

A specialist in comparative politics and international relations, especially that of Asia, Balsekar joined the Lawrence government department in 2009. He has written about censorship in Colonial and Postcolonial India as well as Indian party politics. He speaks Hindi, Marathi, Konkani and Chinese.

Balsekar graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in development studies and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in comparative politics at Cornell University.

A violinist, George spent nine years as associate concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra before joining the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, first as a visiting assistant professor in 2008 and then as an associate professor in 2009.

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Samantha George

She previously held faculty appointments at Idaho State Civic Symphony Summer School for Strings, the Hartford Conservatory of Music, the University of Connecticut and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.

George has conducted master classes at numerous Wisconsin high schools as well as colleges around the country. In addition to orchestral positions with the Milwaukee, Colorado and Hartford symphony orchestras, George has performed in concert as guest soloist more than 40 times.

She was recognized with Lawrence’s Young Teacher Award in 2012.

George earned a bachelor’s degree in applied music (violin) and a master of music degree in performance and literature from Eastman School of Music. She holds a Ph.D. in violin performance from the University of Connecticut.

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Lena Khor

A native of Malaysia, Khor joined the Lawrence English department in 2009. Her scholarship interests include contemporary world Anglophone literature, human rights and humanitarian discourse, literary theory and cultural studies.

She is the author of the book “Human Rights Discourse in a Global Network: Books Beyond Borders” and has contributed articles to numerous journals, including Human Rights Quarterly and Peace Review. In 2013, she was awarded the Kirby Prize for the best article published in South Central Review.

Khor graduated summa cum laude from Middlebury College with a bachelor’s degree in English. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in English at the University of Texas.

Mizrahi, a pianist, joined the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in 2009. His musical interests focus on the piano and chamber music repertoire of the 18th and early 19th centuries as well as new contemporary works.

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Michael Mizrahi

His debut album, “The Bright Motion” was included on both Time Out New York’s and Time Out Chicago’s list of best classical albums for 2012. He is a founding member of NOW Ensemble, a chamber group devoted to commissioning and performing new music by emerging composers, and the recently disbanded Moët Trio. He also is a member of the New York City-based chamber ensemble Decoda.

Mizrahi is currently co-directing the Fox Valley’s “Music for All: Connecting Musicians and Community” program and has collaborated with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute on several projects, including a series of educational concerts for young children at Carnegie Hall, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and as part of a residency in Merida, Mexico.

In 2013, he was recognized with Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Creative Activity.

Mizrahi earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and master’s and doctorate degrees at the Yale School of Music.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Three new members join Lawrence’s Board of Trustees

Three new members have been elected to the Lawrence University Board of Trustees.

Shelley Davis, Dr. Richard Fessler and Andrew Wong will each serve a three-year term beginning July 1.

“I look forward to welcoming our new trustees to the Lawrence University Board,” said Susie Stillman Kane, recently elected board chair and board member since 2002. “Collectively they represent depth, breadth and diversity of expertise from the non-profit and philanthropic sectors, global management consulting, and the field of neurosurgery. As we navigate these challenging times in higher education, we are more keenly aware than ever before just how crucial it is to recruit new members with diverse perspectives and experience to enhance our board work and strategic planning.”

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Shelley Davis, ’92

Shelley Davis ’92, Chicago, Ill.
A leader in Chicago’s philanthropic and nonprofit sectors who is devoted to promoting equal opportunities and a higher quality of life for low-income communities, Davis has been responsible for evaluating and recommending more than $25 million in grants to nonprofit groups involved in everything from policy advocacy and community organizing to human services and the arts.

She was named the first executive director of the Forest Preserve Foundation, which supports the protection and restoration of native habitats within the forest preserve district of Cook County in 2013, a position she still holds today.

Davis also serves as vice chair of the board of directors of Chicago’s Albert Pick Fund, a nonprofit corporation organized in 1947 as a general-purpose private foundation, and has spent the past three years as the commissioner of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

She previously has served as vice president of programs and advocacy for the Chicago Foundation for Women, where she directed $6 million dollars in grants to organizations focused on violence against women, access to health care and economic security. As an advisor to the Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment, she raised more than $750,000 and launched a program to help low-income women in Chicago and New York become entrepreneurs. She also has held leadership positions with the Joyce Foundation, the Ford Foundation and with Chicago Women in Trades.

Since 2010, Davis has served as a lecturer with the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, specializing in non-profit advocacy, philanthropy and social policies impacting low income families.

