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Front cover
DePaul theatre student Kelly Erin Sloan
“looks into the future” to illustrate the
theme of this issue.
8
Save the date for Reunion
Weekend, Oct. 14 to 16, 2011.
Reunion classes celebrating a
milestone anniversary this year
are 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981,
1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006.
Please join us during this threeday
celebration to reconnect with
classmates and friends, share
memories and revisit your alma
mater. All DePaul alumni
are welcome! For complete details,
visit alumni.depaul.edu/reunion
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12
Carol Sadtler, Editor
Christian Anderson, Contributing writer
Kris Gallagher, Contributing writer
Jennifer Leopoldt, Contributing writer
Carmen Marti, Contributing writer
Heather J. Svoboda, Contributing writer
Maria-Romina Hench, Copy editor
Visit us at depaul.edu/magazine
24
DePaul Magazine is published for alumni,
staff, faculty and friends by University
Marketing Communications. Inquiries,
comments and letters are welcome and
should be addressed to DePaul Magazine,
University Marketing Communications,
1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604.
Call 312.362.8824
Email depaulmag@depaul.edu.
DePaul University is an equal opportunity
employer and educator.

t a b l e of c o n t e n t s
University News
Leadership A New Law Dean 7
International Iraq, Egypt 8, 9
Giving Campaign Update 10
Journeys Sister Prejean’s Papers 12
Features
Culture What’s Next 16
Forecast Homeownership 22
Science Studying a Superbug 24
Alumni Connections
Accomplishments Alumni Profiles 28
Photo Gallery Alumni Receptions 30
Tidbits Useful News 32
Class Notes Who’s Doing What 34
Alumni Planner Coming Events 40

Visit depaul.edu/magazine for sports stories.

Since We Were Last Together
Your university keeps moving onward and upward.
There’s always a lot going on around campus and in the lives
of DePaul alumni that attracts attention from Chicago to the global community.
Here are just a few such items since our last issue.
The DePaul women’s basketball team finished 10th in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll in early April. The
No. 10 ranking ties the program’s highest ranking ever in the coaches poll and is the best finish in the final poll.
The Blue Demons also finished 10th in the Associated Press poll.
Associate Professor Elizabeth LeClair of the Department of Biological Sciences and her research
group recently received a one-time $418,000 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development to further their studies. This research uses the zebrafish to
study how the human body can regenerate skin, nerves and blood vessels after injury.
DePaul University has earned an honorable mention on The Princeton Review’s second annual list saluting the best
graduate schools to study video game design in the United States and Canada. The Princeton Review chose the schools
based on a survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering video game design course work or degrees.
The U.S. Department of State has awarded a three-year $5 million grant to the College of Law’s
International Human Rights Law Institute for a project that promotes human rights in Iraq through a
countrywide initiative to link capacity building, training, legal advocacy and gender reform among
those sectors of society best able to assist women and sexual minorities. (See related story on p. 8.)
Businessweek’s list of Best Undergraduate Business Schools lists DePaul as No. 56 in the nation. Rankings are
based on student and recruiter surveys from three different years, median starting salaries for 2010 graduates, an
MBA feeder school measure based on the number of graduates enrolled in top MBA programs, and other factors.
The School of Education’s graduate counseling program is the first in Illinois and the 24th in
the nation to affiliate with The Education Trust’s National Center for Transforming School
Counseling Initiative. This distinction recognizes the program as a national leader in the
school counseling profession.
M. Cherif Bassiouni, professor emeritus in the College of Law, has been named by the United Nations Human Rights
Council as chair of a special commission to investigate abuse allegations arising from the fighting between rebels
and the forces loyal to Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

university news
P R E S I D E N T I A L P R É C I S
“Universities are, at their heart, places for
educating and preparing the young. But, they are also places where
tremendous works on behalf of the public good take place. At DePaul,
important work is conducted every day on behalf of international
relations, technology, infectious diseases, climate change, public
education, housing, transportation and so much more.”
Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.
President

Test-optional Admission Policy Aids in Evaluating
Students’ Potential for Academic Success
As admission planning began this winter for fall 2012, DePaul
announced its adoption of a test-optional alternative for freshman
admission. This student-centered approach, which will be implemented
through a four-year pilot program, emphasizes that academic
performance and ability are best reflected through a student’s high
school performance in college preparatory courses. Under this new
policy, students applying for freshman admission can choose to submit
ACT or SAT scores as part of their application or send responses to
several short essay questions.
David Kalsbeek, senior vice president for Enrollment Management
and Marketing, concurs. “Data show that it’s the right thing to do. It
elevates the best and fairest criteria for evaluating student potential—
students’ academic performance in a college-preparatory program in
high school. It’s better for the student and for the university.”
Though most applicants still will choose to submit test scores, the
university seeks to encourage a wider range of high-achieving
students to consider a four-year degree at DePaul, including very
talented and promising students who may be disadvantaged by
admission criteria that over-emphasize standardized tests. DePaul’s
experience with supplemental admission essays that establish student
attributes such as leadership, long-term goals, positive self-concept
and a supportive family validates that these strengths are important
predictors of success in college.
DePaul joins the ranks of exemplary schools—such as Bates College,
Lawrence University, Providence College, College of the Holy Cross,
Fairfield University and Wake Forest University—that have successfully
implemented similar admissions policies. “Several studies nationally as
well as years of research at DePaul indicate that institutions with testoptional
policies have seen no adverse effect on academic quality or
rankings, and many have seen selectivity increase as a result,” says
the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul’s president.
For more details, visit depaul.edu/emm/TestOptional/index.asp#TestOp1
For student FAQs about test-optional admission at DePaul, visit
depaul.edu/admission/types_of_admission/first_year/testoptional_faqs.asp
DePaul Hosts “Chicago’s Black Metropolis”
Screening
DePaul hosted the inaugural screening of the national cut of the
groundbreaking documentary “DuSable to Obama: Chicago’s Black
Metropolis” on Jan. 26 to help kick off Black History Month.
Co-produced by Daniel Andries and Barbara Allen, the film examines
the extraordinary impact that Chicago’s African-American community
has had on the world through the voices of its scholars, business
leaders, politicians, community activists and other leading citizens. The
documentary opens with Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, who set up a
trading post in what is now the city of Chicago in the 1780s, and
continues through the 2008 election of Barack Obama, who became the
44th president of the United States.
The screening at the Chicago Cultural Center was followed by a panel discussion that featured (l to r) Allen; Gail Baker, dean of the College of
Communication, Fine Arts and Media at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, who wrote the documentary; Haki Madhubuti, DePaul’s Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Professor; and James Wolfinger, associate professor of history and education at DePaul.

Gregory Mark Prepares to Lead DePaul College of Law
DePaul University has named Gregory
Mark the new dean of the College of
Law. He will make several visits to the
school to meet with law school faculty
and staff as he continues to shape his
vision for the college before assuming
the deanship this July.
“It is enormously important for the
law school to be an integral part of the
intellectual life of the entire university,”
Mark says. “The law school should play a
part in all of the university’s constituent
communities, which are global. It’s also
important that our law students
understand that they are joining a
community that goes back over a century.”
Mark currently serves as vice dean,
professor of law and the Justice Nathan L. Jacobs Scholar at Rutgers
University School of Law in Newark, N.J. He was selected to lead
the College of Law following a national search by a committee that
included law school faculty members, a staff representative and a
student representative and was led by attorney and DePaul trustee
Gery Chico.
A noted legal historian with extensive experience in academia,
administration and the professional world, Mark has nearly 20
years’ experience as a law professor. He also has been a member of
the graduate faculty in history at Rutgers and has served as a
teaching fellow in the history department at Harvard University.
Prior to his career in academia, Mark served as associate counsel
for the Office of Independent Counsel in the Iran-Contra Affair. In
that role, he helped develop the case against Duane Clarridge, a
former high ranking official of the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA). Clarridge later received a
presidential pardon. Mark also led a
project on foreign intelligence and
national security concerns in the
prosecution of government officials and
acted as liaison to the White House
Counsel’s Office, the U.S. Senate, the
National Security Agency and the CIA
(1988-93).
He earned a bachelor’s degree from
Butler University and a master’s degree in
history from Harvard University. No
stranger to Chicago, Mark earned his J.D.
from the University of Chicago Law
School, where he was articles editor for
the law review. After graduating, he
clerked for Judge Bruce M. Selya of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 1988 and 1989.
Mark says he looks forward to working at the law school
because of “its deep roots in Chicago and its nearly 100-year
commitment to intellectual achievement, access to education and
commitment to community” upon which he hopes to build. He and
his family also look forward to living in Chicago. “My wife and I
love Chicago, and we are eager to get back to what my daughter
calls the ‘golden city.’”
“Professor Mark’s experience and effective leadership will
ensure that DePaul’s College of Law will continue on its path of
providing society with great lawyers and groundbreaking legal
research,” says DePaul Provost Helmut Epp.
Mark replaces Warren D. Wolfson, a former Illinois Appellate
Court judge, who was named interim dean in August 2009.
Wolfson will join the College of Law faculty.
DePaul makes the “Green” List—Again
For the second year in a row, DePaul has been named to The
Princeton Review’s guide to the nation’s greenest colleges.
“DePaul University has made significant strides toward becoming
more environmentally sustainable through green building initiatives,
conservation efforts, use of alternative energy sources and
academic programs,” according to the profile in The Princeton
Review’s “Guide to 311 Green Colleges.”
The profile also cited the LEED Gold-certified Monsignor Andrew J.
McGowan Science Building; several student-sponsored measures
to support sustainability; transportation initiatives such as a
partnership with the I-GO car-sharing service on campus and
participation in the Chicago Transit Authority’s U-Pass program;
and DePaul’s environmental science major that provides research
opportunities in restoration ecology, wetland science and
conservation biology.
“The recognition speaks to DePaul’s long-term commitment to
sustainability,” says Scott Kelley, assistant vice president for
Vincentian Scholarship and co-chair of DePaul’s Sustainability
Initiatives Task Force. The distinction from The Princeton Review
coincides with the task force’s launch of a new website to keep the
university community apprised of DePaul’s sustainability efforts.
Visit mission.depaul.edu/programs/sustainability.
s p r i n g / s u m m e r
7

G l o b a l D e P a u l
DePaul Welcomes Consular Corps,
United Airlines
James Compton, executive vice president of
United Airlines, addresses guests at the 6th
annual Consular Corps of Chicago luncheon
in Cortelyou Commons at DePaul’s Lincoln
Park Campus. Consuls general representing
35 countries attended the event.
Hironori Sawada, deputy consul
general of Japan, (left) and Leo
Herrera-Lim, consul general of
the Philippines, chat before the
luncheon.
An official of what is to become the world’s largest airline told an audience of
consuls general representing 35 countries at a luncheon at DePaul that United
will continue to build its international network across the Atlantic, the Pacific and
Latin America.
Dateline: Tahrir Square, Cairo
“My studies have evolved from
research on the Arab diasporic
communities in Latin America to
Egypt’s move to democracy.
I consider myself a citizen
journalist who aims to collect,
report, analyze and disseminate
news on the Egyptian Revolution
and its aftermath.”
– Violeta A. Rosales (LAS ’10)
Former DePaul Ronald E. McNair Scholar
who is currently studying in Cairo on a
U.S. Fulbright Arabic Language Grant.
“Many of you represent countries from around the world—most of which we fly
to—and I want to tell you how much United Airlines appreciates your support,”
United’s Executive Vice President James Compton told attendees at DePaul’s
sixth annual Consular Corps of Chicago luncheon on April 14 in Cortelyou
Commons. Compton, who also is United’s chief revenue officer and the former
executive vice president of Continental Airlines, said United is working hard to
complete the integration of Continental and United. The merger, which will
create the world’s largest airline and eliminate the Continental nameplate, was
approved by regulators last year.
Compton estimated that it “will take over a year for us to obtain a single
operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration so we can operate
as one airline.” Weighing on the excitement and the ambitious plans of the
merger is the volatile price of fuel, which , in the short term, has forced United to
drop some routes and delay plans for expanding into new destinations.
Compton said the dramatic increase in fuel prices comes just as business travel
around the globe is staging a comeback.
The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president, who introduced Compton,
thanked the consuls general for helping to support DePaul’s international
initiatives. He noted that about 800 international students study each year at
DePaul, and more than 1,100 DePaul students study overseas, primarily
through the Study Abroad program.
Patricia Maza-Pittsford, consul general of El Salvador and dean of the Chicago
consular corps, praised DePaul for its international initiatives and said that she
and her colleagues are eager to explore new opportunities with the university.
See Rosales’ firsthand account of the Egyptian
Revolution at depaul.edu/magazine.

