A Time Of Change

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C E L E B R A T I N G H O O D C O L L E G E ’ S 1 0 T H P R E S I D E N T

RONALD J. VOLPE, Ph.D.2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 5

RJRJRVJVJRonald J. Volpe, Ph.D.Hood College’s 10th President

A Future Imagined and Realized

MARCH 2015

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From the Chair of the BoardFrom the moment Ron Volpe stepped on campus in the summer of 2001, he provided the College with hope. He convinced a campus community that, despite numerous fi nancial, personnel and enrollment issues, things weren’t hopeless and all was not lost. His passion, optimism and energy, and especially his boundless enthusiasm and spirit, lifted campus morale and created a sense of confi dence that up to that point had been missing.

In the 14 years that followed, President Volpe racked up a long list of accomplishments. He led the transition to Hood becoming fully coeducational so successfully that his model has been emulated by many other now former women’s colleges. The College soon realized record enrollment growth, at one point doubling the undergraduate population and bringing in freshman classes the sizes of which had never been seen before at Hood. He oversaw major facility renovations, checking off the list many deferred maintenance items and expansions and enhancing the overall campus landscape. The curriculum experienced growth with the addition of 10 new undergraduate programs, fi ve new master’s degrees and eight certifi cate programs. The athletic program expanded with nine men’s and fi ve women’s sports. A new vibrancy was felt on campus.

This book honors and recognizes President Volpe and all that he has done for the College; his vision and his legacy ensure a bright future for many generations of Hood College students.

Philip A. BerkheimerChair, Hood College Board of Trustees

ABOVE: Hood board chair Phil Berkheimer, senior vice president and fi nancial adviser with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Frederick, and President Volpe at Reunion Weekend in 2013.

The offi cial portrait of President Volpe, painted by John Boyd Martin, will hang in Alumnae Hall along with other past presidents.

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TTimes to RememberA remarkable transformation of this 122-year-old institution has taken place in the 14 years President Volpe has led Hood College. Together the campus community embarked on a journey, made continuous improvements, exceeded expectations and achieved excellence, integrating the past with the present and imagining a brighter future.

The advice President Volpe gave to students at the 2011 Convocation illustrated his can-do approach, one he adopted from day one: “So beginning today, dream your dreams and start to imagine. Imagining is what we do at this place.”

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“Hood is unique and special. Together we will transform Hood into what we want it to be. Hood’s greatness lies ahead.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPESpring 2001 Hood Magazine

Inauguration of Hood’s 10th PresidentRonald J. Volpe, Ph.D.

2001 2002

2001❱❱ Ron Volpe’s tenure as Hood’s 10th

president begins July 1, 2001

❱❱ Interdisciplinary archaeology concentration for art majors introduced

❱❱ Visioneering Our Future introduced

2002❱❱ 10-week, 16-credit Coastal Studies

Semester introduced

❱❱ Shriner Hall reopens in fall after $5 million renovation

❱❱ Hodson Trust awards more than $2.4 million toward renovation and construction of Hodson Science and Technology Center

❱❱ The Weisberg Archive acquired

❱❱ Hodson Trust gives $1.7 million gift

❱❱ Board of Trustees votes to go fully coed

Auxiliary Bishop William Francis Malooly and Martha E. Church, H’95, Hood’s president from 1975 to 1995, at President Volpe’s inauguration Oct. 17, 2001.

2003 2004

2003 ❱❱ First-year student applications

increased by 59 percent

❱❱ Hood opens fall semester as a fully coeducational college; enrollment increases by 47 percent

❱❱ Women’s cross country and golf added

❱❱ Whitaker Foundation awards $3 million gift

❱❱ First-ever men’s Division III NCAA basketball, cross country, golf, swimming and tennis teams established

❱❱ Graduate certifi cate in ceramic arts established

❱❱ New College logo introduced as part of a larger rebranding and marketing initiative

2004❱❱ German and elementary/special

education majors added

❱❱ Impact study reveals Hood’s direct fi nancial impact on local economy is $27 million with $40 million in direct contributions from Hood to the local economy and as much as $85 million indirect impact on local, state and federal levels

❱❱ Men’s lacrosse and soccer added

❱❱ New campus sign installed at the main entrance

❱❱ Hodson Trust awards two gifts totaling $2.7 million

❱❱ Avalon Performing Arts Studio opens

❱❱ Whitaker Foundation gives $1.6 million

❱❱ Master of science in computer science degree program added

❱❱ Hood hosts FITCI, Frederick County’s fi rst incubator to nurture high-tech business development

New logo introduced as part of a rebranding and marketing initiative

Scott McKinney ’07, Tammy McElroy McNish ’05 and Bridget Harwood ’06 pose by the new and fi rst-ever entrance sign for Hood College. President Volpe wanted to have a sign placed by the Rosemont Avenue entrance after hearing comments from visitors about how they had driven by the campus unknowingly. Ironically, the crew who delivered and installed the sign drove past the entrance, too, and had to call to get directions to the campus.

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2005 2006 2007

2005❱❱ Studio art concentration

reinstated

❱❱ President Volpe honored with his alma mater’s highest award given to alumni

❱❱ Blazer Radio launched

2006❱❱ Campus goes wireless

❱❱ Hood joins Capital Athletic Conference

❱❱ Hodson Trust gives $5.6 million, the largest single gift in Hood’s history

❱❱ Master of fi ne arts in ceramic arts degree approved

❱❱ Hodson-Gilliam Scholarship established

❱❱ Whitaker sisters give $300,000 for science scholarships

❱❱ Four gifts from estates of friends of the College total $2 million

❱❱ Record enrollment of 2,248, a 40 percent increase over 2001 enrollment

2007❱❱ Hood ranked as one of the

country’s best and most affordable colleges by U.S. News & World Report

❱❱ Eight faculty publish scholarly books

❱❱ Hodson Trust awards second-largest gift of $4.5 million

❱❱ Dr. Christine L. McHenry ’73 endows Hood’s fi rst-ever chair and dean of the chapel

Hodson Trust gives $5.6 million, the largest single gift in Hood’s history

Finn M.W. Caspersen, chair of the Hodson Trust from 1973 to 2009, presents President Volpe with the Trust’s annual gift in Baltimore. The Trust, Hood’s most generous benefactor, has given Hood nearly $80 million since 1936.

2008 2009

2008❱❱ Hood College History Museum opens

❱❱ Athletic Hall of Fame launched with 34 initial inductees

❱❱ Choir celebrates 50th anniversary of Messiah

❱❱ First ROTC commissioning held on campus

❱❱ Middle States Commission on Higher Education grants reaccreditation for next 10 years

❱❱ Hodson Scholarship established for veterans

❱❱ Master of science in mathematics education established

❱❱ Record enrollment of 2,522 achieved

❱❱ Invitrogen Foundation gives $50,000 for Summer Science Research Institute

❱❱ Renovations to Rosenstock Hall and Coblentz Dining Room completed

❱❱ Renovations made to student lounges in two residence halls and to a formal reception area

❱❱ Thomas Athletic Field renovation begins

❱❱ Landscaping projects around Alumnae Hall, Whitaker Campus Center and the library completed

❱❱ Mass communication and notifi cation system established

2009❱❱ Hodson Trust awards $4 million

❱❱ History and political science department divided into two distinct departments

❱❱ Nicodemus Athletic Complex and turf playing fi eld dedicated

❱❱ Alternative Spring Break instituted

President Volpe and former White Blazer Girl Judith C. Arndt ’60, who was one of 33 women and one man inducted into the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class Nov. 1, 2008.

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2010 2011

2010❱❱ Hodson Trust gift totals $3.5 million

❱❱ First-ever bachelor of science in nursing degree completion program announced

❱❱ Social work program accreditation reaffi rmed

❱❱ 16-foot clock installed with funds pro-vided by the classes of 1958 and 2008

❱❱ Middle Eastern studies major added

❱❱ Graduate school adds information security certifi cate

❱❱ Hood enrolls in Yellow Ribbon program for qualifi ed veterans

❱❱ Education programs earn NCATE accreditation

❱❱ Athletic department awarded NCAA grant for peer mentoring program

❱❱ Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown delivers $2 million check for green project that will lower campus energy consumption

❱❱ Class of 2014, with 327 fi rst-year students, is largest in College’s history

❱❱ Josephine Steiner ’44 Center for Academic Achievement and Retention established

❱❱ First annual Blue and Grey golf tournament held

2011❱❱ Hodson Trust gift totals $1.7 million

❱❱ Through a bequest from Peggy Waite Whitehead ’60, iPads issued to fi rst-year students

❱❱ First-Year Read program launched

❱❱ New mascot introduced at Convocation

❱❱ Hood ring for men introduced

❱❱ Hood Alumni Executive Board presents President Volpe with a Hood ring at annual ring ceremony

❱❱ Redesigned website launched

❱❱ Athletic center groundbreaking held

❱❱ Campus free bike-loan program added

❱❱ Shirley Connor Hardinge ’44 leaves $1 million gift for a center for global studies

❱❱ Bachelor of science in nursing degree completion program receives fi nal approval

❱❱ The Blue and Grey Club for athletics started

❱❱ $250,000 NSF grant awarded for archaeological work in Turkey

❱❱ Athletic center dedicated in November

❱❱ Repairs made to water and heating systems; renovations to Whitaker Campus Center Commons and commuter lounge

❱❱ Second phase of Visioneering Our Future strategic plan launched

❱❱ Renovation of Green Room in Brodbeck Music Hall in honor of Frances Delaplaine Randall ’45, H’06, P’80, P’83 completed

2012 2013

2012❱❱ Hodson Trust gives $2 million gift

❱❱ Renovation of Brodbeck Music Hall completed

❱❱ New athletic center arena named for Hood’s banking partner, BB&T

❱❱ First Blue and Grey tennis tournament held at Baker Park

❱❱ Business programs earn ACBSP accreditation

❱❱ Tennis center dedicated

2013❱❱ Hodson Trust gives $2 million gift

❱❱ College receives $1 million bequest from Vivian Velehradsky Reardon ’51 to support Chug Scholarship

❱❱ Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffi rms Hood’s accreditation

❱❱ Graduate school adds 15th master’s degree program in ceramic arts

❱❱ Graduate school adds gerontology certifi cate

❱❱ Hood History published as part of The Campus History Series

❱❱ Huntsinger Aquatics Center renovated and dedicated in February

❱❱ Graduate school adds elementary STEM and GIS certifi cates

❱❱ Integrated marketing communications added as 31st undergraduate major

❱❱ Formation of The Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies announced

❱❱ Patricia Merritt Lear ’66 named Nora Roberts Writer-in-Residence

❱❱ Weather station opens in Hodson Science and Technology Center

Business programs earn ACBSP accreditation

President Volpe with history professor and longtime Hood tennis coach Len Latkovski, Ph.D., at the dedication of the new tennis courts Sept. 14, 2012.

Joyce Michaud directs the graduate ceramic arts programs.

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2014 2015

2014❱❱ Hodson Trust gives $2.5 million gift

❱❱ Hood adopts test-optional admission policy for undergraduates

❱❱ Hood joins the Institute of International Education’s Generation Study Abroad

❱❱ BSN program earns accreditation from Maryland Higher Education Commission

❱❱ Hood Promise marketing campaign begun

❱❱ Kiln pavilion dedicated

❱❱ Jeanne Zimmerman Gearey ’52 Alumni Plaza dedicated

❱❱ $1.8 million bequest received from

Margaret Neely, emerita assistant professor of chemistry, to establish an endowed scholarship in her name, and an endowed sociology scholarship in the name of her late husband, Wayne Neely, emeritus Andrew G. Truxal Professor of Sociology

❱❱ Hodson Science and Technology Center nursing wing and Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies wing dedicated

❱❱ Hood named an Apple Distinguished School

❱❱ Volpe Scholars established

2015❱❱ Tatem Arts Center renovation to be completed

❱❱ Athletic Center dedicated as the Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center March 27, 2015TaTem arTs CenTer renovaTion ProjeCT

Completion by August 2015

General Contractor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Architects and Engineers: Proffitt & Associates Architects, PC DesignTech, Inc. Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Services Kimley-Horn, Civil Engineering ADTEC, Structural Engineering

The project includes:• 6,400 square feet of new space• The addition of four high-tech classrooms• The addition of 9 faculty and staff offices• Upgrades to meet ADA and Life Safety

Codes, including a new elevator, bathrooms and fire sprinkler systems

• Upgrades to new Energy Efficiency Standards and Codes

• Upgrades to meet Water Efficiency Standards and Codes.

• The addition of High Efficiency Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC System

Susan J. Gearey ’79 and her brother, Bruce P. Gearey, fund the Jean Zimmerman Gearey ’52 Alumni Plaza and fountain to honor their mother.

Rendering of Tatem Arts Center renovation.

