Bernadette Allen ’78

Five Central College alumni have been chosen to join the board of trustees to help oversee the activities of the college. Bernadette Allen ’78, Jeff Oliver ’79, Steve Sikkink ’83, Kathy Sikkema ’84 and Clay Thompson ’90 will be contributing to the board based on their professional and personal merits.

“The five new members of our board of trustees bring a deep well of diverse experience,” said Mark Putnam, president. “The depth of their collective experience and the breadth of talent they possess is needed and met with excitement by our current board. They have enormous global experience and perspectives. Their science and technology expertise is very important as we think about our academic initiatives for the future. They also bring unique talents in government relations and have legal and financial expertise and strong academic experience and backgrounds.”

Kathy Sikkema ’84

The board of trustees plays many roles, including creating and directing policy, strategic planning, fundraising and engaging with alumni, faculty, staff and students. The entire board meets twice per academic year on Central’s campus.

Allen, the 2013 commencement speaker and retired U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Niger, served in the Foreign Service for 31 years. She majored in French and linguistics at Central before obtaining her master’s degree at George Washington University in human resources management in 1989. She is honored by the new position and is eagerly anticipating working with the college in her new capacity.

“I’m excited about giving back to Central College after having been on the receiving end of Central’s gifts some 35 years ago,” Allen said. “I look forward to working with such a talented, giving group of board members, as well as engaging with the outstanding faculty and amazing students.”

Steve Sikkink ’83

A clinical psychologist with emphases in health and community psychology and professor of psychology and global health at Duke University in North Carolina, Sikkema was a psychology major at Central. She earned her master’s degree at Illinois State University and Ph.D. at Virginia Tech.

“I am looking forward to contributing to the Central College community from the ‘big picture’ perspective,” she said, “to thinking about the development and continued success of our unique institution, of which I am proud to be an alum!”

President and co-founder of Alliance Technologies in Des Moines, Sikkink brings a wealth of experience to the board. At Central, he was a business management/systems major. He is a current member of the National Advisory Council, the Cornerstone Society and the Central Club White.

Clay Thompson ’90

“Central College and the Pella community played a critical role in my development over the years,” he said. “I’m so grateful to the college and all of the connections that impacted my life in such a positive way.”

Thompson is the global director of government affairs for Caterpillar in Maryland. He majored in English at Central and went on to earn his M.B.A. at the University of Chicago and his J.D. at the University of Iowa. Thompson is a former member of the National Advisory Council and the Schipper Steering Committee.

Jeff Oliver ’79

Oliver is a pathologist at Pathology Associates, Ltd. in Phoenix, Ariz. He majored in pre-health science and later earned his M.D. at the University of Iowa. Oliver is a former Central Club member.

The alumni will begin their terms on the board of trustees July 1.

“As a group, they are diverse, impactful individuals with a whole range of experiences and representative of different parts of the country—precisely what a board needs to exemplify,” Putnam said. “We are pleased to have Bernadette, Clay, Jeff, Kathy and Steve join the board.”

What do zombies, a steel pans band and a harp/recorder duet have in common? They were all totally “fringed” out!

Central’s first large-scale Fringe Festival—a collection of fine arts events focused on the performing arts—was held April 24-27 in locations all over campus.  Common in many different countries, the festival’s mission was to provide “an exploratory and magnetic environment in which a variety of unique arts can be exhibited through utilization of nontraditional venues.” The Fringe was open to all Central students, alumni and the local community as the student-led festival aimed to promote the arts in all forms.

Ann Wilkinson, instructor of theatre, tasked her Arts Management class in the theatre department with managing every detail of the festival—from forming a mission to organization, marketing and execution.

“Fringe Festivals are popular all over the world, and it had been a topic of conversation for a number of years as to whether we would host one on campus,” Wilkinson says. “It seemed like a good fit for Central as we strive to become a more creative campus, and it is a great way to combine as many of the arts as possible.”

Central has had one-day Fringe Fests in the past, but this year’s events were true Fringe. It was expanded to a four-day festival, and it was open to the public. Pella’s community theatre, The Union Street Players, performed “The Domine’s Wife,” a play about Pella’s founding, and Eric Bridges ’11 wrote and directed the mature play “Drunk Frat Boy vs. The Zombie Apocalypse,” performed by the Theta Kappa Alpha fraternity members. The events ranged from a Celtic musical harpsichord and recorder duet to lip syncs and improv.

All the of the shows were played in nontraditional spaces and were 40 minutes long—music was performed in the Vermeer Science Center, plays were staged in the Matyag UnderGROUND and a drum circle kept the beat around the fire pit on Peace Mall. The changing venues were a hit with performers and audiences alike.