IHRLI National Conference Brings
Iraqi Factions Together to Build Peace
Some 120 Iraqis from 11 different governorates gathered in
Erbil, Iraq, on Feb. 27 for “Toward Peace Building in Iraq,” a
groundbreaking conference hosted by The Iraq Conflict
Resolution and Reconciliation Project, which is managed by
the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) of DePaul
University. The group included government representatives,
students, faculty and staff from law schools, clerics, tribal and
community leaders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
young professional women and women’s organizations.
The conference was a first step toward the project’s goal of
linking Iraq’s intellectual community and civil society so that local
NGO, academic and community leaders can combine resources to
resolve human rights issues and move toward conflict resolution
and reconciliation. “It is no hyperbole to note that this is the only
program of its kind in Iraq,” says IHRLI Executive Director Chuck
Tucker. “It brings together the very leaders who will be critical in
helping set the public perceptions and prerequisites for peace to
take hold.”
“It was an amazing event because it brought together many
different ethnic groups, including Yazidi, Shbak, Sabiaa, Christians
and clerics who were Sunni and Shi’a,” says Kandy Christensen,
director of IHRLI’s Civil Society Project. As sheiks and NGO
representatives who had never sat with each other explored in
workshops how to deal with conflict and violence in their
communities, “they began to see each other as partners who were
all doing the same work,” Christensen reports.
On the program was a panel of international experts who shared
their experiences in countries of conflict—Angola, Yugoslavia and
Afghanistan—with the participants. “The lecturers had good
experience, especially on the ground in difficult areas of conflict
around the world,” Rana Omer Ahmad of the Bana Center says.
The conference also featured workshops such as one that
discussed the process of establishing a post-conflict justice system
(top) International peace building experts Father Qais Sadiq, Jose Doria, and the court’s role, attended mainly by law school deans and
Nehad El Gamal and moderator Kurdistan Daloye. (middle) Attendees students; a workshop about the role of women in the reconciliation
included scholars, tribal and community leaders. (bottom) Charles Tucker,
process attended by sheiks, NGO women activists, students and
IHRLI executive director, opens “Toward Peace Building in Iraq” conference.
professors; and a workshop on reconciliation and reintegration in
Afghanistan that stressed that unity should not be under a religion but under a flag.
The event was planned for two days, but had to be shortened to one day because of security issues that prevented many participants and
some panelists from attending. Despite obstacles like these, IHRLI will move forward with plans to host another conference and to begin
forming committees in various communities in which clerics, NGOs, academics and sheiks collaborate to resolve conflicts.
“The institute managed to prove to everyone that in America there are humanitarian and scientific institutions that really want to help the
peoples of the world toward prosperity and culture for the sake of all mankind,” says Al-Shaikh A’ahd Mustafa Khalid Agha Al-Gorany, head of
the Mosul delegation.
s p r i n g / s u m m e r
9

Campaign Momentum
Contributions to the Many Dreams, One Mission
Campaign closed in on the $200 million mark this
spring as donors continued to invest in DePaul’s
future by making gifts for scholarships, building
projects, faculty positions and program expansion.
Coming off a record year in 2010, when the
university received more funding from more donors
than any previous year, campaign progress exceeds
the “straight-line” projections of campaign strategists.
As of April 1, 2011, total giving to the campaign
stood at $196,097,058, representing 78 percent of
the $250 million overall goal, with 60 percent of
the campaign period elapsed.
“Gifts to this campaign spur investment and
excellence in every college and program,” says the
Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of
DePaul University. “Gifts provide scholarship funding,
resources to support faculty, and capital to build
strong programs and create new ones and to construct
optimal educational facilities in the sciences, liberal
arts and performing arts. I am grateful to all donors
and volunteers for our remarkable progress in this
campaign. Every gift matters, and every gift advances
DePaul’s mission.”
The Many Dreams, One Mission Campaign
focuses on academic opportunity and excellence. Of
the $250 million goal, $100 million will significantly
bolster DePaul’s founding commitment to provide a
high-quality education to all talented students who
seek it, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Direct investment in academic excellence totaling
$150 million will further solidify DePaul’s ability to
attract top faculty and provide the resources and
facilities they need to continue to create and
strengthen world-class academic programs.

Merle Reskin Adds to a Remarkable Legacy of Support
Merle Reskin, a longtime patron of the performing arts at DePaul, recently added to her legacy of support with a
$1.5 million gift to support construction of The Theatre School’s new home at the southwest corner of Fullerton and
Racine avenues.
The innovative four-story building, designed by the internationally renowned firm of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, will
house a 250-seat main theatre and a flexible 100-seat black-box theatre in addition to offices, classrooms, rehearsal
spaces and workshops.
A mainstay of the Chicago theatre scene, Reskin is a former Broadway actress who joined The Theatre School’s
board in 1990. Two years later, she and her husband, Harold Reskin (LAW ’53), made a $2.2 million gift to acquire,
renovate and rename the Blackstone Theatre in the Loop in her honor. The Merle Reskin Theatre still serves as
DePaul’s main theatrical venue. In 2005, she established expendable and endowed scholarships for students in the
music and theatre schools.
“Merle is helping transform the performing arts at DePaul by providing students and faculty a facility that is worthy
of their talents and by providing the community with a spectacular place to experience fine performances,” says
Holtschneider. “She leads by example and is an inspiration to many.”
Ponsettos’ Gift Supports Athletics and Performing Arts
Jean Lenti Ponsetto (EDU ’78) and Joe Ponsetto (LAS ’78, LAW ’82) have made a $100,000 gift to the Many Dreams,
One Mission Campaign that will support athletics and the music and theatre schools’ capital campaign.
While the Ponsettos’ support for athletics seems natural—both were star athletes at DePaul and Jeanne is the athletic
director—they felt drawn to invest in the facilities being created for the performing arts at DePaul. “These performing
artists and specialists are comparable to student-athletes,” Jeanne says. “They are very talented and have rigorous
requirements that go beyond the classroom experience.” She also says that the DePaul pep band, which plays at the
men’s and women’s basketball games, is “by far” the best in the Big East Conference.
The couple feels that athletics and performing arts both add another dimension of richness to the educational
excellence of the university and that it is important that music and theatre have educational and performance
environments that match the international reputation of the schools.
“Joe and I have seen what new and updated facilities have done for the athletic program,” Jeanne says. “Just as
young scientists need laboratories, these highly demanding fields require facilities built to the highest standards of
practice and performance. We’re happy that a major focus of the campaign is the performing arts, and we’re happy
that we can do something to help out.”
Ustian Repays the Excellence DePaul Makes Possible
Dan Ustian (COM ’73) and his wife, Ramona, have made a generous commitment to the DePaul Fund for Athletics as part
of the Many Dreams, One Mission Campaign. “Athletics instills values of teamwork and leadership, which are just
as important in our everyday lives and careers as they are on the playing field,” says Ustian. “DePaul does a great job
of balancing an enriching athletics experience with rigorous academics.”
For Ustian, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar International, the kind of well-rounded education DePaul offers has
become increasingly important in an increasingly complex, fast-moving business environment and has been critical in his
own career. He understands the importance of providing that sort of opportunity and excellence to future generations.
He was working full-time as a foreman at a South Side steel company when he enrolled in the night-school accounting
program at DePaul. He paid his own tuition. “My parents were not wealthy, but they greatly valued education.” His
own father’s collegiate career was cut short by service in World War II. “My three siblings and I were very much firstgeneration
college students,” he says. “Even though I paid my own way, I still would not have had the excellent education
I received were it not for the generosity of donors who support the programs here. Today, most students cannot afford to
go to college without financial aid. That is why giving this gift has been one of the greatest satisfactions of my life.”
s p r i n g / s u m m e r
11

Noted Death Penalty Abolitionist Sister Prejean
Chooses DePaul for Archive
Kathryn DeGraff, director of DePaul’s archives (l) and Sister Helen Prejean, S.J., examine a pair of boots that Sean Penn wore as the Death Row inmate in the movie
“Dead Man Walking,” based on Prejean’s book. Materials from Sr. Prejean’s donation include a photo (center) of her entering onto Death Row.
“They killed a man with fire one night. … What I saw set my
soul on fire, a fire that burns in me still. Here is an account
of my soul’s journey to the killing chamber.”
With these words, Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., describes
her transformation from a naïve young nun to one of the world’s
leading death penalty abolitionists. She chronicled her
experiences through detailed journals, myriad letters and two
books, which in turn became a movie, a play and an opera. Now
these materials have made their own journey from a stack of
cardboard boxes in post-Katrina New Orleans to their new
home in the archives at DePaul University.
“The Prejean papers are a rich trove of materials that
include personal correspondence with figures ranging from
prisoners to the pope, but perhaps none so moving as those to
governors, whom she’s lobbied on behalf of men and women
she’s come to know personally,” said the Rev. Dennis H.
Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul’s president, during the news
conference announcing her gift.
“It’s because of Sister Helen that we began to talk about the
death penalty in this country,” says Charles Hoffman, assistant
defender in the office of the Illinois State Appellate Defender.
“She has educated probably more people about that issue
than any other person.”
Thinking on paper
Prejean began journaling in the mid-1960s, writing about her
realization that her faith called her to work with the poor and,
subsequently, to minister to Death Row inmates. (Those early
journals aren’t part of the DePaul archive, but many others are.)
Because she couldn’t take pen and paper onto Death Row,
Prejean sat in her car after visits and wrote every detail, from
prison conditions to her conversations with inmates and guards.
These journals became valuable sources for her published
books, “Dead Man Walking” and “Death of Innocents,” as well
as her upcoming book, “River of Fire.”
She also documented the inequities in how the death
penalty is applied, the Byzantine rules that prevent evidence
from being examined, and how regional culture impacts how
the death penalty is applied.
“It’s really shocking when you start learning how the law and
how the courts work,” says Prejean, who originally thought that
American courts were the best in the world. “I didn’t have a clue.”
“In her journals, people will find her working out her
thinking about all of these issues,” says Susanne Dumbleton,
professor in the School for New Learning, who is writing a book
about Prejean and two other female activists. Dumbleton
planted the idea that DePaul might be the repository for
by Kris Gallagher

Prejean’s papers during a visit to interview her in 2009. “All that
information being in [cardboard] boxes and possibly in peril
[from a hurricane] caused me to ask her what she intended to
do with them,” Dumbleton said.
Although many archives wanted Prejean’s papers, she
chose DePaul for several reasons, including the university’s
overall commitment to social justice and its fight against the
death penalty through its Center for Justice in Capital Cases in
the College of Law. The center’s director, Associate Professor
Andrea Lyon, and her students helped prove the innocence of
four men on Illinois’ Death Row, whom then-Gov. George Ryan
pardoned during a speech at DePaul in 2003. Prejean also said
that DePaul’s commitment to making the archives visible and
accessible will help continue her work to educate the American
public about the realities of the death penalty.
“We do the work when we turn [the materials] over. That’s
very much the archives today. You need the active, committed
spirit of a university like DePaul that has the Gospel at its heart
and justice at its heart,” she says.
50 boxes, seven shelves full
Kathryn DeGraff, director of DePaul’s archives, and her staff
traveled to New Orleans in December 2010 and returned with
72 feet of boxed material. In addition to papers, the gift includes
artifacts, such as movie props, artwork and the black knit cap
belonging to Robert Willie, whom Prejean accompanied to his
execution. By next year, everything will be preserved,
catalogued and available to faculty, students and scholars from
around the world.
DeGraff noted that DePaul’s archives already contain the
papers of several Catholic social justice activists whose work
intersected with the prison system, including:
n Several letters from St. Vincent de Paul, who inspired the
reformation of the French penal system in the 16th century
n The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, S.J.; his brother Philip; and Philip’s
wife, Liz McAlister, heads of the anti-nuclear weapons group
Plowshares
n The Rev. James Brockman, S.J., who documented the
assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
“Our primary function in the archives is to provide
resources that reflect the mission of the university and the
scholarly activity of the faculty, to provide resources that have
a living role in the curriculum,” says DeGraff. “Students really
respond to physical things. All they see are documents on a
screen on their computers and reprinted texts in their books,
so when they come face to face with handwritten letters, or
physical documents, or hand-corrected manuscript drafts, they
have a tangible way to connect with history.” She and Lyon are
both eager for law students in DePaul’s death penalty program
to explore Prejean’s work.
But the value of Prejean’s papers goes far beyond law
students, Dumbleton says. “People sometimes oversimplify
Sister Helen’s work and channel it exclusively into the death
penalty. Sister Helen is really concerned about … what
execution does to the American culture, the way that the
presentation of being equal under the law can be distorted
within a democracy where the poor suffer the consequences of
their actions more than do the middle class or the rich.
“So, the archives will be of interest to sociologists, to lawyers
and to people studying journalism or writing and the process of
writing. People studying religion and the lives of nuns and other
female religious leaders—especially those of the latter half of the
20th century—will also be interested,” Dumbleton says.
That is the real power of the gift, says Holtschneider.
“Research is not done just so you can put a book on a shelf.
Research is done so that people can learn from the past and
shape the future. … Research shapes the way we see and think
about the world.”
For related information, visit:
DePaul Archives
library.depaul.edu/Collections/university.aspx
Videos about the donation
newsline.depaul.edu/Pages/SisterHelenPrejeanvideo.aspx
newsline.depaul.edu/Pages/Prejean.aspx
Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J.
prejean.org
Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
icadp.org
s p r i n g / s u m m e r
13

features
P E R C E P T I V E P O I N T
“When you visit a historical site,
they can create tags with information about that resource that you can access
when you look through an augmented-reality device. What’s interesting in
education is that they’re mashing up augmented reality with wikis.”
James Moore
Instructor and director of online learning in the College of Commerce

What ’s Next
Forecasts on Hot Topics from the Experts
by Carol Sadtler
As we rush toward the future, we thought we’d try to get our bearings
by gathering some informed predictions about a few important aspects
of our culture. We made a soup-to-nuts list of topics and then solicited
opinions from DePaul faculty who are recognized authorities on them.
Through their research and teaching, they’re able to formulate what
some of them describe as educated guesses—for no one really knows
the future—to give you some things to ponder.

