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THE BUCKNELLIAN
THE WEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
SUMMER 2015
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
F
WELCOME
CLASSES OF
1945
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
AND 2015
The BUAA welcomes you
Melissa Campbell
Plaisance
BU ’82 P ’13
President, Bucknell University
Alumni Association
On behalf of the Bucknell University Alumni Association (BUAA), I am
pleased to welcome you
back to our beautiful campus! Whether you visit often,
or haven’t visited in years, I
am sure you will notice some
very positive changes and
improvements to the campus
and downtown areas.
On your journey to campus this weekend, how many
of you were excited when
you could see Rooke Chapel
Raj Thangavelu
along Route 15 or caught the
first glimpse of the Bookstore
on Market Street or the beauty of Freas Hall and the Academic Quad? Memories come
flooding back every time I
visit this campus, and they
put a smile on my face. The
same feelings of pride, excitement and joy might grab you
when you are not on campus,
but see a Bucknell bumper
sticker while driving down a
freeway, or a Bucknell T-shirt
while jogging on the weekend. It is because Bucknell is
a very special place, and we
are part the Bucknell alumni
family, some 50,000 strong,
who proudly don blue and or-
ange and share a unique bond!
You might be wondering, who is involved in the
BUAA, and what exactly does
the BUAA do? The BUAA is
made up of about 50 alumni
who come from various class
years and majors, and a variety of geographic areas. We
meet in person three times
a year, typically on campus,
and have lots of conference
calls in between. We work
very closely with the University to organize events like
First Night (welcoming First
Years into the alumni family), the Sophomore Brunch
(exposing sophomores to potential career paths), Junior
Mock Interviews (helping
students get ready for the real
world interviews), the Senior
Sunset event (commemorating the final days on campus as a student), and work
with Bucknell Clubs around
the world to set up social,
educational, networking and
community service events.
We also organize the Alumni
Awards Program and provide funding for scholarships,
make grants to campus organizations that bring alumni
and students together and we
provide funding for summer
BPIP internships. Recently,
we were able to work with the
Bucknell Bookstore to bring
discounts to alumni as well.
We volunteer our time and
make the effort to participate
in these events and activities
because we love Bucknell,
and want to make it the best
it can be.
We are so glad you made
the journey here for Reunion
weekend, and we hope that
when you get back home you
will consider ways that you
might open doors for Bucknellians in the workplace,
volunteer to help with local
Bucknell events, give back
through your time or treasure,
engage with other Bucknellians and of course return to
campus whenever you can!
for memories that you thought
were in the far reaches of your
mind to come flooding back,
and you’ll probably make
some good ones this weekend.
For those who have been to reunion before, we’ve got some
new events, including events
for Emeritus classes and a welcome picnic with live music.
This special edition of the
Bucknellian started in 2007.
It is full of articles written by
your fellow classmates. Each
class was invited to submit
some articles and we’re happy
to report that we have articles
from a majority of classes along
with articles from students
who have just graduated. This
edition would not be possible
without the assistance of several people. I would like to thank,
from the Office of Alumni Relations, Heather Dawson and
Chris Watters. Additionally
two students, Avid Khorramian
and Anna Astakhishvili along
with the Bucknellian’s advisor
Gretchen Heuges were vital to
this getting produced.
I’d like to talk about a note
I received from a gentleman
from the class of 1950, Howard Smith. I was so touched
about it I thought it deserved to
be mentioned here. He wrote
about the pride he and his
wife feel that his two children,
Cynthia and Curtis, are also
Bucknell graduates. He also
wrote about how after many,
many years of being out of
touch he was able to reconnect
with old friend, thanks to the
wonders of modern technology. His timing was great as
shortly after, his friend’s husband passed away, but Howard
and his wife are now able to be
there for his friend. It is stories
like this that make reunion and
Bucknell special.
In conclusion, the most
important thing I want to do
is welcome you all back to
campus. Enjoy your reunion,
reconnect with classmates, and
maybe make a new connection
or two. ’Ray Bucknell!
Returning to campus
BU ’98
Fellow Bucknellians, I
would like to welcome you
all back to campus. For many
of you, this is the first time
you’ve been on campus since
you graduated and you are
probably feeling a lot of emotions. While there are plenty
of things that are different
on campus, rest assured, the
things that make it special are
still here. It will not take long
SEE A7 FOR THE ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Josh Grill
Reunion Weekend
welcome
Executive Director,
Alumni Relations
Chris Watters
Senior Associate Director for
On-Campus Engagement,
Alumni Relations
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
@thebucknellian
REUNION ISSUE
Alumni, welcome home!
Reunion Weekend is a special
time on Bucknell’s campus. It
is a time designed especially for
you to celebrate being a Bucknellian, the friendships made
here and the life-long impacts
of your Bucknell education.
Bucknell staff, faculty
and student ambassadors have
been preparing for your arrival
and are excited you are here!
Staff and student ambassadors
(dressed in blue shirts) are on
campus throughout the weekend to assist you. Please seek
out these individuals if you
The Bucknellian
should need anything. We are
here to ensure that you have a
wonderful and memorable time.
Information is also available to
you at Reunion Headquarters
in KLARC at the information
desk and in the packet you receive there.
We at Bucknell highly
value you—our alumni. You
are among the group with the
strongest vested interest in the
University—your alma mater.
You represent the strength, energy and future of Bucknell.
Your accomplishments bring
pride and praise to the school.
Your commitment of time, talent and support are Bucknell’s
most treasured assets. Reunion
Weekend provides the perfect
opportunity for us to say “thank
you” and welcome you home.
You are certain to gain a
renewed sense of what the University means to you as you attend events this Reunion Weekend, reminisce with friends and
classmates, and relive and rediscover the Bucknell campus.
We also hope you will gain a
sense of Bucknell’s continued
commitment to its mission that
keeps it among the best liberal
arts institutions in the U.S.
We treasure your feedback.
Please let us know about your
Reunion Weekend experience
by completing an evaluation
form made available during the
weekend or by telling a Reunion
Weekend staff member. Your
feedback helps ensure the continued success of the Reunion
Weekend tradition at Bucknell
University. Congratulations on
your reunion, welcome home
and have a wonderful time!
www.bucknellian.net
REUNION
A2 | SUMMER 2015
B thebucknellian
THE BUCKNELLIAN
Discover what
is within you
Anna Astakhishvili
BU ’15
Reunion is a perfect time
to reconnect with friends, rejoice about being back on
Bucknell’s beautiful campus,
and reflect on life. I have
served on two reunions as a
Reunion Ambassador and I
cannot count how many times
I have heard phrases like: “Remember, how we used to...?”
