Previous alumni Spotlights

Steve Shields '70

Court cases such as wrongful termination, landlord/tenant, divorce, or construction issues, among others, are stressful for the parties involved. Sometimes, the lawyers will need help getting the parties to come to a resolution. That's when mediators like Stephen Shields '70 step in.

"They're looking for a solution," he said. "They've found that their negotiations need some help and what a mediator does is provide (a successful) process. They want to turn to an outside person like me to help them resolve the dispute."

The mediation process is highly successful, Shields said and helps the parties move on with their lives. What is perhaps most important is that it is a means of empowering those who may not otherwise have their voices heard.

"Many times, particularly in cases in the general session court, there's typically one party that may be much more powerful, e.g., a landlord, or you have someone who's much more sophisticated, and the question that's posed to me sometimes is, 'How do you go about balancing the power?'

"I can listen very carefully to that person, I can clarify what they're saying, then I can restate what they're saying as clearly as possible so that their voice is heard. Many times, people in that situation are not only hopeless, but they're also helpless "It's amazing; sometimes when their voice is clearly heard, it has a real impact on the outcome of a mediated case."

After earning his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1973, Shields' mediation career began shortly after he left Yale Law School where Shields earned a master's degree in law (LL.M.) the following year. He then taught labor and arbitration classes at the University of Memphis School of Law.

While continuing to teach – currently at the University of Memphis where he directs their mediation clinic – Shields moved into private practice and is a founding partner in the Memphis-based firm of Jackson, Shields, Yeiser & Holt.

These days his primary focus is on employment, wage and hour, and construction issues. Shields also continues to train others to become certified mediators.

Dealing with high levels of emotions are some of the more challenging aspects of Shields' work, but what makes up for it is helping litigants through the process toward a resolution.

"They're able to get beyond the conflict and get to something much more productive," he said.

Honors for Shields' work are continuous. Since 1991, Best Lawyers In America and The American Lawyer magazine's "Top Lawyers" issue have cited his contributions to the field. Super Lawyers of the Mid-South has listed him among their ranks since 2008. This past March, Shields received the Coalition for Mediation Awareness Public Service Award for his contributions to the field.

At Hanover, Shields was a business and economics major, a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, and the men's basketball squad. He still keeps in touch with his Beta brothers who live in the Memphis, Tenn., area, and believes his Hanover education prepared him well for his career.

"I think (Hanover) helped increase my intellectual interest in a lot of different areas," he said. "It's interesting that I really enjoyed practicing law, but as I think about it, what I like about mediation is that my reading list goes well beyond just the law; it goes into these other areas, and that's what Hanover was like."

 

Emilee Roberts '14

Emilee Roberts '14 is all about girl power. In her work as program director for Madison, Ind.-based Girls Inc., she develops programs for girls ranging in age from kindergarten to 18.

Self-defense, dealing with peer pressure, cooking, and making things out of beads or other craft materials are some of the skills taught at the nonprofit organization. Roberts bases her programs on the needs of the girls and to fulfill Girls Inc.'s mission to inspire all girls "to be strong, smart and bold."

"We really try to offer them a wide variety of things that they (might not) get offered at school or at home," she said.

In addition, Roberts handles much of the business side, hiring program staff and working with the board of directors to communicate with them about programming and any funding needs. As part of her outreach duties, she works with young women at the local juvenile center every other week. She also volunteers with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Programming for the juvenile center looks at ways of teaching the girls how to make better choices. Roberts said she commonly does team-building exercises and teaches them ways to have healthy relationships and to set goals.

"I think it's really important for them to know that just because they're (in the center) right now, that doesn't mean that's what their whole life has to be like."

Roberts' work and volunteer activities are a mix of the things she learned as a Hanover student and perfectly fit her career interests. Originally, she planned to major in biology, but Roberts learned quickly it wasn't the field for her.

Her mother suggested psychology, and after Roberts had taken her first class, taught by Professor Ellen Altermatt, the West Terre Haute, Ind., native had found her calling. Roberts was also a member of the College's Business Scholars Program.

"I wanted to pick a major that was very versatile," she said. You can go into business with psychology, you can work with people; you can work with elders or adults. I've always been kind of a people person, (which) also drew me to it."

Hanover also forced Roberts out of her comfort zone and taught her how to connect with people on a personal and professional level. She worked at the campus daycare center, went on mission trips, and was a member of Chi Omega. Currently, Roberts serves as a new member advisor for the sorority.

"At Hanover, if you want to be involved and experience all you can, you really have to get out of your shell… Being involved in a lot of things, you meet a lot of different types of people, (where you learn) how to communicate with them."

Since her graduation last year, she continues to show support for her alma mater. In February, she hosted one of the Pub Night locations; previously Roberts went to Churchill Downs with her fellow Hanoverians. Roberts also keeps in touch with her classmates through Facebook, as well as promotes HC.

Though she credits her mother for giving her a heart for service, Roberts said she owes a lot to Hanover and encourages all alumni to stay connected and help give back to the place that gives students so much.

"You're given this one life," she said. "And with it (you should try) to do as much as you can because Hanover has, in a sense, such a diverse population, with so many people interested in so many different things, you become accustomed to getting to know all kinds of people and you learn how to help those around you."

 

Normund auzins '92

After Normund Auzins '92 graduated from Indiana University Dental School in 1996 and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency in 2000, he didn't immediately go into private practice.

