Lawrence University News

Wellness Council of America Recognizes Lawrence with Gold Workplace Award

Lawrence University’s commitment to the health and well being of its employees has earned it a Gold Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) in conjunction with the Wellness Council of Wisconsin.

Well-Workplace-Logo_newsblogThe Gold Well Workplaces Award recognizes organizations that have successfully built comprehensive worksite wellness initiatives and are demonstrating concrete results.

“As a Well Workplace Award recipient, Lawrence University has joined the ranks of ‘America’s Healthiest Organizations,'” said Patty Leiker, associate director of human resources and Lawrence’s employee wellness coordinator. “Becoming a Well Workplace demonstrates an unparalleled commitment to improving and maintaining the health and well-being of our most valuable asset — our faculty and staff — making quality of life a top priority.”

WELCOA’s Well Workplace awards are based on a criteria of seven “Cs”: Capturing CEO support; Creating a cohesive wellness team; Collecting data to drive health efforts; Carefully crafting an operating plan; Choosing appropriate interventions; Creating a supportive environment; and Carefully evaluating outcomes.

Lawrence’s recent wellness initiatives focused on five specific interventions:

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Lawrence is committed to being aware of health-related issues regarding the heart.

• Healthy Eating/Weight Management. A competition for teams of three people was held from Nov. 13 to Jan. 9 to encourage participants to maintain or lose weight during the holidays. The competition attracted 60 participants (20 teams of three), with 18 teams completing the program. – Total weight lost for all teams was 201 lbs., a 2.2 percent decrease, with one team losing a competition-best 5.72 percent of its combined weight.

• Stress Management. Lawrence partnered with local masseuses to provide on-campus 30- and 60-minute massages in the Wellness Center at reduced costs to participants to promote stress management, relaxation and work/life balance opportunities. Post-massage questionnaire comments indicated the program superseded expectations and participants recommended it to their colleagues.

• Tobacco.  In conjunction with the Lawrence University Community Council, plans were approved for an entirely smoke-free campus with the exception of only two designated outdoor smoking areas, one on each end of campus, strategically located away from high-traffic areas. The wellness committee has not received any complaints or concerns since the policy was implemented.

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The Lawrence Wellness Center provides numerous workout options.

• Physical Activity. In addition to free access to the on-campus wellness center and its pool, gymnasium, cardio equipment, weights, a running track and locker rooms, an on-campus fitness program features yoga, pilates, zumba, a noon walking group and intramural sports, among others, all at no cost to employees. Athletic training services also were available.  Average faculty/staff usage increased from 551 visits per month from January-May 2011 to 620 visits per month in January-May 2012.

• Medical Self-Care. Campus-wide QPR (Question-Persuade-Refer) training on suicide awareness was offered to all faculty, staff and students. The “Lawrence Lifeline” program certified individuals as QPR gatekeepers on campus who were trained to identify and initiate discussions with others who might be having thoughts of suicide. More than 90 percent of participants reported increased knowledge of suicide and its prevention and more than 80 percent of participants reported enhanced confidence in incorporating that knowledge into interactions with students.

“The Well Workplace process has been instrumental in helping us to target and develop strategic interventions, evaluate the outcomes of these programs and provide a campus culture that encourages and supports well-being,” said Leiker. “We are thrilled to have had this opportunity and with the support of President Mark Burstein, his cabinet and other campus leaders, we look forward to building an even stronger program and eventually achieving the platinum award.”

Since WELCOA’s inception in 1991, more than 1,000 organizations in both the non-profit and profit sectors have joined the list of “America’s Healthiest Companies” by earning the Well Workplace Award.

“Lawrence University worked hard to successfully meet the rigorous standards set by the Well Workplace process. It is our pleasure to recognize them as the newest Wisconsin employer to achieve Well Workplace status” said Jessica Raddemann, executive director of the Wellness Council of Wisconsin.

Lawrence will host the annual Fox Cities Well Workplace awards ceremony Oct. 29 from 4:30-8 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center.  An announcement regarding the status of the Fox Cities as a “Well City USA” will be made that evening. Achieving a Well City designation requires that 20 percent of a community’s entire working population must be employed by at least 20 Well Workplace award-winning organizations.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

German Professor Brent Peterson Awarded Third NEH Grant for Seminar in Berlin

For the third time since 2009, Lawrence University Professor of German Brent Peterson has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to co-direct a seminar in Berlin, Germany. The $169,950 grant will support a five-week long professional development seminar June 22-July 25, 2014 for K-12 teachers designed to enrich their knowledge of contemporary German culture and history.NEH Logo MASTER_082010

Peterson, in collaboration with Robert Shandley, professor of film studies and German at Texas A&M University, will lead the seminar “Migration and German Culture: Berlin’s Cultural Diversity Across Two Centuries.”  This will be one of 52 seminars and institutes the NEH will support next summer for school teachers and college professors.

