CREATIVITY - DePaul University...Creativity Puzzle Since 2013, DePaul’s O˛ ce of Innovative...

SUMMER 2019

CREATIVITYHow to get it, how to teach it, how to make it work for you

Director Scott Ellis (THE ’78) talks about his career and

bringing “Tootsie” to the stage

PLUS

Moments

Students collaborate in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Lab .

Photo by DePaul University/Jeff Carrion

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Marilyn Ferdinand

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Kris GallagherAbigail PickusBob Sakamoto

DESIGN

Claire Keating Francis Paola Lea

DePaul Magazine is published for DePaul alumni and friends by the O� ce of Advancement. Inquiries, comments and letters are welcome and should be addressed to Marilyn Ferdinand,

Editor-in-Chief, DePaul

University, Office of

Advancement, 1 E.

Jackson Blvd., Chicago,

IL 60604-5112 or [email protected].

ADDRESS CHANGES:

Log in to the DePaul Alumni Community at alumni.depaul. edu. Having trouble? Send an email to [email protected], or call (800) 437-1898 for assistance.

You can also visit alumni. depaul. edu to register for upcoming events, fi nd volunteer opportunities, make a gift, and learn about alumni benefi ts and services.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

14 Born to DirectScott Ellis (THE ’78), back in Chicago to direct the new Broadway-bound musical “Tootsie,” re� ects on his time at DePaul and the trajectory of his career as a Broadway theatre and television director.

19 Creative Sources of Knowledge

Faculty are using unique approaches to get their students to think about their studies from di� erent angles. A professor in the Department of Health Sciences takes his class to the DePaul Art Museum to help them connect health care to the people they will serve. Others have their

SUMMER 2019

ON THE COVER

Sonja Thomsen inside her art piece, “Trace of Possibility,” part of her exhibit at the DePaul Art Museum, “Glowing Wavelengths in Between.” Photo by DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief

FEATURES

14

students work alongside history fellows at the Newberry Library to get some high-level, hands-on instruction.

22 Solving the Creativity Puzzle

Since 2013, DePaul’s O� ce of Innovative Professional Learning (OIPL) has partnered with educational organizations working on behalf of China’s K-12 schools to o� er customized professional development to teachers—speci� cally, to help them bring creativity to the Chinese classroom. � e work has been a challenge and inspiration for the College of Education faculty.

2 DEPAUL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019 SUMMER 2019 DEPAUL MAGAZINE 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

READ THE MAGAZINE AND

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT

AT DEPAULMAGAZINE.COM.

Seen in Zines

Dip into the zines in DePaul’s Special Collections and Archives.

Can We Talk?

Associate Professor Tim Cole teaches the art and science of interpersonal communication.

Ken Krimstein’s

Favorite Things

Cartoonist and author of "The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt" shares some of his favorite creations.

DEPARTMENTS

4 From the President

DePaul Digest 1 Moments: Virtual reality5 Marquee: Ken Krimstein6 Memoranda: Campus/alumni events8 Musings: Recommended books8 Milestones9 Memories: FEST10 Master Class: How to Stimulate

Your Own Creativity

11 In Memoriam: Harrison I. Steans

12 Athletics

26 Class Notes

31 DePaul Pride

32 Donor Profile: Jean and John Masterson

12

22

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SUMMER 2019 DEPAUL MAGAZINE 5

| DePaul Digest |

Every Wednesday at lunchtime for six years, Ken Krimstein walked to the o� ces of the New Yorker and slid a batch of cartoons through the narrow submission slot. For six years he got rejection letters. � en, one day, he didn’t.

“Next to getting married and my children being born, that was the biggest moment of my life,” says Krimstein, a professional lecturer in the College of Communication.

Now his cartoons appear regularly in the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and other national publications. He’s famed for lampooning life’s little annoyances, espe-cially in New York City. His targets include obnoxious signage, discontented couples and people on cellphones. His � rst sale? A sophisticated woman perched on a tractor at a cocktail party, proudly telling onlookers that she got it on eBay.

Although Krimstein always harbored a desire to be a cartoonist, he began his career as an advertising copywriter. After

graduating from college, he landed a job with prominent advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather and moved to New York City. � ere he became an award-winning creative director, working on campaigns for brands such as American Express and Duracell, yet he never stopped drawing.

“Looking back on some of my early e� orts, the ideas were pretty good, but the drawings and the total realization wasn’t,” says Krimstein, who cites practice and persistence more than raw talent for his success. He is also a lifelong student of the art form. As a child, he lost himself in comics by publishers such as Classics Illustrated, eagerly devouring the cartoon versions of great books and the adventures of historical � gures ranging from Joan of Arc to Benjamin Franklin.

Now he has given Hannah Arendt the same treatment in “� e � ree Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth.” One of the most prominent political philosophers of the mid-20th century, Arendt examined the origins

of totalitarianism and famously coined the phrase “the banality of evil.” Tall and angular, Arendt strides through a book Krimstein describes as neither graphic novel nor comics biography, but rather a time machine.

“I wanted to take a complicated issue like philosophy, which I feel should be easy for people to talk about, and take it out of the province of specialists,” he says. His next project is to illustrate autobiographies of Lithuanian Jewish children written in the late 1930s that were unearthed in Vilnius in 2017.

“Comics are the perfect tool for scraping the barnacles o� of history,” he says.

New Yorker Cartoonist Waxes Philosophic

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4 DEPAUL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

FROM THE PRESIDENT

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T he DePaul community never fails to amaze me when it comes to creativity.

From makerspaces to art exhibitions, our talented faculty, staff and students bring innovation to every corner of campus.

� is issue of DePaul Magazine highlights some of our most recent creative initiatives, and I would like to add one more example: a collaboration between three DePaul schools to produce a short � lm.

Curricular collaborations between colleges and schools occur frequently at DePaul. In-terdisciplinary p rograms enhance academic learning, and that’s why fostering and sup-porting cross-college collaboration is a goal in our strategic plan.

Creative collaborations on a speci� c project, however, are more novel. � is past academic year, Meghann Artes recognized an opportunity to break new ground by collaborating with three DePaul schools to create her � lm “Oh Baby!”

Written and directed by Artes, an associate professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media’s School of Cinematic Arts, the � lm explores the concept that we all start in the same place. It opens with a live-action musical number, which is a colorful throw-back to 1930s Hollywood. � e story then transitions to two highly intricate stop-motion animated segments.

� e School of Cinematic Arts led the � lm-ing, direction and production. � e � eatre School delivered choreography, costumes and dancers. � e School of Music orchestrated and recorded the score. � e � nal product, which will be released publicly soon, is impressive.

� e � lming and production for “Oh Baby!” were made possible through the Academic Initiatives Grants, which are part of DePaul’s strategic plan, as well as Project Bluelight.

As a Project Bluelight production, the film involved students in every aspect of its creation. Since 2004, Project Bluelight has enabled faculty in the cinematic arts

program to make high-quality independent � lms, all while providing a hands-on learning experience for our students.

“Oh Baby!” is the � rst Project Bluelight � lm to have three DePaul schools work together. As one of the students who performed in the � lm put it, “Bringing the three schools together to work on this project was a no-brainer.”

I agree, and I look forward to seeing continued creative collaboration at DePaul.

A. Gabriel Esteban, PhD

Watch a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of “Oh Baby!” at bit.ly/Ohbabydoc.

ON


| DePaul Digest |

Alumni Events

Our Family Gathering Is Getting Bigger!

Join Us for Alumni and Family Weekend, Oct. 18-20

We’re setting a few more places at the table. On Oct. 18-20, DePaul is expecting a larger family celebration than ever before! Alumni, friends and students who have attended our Alumni Weekend or Family Weekend in the past will fi nd that our new, combined Alumni and Family Weekend o� ers the best of both events—and a whole lot more!

Coming home to DePaul at our Alumni and Family Weekend means sharing your Blue Demon pride in ways both new and familiar:

Signature Reception—New Day, New Home. Our signature Saturday night reception is moving to Friday night. The beautiful, glass-roofed Winter Garden in the Harold Washington Library forms the perfect setting for mingling and sharing fond memories with other alumni during the expanded 2½ hours of the reception. Take the opportunity to talk with DePaul’s President, A. Gabriel Esteban, PhD, and his wife, Josephine, who will be on hand to welcome you back to campus.

Blue Demon Bash. What could be more neighborly than organizing a block party to get to know the people in your DePaul community? We’re pulling out all the stops to throw an amazing block party on Saturday. You’ll be able to let your hair down and have a blast at the end of a day fi lled with fun activities for the entire family.

Returning Favorites. DePaul alumni can look forward to attending events they have come to love, including the Fifty Year Club Luncheon and Alumni & Family Weekend Brunch on Sunday morning. College of Law alumni and friends will again have special class-based reunions and programming.

Both the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses will be part of the celebration and geared to accommodate alumni and families. Attendees will have free access to the Ray, discounts at the bookstore, free musical performances and more.

Visit alumni.depaul.edu/alumniweekend in the coming months for updates and details about this special weekend.

September

12 Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden Guided Flashlight Tour

15 Chicago House of Blues Gospel Brunch

17 Chicago Chicago Cubs DePaul Day at Wrigley Field

19 Washington, D.C. Potomac River Monument Tour Cruise

26 New York City Oktoberfest Celebration

October

5 Hobart, Ind. County Line Orchard Outing

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 18-20 Chicago Alumni & Family WeekendFor a full schedule of events and to register, visit alumni.depaul.edu/alumniweekend.

Event and registration details may vary. Please visit alumni.depaul.edu/events for more information.


| DePaul Digest |

In January, Eric Landahl (CSH MS ’96), an associate professor of physics and graduate pro-gram director, decided to do something a little di� erent for the Physics Department’s monthly colloquium. Instead of hosting guest lecturers to talk about their research, he decided to celebrate the recipients of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics by discussing part of the prize-winning research himself. He is well quali� ed to do so because he works in the same � eld as Gérard Mourou, founding director of the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, and Donna Strickland, former president of � e Optical Society and professor of physics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, who shared half the prize—generating high-intensity, ultrashort laser pulses.

Landahl said, “Fully 50 percent of the Nobel prizes awarded in physics during the past decade have involved the � eld of optics.” Indeed, for processing signals, ultrafast optics have far outstripped electronics in speed, and nobody expects electronics, despite getting faster, to ever catch up.

� e problem Mourou and Strickland solved involves the harm powerful lasers can do to the equipment that generates them. Lasers are created by passing light pulses through what is called a gain medium (titanium sapphire is one example), a material that extracts and amplifies the energy needed to generate a laser. It takes numerous passes back and forth

through the gain medium to amplify the laser, exposing the medium to expensive damage.

Mourou and Strickland devised chirped pulse ampli� cation (CPA) to increase greatly the power of an ultrashort laser pulse by using a grating that di� racts the laser light into a range of colors, resulting in a much longer chirped pulse. A chirp is a burst of light or sound that changes in frequency, like a bird’s note that ends on a higher pitch than it begins. � e longer chirped pulses move safely through the medium, where they are ampli� ed by a factor of a million or more. Finally, the ampli-� ed laser pulse is recompressed to the original pulse width, ready to use at an enormously higher power than was possible before.

Current applications for CPA-enhanced lasers include safe, precision cutting of such materials as diamonds, ceramics, metals, teeth, polymers and high explosives. Machining defect-free heart stents, performing delicate eye surgery and fabricating fuel injector noz-zles that improve the e� ciency of car engines while reducing greenhouse gas emissions are ways these lasers can improve health care and help mitigate one factor in climate change.