Instead, the Hanover chemistry major enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and while stationed at Norfolk, Va., the terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened. The U.S.'s decision to attack Afghanistan in the response sent the young lieutenant commander with one of the first battlegroups deployed off the coast of Pakistan in the North Arabian Sea.

"Our squadrons were pretty much at the tip of the spear during Operation Enduring Freedom," he said. "I (wound up) being there for what became the second Iraq War a year later."

Auzins served for 159 straight days at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. He performed various surgeries for trauma patients or more common procedures such as wisdom tooth removal. Auzins followed sea duty with a stint at Portsmouth Naval Hospital teaching oral and maxillofacial residents, followed by another deployment in the Persian Gulf.

After serving for a total of three years, during which time he earned his board certification, Auzins left for civilian life and private practice. These days, Auzins operates at Columbia Oral Surgery based in Portland, Oregon.

In addition to helping people without insurance in his local community, Auzins continues his commitment to others through the Free to Smile Foundation, a dental and cleft-lip and palate surgery nonprofit started by one of his fellow residents at IU. He has served as a board member since 2012 with fellow Hanoverian Bill Klausman '90.

He's traveled around the world for the organization, including six different trips to Guatemala, two to Tibet, and one to Niger. This fall, Auzins will travel to Ethiopia.

It was early on when he realized the personal benefits he received as a volunteer were just as tremendous as those he provided. Some procedures relieved pain; others have a transformational effect.

For example, Auzins said he often performs surgery on patients – mostly children – who have a cleft-lip deformity that if not treated, would lead to a lifetime of shame and isolation. The village environments he serves don't always have a proper understanding of these issues, which can result in mistreatment.

"There are stories of these kids not even being allowed to live in the house; instead of living in the equivalent of a dog house behind their thatch hut because they're deemed to have evil spirits," he said. "Girls would never be able to find a husband. (These) are really big, life-altering surgeries."

Among his mentors at Hanover were former faculty members Dr. Pam Middleton, Paul Austin, and the late Professor Emeritus of Psychology Harve Rawson.

"I enjoyed learning about the humanistic side of treating patients," he said. "… Now I see people from all walks of life and different dispositions so (those classes) were a good foundation."

As a member of Beta Theta Pi, Auzins performed numerous philanthropic activities with his fraternity brothers. One event involved pushing a mock Indy race car from Hanover to Indianapolis.

"We raised a lot of money for the United Way. The coordinated work behind the scenes gave me an appreciation of what goes into something like taking a surgical team to a third world country."

What does Auzins recommend for those students interested in pursuing a career in dentistry? Having the ability to build trust with someone helps as does relentless attention to detail.

"The biggest thing is to prepare yourself academically, because it is fairly rigorous in dental school or if you go on to oral surgery," he said. "Perhaps even more important is to observe as much as you can, talk to dentists and ask yourself, ‘Is this something (I really want to do)?' I like to joke that detail-oriented people who are a little OCD tend to be really good dentists.

"I also think that in healthcare, you have to be comfortable communicating and relating to a variety of people. Experiences, where you are out of your normal social environment, are extremely valuable to learn more about people, and that will help you build trust and confidence from your patients."

 

Shirley Hungate Weersing '53

Although she took her first botany class in high school, Shirley Hungate Weersing '53 said it was her class with former biology professor James Maysilles and their trip to the Indiana Dunes to study the flora and fauna that cemented her life-long love of gardening.

"It was fascinating, it was beautiful, it was a good course," she said of the experience. "I just loved it from the beginning."

At Hanover, Weersing majored in languages with a minor in business. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority after following high school friend Suzie Arend Hewitt '52 to campus; Hewitt later became her sorority, big sister.

Considered by many in the Holland, Mich., area to be a garden angel, Weersing has taken her passion for making landscapes beautiful as a way to give back to her community. It's difficult to drive through the Holland area without passing someplace that has had her green thumbprint on it along with those of her fellow garden club volunteers.

Weersing and her husband, Clark, moved to Holland in 1959, and it was after the couple bought their first home that she began to garden in earnest. When she retired from her job at General Electric in 1969, Weersing joined the Holland Garden Club and took several courses from the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan in order to get national accreditation as a gardening and landscape design consultant.

"(Our house) was an oriental contemporary, and it had a beautiful hill full of myrtle that went down to a creek with a little bridge across it," said Weersing. "I worked in that garden for a long time and it won The Most Beautiful Spring Garden Contest at Tulip Time twice (in 1980 and 1990)."

The many ways she has helped beautify her surroundings include chairing a landscape design series in Holland for students from around the state, planning and completing memorial gardens, helping at DeGraaf Nature Center, serving as grounds chair at the Cappon House and First Presbyterian Church, and overseeing the renovation of the landscape at the Herrick Library. Among Weersing's many accolades, her church landscape won the Holland Area Beautiful Award; she also received the Netherlands' De Mooiste Lentetuin silver medallion twice. The Resthaven Care Community awarded her its Seven Over Seventy award in 2013 for organizing a team of volunteers to do landscape work at Freedom Village, where Weersing now lives.

Additionally, she volunteered to beautify many Holland parks, such as Window on the Waterfront, and helped plant the city/court complex, along with homes built by Habitat for Humanity.

