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Alumni Awards / Alumni Updates / Emeriti Faculty Updates
Steinmetz recently was named dean of liberal arts and sciences at the University of Kansas. He also was elected as a fellow in the Society of Experimental Psychologists. Photo courtesy of University of Kansas Previously, he taught experimental psychology, neuroscience and cognitive science at Indiana University for almost 20 years. He served as the psychology department’s chairman from 1995 to 2005. Steinmetz was among 16 alumni and friends of CMU who were honored during the June 9 event.
CHSBS alumni news and accomplishments
1940s / 1950s / 1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / Emeriti Faculty Mildred (Pawlowski) Kladzyk (Soc. Studies, ’41) is a volunteer at Schoolcraft College in the Learning Assistance Center and at the Canton Public Library.
The Honorable Fred M. Mester (Soc. Sci., ’59) received the Oakland County Republican Party’s 23rd annual Salute to Justice Lifetime Achievement Award in April. Mester has been a circuit judge since 1982.
Karen Elizabeth Bush (Eng. & Hist., ’62) is a self-employed professional writer. She also teaches at Davenport University and Wayne State University. Carol (Shetenhelm) Luce Duddles (Reading Spec., ’63) participated in a special five-year program called the Koopman Experimental Program at CMU during World War II. She then taught in country schools for seven years. After having two daughters, she returned to CMU to complete her teaching degree and then spent 20 years as a reading and an elementary school teacher. Patrick Jacques (Hist., ’69; MA Sec. Ed., ’73) has set an Alpena High School record, having directed plays there for the past 36 years. He also appears frequently on the Alpena Civic Theatre Stage himself.
June C. Mabarak (Psych. & Rec., ’65) retired after teaching in the Detroit Public Schools for 38 years, primarily as a preschool teacher. She is now focusing on her art. Karen (Grigg) Martinez (Soc. Sci., ’68; MA Humanities, ’90) retired from Ashley Community Schools in 2004 after 35 years of teaching social studies. Andrew Pasakarnis (Hist., ’68) and his wife, Janet, manage a residential program where individuals stay in a therapeutic farm community to seek solutions for mental health issues. Errol Putman (Hist., ’67; MA, ’71) teaches education courses at the State University of New York at Geneseo. He will soon be on sabbatical and then plans to teach one more year before considering retirement, possibly back in Michigan. Lorraine Hoppe Reuther (Eng., ’68) teaches at Wuhan University of Technology in the Peoples Republic of China. She and her husband, Bob, are spending one year in this Hubei Province city of 8.5 million people. Reuther is teaching oral English and American literature to English majors.
Michael Abelson
(MA Clin. Psych., ’75) is president of Abelson & Company, a firm
he founded in 1986 that specializes in using research, objective
tools, and stretching staff capabilities to improve
Nancy Bujold (Library Sci. & Hist., ’71) is the library development director for the Capital Area District Library in Lansing. She recently completed a term on the ALA/ALSC 2006 Caldecott Committee, which annually selects the most distinguished American picture book. Barry Cole (Hist., ’79) retired in June of 2005 after 26 years of teaching government and computer education at Petoskey High School. He also coached varsity baseball for 10 years and was Citizen Bee coordinator and an academic quiz bowl coach during the past five years. His quiz bowl team was the Class A state runner up last year.
Downing is a former high school English teacher, college instructor and college administrator. After receiving a liver transplant in 1988, he became involved in transplantation education. He works for an organ procurement agency as a minority community outreach educator and as a senior product specialist in immunology for Fujisawa Healthcare Inc.
Phillip Durocher
(Hist. ’78; MA, ’84) teaches history, civics/economics and
global issues in grades 9, 10 and 11 at Mount Pleasant’s Sacred
Heart Academy. For 12 years, he served as an adjunct instructor
at Mid Michigan Community College, teaching western civilization
and U.S. History. He has received three fellowships from the
National Endowment for the Humanities, two from the Freedoms
Foundation at Valley Forge, and one from the Council on Teaching
Economics. John Grogan’s (Eng. & Jrn., ’79) book, “Marley and Me,” reached No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best-seller List this year. He is a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He will be one of the headline performers at the Michigan Story Festival in Mount Pleasant on October 20. Michael G. Knapp (Hist., ’78) is a Middle East analyst at the U.S. Army National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville, Va. He also hosts lectures and publishes articles on Islamic extremism. He has completed graduate studies in Strategic Intelligence at the Joint Military Intelligence College in Washington D.C. (1987-1990) and in Middle East Studies at the University of Virginia (1998-2006).