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InaugurationWhen President Volpe arrived at Hood July 1, 2001, he hit the ground running. He understood from the beginning where Hood had been, where it was then and where it needed to go.

“Hood is unique and special,” he wrote in the spring 2001 issue of Hood Magazine. “Together we will transform Hood into what we want it to be. Hood’s greatness lies ahead.”

He immediately set about strategizing for Hood’s future and created a plan entitled Visioneering Our Future.

Phase One of the plan took place from 2002 until 2006, and primarily focused on growing enrollment, transitioning the College to being fully coeducational, creating a new brand and strategy for marketing the College, developing fi nancial plans for growth and securing academic re-accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

He was fully aware of the formidable challenges before him and the College. “We are entering an era when change is random, unpredictable, confusing, sometimes thrust upon us,” Volpe said during his inauguration speech Oct. 17, 2001. “Someone once said that an ongoing journey must be cautiously charted, carefully navigated.”

President Volpe on the back porch of Alumnae Hall before his Inauguration ceremony in October 2001.

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TOP: President Volpe with former president Martha E. Church, Ph.D., H’95 and Robert N. Funk, Ph.D., former interim president and provost.

BOTTOM: Students wearing traditional dinks welcome President Volpe on their way to the inauguration ceremony.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Then board of trustees chair Edward Del Giorno, P’95 presents President Volpe with the chain of office.

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CoeducationPresident Volpe will of course be known for presiding over the College when it transitioned to coeducation—full coeducation. Men had been attending Hood since the early 1970s but never lived in the residence halls. Allowing men to reside on campus, however, was transformational in that it attracted not only more men to the campus, but also women who did not favor a single-sex college.

President Volpe, who earned his undergraduate degree at the then all-men’s Gannon College, insisted that the fundamental reason for the move to fully coeducational was complex, beyond philosophical and part of a bigger, more comprehensive long-range plan.

“Transitioning the College to coeducation was the centerpiece of a strategic plan that was developed by the College community and approved by the board of trustees,” President Volpe wrote in the winter 2014 issue of Hood Magazine. “It was not merely the decision to allow men to live on campus that led to the turnaround, but also refi nancing College debt, adding new student and academic programs, renovating and expanding campus facilities, receiving increased fi nancial support from many alumni and friends, rebranding the College and increasing the enrollment of men and women played a huge role. This turnaround strategy led to strengthening every aspect of the College and to securing its future.”

“Transitioning the College to coeducation was the centerpiece of a strategic plan that was developed

by the College community and approved by the board of trustees.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPEWinter 2014 Hood Magazine

President Volpe takes any opportunity to connect with students, whether it be in Coblentz Dining Room or, as shown on the next two pages, celebrating the fi rst snowfall or the fi rst day of spring.

After an exhaustive and thorough study, and consulting with every constituency of the College, in 2003 President Volpe and trustees’ chair S. Deborah Jones ’69 announced the plan for transitioning Hood to a fully coeducational institution. The 2003-2004 academic year was the first year in Hood College’s history in which both female and male students could live and study on campus.

The success of this change was evident in the 69 percent increase in applications and an 89 percent increase in first-year enrollment from 2002 to 2003 alone. The campus residential population outgrew the capacity of the residence halls, which necessitated the leasing of nearby apartments for select upperclassmen. This upward trend in enrollment would continue to climb at astounding rates over the ensuing years under President Volpe’s presidency, eventually nearly doubling enrollment at the College. By the end of Phase One, the College enjoyed a record enrollment of 2,248, which was a 40 percent increase since his arrival in 2001.

“I believe that hope has been restored,” said President Volpe in 2006 regarding Hood’s success. “We no longer ask if Hood has a future.”

Number of students

enrolled in 2001: 1,607 Highest enrollment in

Hood’s history in 2008: 2,533

The College saw a

remarkable increase

in enrollment.

“ I believe that hope

has been restored.”~ PRESIDENT VOLPE

Winter 2006-07 Hood Magazine

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AcademicsPhase Two of Visioneering Our Future took place from 2006 until 2011, and was just as successful as the fi rst. It focused on adding academic programs and faculty to match the growing academic needs of a larger student population as well as the needs of the global community.

Under President Volpe’s tenure, 10 new undergraduate majors, fi ve master’s degrees and eight graduate certifi cate programs were added to the curriculum.

*Including 357 bachelor’s degrees and 203 master’s degrees expected to be awarded at the May 16, 2015, undergraduate and graduate commencements.

6,675 dipomas*

Number of diplomas awarded during President Volpe’s tenure:

President Volpe applauds undergraduate students after the 2013 Commencement ceremony.

3,973 undergraduate 2,702 graduate

The fi rst diploma

President Volpe presented was to

Katharine Abramson May 2002

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New Academic Programs Established Under President VolpeUndergraduate: • Accounting• BSN Completion and four-year

BSN pre-licensure programs• Coastal Studies Semester• Elementary/Special Education• German• Global Studies• Integrated Marketing

Communications• Law and Criminal Justice• Middle Eastern Studies

Graduate:• MFA and M.A. in Ceramic Arts• M.S. in Computer Science• M.S. in Counseling• M.S. in Mathematics Education

Graduate certifi cates:• Accounting• Bioinformatics• Ceramic Arts• Financial Management• Geographic Information Systems • Gerontology• Organizational Management• STEM Education

TOP: President Volpe with Ross Strack ’10 during his commissioning ceremony, and dean of students Olivia White, Ph.D.

BOTTOM: President Volpe and Bonnie Hagerman ’66, then executive director of academic and career services, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Josephine Steiner ’44 Center for Academic Achievement and Retention in August 2010.

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“Education is as much about tomorrow as it is about today, and it

will continue to grow in signifi cance in this growing global economy.”


President Volpe with his custom-made dink, which includes each of the class colors.

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2001 MAGGIE BROWN, president of the Columbia (Md.) Association, Doctor of Humane Letters

2002 LJUBICA Z. ACEVSKA, Macedonian ambassador to the U.S., Doctor of Humane Letters

2003 MARIETTA GECKOS ’84, trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Doctor of Laws

DR. HENRY P. LAUGHLIN, friend of the College, Doctor of Pedagogy

MRS. M. PAGE DURKEE LAUGHLIN, friend of the College, Doctor of Fine Arts

2004 LISA MYERS, NBC News correspondent, Doctor of Humanities

2005 U.S. REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ, Doctor of Laws

PATRICIA STANLEY, president of Frederick Community College, Doctor of Humane Letters

CHARLES A. NICODEMUS, trustee emeritus and friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

KATHRYN NICODEMUS, friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

2006 U.S. SEN. PAUL SARBANES, Doctor of Laws

FRANCES ANN DELAPLAINE RANDALL ’45, chair of the board of the Randall Family, LLC, Doctor of Humane Letters

ALBERT H. COHEN, trustee emeritus, Doctor of Humane Letters

2007 SHEILAH KAST, host of WYPR’s Maryland Morning, Doctor of Humane Letters

HOMER W. CARHART, friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

2008 MARCIA COYLE ’73, Washington bureau chief and U.S. Supreme Court correspondent for The National Law Journal, Doctor of Humane Letters

EILEEN DICKEY, president of Hodson Services LLC, Doctor of Humane Letters

MANUEL CASIANO, M.D., surgeon, MBA ’03, Doctor of Humane Letters

GEORGE B. DELAPLAINE, friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

ELIZABETH DELAPLAINE, friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

2009 STEFANIE SANFORD, PH.D., deputy director of U.S. Program Advocacy for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Doctor of Humane Letters

CHERYL PARROTT, M.A. ’06, director of communication, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Doctor of Humane Letters

2010 DAVID L. HOLMES, professor, College of William and Mary, Doctor of Humane Letters

BEVERLEY SWAIM-STALEY ’77, M.A. ’82, Maryland transportation secretary, Doctor of Humane Letters

2011 LT. GOV. ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland lieutenant governor, Doctor of Laws

ADRIAN GARDNER, M.S. ’93, director of information technology and communications directorate and chief information offi cer, Goddard Space Flight Center, Doctor of Humane Letters

2012 BILL STRICKLAND, president and CEO, Manchester Bidwell Corporation, Doctor of Humane Letters

JAMES R. RACHEFF, M.S. ’93, chairman and CEO, Data Management Services, Doctor of Humane Letters

2013 ANTHONY J. MENDEZ, former CIA technical operations offi cer and author, Doctor of Humane Letters

CHERYL BROWN DREILING ’69, chair, Hood College Board of Trustees, Doctor of Humane Letters

ZYGMUNT FRANCIS DEMBEK, M.S. ’82, senior scientist for the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine’s Cooperative Biological Engagement Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Doctor of Humane Letters

2014 CLAIRE SHIPMAN, senior contributor for ABC News’ Good Morning America, World News and Nightline, Doctor of Humane Letters

MARLENE B. GROSSNICKLE YOUNG ’76, P’09, president of the Delaplaine Foundation, Doctor of Humane Letters

KEITH R. HARRIS, ED.D., M.S. ’99, director of schools for Frederick County Public Schools, Doctor of Humane Letters

WILLIAM H. BROWNING JR., friend of the College, Doctor of Humane Letters

HONORARY DEGREES AWARDED BY PRESIDENT VOLPE

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President Volpe, who was well known for holding forth whenever he had a willing audience, takes time to talk with Zeppa Kreager ’12, Dana Davenport ’11 and Karlie Herbert, MBA ’13 during the 2010 Maryland Independent College and University Association Higher Education Day in Annapolis. President Volpe made many trips to Maryland’s capital to advocate for independent higher education, for which he received honors and recognition by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, and the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates in February 2015.

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Campus RenovationsWhen President Volpe began his tenure in 2001, there were two campus facility upgrades in progress—the massive renovation and addition to the Hodson Science and Technology Center and the renovation of Shriner Hall, the College’s oldest and, still today, the only women’s residence hall. Both were completed in 2002.

But President Volpe had bigger dreams. The second phase of his vision included upgrades and improvements of campus facilities, which led to many renovations and construction projects, including the athletic center in 2011.

“The process of transforming

the Hood campus into the most inviting and attractive college in the state of Maryland continues.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPESummer 2012 Hood Magazine

President Volpe donned a hard hat during 2009 Convocation, when he informed the community about the most recent and upcoming campus upgrades.

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ABOVE: President Volpe, along with Joe Venezia, project manager; Atiya Smith ’03, president of Shriner Hall; Paul Melanson, then vice president for finance and administration; Olivia White, vice president for student life and dean of students; and Betsy McCain McAlpine ’51, member of the board of trustees, at the dedication for the renovated Shriner Hall in August 2002.

OPPOSITE PAGE: A 16-foot clock outside of the Whitaker Campus Center was a gift from the classes of 1958 and 2008.

INSET: President Volpe helps put the finishing touches on the clock in August 2010.

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TOP: Participants in the Hodson Science and Technology Center ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 19, 2003, included Craig Laufer, Ph.D., professor of biology; Stephanie Bulka ’03; Eileen D. Dickey, H’08, president of Hodson Services, LLC; President Volpe; Rita Colwell, H’91, director of the National Science Foundation; Ruth Whitaker Holmes ’54; Karen Johnson, then Maryland secretary of higher education; and then chair of the board of trustees S. Deborah Jones ’69.

LEFT: Travis Kline ’13, President Volpe and Emily Maerz ’13 at the tennis complex ribbon cutting ceremony Sept. 14, 2012.

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• Weisberg Archive established in Beneficial-Hodson Library

• Avalon Performing Arts Studio constructed

• Coblentz Hall dining room refurbished

• Renovation of Cheryl Brown Dreiling ’69, H’14 Seminar Room completed

• New furniture installed in all residence halls

• Lounge areas in residence halls renovated

• Heating system replaced campus-wide

• Campus-wide landscaping improvements, including the classes of 1958 and 2008 clock, and the Jean Zimmerman Gearey ’52 Alumni Plaza and fountain

• Hood History Museum opened in Beneficial-Hodson Library

• Hodson Auditorium and classrooms in Rosenstock Hall renovated

• Josephine Steiner ’44 Center for Academic Achievement and Retention established

• Renovation of athletic field: Nicodemus Athletic Complex and turf playing field

• New athletic center constructed

• Tennis/swimming complex renovated

• Shirley Connor Hardinge ’44 Center for Global Studies established

• Kiln pavilion built

• Weather station built

• Tatem Arts Center under renovation

• Build-out of wings in Hodson Science and Technology Center to accommodate growing nursing and coastal studies programs completed

CAMPUS RENOVATIONS AND PROJECTS, 2001-2015

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“A multi-purpose recreational center will be essential

to meet the growing needs of the campus.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPE Winter 2006-07 Hood Magazine

OPPOSITE PAGE: President Volpe on the construction site of the athletic center.