I remember interacting with
various alumni and thinking:
“Who will I be in ten, twenty,
or thirty years?” It appears to
me that while presenting ourselves, our partners, friends,
or family during such special
occasions as Reunion, we define and redefine not only who
we are, but also who we want
to be. So why not use this
chance to reflect on some big
questions?
A class that has helped
me define who I am and who
I want to be was The Strategic
Organization course taught by
Professor Tim Sweeney during
my senior year. I was always
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interested in learning about my
intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and values, but Professor
Sweeney pushed me to be even
more direct in crafting my personal strategy. Thanks to his
Personal Strategy assignment
and his continuous help, I was
able to create my mission and
vision statements. After a lot of
soul searching, reading Clayton Christensen’s “How Do
You Measure Your Life,” I was
able to answer three questions:
1) Who Do I Want to Be?, 2)
Why Do I Exist?, 3) How Can
I Sustain My Vision and My
Mission?. Learning how to
take big questions and distill
them in clear, focused, and authentic answers is a skill that
Professor Sweeney taught me.
In the hopes that I might inspire some of you, I will share
my mission statement. My
mission and philosophy are
encapsulated by three phrases:
Live to Learn. Learn to Love.
Love to leave a Legacy.
Enjoy this VERY special
time of your life!!!
A Journey Down Memory Lane
Pete Fritts
BU ’60
In preparation for our
55th Class Reunion, I tried to
think of anything I might be
able to add to my recollections
of our four years together on
the Bucknell campus…ending
in June of 1960. After reading my previous article, I decided there was nothing more
I could add to it…after a fiveyear hiatus. Consequently, I
decided to re-submit my previous recollections. Hopefully,
it will not be too redundant?
Here goes…!
It has been almost 55 years
since the Class of 1960 assembled in the “Sem” (for the first
time as a group) in September
1956. Following a week of student orientation, we were given instructions on the proper
art of making name signs and
wearing our traditional blue
beanies with an orange button…along with other more
germane issues. Then, we set
out to pursue knowledge, make
new acquaintances and enjoy
co-ed life on the “Friendly
300.” Four years later, we reassembled on a “rainy afternoon” in June 1960…to begin
of our graduation ceremony.
As fate would have it, immediately following the start of
our procession into the main
courtyard (between the library
and the Vaughn Literature
Building), we were hit with a
torrential rainstorm. This temporarily delayed our graduation ceremony and forced us
into Davis Gymnasium…for
a “soggy,” but memorable and
joyous event!
Between these two landmark dates (bracketing our four
year academic and social maturation process at Bucknell),
we experienced many significant national and local events.
On the national scene, Elvis
and the R&B explosion had
begun to revolutionize popular
music. A young Martin Luther
King came to campus to address the entire student body in
a “make-shift” chapel, located
in the Davis Gymnasium Annex. The Russians launched
“Sputnik” to kick off the race
to put a man on the moon.
“Gary Powers” was shot down
by the soviets in a secret U-2
Spy plane. The “Day the Music Died” was proclaimed in
1959, when a plane carrying
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens
and the Big Bopper crashed in
an Iowa corn field. Khruschev
and Nixon engaged in a series
of “fiery” political debates, before Khruschev promised to
“bury our children’s children,”
during a visit to the United
Nations. Kennedy challenged
Nixon for the US Presidency.
There were several more newsworthy items too numerous
to mention. Many historians
called this period of time...the
“Tranquil Years.” However, it
is obvious that many of these
above historical events, planted the seeds for the tumultuous
years that lay ahead!
While the “Storm Clouds
of War Began to Gather” on
the national scene, life on
campus appeared much more
relaxed and carefree. The current national issues seemed a
million miles away, as we reveled in the joy of college life.
This localized sense of fun and
excitement was accentuated by
the comical sight of Jim Brady,
Charlie Negron, Neal Murphy
and Bob Patzwall (our larger
freshman football team members) modeling their aforementioned traditional blue
beanies and name signs around
campus. It was quite a sight!
Simultaneously, the annual
fraternity and sorority “Rush
Season” was hitting high gear.
We were off to a roaring start!
Part way into our Freshman year, campaign signs
started to appear around campus…soliciting votes for
freshman class officers. After
the ballots were tallied, Tyke
Bly (President), Ed McKinley
(VP), Judy Berry (Secretary)
and Chuck Jenkins (Treasurer)
were elected to head our freshman class. Although the top
two positions changed over
the succeeding years, with Bob
Johns (two years) and Jack
Eachus as our President and
Bill Hildreth, Tony Rinaldo
and Charlie Negron as our VP,
Judy Berry remained Secretary
for the entire four year period
and Larry Mathias served as
Treasurer for three years.
Early into our sophomore year, a water main pipe
broke in downtown Lewisburg, which caused much of
the town to flood and contaminate our campus H2O supply.
As a result, personal hygiene
became a major problem and
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complicated the “dating process!” In fact, many of our
Sem inhabitants chose to “save
their drinking water” to prepare for various upcoming social engagements. It might be
difficult to imagine this happening in the 21st century...
where the Modus Operandi
is now to “Hang Out” and
“Hook Up?” I wonder what
the Discipline Committee
(of our time) would have to
say about the current “socialinteraction”arrangements?
Many notable academic,
social and athletic endeavors
/achievements occurred over
the following three years to
include: the appearance of
the “Kingston Trio” at Davis
Gymnasium and later at the
“Alhambra Tavern” across
the river; Ched Mertz and the
“Original” Four Seasons Quartet releasing their hit record
“Don’t Sweat It Baby,” which
shot to Number One, “LOCALLY;” Bucknell’s wrestling team going undefeated
for the first time in BU history;
Bucknell defeating Rutgers
at Homecoming in football;
Jack Eachus setting the Bucknell single game pass-receiving record against Delaware;
Denny Cox placing second to
our School Dean in the “Ugly
Man Contest” (and helping
Fats Domino entertain a lively
campus crowd in Davis Gym,
after the Delaware game);
the Number One nationallyranked Temple basketball team
coming to Lewisburg to play
BU; Tommy Thompson sidelining Temple’s All-American
“Guy Rogers” with an unintentional eye injury; Larry
Mathias leading the varsity
football team to a successful
season; Bob Erdahl and Doug
Forsyth captaining the varsity swimming & diving team;
Dave Lynch and Clint Gilkey
spearheading the varsity track
team; Bob Geocker, Henry Livas and Bill Sweet anchoring
the varsity tennis team; Jerry
Lindholm and Bill Curtis bolstering the varsity golf team;
Steve Flamhaft making AllAmerican in varsity soccer and
being invited to the Maccabian
Games; “David” (Tony Rinaldo) and “Goliath” (Jim Brady)
competing for the 1960 intramural heavyweight boxing
title; Dave Murdock (1958)
and John Ayre (1959) winning
Middle Atlantic Conference
wrestling championships and
Jim Brubaker winning four
straight intramural boxing titles to set a new BU intramural
record and much more!