Landahl has built his own small, ultrashort laser in the basement of Byrne Hall with the help of physics students. � e laser is one tool he uses to help him with his research on the unusual motions of atoms these intense lasers can induce.

A Prize-Winning ChirpPhysics Department colloquium honors

2018 Nobel Prize winners

Memoranda

Campus Events

Alumni Events

July and August

Now through August 11 DePaul Art MuseumEric J. Garcia: The Bald Eagle’s ToupeeNew Age, New Age: Strategies for Survival

September

12 through Feb. 23 DePaul Art MuseumJulia Fish: bound by spectrum

16 LPC Student Center, Room 120Atomic Waste(s) lectures and performances

Campus events are open to the public. Go to events.depaul.edu for more information.

July

20 Chicago White City Revisited Walking Tour of Jackson Park

24 Chicago Sunset Yoga on the Quad

August

7 Chicago Chicago Sky Game Outing

8 San Francisco Private Tour of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

17 Chicago Chicago Architecture Boat Cruise

17 Los Angeles Paramount Studios Group Tour


A long time ago—40 years, to be exact—Chi-cago Mayor Jane Byrne decided to throw a party on then-vacant Navy Pier. � e event featured a variety of food vendors, bands and amusements. It was called ChicagoFest.

Mary Lou Vainisi (BUS ’81, MAC ’82) thought that was an idea worth stealing.

“Every year at DePaul, we planned a party in spring that was basically an all-nighter,” says Vainisi, who served on the Program Council, precursor to today’s DePaul Activities Board (DAB). “We had a di� erent theme for the party every year, and in 1979 we decided to do a takeo� on ChicagoFest.”

In case anyone missed the reference, the council ri� ed on the logo for ChicagoFest, which was a musical note in the water. “We put the DePaul [logo] on top of a musical note and called it DePaulFest.”

Like today’s FEST, the par-ty featured food and music. It also o� ered free movies, giveaways and carnival games staged in and around the now demolished Stuart Center, which was then the student center. But DePaulFest in 1980 was missing a popular attraction from prior years: quarter beers.

“� e drinking age had just been raised to 21, and ZBT [the bar in the Stuart Center] had closed. We didn’t know if anyone would

come to the all-nighter,” Vainisi remembers. In addition to distributing � yers and advertising in the DePaulia, worried council members painted the Fest logo on sidewalks outside the Stuart Center in an e� ort to drum up interest.

� eir fears were ground-less. Whether it was the promotion or the prospect of a good party, there was a good turnout in 1979, Vainisi says.

“� ere were so many di� er-ent things to do,” Vainisi says. “You could wander around the building, � nd something that you wanted to do and just hang out till the middle of the night, which, when you’re in college, is what you want to do.”

While DePaulFest was simply the name for the all-nighter in 1979, the word “fest” was resurrected a few years later. � e spring concert now has been named FEST for 34 years, says Rigo Guti-errez, program coordinator for campus activities. Proving

that good ideas are still worth stealing, he says that DAB is incorporating fresh activities into the spring concert on May 24, 2019.

Vainisi hopes that the members of DAB are having as much fun as she did planning schoolwide events. “� e school treated us as a leadership group, and we were really close. I have very fond memories of the Program Council and our events.”

Top Notch

The Princeton Review ranked DePaul’s

undergraduate entrepreneurship

program 13th in the nation, jumping

nine points from its previous rank. It

was the biggest jump among any of

the undergraduate programs listed as

the best in the nation for 2019.

College Factual ranked the

College of Liberal Arts and Social

Sciences 13th among similar programs

at 352 colleges and universities in its

2019 list. DePaul is among the top 5

percent of colleges nationwide in the

college search site’s rankings.

College Magazine ranked DePaul

seventh among the 10 best colleges to

study animation.

DePaul Joins Black Metropolis

Research Consortium

The DePaul University Library joined

the Black Metropolis Research Con-

sortium, a group of universities and

archival repositories. The consortium

works to document, share, understand

and preserve the culture, history and

politics of African Americans and

members of the African diaspora.

PRAD Students Win Again

For the second year in a row, a team

of DePaul students majoring in public

relations and advertising (PRAD) won

the Fox Sports University competition.

Their prize is a visit to the New York

City set of the Fox Sports show “First

Things First.”

MacArthur Foundation Grant

The John D. and Catherine T. MacAr-

thur Foundation made a $250,000

grant to the College of Law’s Asylum

and Immigration Law Clinic. The gift

will expand the clinic’s legal assistance

to community organizations that serve

immigrants and support the student

translator corps.

Milestones

Back to the Future FEST

Memories

Mary Lou Vainisi (BUS ’81, MAC ’82), far left in the back row, enjoyed her time on Program Council.

The 1979 DePaulFest post-ers merged the university’s Tree of Wisdom logo with the artwork for ChicagoFest.

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| DePaul Digest |

Blue Demon Challenge

Raises Record $780,000

More than 2,000 gifts, nearly twice as

many as the previous year, were made

to DePaul during the sixth annual Blue

Demon Challenge Jan. 31, despite

the university being closed because

of severe cold. Donors exceeded the

targets in 27 matching-gift challenges.

DePaul Harold

Washington Academy

DePaul partnered with the City

Colleges of Chicago to create the

DePaul Harold Washington Academy.

About 100 Chicago Star Scholars

each year will attend classes taught

by Harold Washington faculty on the

DePaul campus and benefi t from

student services and organizations

while earning an associate’s degree.

They may then enroll at DePaul to

earn a bachelor’s degree.

Community Partner Award

The 100 Club of Chicago presented

DePaul with a Community Partner

Award for matching and sometimes

exceeding the scholarship aid that the

club provides to families of fallen fi rst

responders in the Chicago area.

DePaul Executive Honored

The Financial Executives International

Chicago Chapter named Je� rey

Bethke as its 2018 CFO of the Year in

the category of large not-for-profi t

organizations. Bethke is DePaul’s

executive vice president and chief

fi nancial o� cer.

Holtschneider Heads ACCU

The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider,

C.M., DePaul’s chancellor and former

president, was named president of the

Association of Catholic Colleges and

Universities, located in Washington, D.C.

Milestones

“The Good Neighbor: The

Life and Work of Fred Rogers” by Maxwell King.

Tom Tallarite (BUS ’84, MST ’92)

“My Brilliant Friend” by Elena

Ferrante, along with the HBO miniseries based on the book.

Alison Ishihara Somilleda (CMN ’00)

“Beneath a Scarlet Sky”

by Mark Sullivan.

Dan Crowley (BUS ’10)

“The Silk Roads: A New History of the

World” by Peter Frankopan. Does a great job following

trade, the rise and fall of nations/empires

and depicting the ever-shifting sands of power.

Keith Earl Weber II (BUS ’13)

“Deep River” by Shusaku Endo. It was assigned in a DePaul School of

Public Service ethics course by Prof. Maureen Scott.

Ryne Chua (LAS MPA ’12)

Musings

We asked readers: What book have you been recommending to others?

Here are some of their responses.

I recommend “The Power of the Dog” by Don Winslow

all the time!

Randa Mahmud-Ulankiewicz (BUS ’06)

“It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier

Hansson.

Mike Goode (BUS ’10, CDM MS ’16)

“all about love” by bell hooks.

Dustin Ruttenberg (LAS ’13)

“Collective Genius: The Art and

Practice of Leading Innovation” by

Linda A. Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily

Truelove and Kent Lineback. Great read, highly recommend!

Koemi Valencia (BUS ’14)


| DePaul Digest |

One might get by in life by following set pathways, routines and scripts, and by thinking about problems and their solutions in set ways. Doing so is safe, but also, well, a little boring, isn’t it? If we never veer from our safe routines, things will never improve much. � e quality of our lives will stagnate. New inventions won’t be possible. Our arts will be dull. Our science will not advance. We will be unable to solve novel problems.

Creativity makes our lives better, improves our standards of living, produces better art and generates scienti� c ideas to better understand the world in which we live. How does one get creative ideas? More often than not, creative ideas come from drawing analogies.

Analogies allow us to get ideas about a target domain by importing ideas from other, sometimes very di� erent, domains. � e cognitive processes that allow us to draw analogies involve three steps: 1) thinking about a separate domain that might have some relevance for the target domain, 2) mapping the two domains and putting them in one-to-one correspondences, and � nally 3) analogically transferring ideas or solutions from the separate domain to the target domain.

Alexander Graham Bell came up with the idea for the telephone by analogy to the mechanical phonautograph (an earlier invention). Niels Bohr received insights on the structure of atoms by drawing analogies to the solar system. Gertrude Stein’s unusual literary style and compositions are said to have been inspired, in part, by analogies to the modern art that hung on her walls.

How to Stimulate Your Own CreativityBy Jessica M. Choplin

Master Class

1. Expose yourself to a variety of ideas. If you want to be creative within a given domain, don’t think only about that domain. Read widely. Be open to other � elds and very di� erent ideas.

2. Draw analogies. As you explore very di� erent domains from your target domain, think about ways that those other far-� ung domains might possibly be relevant to your target domain. Many of the potential analogies will be absolutely crazy and ridiculous. � at is OK. You never know when a crazy, ridiculous analogy might turn out to be brilliant.

3. Hang out with people who are di� erent from you. Diversity is an engine of creativity because we get ideas and draw new and novel analogies when we are around people who are di� erent from us. Don’t just tolerate others; embrace the challenges of being together. Interdisciplinary work, cross-cultural work, racially and ethnically integrated neighborhoods, immigration—these are the engines of human progress and improved well-being. � ey make us more creative and better o� .

By using analogies, you, too, can learn to be as creative as you want to be.

Jessica M. Choplin is an associate professor of psychological science at DePaul. She teaches classes on cognitive psychology, decision-making and the psychology of women.

IN MEMORIAM

SUMMER 2019 DEPAUL MAGAZINE 1 1

The DePaul family mourns the loss of Harrison I.

Steans (LAS DHL ’05), who was a member of the DePaul Board of Trustees from 1990 to 2008, a Life Trustee from 2008 on and a valued benefactor of the university. He served on the Egan Urban Center Advisory Council during the 1990s and was on the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Advisory Council from 1990 to 2015. � rough a generous endowment and their leadership, Steans and his family were the driving forces behind the establishment of the Steans Center, which has been connecting DePaul students with service learning opportu-nities grounded in Vincentian values since 2001.

Howard Rosing, director of the Steans Center, said Steans “was one of the hap-piest people, one of the most humorous people I’ve ever met. He was able to make you feel good about yourself and feel good just to be around him and be a part of his world.”

Rosing believes Steans’ ded-ication to DePaul was strong because “he saw that DePaul really had a deep commitment to our mission. He saw us working in neighborhoods and that we were engaging students in service. He saw that DePaul really could make a di� erence in the neighborhoods of Chicago, and that’s what he was committed to.”

Steans, a longtime resident

of Bannockburn, Ill., was born in Chicago and grew up in Spring� eld, Ill. He graduated from Princeton University in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and then spent three years in the U.S. Navy.

He began his career in banking in 1967, eventually buying six Chicago-area banks through a bank holding company called USAmeribancs. He sold the company to NBD Bancorp in 1987. � at same year, he set up the Steans Family Foundation to begin

what would be his lifelong devotion to philanthropy, while continuing his business career by founding Financial Investment Corp., a private equity investment � rm, with his daughter Jennifer in 1994.