LEFT: President Volpe, Justin Stone ’13 and Stacey Jones ’13 at the Nicodemus Athletic Center dedication, Oct. 23, 2009.

BOTTOM: Lindsay Cronin ’15; Daniela Mittelkamp ’14; Andrew Bodine ’13; Don Feinberg, head swimming coach; President Volpe; Dr. George Lewis Jr., chair of the Hood board of trustees facilities committee; John Borgersen, past president, Monocacy Aquatic Club; Gib Romaine, then athletic director; and Helene Williams, president, Monocacy Aquatic Club, participate in the Feb. 15, 2013, Huntsinger Aquatic Center dedication.

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“While the many individuals who serve our students are indeed

‘persons of consequence’ we also recognize that we must assure our students

have ‘places of consequence’.” ~ PRESIDENT VOLPE

Summer 2012 Hood Magazine

President Volpe celebrates the opening of the Hood College Athletic Center with student athletes Justin Stone ’13 and Brenden Straughn ’12, and fans Kathryn Nicodemus, ’H05 and trustee emeritus Charles A. Nicodemus, ’H05.

TOP: Hodson Trust trustees Daniel R. O’Brien, Robert A. Tucker, Robert C. Clark, Gerald L. Holm, Keith L. Pladsen, Finn M.W. Caspersen Jr.; and Eileen D. Dickey, president of Hodson Services, LLC, assisted President Volpe in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the nursing wing in the Hodson Science and Technology Center.

RIGHT: The Jeanne Zimmerman Gearey ’52 Alumni Plaza was dedicated Oct. 11, 2014.

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Connecting with Alumni

With more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate alumni worldwide, President Volpe has traveled to dozens of cities to meet with thousands of Hood alumni. Recent and not-so-recent graduates value his vision, humor and, most importantly, his passion for Hood College. His involvement with Reunion Weekend, including the launch of the Presidential Fun Run/Walk, and his development of Homecoming and Family Weekend, attract alumni to campus for engagement and involvement with their alma mater. He also introduced the College’s Hall of Fame, which recognizes alumni athletes and others who have contributed to the success of the Hood College Blazers. Honoring Hood’s past while planning for the future, President Volpe inducted all of the White Blazer Girls into the inaugural class.

Today, nearly 50 graduates serve on the alumni executive board, providing President Volpe with valuable insights and commentary. In 2011 the board honored President Volpe with a Hood ring.

During his 14 years, President Volpe will have awarded degrees to more than 6,700 graduates,* nearly 30 percent of Hood’s total living alumni population.

*Including the May 2015 graduates

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TOP: President Volpe and 2002 reunion attendees prepare for a golf outing.

MIDDLE: Betsy McAlpine ‘51, a Hood College trustee from 1999 to 2010 and granddaughter of Hood’s first president, Joseph Henry Apple; and President Volpe at a reunion weekend gathering.

BOTTOM: President Volpe leads the 2008 Fun Run/Walk as part of reunion weekend festivities.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Each year during reunion weekend President Volpe meets with alumni to talk about the state of the College.

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Campus LifeOne of the most visible aspects of the change President Volpe’s leadership brought to the community could be seen in the new vibrancy on campus. The Hood community overcame uncertainty and emerged revitalized. The campus began to grow and overfl ow with opportunities to discover, perform, explore, publish, lead and, of course, have fun! This new energy translated into a calendar fi lled with social, academic and athletic events, and more than 60 clubs and organizations that celebrate the unique talents and interests of all students.

President Volpe not only revived student involvement, he also got involved himself. From move-in day to graduation day, he welcomed, mentored and cheered on thousands of students. He could often be found eating lunch in the dining hall with students; rooting for the Blazers on the court; cruising across campus in his golf cart; serving crabs or a stack of pancakes in the dining hall; attending plays and concerts; and even appearing in cameo roles in theater productions.

Hood’s mascot Blaze debuted in a fl ash mob at the Aug. 23, 2010, Convocation ceremony. Blaze is the fi rst-ever mascot for Hood College, and has become a huge hit with students. Blaze makes regular appearances at most major campus and sporting events.

• MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY WEEKEND

HALLOWEEN

MEALS

BANNERS

BREAKFASTS

WEEKEND

• HOLIDAY MEALS

CLASS BANNERS

NIGHT BREAKFASTS

WEEKEND

• HOLIDAY MEALS

CLASS BANNERS

NIGHT BREAKFASTS MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY

WEEKEND

• HOLIDAY MEALS

CLASS BANNERS

AND LATE NIGHT BREAKFASTS • MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST

• FALL FAMILY WEEKEND

• CONVOCATION

• FOUR COLUMNS, CLASS BANNERS

STRAWBERRY AND LATE NIGHT BREAKFASTS

• FALL FRENZY

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His constant presence on campus never went unnoticed and for so many students President Volpe played a much bigger role than they thought a college president ever could. A President Volpe “hello,” a thumbs-up or golf cart horn honk could give students the little dose of encouragement they needed to make it through a long week.

He sought to preserve and honor the College’s heritage by ensuring long-standing traditions continued while also building a foundation for new ones. And speaking of traditions, President Volpe was honored by the alumni executive board at the 2011 ring ceremony with a Hood ring, which he has worn proudly every day since receiving it. His purposeful leadership, optimism and kindness inspired every member of the Hood community to be a little more Hood Proud.

Nothing was too challenging for President Volpe, including bull riding during the 2012 senior picnic.

• MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY WEEKEND •WW

HALLOWEEN • MESSIAH • DANCES • MOVE-IN DAYS • CONVOCATION • HOLIDAY

MEALS • HOOD RINGS • DINKS • HOOD “HELLO” • FOUR COLUMNS, CLASS

BANNERS • PERGOLA • SOPHOMORE DINNER • STRAWBERRY AND LATE NIGHT

BREAKFASTS • MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY

WEEKEND • HALLOWEEN • MESSIAH • DANCES • MOVE-IN DAYS • CONVOCATION

• HOLIDAY MEALS • HOOD RINGS • DINKS • HOOD “HELLO” • FOUR COLUMNS,

CLASS BANNERS • PERGOLA • SOPHOMORE DINNER • STRAWBERRY AND LATE

NIGHT BREAKFASTS • MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY


• HOLIDAY MEALS • HOOD RINGS • DINKS • HOOD “HELLO” • FOUR COLUMNS,

CLASS BANNERS • PERGOLA • SOPHOMORE DINNER • STRAWBERRY AND LATE

NIGHT BREAKFASTS MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY


• HOLIDAY MEALS • HOOD RINGS • DINKS • HOOD “HELLO” FOUR COLUMNS,

CLASS BANNERS • PERGOLA • SOPHOMORE DINNER • STRAWBERRY

AND LATE NIGHT BREAKFASTS • MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST • FALL FRENZY

• FALL FAMILY WEEKEND • HALLOWEEN • MESSIAH • DANCES • MOVE-IN DAYS

• CONVOCATION • HOLIDAY MEALS • HOOD RINGS • DINKS • HOOD “HELLO”

• FOUR COLUMNS, CLASS BANNERS • PERGOLA • SOPHOMORE DINNER •

STRAWBERRY AND LATE NIGHT BREAKFASTS • MAY MADNESS • CRAB FEAST

• FALL FRENZY • FALL FAMILY WEEKEND • HALLOWEEN • MESSIAH • DANCES •

45

The famous Blazer Chips were developed in Coblentz kitchen during President Volpe’s tenure.

46

President Volpe served as the “Big Bug” of the Bug Me Crew, helping first-year students move into the residence halls. He always looked forward to welcoming students and parents alike to the Hood community.

47

President Volpe got into the Halloween spirit in 2013 as Jack Sparrow, complete with a Black Pearl-decorated golf cart; and in 2014 as Superman.

48

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

President Volpe and students had reason to celebrate with the introduction of the Blaze mascot in August 2010.

High heel-clad President Volpe and David Gurzick, Ph.D., assistant professor of management, participate in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes charity event in 2013 in downtown Frederick.

Jeanie Cronin, coordinator of faculty services; dean of students Olivia White, Ph.D.; and President Volpe help serve steamed crabs during the annual May Madness Week crab feast.

President Volpe, along with Rick Puller, then director of campus safety and security; Thea Heninger-Lowell, then area coordinator; dean of students Olivia White, Ph.D.; Chuck Mann, vice president of finance and administration and treasurer; and Danielle Weaver, then area coordinator, take on the dodge ball team.

49

“I want to express my deepest appreciation to the Hood Alumni Executive Board for presenting me a

Hood College Ring

at the 2011 Ring Ceremony. I feel privileged and honored to be able to wear this special and distinctive ring.”


TOP: President Volpe clowns around during a reading day celebration in May 2004.

LEFT: Hood’s holiday parties would not be complete without a visit from Santa. In 2014 President Volpe was hooded and presented with an honorary degree in Santatology.

OPPOSITE PAGE: President Volpe was always on hand to celebrate a job well done. (Top) President Volpe greets a facilities worker at a thank-you breakfast; (Middle) President Volpe and registrar Nanette Carignan Markey ’79 honor Lois Averill (seated) for her years of service; (Bottom) President Volpe poses with admission staff during the annual holiday party.

51

President Volpe appreciated and honored Hood staff for their support and dedication to the mission of the College, from facilities staff to longtime and current employees.

52

“Hood College is committed to a philosophy that values athletics as an important part of one’s overall education and that

excellence in athletics and academics are not mutually exclusive.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPEWinter 2004-05 Hood Magazine

A

53

AthleticsThe year 2003 ushered in a new era for Hood College. Coeducation meant establishing and recruiting for men’s athletic teams. Realizing Hood athletics would need a special person to take the program to a new level, in the summer of 2002 President Volpe hired former University of Maryland assistant football coach Gib Romaine to serve as Hood’s athletic director. Tom Dickman, former Gov. Thomas Johnson High School head basketball coach and the winningest public high school coach in Maryland history, became Hood’s fi rst-ever men’s basketball coach. Together they embarked on an ambitious journey to build a comprehensive men’s athletic program and strengthen the women’s program.

But teams need suitable venues in which to practice and host athletic contests. President Volpe worked tirelessly to make sure that came to fruition. Three new facilities literally transformed the campus and now provide state-of-the-art playing fi elds for nearly every student athlete. The Nicodemus Athletic complex and playing fi eld includes locker rooms and a turf fi eld for soccer, fi eld hockey and lacrosse players; a renovated softball fi eld and dugouts provide an updated venue for players; and six new tennis courts, a renovated indoor pool and a new aquatics center replaced outdated facilities for the swim and tennis teams. A multipurpose athletic center, dedicated by the board of trustees as the Ronald J. Volpe Athletic Center on March 27, 2015, provides a 1,600-seat arena for basketball and volleyball contests, an observation deck, a two-level fi tness center and cardio room, an athletic training room, locker rooms, an athletic hall of fame recognition display, a concession area, a hospitality and meeting room and offi ce spaces.

“ As one who participated at the Division II level, I can attest to the fact that regardless of the level of competition, the benefi ts of competing, the lifelong friendships acquired and the many lessons learned serve to enrich the college experience.”


President Volpe, senior, Yorkville High School,

1963

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• Established men’s basketball, cross country, track and field, golf, swimming, tennis, lacrosse and soccer teams

• Established women’s golf, cross country, track and field, lacrosse and soccer teams

• Established Hall of Fame; inaugural class included 34 inductees

• Established Blue and Grey Club to support athletics

• New first-ever mascot designed and debuted

ATHLETIC PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

56

“ We are proud to recognize the scholar athletes who serve as outstanding

Hood ambassadors, who celebrate the

challenge of athletics and who maintain a

proper balance between athletic competition and

academic achievement.”


On behalf of the entire athletics program at Hood, athletic director and head men’s basketball coach Tom Dickman and the men’s and women’s basketball teams presented President Volpe, the Blazers’ No. 1 fan, with a team jersey at a ceremony Feb. 7, 2015, before a record crowd in the athletic center.

OPPOSITE PAGE: (Top) President Volpe scored the ceremonial first goal prior to the first athletic event played on the College’s new turf field in the Nicodemus Athletic Complex; (Bottom) In June 2013 President Volpe announced the addition of baseball to the athletic program.

59

“The 1852 boat race between

Harvard and Yale is often cited as

the first intercollegiate athletic event. Since then,

athletics has been recognized as a necessity for the

enjoyment of life; as a place where students embed

their values; as an opportunity to build character,

leadership, esprit de corps; and as preparation

for a life of service.”~ PRESIDENT VOLPE

Winter 2004-05 Hood Magazine

President Volpe, always a passionate Blazer fan but not a fan of losing, reacting near the end of a game in which the men’s basketball team, in their first-ever NCAA tournament, battled until the final buzzer but came up just short, dropping a 68-65 decision to the Hampden-Sydney College Tigers in the NCAA Division III Tournament first-round game at the Batten Center on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan College in 2007.