Andy Arena (Hist. & Pol. Sci., ’85) is head of the Crime Division of the FBI in New York City. Judy Coffey (Psych., ’88) received the 2005 Spirit of Community award from the Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce, and she was elected to the Cadillac Area Public Schools Board of Education for a six-year term. She is a parish assistant at the United Methodist Church of Cadillac. Elizabeth Foster (Hist, ’88) moved to Tennessee two years ago and lives in a log cabin that borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She is employed by Books-a-Million. Joseph G. Jarret (MPA, ’83) is the chief legal counsel for Polk County in Florida. He recently lectured on behalf of the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference and The Public Risk Management Association and published “Crisis Communications” in the Public Management Journal. Brenton Kemmer (Hist. ’88; MA, ’94) recently finished his eighth book. His last five books were published by Heritage Books, Inc. The last two are part of a series of historical novels about the French and Indian War. Michael Puffpaff (Hist. & Jrn., ’88; MA Hist., ’04) was named 2005 Teacher of the Year by the American Legion Department of Michigan. He also published “Maiden Michigan,” a collection of narratives and poetry in 2004. Melanie (Nemcik) Scott (MA Hist., ’84) earned a master’s degree in library science from Texas Woman’s University. She currently is director of libraries for DRI and manages two libraries, one in Reno and one in Las Vegas.
Erik Benson’s (MA Hist., ’95) book, “Aviator of Fortune: Lowell Yerex and the Anglo-American Commercial Aviation Rivalry, 1931-1946,” will be published by Texas A&M Press this year. He and his wife, Dawn, live in Grand Rapids. Carrie Collins (Pol. Sci., ’99) earned a master’s degree in public administration and accepted the position of community advocacy director for the American Heart Association in South Dakota. Heather Douglas (Hist, ’99) received her J.D. and is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts. She works as in-house counsel for American Tower Corporation. She continues to pursue her fitness goals by training for and running the 2005 Boston Marathon and the 2004 Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon. Catherine Dunkle (MA Hist., ’98) is an assistant professor of history and program coordinator for social studies education at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. Kimberly E. Hunter (Psych., ’96; MS Gen. Psych., ’98; MA Clin. Psych., ’01; PsyD, ’04) is an assistant professor of psychology and a clinical child psychologist at the Medical University of Ohio in Toledo. Kristen L. Hunter (Eng., ’99) is an associate attorney at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn in Detroit. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2003. She was a law clerk to Judge Cornelia J. Kennedy, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, in 2003 and to Judge Paul D. Borman, U.S. District Court, in 2004. Christine Myers (MA Hist., CMU/Strathclyde, ’97) teaches U.S. history at Bowling Green State University. She specializes in women’s history and has also taught courses on early American and the 20th century U.S. Kate A. Pohjola (Pol. Sci., ’93) earned the Martin P. Luthy Memorial Award, which recognizes the top 10 Jaycees chapter presidents in the state of Michigan. In April 2005, Kate was appointed director of the Lapeer District Library. Kenneth J. Sanney (Hist. & Pol. Sci., ’98) graduated in 2002 with a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt Law School. He currently practices law in Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee, and teaches at Belmont University. Elizabeth Sinor (Soc. & Psych., ’98) has developed a missing persons Web site, www.michigandoes.com. Reverend James V. Smith (Hist. & Rel., ’90) is a pastor at Hyde Park Alliance Church near the University of Chicago. He also teaches courses in church history at Loyola and North Park universities. He received his Ph.D. in theology from Loyola University of Chicago in 2003. He is working on a book about 5th century Palestinian monasticism for the Catholic University of America Press. Daniel Stowe (Hist. & Soc. Sci., ’96) teaches at Northport and spends part of his day as a section leader (i.e., assistant principal). Kidada Williams (Hist., ’96; MA, ’98) is finishing a year of teaching at the University of Oregon. She is planning to move back to Michigan where she has accepted a tenure-track teaching position at Wayne State University.
Professors Peter and Mary Obuchowski haven’t let retirement slow their pursuit of scholarship. Peter’s book “Emerson and Science” was published recently, while Mary is completing her book, “Field o’ My Dreams: The Poetry of Gene Stratton-Porter.” Peter’s book describes how Ralph Waldo Emerson’s lifelong interest in science influenced his thought.
The book is an extensive revision of Peter’s 1969 doctoral dissertation
Mary’s book will contain several unpublished poems written by author Gene Stratton-Porter, who is one of Indiana’s most famous female authors. Funded by a grant, Mary traveled to California to meet Stratton-Porter’s grandson, who allowed her to have copies of his grandmother’s papers. Among them, she found the unpublished poems. Mary has spent a lifetime studying Midwestern literature. Her book will be published by Kent State University Press in the next few months. Both Peter and Mary retired from CMU’s English department, where Peter taught from 1969 to 2000 and Mary taught from 1971 to 2005.
We are sad to report that Dr. Eric Kadler, former professor and chairman of the foreign language department at Central Michigan University, passed away on July 20, 2006. A memorial service was held in Mount Pleasant on July 23. Dr. Kadler is survived by his second wife, Joan Bradshaw Kadler, whom he married in 2001.
We want to hear from our Alumni! Please send all Alumni Updates and photos to CHSBS@cmich.edu or Anspach Hall 106, Mount Pleasant, Mich. 48859. |
Joseph
Steinmetz (Psych., ’77; MA Exp. Psych., ’79) received CMU’s
Distinguished Alumni Award, which is presented in
recognition of remarkable professional success and the positive
reflection made on the reputation of all graduates of CMU.
For the third consecutive year, Barron’s financial
magazine named CMU Board of Trustees chairman 
Jeffrey
D. Brasie
Lee
E. Downing