On the more refined side
of the ledger, Jean Thomas
was elected Homecoming
Queen; Loey Lenhard was voted Military Ball Queen; Martie
Lauver, Bonnie Steele, Sandy
Hjortsberg, Jane Elam, Pat
Vasbinder, Elaine Johnston,
Pete Pedrick, Tony Rinaldo,
Dick Skelton, Bob Goecker,
Jack Eachus and Bob Patzwall
(et al) led a group of 26 classmates, who were inducted into
“Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities;” Jane
Dahl headed the L’Agenda
staff; Betty Bryan, Jane Reuning and Ken Wightman
planned, organized and edited
the Bucknellian; Barbara Runk
kept the Student Handbook
current; Diane Collins and
Dave Conroy were co-editors
of the Touche; Bill Caul presided over the Student Faculty
Congress; Ginny Notari, Jane
Dubivsky, Carol Brozey and
Joan Sollfrey spent the first
semester of our senior year in
Washington, DC, participating
in a special off-campus study
program; Linda Avitabile, Lu
Haigh and Linda Weaver appeared in and / or produced
or directed our student theatrical performances; Margorie
DeGroot was Head Majorette
and Jim Chapman (Station
Manager) and Ted Gronlund
(Rock & Roll DJ) kept WABU
a “Hot Item” with its campuswide broadcasts.
I apologize if I might have
missed a few names, events
or activities. All I can say is
that these are my recollections
(which obviously included
some research from our yearbook) of the many classmates,
activities and events that come
to mind, while taking time to
remember our fantastic four
years at Bucknell in the late
1950s! Hopefully, we will
have a large turnout for our
55th Class Reunion in June
2015, which will allow ALL
of us to relive these glorious
days of yesteryear. However,
whether you are physically
present at our 55th Reunion,
or unable to attend, you will
forever remain a member of
the GREAT CLASS OF 1960!
‘Ray Bucknell!!!
C-3952 Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pa. 17837
bucknellian@bucknell.edu
News Layout Editor
Morgan Gisholt Minard ’17
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Alex Dorado ’15
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Tom Bonan ’17
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Avid Khorramian ’17
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Barbara Bell ’18
Chief Copy Editors
Yvonne Jeng ’16
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Managing Editor, Print
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Assistant Sports Editor
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Presentation Director, Print
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Sports Layout Editor
Amanda Battle ’18
Managing Editor, Web
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Campus Life Editor
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Kelsey O’Donnell ’17
Assistant Campus Life Editor
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Co-Photography Editor
Ashley Freeby ’15
Campus Life Layout Editor
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Co-Photography Editor
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Special Features Layout Editor
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News Editor
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Social Media Manager
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Circulation Managers
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Assistant News Editor
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Advertising Managers
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REUNION
A3 | SUMMER 2015
THE BUCKNELLIAN
Reflecting on Downtown Lewisburg
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
Linda Sterling
Executive Director, Lewisburg
Downtown Partnership
Four short years ago,
downtown Lewisburg welcomed Bucknell’s Class of
2015 with smiles, housewarming gifts, and refreshments
during the annual Welcome
to the Neighborhood Celebration. It’s the day Lewisburg
sets aside to introduce all incoming first-year students to
town and invite them to become part of the community.
Siam Café had just
opened in its original, smaller
location at 512 Market Street.
Subway was new to downtown that year. And Dean
and Connie Harter, owners of
Retrah and the Gingerbread
House, had just purchased
the former W.L. Donehower
Building and were working to
create a chic, inviting space
for both stores to share.
The Campus Theatre’s
grand re-opening was held just
two weeks later. Bucknell had
purchased the theatre building
so it could be a steward of the
historic property; the not-forprofit Campus Theatre LTD
retained the ownership of the
theatre business and entered
into a long-term lease to rent
the property. Using funding
received as part of its Core
Community Initiative, the
University returned the interior of the theatre to its full
1941 glory, including painstakingly uncovering and conserving original murals and
restoring Art Deco lighting.
A student in her junior
year started downtown Lewisburg’s Twitter page with a
goal of reaching 500 Twitter
followers by her graduation
date. She exceeded her goal.
Four years later, we have
more than 1,600 followers.
As the Executive Director of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership, I have the
pleasure of working with
many Bucknell students who
during their years spent on
campus make lasting and
meaningful contributions to
downtown Lewisburg. I work
with only a fraction of the students who become involved
in the greater community. In
2012, a sophomore started
the Lewisburg Arts Collaborative, an initiative which
keeps local arts organizations
in touch with each other and
produces a monthly newsletter featuring arts activities.
The collaborative is still going strong.
Students have gathered
and analyzed parking data in
downtown; conducted transportation studies; worked
with the Bucknell University
Entrepreneurs Incubator to
develop business plans; volunteered with the local fire
department; mentored children at the Donald Heiter
Community Center, and so
much more.
Lewisburg has benefitted
particularly from student expertise during the 2014-2015
school year. A new intern has
taken over the reins of the Arts
Collaborative. A senior student provided support for the
Lewisburg Downtown Partnership’s (LDP’s) current initiative seeking to bring highspeed internet into downtown
Lewisburg by doing research
on projects in other states and
conducting a survey of downtown business owners. A team
of seniors created a consulting
business and worked to connect student expertise with
business owners in the region.
During the spring semester,
four student teams from the
Management for Sustainability class worked with
volunteer organizations on
projects designed to connect
Lewisburg to the river. The
project sparked conversation,
collaboration and excitement.
When the class of 2015 and
members of all other graduating classes return as alumni in
years to come, they will see
a Susquehanna River that is
an anchor attraction to downtown Lewisburg.
Since 1999 when the
LDP began, I have had the
privilege of seeing first-hand
the tremendous contributions
made by students to this town
they adopt as home. Senior
design projects led to the midblock crosswalks and pedestrian islands in downtown; a
Management 101 class project resulted in the mural on
the Donald Heiter Community Center. Students regularly
survey downtown parking
and shoppers to collect data
that informs the LDP’s work.
Every year during the Spring
Thaw event organized by the
Office of Service Learning,
hundreds of students come
into the community cleaning
parks and waterways, picking
up trash, painting and planting flowers. Literally thousands of students, on their
own and through fraternities,
sororities, and other Campus
organizations fundraise for an
astonishing number of worthwhile community, national
and even international causes.
Through promotion, economic development and historic preservation initiatives,
the LDP works to ensure
downtown remains the heart
and soul of Lewisburg. The
university and its students are
an integral part of that heart
and soul. For many students
graduating each year, their
contributions to the community during their four years
spent in Lewisburg will continue to reap benefits for years
to come. To discover what’s
new since you were last here,
visit www.lewisburgpa.com.