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Brent Peterson

The program targets educators in language, literature, social studies and modern history, but any K-12 teacher with intermediate-mid German skills is encouraged to apply. Up to 16 teachers will be selected from a national, competitive application process. Each participant receives a $3,900 stipend to help cover their expenses.

“Although Germany has long welcomed migrants from southern and eastern Europe, France, the Netherlands and more recently, from Turkey, many Americans still imagine it to be the quaint homogeneous land of Beethoven, bratwurst and beer,” said Peterson, a scholar on the construction of national and ethnic identities. “This seminar is designed to give teachers and ultimately their students, who are also very diverse, a more accurate and more appealing picture of a society shaped for centuries by migration. We use the tools of the humanities to see what it means to be German today in the midst of Berlin, Germany’s vibrant, complex and transnational capital.”

Peterson and Shandley first taught their Berlin seminar in 2010 and co-directed the program again last summer. It incorporates 19th- and 20th-century literature (children’s and adolescent), contemporary films and television programs. Two Turkish German authors will lead sessions on their own writing and the seminar also includes several walking tours of Berlin’s diverse neighborhoods.

Conducted in German, classes are held in the mornings with afternoons and weekends free for participants to explore the diverse city of Berlin on their own.

Teachers interesting in participating in the 2014 seminar can apply online after Oct. 28 at https://www2.lawrence.edu/fast/petersob/NEH/.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Sierra Magazine Cites Lawrence University Among Nation’s “Greenest” Colleges

Lawrence University is among the country’s top “green” colleges according to Sierra Magazine’s seventh annual “cool school” rankings released in the September/October edition of the environmental publication.

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Solar panels atop Hiett Hall generated more than 25,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the past year and saved more than 40,000 pounds of carbon emissions.

Lawrence was ranked 53rd nationally in the magazine’s list of 162 institutions, which included just four other Wisconsin colleges (UW-Oshkosh 30th; UW-Stevens Point 58th; UW-Green Bay 98th and Northland College 107th).

In compiling its ranking, Sierra relies on a point scoring system based on goals and achievements in 11 categories: co-curricular, energy supply, food, innovation, planning, purchasing, transportation, waste management, financial investments, water management and instruction/research. Possible points per category varied from 34 (purchasing) to 249 (energy) with a total maximum score of 1,000. Lawrence finished with a total score of 627.19.

The sustainability efforts that helped Lawrence’s ranking include:

• Obtaining 25 percent of all of its food use from local sources.

• 100 percent use of recycled paper on campus for photocopying and letterhead.

• Diverting 35 tons of kitchen waste to the on campus, student-run sustainable garden for composting.

• Generating 25,364 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the past year through solar panels on Hiett Hall , saving more than 40,000 pounds of carbon emissions.

• Initiating a $5 per student, per term sustainability fee, proposed and approved by students, last fall to support proposals for infrastructural changes contributing to the sustainable operation of the university.

• Operating a 120-foot, 50-kilowatt wind turbine at Björklunden, the college’s northern campus in Door County, that provides approximately 30 percent of the lodge’s energy. The turbine eliminates nearly 75 tons of carbon emissions per year and reduces annual electrical costs at the lodge by more than $8,400.

• Recycling more than 319 tons of construction and demolition materials (concrete, steel, wood, cardboard).

•  Reducing water consumption by 27 percent since 2005 (base year).

“It’s always gratifying to be recognized for our sustainability efforts by Sierra Magazine,” said Gregory Griffin, director of the LEED gold-certified Warch Campus Center and longtime member of the University Committee on Environmental Sustainability. “It publicly underscores Lawrence’s commitment to being a more sustainable campus. But we’re certainly not complacent and want to do even better moving forward. A car share program and a partnership with a local biodigester to process post-consumer food waste are two of the new initiatives we’re planning to launch during the upcoming academic year.”

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

$250,000 Gift from Sentry Insurance Honors Retiring Chair, Lawrence Alumnus Dale Schuh ’70

Lawrence University has received a $250,000 gift from the Sentry Insurance Foundation in honor of retiring Sentry Chairman Dale Schuh’s leadership and more than 40-year career with the company.

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Dale Schuh ’70

A 1970 Lawrence graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Schuh also has served on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2008. The $250,000 gift will be used to continue Schuh’s commitment to Lawrence students. He and his wife, Annette, endowed a scholarship at Lawrence in 2009 that assists students who are the first in their families to attend college.