"When you see something that is barren, if you're a gardener, you can't help it," said Weersing about her joy in giving back. "Whether I have to ask permission or I recruit people to help me when you're a botanist you see what needs to be done. Other people, it may not bother them, but when you know how to beautify something and nothing's being done, you start making plans."

 

Chuck summers '10

Chuck Summers '10 knew he wanted to attend a private, liberal arts college instead of a large university when he came to Hanover. Now that he's an alumnus, Summers is quick to share the reasons why Hanover was the right choice for him.

"The challenging liberal arts education gave me the academic prowess to succeed in an intense graduate program and become a competitive professional," he said. "Also, the structure of the academic courses and social events provided me with endless opportunities not only to participate but to assume leadership roles in extraordinary activities."

Summers regularly gives back to his alma mater, especially to the Business Scholars Program, which he participated in as a student.

"Because of my participation in the Business Scholars Program and my confidence in its mission, it was a natural fit for me to give back to the BSP," said Summers. "I have really enjoyed being on the BSP Leadership Council, which has allowed me to participate in the mock interview workshops, the annual etiquette dinner, and also just being an alumnus resource for students as they transition into their careers.

Another event Summers has taken part in for the past several years is Student Alumni Networking Day (S.A.N.D.), featuring numerous alumni workshops, panels, presentations, and individual consultations between alumni and current students.

"I really enjoy the interaction with current students and providing some tidbits on making the jump into the real world. There isn't a civic event or conference that goes by when I'm not able to brag about Hanover College and more often than not, connect with a fellow alum, a parent, or a family member. If nothing else, I get to share my Hanover story with someone new."

Currently, Summers serves as a business development lead for Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, working with attorneys in all of their regional offices including Louisville, Ky., Lexington, Ky., and Indianapolis. In his role, he provides marketing strategies and business development opportunities through analysis and research in order to win new business from existing and prospective clients.

From 2011-13, he served as director of investor services for the Midwest Center for Foreign Investment (MCFIUSA). Summers oversaw the operations of a boutique foreign investment program that attracted capital from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America to fund local economic development projects.

Prior to joining the firm, he served as managing director of a small Hispanic tax and accounting firm from 2010-11, where Summers was the architect of a comprehensive business plan and recovered the company's business credit rating to industry standard.

"As a young professional, I have been able to build an impressive network, for which I give credit to the Business Scholars Program and the wonderful Hanover alumni network," he said. "Obtaining my M.B.A., landing a great job, and even meeting my wife (Shelly Sullivan Summers '01) were all due to my Hanover connections.

"Almost everything that is important to me has a tie to Hanover College: my family, my job, my education, my friends, my mentors, and many favorite memories. I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like without Hanover."

 

David Henderson '69

We expect doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to take care of us if we have to be in the hospital, but who takes care of them? What happens when the disease is one they've never seen before and have no idea how it passes from one person to the next?

Dr. David Henderson '69 has spent the past 36 years studying the transmission of some of the world's deadliest diseases, including HIV, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and most recently, Ebola.

As deputy director for clinical care and associate director for clinical quality, patient safety, and hospital epidemiology at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., it's his job to put a team in place to treat the patient and to determine the best way to do so in order to minimize the risk of infection.

His work has often contributed to the guidelines for health care workers utilized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last fall, Henderson and his staff treated 26-year-old intensive care unit nurse Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola Virus Disease after caring for Liberian Thomas Duncan, who died from the same cause at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas in October.

"I helped provide the infection control piece of that (treatment)," said Henderson. "We had to make decisions about what kinds of protective equipment to wear, what kinds of equipment to purchase, what would we need in the unit to provide care that we couldn't take from any place else in the hospital? We also needed to determine how to manage the mountain of waste generated by the patient during the course of treatment. There are lots of logistics and very complicated clinical issues."

Henderson credited the planning process – which includes soliciting volunteers – and the tough questions the hospital staff asks before even accepting a patient with ensuring he'll have the team he needs.

"(This way) you don't have people who are terrified and who don't want to be there," he said.

Ebola has turned into a huge risk for health care workers in Africa – many of whom have died – so the protocols put in place at the NIH Clinical Center are of vital importance. Henderson said they involve rigorous training, even for something as simple as putting on and removing the protective gear. For this instance, they had a trained observer watch the staff while they followed a strict script to perform this process.

"Turns out, that's probably a pivotal thing to do, especially with this disease, because people who are in the room have this incredible garb on, it looks like something really horrible from the movies. They come out and they're exhausted, they're hot, and they want to get it off as fast as they can."

What's interesting is that the Clinical Center, which bills itself as "America's Research Hospital," has as its primary mission translational science, not patient care.

"What we get paid for is translating the basic science findings from the laboratories here on campus and around the country into clinical medicine," said Henderson. "If you work here you'll have the opportunity to see what medicine will be like five years from now.

"The patients who come to the Clinical Center are all volunteers. They are, in my view, heroes, as we could not accomplish our work without them. Because of their contribution to our work, I believe we owe them an even higher standard of care than what they could receive at another institution, and we strive to deliver just that."

In addition to five NIH Director's Awards, Henderson has received a Public Health Service Special Recognition Award, two Director's Merit Awards for Significant Achievement from the National Institute of Mental Health, and two Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Distinguished Service Awards, received from former HHS secretaries, Tommy Thompson and Michael Leavitt, among many other honors.