We welcome you back with
much appreciation and open
arms.
A semester studying abroad
Breaking the
Bucknell Bubble
Christopher Dunne
BU ’15
Paula Castano
BU ’95
Through many work
transfers to NYC, St. Louis,
and D.C., my husband Jim and
I have great stories from each
city. In our opinion, though,
our best memories come from
the personal connections we
have made. Since we both
have fond memories of our
alma maters (he is a ’91 Naval
Academy grad and I am ’95
Bucknell), we have always
reached out to alumni during
our moves. With confidence,
I can say Bucknellians across
the country are well-rounded,
ambitious, and successful in
their endeavors.
With my 20 year reunion
looming, three 1995 classmates in particular, embody
these Bucknell characteristics
and share an undeniable commonality to persevere. Jessica Burger Sheldon (Larison
math whiz), Tameka Hinton
Wright (track star), and Kelly
Corr Cooper (softball phenom), like so many Bucknellians, have outstanding career
achievements, but have also
overcome great obstacles and
become the epitome of resil-
iency. Jess most recently suffered a tremendous loss, but
has maneuvered a successful
finance career and received
her CIMA from Wharton
School of Business, while being a single mom to four kids!
Tameka has overcome many
personal obstacles to earn
her M.Ed. in Special Education from Boston University,
a Postgraduate Certificate in
Administration and Supervision from John Hopkins University, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education
in School Leadership, while
working as a Special Education Instructional Specialist. Kelly is a physician who
started her career in internal
medicine and pediatrics and
had the fortitude to switch her
field to preventive medicine
after suffering a tremendous
loss. She knew she would
serve her community better
in public health. The strength,
fortitude, and kindness of
these ladies far exceeds any
career achievements they have
accomplished. In my opinion,
they are what Bucknell molded us to become—tremendous
leaders breaking the “Bucknell Bubble.”
There is nothing quite like
studying abroad, especially
when you go somewhere
knowing absolutely no one,
speaking a different language
and having no prior experience in that country. There are
ups, downs and in-betweens,
and almost by definition you
come back a changed person.
For me though, one of the
greatest things about studying
in Santiago, Chile for the fall
of my senior year was that it
gave me a different perspective on Bucknell. While I had
always loved the school, leaving for six months gave me a
new appreciation for its awesomeness; and my first sense
of what it would be like to be
an alumnus!
First off, I realized how
great my professors were.
The fact that they were truly
invested in my education and
wanted me to learn was something I had previously taken
for granted. I also realized
how spectacular Bucknell’s
facilities and campus events
are, and I have made sure to
capitalize on these this semester. Most importantly, I
realized that no matter how
many thousand miles away
from Lewisburg you are, you
will always be a Bucknellian, and you will always find
other Bucknellians in your
surroundings. The Bucknell Alumni App certainly
helps in this process, which
I found out when I had the
opportunity to meet up with
a recent graduate after finding him using the app. As
we talked about our experiences at Bucknell, I realized
that there were certain commonalities that transcended
all class years: like the work
hard, play hard mentality, the
excitement and tribulations of
your first year, and the strong
desire of alumni to achieve
their best and to continually
give back.
As the class of 2015 disperses throughout the world
we may lose some connection to Bucknell, but there is
no doubt that we will always
remain Bison at heart. We
will take our memories and
experiences with us and add
new ones to the fold, knowing that we will be back soon.
And when we reconvene in
7th Street Café, Bull Run or
the Academic Quad, we know
that we will immediately feel
at home again.
looking to advertise
in The Bucknellian?
Contact our Advertising Manager, Allie Schwetje, for more
information at ads027@bucknell.edu.
REUNION
A4 | SUMMER 2015
Reflections on 39 years
Libet (Hall) Ottinger
BU ’80
Uphill or downhill, Kress
or Trax, Harris or Roberts?
In the summer of 1976 who
among us would have anticipated that location would so
clearly define the start to our
college career? If Facebook
postings are any indication,
location, location, location
pertains to more than realty
listings! The number of freshman hall pictures posted and
the “likes” confirm happy
memories about the start to
our Bucknell experience. Remember getting room assignments in the summer of ‘76
and actually writing a letter
to sort out who was bringing
what? In my overly enthusiastic manner, I managed to completely overwhelm one of my
freshman roommates before
we met, but we quickly realized how wrong first impressions can be; the three of us
happily roomed together again
sophomore year. Somehow
we managed to get one of the
two biggest rooms on campus,
in Larison, despite having the
lowest room pick numbers.
Think about what went
into those rooms 39 years ago.
No cell phones: we shared a
phone line with the girls on
the other side of our Roberts
walk through hall bathroom.
Having a Libby and a Libet
on the same line was a bit
confusing! Our triple had a
great set-up with two rooms
and that little tiny toilet and
sink, a single and a set of bunk
beds. Shag carpet--wow, it
was ugly!! That micro fridge
and don’t forget supplying a
huge window fan, an absolute necessity with no AC,
plug in a blow dryer and the
fuse blew. I loved 2nd West,
we had a terrific crew and
Gay Fischetti was the best
RA. It’s been great fun to see
others post comments about
their hall groups with similar
affection. What was with the
downhill props in the pics,
Harris girls?!
Remember starting off
the year with those ridiculous tests—I think we called
them the “carrot tests,” since
they asked how you liked
your carrots, cooked or raw?
How about the icebreaker
games between girls and guys
Bucknell
Club of
Northern
New Jersey
Bob Scott
BU ’85
The Bucknell Club of
Northern New Jersey is one
of 35 Regional Bucknell
Clubs around the country
and has been in operation for
over 50 years. But the Club
had become dormant over the
last several years. Strategic
to Bucknell due to its 4,000
member strong alumni base,
this Club was reinvigorated
in January 2013 by Robert Scott, Class of 1985 and
member of the Alumni Board
of Directors.
After hosting a successful “Welcome Event”
for the Class of 2012, Robert was asked by Bucknell
Alumni Relations to take the
lead to bring life back to the
Club covering this important
Alumni base. When asked
what motivated him to agree
to volunteer his time to help
Bucknell in this way, Robert
said, “I have been giving back
to Bucknell for 30 years and I
don’t intend to ever stop giving. I knew Bucknell really
needed to get the local Club
off the ground again so I was
happy to help. Running the
Club is just an extension of
the work I do on the Alumni
Board to engage Alumni and
promote and enhance Bucknell. I also wanted to give
back to the place that has
given so much to me, my wife
Sherry ’84, and daughter Lauren ’17. I truly enjoy meeting
Bucknell parents and alums
of all ages at the Club events.