Steans and his family contributed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes. Shortly after its founding, the foundation set up the “I Have a Dream” program for students in two elementary school classes serving children of color. � e program is modeled on

one in New York City that Jennifer and Steans’ two other daughters, Illinois State Sen. Heather Steans and Advance Illinois President Robin Steans, observed.

Steans had a keen interest in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. He directed substantial funds to the under-served community to establish gardens, provide counseling for teen parents, expand health care services, build new housing and beautify the neighborhood. Steans also helped establish the North Lawndale College Prep High School.

� e Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Ill., continues to bene� t from Steans’ gener-osity . He endowed the Steans Music Institute in honor of his wife of 61 years, Lois, and fully funded the 60 fellowships that allow young musicians to attend the institute’s summer conservatory each year. Steans also had the distinction of being the only male member of the Ravinia Women’s Board.

Steans also served on the Civic Committee of the Com-mercial Club and the boards of the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Ounce of Prevention Fund. He was a life trustee of Highland Park Hospital.

“Harrison had his unique style, a deep understanding of what matters to make a di� er-ence in Chicago communities,” says Rosing. “He really was a game changer for residents and for youth especially.”

In Memoriam:Harrison I. Steans (1935-2019)

ATHLETICS


ATHLETICS

DePaul Alumna Joins the Harlem Globetrotters

At DePaul, Brittany Hrynko (LAS ’15) left her mark as BIG EAST Player of

the Year and BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2015.

But this top shooter, who was initially drafted by the WNBA after graduation, chose a di� erent path for her professional career.

Hrynko recently joined the Harlem Globetrotters, taking her place among the celebrated exhibition basketball team whose roots date back to the 1920s on the South Side of Chicago.

“I knew a couple of the Globetrotters, including Speedy, who is a friend of mine from growing up. � e more I heard about it, the more I decided this was for me. I love kids, and just seeing them smile and having fun makes it fun for me,” says the 25-year-old Hrynko.

A native of Philadelphia, she caught the eye of DePaul Coach Doug Bruno (LAS ’73, MA ’88) while at the George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science.

“Britt Hrynko is one of the most impactful players in our program’s history,” says Bruno.

beating Duke at the NCAA tournament,” she says. “DePaul was a great experience. I really liked being in the city; the team was just great and they made me feel like I was a part of the team even before I o� cially joined.”

She played with the Atlanta Dream, San Antonio Stars and Tulsa Shock in the WNBA and overseas in Israel, Slovakia and Italy. “� is was such a great experience for me,” says Hrynko. “Just seeing another part of the world and how others live was really exciting.”

These days, Hrynko travels from city to city with the Globetrotters, wowing the audience with her tricks in between shots. “It’s so much fun! Everyone should come out and see us,” she says.

� ere’s even a historic connection between the Globetrotters and DePaul. “� e Harlem Globetrotters and DePaul basketball grew up together, as DePaul Coach Ray Meyer and Abe Saperstein, who started the Globetrot-ters, were great friends,” says Bruno. “It is a great honor and achievement for Britt to make the Globetrotters.”

“What made Britt special was her ability to score from deep, get to the rim and facili-tate—always making her teammates better. Her � air and gusto for the game make her a natural Harlem Globetrotter.”

At DePaul, Hrynko averaged 19.1 points per game and set the career record for assists. She is also the No. 2 all-time record holder in three-point baskets, No. 3 in steals and No. 5 in career scoring with 1,970 points.

“A highlight from DePaul is definitely

DePaul alumna Brittany Hrynko has joined the celebrated Harlem Globetrotters.

Britt Hrynko is one of the most impactful players

in our program’s history. Her flair and gusto for the game make her a natural

Harlem Globetrotter.

—Doug Bruno

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ATHLETICS


The 2019 inductees into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame and past inductees were honored in February at halftime of a men’s basketball game at Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square.

The best and the brightest of DePaul Athletics were celebrated Saturday evening, Feb. 2, at

McGrath-Phillips Arena when eight individuals and one team were inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame.

� e Hall of Fame Class of 2019 includes Andre Brown (men’s basketball), Tawona Alhaleem Hicks (EDU ’97) (women’s basket-ball), Liz Bouck Jagielski (LAS ’04) (softball), Kris Booker Rastrelli (CSH ’98) (women’s basketball), Carey Ryan (BUS ’02) (men’s track and � eld), Mel Searles (EDU ’69) (men’s tennis), Lance Williams (men’s basketball), the 1986 women’s cross-country team and Kevin McCann (EDU MA ’76), recipient of the Dr. Robert Hamilton Special Service Award.

� e cross-country team won the � rst confer-ence title in DePaul history after outrunning the � eld at the North Star Conference Champion-ship. � e lively bunch of former student-athletes (Beata Kielar Benavides, Audrey Lichtenfeld Benes [EDU ’90], Lori Pascoe Camplin [BUS ’88], Kim Wilkeson Harper [BUS ’90], Shawn Kavanaugh Hellebuyck [CMN ’05], Gloria Kuiken Iverson [EDU ’91], Erin Ahern Klancnik [LAS ’89], Colleen � omas Marlowe [CMN ’88], Patti O’Connell Puklin [CSH ’90,

MEd ’00] and Anne Kuiken Popek [LAS ’91]) and Coach John Caldow (EDU ’70) enjoyed reuniting and sharing memories of their days training at the Lincoln Park Zoo and warming up inside the Lion House. � ey had fond memories of Assistant Coach Karl Schae� ein (CMN ’81), who passed away in 1990.

Video acceptance speeches were shown for each of the inductees during the banquet and ceremony. Two themes that resonated throughout the night were the university’s mission of providing an excellent education to � rst-generation college students and the family atmosphere of the athletics program.

� e Hall of Fame weekend was highlighted by the Blue Demon men’s basketball team defeating Providence on Saturday afternoon at Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square. � e Class of 2019 was introduced to the crowd at halftime.

� ere was a Hall of Fame memorial service on Sunday morning in the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel at the Lincoln Park Student Center. Sunday afternoon, the inductees were introduced to the boisterous McGrath-Phillips Arena crowd, who watched the Blue Demons’ inspiring comeback fall just short against No. 10/9 Marquette.

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Celebrating DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019

Athletics Briefs Power forward

boosts men’s basketball program Talented 6-foot-9-inch power forward Carte’Are Gordon has transferred to DePaul and will be eligible following the 2019 autumn quarter. Gordon averaged nine points, four rebounds and two blocks as a freshman at Saint Louis University. He was rated among the top 75 recruits in the nation coming out of high school, averaging 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a senior. He joins a heralded recruiting class that features No. 22 Romeo Weems, from Michigan; top-100 prospect Markese Jacobs, from Chicago; Arkansas transfer Darious Hall and Oscar Lopez, from California.

National honor for Kelly Campbell DePaul point guard Kelly Campbell has been recognized as a national semifi nalist for the highly prestigious John Wooden Citizenship Cup award, one of the most cherished honors in all of sports. Her resume includes an impressive basketball portfolio, admirable academic achievements and a compelling history of community service that underscores the university’s mission. The junior from Wall, N.J., spent part of her summer vacation the last two years working at homes for at-risk children in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, working in the fi elds and the kitchen while also engaging the children in basketball and other sports.


In the new Broadway musical “Tootsie,” unemployed actor Michael Dorsey disguises himself as a woman to get back on stage, a choice that leads to both comedy and complications. Dorsey’s willingness to do whatever it takes to pursue his dream is what persuaded Scott Ellis (THE ’78) to direct the theatrical adaptation of the 1982 movie.

“As artists, we go into this profession with no guarantees, with no 9-to-5 job, with no retirement fund, with nothing—only the sense that we don’t want to do anything else,” says Ellis from a seat in a rear row of Chicago’s Cadillac Palace � eatre, where “Tootsie” debuted last fall before going to its Broadway opening in April 2019. He believes people in any profession can relate to Dorsey’s situation. “What would you do if you were told you could no longer do what you were born to do?”

Ellis was born to direct. He’s been nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director eight times. He won the Olivier Award for Best Director/Musical for “She Loves Me.” He was nominated for an Emmy for directing an episode of “30 Rock” and frequently directs episodes of hit television shows such as “Modern Family,” “Fra sier” and “� e Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

“He has an impressive record of successful shows. Con-sistency is one of his hallmarks,” says John Culbert, dean of � e � eatre School (TTS). He notes that Ellis’ steadily advancing career contrasts with many other directors who have big hits followed by big busts.

“WHEN I AUDITIONED FOR THE GOODMAN SCHOOL OF DRAMA,

BORN TO DIRECT

Like a ship’s captain, alumnus Scott Ellis is steady at the helm of

successful productions

By Kris Gallagher

which then became the DePaul Theatre School, the dean said to all of us,

‘If you would be happy doing anything else, anything, you have to get up, no judgment, and leave the room.’

… I knew at that moment I would not be happy doing anything else. Theatre is what I want to do. But if someone told me, ‘You can’t do this anymore,’ what would I do? How far would I go?” —Scott Ellis

SCOTT ELLIS


At � rst, Ellis’ � nely tuned instinct for what audiences want caused him to turn down the invitation to direct “Tootsie,” since the script was set in the 1980s and involved a soap opera. Even though he adores the movie, “I felt very strongly that you can’t just put a movie on stage. You have to � nd a di� erent way into that story,” he says. Ellis � nally agreed to direct when the revised script set the action on Broadway in today’s #MeToo environment, with Dorsey awakening to what it means to be a woman in a ruthless industry. “I knew that we had a story that today’s audiences would relate to.”

From Actor to DirectorEllis originally set out to be an actor, earning admission to Chicago’s famed Goodman School of Drama and becom-ing one of its � nal graduates. Struggling � nancially, the Goodman was acquired by DePaul in 1978 and merged

with the university’s existing theatre program, creating TTS. Ellis credits the Goodman/TTS faculty, especially Joe Slowik (THE MA ’53) and Bella Itkin (THE MFA ’43), with his on-stage success, � rst in Chicago and then in New York City: “� ose two people really changed my life.”

Ellis shared the Broadway stage with luminaries such as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera for more than a decade. Throughout that period, he had an itch to direct. In 1987, he scratched it, directing an o� -Broadway musical called “Flora the Red Menace.”

“Directing shifted where my passion was. All of a sudden I was on the other side of the table, and I liked it,” Ellis recalls with relish. He spent the next several years directing o� -Broadway

plays and musicals, including a revue called “And the World Goes Round” that won him a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical.

“� at is the best revue I’ve ever seen in my life, then and now,” says Todd Haimes, artistic director and CEO of Roundabout � eatre Company, Manhattan’s largest nonpro� t theatre company. When Haimes saw the show, he knew he had found the director for Roundabout’s � rst musical.

Ellis persuaded Haimes not only to hire him, but also to produce “She Loves Me,” a show that Haimes had never heard of.

“I was in way over my head because I didn’t know how to produce a musical, but Scott knew what he was doing and assembled the best team,” Haimes says. “‘She Loves Me’ was the most expensive play we had ever done. I was terri� ed that if it wasn’t a hit, we would never do another one.

“Luckily, Scott’s production was perfection.”

“TO ME, CHICAGO IS THE PERFECT CITY. IT’S A LITTLE SMALLER [THAN NEW YORK CITY], BUT IT’S GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT.”