Phones and Computing
“Think of ‘The Terminator’ and Arnold
Schwarzenegger,” says James Moore, instructor and
director of online learning in the College of
Commerce, as he begins to explain augmented
reality—the next big thing for your phone. As Schwarzenegger’s
character is able to see objects and options identified in his
environment, so will your cellphone’s camera reveal flags on physical
objects that identify things as you pan around your location, and
you’ll be able to filter information down to find what you’re looking
for, he explains.
Mashed up with Google Maps, this technology will be able to
help you locate all the French restaurants and even provide ratings,
says Moore. “Or when you visit a historical site, they can create tags
with information about that resource that you can access when you
look through an augmented-reality device. What’s interesting
in education is that they’re mashing up
augmented reality with wikis,” he says.
You’ll also be able to look with
your phone at a sign in a language you
don’t know, and it will translate the
information for you. “There are videos
on YouTube that show how this works.
Phone companies have been working
on this concept for audio, but this
visual thing is going to leapfrog,”
Moore predicts.
Massimo Di Pierro, associate
professor in the College of Computing
and Digital Media, says that phones as powerful
as computers will be available in the near future. Miniaturization will
increase, as phones will require additional billions of transistors to
enable them to perform such functions as language translation, but
that’s technically not a problem, says Di Pierro. “The issue is
bandwidth—how much can be carried. By 2012, there probably will
be enough capacity to offer them.”
A computing innovation he’s particularly excited about will help
researchers, students and others who are looking for answers to
questions. “We will be moving into natural language understanding,
where you ask a question of the system, and it will understand the
documents and be able to respond to your question and cite the proper
sources. We now have intelligent programs that try to extract
information; Google is able to extract by text matching,” says Di Pierro.
“With Wolfram Alpha (wolframalpha.com), which is state of the
art, you ask a question of the system, and it will respond specifically
and try to compute the answer. Plug in an equation, and it will solve it
for you. It will be domain-specific; if the system knows a priori what
your area of interest is, it’s easier to understand what you’re saying.”
Intelligent programs also will be able to handle our day-to-day
tasks automatically. “I want a computer filter that will understand my
email,” Massimo says. “If this guy sends me an email today, just tell
him I’m available next week. It’s almost there. In no more than 10
years, programs will be able to understand.”
Gender Identity
There’s much more flexibility in the way that younger
people are constructing their gender identity today,
says Allison McCracken, associate professor in the
American studies program in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences (LA&S). The author of a forthcoming book titled
“Real Men Don’t Sing: Crooners and American Culture, 1925-1933,”
she studies the expression of gender identity in America.
“Gender is very much constructed by society. It is historical and
changes over time. We can look at something like ‘Mad Men’ and say
that gender roles and expectations were very different in the 1960s
than they are now,” she says.
McCracken traces the recent
social shift to greater acceptance
and expression of more flexible
gender roles from the anti-Vietnam
movement of the late ’60s, in
which many middle-class men,
reacting to the notion that to be a
man, one had to be a soldier,
rejected a hypermasculine ideal.
“They grew long hair and
embraced peace, love and Eastern
religions,” she says.
At the same time, liberation
movements of women, gays and
lesbians expanded definitions of
what it meant to be female or male.
“Gay men in the ’70s were more macho,”
McCracken observes. These expressions were shut down in the ’80s
largely because of the AIDS epidemic and came back in the ’90s > > >
f e a t u r e
17

with more mainstreaming of gay and lesbian identity as marketers
recognized the spending power of those demographics. “There was also
more attention paid to girl culture and the notion that girls could be
strong and powerful, like Xena and Buffy on television,” McCracken says.
From tattooing and piercing to identifying as transgender, younger
generations have developed a much more fluid idea of gender than
their parents had. “What I see now is more freedom to construct
oneself,” McCracken says. “Most kids have multiple identities—we
don’t have only binary structures—male and female—gay/lesbian or
straight. We have a lot of positions in between, alongside and across
these axes.”
The Internet is a big influence on gender identity, she points out.
“It allows more people to look at different ways to be gendered, seeing
a variety of ways to be oneself, to think about gender.”
Though she sees greater political recognition in the future for
people who may not fit rigid ideas of gender, McCracken says
acceptance will always vary according to social contexts. “Just as we
see today, we’re always going to have different levels of acceptance
depending on one’s social position and location,” she says.
Looking back even further, to the Colonial and Revolutionary
periods in this country, one might be tempted to think that gender
identity was rigid. Not so, says Thomas Foster, associate professor of
history and director of LGBTQ studies in LA&S. He is the author and
editor of several books on sex and gender in early America, including
“New Men: Manliness in Early America,” which he edited.
Foster says his latest book includes discussions of many kinds
of masculinity, including pirates, clergy, Native American warriors,
African-Americans and Colonial military men. “That’s why scholars
speak of masculinities in the plural.”
“Gender norms and gender identity are always fluid in the sense
that they are always being defined—and in multiple ways,” Foster says.
City-to-City Travel
Despite President Barack Obama’s initiatives for highspeed
rail, chances that we will enjoy a true highspeed
system in the near future are not good, says
Kenneth Thompson, management professor in the
College of Commerce, who studies freight transit and the future for
high-speed rail. “I don’t see it in the cards for the next decade or two,”
he says.
He explains that for true high-speed service, new tracks would
have to be built to accommodate trains that travel 250 mph, and
roadbeds and crossings would have to be improved. However, he says
the present freight and passenger system could be adapted to handle
speeds of 110 mph—faster than the 78 mph standard speed for
current U.S. trains.
Thompson is following a joint research project between the
federal government and some freight railroad companies aimed at
simplifying freight traffic by changing infrastructure in Chicago—
some of which will support the track realignment needed for
running the high-speed passenger
rail service now under
construction from Chicago to St.
Louis and potentially other routes.
He’s optimistic that if the
infrastructure costs were picked
up, the operating costs of a highspeed
rail system might equal
revenue to make the service viable.
Efficient rail service has
advantages over flying and is used
by people who might otherwise fly,
he points out. The high-speed
Amtrak train that runs from Boston to
New York to Washington (at slightly
under 100 mph) has 43 percent of the
market. It takes you from downtown
to downtown, costs about the same
“and you don’t have to take off your
shoes, belt, coat, et cetera, or get
there early,” Thompson says.
How to pay for the
infrastructure “They may have to
look back at what was done to have
the transcontinental railroads built in
1869; basically have the government
issue some sort of guaranteed bonds
so a private company would be able to
develop the service,” he says.
Joseph Schwieterman, professor in the School of Public Service
and director of DePaul’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan
Development, sees a new mode of travel, or rather a twist on an older
mode, as a competitive alternative.
With passengers seeking reasonably priced travel and carriers
looking for sustainable, profitable operations, new bus companies that
enable customers to bypass the terminal and enjoy efficiencies, such as
Internet ticketing and curbside pickup, are an exciting development in
downtown-to-downtown travel, Schwieterman says.
“All the forecasts for high-speed rail were done before we had
this new mode,” Schwieterman points out. “For the high-speed train
from Chicago to St. Louis, the concept analysis was you’re competing
with cars and Southwest Airlines—can we charge $60 to $80 from
Springfield to St. Louis and capture 60 percent of the market It’s

cheaper than Southwest, it’s just about as fast, and it’s cheaper than
driving. Now we have, next door, Megabus charging $22.”
Small niche carriers are popping up in New York City;
Washington, D.C.; and Chicago. “The Midwest was ripe for the
picking for companies, including Megabus, which launched
operations in Chicago in 2006. The bus market was dead, and there
are lots of cities that are a bus ride from Chicago,” Schwieterman says,
adding that a new, young generation of riders who feel no stigma
about taking a bus hopped right aboard.
“People bring their lives with them when they travel, including
their electronic technology, and it’s natural for them to use intercity
travel like they use public transit, moving seamlessly between
environments,” he notes.
The rising cost of fuel provides one more reason to consider this
mode. According to Schwieterman, buses get 190 passenger miles per
gallon, whereas if you drive alone, you get 30, and with two in a car, 40.
Advertising
Kasey Windels, assistant professor in the College of
Communication, focuses on advertising from the
agency’s point of view. “The Internet has completely
changed the way advertisers do everything,” she says,
from the ability to target very specific demographics to finding new and
creative ways to get consumers involved.
“In the future, advertisers will
have to think less about messages
and more about interaction and
engagement. Traditional
advertising is more of a push
strategy, but on the Internet, it’s
about pulling people in and
engaging them.” However, she
says, the need for advertisers to
connect emotionally with the
consumer as well as focus on the
brand will not change.
The Old Spice television and
social media campaign, which, for
two years running, combined
television commercials with hundreds of
online videos, is exemplary, Windels says. Videos directed personally to
celebrities, including people well known to online communities, such
as Kevin Rose, founder of the website Digg, were wildly popular and
drew the consumer in emotionally.
“That [advertising] says, ‘We care about you enough to make ads
about you; we want you to be part of our brand. It’s really simple and
inexpensive to produce, but it’s very complex,” she says.
Another integrated marketing campaign Windels admires is the
Toyota “Swagger Wagon” campaign, in which two hipster parents rap
about their minivan. “Along with television ads, there was a music
video that went viral,” Windels notes.
She sees the current affinity of
advertisers for crowdsourcing—that
is, consumer-generated ads such as
the Pepsi/Doritos offerings—as “a
bad path, because it doesn’t think
about the brand. You definitely
have to listen to people and get
them involved, but you have to
know who you are and build
around that identity.”
Advertisers are beginning to
learn how to use to their advantage
the product information exchanged
among consumers online through
ratings, online communities, blogs and
other vehicles, observes Kelly Chu, assistant professor in the College of
Communication, who researches electronic word-of-mouth and crosscultural
communication.
“Companies are just learning how to monitor the conversations to
get customer insight and then think about how to shape the
conversation.”
Chu has found in her research that, compared with people in the
United States, Asians are more inclined to depend on their friends’
opinions than online recommendations for product information. She
doesn’t see that changing in the immediate future for the 18- to 25-yearolds
she studies, as she thinks their cultural heritage will continue to
influence them.
Social media has become and will continue to be an integral part of
marketing communications, Chu says. “McDonald’s uses incentives like
a free burger to drive customers to the website, and they do a good job
of using Twitter for discounted products; it’s very easy to send out
relevant information to the right person,” she says. As an example of
visionary thinking, she gives Burger King’s “Subservient Chicken”
video—in which a chicken follows commands that the user types in—
that told millions of Internet viewers who sent the video to others that
they can “get chicken just the way you like it” at Burger King.
(www.bk.com/en/us/campaigns/subservient-chicken.html).
Because the Internet is such a powerful tool for influencing
consumers, Chu points out, there are ethical issues now and in the
future. “Policymakers are still trying to figure out how that will work,”
she says.
f e a t u r e
19

Chicago Politics
“It’s unlikely that Rahm Emanuel is going to have the
kind of control that Richard M. Daley had back in
2003 or 2004, though Daley’s control weakened the
last several years,” says Larry Bennett, political science
professor in LA&S, and author of a new book, “The Third City:
Chicago and American Urbanism.”
Considering that one-third of the City Council are newcomers,
Bennett says this refreshed body will be “willing to
voice its views and flex its muscles more than it
has. Generally speaking, that’s a good thing
because it’s going to mean that aldermen
representing some of the African-American and
Latino areas are going to have more ability to
speak for themselves and speak for their
districts.”
With an annual budget deficit of a halfbillion
dollars, the new mayor’s task is to
basically reshape the revenue stream, Bennett
says. “We need a conciliator, and that may not
be him. However, Emanuel is middle-of-theroad
and pragmatic—that’s probably an
attribute in his political history that will work in his favor.”
“The city doesn’t have any money—we’re going to have to get
it from somewhere—and Emanuel has some good connections,” says
Michael J. Bennett, associate professor of sociology and former
executive director of and current fellow in DePaul’s Egan Urban
Center, who co-edited, with Larry Bennett and others, “The New
Chicago: A Social and Cultural Analysis.”
“Rahm has helped so many candidates across the country who are
now legislators that he might be able to persuade some of them to
support legislation that will have consequences,
though not specifically for
Chicago. The state has no
money—a lot of that was
pass-through, block grants,”
Michael Bennett says,
pointing out that Emanuel
will have to try to find
funds at the federal level.
Now that a new city
government is in place,
Michael Bennett says he
sees opportunities for
change, including support
for low-income neighborhoods,
but only if people become involved and organized. “What happened in
the late ’80s and mid-’90s was that funding from foundations stopped,
so you don’t have people in the low-income communities to speak for
poor people or even rally residents. It’s up to us—the voters—to do
some work, starting with our alderpeople.”
Global Sustainability
The tundra—where weather is becoming drastically
warmer and ecosystems are changing rapidly— is the
research destination of choice for Mark Potosnak,
assistant professor in the environmental science
program. He travels to the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Toolik Field
Station to study how plants interact with atmospheric chemistry and
how climate change impacts that interaction.
“We kind of understand those interactions, but how are the
changes going to be different a hundred years from now What should
we be doing toward the future to adapt to climate change in terms of
these natural plant emissions These models can help predictions in
other places,” he explains.
Potosnak also has conducted studies in Las Vegas, where
vegetation was planted rather than allowed to spring up naturally and
has an adverse impact on air quality. Researchers have found that
certain species of trees contribute to poor air quality, including poplars,
cottonwood and oak trees. “There’s some generalized data in the
Chicago area, and I’d like to carry it further,” he says.
Though he says his specific area of study does not lead him to
make predictions, Potosnak allows that there is a chance that the
Arctic would melt so much that we would lose a significant amount
of ice. “Even if there’s a 10 percent chance of this happening, we’re
dealing with an awfully big downside risk.
“The science has gotten more and more certain—the conclusions
have changed very little. I started doing global warming research 20
years ago, and policy debates have not markedly improved,” he says.
From a business perspective, Kathy Dhanda, associate professor of
management in the College of Commerce, predicts that the push for
sustainability will come from consumers, governments, companies and
civil society. “The consumers are savvy—they want better products
that do not harm the environment.”
Dhanda, who researches and teaches sustainable management,
says our country needs elected officials and big corporations to work
together to create real change. “Of the 100 largest economies in the
world, 51 are businesses; the other 49 are countries. For example,
General Motors is bigger than Denmark; DaimlerChrysler is bigger
than Poland. If we leave the companies out—let’s say, if the
government poses a solution—it’s going to be a half measure.”

