Press Releases

APPLETON, WIS. — A $2.5 million bequest from an anonymous donor has given Lawrence University’s scholarship funds its third million-dollar-plus gift in the past six weeks the college announced today (9/11).

The donor, a long-time Wisconsin resident who graduated from Lawrence in 1936, designated the gift for the college’s general scholarship endowment.

Cal Husmann, vice president for development and alumni relations, said the donor was a product of “the greatest generation” who enjoyed quietly helping others.

“She was very appreciative of her Lawrence education and took a lot of pride in Lawrence’s standing in the community. She had a high regard for the quality of the people associated with Lawrence,” said Husmann. “Throughout her life she was very supportive of Lawrence, her church and numerous other organizations, but never liked any special attention or fuss made about her. She was especially happy she was able to help out her alma mater with a gift of this magnitude that will assist future generations of students obtain a Lawrence education.”

Three gifts totaling more than $5.2 million have been donated for Lawrence scholarship support since August 1. Lawrence officials previously announced gifts of $1.6 from the estate of F. Stansbury Young, a 1936 graduate and a $1.125 million gift from the trust of Amond “Ralph” and Marjorie Ballinger, two long-time Appleton residents. These gifts are added to the college’s endowment, with approximately 5 percent of the endowed funds used each year for scholarship support.

“Lawrence’s endowment is directly related to our future vitality,” said Husmann. “We are honored that these donors have decided to invest in Lawrence in this most thoughtful fashion.”

APPLETON, WIS. — For the 10th consecutive year, Lawrence University has landed among the top quarter of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Colleges” report released today (8/22).

Lawrence was the top-ranked institution in Wisconsin and 56th overall among 248 national colleges and universities in the magazine’s “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” category.

Among the factors used in determining the rankings, Lawrence again had strong showings in the areas of graduation rate (79 percent), acceptance rate (56 percent), percent of classes with fewer than 20 students (75 percent) and alumni giving rate (46 percent).

“We’re happy that U.S. News continues to recognize Lawrence as being among the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges,” said Director of Admissions Ken Anselment. “But we also remind students that these rankings — while interesting and fun to talk about — never give you all the information you need to make a good decision about a college. Campus visits are a much better way for students and their families to evaluate whether a college’s academics, community and environment are the right fit.”

In its report, U.S. News also includes lists and rankings of a wide variety of other niche categories. In a survey of guidance counselors from America’s best high schools who were asked which liberal arts colleges they think offer the best education to their students, Lawrence was ranked 42nd nationally. And in a reaffirmation of its status as a residential campus, Lawrence tied for 29th nationally in the percentage of students (97) who reside in university-provided housing.

Williams College, the top-ranked institution the past five years in the national liberal arts college category, shared the no. 1 ranking this year with Amherst College, last year’s runner-up. Swarthmore College was ranked third. Ivy Leaguers Harvard, Princeton and Yale were ranked first, second and third, respectively, in U.S. News’ national universities category.

In compiling its annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide, U.S. News & World Report evaluates nearly 1,500 of the nation’s public and private four-year schools, using data from 15 separate indicators of academic excellence such as peer assessment, selectivity, graduation rates, student retention, faculty resources and alumni satisfaction. Each factor is assigned a “weight” that reflects the magazine editor’s judgment as to how much that measure matters. Each school’s composite weighted score is then compared to peer institutions to determine final rankings.

Institutions are divided into several distinct categories. In addition to the best liberal arts college category that measures national institutions like Lawrence, other rankings are based on universities that grant master and doctorate degrees and colleges that are considered “regional” institutions.

APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University is the top-ranked undergraduate institution in Wisconsin and 68th best in the nation according to a recently released report on America’s top colleges by Forbes.com.

Hailing it as “an alternative” to the annual rankings done by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes has ventured into the college rankings business for the first time with the release of its own “America’s Best Colleges” list.

The Forbes.com report ranks 569 of the nation’s 4,000 colleges and universities without regard for size. Forbes.com says it used data from a variety of sources to help answer questions from a student’s perspective: How good will my professors be? Will the school help me achieve notable career success? If I have to borrow money to pay for college, how deeply will I go into debt? What are the chances I will graduate in four years? Are the students and faculty recognized nationally, or even globally?