He credits Hanover – and professors like the late Professor Emeritus of Biology Enos Pray – with giving him an excellent liberal arts education. In medical school at the University of Chicago, Henderson and his fellow anatomy students would play a trivia game that required a broad spectrum of knowledge. He was one of the routine winners out of nearly 70 students.

"I could win that game, and I could win it because Hanover taught me who Agamemnon and Botticelli were, whether I wanted to know that or not," he joked.

When Henderson began working at the Clinical Center, he thought he would spend about 10-15 percent of his time as the hospital epidemiologist, and the remainder on research. Things turned out much differently than he expected, but Henderson wouldn't have it any other way.

"The real highlight is to work at this unique hospital with 1,500 clinician-scientists, all of whom are smarter than I am," he said, "all of whom on a daily basis are making contributions to the medicine of the future."

You can learn more about Henderson's work in the upcoming issue of The Hanoverian.

 

Abby Terranova '10

Parents of elementary students in Louisville, Ky., will have a new choice in education this fall thanks to Abby Terranova '10. She and a team of young teachers created a plan for a new type of school that was the winning entry in a competition hosted by Jefferson County (Ky.) Public Schools.

On schedule to be operational for the 2015-16 academic year, Maupin Elementary: A Catalpa Model will strive to meet the academic needs of each unique child through a balance of art, music, drama, movement, and experiences in nature. The school is now a member of the Alliance of Public Waldorf Schools.

In addition to the Waldorf tradition, Maupin Elementary: A Catalpa Model will follow the Kentucky Core Academic Standards, building each child's capacity to think creatively and critically. These methods will also help children to understand and manage emotions, and to work in a focused and willing manner.

A double major in elementary education and philosophy at Hanover, Terranova currently teaches third grade at Byck Elementary in Louisville, where she taught as a student.

Terranova earned her master's degree in 2013, with emphasis on teacher leadership and English Language Learner Credentialing, from Spaulding University. She hopes to pursue credentials in other areas of the Waldorf approach as well as administrative certification.

Hanover College awarded Terranova with its Educator of the Year award for 2014 at Homecoming last September. It's one of several she's already received in her short career so far, including Byck Elementary's Rookie of the Year award in 2013 and the Advancing Teacher Scholarship from the Jefferson County Teacher's Association in 2012.

How was Terranova able to achieve so much in such a short time? She credits her Hanover education with fostering her natural curiosity and teaching her to ask the big questions. In addition to countless skills, Terranova credits the education department for helping her to be fearless when it comes to doing what is right for her students.

"Without the incredible flexibility and abundant love provided to me by both the education and philosophy departments, I question whether this crucial time in my own development would have had such a tremendous outcome," she said. "Hanover gave me the foundation I needed to come into my own as a teacher."

You can learn more about Maupin Elementary: A Catalpa Model by emailing maupin.innovation@jefferson.kyschools.us.

 

Shannon Veach Gibbs '91

A history major and management minor, Gibbs has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for seven years, from 2006 - 2013, including a year as president. She has also served Hanover in a broader scope beyond the Alumni Board by:

• Chairing her class reunions in 2006 and 2011. She was sole reunion chair in 2006 and co-chaired with two classmates in 2011
• Has been a member of the HanoverCAN LinkedIn group that works with students thru the Career Center since its inception in 2009
• Presenter at Student Alumni Networking Day both in 2012 and 2013
• Being a member of the President's Club 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13
• Represented her class as its delegate for the 2007 Presidential Inauguration
• Proudly displays the HC 91 license plate on her car and other Hanover memorabilia

Gibbs has extended her hospitality by hosting the 2011 Summer Presidents' meeting in her home, and the 2013 Alumni Achievement Award Selection Committee at her office in Indianapolis.

"Alumni volunteers play a valuable role," she said. "I feel very strongly that it is important to continue the cycle; I benefited from someone else who volunteered their time so this is my time to repay their generosity by volunteering my time for this generation. Of course, Hanover has become a kind of a family tradition now that I have two nephews on campus so that certainly gives me new motivation to stay connected!"

Professionally, Gibbs currently serves as director of service management for Bell Techlogix, where she is responsible for building and delivering relationships that foster client intimacy, channels of communication that facilitate quality of service, and client satisfaction across all areas of a client's engagement.

During her years at Hanover, Gibbs was a member of Phi Mu sorority and ran cross country. She became Phi Mu's chapter advisor in 2005 and served on the Greek Summit from 2005 to 2006.

While serving as Phi Mu's representative on the partnerships committee, Gibbs sought to create stronger connections between Hanover, current students, alumni, and members of the national organization. Following her 10-year tenure as a chapter advisor, Gibbs how holds the position of national director of collegiate operations.

In 2012, she chaired the Phi Mu Rho Chapter Centennial Celebration that took place on Hanover's campus, April 13, 2013. During that weekend, she welcomed more than 100 Rho Chapter alumnae from around the country back to campus, as well as national officers, for the event.

"One of the most valuable things Hanover provided for me was a great environment, outside the classroom, to develop my leadership and problem-solving skills," said Gibbs. "Through my Greek Life experiences and my membership in Hanover's many student organizations, I had opportunities to practice, make mistakes, and learn in an environment that encouraged and embraced this development process. The skills that I developed during those four years are the ones that I have relied upon throughout my career."