Ellis in a rehearsal for “Tootsie”


Captain of the ShipRoundabout � eatre is now renowned for its musicals,

due in no small part to Ellis, who has been the company’s associate artistic director since 2003. “Just the administrative aspects of doing a musical are staggering, and you have to bring it together. Lights, sounds, costumes, orchestrations, music direction, choreography—all of them are separate rehearsals, and it’s huge! It’s an art form that transcends just being a director,” says Haimes. “It’s a big deal doing a musical on Broadway in New York.”

It’s a big deal in Chicago, too. In rehearsals for “Tootsie” last fall, the Cadillac Palace lobby was strewn with musical instruments, electrical equipment and stacks of boxes, barely leaving enough room for patrons to reach the box o� ce. Costume racks lined the second-� oor hallway. Big sheets of plywood were laid across rows of seats to serve as temporary desks for set designers, stage managers, musical directors and others. Ellis was in charge of it all.

“� e director in any theatre piece has said yes or no to everything you see on stage,” says Ellis. “It’s my job to make every decision. You’re like the captain of a ship.”

Good directors know that collaboration is essential, he adds. “You surround yourself with great people who bring out the best in you, just as you help them. If you’re secure

enough, you give them space and allow everybody to do what they do and do it well.”

Culbert says that Ellis excels at this tricky task, disarming people with his thoughtful consideration of their ideas and his approachable style, which includes his ubiquitous baseball cap. “Directors have to lead without appearing to lead,” Culbert explains. “� ey are artists working with peer artists. It’s a balancing act, being decisive and, at the same time, giving actors the freedom to try things and become their characters.”

And that’s what makes a great show, says Haimes. “Scott finds the humanity in situations. For example, all the characters in ‘Tootsie,’ as crazy as they are, aren’t cartoons. � ey are real people, and that’s what makes them funny.”

The Last Puzzle PieceUltimately, it’s the audience that decides whether the

show works. Ellis says that the people who attend pre-views—the dozen or so performances before a production o� cially opens—tell him whether his instincts are on target.

“� e audience is the last piece of the puzzle,” says Ellis, who watches the crowd instead of the stage during these performances. “� ey’ll tell you what they’re following, what they’re not understanding, whether the line that is supposed to get a laugh really is funny.”

Ellis hosted The Theatre School’s Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts in 2015, at which actor Nathan Lane, actor/director Ted Wass (THE ’75) and businessman and politician Christopher G. Kennedy were honored.

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SCOTT ELLIS


� at’s why he wanted to debut “Tootsie” in Chicago, even though the show was bound for Broadway. “Chicago theatregoers are savvy. � ey’re a smart audience,” he says. “If it works in Chicago, it works.”

After observing audience reactions, directors tinker with the show until opening night nears. � en they turn the production over to the stage manager—and leave the show.

“On Broadway, you freeze a show � ve or six days before critics come in [to review it],” Ellis says. “Once you freeze a show, there are no more changes. Your job is done.”

� ese days, he is accustomed to leaving one show for the next, but the � rst time was rough. “I had never felt that type of sadness before in my life. You create a family and then, all of a sudden, they don’t need you anymore.”

“It’s like being a dad,” continues Ellis, who has 9-year-old twins with his husband, Broadway actor Scott Drummond. “You are there when they are born, and you raise them. And then, if you do it well, they don’t need you anymore. You’ve got to let go. � at was a very, very hard thing for me to learn.”

Luckily, there’s always something waiting in the wings. “� ree seasons ago, I had three shows running at the same time on Broadway. � at was a lovely year,” says Ellis, whose boundless energy boggles everyone.

“Scott has 100 percent drive and determination to make a project be the best it can be, and relentless, endless energy to make that happen,” Culbert says.

Stage to Screen and BackEllis is one of the rare directors who maintains a suc-

cessful career in both theatre and television. In 2000, he began directing for television, beginning with “Frasier” and progressing to popular programs such as “30 Rock,”

“Desperate Housewives” and “Modern Family.” By 2009, he was executive producer as well as a director for shows such as “Weeds” and the hit Amazon original series “� e Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Haimes is thankful that Ellis still directs for the stage. “A whole generation of great directors in theatre went to the West Coast to do television. � ey said they’d be back, and none of them came back,” Haimes says wistfully. “It’s really great that Scott and some others have found a way to make it work.”

It’s all part of the plan, Ellis says. “I made a deal with myself that I would never, ever say yes to a television show or program unless I know what my next theatre show is going to be.”

As a television director, Ellis often has to adapt to established characters, sets and visual styles. “In a show

“I KNEW THAT WE HAD A STORY THAT TODAY’S AUDIENCES WOULD RELATE TO.”

Ellis, with actors Jamie Brewer, Debra Monk and Mark Blum, in a rehearsal for Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Amy and the Orphans”

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that’s been running a while, the actors know more about the characters than you do, and that’s just the opposite of theatre,” he says. Like most directors, he enjoys directing pilots of new shows, “where you have much more say because you’re helping set things up. You’re creating.”

Ultimately, he believes his success directing television stems from his passion for the stage. “I have an ego with theatre, but I don’t have an ego with television,” says Ellis, who accommodates the preferences of executive producers and studios. “I get all my artistic stu� out in theatre, and that’s what I love. I don’t need to in television, because I have it in the theatre world.”

TTS Love“I love this school [TTS]. I’m obsessed with it,” enthuses Ellis. For years he has helped recruit celebrity guests for the school’s annual gala and emceed the event several times. He has served on the TTS Advisory Board. He created the Joseph Slowik Endowed Scholarship in memory of the school’s late directing instructor. He’s a frequent visitor and guest lecturer; just last fall he talked for more than two hours with students in the directing program.

He thinks TTS is even better now than when he attended. “� e backbone of DePaul theatre has been there for a long time,” Ellis explains. “� e new theatre building allows it to be recognized as one of the top schools in the country.”

In fact, Ellis always � nds a way to work DePaul and TTS into every media interview he gives, even if the reporter doesn’t ask, Culbert says. “We could not ask for a better spokesperson.”

� e reason is obvious, Ellis says. “I owe so much to these teachers. I owe so much to this school. … I love what I’m doing. I’m doing what I wanted to, and my career never has to end. I still get to play.”

“WE COULD NOT ASK FOR A BETTER SPOKESPERSON.”—JOHN CULBERT, DEAN OF THE THEATRE SCHOOL

Ellis visits with current students at The Theatre School

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From the Newberry Library to Chicago itself, there are ample opportunities for DePaul students to learn and explore.

By Abigail Pickus

Back when he was teaching humanities courses to

medical students, Professor Craig Klugman noticed something alarming.

“I would get them the very � rst week of medical school, and they were so interested and so excited about my course. But when I saw them again after they had taken six weeks of microbiology, it was like the living dead. � ey had just lost all interest, all spark, and I couldn’t get them to be inter-ested,” says the bioethicist and medical anthropologist who teaches in DePaul’s Department of Health Sciences.

Klugman blames their

crushed spirits on a “hidden curriculum in medicine” telling them that the arts have no place in the sciences.

But Klugman has made it his mission to prove the opposite: that art, poetry, literature and � lm are exactly what students in the health sciences need, not just to be better people, but to be better practitioners. Since joining DePaul in 2013, he has infused a healthy dose of humanities content into the College of Science and Health.

Over the course of his health humanities class, students visit the DePaul Art Museum, watch the movie “Gattaca,” learn about making graphic art from

Creative Sources of Knowledge

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Clockwise from bottom left: First-year biological sciences student Gertrude Marie Palillo created a zine as an homage to her Filipino heritage; Art created by Meghan Rolston, Nick Echevarria and Clemmie Taets

for Professor Craig Klugman’s health humanities course

Creative Sources of Knowledge


pool of knowledge and strength and ideas of how to think about these things, you’re going to be better able to deal with it.”

A Gilded ClassroomOver the 2018-19 academic year, undergraduates lucky enough to make it into the interdisciplinary seminar Modern Literature & Art in Chicago, 1900-1960, got to call Chicago’s own Newberry Library their academic home for the entire school year.

“� is is a pretty unique op-portunity,” says Mark Pohlad, associate professor of the history of art and architecture, who co-taught the seminar with Loyola English faculty member Melissa Bradshaw. “It’s among the most advanced kind of undergraduate experiences that a student can have because it’s competitive, it’s o� site, it’s in a research collection and it’s multidisciplinary.”

� e Newberry Library Undergraduate Seminar, which dates back to the 1990s, brings students from DePaul, Loyola, Roosevelt and UIC together to take high-level courses co-taught by faculty from the participating schools.

“� is is an unprecedented opportunity for students to work in one of the most prestigious research libraries in the world,” says Margaret Storey, associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and professor in the History Department, who has co-taught seminars there on the Civil War. “Faculty from across the globe compete for fellowships at the Newberry, and through this program our students are given carrels and treated as fellows. It’s also remarkable for faculty as this is one of the few ways we can co-teach, in an interdisciplinary

way, a high-level seminar for undergraduate students.”

� e 20th-century literature and art seminar relies upon the Newberry’s vast collection of scholarly and source materials on the history of Chicago.

“Students read the poems and stories of famous Chicago modernists, and then they can actually look at their letters, diaries and primary materials to � nd out what they were thinking and feeling,” says Pohlad. “In the same way, I show Chicago artworks in class, such as a painting that was made in the 1930s, and then I direct students to an exhibition catalog to see what critics were saying about these works at the time.”

As part of the course, students also visit the Art Institute of Chicago. “We hope this really brings not just history alive, but art history and literature, too,” says Pohlad, who has been teaching at DePaul since 1992. “� is will really position our students to embark on their academic career in a really organic way, where even the professors are students of the city.”

Underground ArtWhen Gertrude Marie Palillo, a first-year student in the College of Science and Health, signed up for Alternative Cultures: Artists’ Books and Zines to fulfill her Discover Chicago requirement—the freshman course that orients students to DePaul and the city—she discovered a hidden world.

“Before this class, I had no idea about this whole world of zines and artists’ books and about the communities connected to them,” says the Round Lake, Ill., native.

But through excursions to places like Quimby’s Bookstore

and a reuse center called � e WasteShed, alongside deep dives into the collections at the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection and DePaul’s own John T. Richardson Library, she was able to get a real taste of these artistic creations and self-published works.

“� is course was an exciting and safe way for students to explore the city, meet people who are making all kinds of interesting things and show o� their creativity through their end project—a zine or an artist’s book,” says Heather McShane, an instructor in DePaul’s Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse Department, who taught the course.

From the thumb-sized zine titled “Eye of the Storm” by � rst-year student Kayla Rose to another on homesickness, the � nal projects that emerged are eye-popping and highly original. All are available by request for public view in the Richardson Library’s Special Collections and Archives.

Palillo’s � nal project was a

travel zine paying homage to her parents’ home country of the Philippines, which she was able to visit recently for the � rst time. Her zine has a homespun scrapbook feel, with digitized photos from her trip and hand-drawn illustrations of her favorite Filipino dishes, such as pork adobo. � e cover features a Filipino proverb in Tagalog and English: “It’s important to look back at your roots and show gratitude to those who came before you. It is because of them that you are who you are today.”

“I’m here because my parents made the decision to come to America—that was only possible because of their parents’ support,” says Palillo during a break from a day packed with health science courses.

� rough this artistic course, she was able to reconnect to her creativity.

“I’ve always drawn as a hobby, and being able to use my creativity has given me a nice break from chemistry and biology,” she says.

Poetry magazine founder Harriet Monroe at her desk. DePaul students study Monroe and other Chicago writers

and poets at the Newberry Library.


pounding on the desk in time to the words.