“The talent liked being able to perform in unique spaces,” says Wilkinson. “The students liked being able to see shorter events. They felt like they could take in more of a variety and didn’t have to commit as much time. And they also really liked stumbling across events all over campus!”

Much of the festival revolved around Fringe-style events that were already in the works. Boat races from the Final Fling, as well as the A Cappella Choir’s ROCK-A-PELLA concert, were included among the many events. And if another Fringe Festival runs next year, Wilkinson hopes that more theatre productions can be included.

“Fringe generally involves a lot of theatre, but we didn’t have a lot of theatre with this one,” she says. “With a directing class next year, there could possibly be more student one-acts the next time around.”

Wilkinson plans to form a steering committee of fine arts faculty members, aiming to get all the arts departments involved in the development of another Fringe. But that doesn’t mean the students will be left out. She commends her students for pulling together an excellent project and working together—especially in such a short time frame.

“There were a lot of voices in the class,” Wilkinson explains. “Trying to organize an event in two-and-a-half months with 18 students isn’t easy, but they all found their niche and stepped up and found out what they could contribute and do best. They really rose to the challenge—that was the success story. They all agreed it was really intense and a lot of hard work, but they were really proud of themselves and deservedly so.”

Robert Franks was awarded the Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professorship of the Liberal Arts.

Named after Central College’s 18^th president, who served from 1970-90, the Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professorship of the Liberal Arts is a significant honor for the faculty member chosen for the chair. The three-year endowed chair recognizes distinguished faculty and provides support for teaching, research and scholarship. As the eighth recipient, Professor of computer science Robert Franks was awarded the Weller Chair at the 2013 commencement ceremony on May 11.

“Ken Weller was president when I came to Central,” Franks says. “So to be named to the professorship that bears his name is an incredible honor.”

Established and fully funded in 1993, the Weller Chair celebrates the achievements and supports future research by the endowed chair. Previous recipients include John Miller, 1991-94; Donna Van Bodegraven, 1994-97; Mary Stark, 1997-2000; Mark Johnson, 2001-04; Terry Kleven, 2004-07; Peggy Fitch, 2007-10; and most recently, Jon Witt, 2010-13.

To be named to the Weller Chair, the faculty member must be an acknowledged competent professional, have attained tenure and be recognized among students and professors as one of Central’s outstanding teachers. They must also have an invitational approach to teaching that inspires in students an unusual level of intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. In addition, they must demonstrate excellence in performance and a sense of fulfillment in teaching courses that enroll students from a wide diversity of departments.

Franks’ enthusiasm for teaching and learning comes from his extensive educational background. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and applied mathematics from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and his Master of Science and Ph.D. in professional studies in computer science from Iowa State University in Ames. After teaching at Central for 25 years, Franks is ready to pursue the new challenges that come his way.

Ken Weller was president of Central College for 20 years.

“The description of the position includes advocacy of innovative teaching, academic excellence, the honors programs, cross-cultural emphases and interdisciplinary courses,” Franks explains. “Initially, I’ll focus on the advocacy of innovative teaching, because my discipline aims at finding examples in which the use of technology has augmented learning. Computing cuts across all disciplines, so creating a senior capstone course seems like a natural thing to do, as well.”

During his career, Franks has won numerous awards, including the Hutch Bearce Community-Building and Faculty Leadership Award honoring his efforts in community building, mentorship and leadership in 2010. In 1997 and 2006, he received the John Wesselink Award for Outstanding Performance in Institutional Service. He served as the interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty from 2009-11. He will also fill the role of faculty representative to the Central board of trustees beginning July 1.

Previous Weller Chairs have gone on to do great things—earning grants, researching in Egypt, studying manuscripts, publishing papers and articles in journals, writing books, traveling the world in pursuit of knowledge and leading student trips abroad. Many of the recipients highlighted how grateful they were to be named to the Weller Chair, especially since the chair was named after a respected colleague.

“Ken Weller was a friend whom I admired greatly for his leadership and service,” says John Miller, the first Weller Chair. “He has always been, for me, the best example of a leader who could work well with all sorts of people. I felt greatly honored to have the name of Weller attached to mine.”

Jon Witt, professor of sociology, hands over the chair to Franks. During his tenure, Witt worked on the three editions of his sociology textbook. He, too, was immensely appreciative of the honor.

“I know Ken personally and greatly respect and admire the contributions he made to Central,” Witt says. “As the recipient of the Weller Chair, I have tried hard to live up to the standards and commitments he represents by sharing my passion for learning in ways that I hope will rub off on students long after they have forgotten the particular facts and figures they may learn in any class they have with me.”

In his dedication to quality teaching, Franks is living up to the ideals in which the endowed chair was named. And his future endeavors seem just as bright in the next three years, giving him the opportunity to grow and learn within the liberal arts context.

“Robert’s commitment to being a force within the faculty for promotion of the college’s general objectives, including advocacy of innovative teaching, academic excellence, the honors programs, cross-cultural emphases, interdisciplinary courses and co-curricular activities, is a true match to the purpose of the chair,” says Mark Putnam, president. “It is recognition of Robert’s energy and innovation, his dedication to students and faculty and his commitment to teaching and advancing the mission of the liberal arts at Central College.”

Watch Rhiley Huntington’s speech “On Altruism,” delivered at the Pella Corporation Scholars Dinner on April 23

By Rhiley Huntington

Excerpt from “On Altruism” address 

In the dark of each night, in the jungles and farmlands of Mexico and South America, something inexplicable is happening. As the moon rises and the land cools, the cattle settle and the birds roost, quieting their songs. However, for another creature, the day has only just begun: at dusk, the vampire bat unfolds its wings and takes to the skies, seeking its drowsy prey. Vampire bats must feed almost every night. Should a bat miss eating three nights in a row, it will starve to death. For nursing and young bats, survival, then, can be a struggle. So, interestingly enough, bats who have eaten will share their food with bats that haven’t.

In nature, selfless actions like this aren’t uncommon among family members. However, vampire bats don’t share their food with relatives alone. Instead, uniquely enough, they will share with any bat needing to eat. Biologists call this type of behavior reciprocal altruism: the sharing of one’s time, resources and talents to those less privileged, regardless of relation or acquaintance.

I am at Central College because of one of the most phenomenal examples of reciprocal altruism I have ever seen in my life. Thanks to the generous gifts of the Farver family and the Pella Corporation, I have been able to attend Central College as a Pella Rolscreen Fellow unlimited by worry and open to all the possibilities a true liberal arts education can hold.

In the fall of 2009, I came to Central on the wings of this gift, ready to claim my second home. I hoped to become a forensic scientist, but one warm August night, sitting beneath a shagbark hickory, watching small shadows drop from its bark and into flight, my dreams evolved. Those shadows were endangered Indiana bats, leaving their roost for the evening. My dreams were now of field biology.

I spent the next two summers interning with Professor Russ Benedict, tracing the range of Indiana bats across Iowa, eating too many small town hamburgers and crowding my mind with bird songs. Back at Central, blooming in my liberal arts environment, I wasn’t just a biologist. My time in the wild filled me with too many stories, so I started writing again. I had too much energy, so I too began metalsmithing and glassblowing and working on prairie restoration at the Central College Field Station. By junior year, I was Rhiley Huntington, biology major, minors in art, chemistry and writing.

Of course, it seemed that the more I gave to the Central community, the more I wanted to keep giving. I toured prospective students during Iowa Private College Week. I became a resident advisor to 22 girls in Graham Hall. I reinstated Tri-Beta, the Biological Honor Society, as a networking opportunity for science students. I was the secretary of Intersections Council, vice president of Graham Hall Council, and occasionally, chauffer of the biology department’s van.

I traveled to Costa Rica and Belize with my Tropical Ecology course, snorkeling on coral reefs, hiking through deep rainforests and falling asleep to the humming sound of tree frogs. I studied abroad at Bangor University in north Wales, and I saw castles, cathedrals and museums until they became the landscape of my dreams.

This has been my Central education: the continual search for something more, the feeding of the insatiable fire of the desire to learn and the pursuit of not only happiness, but of meaning. All of this began with the singular spark of a gift.

Reciprocal altruism.  When a vampire bat shares its food with another, it does so not just to be “nice,” but rather in anticipation of a similar act being performed for it in the future. It shares because it believes that it will be shared with.

In the past four years, I have discovered a desire to become a naturalist, one who teaches about the environment and wildlife of their home from a deep, personal knowledge. I hope to work for a county conservation board or non-profit organization to share my passion and spark changes in the way we think about our Iowa landscape. This is the gift I give to you: from a single act of altruism, you have spawned an altruist, one who believes that the world can be a better place and works to make it that much more beautiful.  My fellowship has become a gift given not only to me, but to every person I teach. It is in each question that answer, in every bird that I see and in every child who has ever looked at me with eyes wide open and said, “I never knew that.”

After graduation, Rhiley will continue to share her Central education as an iEarth Camp Educator and Overnight Leader at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines.