She wishes companies would get on the sustainability bandwagon
faster, but she says they’re “getting it” because they see it’s
something consumers want. “We
talked to the head of strategy and
sustainability at Walmart, and the
company is developing the
sustainability index, partly in
response to customer demands.”
Dhanda warns that the United
States cannot afford to be
complacent. “The four brigadiers—
India, Russia, Brazil and China—
are becoming so dominant. China,
India and Brazil are investing
heavily in renewables. If we don’t
do anything, we’ll be left behind
20 years from now. … There are always
pendulum shifts, but I think, unfortunately,
that the new leaders are going to be coming from the developing world.”
Television
A big gain for viewers is that access to quality
scripted television is increasing, says Kelly Kessler,
assistant professor in the College of Communication
and author of “Destabilizing the Hollywood Musical:
Music, Masculinity and Mayhem.”
“Premium cable channels did it—HBO, AMC’s ‘Mad Men,’
Lifetime. There’s more original programming outside the big three or
five broadcast networks,” Kessler says.
There’s competition between scripted television and reality TV,
which is relatively cheap to produce, she says, not that viewers,
including her, don’t enjoy both. What we’ll have in the future is
something the television and advertising industries are trying to figure
out, as people watch programs online and on their DVRs, bypassing the
advertising and cable fees that support programming.
“Different ways of targeting—catching lightning in a bottle with
transmedia strategies—will continue to develop,” Kessler says, using as
an example the series “Lost,” which told its story and engaged viewers
both on television and via the Web.
In her research, Kessler raises questions about the actual success of
these efforts in engaging viewers and moving them to buy something.
“There’s this façade of participation. Because I can go online and do
something, it looks like I’m doing something, except really they’re just
selling things to me, and what they’re giving me online isn’t really much
of anything,” she says.
She says that transmedia strategies provide opportunities to
broaden the audience and potentially engage more viewers. Lifetime’s
“Army Wives,” for example, features upper-middle-class, white
characters, but the program’s website includes more diversity—sort of.
“It looks like we’re addressing you, but we’re not,” Kessler says, but
adds that despite the actual narrative content, the Lifetime website
does give military wives from every background a place to connect.
Paul Booth, assistant professor in the College of Communication,
sees lots of reality TV in the future, perhaps with more variety. “It’s
become such a force not only because people love to watch it, but
because it’s extremely cheap to make. Maybe we’ll see more separation
between reality show genres. Bravo has a kind of a market with talent
shows—‘Top Chef,’ for example. As audiences fragment and as cable
stations increase, I could see a fishing reality show, a golfing
reality show, one on every cable channel,”
he says.
One reason people enjoy these shows
is that they like to see other people
achieving their goals, Booth says. “That’s
been in literature for thousands of years—
the hero story. Kim Kardashian has done
something some people aspire to do—
become famous. Whether or not you think
she’s a role model, people hold her up as
one. I think there’s a desire to see people
living out your fantasies.”
As a researcher of fandom and author of a
book on the subject, “Digital Fandom: New Media Studies,” Booth
says that the tendency for people to form groups of enthusiasts
around a certain subject, whether by going to a convention or
interacting online, will only grow. “There have always been fans, but
now, they’re more visible on the Internet.
“With visibility, there’s more participation. The more tools there
are, the more people are allowed to express their fandom. ... They’re
the ones who buy things.”
Interactivity with the Internet provides new opportunities for
engaging TV fans with the show and with advertisers, he says. “I
think people like having choices. We’ll always have storytelling, but
there will be more interactivity, like clicking for different endings.
They can be asked if a certain ad is useful to them. On the Wii, they
have polls, and you can vote and see the results. I can see that
becoming more popular.”
Visit our online magazine for more forecasts at depaul.edu/magazine.
f e a t u r e
21

The Future of
the American Dream
Homeownership has long been a tenet of the American Dream. Is the dream dead
Once-grand neighborhoods peppered with short-sale signs.
First-time homeowners forced to move in with their parents.
Wealthy homeowners who walk away from underwater,
million-dollar loans. As the U.S. housing downturn limps through
its fourth year, regulators, economists and developers are grappling
with not just the immediate solution to the crisis, but also an
overarching question with sweeping implications: What is the future
of homeownership in the United States, a country that has for decades
pinned its “American Dream” on citizens’ aspirations to own their
own homes
No one knows for sure. What we do know is that a
homeownership rate of more than 69 percent—where we sat at the
peak of the housing bubble—is probably not sustainable. By the fourth
quarter of 2010, that rate had slipped to 66.5 percent, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau. And it’s likely to slide farther—maybe even
dipping below the 60 percent mark in the coming years.
But is that such a bad thing These days, renters have a leg up
on owners who are saddled by sliding house values. And in a sluggish
economy, renters can more easily move across town—or across the
country—for a new job or to relocate to a cheaper area. “Someone
might lose a job or think about moving to the Sun Belt where jobs are
more plentiful,” says James Shilling, professor of real estate at DePaul
and director of the Institute for Housing Studies. In coming years,
“younger households might look at homeownership as not having
as much mobility.”
It’s the Way We Do Things in America
Is it even possible to disentangle the idea of homeownership—the four
bedrooms, the two-car garage, the weekends at The Home Depot—from
the ideal of the American Dream We began, after all, as a nation where
only property owners were permitted to vote. And since the G.I. Bill
allowed returning World War II veterans to secure low-cost loans,
government policies have encouraged Americans to strive for ownership.
The political movement spanned decades and crossed party lines.
Ronald Reagan enabled the creation of mortgage-backed securities, the
pools of loans that are packaged and sold among Wall Street banks and
institutional investors. That helped create massive demand for more
and more home loans, no matter how qualified the applicants. Both Bill
Clinton and George W. Bush pushed the ownership society through
rhetoric and policy, particularly touting opportunities for minorities—
who had long lagged in ownership rates—to own homes. They
encouraged down payments as low as 2 percent in some cases.
“This policy goal has led to disaster,” says Rebel Cole, DePaul
professor of finance and real estate and a former staff economist for the
Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
For many, market tumult in recent years has upended long-held
beliefs—namely, that real estate goes in only one direction: up. As a result,
it may be time to unwind decades of conventional wisdom. “If I were a
financial adviser, and I advised you to invest 90 percent of your personal
wealth in a highly illiquid single asset … and I advised you to leverage up
your equity by a factor of nine to one … you could put me in jail,” Cole
says. “I have just described how most people invest in housing.”
As an investment, residential real estate “is totally undiversified,
yet we all do it. It’s the way we do things in America,” Cole says.
by Simona Covel

Learn to Love Renting
Now, regulators are grappling with how much to intervene with markets that
have long been propped up by a cocktail of low rates, low down-payment
requirements and, in many cases, government backing.
The government soon may require bigger down payments; in late March
federal regulators proposed a system in which only borrowers who put down
20 percent are considered “prime,” potentially raising interest rates for everyone
else. Banks, too, may be required to keep 5 percent of the value of the mortgages
they securitize on their own books—rather than offloading all of them to investors.
That would encourage them to be more careful about whom they’re lending to.
Today, American homeowners are permitted to write off both their
mortgage interest and their property taxes—tax benefits that renters don’t enjoy
and yet another reason ownership is often touted as superior, despite the
increased risks. In reality, Shilling argues, the mortgage interest deduction
probably doesn’t do much to increase the ownership rate overall, but it may
very well push buyers into more expensive homes. A tax credit that encourages
people to buy might make more sense, Shilling and other experts argue.
Tax incentives for homeowners are unlikely to disappear, however, because
regulators are unlikely to make changes that disturb the tenuous market. And
as the real estate crisis lingers, no one is quite sure how to handle mortgage
finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which so far have been unable
to repay the government’s loans but are responsible for the vast majority of
American mortgages issued today, along with the Federal Housing Administration.
“We want to have stability. That suggests that we muddle along for a little bit
and push off the decision of what to do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to
the future,” says Shilling.
So what’s actually likely to happen in the near and medium term In a stillsluggish
economy, some people may choose to stay renters, which offers the
freedom to move for better opportunities. Others simply won’t be able to afford
to buy, with banks demanding higher down payments. And, the rash of
foreclosures may yet take close to a decade to clear the market in certain places,
Cole estimates. That could mean several more years of market pressure.
“The moral of the story is there are probably going to be more households
in the rental market in the coming decade,” says Shilling.
On top of those hurdles for first-time buyers, the downturn caused
enormous wealth erosion for millions of people who already owned their
homes. “It’s almost hard to believe that in 2007 the total investable wealth in
Shilling
real estate was $21 trillion, and today it’s $15 trillion,” Shilling says. “It’s just
huge. It means that to get back on their feet, [those homeowners] are going to have some time period where they do some substantial saving.”
Once they’re back on their feet, it remains to be seen whether the real estate crisis of the last four years will have a lasting effect on
potential homebuyers. There’s little doubt that it’ll be years—decades, even—before ownership rates approach recent peaks, if they ever do
again. But for Americans to turn their backs on ownership, they’d have to shun long-held beliefs that owners make superior communities in
which to raise families and settle down. “It’s so much a part of the American psyche,” Cole says. “People aren’t going to feel they’ve made it
until they own their home.”
Simona Covel is a writer and editor based in Chicago. She’s written extensively about finance and business in many national publications, including The Wall Street
Journal, Entrepreneur and Orange Magazine.
f e a t u r e
23

The War
against
Superbugs
DePaul Biologist Studies Deadly
Bacteria in Their Environment
Joanna Brooke works with student
researchers Margaret Johnson and Ramneek
Mangat. They are trained in biosafety, and “we
run a very tightly regulated lab,” Brooke says.
Joanna Brooke’s lab is filled with mutants. But don’t worry—they
can’t get out. And even if they could, they may be more vulnerable to
antibiotics, due to genetic alterations engineered by Brooke and her
students.
Brooke, an associate professor of biological science who teaches
microbiology, biotechnology and medical bacteriology, studies
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a bacterium that infects people with
weakened immune systems. According to a recent article in the
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents (elsevier.com/locate/
ijantimicag), this bacterium is a “newly emerging superbug.”
The death rate is as high as a frightening 70 percent, partly because
S. maltophilia, or “Steno,” as Brooke and her students call it, is so
clever at eluding antibiotics. It produces antibiotic-attacking enzymes,
changes the surface of its cells so that the drugs can’t get in, and
alters its own genome by borrowing DNA from other species.
by Elizabeth Gardner

“It’s an interesting organism because it’s ubiquitous in the environment—
in lakes, streams, rivers, wherever there’s water,” she says. “You and
I will come into contact with it through tap water, but our immune
systems are strong enough that we’re not susceptible. But we’re
running out of drugs that will work on it, and the mortality rates are
going up. It has the potential to become a superbug.”
Brooke has spent the past five years as principal investigator for a
study funded by the National Institutes of Health on how S. maltophilia
forms “biofilms” on the surfaces of medical equipment in hospitals and
implanted devices in patients. A biofilm is a tough protective layer
made out of polysaccharides, proteins and DNA. Some types of
bacteria can form biofilms around themselves when enough of them
cluster together, making a barrier that antibiotics can’t breach.
S. maltophilia biofilms can cause pervasive, persistent and deadly
hospital-acquired infections because they can lurk in nebulizers,
catheters, and other moist environments.
Part of Brooke’s research is to create genetic variants of the bacteria.
Some of them lack the ability to form biofilms, or form only very weak
ones, while others are extra good at it. The idea is to figure out exactly
how the films work and how to stop them. She and her students replace
certain “gene targets” with different genetic sequences and study what
effect the change has on biofilm formation. They find those targets
partly by using gene databases put together by other researchers. In
turn, they contribute their own information to those databases.
Altering the organism’s genes could also make it more directly
susceptible to antibiotics, Brooke says. “Steno has the ability to make
enzymes that break down antibiotics, so drug therapy might be more
effective if you combined different antibiotics that target different parts
of the cell.”
Brooke fell for biofilms as an undergraduate at the University of Guelph
in Ontario, Canada, when she took her first microbiology course and
her mentor introduced her to them via an electron microscope. She
went on to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of
Western Ontario and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she studied diphtheria
toxin receptors.
Studying individual bacteria is only part of the story, and not the most
important part, Brooke believes. “An organism may be sensitive to an
antibiotic in a test tube, but not in a patient,” she says. That’s where a
second component of her research comes in: studying how bacteria
survive on surfaces and sometimes work together to thwart their
human adversaries. For example, Brooke says several studies have
shown that S. maltophilia can work together with some strains of
Pseudomonas, using its enzymes to fight penicillin that would
otherwise kill the Pseudomonas.
And it’s not just different species of bacteria that team up: Brooke says
researchers have discovered examples of bacteria and fungi working
together to create biofilms. “It comes down to being willing to consider the
context of the microenvironment,” she says. Carbohydrates, proteins and
lipids can interact even when they’re produced by unrelated organisms.
Finding where bacteria gather, and why, is an essential step in fighting
infection. A 2009 paper published by Brooke and her group in the
Journal of Environmental Health looked at bacteria on 70 surfaces
around a university: telephone mouthpieces, water fountain drains,
computer keyboards, photocopiers, and elevator and vending machine
buttons. The team found S. maltophilia in 60 percent of fountain drains,
and Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of infections, on just
about everything. None of the bacteria they found were antibioticresistant
strains, but the findings were of no comfort to the germ-phobic.
“Given the rise in community-acquired infections, we wanted to see
what’s happening on surfaces: which bacteria are present, how many,
and do they have the potential to cause infection” Brooke says. Next,
she wants to find out how the numbers compare with those in hospital
environments, and whether doing a more effective job of disinfecting
surfaces would significantly reduce infection rates. The group published
a related paper in the same journal testing three different disinfectants
on public telephone mouthpieces. (A cleaner with 1.84 percent sodium
hypochlorite wiped out 100 percent of the bacteria, beating both
isopropyl alcohol and ammonia-based cleaners.)
Brooke also is interested in the question of where the bacteria originate.
“Are they coming from patients and being spread to surfaces, or is it the
other way around” She’s interested in tracing the movement of bacteria
using molecular analysis to differentiate among the many strains.
“I teach that it’s not good enough to look at one organism in pure
culture on a Petri plate,” Brooke says. “Microbial infections in patients
are often communities—not just one genetic system.”
Brooke says the fight against microbes has two fronts: prevention and
cure. She’s glad to see growing worldwide appreciation of simple
strategies like handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, and not crowding
patients together in hospital wards, as well as outside-the-box thinking
on how to thwart bacteria once they’re in the body. For example, some
researchers are studying the protein pathways that allow microbes to
produce enzymes that break down antibiotics. If those pathways can
be disrupted, the bacteria may be crippled. Other discoveries are
coming directly from nature, like a chemical compound from the
eastern red cedar tree that was recently shown to kill methicillinresistant
S. aureus (MRSA).
Will mankind win the war against superbugs “I don’t know if we can
ever say we’ve won, because these organisms have such an ability
to adapt and evolve,” Brooke says. “We’re just trying to stay ahead of
what’s going to happen next.”
Freelance writer Elizabeth Gardner has covered science, business and technology
topics for such publications as University Business, Internet Retailer and Modern
Healthcare. She is based in Chicago.
f e a t u r e
25