“As a first generation college student, I have a fond spot in my heart for Lawrence University,” Schuh said.

Since joining the Board of Trustees, Schuh has served on numerous committees, including recruitment and retention, executive committee and finance committee, which he has chaired since 2011. He also has been active as an admissions volunteer. From 2010-2012, Schuh served as president of Lawrence’s Founders Club, providing extraordinarily important leadership to the college’s most generous donors.

Most recently, Schuh served as the chair of a 15-person presidential search committee that led to the selection of Mark Burstein, executive vice president at Princeton University, as Lawrence’s 16th president.

“Dale Schuh’s leadership of the Presidential Search Committee was my first experience of how dedicated Lawrence alumni are to their alma mater. His enthusiasm for Lawrence continues to be contagious,” said Burstein, who took office July 1. “I thank Sentry for honoring Dale’s extraordinary career in this way. Lawrence, and more importantly, our students, will benefit significantly from their generosity.”

Schuh joined Sentry as an actuarial intern while still a student at Lawrence. He became a full-time employee in January, 1972 and spent his entire career with the company. Within eight years of joining Sentry, Schuh was named vice president of corporate planning. He also held the roles of vice president actuarial and control and senior vice president of marketing. Schuh was named president and chief operating officer in 1996 and two years later was elected chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors.

“During Dale’s period as a senior executive, he has either been in the engine room or directly at the helm during some of the most pivotal moments in Sentry’s history,” said Peter McPartland, Sentry president and CEO. “When I began working with Dale, one of the first things I noticed was his intelligence, total understanding of how the insurance business works and his grasp on all aspects of Sentry. He never stopped thinking about Sentry and how to make Sentry better.”

Under Schuh’s leadership, Sentry’s financial strength and position significantly improved. It now holds an A+ financial rating from AM Best Company.

“The past dozen years have slipped by quickly,” said Schuh. “I am proud to have been with the company through thick and thin. I feel very confident about this company’s future.”

The gift to Lawrence was one of two   the foundation made in Schuh’s honor. A $50,000 contribution was also presented to United Way of Portage County to kick off the organization’s 2013 campaign.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

 

Julio Camarena-Villaseñor ’81 Appointed Mexico’s Ambassador to the Phillipines

A former Lawrence University government major has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotenciary of Mexico to the Republic of the Phillippines, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.

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Julio Camarena-Villaseñor

Julio Camarena-Villaseñor, who graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence in 1981, was recently named to the ambassador post by President Enrique Peña Nieto after serving the past six years as Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs for Management in the government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he oversaw 149 offices world-wide, including 75 embassies, 66 consulates and five missions to international organizations as well as a staff of 7,000.

A native of Mexico City, Camarena-Villaseñor has spent the past 30 years in public service. Two years after graduating from Lawrence, he began a distinguished career as an advisor on international affairs to Mexico’s Secretary Of Finance, Jesus Silva-Herzog.

Camarena-Villaseñor also held various leadership posts in the United Nations from 1986-2006, including director of the division of planning and human resources management for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Vienna, Austria, and chief of inter-agency policy and the common system in the Department of Management for the United Nations Secretariat in New York City.

With his appointment, Camarena-Villaseñor joins an ever-growing number of Lawrence alumni who have been appointed ambassadors. The list includes:

• Shaun Donnelly ’68 (Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives, 1997-2000)

• Takakazu Kuriyama ’55 (Japan’s Ambassador to the United States, 1992-96)

• David Mulford ’59 (India, 2004-09)

• Christopher Murray, ’75 (Republic of Congo, 2010-present)

• Walter North ’72 (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and the Republic of Vanuatu, 2012-present).

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Mile of Music: Lawrence Helps Launch First-of-its-Kind Downtown Appleton Festival

When a four-day music festival featuring more than 100 artists — bands and solo performers — and 182 performances at more than 40 different venues in downtown Appleton opens Aug. 8, Lawrence University will be among the most active participants.

In addition to hosting the Mile of Music’s headliners, among them Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, The Candles, Rodney Crowell and Justin Townes Earle in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, several musicians who got their start at Lawrence will be among the performers while other alumni will assist with a series of music education events at the festival.

Mile-of-Music-Logo_weblog“Lawrence is excited to play a major role in Appleton’s Mile of Music Festival,” said Brian Pertl, dean of the conservatory of music.  “A national festival that celebrates our Appleton community through music is a perfect fit for us. This  festival is unique among major music festivals because music education is at the core of its mission. This, of course, ties in perfectly to the mission of our conservatory.”