In addition to finishing first among 10 ranked Wisconsin institutions, Lawrence also was ranked on Forbes.com’s list ahead of such traditional heavyweights as the University of California-Berkeley (73), Duke University (80) and the Ivy League’s Cornell University (121) and Dartmouth College (127). Princeton University, California Institute of Technology and Harvard University were ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the report.

“We’re happy that Forbes has discovered what a lot of people already know about Lawrence: with our excellent faculty and extraordinary focus on individualized learning, Lawrence is a place that has a meaningful and transformational effect on its students,” said Ken Anselment, director of admissions. “Of course, no ranking report — no matter how favorable — is a substitute for a thoughtful college search that includes visits to the campuses a student is seriously considering.”

In compiling its rankings, Forbes.com applied a strong student perspective, basing its points system on the quality of the education the college or university provides and how much their students achieve. Its methodology was developed by Ohio University economist Richard Vedder in conjunction with researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

Three factors determined the remaining 50 percent of an institution’s score: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by students who borrowed; the percentage of students who graduated in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards such as Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

Forbes.com used seven million student evaluations of college courses and professors from the Web site RateMyProfessors.com, for 25 percent of the score. The remaining quarter of the score was based on the number of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, listed in “Who’s Who in America.”

Generally speaking, smaller liberal arts colleges, with their personal attention and strong faculties, fare well in Forbes.com’s rankings, while larger state schools performed poorly. Eight liberal arts colleges were ranked among the top 20 institutions nationally, including two in the top five, Swarthmore (4) and Williams (5). Many of the large state universities landed well down Forbes.com’s list, including UW-Madison (335), the University of Arizona (383) and the University of Minnesota (524).

APPLETON, WIS. — A gift of more than $1.6 million from the trust of a family with deep roots to Lawrence University will help future generations of students interested in the theatre obtain a Lawrence education college officials announced today (8/14).

The gift from the estate of F. Stansbury (Stans) Young will be directed to the F. Theodore Cloak Scholarship. It was the second gift of more than $1 million for scholarship support Lawrence has received in the past month.

The Cloak Scholarship, established in 1969, honors former professor Ted Cloak, the founder of Lawrence’s theatre department and supports theatre arts majors with financial need on the basis of talent and promise.

Cloak, who taught at Lawrence from 1929 until his retirement in 1969, was a close friend and mentor to Young, who enjoyed a long career with Thilmany Pulp & Paper Company in Kaukauna. Young died in 2003.

“The Young family’s ties to Lawrence span nearly the entire history of the college,” said Calvin Husmann, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Stans’ years working at Thilmany and staying in touch with his alma mater and his home town prompted his desire to carry forward his family’s impressive tradition of giving to the college. We are deeply grateful for Stans’ years of generosity and this ultimate gift to benefit students studying theatre at Lawrence.”

F. Stansbury Young, who earned a degree in chemistry from Lawrence in 1936, has extensive family connections to Appleton and the college dating to his grandparents. Emory and Mary Anne Phinney Humphrey Stansbury were both trustees of Lawrence in the late 1800s. In 1859, Mary Anne Stansbury became the 24th graduate in Lawrence history — and at age 16, also its youngest.

In 1996, Young established the Carmen N. and F. Stansbury Young Scholarship in honor of his wife, a 1931 Lawrence graduate. Young went on to name a space in Lawrence’s new Science Hall in the late 1990s. Young’s uncle, Karl Stansbury, established several funds at the college, as well as named the Stansbury Theatre in Lawrence’s Music-Drama Center.

APPLETON, WIS. — A $1.125 million gift from the trust of two former long-time Appleton residents will provide financial assistance to Lawrence University students from low-income families college officials announced today (8/1).

The Raymond C. Krueger Industrialist Scholarship will be established by a gift from the trust of Amond “Ralph” and Marjorie Ballinger. The scholarship honors Marjorie’s father, a 1914 graduate of Lawrence.