Visit depaul.edu/magazine for sports stories.

alumni news
P E R S O N A L LY P U T
“It seemed like no matter who you are
or what you’re into, there is a group for you and a place for you
to become the best version of yourself.”
Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart (EDU ’04)
(See stor y on next page.)
Photo by Julia Gartland

Designer Makes Fashion with Animals in Mind
As a Chicago native, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart (EDU ’04) knows
It took eight months of researching vegan fabrics that could stand
about frigid winters. But as a vegan, she struggled to find a up to cold weather, but Hilgart finally launched for coat preorders in
fashionable, warm coat that didn’t rely on animal products like
wool. While attending DePaul University, she resorted to wearing
one coat for style and two sweaters underneath for warmth. “It
certainly ruins your outfit if you have to wear two layers between
your outfit and your coat to stay warm,” Hilgart says.
In the hopes that no one else would have to compromise their
beliefs or their style to make it through winter, Hilgart decided to
launch her own line of vegan coats. Today her company, Vaute Couture
(spelled for “haute couture”
and pronounced “vote”
couture), offers not just coats,
but shirts, jewelry and more—
all without using fur, leather,
wool, silk or other animal
products. Vaute Couture also
emphasizes products that are
eco-friendly, fair trade and
otherwise ethically produced.
Hilgart didn’t have a
fashion design background
when starting her line. Rather,
she had a passion for raising
awareness of social issues. She
came to DePaul because she
loved how the atmosphere
encouraged advocacy and
June 2009. Today, Vaute Couture continues to seek out the latest in
winter technology. “We’re always working on the cutting edge—that’s
really the purpose of the line,” Hilgart says. “There are so many great
designers out there. I don’t have to be re-creating something that
someone else can do.”
Vaute Couture began as a small startup in Chicago, but it quickly
received positive reviews from the likes of Oprah.com and
TeenVogue.com. It was named the 2010 Company of the Year by
VegNews Magazine. Vaute
Couture recently moved into
a studio in Manhattan’s
Chelsea neighborhood, and
Hilgart continues to sell
merchandise through the
Internet and traveling popup
stores.
One of Hilgart’s favorite
parts of owning Vaute
Couture is forming
partnerships with groups
that have similar missions.
Vaute Couture is working
with the Humane Society of
the United States and People
for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals to release privatelabel
service. “It seemed like no
matter who you are or what
Designer Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart (EDU ’04) creates vegan and eco-friendly fashion.
T-shirts for both
nonprofits in the fall. “To
you’re into, there is a group for you and a place for you to become the
best version of yourself,” says Hilgart, who founded DePaul Voice for
the Animals as an undergraduate and the DePaul Business Corps as an
MBA student.
Hilgart hit upon the idea for Vaute Couture while taking classes in
brand management and entrepreneurship at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate
School of Business. She left graduate school in September 2008 because
the timing seemed right. “Like everything in entrepreneurship, so much
of it is the momentum, so I was ready to take what I had learned at
me, it’s always about creating win-win situations on every level,”
Hilgart says. “That’s my philosophy in general, in life and, specifically,
in business.”
Starting a business can be daunting, but Hilgart has advice for
future entrepreneurs. “Think about what you can offer to make the
world a better place in a way that only you can,” she says. “Then just
run with it and don’t let anyone water down your idea or try to make
it more normal or doable or easy. Instead, just put in your full passion
and don’t wait for approval. Just do it.”
DePaul and start the business then,” she says.
by Jennifer Leopoldt

Terrance Gainer: Serving the Senate
Driving to work in the nation’s capital recently, U.S. Senate
Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer (LAS MS ’76, JD ’80)
witnessed an assault on the street. He called for help, jumped out
of his car and made an arrest. “It made me feel like the old days,”
Gainer says. “At the end of the day, I’m still just a cop.”
Gainer certainly began his career
as a cop back in 1968 in Chicago,
going into what he calls the family
business: “There have been 104 years
of Gainers working for the Chicago
Police Department,” he explains. But
after earning a law degree and a
master’s in public service
management, Gainer worked in
various law enforcement and security
positions throughout Illinois, in
Washington, and even as far away as
Iraq. In 2007, he was sworn in as the
38th U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms.
“You elect ’em, I protect ’em,”
Gainer says of his role, which he
compares to running a small town.
“There are a lot of different and
interesting things on my plate,” he
says. “I’m the head of security, but
I’m also responsible for the day-inand-day-out
functions of the Capitol;
one minute it’s raising the price of
haircuts, and the next minute it’s
security issues.” Gainer leads a team
of nearly 1,000, with budgets up to
$300 million. But when the Senate
opens, he’s on the floor.
Gainer’s youngest son, Francis, also
graduated from DePaul; he earned a J.D.
last spring. “Maybe my wife and I did
one thing right,” says the elder Gainer,
who hooded his son in the legacy
graduation ceremony. “Our son
looked for a Catholic law school.”
“It’s very interesting to be on the floor when things are being
debated,” he says. “I’m looking at faces, reading body language—that’s all
police work.”
Just elected to his third two-year term, Gainer says he is looking
forward to returning to Chicago once his work is finished in Washington.
Originally from the South Side, he
and his wife still own a house in the
city. “We like life on the East Coast,”
Gainer says, “but Chicago is the best
city in the United States.”
DePaul, with its Catholic
tradition and history of service
education, was the best choice for
Gainer when he decided to go to
graduate school after coming home
from the Vietnam War. “Service is the
legacy of my family,” says Gainer.
“Catholic education is another family
tradition.” But Gainer ultimately
chose DePaul because it “has a good
record with police and city
employees,” he says. “So many
prominent public servants in Chicago
came from DePaul.”
Add Gainer’s name to the list. He
was the one accompanying President
Barack Obama to the inauguration in
2008, and you could say Gainer’s got
the president’s back on a daily basis.
This March, Gainer received the
DePaul College of Law’s Outstanding
Service to the Profession award for
his professional achievement and for
exemplifying the DePaul mission.
by Carmen Marti
a l u m n i
29

Receptions Celebrate DePaul Across the Country
More than 1,500 DePaul alumni and friends in over 20 U.S. cities attended DePaul University alumni receptions during 2010-2011 academic year.
The events, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, featured remarks by the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul, or Patricia
O’Donoghue, vice president for alumni outreach and engagement.
In addition to providing a special opportunity for DePaul graduates to hear from university leaders and connect with fellow graduates and guests, many
of the receptions included a viewing of the Many Dreams, One Mission campaign video. These popular events have become a staple of the alumni
event calendar, and the university plans to hold similar receptions in the coming school year.
The Office of Alumni Relations holds many events each year in the Chicago area and in cities nationwide.
To learn more and to register for events in your area, visit alumni.depaul.edu/events.
1
4
2 3
5
1. Minneapolis: David Milton (COM ’82) and David Jebens (COM ’79). 2. Wilmette, Ill.: The Rev. Charles F. Shelby (LAS MS ’72), C.M., vice chancellor of
DePaul, presents Rita Siegal (LAS ’56) with her Fifty Year Club certificate and pin, which honor her graduation from DePaul more than 50 years ago. 3. San
Diego: Brandon Riley (COM ’08), Brittney Dobbins (LAS ’08) and Jenny Kim (JD ’03). 4. Elmhurst, Ill.: Anthony Holowicki (COM ’84) and Christopher Dugan
(CDM ’00). 5. Park Ridge, Ill.: Ramona Black (LAS ’58) chats with fellow alumna Rachel Greene (COM ’96).

6
9
7
8
10
6. Seattle: Patricia O’Donoghue, vice president for alumni outreach and engagement, with alumni Christopher Bundesmann (COM ’92) and Don Ramey (COM ’68,
MS ’78). 7. Milwaukee: Katie Koeppen (CMN ’08) and guest Stephani Shann. 8. Birmingham, Mich.: Fen Xing (SNL ’09) and Kathleen Bendernagel (MED ’02).
9. Chicago: Sonali Patel (LAS ’04) and Willson Rasavongxay (COM ’03, MBA ’09) greet the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul president. 10. Tinley
Park, Ill.: Alexander Schusler (COM ’10) and Stacie Birkmeier (CDM MS ’03).
To see more photos from these and other alumni events, please visit the DePaul Spirit Flickr Group at flickr.com/depaulspirit.
a l u m n i
31

tidbits
New Planned Gifts
The following alumni indicated that they will support DePaul
University through a planned or estate gift of $25,000 or more.
$500,000 to $999,999
Giving Update
The following alumni gave their
generous support to DePaul University
from November 2010 through
February 2011.
n Bertram L. Scott (SNL ’80, DHL ’09) and Elizabeth A. Fender, Bertram
L. Scott and Elizabeth A. Fender Endowed Diversity Scholarship,
Bertram L. Scott and Elizabeth A. Fender Endowed Scholarship
n Robert L. Acton (CDM MS ’86) and Beth Acton
n Susan J. Bevan (JD ’80) and Anthony F. Daddino
n John D. Cologna (COM ’68) and Betty J. Cologna
n Dr. John M. Goode (COM ’60) and Family
n Denis E. Hutchings (LAS ’59) and Margaret L. Hutchings (LAS ’88)
n Arthur D. James (LAS MA ’75)
n Barbara A. McGraw (LAS ’92)
n William C. Vinck (LAS MA ’77, Ph.D. ’84)
$100,000 to $499,999
n Dr. Curtis J. Crawford (MBA ’78, DHL ’99) and Gina Crawford, Dr. Curtis
J. and Mrs. Gina Crawford Endowed Scholarship, Dr. Curtis J. Crawford
and XCEO Personal Leadership Endowed Scholarship
$50,000 to $99,999
n Leon S. DilPare (MBA ’88), Armand Leon DilPare, Ph.D., Endowed
Scholarship
n Jim G. Logothetis (COM ’77) and Marianna Logothetis, Jim and Marianna
Logothetis Endowed Scholarship
n Donald A. McGovern, Jr. (MBA ’75) and Irene S. McGovern (MBA ’76),
Donald A. and Irene S. McGovern Endowed Scholarship in Accountancy
n Louis G. Munin (COM ’55) and Audrey A. Munin, Louis G. and Audrey A.
Munin Endowed Scholarship in Accountancy
n John Vitanovec (COM ’79) and Kathleen Vitanovec, Kathleen and John
Vitanovec “Success through Scholarship” Endowment in Accountancy
$25,000 to $49,999
n Thomas G. DiCianni (JD ’80), Vincent on Leadership: The Hay Project
n Thomas M. Fahey (JD ’80) and Mary E. Fahey, Health Law Institute
n John Graven (COM ’49, MBA ’50) (dec.) and Anastasia Graven (LAS MA
’64), John and Anastasia Graven Endowed Award for Excellence in the
School of Accountancy
n Robert Janis (SNL ’82, LAS MS ’86) and Nancy L. Rick-Janis (MBA ’93),
The Theatre School Performing Arts Capital Campaign
n William J. McNally, Jr. (COM ’64, MA ’67) and Lorraine T. McNally, Fund
for Commerce
n Peter A. Monahan (JD ’81) and Eileen Kaplan Monahan, Marie A.
Monahan Class of 1981 Memorial Endowed Loan Repayment Program
n Susan V. Power (MED ’80) and Joseph A. Power, Jr., Fund for Education
n Janice W. Shipley (SOE ’70, LAS MS ’79) and Dr. Frederic B. Shipley, II,
Fr. Thomas Munster Endowed Scholarship for Women in Athletics
Save the Date for Reunion Weekend 2011
It’s time to start planning your return to campus for DePaul
University’s Reunion Weekend 2011. This three-day celebration,
Oct. 14 to 16, commemorates your time as a student and your
lasting ties to the DePaul community. Last year, more than
600 alumni and guests attended reunion festivities, so be
sure to join us during this popular weekend.
All DePaul alumni are invited to attend reunion events,
regardless of class year, and classes celebrating a milestone
anniversary are especially recognized. This year’s reunion
classes are those that end in “1” or “6.”
The Class of 1961 will celebrate its 50th anniversary with
members of the Fifty Year Club during the Reunion Luncheon
on Friday, Oct. 14. Alumni who have graduated in the past five
years are invited to connect at the Young Alumni Reunion, also
held the Friday of Reunion Weekend.
Alumni from all years come together for the main event—the
Reunion Dinner and Celebration—held the Saturday evening of
Reunion Weekend. As part of the evening, special receptions
are planned for alumni who were involved in Student
Government and the DePaul Activities Board, as well as alumni
who were members of the Strobel Honors Program.
Registration for Reunion Weekend 2011 opens in early July.
For more details about Reunion Weekend and related events,
visit alumni.depaul.edu/reunion.
32 a l u m n i

