Lieberman anthropology lab / Alumni Updates

The Central Michigan University anthropology laboratory was named the Leonard Lieberman Laboratory as a tribute to the longtime professor who passed away in February.

Anthropology lab dedicated to Leonard Lieberman

Central Michigan University’s anthropology laboratory will serve as a lasting memorial to honor former professor Leonard Lieberman’s dedication to his research and to the university.

CMU president Michael Rao dedicated the newly named Leonard Lieberman Laboratory at a March 23 memorial for Lieberman who died in February.

Lieberman was a professor at CMU for more than 40 years. He was an internationally known physical anthropologist who also had received CMU’s highest faculty honor, the President’s Award. He retired from CMU in 2004 and died February 6, 2007, from bypass surgery recovery complications. He was 81.

The laboratory provides physical anthropology students with excellent hands-on learning experiences. It houses the department’s impressive collection of bones, skeletons and casts, most of which Lieberman collected throughout his years at CMU.

“The Leonard Lieberman Laboratory is an excellent facility for teaching physical anthropology and honors Dr. Lieberman’s contributions to the department, the university and the field of physical anthropology,” said Mary Senter, chair of the sociology, anthropology and social work department.

The SASW department also administers the Leslie and Leonard Lieberman Scholarship, which provides scholarships annually to students majoring in anthropology, sociology, social work or family studies.

If you would like to make a memorial gift to this scholarship fund in honor of Drs. Leslie and Leonard Lieberman, please contact Lesa Smith, director of development, at Lesa.Smith@cmich.edu or

(989) 774-3354.

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Alumni Updates

1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s

1960s

Jane Louise Arndt (Hist. ’63; MA ’64) recently retired from Big Rapids Public Schools after 39 years of teaching and serving as the head of the history department. She is a docent at Hackley-Hume Historical Site, a docent at the Voigt House in Grand Rapids, and has taken photographs for the Mackinac Island calendar.

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1970s

Jeffrey D. Brasie (Hist. ’70) recently was named executive director and CEO of the Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester, Ind. Previously, he was president of Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired for seven years.

Carl Ellinger (Soc. ’78) became the new superintendent of Midland Public Schools on July 23. Previously, he was superintendent at Charlotte and principal of Alma Middle School.

Janice M. Fialka (Soc. ’73) received the 2007 Social Worker of the Year award from the Michigan chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Over the past 30 years, she has been a co-founder and director of several adolescent health care programs, including the Taylor Teen Health Center and the SAFE Teen Program.

In 2006, Fialka, her husband, Rich Feldman, and filmmaker Paul Rossen produced a 25-minute documentary, “Through the Same Door: Inclusion Includes College,” which won the TASH Image Award for the Positive Portrayal of People with Disabilities. The film documents the fully inclusive experience of her son, who has a cognitive disability, at Oakland University.

Gary A. Hirsch (Psych. ’75) works for Hope Network to transport patients to their doctor and hospital appointments. He also is a volunteer member of RSVP of Kalamazoo.

Mike Lewis (Jrn./BCA ’77, M.A. ’98) has been named to the newly created position of journalism director at the University of Michigan-Flint, beginning Sept. 1, 2007. He previously held a similar position at Oakland University. He earned a doctorate in media studies at Wayne State University and was a longtime reporter and anchor at WDIV-TV4 Detroit.

Richard W. Rodgers (MA Clin. Psych. ’74) recently was awarded membership in the National Register of Health Care Providers in Psychology and received board certification in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from Boston University in 1982.

Ronald L. Scott (Hist. ’73) will be retiring from MetLife after 30 years and is moving to a cottage in northern Indiana. His wife, Mary Linda (Marshall) Scott (Eng./Hist. ’73), is retiring from National City Bank after 24 years of service.

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1980s

Mark Ankenbauer (Psych. ’84) was named associate vice president of human resources at Wayne State University in June. Previously, he worked for Textron, Inc., Ford Motor Company and Detroit Medical Center.

Richard Grieves (Eng. ’82) was named the South Lyon High School Teacher of the Year for 2006-2007. He has taught high school English and Latin for 25 years, the last 11 of which have been at South Lyon High School. He represented South Lyon High School on April 19, 2007, at the Oakland County Teacher of the Year Program. Grieves credits the demanding grammar, composition and literature courses he completed at CMU for his success in the classroom. He says Professors Emeriti Peter Obuchowski and James Hodgins were the most outstanding teachers and professional role models of his academic and professional career. Richard and his wife, Lisa, have one son, Alex.

Thomas Rice (Psych. ’81) completed his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter certification. He attended the annual CPCU conferment ceremony in Honolulu in September with his wife, Cathy, and his children, Rebecca and Michael. He is a claims manager for Safeco Insurance in Phoenix.

Dr. Ronald D. Welch (Psych. ’86; MA ’89; PsyD ’95) recently was promoted to Associate Professor of Psychology at Colorado Christian University. Welch joined the faculty at CCU in 2003 and became department chair in 2006.

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1990s

Lee Boisvert (Soc. ’93) is the author of “Keewaydinoquay: Stories from My Youth,” which tells the story of Keewaydinoquay Margaret Peschel’s childhood in an Ojibway community in northern Michigan during the early 1900s. She has been married to Robert for 33 years and has one son, Adam.

Matthew Dugener (Pol. Sci. ’94) was named the first president and CEO of the newly formed Lansing Economic Area Partnership.

Dara Munson (MSA ’99) was recently appointed CEO of the metro Detroit chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

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2000s 

Allison Harvard (Psych. ’06) has joined The Select Group in Raleigh, N.C., as a technical recruiter. She previously worked in sales and marketing in Chicago. The Select Group is a full-service recruiting firm specializing in the placement of skilled professionals into contract, contract-to-permanent and permanent career opportunities.

Cheyenne Luzynski (Psych. ’05) recently was named head volleyball coach at Alma College. Previously, she spent two seasons as an assistant volleyball coach and served as an assistant coach with the men’s basketball program. She is an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s track and field teams. She also is the director of the Stone Recreation Center on the Alma College campus.

Lora Levett (Psych. & Soc. ’01) is an assistant professor in the criminology department at the University of Florida. She received her master’s degree in legal psychology in 2004 at Florida International University and her doctorate in legal psychology in 2005.

Kathy (Rae) Rometty (Eng. ’04) is the commercial donations specialist for Goodwill Industries of Mid-Michigan. She lives in Grand Blanc and previously worked for The Oakland Press.

She says, “I knew in my heart this was the job I was supposed to be doing. It’s fast-paced, interesting, multi-faceted and best of all . . . rewarding! I’ve met fascinating and influential members of the business and political arena, and I often get a chance to speak in front of groups such a the local Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, the Optimist Clubs and others. I enjoy sharing all the wonderful things Goodwill does for people with disabilities or barriers to employment. I’m thrilled to be working for an organization that doesn’t put dividends into stockholders pockets, but puts dividends into people’s lives.”

Joe VanderMeulen (Pol. Sci. ’05) recently was named assistant city manager of Buchanan. He also serves as the city’s public services director. Previously, he was as an administrative assistant for the city of Rockford.

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To submit an alumni update, please send your full name, graduation year and brief announcement to CHSBS@cmich.edu or Editor, Anspach 106, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, 48859. We encourage you to submit a photograph with your announcement.

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