“Someone once said life is measured not by what you do, but what you do for others.”


61

Community“The goals of Hood and Frederick are aligned,” wrote President Volpe in the Summer 2004 Hood Magazine. “Together we will continue to be challenged to fi nd new and innovative ways to work together, to dream our dreams, to imagine our future and to create the community we desire.”

President Volpe’s tenure at Hood College has been one of the most prolifi c times for collaboration and growth between the College and the City of Frederick. Under his leadership, the two communities fl ourished from strategic partnerships established to give students unparalleled experiences in the real-world application of their studies while also providing a boost to the local economy from students, faculty and staff who interned and volunteered for Frederick-area businesses and organizations. During his time, Hood’s total economic impact on the Frederick region is estimated to be more than $100 million a year. And each year through approximately 500 events—lectures, sporting events, concerts, service and other student- or faculty-led activities that are free and open to the public—Hood makes a major contribution to the vibrancy of the community and of the region.

This symbiotic relationship is a longstanding tradition, with roots that go back more than 100 years. President Volpe’s commitment to a campus engrained in giving back to the community in which it resides ensures the continuation of a practice that has long been the hallmark of a Hood College education.

Hood College often collaborates with Frederick City and County organizations on initiatives that are mutually benefi cial.

CCommunityCCommunity

President Volpe reads to students at Valley Elementary School in March 2008.

“Hood is dedicated to being a partner for a positive change

and to being a responsible citizen. The very real ability of a college to uplift a community is manifested in many concrete examples.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPE Summer 2004 Hood Magazine

BELOW: President Volpe addresses the Frederick Chamber of Commerce 2013 Leadership Frederick class.

OPPOSITE PAGE: (Left) President Volpe throws out the first pitch before a 2014 Frederick Keys baseball game; (Right) President Volpe gives then Mayor Jennifer Dougherty an origami crane, a symbol of world peace, during Hood’s commemoration of the first anniversary of the Sept.11 terrorist attacks; (Bottom) Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, gave a lecture at Hood in April 2010 as part of the Frederick Reads program, a collaborative initiative with a number of Frederick organizations.

A COMMUNITY PARTNER

P

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PeopleIn the 14 years under President Volpe’s leadership, Hood College has hosted a number of prominent individuals of local, regional and national fame. As a strong believer in the value of a liberal arts education, President Volpe appreciated that all the “wow!” moments should not be confi ned to the classroom. The opportunity to learn from people, whether they are guests or members of our own community, provided the campus community with invaluable new insights and perspectives.

President Volpe has welcomed politicians, nationally known speakers, award-winning writers, world-renowned artists and musicians and talented entertainers to the College. Thought-provoking panel discussions and cutting-edge research presentations also are among the exciting events that bring new people to campus every day.

“Good strategies and structures are important; however

institutions succeed with good people.”

~ PRESIDENT VOLPEFall 2002 Hood Magazine

President Volpe with Carlie Colella ’12, who was Miss Maryland in 2011, and competed for the Miss America title in 2012.

66

President Volpe with former Mount St. Mary’s University President Thomas Powell, Washington Adventist University President Weymouth Spence, former Goucher College President Sanford Ungar, U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes and Maryland Independent College and University Association President Tina Bjarekull in Congressman Sarbanes’ Capitol Hill offi ce.

“Since its founding more than 100 years ago,

each semester Hood repeats an extraordinary cycle of

teaching, learning and discovery—all aimed at fulfi lling its mission of educating its graduates

for lives of responsibility, leadership and service.” ~ PRESIDENT VOLPE

Summer 2008 Hood Magazine

67

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:

President Volpe with nationally syndicated NPR talk show host Diane Rehm and Tony Brandon, president of Baltimore NPR affiliate radio station WYPR.

President Volpe presented Hood trustee emeritus and benefactor Albert Cohen, H’06 with an honorary degree during the 2006 Commencement ceremony.

President Volpe with the highly acclaimed author and Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford with Lenore Brown ’08 and Stephanie Cowen ’07.

President Volpe with former President Martha Church, Ph.D., H’95 and Cokie Roberts, H’95, NPR news analyst and commentator for ABC News.

68


Phill Yerby ’11; James E. Lyons, Sr., Ph.D., secretary of higher education, 2007-11; and President Volpe in February 2011, when Yerby testifi ed in support of the Sellinger Grant before the House Appropriation’s Education and Economic Development Subcommitee in Annapolis.

President Volpe with former board chair Cheryl Brown Dreiling ’69 in June 2013 when it was announced that the seminar room in Coblentz Hall was being named in her honor.

President Volpe with Claire Shipman, H’14, senior national correspondent for the ABC-TV program Good Morning America during the 2014 Commencement ceremony, where she received an honorary degree.

President Volpe with board of trustees member Janet Spaulding Nunn ’61 at Reunion Weekend 2011, where she was presented with an Excellence in Service to Hood College award.

69


President Volpe and Ljubica Z. Acevska, H’02, former Macedonian ambassador to the United States.

President Volpe with Stefanie Sanford, H’09, then director of policy and advocacy for the United States program for the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation, during the 2009 Commencement.

President Volpe with Janelle Dionne ’11; Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown; and Dana Davenport ’11 when Lt. Gov. Brown was on campus in

April 2010 to present a ceremonial check from the state for the renovation of the College’s heating system.

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President Volpe with Kathryn Z. Nicodemus, H’05 and trustee emeritus Charles A. Nicodemus, H’05 during 2005 Convocation, when they were presented with honorary degrees.

President Volpe with then Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler in 2008.

President Volpe with Michael and Marlene Grossnickle Young ’76, H’14, P’09, and Virginia Shaver Harshman ’41 at a scholarship reception November 2008.

71


President Volpe with Janice Black, president and CEO of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities,

which administers the Robert D. and Barbara E. Hanson ’45 Fund that supports activities at Hood

and Gettysburg College; and author Wil Haygood.

President Volpe and Marcia Coyle ’73, H’08, chief Washington correspondent for The National Law

Journal, during the 2008 Commencement.

President Volpe with then Maryland Del. Kelly L. Schulz ’06 at the 2011

Reunion Weekend, where she received the Outstanding Recent Alumna award.

President Volpe with George B. Delaplaine, H’08 and Elizabeth Delaplaine, H’08, who received

honorary degrees during the 2008 Convocation ceremony.

72


President Volpe with Frances Delaplaine Randall ’45, H’06, P’80, P’83 at the Brodbeck Music Hall Green Room dedication in October 2011.

The athletic center arena bears the name of Hood’s banking partner, BB&T, to honor its generous gift. President Volpe and Nancy Gillece ’81, vice president of institutional advancement, accepted the gift from BB&T representatives Scott M. Springmann, Robert Tuggle and Warren C. Redfern Jr.

President Volpe with Eileen D. Dickey, H’08, president of Hodson Services LLC, who was awarded an honorary degree in 2008.

President Volpe with Henry P. Laughlin, H’03 and M. Page Durkee Laughlin, H’03, longtime supporters of the College, who were awarded honorary degrees in 2003.

73

AUXILIARY BISHOP OF BALTIMORE W. FRANCIS

MALOOLY, 2001 LJUNICA Z. ACEYSKA,

MACEDONIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, 2002 LISA MYERS, SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT FOR NBC

NIGHTLY NEWS, 2004 U.S. REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ, 2005 U.S. SEN. PAUL SARBANES, 2006 SHEILAH KAST, HOST OF

WYPR’S MARYLAND MORNING, 2007 STEFANIE SANFORD, BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION’S DIRECTOR OF POLICY

AND ADVOCACY FOR THE U.S. PROGRAM, 2009 MARYLAND LT. GOV. ANTHONY G. BROWN, 2010, 2011 ANTHONY J. MENDEZ,

AUTHOR OF ARGO, 2013 CLAIRE SHIPMAN, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT FOR ABC’S GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 2014

MARYLAND GOV. PARRIS GLENDENING, 2001 RITA R. COLWELL ’91, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION,

2002 CORNEL WEST, PROFESSOR OF RELIGION AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, 2003 DOROTHY HEIGHT, SOCIAL ACTIVIST, 2004

JULIAN BOND, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE NAACP, 2004, 2014 DIANE REHM, NPR HOST, 2006 FRANK DEFORD, AUTHOR,

PLAYWRIGHT AND RADIO COMMENTATOR, 2006 COKIE ROBERTS, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND NPR SENIOR NEWS ANALYST,

2008 PETER SINGER, PHILOSOPHER, 2009 U.S. REP. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO BE ELECTED AS

SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE IN THE MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES, 2008, 2014 ELIZABETH GILBERT, AUTHOR OF EAT, PRAY,

LOVE, 2010 CARLIE COLELLA ’12, MISS MARYLAND, 2012 REBECCA SKLOOT, AUTHOR OF THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA

LACKS, 2012 NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, 2012 MARY

ROBINSON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF IRELAND AND THE U.N. COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, 2012 KHALID HOSSEINI,

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE KITE RUNNER, 2011 ISHMAEL BEAH, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF A LONG WAY HOME,

2013 WIL HAYGOOD, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE BUTLER, 2014 FRED GRAY, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND ACTIVIST,

2014 ANIRBAN BASU, ECONOMIST, 2009 ROBERT M. BELL, CHIEF JUDGE OF THE MARYLAND COURT OF APPEALS, 2007, 2014

PEOPLE Many special guests visit Hood each year

74

SPECIAL HONORS

75

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: President Volpe being recognized on the Senate fl oor.

President Volpe with Sen. Ron Young who, along with Del. Kathy Afzali, arranged for President Volpe to be recognized on the Senate and House fl oors.

President Volpe on the House fl oor with longtime friend Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch.

President Volpe was honored on Feb. 18, 2015, by Gov. Larry Hogan, and on Feb. 23, 2015, by the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates for his work at Hood and service to Frederick and the state of Maryland; and by the Frederick County Board of Commissioners on June 19, 2014, for his service to Frederick.

P

77

PhilanthropyIn 2001, Hood College was struggling to survive. Since then, under President Volpe’s leadership, the College has received more than $130,000,000 from all sources, including donor support, bequests, capital projects and state funding. Also during this period, the endowment grew to nearly $85,000,000.

President Volpe’s commitment to Hood athletics is felt across the campus. Through his successful fund-raising efforts, the College completed an all-turf playing fi eld for lacrosse, soccer and fi eld hockey; new tennis courts; an enclosed Olympic quality pool; a renovated softball fi eld; and a state-of-the-art athletic and fi tness center.

In 2007, the College received one of its largest gifts from a living donor, Dr. Christine McHenry ’73, to establish an endowed position, the McHenry Dean of the Chapel. Major gifts contributed toward new facilities and enhanced student programs—the Nicodemus Athletic Complex, the Hodson Endowed Chair in Nursing, the Shirley Connor Hardinge ’44 Center for Global Studies and Josephine Steiner ’44 Center for Academic Achievement and Retention, to name a few. President Volpe also completed the campaigns for Hodson Science and Technology Center and Shriner Hall.

President Volpe with Rev. Beth O’Malley, the fi rst McHenry Dean of the Chapel; Dr. Christine McHenry ’73, whose gift in honor of her parents, Gloria Schmitt McHenry ’42 and Dr. Thomas McHenry III, provides funding for the McHenry Dean of the Chapel; and Rev. John R. Deckenback, conference minister for the United Church of Christ, Central Atlantic Conference.

Taylor Anderson ’15 was the fi rst student at Hood to receive an iPad in 2011 as part of a new initiative made possible by a bequest from Peggy Waite Whitehead ’60. President Volpe and then provost Kate Conway-Turner made the presentation.

79

During President Volpe’s

tenure, giving from alumni and

others continued to increase.

Hood Fund $30,500,000

Academic Grants/Faculty Enrichment $23,000,000

Capital Projects $33,500,000

Scholarship/Endowment $43,000,000

TOTAL* $130,000,000*From all sources.

H

81

History and FamilyPresident Volpe, his wife Lin and daughter Stephanie are as much a part of campus life as the students who live in the residence halls. The campus community has embraced them and President Volpe, Lin and Stephanie truly are the cornerstone of a close-knit Hood family. Lin and Stephanie volunteer in Hood’s post offi ce and often eat meals in the dining hall. Along with President Volpe, they attend campus events from Convocation to Commencement and everything in between.

President Volpe with his parents at his 1967 graduation from

Gannon College.

82

Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, President Volpe earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Gannon University, a master of business administration at Xavier University, his doctoral degree in higher education administration at the University of Pittsburgh and completed post-doctoral studies in academic leadership at Carnegie Mellon University. While pursuing his doctorate, he also worked at the Institute for Higher Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

OPPOSITE PAGE:

President Volpe, then vice president of academic affairs at Capital University, with Stephanie and Lin.