“This gift was really like an unexpected Christmas present,” said Calvin Husmann, Lawrence vice president for development and alumni relations. “It is gratifying to know that the Ballingers felt such passion for ensuring students with financial need would have the opportunity to receive a Lawrence education. Their action is evidence of what thoughtful members of the Fox Valley community can do for students wishing to study here at Lawrence.”

The Ballingers spent most of their lives in Appleton and were generous supporters of many Fox Valley organizations, including the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin and the Appleton Medical Center Foundation as well as The Post-Crescent-sponsored Backpacks for Kids program and the Stock the Shelves Campaign for area food pantries. They also were long-time members of First United Methodist Church, where they first met at a singles gathering in 1948.

Marjorie Ballinger was a 1928 graduate of Appleton High School and earned a degree from Bowlby’s Business College. She enjoyed a 30-year career with Fox River Tractor Company, retiring in 1970. She died last August at the age of 87.

Amond Ballinger, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, spent 28 years with the United States Department of Defense, retiring as a quality assurance specialist. He served as a supply officer for the Outagamie Chapter of the American Red Cross for more than 12 years. He passed away at the age of 84 in March of this year.

APPLETON, WIS. — Accessible professors, an outstanding theatre program and great classroom experiences helped earn Lawrence University inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual book on undergraduate education, “The Best 368 Colleges.”

The just-released book includes only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges, plus two Canadian colleges, and features two-page profiles of the schools along with student survey-based ranking lists of top 20 colleges in more than 60 categories.

“We chose schools for this book primarily for their outstanding academics,” says Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s vice president of publishing. “We evaluated them based on institutional data we collect about the schools, feedback from students attending them and our visits to schools over the years. We also consider the opinions of independent college counselors, students and parents we hear from year-long.”

Lawrence was cited among the top 20 institutions nationally in three of the book’s student-survey categories: fourth in most accessible professors, 12th in best college theatre program, up from 17th in the same category last year and 13th in best classroom experience. Lawrence wasn’t ranked in either the accessible professors or classroom experience category in 2008.

The ranking lists in “The Best 368 Colleges” are based on The Princeton Review’s survey of 120,000 students — about 325 per campus — attending the 368 colleges profiled in the book. A college’s appearance on any of the book’s 60 lists is a result of a high consensus among the surveyed students on that subject. The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book 1 to 368 in any single category.

“It’s always nice to see the things that you believe to be true about your institution verified, as it were, by a third party,” said Ken Anselment, director of admissions. “We know that we are rare among American colleges with our focus on individualized learning. The Princeton Review’s rankings on our accessible faculty and great classroom experiences seem to support that. With a highly-ranked theatre program on top of all of it, we are delighted.”

On a scale of 60-99 — with 99 being the highest — the book gave Lawrence a rating of 92 in its quality of life category, which measures students’ satisfaction with their lives outside the classroom. Among some of the factors considered were the beauty, safety, and location of the campus; the comfort of dorms; the quality of food; the ease of getting around campus; the friendliness of fellow students; and the quality of the school’s relationship with the local community.

In its profile of the college, The Princeton Review defined the Lawrence experience as “intense academics, extreme involvement in extracurricular activities and a near-obsession with music.” The profile also quotes extensively from students surveyed for the book, who describe Lawrence as “an intellectual place, as any good college should be. People are all brilliant in their own ways here and it’s fantastic to find out how.” Others cited the student body as friendly and cooperative, resulting in “an intellectually stimulating — not academically cutthroat — environment that fosters both academic and personal growth.”

The book’s entire ranking lists can be found at www.PrincetonReview.com.

APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University will celebrate a musical milestone in the coming year — the 100th anniversary of its Artists Series concert program.

First staged in 1908, the Artist Series has brought a litany of luminaries to the stage of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, including violinist Isaac Stern, pianist Vladimir Horowitz and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The 2008-09 line-up promises to kick-off the series’ second century in similar style.

The Guarneri String Quartet opens the season Friday, Oct. 24 in one of its final performances. Founded in 1964, the acclaimed quartet is retiring at the end of the upcoming season. One of the world’s most revered string ensembles, the Guarneri Quartet is noted for its interpretations of 18th- and 19th-century standards and award-winning recordings of Beethoven’s middle-period quartets.