Among the festival’s performers with Lawrence roots are:

• Fatbook, a former student band that won two DownBeat “best college/blues/pop/rock group” awards in 2009 and ’10. Currently based in Chicago, the band features three Lawrence grads: founder Harjinder Bedi ’09, guitar and lead vocals, Evan Jacobson ’08 on trombone and Reed Flygt ’08 on drums.

• Jana Nyberg Group, a five-member band out of Minneapolis/St. Paul managed by Adam Meckler ’07, who also plays trumpet in the group. Evan Montgomery ’08 and Brian Courage ’11 play guitar and bass, respectively in the band as well.

• Singer/songwriter Trevor Litsey trades his tuba for a guitar, performing as The Pernicious Bean.

• Bright Kind, a three-member band featuring Alex Bunke ’09 on drums. Eric Klosterman ’10 joins the band this weekend on keyboards.

• Milwaukee-based singer/songwriter Ross Catterton ’08, a multi-instrument musician who plays saxophone, guitar, piano and drums.

• Holy Sheboygan!, a seven-piece folk/trash band features an all-Lawrence line-up that includes Julia Blair ’11, viola, accordion and lead vocals; Cameron Carrus ’13, bass; Ben DeCorsey ’10, guitar and mandolin; Jeff Edenberg ’10 horn, glockenspiel, recorder and saw; Cary Foxx ’12, bass clarinet and tenor sax; and Rachel Graber ’13, “recycled percussion” (tire rim, chip bucket, keg); and Liam O’Brien ’10, guitar and lead vocals.

• The four-member Involuntary String Band, which rocked the Lawrence Chapel last May at the annual honors convocation, features Martha McDonnell ’14 on fiddle, Davey Harrison ’13 on mandolin, Ilan Blanck ’16 on guitar and banjo and Nick Allen ’14 on bass.

Beyond performances, music education will be an important aspect of the festival.  Leila Ramagopal Pertl, a 1987 Lawrence graduate, will oversee a variety of free, interactive, hands-on music making events ranging from Ghanaian dancing and Brazilian samba drumming to Balinese gamelan and funky rhythm sticking.  Assisting her in the instruction will be Bedi, Graber, Eli Grover ’11, Jaclyn Kottman ’12, Patrick Marschke ’13, Brian Pertl ‘86 and Melissa Mast, wife of associate professor of music Andrew Mast.

Nathan Litt, a 2008 Lawrence graduate who is seriously involved with the festival as a project specialist with Willems Marketing, one of the co-organizers of Mile of Music, sees it as a win-win for Lawrence and Appleton.

“This is a great opportunity for Lawrence and downtown Appleton to collaborate,” said Litt. “Lawrence is a significant partner for the festival and we wouldn’t have been able to have such a dynamic event without the college’s involvement.  The conservatory, campus staff and the broader campus community have really stepped up and embraced the festival and its mission. We’ve had numerous students volunteer to help out, which is great.

“I never thought I’d graduate as a government major and end up helping to plan a major event like this,” Litt added. “I’m excited that Mile of Music will highlight what Lawrence can to offer to the local community and beyond and I can’t wait to see the Lawrence musicians perform during the fest. I’m looking forward to seeing Mile of Music become an annual event that will continue to have strong Lawrence ties.”

The Lawrence Chapel and Stansbury Theatre will serve as one end anchor on the festival’s “mile” of music. While the Chapel will host headliners Friday and Saturday evening, Stansbury Theatre will serve as the venue for four “feature” shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

To read more about this first-of-its-kind event in Appleton see:

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013308060278&nclick_check=1

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013130801023

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013308010271

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

President Burstein Discusses Challenges Facing Lawrence, Higher Education in Public Affairs TV Interview

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President Mark Burstein

Lawrence President Mark Burstein was the guest this past Sunday on the public affairs program “CW 14 Focus” hosted by WLUK-TV Fox 11  reporter Robert Hornacek.

During the conversation, Burstein discussed his transition from Princeton University to Lawrence, the role of a college president and some of the challenges facing higher education.

You can watch an abbreviated version of the interview here.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Professor Emeritus Ben Schneider, Computer Pioneer, Dies at Age 93

Professor Emeritus of English Ben Ross Schneider Jr., who spent 28 years on the Lawrence University faculty, died peacefully July 24 in Brookline, Mass.  He was 93 years old.

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Professor Emeritus of English Ben Schneider

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Schneider joined the faculty in 1955 and taught until his retirement in 1983.  He was recognized with an honorary Master of Arts degree by Lawrence at the college’s 1983 commencement.