Alumni Pitch Career Advice
on White Sox Field Trip
Dinner Raises over $80,000 for
Center for Public Interest Law
Nearly 225 College of Law alumni and friends attended the
2011 Law Alumni Awards Dinner on March 3, raising more
than $80,000 for the Center for Public Interest Law. The
dinner celebrated the College of Law’s long history of public
service and recognized this year’s award recipients.
The Law Alumni Awards program began in 1994, and the
annual event honors outstanding DePaul University College of
Law alumni in four categories. Recipients of the 2011 Law
Alumni Awards are:
Left: Panelists (l to r) Merit Bello (COM ’10), Ximena Quan Kiu (CMN ’09, MA ’11), Chris
Barbee (COM ’09), Claudia Beltran (LAS ’08) and Mary Maffei (CMN ’07, MA ’09) discuss their
experiences working for the Chicago White Sox. Right: Students admire the World Series trophy
during the Chicago White Sox Lunch and Learn.
People love going to the ballpark, but what does it take to work at one DePaul
University students learned about the business of baseball from alumni in the industry
during a trip to the home of the Chicago White Sox.
The Office of Alumni Relations and the Kellstadt Career Management Center
sponsored the Lunch and Learn event, which took place at U.S. Cellular Field on
March 11. Students from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business attended the event,
where they enjoyed a panel discussion about the hard work that goes into supporting
America’s favorite pastime.
The discussion took place in the same room where White Sox manager Ozzie
Guillen holds press conferences. Stacy Tsihlopoulos (LAS ’04), coordinator of White
Sox Community Relations, moderated the panel, which featured six DePaul alumni
panelists with various backgrounds. These current and former employees, who work in
departments ranging from ticket sales to public relations, spoke about their experience
with the White Sox.
Nearly all the panelists emphasized the importance of internships when launching a
career. Claudia Beltran (LAS ’08) says that after graduating, an internship “was the last
thing I wanted to do.” Still, she took a White Sox internship in 2008, and after one
year, she was hired to work full time in group ticket sales. “An internship could get you
in the door,” Beltran says.
Panelists noted that working with a professional sports team is exciting, but also
demanding. “It’s a fun industry, so a lot of people want these jobs,” says Ximena Quan
Kiu (CMN ’09, MA ’11), a former White Sox public relations intern. “You’re in direct
competition all of the time.”
Conor Kennedy, an MBA student graduating in 2012, enjoyed learning about the
inner life of the ballpark. “It was nice to hear the experiences of people working behind
the scenes,” he says. “And because they were DePaul grads, we had a shared experience
with them. That was a nice touch for the event.”
n Distinguished Alumnus/a: Edward M. Burke (LAS ’65,
JD ’68), 14th Ward alderman and chairman of the
Committee on Finance, Chicago City Council
n Outstanding Service to the Profession: Terrance W.
Gainer (LAS MS ’76, JD ’80), sergeant at arms, United
States Senate; and James Michael Lyons (JD ’71), partner,
Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP
n Outstanding Service to DePaul University: Francine
Stewart Soliunas (LAS ’70, JD ’73), assistant dean,
Chicago-Kent College of Law
n Outstanding Young Alumnus/a: Amy Crout Ziegler
(LAS ’97, JD ’02), associate, Greer Burns & Crain Ltd.
2011 Law Alumni Award recipients (from left to right): Terrance W. Gainer
(LAS MS ’76, JD ’80), Francine Stewart Soliunas (LAS ’70, JD ’73), Edward
M. Burke (LAS ’65, JD ’68), Amy Crout Ziegler (LAS ’97, JD ’02) and James
Michael Lyons (JD ’71).
The Office of Alumni Relations seeks alumni to host similar events at their companies
or to volunteer as classroom guest speakers and panel participants.
Those interested can update the volunteer interest areas within their DePaul alumni
directory profile (alumni.depaul.edu/community) or contact the Office of Alumni
Relations at 800.437.1898 or dpalumni@depaul.edu.
a l u m n i
33

class notes
Log into alumni.depaul.edu to read additional class
notes and to discover the many ways to connect
with other alumni and the DePaul community.
In the Spotlight
In March,
Nancy Nguyen
(MBA ’09)
was crowned Ms.
Corporate America
2011. Now, Nguyen
looks forward to a
year of touring the
country and speaking
to audiences about her platform:
helping women succeed in business.
“This pageant is going to give me a
bigger voice to help entrepreneurial
women throughout the world. And I’m
not kidding when I say the world,”
Nguyen says. This trilingual, firstgeneration
immigrant meets people
from all over when they come to
Sweet T Salon, the business she
owns and operates in Raleigh, N.C.
In addition to the pageant title and
a number of category awards, she
won the award for best community
service. Nguyen works with numerous
charities, including Locks of Love,
which complements her day-to-day
work. “Whatever you’re doing in your
life, you can leverage that to do
community service that parallels
what you’re already doing,” she says.
As Ms. Corporate America, Nguyen
will conduct professional workshops
and participate in radio and television
broadcasts. She hopes to let people
know about free government
resources for small businesses and
to emphasize the importance of
networking. “Whatever you want to
do, it’s been done, so go out and
find people who have already done
it and ask questions,” she says.
’60s
Edward O’Boyle’s (LAS ’60) book,
“Looking Beyond the Individualism and
Homo Economicus of Neoclassical
Economics,” was recently published by
Marquette University Press. The book is a
collection of 10 essays.
Dominic P. Gentile (COM ’68, JD ’72)
was named the 2010 Defender of the
Decade by the Nevada Attorneys for
Criminal Justice. He is a shareholder in the
law firm of Gordon Silver, where he works
in the government investigations and
business crimes group.
Brother Francis A.
Van Vlierbergen
(MED ’68) retired in
2007 after 40 years
as a teacher,
counselor and
administrator in Illinois
secondary schools
and community
colleges. An Illinois attorney since 1980, he
now practices law in Westchester, Ill., and
serves as an arbitrator for the Circuit Court
of Cook County.
’70s
Reunion Years:
1961 and 1966
Reunion Years:
1971 and 1976
Sheila M. Murphy (JD ’70) received a
lifetime achievement award from the Illinois
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Michael A. O’Connor’s (JD ’70)
Chicago-based law firm, Mauk & O’Connor
LLP, received a Meritorious Recognition
Award for the 2011 Louis M. Brown Award
for Legal Access. The award recognizes
programs that use innovative means to
enable affordable access to legal services
for those of moderate income.
Rev. Ronald P. Stake (LAS ’70, MA
’73, JD ’76) returned to the Archdiocese
of Chicago following his retirement from
the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps with the
rank of commander. Stake is on sabbatical
and is attending the Institute for Continuing
Theological Education at Pontifical North
American College (PNAC) in Rome from
February to May 2011. He will be assigned
a new position within the archdiocese after
the course at PNAC.
Mark J. Horne
(JD ’73) was selected
for inclusion in the
2011 Illinois Super
Lawyers list. He
works in the Chicago
office of Quarles &
Brady LLP
specializing in real
estate, construction/surety and land
use/zoning.
John T. Costello (MBA ’74) has been
elected chair of St. Xavier University’s
Board of Trustees. He has been a member
of the board since 2008 and serves on
multiple university committees.
Deanna Deignan (THE ’74, MFA ’75)
produced the film “My Dog Tulip,” which
was screened at the Gene Siskel Film
Center in January and February.
George F. Mahoney
III (JD ’74) was
elected president of
the Illinois Bar
Foundation, the
charitable affiliate of
the Illinois State Bar
Association. He has
been active on the
board since 2004 and will serve a two-year
term as president. He is a founding
member of Mahoney, Silverman & Cross
LLC in Joliet, Ill.
David M. Tubbs (JD ’75) was appointed
to serve as judge in the Grand County
Justice Court in Utah, beginning in
February. Previously, he worked for 24
years at the FBI as a special agent and
head of counterterrorism and served as
executive director of the Utah Olympic
Public Safety Command for the 2002
Olympic Winter Games.
Kathleen H. Wall (JD ’75) retired in
December after nearly 25 years with BMW
Manufacturing Co. She most recently
served as vice president of human
resources. She and her husband reside in
Greenville, N.C.
Janine Bjurman (LAS ’76) received a
Distinguished Fulbright Award in Teaching
grant to conduct research in the United
Kingdom. She is a special education
teacher in New Mexico.
Josephine M. Calabrese (EDU ’76)
penned the lyrics for the recently published
song, “An Immigrant Man and His Family,”
available online as an MP3. Her next song,
“My Longing,” will be available soon.
Kendra K. Reinshagen (JD ’79) is
writes a monthly column for the Chicago
Daily Law Bulletin on issues relating to free
legal services and equal access to justice.
She serves as executive director for the
Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family
Services.
Anthony Romano (LAS ’79) was named
the 2010 Illinois Author of the Year by the
Illinois Association of Teachers of English.
He has published two fiction books and is
a two-time winner of a PEN Syndicated
Fiction Project Award. An English teacher
at William Fremd High School in Palatine,
Ill., Romano has twice received a Those
Who Excel Award from the Illinois State
Board of Education.
34 a l u m n i

’80s
Reunion Years:
1981 and 1986
Lynn Lowder (JD ’80) has been frequently
invited over the past 12 years to speak at
the United States Marine Corps Drill
Instructors School in San Diego, the
premier enlisted leadership school within
the USMC.
Mark J. Valentino (LAS ’80), one of
the founding members of the DePaulia
National Football League, is pleased to
share that he won the league’s fantasy
football championship for the first time
since 1982. The league was formed
in 1978.
Ira N. Helfgot (JD ’81) was appointed
by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve
on the board of directors of the Lawyers’
Assistance Program. His term ends
Sept. 30, 2012.
David B. Woolley (THE ’81) was the fight
choreographer for Chicago Shakespeare
Theater’s run of “As You Like It,” which
closed March 6. Fellow alumni Phillip
James Brannon (THE ’06), Steve
Haggard (THE ’02) and Austin Talley
(THE ’07) were in the cast.
Polly Gerber Zimmermann (LAS ’82)
received the 2011 Illinois Board of Higher
Education Nurse Fellowship Award. She is
co-editor of “Sheehy’s Manual of
Emergency Care,” a contributing editor for
the American Journal of Nursing and an
associate professor of nursing at Harry S.
Truman College in Chicago.
Russell C. Hammer (MBA ’82) was
appointed chief financial officer of Orbitz
Worldwide and is based at the company’s
headquarters in Chicago. Most recently, he
was chief financial officer at Crocs Inc.
Janet L. Hansen (CMN ’82) is the
payroll manager for the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra and has a career
specializing in ADP products and services,
implementations, conversions and rollouts.
She is married with one son and lives
in Chicago.
Miguel A. Valdivieso (LAS MA ’82) is
general coordinator of Fundacion Ecuador,
an NGO that created and produces an
educational television program. Recently,
he was invited by the Carl A. Fields Center
at Princeton University to present the
program, “Aprendamos: una oportunidad
para superarnos” (Let’s learn: an
opportunity to excel), during Latino
Heritage Month in November 2010.
Cherisse A. Manschot (LAS ’83) is the
marketing and public relations manager at
the Western DuPage Special Recreation
Association in Illinois.
Frank J. Koehler (MBA ’84) retired in
December 2010 after 36 years in service
to local government. He established the
firm of Frank J. Koehler and Associates
LLC, which specializes in services to
local government, such as economic
development, organizational management
and financial planning. Koehler is also
involved in various philanthropic initiatives
with charities and other nonprofits.
William J. Coughlin (LAS MA ’85) had
his first book of poetry published in March.
The book, “Migrations,” explores issues
related to loss and the search for
redemption. It was published by Aquitaine
Media Corp., a Chicago-based company.
Kerry M. Lavelle’s
(MBA ’85, JD ’89)
law firm, Lavelle Law
Ltd., received special
recognition from the
Palatine Township
Board for founding
and operating the
annual Palatine Food
Drive, which has helped fill the shelves of
the Palatine Township Food Pantry each
holiday season since 2004. The practice
also has agreed to provide sponsorship
for the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
School of the Performing Arts. Lavelle
Law is based in Palatine, Ill.
Bradford J. White (JD ’85) was tapped
by President Barack Obama to serve on
the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation. White is a principal of Brad
White & Associates in Evanston, Ill.,
providing development consulting on
affordable housing and historic resources.
He serves on the board of the Illinois
Housing Council and is past chair of the
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois
and Preservation Action.
Susanne J. Wagner
(MBA ’86), a real
estate agent with
RE/MAX Premier
Group of Pittsburgh,
earned the GRI
(Graduate, Realtor
Institute) professional
designation from the
Pennsylvania Realtors Institute. She
earned the advanced designation after
completing 90 hours of instruction and
three comprehensive exams. Wagner is a
member of the South Hills Chamber of
Commerce, Junior League of Pittsburgh,
and Mt. Lebanon Community Relations
Board.
Gerald L. Davis
(LAS MS ’87) won
the Goodwill
Industries
International Roger
Matthews
Entrepreneurial
Award. He is
president and CEO of
Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and
has been with the Austin Goodwill for more
than 12 years.
Donald A. Scheibenreif Jr. (COM ’87)
joined Gartner Inc., a global IT research
and advisory firm headquartered in
Stamford, Conn., as research vice
president, consumer experience. He will
be based in Chicago.
Derek C. Thomas (MBA ’87) is vice
chairman of Newland Communities, where
he provides leadership for the company’s
overall investment strategy. He also leads
the creation and coordination of all equity
and debt relationships, focusing on the
parent company’s continued strategic
growth through acquisitions and the
formation of new businesses.
Thomas P. Heneghan (JD ’89) joined
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek’s Madison,
Wis., office as a partner practicing in the
areas of intellectual property litigation and
business litigation. He serves on the
advisory board of the Wisconsin Chamber
Orchestra and is president of the board of
West Madison Little League.
John C. Robak Jr. (COM ’89) was
appointed to the national board of directors
for the nonprofit organization Upwardly
Global, which aims to eliminate barriers to
professional workplace entry for foreigneducated
immigrants and refugees in the
United States. Robak is executive vice
president and COO of Greeley and
Hansen, a leading environmental
engineering and architectural consulting
firm.
’90s
Reunion Years:
1991 and 1996
Laura N. Ashmore (THE ’91, JD ’94) is
a partner with the Chicago law firm Lake
Toback.
Maryanne Friend (LAS MA ’91) was
named assistant secretary, development,
marketing and communications for North
Carolina’s Department of Cultural
Resources. She lives in Raleigh, N.C., with
her husband, Dennis, and two cats, Marco
Polo and Millianaha.
a l u m n i
35