Grammy Award-winning baritone Dale Duesing performs Saturday, Feb. 7. A 1967 Lawrence graduate, Duesing’s international career spans five decades of performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, among others. Opernwelt magazine named Duesing its “Singer of the Year” in 1994 and Le Monde de la Musique magazine called him “a singer who changed opera in the 20th century.”

The Percussion Group Cincinnati showcases its talents Friday, March 6. Formed in 1979, the trio of University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music professors has attracted new works from composers worldwide and is best known for its expertise in the music of John Cage. Recent performances include a world premiere with the Singapore Chinese Instrument Orchestra and a tour of Japan,

Edgar Meyer, described by one music critic as “quite simply, the best bassist alive,” closes the series Friday, April 17. Meyer’s unique blend of classical and folk music have earned him a loyal following and three Grammy awards, including two in 2002 as producer and performer for “Perpetual Motion,” which was named best classical crossover album. His collaborations range from violinist Joshua Bell to the bluegrass and folk groups Bela Fleck and Nickel Creek.

Innovators Ingrid Jensen and Brad Mehldau headline the younger Jazz Series side of Lawrence’s performing arts program.

The Grammy award-winning vocal quartet New York Voices flash Brazilian, R & B, classical and pop influences in their jazz-rooted vocals Friday, Nov. 7 in the first of two Jazz Celebration Weekend concerts.

Jensen melds her fiery trumpet with the Lawrence Faculty Jazz Trio and the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble Saturday, Nov. 8 in the second half of Jazz Celebration Weekend. Jensen received the “Best Newcomer Award” at the 1995 Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland and won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Solo Trumpet competition that same year.

Jazz-pop crossover singer Jackie Allen and her quintet perform “A Starry Night” with the Lawrence University Chamber Orchestra Saturday, Feb. 21. Allen’s versatility, range and infectious enthusiasm have made her a fan favorite around the world. Recent appearances include the Beijing International Music Festival, where she was the only jazz headliner.

The Brad Mehldau Trio brings its adventurous, expressive style to the Lawrence Chapel in a series-ending concert Saturday, May 2. A pianist and composer, Mehldau has released more than a dozen recordings and has collaborated with such jazz greats as Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker and Pat Metheny. In 2006, he was named the 13th recipient of the prestigious Miles Davis Award, which recognizes artists whose body of work has contributed significantly to the renewal of the genre.

Season subscriptions to either the artist, jazz or a “favorite 4” series that allows subscribers to select any combination of four concerts from either series, are available through August 25, with discounts available to senior citizens and students. Contact the Lawrence Box Office at 920-832-6749. Single-concert tickets go on sale Sept. 29.

Additional information, including ticket prices, seating charts and ways to order is available at www.lawrence.edu/news/performingartsseries/.

APPLETON, WIS. — Kathy Privatt, associate professor of theatre arts at Lawrence University, has been named the college’s James G. and Ethel M. Barber Professor of Theatre and Drama. Appointments to endowed professorships recognize academic distinction through teaching excellence and/or scholarly achievement.

Privatt

A member of the Lawrence theatre department since 1999, Privatt has directed nine main stage productions, including 2005’s “Language of Angels,” which was chosen as a “showcase production” for the regional competition of the American College Theater Festival in Normal, Ill. Sixteen student actors under Privatt’s direction have qualified for the ACTF’s Irene Ryan Irene Acting Scholarship Competition.

She has served as a guest director for Appleton’s Attic Theatre and worked with the Memorial Presbyterian Church on a series of “reader’s theatre” productions. Privatt also has been involved as an actor for several years with a state-wide crisis intervention training program for law enforcement officers. The program is a joint venture of the Appleton Police Department and the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

In announcing the appointment, Lawrence President Jill Beck commented on Privatt’s great devotion to the performing arts and her success in using theatre to help students develop the qualities of liberally educated persons.

“Professor Privatt’s passion for theatre has energized a similar passion in her students,” said Beck. “She stands as an inspirational model for all who know her.”