A dedicated teacher, researcher and writer, Schneider was a pioneer in the use of computers for research in the humanities. He placed great value on the Socratic Method in teaching, the philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics and a straightforward reading of Shakespeare’s plays based on these classical moral principles. These principles guided not only his teaching and research but his own life as well.

In the 1970s, he computerized an 11-volume reference work entitled “The London Stage, 1660-1800” with the help of 18 student assistants and two programmers. After nine dedicated years, he produced a general index to the 500,000 references to names and titles it contained. The project resulted in the well-received book “Travels in Computerland.” A reviewer for Computing Newsletter hailed Schneider as “the Saul Bellow of computerland.”  He also authored the book “My Personal Computer and Other Family Crises.”

Shortly before he died, Schneider held the page proofs for his latest book, “Shakespeare’s Morals,” forthcoming next year from Edwin Mellen Press.  A website he created, www.stoics.com, will be maintained as a resource for future researchers.

He attended high school in Winchester, Mass., and graduated from Williams College in 1942. During World War II, he served in the Pacific theater with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  After the war, did post-graduate work on William Wordsworth at Cambridge University in England and Columbia University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1955.

He began his teaching career as an instructor in English literature at the University of Cincinnati and later taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Oregon State before joining the Lawrence faculty.

Schneider was an avid skier, sailor, woodworker, tinkerer and world traveler, interests and skills he generously passed on to his children.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mackay McCord Schneider and daughter Mackay Taylor Tanner. He is survived by daughter Devon Knight of Vancouver, B.C., sons Ben R. Schneider III of Brookline, Mass., and Nick Schneider of Lyons, Colo., grandchildren Anders Schneider and Amelia Thelen, Nathan and Emily Schneider, and Catherine Tanner.

No services are planned. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked to consider making a donation in his honor to National Public Radio, Friends of Big Island Pond, Lawrence University (please specify the Seeley G. Mudd Library) or the Mayo Clinic.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

100% x 3: Lawrence Fund Enjoys Strong Institutional Support

From buying light bulbs to providing laboratory supplies, the past year’s support for the Lawrence Fund enjoyed the basketball equivalent of a triple double.

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Terry Franke ’68

For the recently completed 2012-13 fiscal year, the Lawrence Fund enjoyed 100 percent participation from all 28 members of the Lawrence Board of Trustees, all 30 members of the Lawrence University Alumni Board of Directors and the entire 31-member alumni-development staff.  Collectively, they contributed a total of $953,450 — more than 28 percent — to the fund’s overall total of $3,384,463.

“Strong board, alumni and institutional support is vital for Lawrence and this level of participation reflects the college’s exceptional leadership,” said Terry Franke, chair of the Board of Trustees and 1968 Lawrence graduate. “We’ve raised the bar and set a great starting point for 2013-14.”

The Lawrence Fund, the college’s annual giving program, helps bridge the gap between what students pay in tuition and actual operating costs. The Lawrence Fund and endowment earnings help reduce each student’s tuition by more than $10,000 per year.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Professor David McGlynn’s Memoir Honored by the Wisconsin Library Association

For the second time this year, Lawrence University Associate Professor of English David McGlynn has been honored for his writing.

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David McGlynn

His memoir, “A Door in the Ocean,” has been recognized by the Wisconsin Library Association’s Literary Awards Committee with its 2013 Outstanding Achievement Award. Earlier this year, the book was cited by the Council for Wisconsin Writers with its 2012 Kenneth Kingery/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award.

The WLA’s Literary Awards Committee annually reviews some 200 books by Wisconsin authors published during the previous calendar year and chooses 10 or less to be recognized as outstanding. The selections are based on both literary merit and quality of production, including editing, printing and publishing.

“A Door in the Ocean” traces McGlynn’s journey from competitive swimming and family tragedy through radical evangelicalism and adult life.

This is the second time McGlynn has been honored by the WLA. His first book, “The End of the Straight and Narrow,” received the WLA’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008.  That book, a collection of nine short stories examining aspects of religious faith, also earned the 2008 Utah Book Award.

Most recently, McGlynn wrote the chapter “Leviathan,” the story of a triple homicide that devastates a high school swim team, for the just-published book “True Crime, Real Life Stories of Abduction, Addiction, Obsession, Murder, Grave-Robbing and More.”

He also has written a number of essays and short stories for a variety of publications, including Men’s Health, Huffington Post and The Literary Review.

A Lawrence faculty member since 2006, McGlynn was presented Lawrence’s 2009 Award for Excellence in Creative Activity. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from the University of California, Irvine and master and doctorate degrees from the University of Utah.

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 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.