We are all part of a very special community”.
Robert and his team
of 12 alumni recruits from
multiple class years, began
hosting various events spanning sports, music, cultural,
professional, community service, and dining experiences.
Some specific events held
thus far have included Bucknell basketball game watches,
happy hour events for recent
graduates, faculty speaker
forums, professional baseball
and soccer games, a panel of
successful business owners,
fine dining events, and career
networking events to name
a few. One of the signature
events that the Club hosts
is held each spring during
Bucknell Community Service
Week under the program title
“Bucknell Cares”. The Northern New Jersey Club has become especially connected
with a charity called “Feed
the Need” which is a part of
the worldwide effort to feed
starving children around the
globe. This spring, the Northern New Jersey Club will join
60 Alums together to pack
thousands of meals for children in West Africa, many of
them orphaned by the Ebola
epidemic in that region.
Robert commented that
running the Club has been lot
of fun and relatively easy to
do. “Our Alumni Relations
team at Bucknell consisting
of Kim Thompson, Lynn Eckley, and Kristin Stetler have
been instrumental in helping
us make the events come to
life each month”. Robert said
he receives event ideas and
support from other successful
clubs that have been around
and active for many years in
cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
Robert is also a member
of the New Jersey WE DO
campaign fund raising effort.
Getting the Northern New
Jersey Club actively promoting Bucknell and connecting
Bucknellians back with their
alma mater has been instrumental in helping the campaign hit it objectives thus far.
Robert reports that he has
very much enjoyed his first
two years running the Bucknell Club of Northern New
Jersey and is looking forward
to another year of great Alumni connecting events in 2015!
freshman halls? We then had
to pass a swimming test and
finally classes started. Somehow, I ended up with 5 eight
o’clock classes; I was so NOT
a morning person and remember having Professor Drinnon
in American History and Professor Dennis in Education
101, French, and Baby Bio
with labs in the old Bison.
How many trademark classes
can you recall and did you
take? Baby Bio, Rocks for
Jocks, Art in the Dark, Drop
the Needle, Physics for Poets...every college has them,
they’re the standards for nonmajors and we took them as
we marched onward toward
choosing a major. And along
the way we were encouraged
and supported by remarkable people. Among my all
stars are Dick Skelton, Gerry
Commerford, Dick Peterec,
and Brenda Gordon and I am
forever grateful for their enormous impact.
Our four years in Lewisburg flew by, whether you
played on a varsity team or
intramurals, were Greek or
independent, lived in the
mods or in town senior year.
Ibrahim Badmus
BU ’07
We challenged ourselves,
we sang in the Chapel Choir
and played in the band and
acted in Cap and Dagger. We
learned to play beer pong
and make hairy buffalos, we
survived sloe gin fizzes and
Organic Chem, the Freshmen
10 (15 for some of us!), Sig
Derby, the Phi Psi 500, Luigi Figi, SPE’s Rock Lobster
parties, Saturday Night Live
at PLT, sophomore slump,
House Party Weekend, and
senioritis. We moved from
our freshman hall to New
Dorm or the Mods, we eventually moved beyond fraternity basements to Dunk’s,
we worked in the dining hall
with Hank Ross, we stole
trays and went sledding on
the golf course. We loved Jan
Plans (so sorry to see they
are gone), watched movies
at the Campus Theater, studied abroad, got ice cream at
Bechtels and watched sunsets
on the Academic Quad under
the cherry blossoms. And finally, we gathered together
one last time on the Academic Quad and graduated.
Welcome back, thanks for the
memories. ‘Ray Bucknell!
THE BUCKNELLIAN
Not another
summer camp
Marcus J. Hernandez
BU ’00
This was not another
summer camp. I remember the
specific moment, my junior
year of high school attending
wrestling camp on campus.
That moment I knew Bucknell
was special to me. I relaxed in
the grass in the courtyard outside of Harris, Hunt, and Vedder during my junior year of
high school. The name, Bucknell, was simply a word, a
school someone from my high
school who was smart went.
This moment it became something different. As the sun
peaked in between the leaves
in the trees above me, I felt it.
There was no doubt about it.
My college choice was not a
decision when I received my
acceptance letter.
In the coming years
Bucknell evolved into a home
and family. During my 4.5
years on campus, I found myself. And now I am proud to
return to campus and see how
the University has grown.
This school has embraced
me when I have made mistakes and helped me find my
path after graduation. Now
I am gratified to give back
and ensure that Bucknell is
even a better place than when
I left. The first two years after 2000 were tough. My first
significant job, I had the luck,
to randomly interview with
an older Fraternity brother
of mine who had an amazing
experience visiting. My second significant job, the head
of the region remembered me
from visiting Bucknell my
senior year. Today, as I write
you after a work presentation,
a Bucknellian approached me
to say hello who was evaluating my company for business.
There have been many more
experiences in between and
many more to come.
When I return to campus
I feel a similar feeling that
I get when I go to my home
town. Class of 2000, I cannot
be more excited about our 15
year reunion. Friends, it has
been too long, I have learned
so much from you, and I cannot wait to see you.
Ten years ago
Ten years ago, the days
leading up to the NCAA Tournament seemed pretty routine
until we reached Oklahoma
City. Little did we know how
drastically our lives would
change after forty minutes
of regulation against Kansas.
My memory isn’t the sharpest
but I do recall going about this
game almost like we would
any other. The last practice
before our departure is the one
I remember the most. Most
guys came in a half hour prior
to practice to get shots up, but
this time they were doing it
in brand new shoes. Adidas
had shipped over their “tournament edition” shoes to us
and guys couldn’t wait to put
them on. We had a few decent
segments in practice: there
were ups, there were downs.
What made this practice different was Coach Flannery’s
approach. There was a certain
angst that he displayed. An
uneasiness. Then it happened.
At one point during practice
he stopped everything and
intimated to us why he was
going to Oklahoma City. He
said that his intentions were
to go for a “2-day tournament” and to come back 2-0. I
think everyone realized at this
moment what was at stake.
Sure it was great to get to this
point. We had just beat Holy
Cross on the road to win the
Patriot League Championship, and they hadn’t lost a
game for almost 3 months.
We weren’t sitting at home,
we were actually going to
compete in the NCAA tournament. But coach wasn’t satisfied, he wanted more. And he
got just that.
From the plane to the hotel to the police-escorted chartered bus to the media sessions, it was all new to us, and
it was fun to experience. But
at this point we were all business. The notoriety was great.
But we wanted more. The
game plan was clear and succinct, we knew our strengths,
we knew their weaknesses.