class notes
Kevin J. Lawson (THE ’91) was lighting
director on the Comedy Central Roast of
David Hasselhoff, the 2010 Victoria’s
Secret Fashion Show, and CNN Heroes:
An All-Star Tribute. He also was lighting
director on the 3-D film “Justin Bieber:
Never Say Never.”
Jolana Leigh Smith (CMN ’92)
continues her on-air broadcasting career
with a move to Cox Radio Connecticut,
reaching listeners in New Haven and
Fairfield counties in Connecticut,
Westchester County, N.Y., and the northern
Long Island shore and Hamptons.
Michelle C. Tennant (THE ’92) is the
founder of Wasabi Publicity Inc. in Saluda,
N.C. In addition to directing campaigns
for Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York,
musician Rosanne Cash and actress Paige
Davis, Tennant and her staff of 10 are
now representing family movies, including
“Choose Your Own Adventure: The
Abominable Snowman,” featuring Felicity
Huffman and William H. Macy.
Daniel J. McMahon (COM ’93) was
promoted to partner at the accounting
firm CCR LLP. He works in the firm’s
Glastonbury, Conn., office.
James M. Minich
(MBA ’93) was
appointed to the
position of managing
director, banking at
Harris myCFO. He
has more than 20
years of progressive
banking experience at
leading financial institutions, including U.S.
Trust, Bank of America, ABN Amro and
LaSalle Bank.
Desiree M. Dent (CMN ’95) published
her wedding planning notebook,
“WEDology Notebook: For The Budget-
Chic Bride.” She is president of Dejanae
Events and has been a wedding and event
planner for more than 10 years. She
teaches in Elgin Community College’s
wedding planning certification program
and Preston Bailey’s signature event
design course.
Courtenay Dundy (LAS ’95) was
appointed director of sales and marketing
at the Park Hyatt Saigon in Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam.
Joy Falotico (MBA ’95) was named to
the Automotive News list of 100 Leading
Women in the North American Auto
Industry. She is vice president of global
marketing for Ford Motor Credit Co.
Brian Stacy (THE ’95) is a lighting
designer for the Seattle Art Museum. He
recently won the Architecture + Lighting
Award for Outstanding Achievement and
the Lumen Award from the Illuminating
Engineering Society of the North Americas.
Paul Tei (THE MFA ’95) is the founder,
artistic director and president of the board
of directors of Mad Cat Theatre Company
at The Light Box in Miami, where he
recently directed the world premiere of
“Going Green the Wong Way.” He also has
a recurring role on Disney’s “Zeke and
Luther” as Eddie Colletti.
Matthew J. Devereux (JD ’96) was
promoted to partner in the law firm of
Tressler LLP. He is an insurance coverage
and tort litigation attorney practicing from
Tressler’s Chicago headquarters.
Katherine Milton
(SNL ’96) has joined
the Minneapolis
Institute of Art as
its first director of
learning. She will
lead the design and
implementation of
interpretive strategies
for publications, exhibitions, permanentcollection
galleries and virtual
communications. She also will oversee
the museum’s educational programs for
schools, families, youth and adult
audiences.
Kendra L. Thulin (THE MFA ’96) and
fellow alumnus Phillip Brannon (THE
’06) were featured in the Chicago Tribune
article “10 Chicago theater favorites,”
highlighting the 10 best Chicago-area
theatre performances of 2010.
David M. Adler (JD ’97) spoke on “Legal
Issues for Social Marketers” at Socialize
2011: Monetizing Social Media in New
York. In June, he will speak at the 2011
Radiology Summit on “Marketing, Branding
and Trademarks for Physicians and Health
Care Professionals.”
Toni G. Apicelli’s (LAS MA ’97) memoir,
“A Sixties Story,” was published by Dog
Ear Publishing. Apicelli is a writer, editor
and proofreader. She lives in Chicago with
her husband.
Jennifer A. Devenyns (THE ’97) works
at Nordstrom as the director of learning
design.
Eric J. Fuglsang
(JD ’97) was selected
for inclusion in the
2011 Illinois Rising
Stars list. He works in
the Chicago office of
Quarles & Brady LLP,
specializing in real
estate.
Tim J. Gregory (THE MFA ’97) directed
“Shadowlands” at Provision Theatre in
Chicago through March 20, 2011. He wrote
the theatre’s following production,
“Wonders Never Cease,” adapted from the
book by Tim Downs.
Brian J. Morris (LAS ’97) joined the
Chicago office of Capstone Advisory Group
LLC as a managing director. Prior to
joining Capstone, he spent more than 10
years with KPMG.
Hunter O. Andre
(CMN ’98) received
the Rookie of the
Year-City award in
Chicago Agent
Magazine’s 2010
Agents’ Choice
Awards. He has been
a sales associate with
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
since April 2009 and has lived in Chicago
for 17 years.
Craig S. Denny (MUS ’98) joined
St. Louis Music and will represent the
P. Mauriat brass line. He is a professional
musician and educator and is the former
director of marketing for saxophones at
Conn-Selmer.
Marlo Johnson Roebuck (JD ’98) was
chosen for partnership at Jackson Lewis
LLP, one of the largest employment law
firms in the United States. She works in
the firm’s Detroit office.
Susan Durler (MUS ’99) was a Daytime
Creative Arts Emmy winner in the
Achievement in Live and Direct to Tape
Sound Mixing category for her work on
The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Anthony P. Steinike
(LAS ’99, JD ’03)
was selected for
inclusion in the 2011
Illinois Rising Stars
list. He works in
business litigation in
the Chicago office of
Quarles & Brady LLP.
36 a l u m n i

Edward G. Quinlisk
(JD ’99) joined the
Chicago office of
McDonald Hopkins
LLC, a business
advisory and
advocacy law firm.
Before joining the
business department
at McDonald Hopkins, he was a partner
with Jenner & Block.
Jose Venegas (EDU
’99) is piloting the
U.S. Department of
Homeland Security
Unified Community
Outreach initiative, a
community-based
program that works
with local grassroots
communities from the Chicago
metropolitan area.
’00s
Reunion Years:
2001 and 2006
Katie Jeep (THE ’00) is the new owner of
Musical Magic, an early childhood music
and movement center in Chicago. She
looks forward to introducing classes that
will incorporate music with acting, creative
drama, storytelling and improvisation.
Bill Shannon
(MBA ’00) has
been appointed to
managing director,
Barrington Region for
Harris Private Bank.
He has more than
17 years of financial
services experience,
having previously held leadership positions
at JP Morgan Private Wealth Management,
Citigroup Private Bank and Calamos
Investments.
Brent G. Seitz (JD
’01) has been elected
principal of Harness,
Dickey & Pierce PLC,
a national intellectual
property law firm. He
works in the Detroit
metro office and
concentrates on
preparing and prosecuting patent
applications, as well as providing
assistance for patent litigation matters.
Trisha K. Tesmer (JD ’01) was named
as a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers
2011.
Gregory M. McMahon (JD ’02) recently
made partner at Segal McCambridge
Singer & Mahoney. He works in the firm’s
Chicago office.
Christina M. Stevens (THE ’02) finished
her studies at Columbia College Chicago
in ASL-English interpretation in December
2010. She became a certified interpreter
for the deaf in January. She is also a tour
guide at the historic Chicago Theatre.
Mina M. Zikri (MUS ’02, MM ’05) was
appointed conductor of the Lira Symphony
and the Lira Singers. Lira is a performing
arts company that specializes in Polish
music, song and dance. In mid-January, he
conducted the Cairo Symphony Orchestra
in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt.
Nikki Lint (THE ’03) has moved to
Florida and is working at the Maltz Jupiter
Theatre for its 2010-11 season. She is
assistant stage manager for the world
premiere of the musical “Academy,” child
supervisor for “The Sound of Music,” stage
manager for “Jolson at the Wintergarden,”
and dresser for “Crazy for You.”
Michael S. McGrory (JD ’03) is a
partner at SmithAmundsen LLC, a law
firm headquartered in Chicago. He was
previously a partner with the Chicago firm
of Madsen, Farkas, & Powen LLC, which
merged with SmithAmundsen in
December.
Francis R. Gilligan (JD ’04) was
assigned to the Law Enforcement and
Special Prosecutions Division at the
Tennessee Office of the Attorney General.
Previously, he served as assistant attorney
general in the Criminal Justice Division. In
his new position, he will handle securities
fraud and health care fraud prosecutions
and will defend the state’s interest in other
civil matters.
Sara E. Mauk’s (JD ’04) law firm, Mauk
& O’Connor LLP, received a Meritorious
Recognition Award for the 2011 Louis M.
Brown Award for Legal Access. The award
recognizes programs that use innovative
means to enable affordable access to legal
services for those of moderate income.
The firm is based in Chicago.
Mark J. Perry (THE ’04) is the associate
artistic director of the Candid Theater
Company. He also is attending the
University of Illinois College of Law.
Shayna L. Hofmeister (LAS ’05) is the
scouting and youth services advisor for the
DePaul chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a
national service fraternity. She works as a
development director for the Chicago Area
Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Edward Paddock (JD ’06) was promoted
to deputy commissioner of prosecutions
and adjudication for the City of Chicago’s
Department of Business Affairs and
Consumer Protection.
Courtney Butler (COM ’07) has
launched her full-service virtual assistant
business, YOUR Virtual Service Group.
The company performs both professional
and personal tasks for small businesses
and busy individuals.
Mark D. Fleischer (THE MFA ’07) is the
producing artistic director for The
Adirondack Theatre Festival in Glens Falls,
N.Y. He was in a two-night performance of
“Love Letters” at The Montcalm Restaurant
on Feb. 11 and 12.
Kim M. Groshek
(CDM MS ’07),
writing as K.M.
Groshek, is an awardwinning
author of two
children’s book series,
the Bug’s Adventure
Series and the Floyd
the Fire Truck Series.
Her books have been incorporated in the
curricula of several higher education
student teacher programs. Groshek lives
in Wisconsin and is planning a Bug’s
Adventure Series cartoon and a young
adult novel series.
Susan Kang (MED ’07) self-published
her book, “Addiction to Bright Lights, World
Peace: How I Survived New York City and
the United Nations with Homemade
Recipes.” The book traces her move from
Chicago’s North Shore to New York City,
where she worked for the United Nations.
Brian B. Klein (MBA ’07) was named
head of marketing for Hard Rock Hotels &
Casinos. Most recently, he served as the
regional director of marketing for Hyatt
Hotels Corp. Prior to joining Hyatt, Klein
worked at several global advertising
agencies.
Mark Mason (THE ’07) works in the box
office for the Apollo Theater in Chicago.
Daniel P. Morris (LAS ’07) served as the
comptroller of the City of St. Louis Board
of Election Commissioners for three years
after graduation. In June 2010, he left for
two years to be a Peace Corps volunteer.
He teaches English in a small town in
northeastern Mongolia near the Russian
border.
Bruce Silverman (MBA ’07), a doctor
of veterinary medicine, opened an animal
hospital in February. Village West
Veterinary is in the Wicker Park/Ukrainian
Village neighborhood of Chicago.
a l u m n i
37