“� e coolest moment is when they realize that her poem sounds like a heartbeat,” says Klugman. “I’ve taught this class three times, and I’ve never had a student not come

back after the � rst day, because they absolutely get hooked on the idea that science can be represented in art, and that art, like science, is open to interpretation.”

Marisa Coursey (CSH ’19) is one of those students. � e 22-year-old majoring in health sciences with a concentration in nursing plans on enrolling in the accelerated MA degree from DePaul’s School of Nursing in the fall.

“It was di� cult going from an organic chemistry class to taking Dr. Klugman’s class. I was thinking, what does this have to do with medicine? But it was so inspiring to put the focus back on treating a patient as a person with a family and a story. � ey are much more than just a case study. It reminds me why I want to become a nurse in the � rst place and why I’m so passionate about this � eld,” she says.

Klugman’s passion is based

on more than just a love for the arts. � e two studies he co-authored while teaching at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio show that teaching medical and nursing students how to view art signi� cantly improved their observation skills, which directly correlate to their success observing patients. His forthcoming book, “Research Methods in the Health Human-ities,” showcases the research methodologies of this new � eld.

If Klugman has his way, the types of courses he’s o� ering will give students invaluable tools to approach something far greater than a speci� c set of professional skills. � ey will be better equipped to deal with this thing called life.

“Being ill and being well are parts of the human experience,” says Klugman. “We will all someday be a patient and someday take care of somebody who is ill. So if you have this

a nurse who created a comic book about her experiences on the HIV ward and interview seniors to write their stories.

“I think you start with humanities, because healing is about connecting with other people,” he says.

Klugman’s class is but one of many innovative ways faculty and students across DePaul are pursuing knowledge. Whether they are participating in interdisciplinary courses at the Newberry Library, delving into the riches of DePaul’s Special Collections and Archives, or exploring DePaul’s second classroom—the city of Chi-cago—there is no shortage of unique ways to pursue learning and exploration at DePaul.

The Human ConditionOn the � rst day of Klugman’s course, he greets students with Margaret Atwood’s poem “� e Woman Who Could Not Live with Her Faulty Heart.”

“‘But most hearts say, I want, I want, I want, I want. My heart … says, I want, I don’t want, I want, and then a pause,’” reads Klugman,

DePaul students have the opportunity to take classes at Chicago’s illustrious Newberry Library.

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Bioethicist and medical anthropologist Craig Klugman wants to infuse humanities into DePaul’s College of Science and Health.

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IT all started with a simple request from Chicago’s Rush University.“They have these incredible faculty in

their medical school, but they had never been trained in the skills and practices of teaching,” recalls Donna Kiel, an instructional assistant professor in the teacher education program in DePaul’s College of Education (COE).

So Kiel created and facilitated a six-week intensive training program for a group of medical faculty. “� is customized professional learning really transformed how they view teaching and how they teach,” says Kiel.

� e experience prompted James Wol� nger, associate dean for curriculum and programs, and Roxanne Owens (EDU ’84), associate professor and teacher education program chair, to ask Kiel to investigate whether other educa-tional organizations might be interested in this type of customized professional development.

Solving the

Creativity Puzzle

DePaul’s College of Education is exporting its

innovative teacher training methods to China.

By Abigail Pickus

OIPL Director Donna Kiel leading professional development training for Chinese educators

CREATIVITY PUZZLE


She started researching. Before coming to DePaul, Kiel had applied her entrepreneurial leadership for nearly 30 years in secondary education, and she had nurtured partnerships with several companies to develop technology initiatives at the schools where she served as principal. She called her industry contacts and asked, “Is there a need for this?”

� e answer was a resounding “yes.” Kiel learned through a colleague in Beijing, China, that an educational research company was interested in her work. She presented her � ndings to Dean Paul Zionts, Wol� nger and Owens, thinking she had done her duty and could go back to teaching.

Instead, with the provost’s stamp of approval, in 2013 COE o� cially launched the O� ce of Innovative Professional Learn-ing (OIPL), with Kiel as its director. � is innovative model of educational professional development o� ers customized training pro-grams for educational institutions, businesses and other organizations. In addition to Rush, which has become a regular client, OIPL has developed and run trainings for public and parochial schools throughout Chicago, private companies and even the Library of Congress.

But one of OIPL’s greatest impacts has been in the People’s Republic of China.

Conformity Meets Creativity

Since 2013, OIPL has partnered with ed-ucational organizations working on behalf of China’s K-12 schools to o� er customized professional development to teachers. In that capacity, OIPL has sent DePaul faculty to Beijing and its surrounding provinces to lead professional development courses for nearly 900 teachers from more than 47 schools.

“Our partnership with China continues to grow at a rapid pace. � is past summer, with

four di� erent trips, we provided professional development to more than 300 teachers,” says Kiel.

� eir directive is speci� c: Bring creativity to the Chinese classroom.

“China is outstanding at direct instruction and in preparing students for tests, but they came to us because they want to learn creativity and innovation,” says Kiel. “Innovative ideas are born from creativity, and COE faculty are experts at engaging students in such creative thinking.”

One major challenge of this endeavor is that Chinese culture is built upon a very traditional teaching model, with teachers delivering lectures in front of the class and stu-

dents memorizing facts. � is approach works for an educational system built to prepare students to pass the rigorous Gaokao tests, the two-day entrance examination required by nearly every institution of higher learning in China.

� ere is also another built-in challenge: a culture of conformity instilled by Mao’s Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. “Creativity really emerges when you can identify the self as di� erent from others, which is starkly di� erent from China’s message that we all think the same,” says Kiel.

Nonetheless, there is an element of indi-viduality in Chinese culture upon which to build a more creative society.

I think our professional development is different than many universities’ because it’s very customized to the culture itself. —Donna Kiel

Associate Professor Roxanne Owens leading a workshop in Beijing on designing and implementing lessons that are interactive and engaging


“When you look at Buddhism or at the ancient text Tao Te Ching, both say that you’re uniquely you and there’s no one else like you. I believe strongly that creativity can be taught because it’s about going inward and identifying the self. Once you � nd your life purpose and you align it with a value, then what you do is di� erent from what I do. � is leads you on a path of creativity,” says Kiel.

Can Creativity Be Taught?

Roxanne Owens has traveled to China several times for OIPL.

“Each time I did basically the same thing, which was trying to show the teachers alterna-tives to the ‘stand and deliver’ model of getting information across to students,” she says.

One popular lesson she modeled was designed to convey information about the Titanic. “One of the first things that we did was called ‘each one teach one,’ where everybody gets a fact about the Titanic and then you have to walk around the room and teach your fact to everybody else. � en we did something called the jigsaw, where your group gets one piece of information about the Titanic, and then you take your piece of the information and spread out to di� erent groups to ultimately piece together a whole picture of the Titanic,” says Owens.

� e end result was a room full of Chinese educators who were not only learning new things but also enjoying the process.

“It’s interesting because when we would ask them about their most powerful learning experiences they would always say, ‘It was when I was really engaged in learning, when I got to do a case study, or when I got to walk around the room and do a think-pair-share [a collaborative learning strategy],’” says Owens.

Educators from China and OIPL Director Donna Kiel during a visit to DePaul for teacher training

Creativity Catch-22� e problem Owens encountered was that the teachers did not always bring these engaging, student-centered approaches back to their own classrooms.

“When we followed up with them to see if they used these strategies in their own classrooms, the answer was always the same; ‘No, we don’t have time’ or ‘� at’s not what we’re evaluated on. We’re evaluated on their test scores,’” says Owens with a sigh.

� is Catch-22 played out often, with the educators being inspired by what they had experienced but stymied once they got back to their own classrooms.

“We would talk to the administrators to let them know that they were putting the teachers in a bad position because what you’re evaluating them on is not matching what you’re asking them to do in the classroom. � e administrators would always tell us how committed they are to their teachers’ engaging the students more. � en we would go back to the teachers and tell them that by using more engaging strategies, the kids will learn more and will think at higher levels,” says Owens.

But each time, they hit this proverbial wall. “It’s an uphill battle, kind of a chicken-and-egg debate,” says Owens. “Which comes � rst, getting the teachers to teach this way or

CREATIVITY PUZZLE


getting the administrators to allow them to or getting the tests to not dominate the whole approach? In China, these tests are high stakes. Your future depends on whether you’re going to get into this college or that college, so it’s hard to convince people to not just stand and give the answers.”

But the DePaul faculty do see steady progress.

“One of the things that we saw was that when we were able to engage educators with something that was a part of their culture, they often felt more comfortable doing something that was more creative and open-ended,” says Wol� nger, who taught with Owens on several trips.

For Chelsea Qu, vice president of Mindxplorer Education Association, LLC, the Chinese company that has engaged OIPL to teach multiple training sessions, the lessons are making a di� erence.

“The DePaul teacher training is very di� erent from other trainings,” she shares via email. “DePaul professors always engage the teachers. � e teachers change the way they think about teaching and see the importance of student-centered learning and creativity after the DePaul sessions.”

Amazing Similarities Before they go to China, DePaul steeps OIPL faculty in Chinese culture, religion and educational philosophy.

“I think our professional development is di� erent than many universities’ because it’s very customized to the culture itself. We don’t presume that we, as Americans, know about creativity in your culture. Instead, we use a multicultural lens to deeply understand Chinese culture so that we can honor that system and also tell you what’s possible,” says Kiel.

For Owens, that means letting Chinese educators know that “we’re here to learn together. I’m very interested in building on what they do well. We never approach it like what they do is not right,” she says.

It turns out there are many parallels be-tween the educational experiences on both sides of the Paci� c.

“� ey have a lot of the very same challeng-es we do. It’s interesting how you could be halfway around the world and have the same kinds of student/parent/administration issues. � e similarities are amazing,” says Owens.

And the 21st-century challenges facing both countries are also the same.

“How is it that we try to inculcate in people a sense of creativity, innovation and problem-solving?” asks Wol� nger. “Because the 21st-century economy is going to need people who are really smart and educated in how to identify problems and then come together as a team to creatively solve them.”

The teachers change the way they think about teaching and see the importance of student-centered learning and creativity after the DePaul sessions. —Chelsea Qu

OIPL Director Donna Kiel leading a training for teachers from China on student-centered teaching and cultivating creativity


COLLEGE AND SCHOOLabbreviation key

» BUS Driehaus College of Business» CDM College of Computing and Digital Media» CMN College of Communication» CSH College of Science and Health» EDU College of Education » GSD Goodman School of Drama» JD College of Law » LAS College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences» MUS School of Music» SNL School for New Learning» THE The Theatre School

Share your news with the DePaul community! We want to hear about your promotion, career move, wedding, birth announcement and other accomplishments and milestones.

Please include your name (and maiden name if applicable), along with your email, mailing address, degree(s) and year(s) of graduation.

Mail to:DePaul University O� ce of Alumni RelationsATTN: Class Notes1 E. Jackson Blvd.Chicago, IL 60604

Email: dpalumni@depaul. eduFax: 312.362.5112Online submissions: alumni.depaul.edu

Class notes will be posted on the Alumni & Friends website and will be considered for inclusion in DePaul Magazine. DePaul reserves the right to edit class notes.

1950s

David J. Danelski (JD ’53) is the Boone Centennial Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University. He is the author of many publications on the U.S. Su-preme Court, constitutional law and judicial behavior, and is working on a biography of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

1960s

James O’Neil (LAS ’64, MA ’66) recently published his 200th post on his blog at memoriesofatime.blog. He writes about growing up in Chicago and other personal topics.