No matter what the leadership role, Gibbs brings an efficient organizational style, her programming knowledge, and administrative savvy, her can-do attitude, and her pride in all things Hanover.

 

Shelley Cooper '08

Unlike many aspiring artists, Shelley Cooper '08 has always been able to make a living pursuing her dreams of being a professional actor, singer, and director without having to take on menial jobs to pay the rent. In fact, her art has taken her to Europe and Southeast Asia.

She performed her one-woman show that she wrote for her master's thesis at the University of Central Florida on the life of opera legend Maria Callas at the International Performing Arts Institute in Bavaria, Germany in 2011 and again just this weekend at the Bangkok Theatre Festival in Thailand.

In 2012, the soprano landed a gig singing Italian opera at the Venetian Macao in China. The experience gave her the opportunity to travel all over the area.

Not long after Cooper returned to New York City, where she lived at that time teaching voice and auditioning for roles, she successfully applied for a full-time position teaching voice and musical theater performance at Mahidol University in Bangkok, the nation's capital.

"I deliberated for quite a while over whether I would take (the job) or not," she said, during a campus visit last month to perform her solo concert, "Shall I Be Sweet?" "I was happy in New York, but I knew this opportunity would come only once in my life and New York would always be there."

Part of what intrigued Cooper was to teach in a place where the study of Western music has only occurred for the past 50-60 years; musical theater is even younger.

"What's great about being in Bangkok is that the students aren't used to this kind of formalized training, so sometimes they might not know what to ask and what to do, but they're hungry and excited for the knowledge."

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Cooper continues to perform and direct while living on the Indochina Peninsula. Upcoming performances include serving as soprano soloist for a production of Handel's "Messiah" with the Bangkok International Orchestra.

This coming spring, she'll direct a production of the Stephen Sondheim classic, "Company;" back in February of this year, Cooper directed the Asian premiere of the off-Broadway musical by Alexander Sage Oyen called "Moment by Moment."

While some people struggle with what they want to do with their lives, Cooper knew she wanted to be an actor and musician while still in kindergarten.

"I was very interested early on in the collaborative process, in theater as a whole," she said "Acting was the first thing that I was drawn to, but even as a kid I was getting involved in everything."

By age 13, she discovered she had a vocal gift beyond the ability to carry a tune. Cooper studied voice at the Ursuline School for the Performing Arts in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. There, the soprano learned multiple techniques and genres such as opera and Broadway.

The vocal training served Cooper well at Hanover, where the theater major performed a solo recital each of her four years here, singing pieces such as "Oh, never sing to me again" by Rachmaninoff or "Mi Chiamano Mimi" from the Puccini opera "La Boheme."

Additionally, she had roles in plays such as Ariel in Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and helped direct such musicals as "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris."

"(At Hanover) I didn't have someone over me all the time telling me what to do," said Cooper. "I had teachers who supported and guided me through this (process) but I learned that if I wanted to get things done in my career I had to do them myself."

Learning how to be independently motivated is an experience Cooper considers invaluable. She also gives credit to the nurturing and attention she received from her professors and encourages current students to take advantage of the resources Hanover offers.

"Just because you're in a small school in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean that you can't accomplish great things."

 

TOm Roberts '78

When Tom Roberts '78 first came to Hanover, teaching wasn't the career choice he had in mind. But after spending a summer as a teacher therapist at Englishton Park Academic and Remediation Training Center, the camp for children experiencing behavioral, emotional, or learning difficulties founded by the late Professor Emeritus of Psychology Harve Rawson, he switched his major to elementary education and never looked back.

"He really put us through our paces," said Roberts in a recent phone interview. "That first summer, it was almost like reprogramming your brain or learning to speak a new language because it was based on a behavioral model where the idea was to use positive means for connecting with the kids and managing their behaviors."

Roberts eventually spent four summers at the camp and said one of the best things he learned was how to affirm kids in a way that is specific to them individually.

"At Englishton, we had to find that inner (non-judgmental) voice about the kids and hopefully ourselves, so that they experienced a kind of positive affirmation about themselves, maybe in a way that they never had in their lives. It was a short program of 10 days, (but) you saw a tremendous response."

Rawson's forward-thinking ideas also included the use of video for training purposes, which fueled Roberts' interest in using media in education. He earned his master's degree from the Ivy League's Harvard University (Mass.), which had a one-year program specializing in studying children's television.

While there, Roberts learned about the work being done by the Bank Street College of Education. The progressive school was one of the early adopters of using technology in the classroom and created the nationally known math and science PBS series, "The Voyage of the Mimi." Roberts served as a researcher on the project for three years.

"If you're looking at education from a multi-sensory perspective, television taps into kids who are visual learners," he said. "A good TV series, where information is presented in an engaging way and wrapped into a story or narrative, increases the chances of kids holding on to that information.

After further work in film and development projects, Roberts joined Trinity School in New York, a K-12 college-preparatory school founded in 1709. Teaching fourth grade has given Roberts an educational home for the past 23 years, and in an article in the New York Press in 2009 he called it "an optimal time for learning."

"They are old enough to focus, while young enough to be captured by the joy of learning," he said.

Roberts has instituted a number of class rituals to create a positive environment, lessons he said he learned at Hanover. "Thought for the Day" encourages students to share an affirmation. "Class Good News" is a weekly activity where students share something that someone has done for them.