Even with limited fan support in comparison to Kansas, we knew all we had to
do was execute and we’d be
victorious. And we did just
that. From Kevin’s “and one”
three-pointer, to Charles’ offensive rebound and put back
with his off hand, to Neisz’s
timely shots, to Griff’s behind the back bounce pass to
Donald Brown for the dunk,
we were executing, and we
knew we could win. We got in
some foul trouble late, but our
teammates picked us up as
they had done all season. We
just needed a little luck. After
Chris made the most important hook shot in Bucknell
history, I stood on the bench
as Kansas’ Wayne Simien
caught the ball and turned to
his right shoulder for his patented jump shot (something
we’ve seen him do dozens of
times all season long) and...
he missed! We didn’t quite
come back to Lewisburg 2-0.
But I’d say 1-1 wasn’t so bad.
And yes, had Simien’s shot
gone in, we might be singing
a different story today, but I
can assure you we would’ve
been back the next year, because our mentality was al-
ways: We want more.
I remember Coach Goodman telling us in the locker
room after the game, “You
guys don’t realize what you
just did.” And he was right.
We came back to a hotel filled
with people waiting for us
to walk inside. A band playing and people cheering for
us on as we walked into our
hotel rooms. We all had endless text messages and phone
calls we were responding to
the whole night. I honestly
don’t remember sleeping that
night. Getting back onto campus was surreal. The parade
the campus rally showed how
many people actually supported us: thousands. I had
people congratulating me on
my way to class. One of my
professors made the class
give my teammates a standing ovation as we walked in,
and we were late to class that
day! The memories are endless. And we attribute a lot
of our life successes to those
forty minutes. But even 10
years later, I still don’t think
we realize what we did.
PAUSE and think about your career for a moment. Are you just satisfied or are you passionate about your work? If not, you may want
to speak with a career counselor at Bucknell’s ALUMNI CAREER SERVICES, a part of the Career Development Center.
Did you know that Bucknell Alumni have Career Services for life? Join the over 350 Bucknellians who used Alumni Career Services (ACS) last year and say WE DO!
While you are at Reunion 2015 you can stop by the Career Café hosted by Alumni Career
Services and have a quick check in on your career path. If you want more than a quick 10 minutes, ACS is also available for individual one hour appointments during Reunion weekend.
What is typically discussed in a career counseling appointment? You will be able to examine your career path and look for ways to keep engaged in your profession. ACS will help you
strategize about how to utilize Bucknell career networks, rediscover your passion for work and
possibly transition to new career fields.
ACS doesn’t only service alumni. The team also helps senior undergraduate students sharpen
their life skills in anticipation of graduation through Life After Bucknell. Seniors attend programs
on proper business etiquette, personal financial management, LinkedIn, networking, choosing a
healthcare plan, and more.
Want to help your fellow Bucknellians as well as see some of the jobs that are coming specifically to Bucknell alumni? Join BucknellCareerConnect.com to share advice about your industry,
post jobs to our exclusive job board, and, of course, to network! Make sure you also join the
Bucknell Alumni LinkedIn group. We’re 12,000+ Bucknellians strong! And, follow us at @BucknellACS on Twitter.
The 2015 Career Café will take place on Saturday, May 30th from 1pm to 3pm in the 7th
Street Café. To schedule an individual appointment on Friday afternoon, May 29th or Saturday
morning, May 30th, call 570-577-1238 or email acs@bucknell.edu.
For more information about ACS and our programs, visit bucknell.edu/alumnicareerservices.
REUNION
A5 | SUMMER 2015
Living life beyond a
career: the meaning of
Martial Arts in his world
Anthony Mariniello
BU ’90
Production
meetings,
marketing plans, reviewing
P&L’s, along with, school
activities and helping with
homework; all of us working
together to manage the dayto-day life of an active family
of four (plus a dog). It is easy
to lose sight of yourself and
your health, both physically
and mentally. Enter the world
of martial arts.
Almost four years ago,
while managing all of the
day-to-day running we all
know so well, the occasional
round of golf and walk on the
treadmill was not enough to
keep my body and mind active and in shape. I needed to
do something more. Just having had a physical, the doctor
gave me orders to become
active again. The next day,
I watched my son graduate
to his green belt in the martial arts, and thought, maybe
I could do this?! After the
graduation ceremony, I approached Tashi Mark Warner
and asked him if this “stuff”
could help get me healthy. He
smiled, handed me a gi (the
school uniform), and said,
“see you on Monday at noon”.
And so the journey began.
The journey is one I share
with my family. My wife and
daughter joined my son and
I to study the arts. My wife
practices Thai Kick Boxing
and my daughter focuses on
the art of Kung Fu. The saying we often laugh about
when we go to class is “the
family that kicks together,
sticks together”
In my journey, I practice
the arts of Northern Mantis
Kung Fu, Khali, Silat, and
Thai Kick Boxing. Being
able to explore these ancient
arts and connect with mind
and body has been a journey
that is tough to describe. The
classes have helped me improve so much in my day-today life, and has allowed me
to reconnect with my balance,
reaction skills, and physical
health. It has enabled me to
clear my thoughts and allowed
me to relieve the stresses of
the day. Since I often attend
practice with my family, it has
been a fantastic bonding experience. The balance, stances
and drills have help in my golf
game as well!
In October of 2014, and
my family were on Crane’s
Beach in Ipswich, MA, not to
soak up the sun, but instead
to test for our black belts.
My son tested for his seconddegree black belt, my wife for
her first degree in Thai Kick
Boxing (TKB), my daughter
for her first degree in Kung
Fu, and I tested for my first
degree black belt in both Kung
Fu and TKB. Hours later and
after a demonstration to a hall
full of spectators, we received
our belts. It was the first time
in our school’s history that an
entire family received their
black belts on the same day.
Martial arts has opened
my eyes to so many things
outside of the typical day-today events that our careers
and typical business lives
bring to us. I never thought I
would be able to accomplish
such a goal, or even begin to
achieve one in the martial arts
so late in life. But, as I have
learned, it is never to late to
learn something new. And as
we continue the journey we
remember what Confucius
says, “It does not matter how
slowly you go so long as you
do not stop.”
THE BUCKNELLIAN
A place to call home
CJ MOY | The Bucknellian
Colin Hassell
BU ’15
When I arrived at Bucknell
four years ago, I never would
have guessed that my time at
Bucknell would turn out the
way it did. Within the first few
weeks of school I was elected
Class President, a position I
would ultimately hold onto for
the next four years. Bucknell
Student Government, however,
was only the beginning for me.
