Published September 13, 2018
Wittenberg Alumni & Friends,
The fall semester is nearing its fourth week, and I am thrilled to have our students back on campus. This time of the year brings an energy that is palpable, and I am looking forward to seeing all that our students do and accomplish in the year ahead.
This is also a time of planning to welcome you, our distinguished alumni, back to campus for our annual Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, October 4-7. We have a full slate of activities prepared to help make your time on campus memorable and fun. We will also take time to recognize a number of alumni with special programming in their honor. I encourage you to come back and reconnect with us.
For Sharon and me, this will be our second Wittenberg Homecoming. Last year, we were fortunate to get the opportunity to hear many of your stories on the road and on campus. This year, I will have more stories to tell, including some of the ways curiosity is ignited here. To connect students' passions with their purposes necessitates cultivating a curious mind -- something that we have always done well at Wittenberg and something Devon Atchison '19 discovered firsthand while studying abroad in Australia.
"This curiosity that I now have will direct my life," she explains. "It will direct my interactions with others and my career path. It will also direct my willingness to take chances. For this, I am incredibly grateful and excited. Once your bubble is popped, once you see all there is in the world, you cannot be stopped. Wittenberg is such a perfect place to cultivate these curiosities and cultivate an increased willingness to learn and an openness to new experiences."
Moving out of one's comfort zone and into what's possible has defined our educational approach for generations, and it will continue to do so for many more. Thanks for reading, and enjoy this next edition of Tiger Tales. See you soon.
Best Regards,
Michael Frandsen, Ph.D.
President
Wittenberg University
Homecoming 2018
On October 4-7, the biggest alumni event of the year will commence. Highlights of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2018 include the Pam Evans Smith Memorial 5K, the Athletics Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony, a Celebration of Legacies and Leadership, the annual Tiger Tailgate, Tiger Football vs. Hiram, milestone reunions for the Classes of 1958 (60th), 1968 (50th) and 1993 (25th), and so much more. View the schedule now.
Wittenberg Series
The 36th season of the Wittenberg Series will offer a diverse selection of guest lecturers and world-renowned performers, including best-selling authors Hillary Jordan and Seth Siegel; theologian Ronald Rittgers; criminal justice reform advocate Adam Foss; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Fenn; Yale psychology professor John Dovidio; Bishop Craig Alan Satterlee; dance company Catapult; and South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Shakeer Abdullah ’99, diversity scholar-practitioner, offered the traditional Opening Convocation address on Aug. 21.
New VPEM Announced
Carola Thorson, executive director of admission and scholarships at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, will serve as Wittenberg’s new vice president of enrollment management. Thorson brings more than 17 years of higher education admission experience to her new role, which she is expected to begin on Sept. 21.
Sports & Study Abroad
The women’s basketball team got a jump start on their season this summer during a 10-day trip to Australia, where the team played three games against mid-level professional clubs, held a basketball clinic for underprivileged youth, and explored Sydney and Melbourne.
Investing In Faculty
Wittenberg students interested in studying biology now have two new scholarship opportunities available to them, thanks to two recent gifts from Gregg Foster ’80 and his wife, Sandra, which established endowed scholarships in honor of beloved biology faculty members Ron deLanglade and the late Horton Hobbs.
Thank You
A sincere thank-you to our 6,840 donors who supported Wittenberg University, its campus community and students this past fiscal year. We remain grateful for your continued generosity, which resulted in gifts totaling $16,030,852 for the university. The impact of your giving goes a long way in helping students become future change-agents and leaders of tomorrow.
Teaching Excellence
Bin Yu, professor of political science and East Asian Studies, recently participated in a debate on “Rising China: Trade and America’s Pacific Posture,” sponsored by the Alexander Hamilton Society (AHS) at The Ohio State University.
Mike Mattison, associate professor of English and Writing Center director, will be a featured scholar at the 2018 Naylor Symposium on Undergraduate Research in Writing Studies, Sept. 27-29, at York College of Pennsylvania.
Alumni In The News / #LifeAfterWitt
Debra Gaskill ‘94, author of 10 novels, was awarded the Silver Falchion Best Suspense Award at the Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference last month for her latest book, Kissing Fitz (D’Llama Publishing, 2017).
Striving for a creative balance in her life, Jacqueline DelBrocco ’07 works two jobs in seemingly unrelated fields. In her day job, she is an information technology designer, but in her flourishing side hustle, she’s a live event painter.
Forward Momentum
Construction continues on the northwest edge of campus as the 136,000-square-foot addition to Wittenberg's Health, Wellness & Athletics facility takes shape. Follow along online on a special website for this defining project on the Wittenberg campus. Lead donor Wes Bates '70 recently toured the site and also provided the aerial photo to the right.