"Learning is a joy in Mr. Roberts' classroom," parent Bahar Tavakolian said to the New York Press. "He teaches his students respect for others, kindness, and how to be a great citizen of the classroom, the school, and the world beyond. He's an incredible teacher."

Accolades like this are common for the popular teacher who has earned two awards for his work, one in 2009 and another in 2010. Roberts, however, considers himself the lucky one.

"I realize I've been given a lot. and it's had a big impact on me," he said. "To be able to pour that in some way into the classroom makes me feel like a very blessed and lucky person."

 

Fran Quigley '84

Fran Quigley '84 doesn't embody the often pervasive stereotype that lawyers only care about making big money. Instead, he chooses to help all workers earn a livable wage and teaches his students to focus on social justice and human rights.

Currently serving as professor of law in the Health and Human Rights Clinic at Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law, which he founded in 2011, Quigley and his students work with low-income clients in Indianapolis.

When not in the classroom, he turns his attention to writing, including a bi-monthly column for the Indianapolis Star, whose topics often focus on raising the minimum wage.

Quigley's concern for others has a global reach. He is the author of two books, "Walking Together, Walking Far: How the U.S. and African Medical School Partnership Is Winning the Fight Against the HIV/AIDS Pandemic" (Indiana University Press, 2009) and "How Human Rights Can Build Haiti: The Activists, the Lawyers, and the Grassroots Movement" (Vanderbilt University Press, 2014).

Additionally, Quigley is the co-founder of the Legal Aid Center of Eldoret, Kenya's first human rights legal program connected to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While some might view his work as a noble sacrifice, Quigley believes it's the exact opposite.

"(Social justice) is the most exciting and rewarding work that I could ever hope to do," he said. "I get to work alongside inspiring people and for causes that can change lives for the better. On a good day, we may even be helping pull the arc of the moral universe a little bit toward justice."

 

Emily Hankley Berger '04

Variety, fluidity, and curiosity are all words Emily Hankley Berger '04 uses to describe her time at Hanover College. Having spent the past 10 years translating her liberal arts education into several different career paths, she also serves both her community and her alma mater.

Armed with a degree in communication, Berger earned her master's in Library Science from Indiana University-Indianapolis and served in both programming and development roles at the Indianapolis Public Library for five years.

At the same time, she took her impressive array of campus leadership experiences and put them to work in her local community, serving as a board member for Youth Connections of Johnson County and the Indianapolis chapter of First Book, and as a volunteer for School on Wheels, the Indiana Arts Commission, the American Library Association, Connect-2-Help and Giving Sum.

Last December, Berger joined Granite Capital Partners, a private equity firm, as vice president of acquisitions. She credits Hanover with preparing her to navigate such a significant career transition.

"My involvement in extracurricular activities at Hanover laid the foundation for continued volunteerism and networking after graduation, and that has since opened many doors for me," she said. "I didn't know a great deal about finance when I started in this new role, but at Hanover, I learned how to apply new knowledge in a variety of subject matters, and that's been invaluable to me now."

Berger also serves as the volunteer reunion giving chair for her class's 10-year reunion, a role that allows her to make sure future students are prepared for fulfilling careers and meaningful service in their communities.

"So much of my Hanover experience was made possible through generous gifts from alumni, " said Berger. "I hope I can share my enthusiasm with my HC peers and encourage them to give back to the school as well. Our gifts, no matter the size, combine to make a positive impact on students' future experiences."

 

Bonney Hartley '04

Bonney Hartley '04 graduated from Hanover with a degree in international studies aided by three semesters of studying abroad. Her experiences had fueled a love of culture – especially her own heritage – that she chose to make it her career.

Serving as the historic preservation assistant for the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, of which she is a tribal member, Hartley works to repatriate cultural items. She also consults with federal agencies to protect Mohican sites threatened by construction projects mainly in the New York State Hudson River Valley area.

"I like knowing we are protecting pieces of our tribe's history that would otherwise be lost for all of the time," said Hartley.

Previously, she worked for eight years in Native community development roles, including managing a grant-making program at the United Nations Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, re-designing a grant-making program for Native American traditional foods projects in the Bay Area, and serving as the community services program director for the Native American Health Center, an urban Indian clinic.

Equally active in community service, Hartley was the recipient of the American Indian Heritage Month Local Unsung Hero Award in 2013.

She cites professors Mi Yung Yoon and David Buchman as mentors.

"(Buchman's) Introduction to Anthropology class was influential in causing me to question all my assumptions, not only repeat what I had been socialized up to that point, and see patterns in power dynamics and who tells the history," said Hartley. "It was liberal arts at its best."

 

Jeff Blair '70

Jeff Blair '70 has kept his connection to Hanover strong ever since his days of taking math classes with his favorite professor, John Yarnelle, playing varsity basketball and baseball, or hanging with his Phi Delta Theta brothers.

However, the math major who grew up in Goshen, Ind., has an equal passion for helping others. His many philanthropic interests include church missions, Alzheimer's research, the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA), and his alma mater.

In 10 days, Blair will make his second 150-plus mile walk across northern Indiana following the historic Lincoln Highway. His goal is to raise funds for two organizations dear to him, the Alzheimer's Association and the Lincoln Highway Association. In 2011, Blair's pilgrimage raised $22,000.