Privatt’s scholarship includes the art theatre movement and corporate funding on Broadway. Her essay “‘Modern Medicis:’ Disney On Broadway” was included in the 2007 book “Angels in the American Theatre.”

Her current research focuses on the Alexander Technique, an educational model designed to improve everyday use of the body in movement. Privatt is pursuing teacher certification in the technique with plans to develop courses in it for Lawrence actors, musicians, athletes, and others interested in physical dysfunction.

She earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in theatre and speech at Central Missouri State University and her Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Nebraska.

The Barber Professorship was established in 1985 by Ethel Barber, a 1934 graduate of Milwaukee-Downer College, and recognizes her lifelong interest in and support of the performing arts and higher education.

She was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in the department of interpretation from Northwestern University’s School of Speech and enjoyed a successful career as a director of radio and theatre productions and as a lecturer.

Barber served as a member of the Lawrence University Board of Trustees from 1968 to 1988 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by Lawrence in 1985.

APPLETON, WIS. — Bob Spoo’s latest return to his hometown of Appleton will be as one of the honored guests at Lawrence University’s annual Reunion Weekend Celebration June 20-22.

A 1975 graduate of Appleton East High School, Spoo will be recognized with a distinguished achievement award Saturday, June 15 during the Reunion Convocation at 10:30 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. He will be one of six alumni honored for career achievements, contributions to the betterment of society or volunteer service to Lawrence.

More than 900 alumni and guests from 43 states and six countries, including destinations as distant as Australia and Kenya, are expected to return to campus to participate in the weekend-long festivities.

Spoo

Spoo, professor of intellectual property, law and literature at the University of Tulsa and John Holdridge, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Capital Punishment Program, each will receive the Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award. Named in honor of the second president of Milwaukee-Downer College, the Briggs award recognizes alumni of more than 15 years for outstanding contributions to, and achievements in, a career field.

A 1979 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Lawrence who worked as a student counselor in the admissions office after graduating, Spoo has enjoyed a career that has taken him full circle, from academia to law and back to higher education again.

A recognized scholar of Irish author James Joyce and co-editor of the preeminent literary journal James Joyce Quarterly for more than 10 years, Spoo was a tenured English professor at the University of Tulsa before embarking on a legal career. After earning his law degree in 2000 at Yale Law School, where he was the executive editor of the Yale Law Journal, Spoo joined a California law firm where he distinguished himself in copyright issues and intellectual property law.

His interests in helping artists and authors legally protect their original work grew out of his own experiences writing and editing materials about Joyce, Ezra Pound and other authors. In addition to dozens of record companies and filmmakers, Spoo has shared his expertise on copyright infringement with the National Library of Ireland, the government of Vietnam, numerous software technology companies and at conferences around the world.

Spoo recently left his position as an associate at Howard Rice Nemerovski Candady Falk & Rabkin law firm in San Francisco to return to the University of Tulsa.

Holdridge

Holdridge, a 1977 Lawrence graduate, has spent much of his career at the forefront of the fight against the use of capital punishment in the United States. Through the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Program, Holdridge advocates for the reform of the death penalty process and the protection of capital defendants’ rights.

A graduate of New York University School of Law, Holdridge, who lives in Dunham, N.C., spent time as a public defender in Connecticut’s Capital Defense and Trial Services Unit and more than a decade as director of the Mississippi and Louisiana Capital Trial Assistance Project in New Orleans. Among the clients he represented were Larry Maxwell, who faced a triple capital murder indictment but was later freed and Michael Ray Graham, who was exonerated after spending nearly 14 years on death row.

Holdridge successively co-argued the seminal case of State v. Peart, in which the Louisiana Supreme Court recognized that indigent defendants have a pretrial right to effective counsel and that the heavy caseload of the New Orleans indigent defender system violated that right.

The National Legal Aid & Defender Association honored Holdridge in 2001 with its Life in the Balance Achievement Award for his efforts in “representing not only the poorest clients but the poorest lawyers.”