A 1992 graduate of Lawrence, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Davis also a earned her master’s degree in urban planning and policy, and urban, community and economic development from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998.

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Dr. Richard Fessler ’74

Dr. Richard Fessler ’74, Winnetka, Ill.
An internationally acclaimed researcher, surgeon and professor of neurosurgery at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, Fessler is widely considered the father of minimally invasive spine surgery. He is credited with developing many of the surgical techniques being used today.

Fessler was the first surgeon in the United States to perform human embryonic spinal cord transplantation and among the first to perform minimally invasive scoliosis surgery. He twice performed microdiscectomy surgery on NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.

Prior to joining Rush Medical Center, Fessler spent six years (2007-2013) as vice chair of neurosurgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and was the medical director of the Neuro Spine Intensive Care Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He also has served as chief of neurosurgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics.

Routinely listed in “Best Doctors of America,” Fessler founded and directed the Institute for Spine Care at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch.

After graduating from Lawrence in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Fessler earned a master’s degree in experimental psychology from North Dakota State University and doctorate degrees in pharmacology, physiology and medicine from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine.

Fessler was recognized with Lawrence’s Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award in 2014.

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Andrew Wong ’06

Andrew Wong, ’06, Chicago, Ill.
Wong is an associate in the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm that serves leading businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations and not-for-profits. He is Lawrence’s second Recent Graduate Trustee, a position established in 2014 exclusively for Lawrence alumni within 2-10 years of graduation. He will serve one non-renewable term.

Wong earned a bachelor’s degree in history summa cum laude from Lawrence in 2006 and an MBA in 2014 from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

After earning Academic All-American, all-conference and team most valuable player honors as a shortstop at Lawrence, Wong played professional minor league baseball for five years throughout the United States. He also served as a player and coach in Australia, South Africa and Europe. While in South Africa, he used his passion for baseball as a tool for social change by helping to build an intramural youth baseball program in a low-income township in Cape Town.

Prior to earning his MBA, he spent two years as an intellectual property paralegal with Foley and Lardner LLP.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Lawrence conducting additional grant writing workshops for area nonprofit organizations

Due to strong community interest, Lawrence University will host the first of four additional “Introduction to Grant Writing” workshops  Wednesday, June 24,  9-10:30 a.m. in the Seeley G. Mudd Library for area non-profit organizations and other grant-seeking agencies.FINpartnersquaread_newsblog

Led by members of Lawrence’s grant-writing staff, the hands-on workshops will provide an overview of the grants landscape and basic strategies for identifying potential funding sources. They will also include a demonstration of Foundation Directory Online, which profiles more than 110,000 U.S. grant makers.

Earlier this year, Lawrence became a Funding Information Network (FIN) partner with the Foundation Center of New York. Based in the Mudd library, FIN makes available a wealth of Foundation Center information, including searchable grant and funder databases, proposal writing guides and online access to the center’s grant reference librarians. All of the resources are available to the general public any time the Lawrence library is open.

Other scheduled workshops include:
• Thursday, July 23, 10:30 – noon
• Tuesday, August 11, 10:30 – noon
• Thursday, August 27, 1-2:30 p.m.

Space is limited and registration is required. Additional information about the Funding Information Network at Lawrence, library hours, directions and registration instructions can be found at http://guides.lib.lawrence.edu/funding.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Welcome Alumni: Awards ceremony highlights annual Reunion celebration

When war erupted in Lebanon in the summer of 2006 between the Israeli military and Hezbollah paramilitary forces, Christopher Murray was serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.

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Ambassador Christopher Murray ’75

Under his direction, one of the largest overseas evacuations of Americans in recent history, involving 15,000 citizens, was organized to secure safe passage from the war zone.

Murray will be among five Lawrence or Milwaukee-Downer College alumni recognized for career achievements, contributions to the betterment of society or volunteer service to Lawrence June 18-21 during the college’s annual alumni Reunion.

More than 900 alumni and guests from 43 states and two countries are expected to attend the weekend festivities.

The alumni awards will be presented Saturday, June 21 at the Reunion Convocation at 11 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Members of the Lawrence 50-Year Connection, a cohort of alumni who graduated at least 50 years ago from Lawrence or Milwaukee-Downer, kick off this year’s Reunion activities with a series of panel presentations and small-group discussions.

The 2015 alumni awards and the recipients.

  • Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award — Ambassador Christopher Murray, Class of 1975, Etterbeek, Belgium. The award recognizes a Lawrence or Milwaukee-Downer graduate of more than 15 years for outstanding career achievement. The award honors the second president of Milwaukee-Downer College, one of the most beloved and influential figures in that college’s history

Murray has spent more than 30 years as a U.S. foreign service officer and currently serves as the political advisor at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, an appointment he received in the Fall of 2013. He previously spent three years as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo. It was during a three-year appointment (2004-07) in Beirut that he organized the American evacuation.

Other assignments abroad during his career have include chief of the political section at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria; political officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium; economic officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica.

He credits his Lawrence education for helping him navigate the evacuation in Lebanon.

“There were no rulebooks or instruction manuals, as a wartime evacuation of so many American civilians had never been done before,” said Murray, who earned his degree in government at Lawrence. “It was my Lawrence education that enabled me to put the pieces together, through messages to the American community, analyzing what it would take to keep the embassy open and running, and most importantly, securing the helicopters and U.S. Navy ships to carry American citizens to safety in Cyprus. It was truly a liberal arts education that enabled me to do this.”

  • The George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award — Dr. James Lace, Class of 1970, Salem, Ore.  The award recognizes an alumnus or alumna of Lawrence or Milwaukee-Downer who best exemplifies the ideals of a liberal education through its application to socially useful ends in the community, the nation or the world. This award honors George B. Walter ’36, faculty member, coach and dean of men, whose work at the college and beyond was guided by his conviction that every individual can and should make a positive difference in the world.
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Dr. James Lace ’70

A still-practicing pediatrician with Childhood Health Associates of Salem after 37 years in the profession, and a professor of clinical pediatrics at Oregon Health and Sciences University, Dr. Lace has established a national and international reputation for advocacy on children’s health issues.

His involvement with orphans and other vulnerable children in Tanzania in 2002 led to his founding of the Yatima Group Fund to collect donations for his work there. He serves on the board of three children-related NGOs in Tanzania and is a consultant pediatrician at Mt. Meru Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, providing teaching to improve the overall care of children in the region.

His compassion has led him to volunteer his medical skills in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami, in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and in Peru in 2014 after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake last August.

Earlier this year, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce honored Lace with its annual Distinguished Service Award and in 2010, he was recognized with the Marion-Polk County Medical Society’s President’s Achievement Award.

Lace said Nobel Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and his reverence for life in all forms, provided inspiration during his own medical pursuits.

“The image of the medical missionary working in some remote area of Africa resonated with me,” said Lace, a Russian studies major while at Lawrence. “I managed to keep the image with me while I pursued my medical career. I never lost my desire to reach out beyond my medical world here in the U.S. to work with patients and especially children in developing countries as a medical volunteer. I would encourage any student contemplating a career in medicine to reach out and learn as much as possible about the world we live in. We don’t need military revolutionaries to change the world. We need informed and compassionate people who dedicate their lives to promote the health and welfare of each person.”

  • The Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D’18 Outstanding Service Award — Susan Nelson Goldsmith, Class of 1965, Phoenix, Ariz., and Sue Pepper Joys, M-D Class of 1951, Valpariso, Ind. The award recognizes an alumnus or alumna of Lawrence or Milwaukee-Downer after his/her 15th Cluster Reunion who has provided outstanding service to Lawrence University. This award honors Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp, voted Milwaukee-Downer alumna of the year in 1964 for her long-standing service to the college as president of the alumnae association board, class secretary and public relations officer.
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Susan Nelson Goldsmith ’65

Goldsmith, a member of Lawrence’s Board of Trustees from 2001-07, has been a highly active volunteer for the college. She currently serves on the President’s Advisory Council, is a former member of the Legacy Circle National Council of Volunteers and served as an event volunteer for the “More Light!” campaign. She is the co-chair of her 50th reunion and also served on her 35th and 40th reunion committees.

Her volunteer energy extends into her local community as well where she has served on the Phoenix Education Commission, the Scottsdale School District Governing Board, the board of one of the country’s premier resident theatre companies and various political campaigns.

Goldsmith sees her engagement as doing her part to bend “the arc of the universe toward justice,” work she says that requires universal participation.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky to be able to choose the ways I can lend my weight to the bending,” said Goldsmith. “I’m motivated by the idea that education is huge part of creating the force needed.