President Volpe and Stephanie with famed University of Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams, during a charity event hosted by Williams in Ohio.

Stephanie and Lin react to a touching moment in a comedy skit during the 2014 holiday party for faculty and staff.

Lin and Stephanie at 2010 Convocation.

At Gannon University, June 1971

As a young boy, looking like a future

college president

Dean of the graduate school, Capital University, 1988

Junior, Yorkville High School, 1962

84

Prior to his appointment as the 10th president of Hood College, President Volpe held numerous positions at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and at his alma mater, Gannon University in Pennsylvania.

In addition to his more than 47 years of experience in higher education, President Volpe has served as a labor arbitrator; consultant to business, governmental and higher education institutions; and has taught for the American Institute of Banking. His teaching and research areas are in marketing, leadership and business ethics, and he has made presentations and directed many professional seminars and workshops in these areas.

85

Capital University:

• Professor of management

• Chair of the department of business and economics

• Dean of the graduate school of administration

• Co-director of the Center for the Advancement of the Study of Ethics

• Vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

• Provost

• Interim president

Gannon University:

• Tenured faculty member in business

• Director of the Small Business Institute

• Director of the Small Business Development Center

• Director of the Center for Management Development

• Director of the MBA program

• Dean of admission

• Dean of the Dahlkemper School of Business

BIOGRAPHY

Prior to his appointment as the 10th president of Hood College, President Volpe held numerous positions at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and at his alma mater, Gannon University in Pennsylvania.

In addition to his more than 47 years of experience in higher education, President Volpe has served as a labor arbitrator; consultant to business, governmental and higher education institutions; and has taught for the American Institute of Banking. His teaching and research areas are in marketing, leadership and business ethics, and he has made presentations and directed many professional seminars and workshops in these areas.

Dean of the Dahlkemper School of Business at Gannon University, 1976

R

87

Ron’s WorldIt’s diffi cult to look back upon the 14 years President Volpe has led Hood College without smiling about a recollection of Ron being “Ron.” Over the years the camera has captured quintessential moments as he conducted the daily business of running the College. The next few pages depict President Volpe in private moments as well as among cherished friends as he implemented a strategy, planned the journey and envisioned Hood’s future.

For a man always on the go, a quiet moment in his offi ce was hard to come by for President Volpe.

88

THIS PAGE:

Diane K. Wise, President Volpe’s executive assistant and secretary to the board of trustees since 2004, has been a steadfast and loyal aide and confi dante to Hood’s chief executive. Her help also extended to the entire Volpe family and household. Beyond the offi ce, Diane is a regular at many campus activities and athletic events.

89

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: After announcing his retirement, President Volpe laced up his tennis shoes in fall 2014 to symbolically say he would be running the campus just as intensely during his last year as he had in the 13 previous years.

President Volpe spent countless hours answering emails.

President Volpe was in his element when he had an audience; he loved to tell a good story, and no event escaped his words of wisdom.

President Volpe was famous for his flag pants, which he wore during every move-in day.

President Volpe was always cooking up something; he and vice president for student life and dean of students Olivia White and former dean of faculty and provost Robert N. Funk posed for a 2002 postcard welcoming students back to campus at the end of the summer.

90

• MCCURDY FIELD WILL BE HOME OF BLAZERS BASEBALL, NOV. 28, 2013 • HOOD WELCOMES MOST DIVERSE FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AUG. 27, 2014 • LOCAL COMPANIES RECOGNIZED AS BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO WORK, AUG. 21, 2013 • HOOD NAMED AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25, 2002 • HOOD INAUGURATES 10TH PRESIDENT, OCT. 22, 2001



• MCCURDY FIELD WILL BE HOME OF BLAZERS BASEBALL, NOV. 28, 2013 • HOOD WELCOMES MOST DIVERSE FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AUG. 27, 2014 • LOCAL COMPANIES RECOGNIZED AS BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO WORK, AUG. 21, 2013 • HOOD NAMED AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN

LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25,

MCCURDY FIELD WILL BE HOME OF BLAZERS BASEBALL, NOV. 28, 2013 • HOOD WELCOMES MOST DIVERSE FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AUG. 27, 2014 • LOCAL COMPANIES RECOGNIZED AS BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO WORK, AUG. 21, 2013 • HOOD NAMED AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU

Volpe set to leave Hood after 14 years President will step down in June 2015B R S. K N-P S

Vision accomplished.Hood College President Ron Volpe

announced Thursday that he plans to leave the school in June 2015, one year before his contract is set to expire in 2016.

He will step down after 14 years June 30, 2015, marking the end of 47 years in higher education. His tenure has lasted nearly twice as long as that of the average college president, and Volpe believes the school is in a strong position for someone else to carry it forward.

“This community ... we share the same val-ues, we share the same work ethic,” he said. “It’ll be hard to leave.”

Volpe, 68, was appointed as Hood’s 10th leader in 2001. Before moving to Maryland, he served in many administrative roles at Capital University in Ohio, the University of Pittsburgh and his alma mater, Gannon University in Pennsylvania.

He is widely admired in academia as the driving force behind Hood’s revitalization in the early 2000s. He led the school in its transition to a coed residential institution in the 2002-03 school year — a path many saw as regrettable but necessary to save Hood from financial ruin.

They came “within a couple weeks” of clos-ing the college during his first year, Volpe said, and he was initially hesitant to join the school with “pretty frightening” numbers.

But his wife, Lin, told him to “stop whining and do what you know how to do,” he said. “We were meant to be here.”

Now, Volpe said looking at Hood’s progress shows miracles do exist. He will always remem-ber that first coed class, recalling when he gath-ered the group of men in his home.

“If you screw up, I screw up,” Volpe said he told them. “We’re in this together.”

During his tenure, Hood has increased

its enrollment by 1,000 students; grown its endowment threefold to more than $80 mil-lion; retired most of its debt; added numerous academic, student and athletic programs; reno-vated all residence halls, classroom buildings and athletic facilities; and constructed a new multipurpose recreation and athletic center, school staff said.

He currently earns a base salary of $347,288, according to executive assistant Diane Wise.

Phil Berkheimer, chairman of Hood’s board of trustees, said although the news came as a surprise, they had discussed Volpe’s departure when he signed on for another five years in 2011. The president set up a legacy of respect and “quality education for quality people in an environment where everyone cooperates and gets things done,” he added.

“He came in here, he told people how to be fixed … and he got that done,” Berkheimer said. “From that point on, not only did the col-lege survive, but it has thrived.”

Class of 2014 graduate Stacey Axler said Volpe attended every game, play and concert he could, and even asked for cameo roles in theater performances. While walking around campus, Axler sometimes heard a horn honk — only to see Volpe waving as he passed her on the side-walk in a golf cart.

Volpe’s personal connection with students is the reason she ultimately chose to attend Hood, Axler said. As a prospective student who visited multiple times, she was at a campus event in 2010 when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“It’s nice to see you again, Stacey,” she remembers him saying before shaking her and her parents’ hands. “That was the moment I knew I had to go to Hood.”

Axler called Volpe the cornerstone of a truly close community.

“I just always want to keep in touch with him,” Axler said. “He’s been such a mentor.”

But for all the president has given to Hood, Hood has also given to the president.

Volpe, Lin and their daughter, Stephanie, are as much a part of residential life as those who live in the dorms. The family lives in a home on campus and eats meals in the dining hall; Lin and Stephanie, who has Down syndrome, volunteer in Hood’s post office. The school has embraced them, the president said, and it will be tough to leave longtime friends.

The Volpes are unsure whether they will stay in Frederick after Ron steps down, or what his first-ever sabbatical will entail when it begins in July 2015. Though they have fallen in love with Hood, Volpe said, “it’s about time I renew my relationship with my family.”

Hood’s board of trustees will begin a nation-wide search for a new president this summer and hopes to select someone in the spring. His replacement will need to be collaborative and unafraid of change, Volpe said, adding that “if we’re not moving forward, we’re falling behind.”

FRIDAY MAY 23, 2014 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.131 | No. 221

Reprinted with permission from the Frederick News-Post.

Ron Volpe will step down as president of Hood College in June 2015. Photo by Travis Pratt

(continued on back)

LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25, 2002 • HOOD INAUGURATES 10TH PRESIDENT, OCT. 22, 2001


Hood finds its ‘missing link’The college will finally get its new athletic facility

TUESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2010 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.128 | No. 11 | Press Run: 34,523 FINAL | 50¢

B S G N-P [email protected]

When Hood’s basketball teams practice on their home court next year, the players won’t have to avoid trash cans on the court.

Their coaches won’t have to worry about losing recruits because the indoor athletic facil-ity on campus isn’t as good as most high school gyms.

Hood is building a $10 million facility for its sports teams, and school officials are confident it will be ready by next year. The school’s board of trustees voted Friday to break ground for the facility in January.

The vote ended a long battle to build an arena at the school. Since the 1970s, former school presidents have stressed the need for a new athletic facility, but because of other needs at the school it was put off for years.

“This is the missing link on our cam-pus,” Hood athletic director Gib Romaine said Monday. “This puts us in a position to be com-petitive, it will help our coaches recruit student athletes.”

The new arena, which will be used for non-athletic as well as athletic events, will replace Gambrill Gymnasium, an antiquated facility that was built in 1948 and is so small that the school’s basketball teams are unable to play their games there.

The new brick facility will include two buildings that will be connected by a hallway. The first building will house a fitness center and offices.

In back of that building will be an arena that will seat between 1,600 and 1,700 fans. The arena area will also include four locker rooms.

There will be a lobby where the school’s athletic hall of fame will be located.

They also plan to add parking for about 100 cars.

The building will be located on the east end of campus between the school’s outdoor facility and Frederick Memorial Hospital.

“We hope to have it finished by the middle or end of next October,” said Hood President Ronald J. Volpe. “It depends on the weather and availability of materials. We will have a backup plan in case something happens.”

He added that there was some pressure by the Capital Athletic Conference, which Hood joined in 2007, for the school to build a new facility.

“They didn’t assign a date, we didn’t prom-ise when it would happen,” Volpe said. But he added Hood officials told the CAC they knew they needed to build a facility and were making

plans for one.“There is nothing like having a facility on

our own campus,” Romaine said.The men’s basketball team, which began

play in 2003, played its games at Thomas Johnson High School for six years and at the Odom Fitness Center at Fort Detrick the past two. The women had played some games at Gambrill over the years, but since 2007 have played doubleheaders with the men off campus.

“We’ve never had a home game, never played in a home gym,” men’s basketball coach Tom Dickman said.

“We didn’t have a home court, but there was nothing we could do,” said women’s basketball coach Jay Butler, who remembers one year play-ing home games at four sites. “It was tough on both teams.”

It hurt recruiting.


This is what Hood’s new athletic facility will look like. It consists of two buildings — one includes the arena, the other has a fitness center and offices. Courtesy Photo

Continued other side

AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25, 2002 • HOOD INAUGURATES 10TH PRESIDENT, OCT. 22, 2001

MCCURDY FIELD WILL BE HOME OF BLAZERS BASEBALL, NOV. 28, 2013 • HOOD WELCOMES MOST DIVERSE FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AUG. 27, 2014 • LOCAL COMPANIES RECOGNIZED AS BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO WORK, AUG. 21, 2013 • HOOD NAMED

SUNDAY APRIL 20, 2014 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.131 | No. 188


As I See It NCAA decision puts sports above education

The decision by the National Labor Relations Board to allow NCAA scholarship athletes to unionize could present a challenge for the future of athletics at more than 600 Division I and II colleges and universities in the United States.

At the 444 Division III schools, where amateur collegiate athletics is firmly in place and where academics takes a front seat in the college arena, this ruling is irrelevant and only underscores the extent to which Division I and II schools have gone afoul of the original spirit of intercollegiate athletics.

The infamous 1852 boat race between Harvard and Yale is often cited as the first intercollegiate athletic event in the United States. However, as far back as the ancient Greeks, athletic activity has been recognized as a vital part of a complete educational experience. Athletics have long been recognized for building character, providing leadership opportunities, establishing esprit de corps and enhancing one’s enjoyment of life in general. The Greeks believed that athletics were intertwined with education and well-being; for them, the purpose of athletic training mirrored that of educational training in logic and the arts: to advance excellence in the face of challenge. These are the tenets of non-scholarship, Division III athletic programs in the United States today.

Today, over 400,000 men and women participate in intercollegiate athletics. On the surface, this appears to be a positive trend in light of the accepted benefits of athletic activity. However, the student- athletes at Division I and II schools are having starkly different experiences compared with those of their counterparts at Division III colleges and universities.