Farnham Jarrard, Bristol, Va., and Judy Sutherland, Evanston, Ill., each will receive the George B. Walter Service to Society Award. Named in honor of Walter ’36, beloved former faculty member and dean of men at Lawrence who believed strongly that every individual can and should make a positive difference in the world, the award recognizes alumni who best exemplify the ideals of a liberal education through socially useful service in their community, the nation or the world.

Jarrard

Jarrard, a 1958 Lawrence graduate, made his name in the steel industry and left his mark in community service.

He entered the steel business shortly after graduation and eventually rose to president and CEO of Allied Structural Steel in Hammond, Ind. He later spent 16 years as senior vice president of Bristol Steel and Iron Works, Inc. His contributions to the industry were recognized with an honorary lifetime directorship in the American Institute of Steel Construction, one of only 11 such appointments awarded in the organization’s 87-year history.

After moving to Bristol, Jarrard immersed himself in his new community, serving as an agent for positive change and spearheading several successful economic development initiatives.

His lengthy public service includes 12 years on the Bristol town council, including eight as mayor. He also served as chair of the Bristol Utilities Board of Directors, guiding efforts that led Bristol to become the first municipal utility in the country to build and operate its own fiber optics network to provide telephone, cable and data services.

Jarrard has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Bristol’s Virginia Intermont College, co-chaired a nonprofit foundation to restore Bristol’s historic train depot and led the fight to reestablish passenger rail service between southwestern Virginia and Washington, D.C. The director of Bristol’s Paramount Center for the Arts has hailed Jarrard as “an ideal citizen, involved and interested in all aspects of the community.”

Sutherland

Sutherland, also a 1958 Lawrence graduate, is a former student of Walter, the man her award honors. While studying for her master’s degree in counseling psychology, Sutherland took an art therapy class at Chicago’s Adler School of Professional Psychology that ignited her life’s work as an educator, registered art therapist and

administrator.

She joined the Adler school as a teacher and with encouragement from the administration, soon was entrusted with the task of developing the school’s master’s degree program in art therapy and overseeing the appropriate professional accreditation. Based on the Adlerian framework that includes respect for each individual, an optimistic and collaborative approach to helping others and a commitment to advancing society through social involvement and support for the marginalized and underrepresented, the program Sutherland created was approved by the American Art Therapy Association in 1993. She served as director of the master’s program in art therapy until her retirement in 2006, nearly doubling its enrollment during her tenure.

Sutherland, who has called making art “a form of prayer,” has been a frequent presenter at Adlerian conventions and workshops around the country, focusing on using art and psychodrama in psychotherapeutic work with dreams.

Noonan

Jo Noonan, Atlanta, Ga., will be presented the Gertrude B. Jupp Outstanding Service Award. The award honors Jupp, a 1918 graduate of Milwaukee-Downer College, who was named M-D Alumna of the Year in 1964 for her long volunteer service to the college. It recognizes Lawrence and Milwaukee-Downer alumni of more than 15 years who have provided outstanding service to the college.

A 1978 graduate, Noonan has been an actively engaged volunteer, serving the college in a variety of capacities for the past 30 years. She was a member of the Lawrence University Alumni Association for six years, including two as board president (2003-05). She served as class secretary for the Class of 1978 and as a member of the Alumni Advisory Working Group. She has been active in alumni event planning for the Atlanta region and is current chair of her 30th reunion steering committee.

Tie Shue

Steve Tie Shue, Minneapolis, Minn., will receive the Marshall B. Hulbert Young Alumni Service Award, which recognizes a Lawrence alumnus or alumna of 15 years or less, who has provided significant service to the college. This award honors Hulbert ’26, known to many as “Mr. Lawrence,” who served the university in many significant capacities for 54 years.

The youngest person ever to receive the Hulbert Award, Tie Shue was the president of his graduating class in 2004 and has remained a leader among his classmates since leaving Lawrence. He served four years on the LUAA board of directors, beginning when he was still a student and ending in 2007 as vice president. He also served as chair of his class’ 5th reunion steering committee, was a four-year member of the Viking gift committee and is active as a regional event volunteer.

APPLETON, WIS. — Four members of the Lawrence University faculty were honored for teaching excellence, scholarship or creative activity Sunday, June 15 at the college’s 159th commencement.