Tamre Logan ’89, Dave ’61 and Ardie ’64 Sutphen and Todd ’85 and Valerie ’85 Sutphen

In honor of many years of service to Central College, the meeting room in the Graham Annex was officially named the Dave ’61 and Ardie ’64 Sutphen Common Room on Monday.

With support from the numerous faculty and staff present for the surprise announcement, Central College President Mark Putnam acknowledged and thanked the Sutphens for their dedication to the college.

“What we are celebrating is an important legacy,” Putnam said. “Dave and Ardie are people who define an era and they are people who are uniquely Central College.”

Ardie served the college for 33 years as the assistant to the president, retiring last August. Dave began working at Central in 2000 and retired as the vice president of advancement in April.

The room dedication was presented by Dave and Ardie’s children Todd ’85 and Valerie ’85 Sutphen and Tamre Logan ’89. Donors and supporters of the project were also in attendance: Bill Northup ‘83, vice president of advancement; Shayla From, board of trustees member; Henry ’53 and Milly Vande Kieft; Mark ’64 and Kay ‘63 De Cook and Dan De Cook ’95. David Roe, former Central president, and his wife Betsy also contributed to the project.

“The names of people from our past help us remember as we pass on from one generation to the next,” Putnam said. “The legacy left by Dave and Ardie is what Central is all about.”

Pictured from left to right: Geisler Penquite Scholars Sydney Gray, Libby Larson and Emily Drey.

The Central College education department has named Emily Drey, Libby Larson and Sydney Gray as the 2013-14 Geisler Penquite scholars.

The Scholars Program honors students who exemplify the teacher education program’s essential values and skills, advocate for future teachers directly and work collaboratively to lead in ways that build upon the program’s positive reputation to recruit and prepare exemplary teachers for future generations. The award provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for their remaining college years.

Students eligible for the Geisler Penquite scholarships must be entering their third or fourth year at Central, be accepted into the teacher preparation program, hold a minimum cumulative 3.4 GPA and have high recommendations from faculty on campus and educators in the field.

“The nominations for this year truly represented the cream of the crop in our education program,” said Jennifer Diers, assistant professor of education and chair of the Geisler Penquite Scholars committee. “The selection committee commented several times as to the quality of the nominations this year.”

Drey, a sophomore elementary education major with a strategist I endorsement, is from Pella. She anticipates teaching students with disabilities and becoming a school counselor.

“I feel honored to have been chosen as a recipient of this scholarship,” Drey said. “I am motivated and am looking forward to continuing my education at Central.”

From left to right: Gary Timmer of the Geisler Penquite Foundation, Dr. Esther Streed, Sydney Gray, previous recepient Nathan Wall, Libby Larson, Emily Drey, Dr. Jen Diers and Maurine Timmer of the Geisler Penquite Foundation

Larson, a junior elementary education major with a middle school endorsement in math and science, is from Marshalltown, Iowa. Larson has served in the education club leadership and hopes to teach at the middle school level after graduating. She also intends to obtain a coaching endorsement.

“It is such a privilege to be chosen as a Geisler Penquite Scholar. It means a great deal to me that the foundation feels I have the qualities to become a future teacher,” Larson said.

Gray, a sophomore elementary education major with reading and Spanish endorsements, is from Miles, Iowa. She enjoys volunteer service and hopes to one day teach k-6^th grades.

“I am honored to be one of the recipients for the Geisler Penquite Scholarship and represent Central’s exceptional education program,” Gray said. “I am looking forward to working with the Geisler Penquite Foundation as we strive to advocate for the needs of all students.”

The competition for the scholarships is high, representing a skilled group of students. The selection committee commended the education faculty for their tremendous work with the education students. Committee members consisted of representatives from k-12 education, administration and current Geisler Penquite Scholars. The award recipients will join continuing scholarship award recipient senior Kathryn Manternach, who was presented an award last year.

Harold and Mavis Geisler, Cecil Geisler Penquite and Loren Penquite expressed an interest in young people and desired to see an educational environment that not only imparted knowledge of working with children, but also recognized important values for a future educator.

The Geislers and Penquites are well known for their endowment of the Central College library in honor of their parents and have commissioned two sculptures located on Peace Mall. The gift for the Geisler Penquite Education Scholars Program endows the academic excellence of the college and the work of Central students in the field of education for years to come.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity through the Geisler Penquite Foundation to offer this magnitude of a scholarship to our students,” Diers said. “It will have a lasting impact not only on these recipients but the students they will eventually touch in their careers as educators. Our sincerest thanks to the Geisler Penquite Foundation for their support of our work in developing future educators!”