“Lawrence is a place of possibility, to test and retest yourself, to find and grow into opportunities,” she added. “While I have fond memories of my time at Lawrence 50 years ago, it is not the past that ties me to Lawrence today. It is the present. Today’s students demonstrate that Lawrence continues to be a place of possibility for students and the college has identified opportunities for today’s young people.”

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Sue Pepper Joys, M-D ’51

Joys has served Lawrence as a class agent since 2006, was a long-time volunteer with the Legacy Circle National Council and is a former member of the Milwaukee-Downer Alumnae Association Board of Directors. She played a leadership role in planning for her class’s 60th, 50th and 40th reunions. Professionally, she enjoyed a long and meaningful career working with the Girls Scouts of the U.S.A.

Much the same way Lawrence does, Joys said her Milwaukee-Downer liberal arts education emphasized service to society.

“That ignited in me a desire to use my skills in a vocation where I could make a difference,” said Joys, who had two brothers earn their bachelor’s degrees from Lawrence. “This led me to pursue a career with the Girl Scouts followed by many volunteer roles in my retirement years.

“I have been impressed with the many ways in which Lawrence has strived to ensure that the legacy of my alma mater lives on,” she added.

  • Presidential Award, Dale Schuh, Class of 1970, Stevens Point Presented to an alumnus or alumna of Lawrence University or Milwaukee-Downer College whose exemplary leadership and notable actions have contributed to the betterment of the entire Lawrence University community.

A dedicated and highly successful business leader, Schuh spent his entire 41-year professional career — one that began as an actuarial intern while still a student at Lawrence — with Sentry Insurance. He served as Sentry’s CEO and chairman of the board for his last 16 years with the company before retiring in 2013. Under his leadership, Sentry doubled in size and net worth, adding more than 300 employees to its home office.

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Dale Schuh ’70

Schuh’s commitment and vision have been highly valued as a member of the Lawrence Board of Trustees since 2008, where he serves as chair of the finance committee. He also led the search committee that resulted in the hiring of Mark Burstein as Lawrence’s 16th president in 2013. He and his wife, Annette, established a scholarship in 2009 to support first-generation college students attending Lawrence.

He has shared his expertise for more than a decade as a member of the board of directors of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, a nonprofit organization that provides Wisconsin voters and taxpayers, students, teachers, business leaders and public officials with accurate, objective information about the operation of Wisconsin’s government.

Despite what he calls “a whimsical and forever changing future,” Schuh says the impact a Lawrence education has had on thousands of graduates is the result of “a driving desire to perpetuate, cultivate, endorse and continue to make accessible
 the Lawrence learning experience.”

“Preservation of the essence of Lawrence requires continual nurturing of an intimate, welcoming and supportive community where engaged, individualized and rigorous learning is the norm and personal discovery its reward,” said Schuh.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life of Professor Emeritus Robert Rosenberg celebrated in June 20 memorial service

A memorial service celebrating the life of Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and former Robert McMillen Professor of Chemistry Robert Rosenberg will be held Saturday, June 20 at 1 p.m. in the Nathan Marsh Pusey Room of the Warch Campus Center. Rosenberg died April 3 in Milwaukee at the age of 89.

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Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Robert Rosenberg, 1926-2015.

Rosenberg’s son, Charlie, will deliver a eulogy while his daughter and grandchildren will share family memories.  Alumni and colleagues will offer reminiscences and musical preludes will feature some of Rosenberg’s favorite songs.

One of Lawrence’s most distinguished teachers, Rosenberg spent 35 years on the Lawrence faculty (1956-91). His work on the physical chemistry of proteins and chemical thermodynamics was supported by grants from the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation and Research Corporation.

Well known and highly respected for being unfailingly courteous, Rosenberg encouraged his students to learn chemistry, often by designing their own experiments, gently leading and probing them to think creatively. He responded to their questions by asking more questions in turn to hone their analytical skills. His clear, patient explanations of equations describing complex physiochemical phenomena became legendary.

One of his students, Thomas Steitz, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009, an event Rosenberg said at the time had him “walking on air” with pride.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia in 2013, and a son, James in 1994. He is survived by a son, Charles, Milwaukee, a daughter, Margaret (Eric) Wilde, Bronx, N.Y., and two grandchildren, Emma Wilde and Nathaniel Wilde.

The family has suggested memorial donations can be made in Rosenberg’s name to Lawrence University, the Nature Conservancy for the Fight for $15 campaign for fast food workers.

Read more about Rosenberg’s life and career.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.