Ralph P. Pechanio (BUS ’64) is among 200 veterans statewide chosen by the Illinois Department

of Veterans’ A� airs as a Bicentennial HONOR 200 recipient.

Frank S. Ptak (BUS ’65, DHL ’13) was named senior managing director of Madison Industries in January 2019. He retired as chairman and CEO of Marmon Holdings at the end of 2018.

Sr. � erese (� omas Fran-cis) Decanio, OP, (LAS ’67)

CLASS NOTESLog in to alumni.depaul.edu to read additional class

notes and to discover the many ways to connect

with other alumni and the DePaul community.

was named a 2018 Jubilarian for 70 years of service to the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

� omas P. Wilczak (CSH ’68) is among 200 veterans statewide chosen by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ A� airs as a Bicentennial HONOR 200 recipient.

1970s

Raymond F. McCaskey (CSH MS ’71) and his wife, Judith, were named 2019 Legendary Landmarks by Landmarks Illinois, a non-pro� t organization advocating for the preservation and reuse of historic and architecturally signi� cant properties in the state.

Mike Morrissey (JD ’74) was honored on Nov. 16, 2018, with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Morrissey spent almost his entire career of 40-plus years as a Cook County public defender. He is an adjunct professor at DePaul’s College of Law.

» Robert W. McGee (MST ’76) won his fi fth martial arts world championship in January 2019. He has been a world champi-on in karate three times and once each in taekwondo and kung fu, as well as a silver medalist in tai chi. He is an associate professor of account-ing at Fayetteville (N.C.) State University.

ENGAGEMENTS & MARRIAGES

» Leola Westbrook (BUS ’04) and John Preston Lawrence were married Dec. 2, 2018, in Santa Monica, Calif. She is an executive producer and showrunner for various TV shows and networks.

» Sharon Olszowka (BUS ’05) and David Yu (BUS ’05) were married on Sept. 2, 2018. � e couple met in an undergraduate algebra class at DePaul and became engaged in front of the DePaul Center on the Loop campus. She is currently in sales at Heritage Wine Cellars, while he is a controller at Raymundo’s Food Group.

» Lambrini Karnava (EDU ’06) and Konstan-tinos Papadoulakis were married on July 15, 2017, at the Chicago Cultural Center. She works for American Airlines.

» Phaidra A. Wills (CSH ’09) and Adam Bumpers (SNL ’19) were engaged Dec. 14, 2018, among family and friends. Wills is an licensed clinical professional counselor in Chicago, and Bumpers is a sports compliance manager with Chicago Public Schools.

» Kelcie L. Daniels (BUS ’12) and Daniel S. Davis were married on April 18, 2018. She is a � nancial advisor with On Track Financial, based in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

» Vincent Anter (CDM ’10) and Lisa Wyczesany (CMN ’10) were married on Sept. 2, 2018, at St. Benedict’s Church in Chicago. � ey both lived in Corcoran Hall as students. On the day of their wedding, Lisa surprised Vince with a quick photo shoot in the hallway where

they met. � e couple lives in Los Angeles.

» Sam C. Finnell (BUS MS ’13) married Morgan Bunting on Sept. 22, 2018, in Nantucket, Mass. He is an associate director at Bentall Kennedy, a real estate investment management � rm.

» Felicia Tate (SNL ’13) married Keith W. Flowers Sr. on Sept. 15, 2017, at First Reformed Church of South Holland, Ind. She is a teller manager at Bank Financial in Orland Park, Ill.

An engagement notice in the Winter 2019 DePaul Magazine misidenti� ed the groom. Below is the correct announcement. We regret the error.Jordan L. McDonald (EDU ’15) and Kevin Howe (CMN ’14) are engaged and planning a wedding in July 2019.

CLASS NOTES


Michael Jankiewicz (LAS ’77, EDU MA ’81) retired from his career as a teacher and school administrator in 2015. He currently works part time in Elmhurst (Ill.) College’s Education Department as a licensure o� cer.

Dennis A. Carr (BUS ’78, MST ’79) retired after 27 years in the tax department of the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, rising to the po-sition of executive director. He worked for more than 42 years as an accountant.

Albert Fontenot Jr. (SNL ’79, MBA ’85) is associate director of the U.S. Census Bureau and in charge of the 2020 U.S. census.

Gregory A. Padovani (BUS MS ’79) is among 200 veterans statewide chosen by the Illinois Department of Vet-erans’ A� airs as a Bicentennial HONOR 200 recipient.

Richard S. Schi� rin (JD ’79) was appointed chair of the leadership council of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

1980s

Robert V. Scalise (JD ’81) was hired as director of human resources for the city of Meriden, Conn. For the past 12 years, he operated his own private practice, Scalise Law, representing employees as a labor and employment attorney.

Christine A. Scheuneman (JD ’81) was elected to the board of directors of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach, Calif. She recently retired as a partner in the law � rm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Patrick J. Moore (BUS ’82) was elected chairman of the board of directors of Energizer Holdings Inc. He is president and CEO of PJM Advisors LLC, a private equity investment and advisory � rm.

Scot J. Schae� er (BUS ’83) was named vice president for enrollment management at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.

Gustavo Siller Jr. (JD ’83) was honored as one of “Chica-go’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a shareholder and president of Brinks Gilson & Lione.

Ann Gillespie (JD ’84) was elected Illinois state senator representing the 27th District.

Sylvia A. Wulf (MBA ’84) was named president and CEO of AquaBounty Technologies Inc. Previously, she was a senior vice president of US Foods Inc.

Ariste Reno (LAS ’85) joined global consulting � rm Protiviti as a managing director based in Chicago.

Dominic Calabrese (CSH ’86) was awarded the 5-Sigma Physicist Award for outstand-

ing advocacy by the American Physical Society in May 2018. He has worked in the physics department of Sierra College near Sacramento, Calif., for the past 20 years.

Joseph L. Fogel (JD ’86) was elected co-managing partner of Chicago-based law � rm Freeborn & Peters LLP.

Tom C. Aronson (MBA ’87) is managing director and a partner of Monroe Capital LLC and SNH Capital Partners.

Daniel Goldsmith (BUS ’87, MBA ’90) was named chief operating o� cer and CFO for PCF Insurance Services. He also was named to the � rm’s board of directors.

J. James O’Malley (BUS ’87) was named managing director of the Chicago o� ce of global executive search � rm Stanton Chase.

Kwame Raoul (LAS ’87) was elected Illinois Attorney General and took o� ce in January 2019.

Joseph P. Greskoviak (LAS ’88) was elevated to president and CEO of Press Ganey. Formerly, he was president and chief operating o� cer.

Christopher A. Johlie (JD ’88) joined Littler Mendelson PC as a shareholder. His specialty is labor law.

Daniel J. Ugaste (JD ’88) was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives serving the 65th District.

» Deborah L. Borman (JD ’89), law professor at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law, published her fi rst book, “A Short &

Happy Guide to Legal Writing” (West Academic). This inaugural edition in the Short & Happy series provides practice tips for legal memos and briefs, along with a short history of legal writing in the United States.

W. Earl Brown (THE MFA ’89) will join most of the principal cast of “Deadwood” for a movie set about 10 years after the events in the � nal season of the show.

Alexander J. Croke (BUS ’89) is president and CEO of Local Marketing Solutions Group, based in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Gregory M. Gilmore (BUS ’89, JD ’93) was named chief of the criminal division for the 46-county Central District of Illinois, which includes Spring� eld.

Raju M. Patel (MBA ’89) was appointed market president for the Denver region of Bank of America. He also was named Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Commercial Banking market executive for Colorado.

1990s

William R. Beiersdorf (BUS ’90) is among 200 veterans statewide chosen by the Illinois Department of Vet-erans’ A� airs as a Bicentennial HONOR 200 recipient.

Jane E. Hilk (MBA ’90) joined the board of directors of Innophos Holdings Inc. in November 2018. She has more than three decades of executive experience in the food and beverage industry.

Timothy P. Knight (JD ’90) was appointed CEO of Tribune Publishing Company in January 2019. He also joined the company’s board of directors.

Paul J. Krueger (CDM MS ’90) was named vice president of information technology and chief information o� cer

at J.B. Poindexter, located in Houston. Prior to that, he was the CIO for Stewart & Stevenson.

Stacy R. McAfee (MBA ’90) was named president of the University College of the Cayman Islands.

Victor H. Reyes (JD ’90) was honored as one of “Chicago’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a founding partner of Reyes Kurson.

» Suzanne (Martello) Stanish (BUS ’90) was re-elected as executive trustee of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund in January 2019. She has been the director of fi nance for the Naperville (Ill.) Park District for the past fi ve years.

Narda Alcorn (THE ’92) has been appointed chair of the stage management department of the Yale School of Drama and stage management advisor of the Yale Repertory � eatre. Her � ve-year appointment begins July 1, 2019.

Paul W. Eisenmenger (MBA ’92) joined Knox College in Galesburg, Tenn., as vice president of � nance.

William J. Hunter (BUS ’92, MBA ’96) is president and CEO of the AMCI Acquisition Corp.

Lorna Rivera (EDU ’92) is director of the University of Massachusetts’ Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. Recently, she was appointed to serve on the Boston School Committee.

BIRTHS & ADOPTIONS

» Mark Miskewitch (CMN ’97, MA ’10) and his wife, Anne Miskewitch (LAS ’00, MA ’03), welcomed their second daughter, Alyna Eva Marie, on Nov. 3, 2018. Alyna joins big brother, Andrew, and big sister, Nina.

» Alex Nowak (BUS ’08) and Raquel Nowak (CSH ’08) welcomed twin girls, Jordyn Alexa and Alana Raquel, on Aug. 14, 2018.


Juliana W. Stratton (JD ’92) was sworn in as lieutenant governor of Illinois on Jan. 14, 2019.

Je� rey S. Aronin (MBA ’93), chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences, was named 2018’s Innovator of the Year by Best in Biz Awards for his lifelong commitment to developing medicines for severe diseases.

Douglas A. Hoekstra (LAS ’93) published his debut poetry collection, “Unopened,” in February 2019.

Gary Bushue (MST ’94) has joined CliftonLarsonAl-len LLP’s Oak Brook, Ill., o� ce as a principal charged with providing tax services.

Michael D. Episcope (BUS ’94, MS ’08) is co-founder of the private equity real estate � rm Origin Investments.

Soprano Mary F. Petro (MUS ’94) performed a tribute to Leonard Bernstein at the New Canaan (Conn.) Library.

Diana Vines (EDU ’94) is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association 2019 Hall of Fame class.

Marek Ciszewski (BUS ’95) was named senior director of the California

o� ce of Edison Group, an investor relations, research and consulting � rm.

Tony W. Hunter (MBA ’95) was appointed to the board of directors for Revolution Enterprises, a national leader in the cannabis industry. He is chairman of Nucleus Marketing Solutions.

David S. Kalt (CDM MS ’95) won an 1871 Momentum Award, given by technology incubator 1871 and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, on Nov. 15, 2018.

Scott Olechowski (BUS ’95) is co-founder and chief product o� cer for Plex, a media software maker.

Terra A. Costa Howard (JD ’96) was elected to serve as the Illinois state representative for the 48th District.

Robert L. Fernandez (LAS ’96) was honored as one of “Chicago’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a partner with Dentons and chairs the � rm’s real estate practice.