Sturm

Fred Sturm, director of jazz studies and Kimberly-Clark Professor of Music, became the first faculty member to receive all three of Lawrence’s teaching honors given at commencement when he was presented the Award for Excellence in Creative Activity.

Established in 2006, the award recognizes outstanding creative work for advancing Lawrence’s mission. Sturm had previously been honored with the college’s Young Teacher Award (1983) and the Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005).

A 1973 Lawrence graduate, Sturm has established himself as one of the country’s leading composers and jazz educators. His most recent major composition, “Migrations,” was premiered last August by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

He also served as the musical director for the Baseball Music Project, a touring symphonic tribute to baseball music that has been performed by major orchestras around the country as well as last month at the Performing Arts Center in Appleton. His many honors include a Grammy nomination and the ASCAP/IAJE Commission In Honor of Quincy Jones, a prize granted annually to one established jazz composer of international prominence.

“Your creative achievements have been a source of joy and inspiration for everyone in the Lawrence community,” Lawrence Provost David Burrows said in presenting Sturm his award. “Your work as a composer, arranger, performer and producer has resulted in music that delights us.”

Sturm first joined the Lawrence faculty in 1977, leaving in 1991 to teach at the Eastman School of Music in New York. He returned to the Lawrence conservatory of music in 2002. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence, Sturm earned a master’s degree from Eastman School of Music.

Cohen

Paul Cohen, professor of history and the Patricia Hamar Boldt Chair in Liberal Studies, received Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, given annually for outstanding performance in the teaching process, including the quest to ensure students reach their full development as individuals, human beings and future leaders of society.

A specialist in modern Europe and intellectual history, Cohen joined the Lawrence faculty in 1985. He was recognized with the college’s Freshman Studies Teaching Award in 1999.

That same year he introduced the courses “Film as History” and “History as Film” that explored how film can serve as a source of historical interpretation. His recent scholarship has focused on the portrayal of masculinity in American films after World War II, particularly cinematic representations of manhood that deviate from the Hollywood stereotypes.

“You expect much of your students and clearly have high standards,” Burrows said of Cohen. “Time and again, students comment that you have helped them develop their intellectual abilities beyond what they thought they could achieve. You are one of the professors whom students remember with fondness and gratitude, years after graduating.”

Cohen is the author of two books, “Freedom’s Moment: An Essay on the French Idea of Liberty from Rousseau to Foucault” and “Piety and Politics: Catholic Revival and the Generation of 1905-1914 in France.” He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Clark University and earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago.

Goldgar

Bertrand Goldgar, professor of English and the John N. Bergstrom Professor of Humanities, was presented the college’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship, which recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained scholarly excellence for a number of years and whose work exemplifies the ideals of the teacher-scholar. He previously was recognized with the Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1976.

One of the world’s leading scholars on author Henry Fielding, Goldgar is an internationally recognized expert on 18th-century political satire.

A member of the Lawrence faculty for 51 years, Goldgar has served as a contributing editor to a landmark multi-volume edition of the works of Jonathan Swift. His volume, “Swift’s English Political Writing, 1711-1714,” covers Swift’s literary engagement in the politics of early 18th-century London.

“You are a literary historian with a deep belief in the fulfillment that results from immersion in great literature” said Burrows in presenting Goldgar his award. “You have set for yourself the goal of providing the knowledge and historical context necessary for the modern reader to understand and appreciate the art of 18th-century writers.”

Goldgar, the author of two books and five scholarly editions, earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Pickett

Megan Pickett, associate professor of physics, received the Lawrence’s Young Teacher Award in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the classroom and the promise of continued growth.

Pickett joined the Lawrence physics department in 2006 after six years on the faculty at Purdue University. An astrophysicist who spent four years as a research associate at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California, Pickett’s research focuses on the formation of solar systems. She has been the recipient of four research grants through the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program totaling more than $500,000.

“Your passion for science is joined with a tremendous capacity for creativity,” Burrows said of Pickett. “In an era when problems of science education are a national concern, it is heartening to know that you are helping make Lawrence a leader in addressing those problems.”

Pickett earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Indiana University.