The key difference is that Division I and II athletes are awarded scholarships based on athletic ability. (The very use of the term “scholarship”

in this context is somewhat of a misnomer — scholarly acumen has nothing to do with securing these lucrative admission packages.) Division III athletes, by contrast, are prohibited from receiving scholarships, except for merit and demonstrated financial need. Division III athletes, by virtue of the tuition and fees they pay, essentially “pay to play.” But that is only the beginning.

Due to various social and financial pressures, many of the Division I and II athletes have become commodities. This has become especially apparent in the wake of the NLRB ruling, which ironically came down in the midst of this year’s March Madness. As members of the

multibillion-dollar business of college athletics, it is hardly surprising that talented athletes should seek to get their financial due as key players in the marketing of every product imaginable, from the drinks they consume to the scissors with which they victoriously cut down the basketball net. Free tuition, room and board seems like a drop in the bucket compared with the colossal profits that every other stakeholder in this business arrangement enjoys.

This ruling, which will be challenged by Northwestern University and will likely remain in the courts for years, also serves as a vehicle for critics of Division I athletics to raise questions about socalled student-athletes, amateurism versus professionalism in higher education. This issue also makes painfully clear how far Division I and II athletic programs have veered away from educational priorities toward something that resembles a farm team for grooming young athletes for the professional leagues.

At a time when the value of higher education

is being questioned like never before, it is vital to examine what, exactly, our young people are expecting — and getting — out of their collegiate experiences.

Collegiate athletics should be an adjunct to a college education, and not the other way around. This recent ruling by the NLRB is potentially a step in the direction of the professionalization of collegiate athletics, and it is in the wrong direction, at least from the perspective of most academics in higher education.

This is not a right-versus-wrong issue by any means. Among the thousands of athletes who

participate in these programs are many who would otherwise not be able attend or get a college education. And certainly Division I and II schools have nurtured

many outstanding athletes who have gone on to greatness, not only in the sports world, but also in business, government, public service, philanthropy and many other honorable professions.

Indeed, many a star collegiate athlete has gone on to do great work that dwarfs anything they have done on the court, the field or the arena.

There are really only two choices here. One is to end the practice of awarding athletes scholarships on athletic ability and return college athletics to pure amateurism. The other, and more realistic, is to compensate Division I and II athletes for the work that they do and give them a portion of the billions of dollars generated by the NCAA, which without them would never be.

RONALD J. VOLPE is the president of Division III Hood College in Frederick. He attended Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pa., on a basketball scholarship.

COMMENTARY

RON VOLPE

AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25,


A lagging economic recession, more than 9 percent of our nation’s workforce unemployed and many more underemployed, numerous col-lege and university commencements and dim employment prospects for the graduates have led many to question the worth and value of a college education.

Recently some critics outside of and within higher education have zeroed in on liberal arts education and challenged its value and rel-evance in today’s world. Many contend, for example, that while Plato may make for interest-ing reading, his writings do not prepare students for future livelihoods in the way the study of law, medicine, computer science or engineering might.

For better or for worse, a college education traditionally has been a means to move up the economic ladder and thus, societal pressures encourage students to study disciplines that focus on training for professions -- fields that have traditionally offered significant financial rewards.

But many of us in academe are committed to the belief that a broad exposure to the liberal arts -- philosophy, history, literature, science, mathematics and languages delivered in what has become known as a core curriculum in U.S. colleges and universities -- not only enriches one’s life but is essential for the continued advancement of society and the improvement of the human condition. Today’s “new century learners” will be in need of liberal arts education more than ever.

The ancient Greek and Roman philosophers established the principle that the liberal arts should be the essential core of higher education in advanced societies. Its main aim is to pro-vide a foundation for informed and responsible citizenship, and is rooted in the belief that such an education will enlighten one to a lifetime of “learning how to learn.”

In this sense, a liberal arts education ulti-mately prepares students to think analytically, to argue persuasively, to write coherently and

to read and assess critically. In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, there is no set of skills more important.

Study in the liberal arts provides the tools to be flexible and respond to new and emerging needs in the economic arena. It also develops in students the possibility for greater tolerance and thus, the ability to live, think and work coopera-tively as able and responsible global citizens.

As we move forward into the 21st century and life in an increasingly competitive, dynamic, technology-driven global society, legitimate and fundamental questions of how one prepares to succeed in such a challenging environment have surfaced. These challenges will call for liberally educated individuals who can think, collaborate, create, solve problems, communicate and lead. Technological changes will require even greater adaptability. There will continue to be a high demand for people who have effective problem-solving skills and the agility and competence to handle whatever comes their way.

And in today’s work world, characterized by rapidly changing careers, shifting relation-ships with employers and many other dramatic changes, liberal arts graduates have a distinct advantage. Employers want individuals who can see things in a new light, who can think outside the box and make sense of ideas within both old and new contexts.

A liberal arts education is an excellent invest-ment. Graduates of liberal arts colleges will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportuni-ties that will emerge in the new and increasingly sophisticated and complex global economy. The world, we believe, will be a better place for it.

Ronald J. Volpe, Ph.D., is a graduate of a liberal arts college and has been president of Hood College, a liberal arts college, since 2001.

Editorial & Opinion The liberal arts ... now more important than ever

SUNDAY JUNE 12, 2011 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.128 | No. 207 | Press Run: 38,360 FINAL | 50¢




Government has no business grading collegesObama plan would make higher education less diverse, hurt students most at riskBy Ronald J. Volpe

September 3, 2013

President Barack Obama has now joined the chorus of critics who as-sert that higher education in this country is too expensive, graduates are leaving college with unreasonable debt, and colleges should be graded on measures and scales developed by the federal government.

�ey couldn’t be more wrong.

Affordability, quality and accountability are important issues that all insti-tutions of higher education have been addressing for years and welcome the opportunity to further discuss them with the president. Much has been made of the many students who are enrolled in college today who will likely leave with a manageable average debt of about $27,000, about the cost of a new car. Given that their four-year degrees, on average, will reap a lifetime earnings boost of about $1 million, that is a pretty good return on investment.

President Obama wants the federal government to provide rankings of all institutions and provide funding for those that meet his prescribed met-rics, thus encouraging a sameness in higher education. Our nation has the greatest higher education system in the world. We have an unmatched array of educational opportunities, from a pure liberal arts degree earned at a St. John’s to a narrowly focused business degree from a Wharton to a deeply technical course of study at a Caltech. �e kind of intrusion Presi-dent Obama suggests would be a great threat to our diverse American higher education.

Colleges and universities recognize they are academic enterprises that would not survive if they a) were not meeting the needs of the public and b) did not apply the simple economics of supply, demand and pricing to balance the two. And I know I speak for every college president in the U.S. in saying that we work hard every day to keep costs to students and their families down through efficiencies and good business practices. �e truth is that higher education institutions, from community colleges to independent colleges to the land grant universities in all 50 states, work hard at developing and putting into place generous programs, including scholarships, grants and work-study programs, to make obtaining a col-lege education affordable.

�ose of us in higher education believe the value of a college education outweighs the costs — by a large margin — and we do not need the fed-eral government deciding how to measure or define the value of an edu-cation and provide funding to institutions based on government rankings. President Obama has proposed that one measure of quality of a college or university is to assess the success of its graduates. On the surface that makes sense, but the devil is in the details. Would the measure of success be by salary levels? �e type of job or career? Happiness?

Consider this: Under President Obama’s proposal, students who are most at risk for succeeding in college will be the ones most affected. Colleges will be less likely to give even the most industrious students from the poorest-performing high schools a chance to create better lives for them-selves through a college degree because these students traditionally pose the greatest retention risk. Under President Obama’s plan, a higher drop-out rate translates into a lower graduation rate, which then translates into less federal financial assistance. Given these parameters, why then would any college take a chance on these students? Instead, they would be des-tined to perpetuate their current economic status, and the circumstances of their births alone would determine their potential career trajectory.

�ere are many measures of the quality of a college or university, and there is a long list of publications and organizations that have had varying levels of success at doing that. �e government should not be in the col-lege rankings business.

I would welcome President Obama to visit Hood College — or any small, independent college for that matter — to see firsthand how our dedicated faculty and staff manage our institutions with great efficiencies and deliver affordable, high-quality education. I look forward to meeting with the president.

Ronald J. Volpe has been president of Hood College in Frederick since 2001. His email is [email protected].



SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Hundreds of investment bankers, venture capitalists and geeky tech entrepreneurs gathered near the pool of the Phoenician, a luxury resort outside Phoenix. The occasion? A high-profile gathering of education innovators, and as guests sipped cocktails, the mood was upbeat.

Major innovations — forged by the struggles of the Great Recession and fostered by technology — are coming to higher education.

Investment dollars are flooding in — a record-smashing 168 venture capital deals in the U.S. alone last year, according to the springtime conference’s host, GSV Advisors. The computing power of “the cloud” and “big data” are unleashing new software. Public officials, desperate to cut costs and measure results, are open to change.

And everyone, it seems, is talking about MOOCs, the “Massive Open Online Courses” offered by elite universities and enrolling millions worldwide.

As with so many innovations — from the light bulb to the Internet — the technology is emerging mostly in the United States, fueled by American capital. But as with those past innovations, the impact will be global. In this case, it may prove even more consequential in developing countries, where mass higher education is new and the changes could be built into emerging systems.

One source of this springlike moment is the wintry depths of the financial crisis that struck five years ago, pushing higher education as never

before to become more efficient. Another is simply the arrival of a generation demanding that higher education, at long last, embrace the technologies that have already transformed other sectors of the economy.

“The consumer, after five years on a tablet and five years on an iPhone, is just sick of being told, ‘You can’t do that,’” said Brandon Dobell, a partner at William Blair & Co., an investment bank and research firm based in Chicago. “I can do everything else on my phone, my tablet, why can’t I learn as well?”

But while technology is at the center of this wave of innovation, many argue it is merely the pathway to something even bigger.

Cracks are opening in the traditional, age-old structures of higher education. Terms like “credit hour” and even the definition of what it means to be a college are in flux.

Higher education is becoming “unbundled.” Individual classes and degrees are losing their connections to single institutions, in much the same way iTunes has unbundled songs from whole albums, and the Internet is unbundling television shows and networks from bulky cable packages.

Technology isn’t just changing traditional higher education. It’s helping break it down across two broad dimensions: distance and time.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean, as some contend, the traditional university is dead.Reaching the masses

At his desk at a telecom company in Lagos, Nigeria, Ugochukwu Nehemiah used to take his full onehour lunch break. Now, he devours his meal, then watches his downloaded MOOCs. He’s already finished courses in business, energy and

sustainability, and disruptive innovation, taught by institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland.

Nehemiah needs a master’s to advance at work, but

cannot afford the United Kingdom program where he’s been admitted. The MOOC learning doesn’t translate into a widely recognized credential. But the teaching is free, not available locally, and helps him even without a credential.

“It’s a form of self-development,” said Nehemiah, a father of two. “The way I would speak when I have meetings to attend,” he added, “would be much different than the way I had spoken if I had not taken this course.”

When nonprofit edX offered its first MOOC in “Circuits and Electronics” in 2012, 154,000 students from more than 160 countries signed up (though only 8,000 lasted to the final). Now edX has more than a million unique users in about 60 courses. For-profit rival Coursera has exploded with 4.1 million students, 406 courses and 83 partner institutions.

Education innovation blooms New technology revolutionizes learning opportunities

SUNDAY AUGUST 4, 2013 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.130 | No. 294


University of Pennsylvania professor Peter Struck, accompanied by teaching assistant Cat Gillespie, teaches a mythology class in May during a live record-ing of a Massive Open Online Course in Philadelphia. Recent financial pressures and new technologies are opening cracks in traditional, age-old structures of higher education. Terms like “credit hour” and even the definition of what it means to be a college are in flux. Higher education is becoming “unbundled.” Individual classes and degrees are losing their connections to single institutions.

“The consumer, after five years on a tablet and five years on an iPhone, is just sick of being told, ‘You can’t do that.’ I can do everything else on my phone, my tablet, why can’t I learn as well?’

BRANDON DOBELLPartner at investment bank and research firm

LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN CLASS LARGEST IN 26 YEARS • SEPT. 11, 2004 • VOLPE SAYS HOOD CHANGE NEEDED, FAVORED, OCT. 23, 2002 • HOOD PRESIDENT WANTS TO ‘WRITE NEXT CHAPTER’, APRIL 25,


Work & Play: Hood president proves athletics can grow a college

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2011 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.128 | No. 115 | Press Run: 37,103 FINAL | 50¢

By Stan Goldberg News-Post Staff

Through his own personal experiences, Hood College President Ronald J. Volpe knows the value of college sports. He went to Gannon University, a small liberal arts college in Erie, Pa., on a basketball scholarship.

He didn’t play much college basketball, but he got a first-rate educa-tion, one that shaped his adult life.