Ramzi Hermiz (MBA ’96), president and CEO, Shiloh Industries, Inc., was elected as chairman of the board of the Original

Equipment Suppliers Association.

Je� rey Burish (MUS ’97) was a soloist in the Morgan Park Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir’s annual concert presentation of Handel’s “Messiah” on Dec. 2, 2018.

Kinga W. Kosek (CMN ’97) owns Kingaroos Children’s Shoes in Gateway Square in Hinsdale, Ill.

Je� rey A. Levick (JD ’97) is CEO of � e Player’s Tribune, an athlete-led content platform that provides athletes with tools and services to create their own content, increase engagement with fans and inspire others through their stories.

» Andrea E. (Forsyth) Telling (EDU ’98) is a shareholder in the Grand Rapids, Mich., o� ce of law fi rm Plunkett Cooney, where she focuses on transportation law.

Michelle Gonzalez (CSH MS ’98) is creating a new nurse anesthesia education program for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Rudresh K. Mahanthappa (MM ’98), an alto saxophon-ist, composer and educator, launched a jazz festival at Princeton University, where he is the director of jazz in the Department of Music.

Kurt P. Miscinski (MBA ’98) is CEO and president of wealth management � rm Certify Partners.

John W. Hoogenakker (THE ’99) starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in “Q Brothers Christmas Carol” at � e Yard at Chicago Shakespeare � eater on Navy Pier.

2000s

Gunnery Sgt. Joseph DeLuccio (MM ’01) played the oboe as a member of “� e President’s Own” Unit-ed States Marine Chamber Orchestra for President George H.W. Bush’s funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. He has been a member of the orchestra since 2005.

Brian A. Perkovich (MBA ’01) was named executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

of Greater Chicago. He has worked for the district for more than 25 years.

Vishal � akkar (CDM ’01, MBA ’08) was promot-ed to senior vice president and head of enterprise risk management of OCC, an equity derivatives clearing organization.

Christine T. Bunuan (THE ’02) starred in the national tour of “Miss Saigon,” which played at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace � eatre Nov. 14–Dec. 8, 2018.

Margo Giannoulis (MEd ’02) is the new principal of North Elementary School in Des Plaines, Ill.

Annette M. Messitt (JD ’02) was appointed to the King County (Washington) Superior Court.

Peter R. Tyksinski (JD ’02) represented his � rm, Momo-o, Matsuo & Namba, Tokyo, Japan, as a delegate to Interlaw’s 2018 Annual Global Meeting in Paris, France. Momo-o, Matsuo & Namba is the sole Japanese member of Interlaw.

Mina M. Zikri (MUS ’02, MM ’05, CER ’16) was named conductor of the Northbrook (Ill.) Symphony. He previously was founder and conductor of the Oistrakh Symphony

IN MEMORIAM

Lord, we commend to you the souls of our dearly departed. In your mercy and love, grant them eternal peace.

AlumniAnn M. Colleary (BUS ’46) » Jean M. Fischer (CSH ’46) » Georgene Carlini (LAS ’47) » Louis C. Rudd (LAS ’48) » Robert L. Anderson (BUS ’50) » Msgr. John W. Dalton (BUS ’50) » Vincent P. Janks

(BUS ’50) » Marie Malm (MUS MA ’50) » Helen M. Elliott (MUS ’51) » George Harhen (BUS ’56) » John D. Carney (BUS ’57) » � omas G. Reger (BUS ’57) » Bernadette M. Cole (LAS ’59) » Raymond W. Francis (CSH MA ’60) » John P. Coleman (JD ’62) » George T. Colleran (BUS ’62) » Sr. Margaret M. Hofstetter (LAS MA ’62) » Nyra A. Wise (EDU ’62, MEd ’65) » Bruce S. Palmer (LAS ’63) » Barbara

Schissler (LAS ’63) » Sr. Antonita Soppe, O.S.F. (EDU MA ’64) » Frank A. Maisch (MEd ’65) » Irwin G. Jann (JD ’66) » Sr. Mary Blaise Cillessen, O.S.B. (MM ’68) » Richard A. Pedersen (MBA ’68) » Harriet G. Lance (EDU ’69) » Joseph A. Baldwin (CSH ’70) » Louise M. Robertson (MEd ’70) » Sophia M. Renner (MEd ’71) » Br. David A. MacIntyre (LAS MA ’74) » Mark S. Fawzy (MBA ’78) » Lee Edward

Elverson (BUS ’79) » Robert A. Creech (MBA ’80) » Paul J. Czernia (BUS ’81) » Ceres A. Locher (CSH MS ’81) » � omas J. Lee (LAS ’85) » James C. Backstrom (CDM MS ’86) » Joan M. Husak (MEd ’90) » Henry C. Bergman Jr. (MBA ’91) » Nancy L. Rick-Janis (MBA ’93) » Judith A. Jensen (MBA ’96) » Michael C. Craney (MBA ’99) » Mark W. Shellady (MBA ’99) » John Halm Jr. (MBA ’02) » Angela

C. Schmidt (MST ’04) » Eboni S. Rebb (CMN ’08) » Zachary R. Nunnery (MUS ’18)

FriendsBarry J. Carroll » David E. Drehmer » Dr. John T. Leahy » Gregory MacVarish » Dr. Curtis C. Verschoor » Ken Warzynski

Editor’s Note: Due to space limitations, this memorial list includes only those alumni and friends who our o� ces have con� rmed have passed away since the previous issue was printed.

CLASS NOTES


John P. Kelly (LAS ’68), the avuncular proprietor of Kelly’s Pub, was beloved

by generations of DePaul alumni, faculty and sta� . Kelly took over the family busi-ness, which was founded in 1933, while he was still in college and ensured that it remained an iconic watering hole for Blue Demons fans and Lincoln Park locals.

“A bar is made for people to talk,” Kelly told the Chicago Tribune shortly before his death. “They come in, they look for the conversations. They’re looking for community.”

Kelly and his wife, Polly, broadened that community in 1969 when they helped found the annual Sheffield Garden Walk. A longtime fan of Blue Demon men’s and women’s basketball, Kelly also was known for founding the imaginary Maguire University, composed of NCAA basketball fans who attend the Final Four each year.

Kelly’s was the site of many DePaul events over the years, most recently an

after-party for attendees to the 2018 Alumni Weekend who were celebrating 50+ years as DePaul alumni as part of the Fifty Year Club. Kelly had just joined the club that year.

Kelly attended DePaul Academy, the Vincentian high school housed in what is now Byrne Hall. In addition to running Kelly’s, he became a fi refi ghter. He served on Engine 78 near Wrigley Field before becoming captain of Engine 91 in Logan Square. He retired in 1997.

“John had the ability to be com-fortable in the presence of Chicago’s political, fi nancial, artistic and sports elite while always remaining true to his blue-collar Lincoln Park roots,” says Doug Bruno (LAS ’73, MA ’88), DePaul’s women’s basketball coach and Kelly’s close friend. “John Kelly’s legacy will live through Polly, his family, the many Chicagoans he touched and, last but not least, Kelly’s Pub.”

In Memoriam

John P. Kelly (1937-2019)

of Chicago and will remain its music director. He also is the resident conductor of the Lira Ensemble.

Juan Morado Jr. (LAS ’03) was honored as one of “Chicago’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a partner with Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Arono� LLP, where he focuses on health care regulations and policy.

Agostino Ricupati (MST ’03) is chief accounting o� cer for Cooper Com-panies, a public holding company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Daniel Won (MM ’03, CER ’05) is in his third season with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and made his solo debut with the orchestra in December 2018 in an all-Bernstein program.

Samuel J. Yingling (LAS ’03) was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives serving the 62nd District.

Robert J. Domol (JD ’04) was named to the 2018 Wisconsin Rising Stars list of lawyers. He works out of the Appleton o� ce of Hupy and Abraham SC.

Kelley Gandurski (JD ’04) was named executive director for Chicago Animal Care and Control. She had been acting director since June 30, 2018.

Robert P. Strobo (JD ’04) was named general counsel, chief legal o� cer and corporate secretary for 3PEA International Inc.

Russell A. Carleton (CSH MA ’05, PhD ’09), a longtime writer for Baseball Prospectus, was hired as an analyst by the

New York Mets. Carleton authored “� e Shift: � e Next Evolution in Baseball � inking” in 2018.

Jenni L. Dant (CMN ’05) is a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association 2019 Hall of Fame class.

Rodney L. Lewis (JD ’05) was honored as one of “Chicago’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a shareholder in Polsinelli, where he is a litigator.

Conrad Timbers-Ausar (SNL ’05) was named principal of Englewood STEM High School. � e new Chicago Public Schools building will open in fall 2019. Previously, Timbers-Ausar was principal of Urban Prep Academy for Young Men

in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

Nishant Tomar (CDM MS ’05) founded kNEEBU, a startup and app that consol-idates apps for household services into a single location, in 2018.

Patrick C. Gallagher (JD ’07), a partner in Duane Mor-ris LLP, was appointed chair of the � rm’s pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals litigation and regulatory group. He is based in Boca Raton, Fla.

Carol M. McGury (LAS MS ’07) was elected chair of the Professional Convention Management Association’s Education Foundation board of trustees. She is executive vice president for event and education services at Chicago-based SmithBucklin.

Steven J. Moravec (LAS MA ’07), an orthodontist,

recently published “Going the Extra Smile: Merging Technology and Expertise for a Lifetime of Smiles.”

Shawn Robinson (MEd ’07), a senior research associate for the Equity and Inclusion Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, is the creator of a black, dyslexic superhero in his new graphic novel, “Doctor Dyslexia Dude,” which he co-authored with his wife, Inshirah. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to the International Dyslexia Association to support a scholarship the couple plans to start.

Elvia (Toledo) Uriostegui (EDU ’07) received the Outstanding Middle School Teacher Award for 2018 from the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She received an Illinois � ose Who Excel Honorable Recognition Award in 2016.


Jennifer Weggeman (SNL MA ’07) is a workshop/outreach facilitator with the career services team of the DuPage County Workforce Development Division in Lisle, Ill. For the past 11 years, she also has been an adjunct instructor with DePaul’s School for New Learning and College of Computing & Digital Media.

Alejandro T. Acierto (MUS ’08) joined the faculty of Vanderbilt University as the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Digital Art and New Media.

Gaylon Alcaraz (SNL ’08, MA ’11) is now the new LGBTQ program specialist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Daniel E. Conley (SNL ’08) joined Chicago-based Skender Construction Company as director of manufacturing operations.

Daniel Morriss (JD ’08) was honored as one of “Chicago’s 2018 Notable Minority Lawyers,” a list compiled by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a partner in Hinshaw & Culbertson, where he is a commercial litigator.

Alexandria (Allie) Quigley (EDU ’08) re-signed with the Chicago Sky and will begin her 11th season in the WNBA in the fall. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2017 and 2018.

Erin Wilson (JD ’08) is launching � e Law O� ce of Erin M. Wilson LLC, in downtown Chicago. � e family law � rm will assist clients with their litigation, mediation and parenting coordination needs.

Lance C. Ziebell (JD ’08) has been elevated to shareholder status at Schaumburg, Ill.-based Lavelle Law. He has been with the � rm for 11 years.

Justin M. Hansen (JD ’09) was appointed a circuit judge in the 22nd Judicial

Circuit, McHenry County, Ill. Previously, he was an attorney in the Libertyville, Ill., o� ce of Swanson, Martin & Bell.