His dedication to Hanover has led him to serve on the Business Scholars Program Board for several years. Blair comes to campus annually to teach business classes, help students sharpen their interview skills and resume writing, and assist with internship placement.

‘Hanover gave me treasured lifetime friendships and a work discipline that has served me well," said Blair. "I'm a big believer in the liberal arts."

After Hanover, he earned an MBA at Indiana University. Blair's career began as a management trainee in the medical supply business, and he retired as CEO of the leading medical research organization NAMSA. Blair currently serves as the company's board chairman, along with additional business boards.

 

Sean Points '93

A physics major, Sean Points '93 was a member of Mortar Board, where he helped begin a tutoring program that matched Hanover students with local high school students in English, mathematics, history, and the physical sciences.

Additionally, Points was a mentor for at-risk children at the Boys and Girls Club of Madison, Ind., for two years.

After graduation, he went on to earn his master's in 1995 and his doctorate in 2001, both in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Illinois at Champaign.

Currently, he serves as an associate scientist for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in La Serena, Chile. The observatory is a division of the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).

"As a project and instrument scientist, I am responsible for ensuring that the instruments at the telescopes are ready to be used by visiting astronomers," Points wrote via email. "(I also help) them plan their observations, teach them how to use the telescope instrumentation during their observing run and assist with the reduction of their data at the end of their telescope run."

For the past 10 years, Points has participated in CTIO's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. CTIO selects six undergraduate students from the U.S. to work with CTIO/Gemini-South/SOAR scientific staff members during the Chilean summer (Jan-Mar) on individual research projects.

The desire to help students share his fascination with physics and astronomy also led Points to help establish The Darryl Steinert Award for Research in Physics.

 

Steve Line '90

Expanding from one location and four employees to 15 locations and more than 100 employees since 2008, it should come as no surprise that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation recognized Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling, owned by Steve Line '90, as one of the 2013 Indiana Companies to Watch.

The Noblesville, Ind., the business was one of 33 selected from 400 nominations to receive the distinctive award presented by Gov. Mike Pence '81.

Line makes giving back to the community a priority. For the past five years, each of his company locations has given customers a $5 discount if they donate five cans of food to Line's annual food drive.

Last year, customers contributed more than 6,000 cans, and Line matched each donation himself.

"It's a fun day, loading up the trucks with all that food," he said, "but the best part is delivering 12,000 cans (with my employees) to fill up (local food) pantries."

At Hanover, Line majored in business administration, played intramural basketball and football, and joined the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Though he credited his business success to the well-rounded education he received at Hanover, his fondest memories are of the friendships he made during those four years.

"You couldn't ask for better friends. My college friends will be my friends forever."

To illustrate, Line noted seven or eight Hanover couples he and his wife, Tracy Beard Line '88 gather with every month or so to spend the evening together.

The couple is parents to Sarah Line '16, and to daughters, Megan, 17, and Abby, 11.

 

Sue Weissinger '69

Sue Weissinger '69 treasured her off-campus experiences at Hanover. In fact, her 1966 trip to Mexico set the stage for her career that began teaching middle school Spanish, which led to her becoming a bilingual social worker. Before her retirement, Weissinger worked for the state of Delaware training social workers.

Today, she counsels and mentors women prisoners, and teaches a pre-release class about learning how to set appropriate boundaries. Weissinger also trains and counsels at a 24-hour suicide crisis hotline.

"There's not a person on earth who doesn't need an anonymous hotline at some point in life," she said. "Sometimes you just can't talk to your family or friends."

Additionally, Weissinger volunteers for a variety of functions through Westminster Presbyterian Church, including the Mission Connections Program. She has traveled to Guatemala three times for mission work and currently works with the church group to raise funds for the purchase of 200 water filters for the Guatemalan region.

A Spanish major at Hanover, Weissinger went on to earn two master's degrees from the University of Delaware in education and counseling. To give back to her alma mater, she provides an annual scholarship to help a current Hanover student realize the dream of studying off-campus. Weissinger is also a member of The 1827 Society and The James Blythe Presidents' Club.

"Hanover gave me a safe environment to learn, grow, explore, and discover who I was as an independent individual," said Weissinger. "It was absolutely the best decision for me. It was the perfect environment in which to grow-up."

 

Dottie Scharf Burress '50

Dottie Scharf Burress '50 isn't sure if she's made an impact on Hanover but completely believes the College has had a large influence on her life ever since she arrived in the fall of 1946.

It was during that first year that Burress met her husband, Ralph, part of the influx of former servicemen who started college after military service during World War II.

"The man-to-woman ratio on campus at the time was about four men to every woman, which wasn't bad in my opinion," she said.

In addition to her double-major in sociology and religion, Burress joined the Independent Women Organization, the Girls' Athletic Association, and played field hockey.

Initially, Burress planned to be a missionary, but she and her future husband quickly became a steady item and married between their sophomore and junior years. In 1953, the couple returned to Hanover where Burress's husband served as vice-president of business affairs for 35 years.

Burress spent 28 years serving as executive secretary for the Jefferson County United Way. She chaired the annual Madison Regatta Parade for 44 years, along with her long-time friend, Merel Horton.