“Gannon gave me the opportunity for a free education, a great liberal arts education. That gave me the opportunity for everything else I’ve done in life,” Volpe said. “If it had not been for athletics, I would have gone to a public university (Ohio State) with 30,000 students, and who knows what would have happened to me.”

Instead he went to a school that stressed academics. From there, he went to Xavier University, where he received his master’s degree, and then to the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his doctorate in higher education administration.

But he never lost his love of sports. He went to basketball games at Xavier, and football and basketball games at Pittsburgh. He was at Pitt when the football team won a national title with running back Tony Dorsett.

When he came to Hood in the summer of 2001, he became the school’s biggest sports fan. He goes to most basketball games and many other athletic events, although he’s still learning lacrosse and field hockey. He’s the driving force behind the new outdoor athletic facility and the new indoor athletic facility, which he hopes will be ready by next year.

He was responsible for bringing in former Maryland assistant football coach and Mount St. Mary’s University assistant athletic director Gib Romaine as the Hood athletic director soon after he was hired. That led to the hiring of Tom Dickman as men’s basketball coach.

“In other schools, presidents go to athletic events because they think they have to be there,” Romaine said. “Ron goes to athletic events because he wants to be there.”

Dick Dull, the former Maryland athletic director who is in his first year as project manager for advancement of athletics at Hood, said he’s worked with 10 college presidents at six schools and never met anyone like Volpe.

“He has incredible energy, he’s involved in everything,” Dull said. “He’s an intense fan. He’s been around sports at every level. He sees the value of it at an institution, the positive aspect that comes from sports.”

Volpe stays active and doesn’t look like someone with more than 30 years of experience in higher education. He works out at a local gym and plays pickup basketball about once every two weeks. “Once it’s in your blood, it stays there,” he said.

He will shoot around with students and players. At a recent Midnight

Madness, Volpe took on 20 Hood students in a foul-shooting contest. He beat 19 of them.

He loves to talk basketball with Dickman.“I kid him a lot, tell him I’m sitting behind the bench if he needs me,”

Volpe said. “But he hasn’t called yet in seven years. I’ve been waiting for the call.”

When he goes on fundraising trips, he might go to a sporting event. This year, he went to the Maryland at Duke basketball game. Another week, he was scheduled to attend the Franklin & Marshall basketball game at Gettysburg, Pa. F&M coach Glenn Robinson was going for his 800th win.


Hood President Ron Volpe cheers after a 3-pointer recently at the Odom Fitness Center at Fort Detrick Photo

by Travis Pratt



W hen Hood College decided to provide all incoming students an iPad as part

of a pilot program in the fall of 2011 — Hood was one of the first colleges in the nation to embark on this innovative strategy — there were many who believed that this would just be a passing fad or a ploy to increase enrollment.

Four years later, even the naysayers have come to see the beauty in how the iPads have changed the way students at Hood College engage in learning. And so does Apple. Hood College was recently recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2014-2016 for its innovative use of iPads and the integration of technology in its classrooms across nearly every discipline.

Hood understood early on the potential tablets had to transform and enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. Administrators, with funding from the bequest of a Hood alumna, decided to take a leap of faith and adopt a pilot program where first-year students and full-time faculty would incorporate the iPad into classroom learning and instruction while assessing its potential for an extended program.

Today, all faculty and full-time students have iPads; they have become a part of everyday life at Hood. Students are able to complete interactive math assignments, save screen shots from a video for a film class or post photos for a science project while doing fieldwork. The possibilities for the use of iPads in the college learning environment has expanded exponentially during the past four years,

allowing students and faculty to work together to chart a unique learning experience that produces great results.

The Hood faculty has played a big role in the iPad program’s success. For instance, David Gurzick, assistant professor of management, has been part of the iPad program from the beginning and touts the value of integrating tablet technol-ogy into the classroom for a multitude of reasons. Gurzick believes that the future of tablets is also the future of education, and that students are able to build up a personal archive of knowledge that cannot be thrown away and won’t pile up like paper. Betty Mayfield, professor of mathematics, has taken the traditional calculus textbook and transformed it. After contacting the publishers of the textbook, an app for the book was designed specifically for Hood calculus students; they are able to study their texts anywhere, at any time.

It seems Hood is headed in the right direction. A 2012 study conducted by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research found that students in today’s academic environment expect their profes-sors to integrate technology into the classroom, and that this type of learning environment best supports the way today’s tech-savvy students now learn. In this new digital age, wireless devices are becoming more and more critical to student learning because they spend most of their time with these devices.

And what makes these devices so popular? Accessibility. With smartphones and tablets, stu-

dents have the Internet and course materials at their fingertips — whether they are in their classrooms, the library, dorm rooms or thousands of miles away at study abroad locations.

Providing iPads to the Hood student body not only helps students learn, but also helps bring down the cost of higher education. Hood has followed a model where the school provides the iPad for students and they may keep the device after attend-ing the school for a year. While this means that the institution pays for the devices, it also means that students save money on essentials like notebooks and textbooks. According to Campus Technology, one of higher education’s top information sources, e-textbooks often cost 20 to 60 percent less than the print versions.

The college took a risk by introducing an unknown device into its classrooms in 2011, but the risk has paid off. Its benefits have won the recognition not only of the Hood community but also of Apple. Students are more engaged with their work, and faculty are excited to see how tablets have helped transform their classrooms into learning environments that not only teach the facts from a book, but also teach students how to solve problems, work with others and apply those skills beyond the classroom.

RONALD J. VOLPEhas been president of Hood College in Frederick since 2001.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 21, 2014 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.132 | No. 68


RON VOLPE

IPads’ value in the college classroom

OPINION & COMMENTARY



Hood starts 122nd year Will be Volpe’s last term as college presidentBy ED WATERS JR. News-Post Staff

Monday was bittersweet for Ron Volpe, presi-dent of Hood College.

In an emotional talk, Volpe addressed the college’s 122nd convocation ceremonies Monday morning. The coming school year will be his last as president of Hood College, though Volpe said he and his family will remain in Frederick.

In a brief interview before the ceremony, Volpe said he will take a sabbatical and may return to the college to teach some business courses.

“Hood truly has one of the premier faculties in the U.S.,” Volpe told the Class of 2018, as well as students from other classes who attended the outdoor ceremony. Volpe talked of the excellent setting Hood College provides and the commu-nity it creates with students and faculty, as well as with the Frederick community.

“I’m already reflecting on my life at Hood, but I have another year,” Volpe said.

Volpe told students they may face uncertainty and challenges at Hood, but also excitement and opportunities. “There are young people out there seeking to flee terror and death, seeking religious freedom,” Volpe told the students. “We have that freedom of choice, and we are privileged to be in one of the great colleges in America.”

Noting that Facebook didn’t exist a decade ago and Twitter was just a sound, Volpe said students will face an ever-changing world that can at times be ambiguous and challenging, but students must prepare for that new world and its opportunities.

“Your future employers will not pay you for what you know, but what you can do with what you know,” Volpe told the students.

Volpe presented William Browning Jr. with an honorary doctor of humanities degree. Browning, a local philanthropist, provided money for Frederick Community College in scholar-ships and programs. When he saw many stu-dents transferring from FCC to Hood College, Browning began scholarships at Hood College.

“The community benefits from acts of gener-osity, large and small,” Browning said in a brief thank-you to the college officials.

Keynote speaker John George, associate pro-fessor of education at Hood, urged students to invest in themselves both by setting aside money for their future and in using their time wisely. What students learn, from math to science to writing and public speaking, are skills they may use in everyday life.

Shelly Wilson, of Woodbine, came to see her son, Drew, attend the ceremony.

“He was accepted at Virginia Tech but chose Hood,” Wilson said in an interview before the ceremony. “He will study chemistry, with minors in math and business management.”

Wilson said her son was impressed with the smaller, family setting at Hood College.

“It is more personal, and they helped finan-cially,” Wilson said of the Hood staff in working to find ways to help pay for tuition and other costs.

Hood is offering several free classes that help in areas from math to writing for freshmen, Wilson said.

According to a news release from the col-

lege, first-year students had to read “A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School,” by Carlotta Walls Lanier. The first-year students, during orientation to the college, participated in small group discussion of the book.

Lanier was the youngest of a group of the first black students at Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Lanier plans to visit Hood College on Oct. 22 and provide a lecture about her experiences.

TUESDAY AUGUST 26, 2014 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.131 | No. 316


During his last convocation as president of Hood College on Monday, Ron Volpe uses his cellphone to activate a netwoking app that connects students and alumni from the school. Staff photo by Graham Cullen

“There are young people out there seeking to flee terror and death, seeking religious freedom. We

have that freedom of choice, and we are privileged to be in one of the great colleges in America.” RON VOLPE, president of Hood College



HOOD GRADUATES LARGEST CLASS EVER345 GRADS RECEIVED BACHELOR’S DEGREES193 RECEIVED MASTER’S DEGREES

SUNDAY MAY 18, 2008 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.125 | No. 217 | Press Run: 42,888 | FINAL | 50¢

By CAILIN MCGOUGHNews-Post [email protected]

With more graduates than ever before,finding the right one after Saturday’scommencement at Hood College becameeven more difficult.

Holding ‘Congratulations’ balloons,Forrestville resident Samantha Kouncefollowed her mother through the crowdacross the residential quadrangle as shelooked for her cousin, Brittany Owens.

Jennifer Schrader’s family had betterluck. Her family and friends from GlenBurnie took photos as Schrader, an earlychildhood education major, posed withfriends.

“It’s butterflies inside now,” she said. “Itdoesn’t seem real.”

Owens and Schrader were among 345graduates who received bachelor’s degreesSaturday morning. In the afternoon, 193graduates received master’s degrees.

This is the first year Hood held separateundergraduate and ceremonies, saidDave Diehl, Hood’s executive director formarketing and communications.

With nearly 100 more undergraduatesreceiving diplomas than last year, the deci-sion was made to try to accommodatedemand for seating.

“We had students who had familymembers or friends who wanted to come,but couldn’t because we couldn’t give themenough tickets,” he said.

Saturday, about 300 chairs had to beplaced outside the tent, where 2,300 people were seated.

The larger graduating classes are a resultof seven years of increasing freshmanenrollment, Diehl said. Prior to fall 2003,Hood was an all-girls college.

This year, 1,448 undergraduates and295 graduates were enrolled at Hood.Since the late 1970s undergraduate enroll-ment hovered around 1,100 students, butdipped to below 800 in 2001.

This year Hood enrolled nearly twice asmany undergraduates as in 2001, whenthere were 784 students.

President Ronald Volpe called the dayhistoric not only because of the number ofgraduates, but the number of “legacy” stu-dents. Thirty graduates have family mem-bers who are Hood alumni.

Sara Stiles said at first she didn’t wantto come to Hood, her mother’s almamater. But then she visited the campusand fell in love, she said.

Now the holder of a math degree, sheplans to return to her native Baltimore.Stiles’ mother Judy Sabalauskas, whograduated in 1972, said she enjoyed beingreminded of the college’s honor code andtraditions.

“Hearing them now, as an adult and nota graduate — they really had a deepermeaning,” she said.

Saturday’s graduates came from sixcountries and 20 states. More than 60 are“adult learners” who were 23 or olderwhen the enrolled. Sixty-six completedinternships, and 18 studied abroad.

Before receiving their degrees, studentsheard from another Hood alumna. MarciaCoyle, a lawyer and journalist who gradu-ated in 1973, told students to pursue theirpassion.

“If it dies, as sometimes happens,” shesaid, “have the courage and self-confi-dence to look elsewhere for it.”

Reprinted with permission from the Frederick News Post.

Staff photo by Skip Lawrence

Hood College student Jamie Bussey, right, heads up one of the lines forming for the march into commencement ceremoniesSaturday morning.



HOOD COLLEGE RECEIVES HODSON GIFTS FREDERICK, Md.—Hood College has received $2.5 million from �e Hodson Trust that will go to academic initiatives and student scholarships.

�e largest portions of the gift will go to the College’s nursing program, includ-ing $425,000 to help fund the Hodson Trust Professorship in Nursing; and $250,000 for equipment for a new nursing lab facility in the Hodson Science and Technology Center.

�e gift also includes $400,000 to fund faculty research. �e trust has provided nearly $1 million in recent years to create and sustain an endowment fund for the summer research institute, which sup-ports important faculty research initiatives across academic disciplines. Also included in the gift is $925,000 toward the Hod-son Trust Scholarship Endowment for student scholarships and $500,000 toward

construction and upgrades to Tatem Arts Center and the Hodson Science and Tech-nology Center.

“We appreciate the Hodson Trust’s ongoing generosity, which throughout the years has provided funding for import-ant College initiatives, including faculty research, academic programming and stu-dent scholarships,” said President Ronald Volpe. “�e successes Hood has realized during this critical transformational period could not have occurred without the sig-nificant and continuing support from the Hodson Trust. For that we are grateful.”