Anita Lewis (SNL ’09) was elected to the Kane County (Ill.) Board, representing District 3.

Tina (Mazzulla) Wills (JD ’09) was promoted to income partner with Freeborn & Peters LLP. She is a member of the Chicago � rm’s litigation practice group.

2010s

Suzanne M. Alton (LAS MS ’10) is an associate in the litigation practice group in the Chicago o� ce of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Arono� LLP.

Aaron D. Boeder (JD ’10) was named a partner in the Chicago o� ce of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard PC.

Brian J. Easley (LAS ’10) contributed to the Sef Gonzalez book, “All About the Burger: A History of America’s Favorite Sandwich,” published in April 2019.

Tracy L. Schovain (JD ’10) was promoted to partner in the corporate practice group in the Chicago o� ce of law � rm Duane Morris LLP.

» Kelly Shefferly (LAS MA ’10) is an associate with the law fi rm Plunkett Cooney, based in Bloomfi eld Hills, Mich. He is part of the banking, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and transaction-al law practice groups.

McKenzie E. Chinn (THE MFA ’11) stars in “Olympia,” an independent � lm that received rave reviews at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2018. � e � lm is directed by her husband, Gregory Dixon, whom she met while they were both at � e � eatre School.

» Chris Comella (LAS ’11) was recognized as a 2018 National Distinguished Princi-pal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. He is principal of Pilgrim Lutheran School in Chicago.

Fayzan Mehbub Keshwani (BUS MS ’11) operates two Sylvan Learning franchise locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

Geeta M. Shah (JD ’11) is of counsel in the labor, employment and immigration practice of Ice Miller LLP.

Ellie Humphrys (THE ’12) designed the lights for “Missed Opportunities,” a production of � e Cuckoo’s � eater Project, which ran at the Den � eatre in Chicago Jan. 17–Feb. 16, 2019.

Derrick Winding (SNL ’12, MA ’18) is among 200 veterans statewide chosen by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ A� airs as a Bicentennial HONOR 200 recipient.

Ashley M. Bowcott (LAS ’13) joined Berman Fink Van Horn P.C. as an associate attorney in its business, labor and employment, and real estate litigation practice areas.

» Samuel B. Chae (JD ’13) is an associate with the Chicago law o� ce of Cunningham, Meyer & Vedrine.

Drew R. Edwards (LAS ’13) is co-founder and CEO of Pangea Educational Development, a nonprofit that educates school-age children in Uganda.

Erin J. Knackstedt (LAS MA ’13) was named administrator of Henry County, Ill. Previously she was administrator of Aledo, Ill.

Kevin B. Morrison (LAS ’13) was elected to the Cook County Board Nov. 6, 2018, becoming both the youngest and the first LGBTQ board member.

Leonard T. Musielak (SNL ’13) joined Inspirant Group Inc., a digital transformation consulting startup, as head of marketing.

Brian M. Coleman (MEd ’14), a school counselor and counseling department chair at Jones College Prep in Chicago, Ill., has been named the 2019 School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

Andrew J. Erickson (CMN ’14, JD ’18) joined the Chicago office of law firm Barnes & Thornburg as a staff attorney.

Alex M. Fisher (CMN MA ’14) joined Charles Ryan Associates as a digital media strategist.

Kiandra “KiKi” A. Layne (THE ’14) plays Tish, one of two lead char-acters in the 2018 movie directed by Barry Jenkins, “If Beale Street Could Talk.” She is also working on a new screen adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel “Native Son.”

Madeline K. Mitchell (CMN ’14, MEd ’18) was named the 2019 Chicago St. Patrick’s Day queen.

Germain Castellanos (SNL ’15) has been named executive director of Beacon Place, a community center in Waukegan, Ill.

Emily R. Fightmaster (LAS ’15) was chosen as one of 21 participants for the 2019 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase, performing in six shows in 2019 at the El Portal � eatre in Los Angeles.

Michael A. Gold (MBA ’15) was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating o� cer of Pine Tree, LLC. Gold previously served as a senior vice president in asset management.

Redar Ismail (CDM MS ’15) and Badar al Lawati (CDM MS ’11) won a Google Cloud Platform Scholarship to build out their refugee hiring platform, BridgeLink. � ey are both enrolled in the doc-toral program at DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media.

Brittni W. King (JD ’15) is an associate with Detroit-based Miller Can� eld, where she works in the banking and � nance group. Previously she was a litigator with Andrew & Casson in Chicago.

Kathleen W. Moss (JD ’15) is a litigation associate in the Chicago o� ce of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Arono� LLP.

Shaina Wolfe (JD ’16) is serving as a law clerk

CLASS NOTES


Roland Hudson (MM ’59) fell in love with the organ as a child: “I was

intrigued that I could make so many di� erent sounds. I could almost sound like an orchestra on it.” Despite being blind since birth, he earned a bach-elor’s degree in music from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio—and then hit a roadblock.

“When I went to school years ago, blind students were not around. There were very few of us,” Hudson recalls. Universities were reluctant to admit him at the graduate level, except for DePaul. Arthur Becker, founding dean of the School of Music and an organist himself, persuaded his faculty mem-bers that they could indeed teach a student who could not see.

As a graduate, Hudson continued that tradition. He’d tell sighted teachers who asked him to instruct their visually impaired students, “I’d rather you keep them, and I will give you pointers on how to assist a blind student.”

Similarly, he had to teach employers about how to work with blind sta� . After detecting how uncomfortable recruiters were during his fi rst few interviews, he took the bull by the horns and taught the next recruiter what he should be asking a blind candidate. The result was a 30-year career as a concert artist and teacher trainer for the Yamaha Corporation.

Hudson also moonlighted as a sub-stitute organist for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, where he taught longtime Sox organist Nancy Faust how to use her new Yamaha. Now retired and living in Scottsdale, Ariz., Hudson is the organist for St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church. He recently was named to the adviso-ry board of the Xavier Society for the Blind, helping to select new material and explore new technology.

“I’ve been using their magazines for fi ve decades at least. Now I receive from them [audio fi les of] the

Propers of the Mass, which change every Sunday. If I had to learn that in Braille, it would take me quite a while, so to have audio done for me is really remarkable,” Hudson says. “It’s a wonderful group.”

Spotlight

Information Systems Association.

Nicole E. O’Toole (JD ’18) is an associate in the Chicago o� ce of law � rm Swanson, Martin and Bell LLP.

Alexa C. Redick (LAS MA ’18) is a development associate for the Greater Ottawa County (Mich.) United Way.

Arielle K. Williams (JD ’18) is an associate practicing criminal defense law with Stone & Associates in Waukegan, Ill.

Allison Winchester (MBA ’18) joined RedRidge Diligence Services of Chicago as an associate director, where she oversees � eld exams domestically and abroad.

variety show “’Cago!” She is working on a play, “Polyanna,” and her previous works have been featured at the Illinois High School � eatre Festival, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and YesFest at the Elmhurst (Ill.) Art Museum.

Alexander B. Moritz (MBA ’17) is a senior associate with Muller & Monroe Asset Management LLC.

Sarah Arnold (LAS ’18) received a 2018 Outstand-ing Student Award from the Illinois Geographic Information Systems Association.

Brian Li (LAS ’18) received a 2018 Outstand-ing Student Award from the Illinois Geographic

to Judge James Patrick Hanlon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Sabrina A. Bartlett (CSH ’17) joined Johnson and Bell as an associate attorney. She focuses her practice on intellectual property law.

Emily DePalma (MUS ’17) is the Mary Freeman Wisdom Principal Flute Chair with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans.

Adam R. Didech (LAS ’17) was elected to the Lake County (Ill.) Board, representing District 20.

Daniella A. Mazzio (THE ’17) is co-creator of the ongoing comic

William S. Bike (LAS ’79) and his 96-year-old father, William F. Bike, at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Manteno, Ill.

Do you have a photo that shows your DePaul spirit? Send the image to [email protected] with your name and the location where the photo was taken, and you may see yourself in a future issue of DePaul Magazine. High-resolution images only.

DePaul Pride

Ever heard of Flat Stan-ley? The O� ce of Alumni Relations is putting our own spin on the Flat Stanley project with our new creation: Flat DIBS!

Cut him out along the dotted lines (or simply tear out the page) and bring him with you on your next vacation— or on your next trip to the grocery store! We want to see you with Flat DIBS showing your DePaul pride across the country and around the world.

Post your Flat DIBS photos online using the hashtag #FlatDIBS. You can also email them to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in the DePaul Pride sec-tion of an upcoming issue of DePaul Magazine!

Show Your DePaul Pride!


DONOR PROFILE

There was little in life that got John Mas-terson (LAS MA ’52) more � red up than

DePaul basketball. “� e only time I ever heard a bad word come out of my dad was when he went to the basketball games and they messed up,” says his son, Mike Masterson. “He was passionate about DePaul basketball, men’s or women’s. He loved it!”

In truth, Masterson, who passed away on Oct. 17, 2018, was passionate about all things DePaul.

� at feeling is shared by his wife of 62 years, Jean Masterson (EDU ’67), who took a shine to a substitute teacher in her DePaul undergraduate class on Shakespeare, “some unknown, John Masterson.” She remembers

thinking, “I’ve got to do something to get to know him better,” and decided to invite him to a party she would arrange if he accepted. Although he was busy on the day she suggest-ed, he asked her to a New Year’s Eve party; John proposed to her on Valentine’s Day, a mere six weeks later. “We just kind of knew we were meant for each other,” Jean says.

John’s ambition was to get a permanent teaching job at DePaul. After earning his doctorate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, he realized that dream. He was a professor in the English Department from 1959 to 1976 and a professor in the De-partment of Management from 1977 until his retirement in 1987. He served as dean of the

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (now the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) from 1972 to 1977 and dean of the graduate school from 1980 to 1982. Masterson felt a great a� ection for and gratitude toward the university he served so well.

“DePaul was our home,” Mike recalls. “I remember going there as early as eight years old, sitting in my dad’s o� ce with all the neat things that were around, and how everybody stopped him wherever we went.

“I never, ever heard him say a bad thing about DePaul,” Mike continues. “He loved his job so much, and my mom did, too. � ey knew that DePaul was their future.”

John’s steady job a� orded the Mastersons the means to buy a house in Westchester, Ill., in which to raise their four children: Mike, Mary Beth Riordan (BUS ’80, MBA ’84), Maureen Pulia (CDM ’83, JD ’94) and Laura Masterson Benning (LAS ’86, CSH ’90). “� ey always said the home we have and the life we lived was because of DePaul,” Mike says. In gratitude, the Mastersons have made a planned gift of their house to DePaul through the Cortelyou Heritage Society.

Jean and John agreed on making the gift. “We just can’t put her on the market,” Jean remembers them thinking. “We’ve got to give her to DePaul. We never would have lived here if it were not for DePaul. Our whole family has been blessed so much, and we want to show our appreciation.”

A Home for DEPaul

Jean and John Masterson

I never, ever heard him say a bad thing about DePaul. He loved his job so much.” -Mike Masterson

1 East Jackson BoulevardChicago, Illinois 60604

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

WEEKENDOCTOBER 18-20

Alumni & Family2019

For a full schedule of events and to register, visit

a lumni .depau l .edu /a lumniweekend .

Join us for this special opportunity

to celebrate your lifelong connection

to DePaul!

Alumni & Family Weekend features

a variety of signature events where

you can connect with the DePaul community, including alumni, current

students and their families.

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