Additionally, Burress has served as president of Hanover's Southeastern Indiana Club since 2010. She is a long-time patron of the Community Arts Series, and a regular attendee at many College events, including Day at the Races, retiree luncheons, athletics, and Homecoming.

A widow since 2001, she still lives on campus.

"It was great raising our children here on campus," she said. "Hanover's been home for me for a long, long, time, and I just love it."

 

Clint Horine '13

Even though Horine is a loyal and enthusiastic supporter of Hanover today, he initially approached the College with reluctance. Having grown up in southern Indiana, he initially wanted to attend a school further from home.

However, facing the realities of a long-term, debilitating kidney condition forced him to stay close, but after a dozen surgeries in four years, the family-like support Horine received at Hanover made the decision the right one.

Graduating this past May with a degree in philosophy and as a Business Scholar, he said he wasn't sure he would have been able to achieve that feat at any other institution. One reason was his professors, whom Horine found to be both caring and challenging.

"Even after a surgery, (they) would always ask how I was doing first," he said, "but a quick second comment was always 'You know you have an assignment due.'"

While participating in the Business Scholars Program, Horine experienced a life-changing internship when he was able to return to his hometown of Henryville, Ind., and help rebuild his high school after it was destroyed by an EF4 tornado in 2012.

During his senior year at Hanover, Horine met with alumni from across the country as a student ambassador for the Live Our Loyalty Campaign.

"I was so moved by the experience that I made a promise to contribute part of my first (pay) check to the College."

He kept his word a few months later and joined the thousands of alumni who support their alma mater every year with gifts of all sizes.

Today, Horine is in the management trainee program at PPG Industries in Louisville, Ky., and pursuing a master's degree in industrial management.

"I was fortunate to accept a position with a Fortune 500 company just a few months removed from graduation," he said, "and I am a firm believer that Hanover College played a significant role in making this possible."

 

Barb Adler '77

Inspired by her parents' strong work ethic and dedication to public service, Barb Alder '77 developed a passion for community involvement and outreach early in her career.

She currently serves as director of Purdue University's Office of Engagement, a position she took after 26 years with Verizon Communications Inc. Active in community service, Alder also serves on the Madison County Education Coalition steering committee, where she formerly chaired the College Readiness Committee. She was a former member of the boards of directors for the Anderson Education Foundation and the Anderson Impact Center, Inc.

Alder serves on the boards of the Hancock Community Education Alliance, the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the Flagship Enterprise Center, Women & Hi-Tech, and the Paramount Heritage Foundation, serving as that organization's Vice President.

Additional activities include membership in the Indianapolis downtown Rotary Club, serving as the immediate past-president of the Hanover College Alumni Association board of directors, and attending Hanover's signature and special events, among others. Alder is a member of the 1827 Society and The James Blythe Presidents' Club.

A business administration major and member of Kappa Alpha Theta at Hanover, Alder earned her MBA at Indiana University-Fort Wayne.

Q&A
Who inspires you?
It's more a class of people than any particular individuals – people who come from modest means, overcome tough odds, and still achieve great things. I am particularly impressed with people who are firsts at what they do: trailblazers and pioneers that pave the way for the rest of us. Many people don't know that I was the first woman assistant director of admission at Hanover, and only the second female admissions counselor, following Mary Makarius. So thanks to Mary, for opening that door for me and for all the women who have followed in that office.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I have been told I have good instincts and that I should listen to them.
What do you like most about your current job?
My current position affords me the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide variety of amazing people. I also have the entire portfolio of Purdue University's people and programs to call upon when someone brings me a problem that needs to be solved. That's an amazing set of resources.

What was your favorite class at Hanover?
(Professor Emeritus of Theatre) Tom Evans' Intro to Theatre. In fact, if I had had any talent in that area and money/job prospects had been of no concern, perhaps that would have been my major. It was so much fun and all the theatre majors seemed to be having such a great time!

Tell us about your HC Connection
As I have said to graduating seniors in my toast to them at the Alumni Senior Banquet, they feel a strong tie to their classmates and friends around them now. What they will learn as they leave campus, and as the years go by, is that the tie to Hanover actually grows stronger with time and distance. Whenever I meet someone with a Hanover College connection, be it, alumni, a parent, or a current student, we have an immediate bond that is something only other Hanoverians can understand and appreciate.

 

Schuyler Culver '88

Culver came to Hanover with the assumption that his interest in math and entrepreneurship would automatically translate into a career in engineering. His plans evolved, however, when Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business Administration Paul Blume opened his eyes to the power of small business.

Describing his Hanover experience as the freedom to discover himself, Culver has played an integral role in Hanover's DNA by making an annual contribution to his alma mater every year for the past 22 years.

"I give as a small way to register my approval that Hanover should exist as a reasonable private college alternative to the large impersonal state universities," he said. "I want middle-class families to have private college options. I also want to keep alive those great memories by keeping Hanover alive and financially strong."

After graduation, Culver earned an MBA in finance from Butler University and pursued a career in that field. He currently serves as a business consultant for Transworld Business Advisors, working with businessmen and women looking to either buy or sell a business.

As an advocate for children, economic empowerment, education, and health, Culver has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, Kids Against Hunger, and Rotary International, where he served as president of the Greenwood chapter. He also gives his time to Shepherd Community Center, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty on the east side of Indianapolis.

Culver and his wife, Andrea, have three children and live in Greenwood, Ind.