class notes
Stephanie A.
Stinton (JD ’07,
MBA ’07) was listed
in Illinois Rising Stars
2011. She practices
commercial litigation
in the Chicago office
of Howard & Howard.
Suresh B. Pillai (JD ’08) is an associate
at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, a
Washington, D.C.-based intellectual
property law firm. He works in the firm’s
biotechnology/chemical practice group.
Previously, he was an associate at
McDonnell, Boehnen, Hulbert & Berghoff
LLP in Chicago.
Victoria R. Watkins (JD ’08) published
an article titled “Copyright and the Fashion
Industry.” The article can be found in the
January/February edition of Landslide, a
publication of the ABA Section of
Intellectual Property Law.
Lance C. Ziebell
(JD ’08), an
associate attorney
at Lavelle Law Ltd.,
has accepted an
appointment to the
McHenry County (Ill.)
Board for CASA
(Court Appointed
Special Advocates for Children).
Matthew A. Hafelein (JD ’09) and Cory
White (JD ’09) opened Hafelein White
LLC. They represent clients in all
transactional matters, including
organization and reorganization, mergers,
intellectual property creation and
protection, and preliminary tax planning.
The firm is based in Chicago.
Sheri A. Kaad (COM ’09) is employed
as an event marketing representative at
ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital in the group’s Midwest regional
fundraising office in Chicago. The job grew
out of an internship she completed during
her senior year at DePaul, and she was
happy to leave a medical marketing
position to follow her dream of working
for a nonprofit organization.
Thomas C. Scanlon (THE ’09) is the
resident sound engineer for the Marriott
Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill., where he
works with Nic Jones (THE ’08), resident
production master electrician.
Anne Divita Kopacz (LAS MS ’10)
joined the Erikson Institute, a graduate
school for child development, as director
of communications. She and her husband,
attorney Christopher Kopacz (JD ’05),
live in Chicago.
Mark P. Herman (THE ’10) launched his
new company, HandWritten Works, with
the goal of making communication more
personal and effective through the power
of authentic handwritten notes and handaddressed
mail.
John A. Rooney (THE ’10) is the 2010-
2011 A/I Company intern at Actors Theatre
of Louisville in Kentucky. At Actors, he
directed a piece for A/I Company’s “Solo
Mio” in October 2010 and is producing
more than 15 different projects. On Dec. 6,
2010, he participated in a panel discussion
regarding interning for Actors Theatre.
Marriages & Engagements
Kathleen A.
(Froelich) Conner
(LAS ’05) married
James Conner of
Cambridge, England.
They reside in
Naperville, Ill.
Samir J. Chaudhari
(EDU ’06) and Sarah
Sanders (COM ’06)
were married in India
on Jan. 1, 2011.
They currently reside
in Chicago.
Mary Carol
Suchsland (LAS ’06)
got engaged to David
Kobler on her
birthday, Feb. 19. The
wedding is planned
for spring 2012. David
works at Harper
College in the IT
department, and Mary is a teacher
assistant at Seton Montessori School.
Christos Prezas (THE ’07) married
Katie Dunn.
Linda R. Hawkins
(SNL ’09) and Leon
Jenkins Jr. were
married on Oct. 30,
2010, in Chicago.
Leon is senior pastor
at Greater Salem
Baptist Church, and
Linda works for the
Law Office of the Cook County Public
Defender, Forensic Science Division.
Births & Adoptions
Darin R. Anthony (THE ’93) and his
wife, Colleen Cavanaugh Anthony
(THE ’96), had their second child, Clyde
Cavanaugh Anthony, on Feb. 10, 2011.
Older brother Jasper is very pleased.
Darin is the co-artistic director of the
Living Room Series for The Blank Theatre
Company in Los Angeles and a member
of Syzygy Theatre Group.
Melanie B.
Hermann Elliot
(THE MFA ’94)
and her husband,
Thomas, recently
traveled to Ethiopia
to pick up their newly
adopted baby, Mikias
Elliott.
Mark Miskewitch
(CMN ’97, MA ’10)
and Anne M.
Miskewitch (LAS
’00, MA ’03)
welcomed their son,
Andrew Michael
Martin, on Nov. 23,
2010.
Laura A. Robinson
(LAS ’03) and her
husband, Peter,
welcomed twin
daughters, Lydia Eve
and Awen Isabel, in
November 2010. The
girls join big brother
Julian. The family resides in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Julie A. Yriart (LAS ’05) welcomed a
son, Claude Joseph Yriart, on Nov. 5,
2010.
Jessica Davis Triebe (JD ’10) married
Kurt Triebe on Oct. 16, 2010. They live in
Naperville, Ill.
38 a l u m n i

Jason N. Abrahams (MBA ’07) and
Theresa Abrahams are proud to announce
the arrival of Ryker Isaac Abrahams, who
was born Jan. 4, 2011.
Michael G. Cservenak (EDU ’07)
became the father of Lucas Michael
Cservenak on May 27, 2010, and will
marry Kestrel Bishop on June 11, 2011.
Michael teaches 6th grade English
language arts on the Big Island of Hawaii
and was selected to speak at the Hawaii
Leadership Conference in February 2011.
Aaron J. Schneider (CDM MS ’08)
and Sheila Schneider welcomed a son,
Alexander Christian Schneider, on Jan. 7,
2011.
In Memoriam
Lord, we commend to you the souls of
our dearly departed. In your mercy and
love, grant them eternal peace.
Alumni
Milton A. Greenstein (JD ’33)
Abel E. Berland (JD ’38, DHL ’75)
Jennie Smidl (LAS ’38)
William P. Quan (COM ’39)
Paul C. Stowick (JD ’39)
Fred J. Lorenz (COM ’41)
Hymen Lake (LAW ’42)
Phyllis J. Healy (LAS ’43)
Bella Itkin-Konrath (THE ’43)
Charles F. Meyer (LAS ’45, MS ’49)
Charles J. Michels (LAS MS ’47)
Thomas M. Klein (JD ’48)
Robert J. Parotto (EDU ’48)
Charles R. Berg (LAS ’49)
Francis J. Derrick (COM ’49)
Robert E. Little (COM ’49)
Gregory J. Oehm (LAS ’49)
Loretta K. Shipley (LAS ’49)
Philip T. Hoster (LAS ’50, MA ’58)
William Hurley Jr. (LAS ’50, EDU MA ’52)
Charles M. Koecheler (COM ’50)
Mary F. Laughlin (LAS ’50)
Edmund J. O’Connor (JD ’50)
Thomas F. Royals (LAS ’50)
Carmen D. Saracco (MUS ’50)
Dean A. Spindler (COM ’50)
Lawrence E. Woodrum Jr. (LAS ’50)
Sister Catherine Hoppe (LAS ’51)
Sister Dorothy Bachelot, D.C. (LAS ’52)
Theoni V. Aldredge (THE ’53, DHL ’85)
Robert G. Mondlock (COM ’53)
Benjamin C. Duster (JD ’54)
James L. McCabe (JD ’54)
Edward J. Phelps (COM ’54)
Sister M. Monica F. Kutch (LAS MA ’59)
Gerard P. Lietz Sr. (LAS ’59)
Raymond Stanton (LAS ’59)
Richard A. Hoefs (JD ’60)
Stanley G. Sumoski (COM ’60)
Fred B. Krol (JD ’61)
Patricia A. Swain (MUS ’61)
Donald J. Keane (COM ’62)
Joyce Hilburger (LAS ’63)
Charles W. Kopeny (JD ’63)
Patsy C. Abelle (COM ’64, JD ’67)
Rowena L. Bull (LAS ’65)
Mark A. Franklin (LAS ’65)
Daniel J. McMahon (LAS ’65, MA ’68)
William F. Warner (LAS MA ’67, MED ’70)
Gordon S. Mash (LAS ’69, JD ’72)
Mary M. Descour (LAS ’70, MA ’80)
Virginia D. Brooks (EDU ’71)
Patrick J. Callahan (JD ’73)
Charles V. Janisch (LAS MS ’74)
Marvin C. Luebber (MBA ’74)
Ray E. Goslin (SNL ’75)
Donald H. Lamb (MST ’76)
Edward J. Osowski (LAS ’77)
Anne P. Stolar (MBA ’78)
Terry T. Miller (LAS ’79)
Kathleen Shugrue (COM ’79)
George O. Dzul (JD ’80)
Dorothy A. Kirkpatrick (SNL ’80)
John D. Thornbrugh (LAS PHD ’81)
Ralph J. Davis (SNL ’82)
Mary C. Fasth (EDU MA ’82)
Madeleine C. Rothbart (LAS MS ’84)
Carolyn Habryl (COM ’88)
Ellen B. Delordo (SNL ’92, MA ’95)
Mark Speier (MBA ’92)
William H. Kohaus (JD ’94)
Don C. Wotal (LAS MA ’99)
Nick G. Pupillo (SNL ’04)
Anne S. Hatch (CMN ’05)
Henry L. Jones (MED ’07)
Alan Lysaght (SNL ’07)
Friends
Walter R. Atkinson
Joseph C. Bronars Jr.
Stacey M. Carter
Rev. Edmund J. Fitzpatrick
Nancy E. Gall
Brother Michael G. Groesch
James J. Maniola
Rev. Thomas J. Meik, C.M.
Rev. Richard J. O’Brien, C.M.
Jerold S. Solovy
Warren D. Watkins
Editor’s Note: Due to space limitations, this
memorial list includes only those alumni and
friends who our offices have confirmed have
passed away since the previous issue was
printed.
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 e-mail, mailing address,
degree(s) and year(s) of graduation.
Mail to:
DePaul University
Office of Alumni Relations
ATTN: Class Notes
1 E. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail to: dpalumni@depaul.edu
Fax to: 312.362.5112
For online submissions visit:
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.
a l u m n i
39

alumni relations
Event Calendar
Visit alumni.depaul.edu/events or call 800.437.1898 for further information and to register.
Fees and registration deadlines apply to some events.
June
June 11
Service Day in Detroit
Capuchin Soup Kitchen
Detroit
June 15
Welcome to the Alumni
Association Reception
Chicago
June 18
Arlington Park Racetrack Outing
Arlington Heights, Ill.
June 23
Networking Happy Hour
ChoLon
Denver
June 25
Volunteer Outing
Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago
June 29
Young Alumni Fireworks Boat Cruise
Chicago
July
July 7
Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals
Nationals Park
Washington, D.C.
Save the Date!
July 14
Chicago Cubs vs. Florida Marlins
Pregame Party at Goose Island Brewpub
Wrigley Field
Chicago
July 14
Networking Happy Hour
Rush Street
Culver City, Calif.
July 27
Summer Send-off*
Riverwalk Grand Pavilion
Naperville, Ill.
July 29
Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox
Pregame Party at Rocky’s Bar & Grill
U.S. Cellular Field
Chicago
August
Aug. 3
Summer Send-off*
Reflections on Deep Lake
Lake Villa, Ill.
Aug. 10
Summer Send-off*
Flick Park
Glenview, Ill.
*Summer Send-offs are casual gatherings where alumni share their DePaul experiences
and welcome first-year students and recent graduates into the alumni community.
DePaul University Reunion Weekend Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, 2011
Celebrating reunion for the classes of 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006.
With special activities for members of the Fifty Year Club, recent graduates from
the classes of 2007-2011, and alumni who were involved with the Student Government
Association, DePaul Activities Board or Strobel Honors Program.
Recent Alumni Events
The Rev. Dennis H.
Holtschneider, C.M.,
DePaul president, and
William J. Bauer (JD ’52,
LLD ’93, LLD ’05), DePaul
life trustee, at the
Chicago reception on
Jan. 27.
Chicago Reception with the
Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.
On Jan. 27, the Chicago Cultural Center filled with nearly 500
DePaul alumni and guests for a special reception with the Rev.
Dennis H. Holtschneider, president of DePaul. Throughout the
event, guests mingled with fellow alumni, friends and university
leaders while enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the Cultural
Center’s beautiful G.A.R. Rotunda and Hall. Holtschneider
shared the university’s latest news and national recognitions and
encouraged alumni to become involved in the Many Dreams,
One Mission Campaign for DePaul.
Alumni Celebrate Hoops
DePaul’s Athletics Department and Office of Alumni Relations
co-hosted a number of pregame receptions during the 2010-
2011 Blue Demons basketball season. Prior to games at both
McGrath and Allstate arenas, alumni and fans gathered for fun
and food before hitting the stands to cheer on their Blue
Demons. The enthusiasm continued as the men’s and women’s
teams hit the road for the 2011 Big East Championship
Tournament. The women’s team later headed to Pennsylvania
for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Alumni in the
areas and traveling fans—including players’ families—gathered
for pregame receptions before each of the Blue Demons’
tournament appearances.
Fifty Year Club Brunch
Members of the DePaul University Fifty Year Club enjoyed an
early spring brunch at Cortelyou Commons on Thursday, Mar.
31. The annual brunch honors graduates who have celebrated
the 50th reunion of their graduation from DePaul and been
inducted into the Fifty Year Club. This year’s brunch included
special guest and former DePaul president the Rev. John T.
Richardson, C.M, and was hosted by Patricia O’Donoghue, vice
president for alumni outreach and engagement. To learn more
about the Fifty Year Club, please visit
alumni.depaul.edu/fiftyyearclub.
To see photos from these and many other alumni events,
visit the DePaul Spirit Flickr group online at flickr.com/depaulspirit.
40 a l u m n i

Thank You, FOR
Beth and Bob Acton,
YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO INNOVATION.
Robert Acton (CDM MS ’86) recalls that when he earned his master’s degree in computer science,
the discipline was a part of the mathematics department at DePaul. Today, he’s amazed at the size and scope of the College of
Computing and Digital Media.
Acton, who graduated with honors, enjoyed the intellectual challenges of his DePaul education and the contributions it made to his
sales career at Burroughs Corp. Now, he and his wife, Beth, who is chief financial officer at Comerica Bank in Dallas, have established
the Robert and Beth Acton Endowed Innovation Fund to support innovation in the College of Computing and Digital Media.
Though the family lives in Dallas, they’re at home at DePaul. The couple used to live in Chicago, Bob serves on the CDM Leadership
Council and the CDM Campaign Committee, and the Actons’ younger son is a DePaul student.
Learn how you can support DePaul University and its students by visiting campaign.depaul.edu.

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“We will be moving into natural language
understanding, where you ask a question of the system,
and it will understand the documents and be able
to respond to your question and cite the proper sources.”
Massimo Di Pierro, associate professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media