During my time at Bucknell, I
had the opportunity to participate in the WE DO campaign,
become a Residential Advisor,
and travel to Ecuador to play
guitar with a group of opera
students. Although when looking back at all of these experiences, they seem to have happened so haphazardly, I realize
that there is one thread that
connects them all: the people. It
was truly the people I encountered and enjoyed these experiences with that made my time
so memorable. Any student or
graduate of Bucknell will agree
that our University is a special
place, but it is not the brick and
mortar off Route 15 that makes
Bucknell unique; rather, it is
the people we encounter, who
manage to touch each of us and
make Bucknell a place we can
all truly call home.
Save the Date!
Save the Date!
EMPLOYER
EMPLOYER
EXPO 2015
EXPO
We hope to see 2015
you back on
campus in September!
We hope to see you back on
campus in September!
Come back to campus in September to represent your company at
the 2015 Employer Expo. Help the Career Development Center kick
Come back to campus in September to represent your company at
off the recruiting season, meet current students, and find potential
the 2015 Employer Expo. Help the Career Development Center kick
new hires or interns. Contact us
off the recruiting season, meet current students, and find potential
at employers@bucknell.edu to
new hires or interns. Contact us
register or for more information.
at employers@bucknell.edu to
register or for more information.
What Are
YOU
Doing This
Weekend?
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100s of fascinating
possibilities in the
current issue of
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magazine
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Don’t forget to
give back
Bucknell wouldn’t be what it has
become today without its dedicated
donors, volunteers and friends. Your
time, talent and treasure ensures
Bucknell’s continued strength and
leadership in higher education, and
provides great opportunities for
current and future students.
You can support your
alma mater and honor your
Reunion by making a gift at
bucknell.edu/ReunionGift
by June 30.
REUNION
A6 | SUMMER 2015
Finding that
‘spark’
Julia Goldman
BU ’15
Like many juniors and
seniors in high school, I took
many college tours. All the
academic buildings, gyms, libraries and dining halls were
nice, but I was looking for
something more. I wanted a
spark, something that made a
single school stand out from
the others. While visiting
Bucknell, my tour guide emphasized how the professors
are eager to form relationships
with their students inside and
outside the classroom. It was
then that I knew Bucknell was
the right school for me.
My freshman and sophomore years at Bucknell were
great. I loved my classes,
learned a lot, and began
thinking of problem and solutions in ways I never thought
possible. But I knew I was
missing something. I had yet
to form a strong relationship
with a professor. Did my tour
guide mislead me? Was I not
being open to a professor-student relationship?
All that changed during
my junior year when I took
and economics course, Political Economy, with Profes-
sor Nega. The class was very
challenging and extremely insightful. I learned a lot in the
classroom, but gained much
more from having Professor
Nega as a professor. Every
time Professor Nega and I
passed each other in the halls
of Academic West, he made a
point to stop and talk to me for
a few minutes. I felt privileged
that I was able to talk with a
professor outside of a classroom about subject matter that
pertained to both school and
the outside world.
A few weeks before winter break of 2014 I saw Professor Nega in the hallway
and he said, “Make sure to
stop by my office to catch up
before winter break.” It was
then that I knew I found the
spark I was looking for in my
college experience.
After my last final of
the fall semester, I stopped
into Professor Nega’s office.
Usually after my last final,
I am eager to go back to my
room, eat some ice cream and
breathe. This time however, I
was not as eager to leave the
academic building; I was more
excited to go into my professor’s office and talk.
So, just a few short hours
before I was heading home
for break, Professor Nega and
I talked for nearly an hour
about my classes, my semester abroad, my future, and
my life in general. In turn, he
shared a wealth of information
about his family, his career
path, and his experiences from
New York to Africa and beyond. After our conversation, I
walked out of his office smiling, knowing that I found the
spark I was looking for. My
Bucknell tour guide was right.
Unfortunately I did not
have the opportunity to take
another class with Professor
Nega. I do know however, that
the relationship I developed
with him inside and outside
the classroom enhanced my
college experience more than I
ever could have imagined and
has helped shape the person I
am today.
Professor Nega, I would
like to thank you for providing me with a college experience that extended beyond the
classroom. The relationship
we formed was the spark I was
hoping to find. It is the simple
moments and connections like
these that make Bucknell such
a special place that we always
keep in our hearts.
THE BUCKNELLIAN
Reaching out
and giving back
Pete Griffin
BU ’00
I remember thinking one
of my Business Management
classmates was quite the overachiever when he discussed
at the beginning of class he
just secured a job. It was only
October of our senior year at
Bucknell and I thought planning for the real world was still
months away. I was wrong.
The job market was hot and my
classmates were engaging with
employers already and in the
process, securing signing bonuses and generous salaries. I
needed to get my act together!
Over the coming weeks
my biggest question, like so
many others, was “What do I
want to do for the rest of my
life?” With my Management
degree I felt confident I would
do well in any business setting,
but determining what industry
I would work in was taking
more time to figure out. After
much thought, two interests
rose to the top. One, I loved
music and two, I enjoyed helping people. With that in mind,
I marched from my Gateway
apartment to the Career Development Center (CDC) to find
a job.
Like thousands of students
who made that trek through the
forest of squirrels to get to the
CDC office, Bucknell not only
helped me find that job but
also jump-started a career path
that forever changed my life.
To make a long story short, the
CDC helped me reach out to
an alum who worked at Sony
Music. Over the course of my
spring semester senior year
those interactions, facilitated
by the CDC, led to an internship at Sony after graduation.
The alum’s recommendation
after the internship ended led
to my first job at MTV where I
worked for almost eight years.
After creating and managing
many of MTV’s social cause
campaigns, I formally segued into the nonprofit space
to where I currently sit as the
President of Musicians On
Call, an international nonprofit
that brings the healing power
of music to patients in hospitals. (MusiciansOnCall.org)
I’ve always been grateful
for the support of Bucknell,
the CDC and our powerful
alumni network throughout
my career. I’ve helped host
job fairs while at MTV, sat
on panels for Bucknell, have
spoken and met with countless
students and alumni to help
their careers path, helped hire
around 20 Bucknellians and
currently sit on the Bucknell
University Alumni Association Board of Directors. When
I look back at my four years on
campus, my fondest memories
are always the people I have
gottem to know. The biggest
thing I learned since graduation however is that Bucknell
is not just the people who were
on campus when you were
here; rather it’s a network of
over 50,000 alumni and students who we all share a common bond with.
As you enjoy Reunion
Weekend, I hope you connect
with Bucknellians from not
just your graduation year, but
others as well. And when you
return home, perhaps take a
little time to find other Bucknellians on LinkedIn or reach
out to the CDC to offer your
help to students and alumni
who may need advice or an
introduction. The generosity
of our alumni helped shape
my career and my life, and for
that I am thankful and in turn
will always offer my hand
when needed to past and future generations of Bucknellians. Go Bison!