�e Hodson Trust, whose investment in talented students is a top priority, has awarded the College more than $76 mil-lion since 1936.

�roughout the College, the Hodson name is prevalent from scholarships for students and fellowships for faculty to a

lecture series and named buildings. Some of the Hodson-named buildings and fa-cilities include the Hodson Fitness Center in the new campus athletic center, Hodson Outdoor �eater, the Hodson Swimming Pool, the Hodson Gallery in the Tatem Arts Center, the Hodson Science and Technology Center, the Beneficial-Hod-son Library and Information Technology Center and more.

�e trust was settled in 1920 by the family of Col. Clarence Hodson, who grew up in Maryland. Hodson believed that credit should be available to the average American, a revolutionary idea in 1914 when he founded the Beneficial Loan So-ciety. Beneficial became one of the nation’s most successful corporations.

Nancy Gillece ’81, vice president of institutional advancement; Eileen Dickey, president, Hodson Services LLC; Hood sophomore Chloe Scott, a Frederick High School graduate, and senior Chad Love, a Boonsboro High School graduate, both Hodson Trust Scholarship recipients; and President Ronald J. Volpe at Hood College’s scholarship reception held recently on campus.

DEC. 12, 2013



RESCUING HOODCollege president reflects on a decade of change

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25, 2010 www.fredericknewspost.com | Vol.127 | No. 270 | Press Run: 34,523 FINAL | 50¢

B B A N-P S

Hood College President Ron Volpe deliv-ered his first convocation speech in 2001 to the student body with a freshman class of 105.

Entering his 10th year as president of the college, Volpe spoke at this year’s opening con-vocation ceremonies Monday before an incom-ing freshman class of nearly 330.

“Coming at a time when there is increased competition for college students, when the costs are rising, when we’re in a deep recession, to have this record class with the quality and the diversity of this class at this point in Hood’s his-tory is very, very exciting,” Volpe said.

The class of 2014 represents the largest first-year class in Hood’s 117-year history. The previous record was set in 2008, when the col-lege admitted 308 first-year students.

The freshmen hail from 25 states and five foreign countries with about 75 to 80 coming from Frederick County, according to Volpe.

Men make up 36 percent of the freshman class, also a record high for the college.

“It’s not only the number, but it’s the quality of the class,” he said. “They are very academi-cally robust. They are a good solid academic class. They’re a very diverse class.”

The new class puts the college at more than 2,600 students, including undergraduates and graduates, which is full capacity, according to Volpe.

“We want to maintain a certain quality of academic life here, so we’re not just jamming people in every crack and cranny,” he said.

Volpe inherited an institution that was struggling financially when he was inaugurated as the 10th president of Hood College on Oct.

20, 2001. In his 10 years as president, the col-lege has evolved into a “position of strength,” he said.

As a new president in the summer of 2001, Volpe was excited to get started, but also a little fearful because he found a campus community unsure of what direction they were going.

“Eight to nine years ago, the question was ‘Does Hood have a future?’” he said. “Today the question is ‘What do we want our future to be like?’”

During his tenure Volpe has overseen dra-matic changes and improvements to the col-lege, including the decision in August 2003 to admit male resident students.

In his first 15 months as president, he trav-eled to 68 cities and 17 states visiting Hood graduates, to discuss the possibility of making Hood a coeducational institution.

“I knew I could not just write letters or send out e-mails or write columns in a magazine to tell the Hood story,” Volpe said. “I had to go personally to meet as many Hood alums around the country.”

He understood the difficulty and sensitiv-ity of making the transition into a coeduca-tional college because his alma mater, Gannon College, made the same change while he was a student.

Volpe said that while being the Student Government Association president at Gannon, he led the fight against admitting women because he valued his allmen’s experience.

At first, the older graduates of the college understood the economy and the need for change. The younger graduates and current students were the early challenges for Volpe.

He visited all the resident halls in his first

year, financial papers and statements in hand, to share with the students the finances of the college.

“I said ‘Look, for years this college has been spending more than it was taking in. We’ve been bleeding our endowment. We can’t con-tinue to do that,’” Volpe said. “It was all about the finances.”

Coeducation was the centerpiece of Volpe’s turnaround of the college, but there was more to be done.

He reduced the budget by $3 million, changed policies and procedures, restructured divisions and cut staff positions.

“I had to let people go,” he said. “That was the most painful thing I had to do.”

It took the college about three to four years to get out of debt and begin to balance the bud-get, but now it is receiving praise from auditors.

“If we didn’t transition to coeducation, I don’t believe Hood College would be here,” Volpe said. “I said to the board ‘If not coeduca-tion, then what? And if not now, then when?’”


Ron Volpe inherited an institution that was struggling financially when he was inaugurated as the 10th president of Hood College on Oct. 20, 2001. In his 10 years as president, the college has evolved into a “position of strength,” he said.

continued on back

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• MCCURDY FIELD WILL BE HOME OF BLAZERS BASEBALL, NOV. 28, 2013 • HOOD WELCOMES MOST DIVERSE FRESHMEN IN SCHOOL HISTORY, AUG. 27, 2014 • LOCAL COMPANIES RECOGNIZED AS BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLACES TO WORK, AUG. 21, 2013 • HOOD NAMED AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST-VALUE COLLEGES, AUG. 3, 2013 • VOLPE: WHAT YOU LEARN WILL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE, AUG. 21, 2012 • FILLED TO CAPACITY, HOOD COLLEGE STARTS SEMESTER, AUG. 23, 2011 • HOOD’S NEW ATHLETIC CENTER NEARS COMPLETION, AUG. 13, 2011• ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF FREDERICK, DEC. 9, 2011 • HOOD GETS GREENER WITH NEW-BIKE SHARING PROGRAM, DEC. 13, 2010 • AT LONG LAST BLAZE HAS ARRIVED, NOV. 5, 2010 HOOD ENROLLMENT AT RECORD HIGH, SEPT. 22, 2006 • HOOD COLLEGE FRESHMAN

In the NewsFrom his inauguration as the 10th president of Hood College to his fi nal commencement, President Volpe’s dedication, leadership and passion have not gone unnoticed by the media. His name has appeared in the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, and in more than 200 articles in the Frederick News-Post.

From the transition to coeducation, to record enrollment, to new academic programs and initiatives, to athletic victories, each time of celebration as well as uncertainty was documented and shared with the greater community. They told the stories of Hood’s honored traditions; recognized outstanding students, dedicated professors and generous donors; and foresaw Hood’s promise and potential. The Frederick News-Post called Hood College the “crown jewel” of Frederick.

Whether the news was good, neutral or bad, President Volpe always made himself available to speak with reporters. He cultivated open and transparent relationships with the local and regional media, and in the process gained their respect not only for himself but also for Hood. The groundwork he laid will continue to nourish Hood’s relationship with the community and the College will reap the rewards for years to come.

When President Volpe wasn’t making the news, he was often writing about it. He authored many op-ed pieces on higher education and the liberal arts and was the subject of or quoted in numerous articles that were published in local, Maryland and national publications.

President Volpe was a frequent guest on local radio shows. Above, he talks with local WFMD/WFRE radio news reporter Kevin McManus in the studio.

93

Members of the Hood College Board of Trustees 2001-2015M. Richard Adams P’09 (2007-)

Linda J. Allan ’70, M.S.’78 (1989-2002, 2015-)

Martha Shortiss Allen ’59 (1999-2005)

Philip A. Berkheimer (2010-)

Laura Miller Bowes ’73 (2009-2013)

Nancy Tressel Brown ’57 (1991-2003)

Elizabeth A. Bulette ’82 (2004-2006)

Faye E. Cannon (1997-2005)

Amy K. Chan (2011-)

Martha E. Church, H’95 (2006-2009)

James H. Clapp (2013-)

Gary R. Claus (1996-2002)

Gordon M. Cooley (2004-2006)

Janet Hobbs Cotton ’59 (2008-)

Edward D. Del Giorno, P’95 (1996-2002)

Cheryl Brown Dreiling ’69, H’13 (1999-2013)

Margery Lesser Elfi n (2008-)

Leslie Wenger Fitzgerald ’70 (1995-2007)

Joan Esselen Foot ’69 (2009-)

Mark E. Friis, M.A.’82 (2012-)

J. Brian Gaeng (2007-)

Gail L. Gamble ’69, H’93 (2007-2013)

Mark I. Gaver (2007-2010)

Raymond V. Gilden (1994-2010)

Harold L. Gray Jr. (2000-2001)

James S. Grimes (1998-2002)

Eva Sayegh Teig Hardy ’65 (2008-2013)

Leonard P. Harris, P’84 (1998-2008)

Lois Smith Harrison ’45, H’93, P’78, P’78, (1975-2003)

Carol Crofoot Hayes ’69 (1999-2003)

John K. Hodges (2011-)

F. William Hoffman (2002-2003)

Robert G. Hooper (2010-)

Charles E. Hudson III (2014-)

Kevin C. Jackson (2010-)

S. Deborah Jones ’69 (1993-1999, 2001-2003)

Robert E. Kallstrom (2005-2008)

Diann H. Kim (1998-2004)

Martin S. Lapera (2005-2006)

George E. Lewis Jr. (2006-)

Donald C. Linton (2004-2006)

Lois Vars Mason ’51 (1993-2005)

A. Betsy McCain McAlpine ’51 (1999-2010)

Christine L. McHenry ’73 (1997-2005)

Judith E. Messina ’66 (2004-)

Anne Gaines Miller ’49 (1997-2003)

Leonard J. Miller (2014-)

Michelle Morton Schoeffel ’82 (2001-2006)

Cynthia Newby ’67 (2014-)

Charles A. Nicodemus, H’05 (1991-2004)

Janet Spaulding Nunn ’61, P’06 (2007-)

J. Ray Ramsburg III ’83, P’14 (2004-)

E. James Reinsch (2011-)

Barbara Casey Ruffi no ’65, P’99 (2001-2007)

Martha Hearn Shimano ’86 (2013-)

Alfred P. Shockley, P’91 (1988-2006)

Lance W. Slaughter (1991-2004)

Malinda B. Small ’81 (2005-)

Sheldon E. Steinbach (2002-2003)

Nan Young Strauch ’57 (1997-2006)

Earlene Thornton (2008-2012)

Christine Plankenhorn Tischer ’65, P’86 (1991-2003)

John H. Tisdale (2013-)

Stephen C. Turner, P’94 (1993-2007)

Samuel R. Wells III (2011-)

Susan L. Whaley ’74 (2012-)

Cherilyn Widell ’75 (1999-2009)

Neal J. Wilson (2011-)

Chairs of the Board of Trustees 2001-20152000-2002 Edward D. Del Giorno

2002-2003 S. Deborah Jones ’69

2003 Nan Young Strauch ’57*

2003-2005 Faye E. Cannon

2005-2006 Michelle Morton Schoeffel ’82

2006 J. Ray Ramsburg III ’83*

2007-2008 Martha E. Church, H’95

2009-2010 Mark I. Gaver

2010-2013 Cheryl Brown Dreiling ’69, H’13

2013- Philip A. Berkheimer

CreditsPublished by the Hood College Offi ce of

Marketing and Communications

Editorial StaffDave Diehl, MBA ’04, P’12, Executive Director,

Marketing and Communications Ilene Liszka, Associate Director,

Marketing and CommunicationsKevin Baker ’15

Meg DePanise ’15

Graphic DesignJoann Lee, P’15, P’15, Art DirectorKit Peteranecz, Senior Graphic Designer

ContributorsBetsy Diehl, M.A.’10, P’12

Cindy Emory, Director, Institutional ResearchNancy Gillece ’81, Vice President,

Institutional Advancement Laura Lokey ’16

Charles Mann, Vice President of Finance and TreasurerNanette Markey ’79, RegistrarEmma Ward ’16

Contributing PhotographersDave Diehl

Kelly Hahn

Kurt Holter ’76

Tim Jacobsen

Ilene Liszka

Kit Peteranecz

Chris Rose

Maggie Thomas ’15

Bruce Weller

*Acting Chair

Members of the Hood College Board of Trustees 2001-2015Barbara Casey Ruffi no ’65, P’99

Members of the Hood College Board of Trustees 2001-2015S. Deborah Jones ’69 (1993-1999,

Robert E. Kallstrom (2005-2008)

Barbara Casey Ruffi no ’65, P’99 (2001-2007)

Martha Hearn Shimano ’86 (2013-)

Alfred P. Shockley, P’91 (1988-2006)

PB

President Volpe:

Your vision, your imagination, your enthusiasm

and your leadership will leave a

lasting legacy at Hood College. Thank you for all you have done

for this treasured institution.

A Time Of Change

Documents

Transcript of A Time Of Change