All roads lead to Bucknell
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PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
Forrest S. & Valerie
(Silbernagel) Chilton
BU ’65
Valerie and Forrest Chilton met in the Larison Hall living room during the first days
of freshman year in September of 1961. They enjoyed the
BU Academic life and social
environment for four years.
Valerie was one of the leaders of the Christian Association. Forrest was President of
the Newman Club for three
years. They made regular visits
to shopkeeper acquaintances
in town. They enjoyed the
friendship, humor and piety
of Father Woodrow (Woody)
Wilson Jones at Sacred Heart
Church. Valerie and Forrest
were pinned sophomore year,
became engaged to wed in
November of 1964, and married August 28, 1965 following
graduation from Bucknell in
June 1965. They love each other dearly and have a keen affection for their wondrous years at
Bucknell. Valerie and Forrest
have two children, Forrest V
married to Dr. Gioia Connell
– living in Alexandria VA with
daughters Tabitha and Annabel
and Annemarie living in Lawrence, Kansas with daughters
Katherine and Mae.
All roads lead to Bucknell
for Valerie and Forrest. They
are among a family of 31 close
relatives who attended Bucknell over four generations.
Starting in 1910 to 1915 with
Forrest’s grandfather, Sidney
Grabowski, who travelled from
the then distant Nanticoke, PA,
to study over five years while
he worked to earn tuition! At
that time Bucknell had a faculty of 15 Instructors, 88 students
(79 from Pennsylvania) with
an annual tuition of $65.00 and
board of $225.00 per year. Valerie and Forrest have a host of
parents, aunts, uncles, brothers,
sisters, cousins, and a son who
began their adult life as proud
Bucknellians. Ten of these
male family members served in
the military, all during wartime
conflicts. Our family would be
considerably less developed
without their experiences and
life changes resulting from the
fantastic maturing and magnificent educating atmosphere at
Bucknell University.
The Class of 1965, not
a large class (about 663 stu-
dents), arrived at a University
with a very open campus that
had not seen many physical
changes in numerous years.
It was a delightful, contented
place to be. The University
existed to bring the students
to an awareness of their own
talent; to be dedicated to the
cause of free and responsible
inquiry; and to seek the truth
wherever it may be found.
WOW! And it worked superbly! In summary, Valerie and
Forrest love Bucknell. Our
family loves Bucknell. Life
would not be the same without our history at a wonderful,
happy, scholarly, prodigious,
special, exceptional site along
the banks of the Susquehanna
River over the past 100 years
in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
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Lewisburg, PA 17837
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A7 | SUMMER 2015
REUNION
THE BUCKNELLIAN
Alumni Association Awards
The Bucknell University Alumni Association confers annual awards to distinguished alumni each year. This year, during Reunion Weekend 2015, the following winners will be
honored. The awards will be presented during the State of the University, Recognitions and Awards event at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 30 at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts.
Young Alumni Award Winner
Gbenga T. Akinnagbe
A graduate from the class of 2000, Gbenga Akinnagbe has been selected as the winner of the
Young Alumni Award. While at Bucknell, he double majored in Political Science and English and
was also a star wrestler for the Bison. He is now a successful actor, screenplay writer and producer
and is well known for his television roles on The Wire, The Good Wife, 24 and can currently be
seen on The Following. His movie roles include The Taking of Pelham 123, The Savages, and The
Edge of Darkness. Mr. Akinnagbe is also a freelance writer for The New York Times and ran the
2011 and 2012 New York City Marathons in support of All for Africa’s “Palm out Policy” initiative.
Mr. Akinnagbe has always credited Bucknell with being a major factor in his success and has
returned to campus for an academic conference, to work out with the wrestling team and meet
with theater and dance students to discuss how his path from Bucknell took him to a professional
acting career.
Loyalty to Bucknell Award
Richard C. Skelton
A graduate of Bucknell from the class of 1960, with a degree in Business Administration, Mr.
Skelton has had an over fifty year relationship with the University. He worked for over 36 years
in admissions, retiring as Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Planning. In 2000, to honor his
retirement, The Dick Skelton Scholarship was established by friends and trustees. Preference for
the scholarship award is given to students from Wayne, Pike or Monroe Counties in Pennsylvania
with demonstrated financial need. As an alumnus, Mr. Skelton participated in his 35th reunion
program, volunteered as a class committee member and a Reunion gift committee member and has
volunteered his services with the Career Development Center. Mr. Skelton is also a winner of the
Geiger Award in 1980, for demonstrating consistent excellence in both his excellent contributions
to Bucknell and his professionalism in working with others in their day-to-day work. Mr. Skelton
is married to Cynthia Helgren Skelton, ’68 and the father of Melissa, ’92 and Julie.
Service to Humanity Award
Jacqueline Hornor Plumez
Dr. Plumez is a graduate from the class of 1965, with a degree in Business Administration
and Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. A psychologist, career counselor, speaker and
journalist/writer, she practices psychotherapy and career counseling. She has been voted the Distinguished Psychologist by her peers in Westchester County and honored with their Distinguished
Service Award.
Her humanitarian work began in 1998 when she met with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,
a human rights group formed by grieving Argentine mothers who were searching for the children
abducted during the country’s brutal military regime between 1976 and 1983. She is also the author of several books and donates her writing earnings to charities that help women, families and
children. Dr. Plumez is a founding member of Anglican Women’s Empowerment, an organization
that brings women from around the world to the United Nations to learn how lobby for social
change in their own countries. Additionally, she has served in various volunteering capacities at
Children’s Village, a foster care institution.
Outstanding Achievement
in a Chosen Profession
Charles H. Brandes
Charles Brandes serves as Chairman of BIP Inc.’s five-member Executive Committee and
member of the firm’s Investment Oversight Committee. Charles founded Brandes Investment Partners (BIP) in 1974. A CFA, Charles has 46 years of investment experience, including being an acquaintance and student of Benjamin Graham, widely considered the father of value investing. He
is also a board member of several organizations involved in scientific, eleemosynary and cultural
work. Charles received an economics degree in 1965, followed by graduate studies at San Diego
State University.
Outstanding Achievement
in a Chosen Profession
Ronald s. Baron
Ronald Baron founded Baron Capital Management, an investment management firm located
in New York City, in 1982. Baron Capital presently manages more than $28 billion. Ron is the
firm’s CEO and Chief Investment Officer. Ron is highly regarded as a long term investor in growth
businesses. The mission statement of his firm is “We invest in people.” A recent article in Fortune
magazine describes him as “the Warren Buffett of small and mid-cap stocks.”
Ron began his investment career as a securities analyst in 1970. From 1966-69, he worked as
a patent examiner in the U.S. Patent Office while attending George Washington University Law
School on scholarship in the evenings. Ron graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in
Chemistry in 1965.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY