Fall 2010 Alumnae Quarterly

Alumnae Quarterly FALL 2010 • Volume 83 • Number 4

Guiding Wilson Through Stormy Financial Seas

Special Feature

page 6

On the cover, Norland Hall stands outlined against an approaching fall thunderstorm in October. Photo by Ryan Smith photography

Cover Story: 6 Guiding Wilson Through Stormy Financial Seas

In Every Issue:4 message from the President

10 Shaping the Future: Advancement News

14 ‘mid A Group of Pines & maples: News from Around Campus

22 Athletics

24 Class Notes

43 life lines

Contents:

Afton Unger, web manager and graphic designer, left, and Amy Ensley, director of

the Hankey Center, help new students move in on Move-In Day, Aug. 23. Final

enrollment figures for the 2010-2011 academic year included 99 first-year

students, 19 transfer students, and nine exchange students. Enrollment also

included 190 returning College for Women students, 442 Adult Degree and Teacher In-

tern Program students and 37 Masters of Education student, for a total College

enrollment headcount of 796.

Visit us at www.wilson.edu l 3

EXECUTIVE EDITORRita Dibble

MANAGING EDITOR Lauren McLane

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDianna HeimLauren McLaneCathy Mentzer Shelly Novak ’92

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSDebra CollinsShelly Novak ’92 Ryan SmithAfton Unger

DESIGNJennifer Glosser

PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGELorna Duphiney Edmundson

VICE PRESIDENT FOR COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT Jeffrey Zufelt

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNAE RELATIONSRita Dibble

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONSDebra Collins

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION BOARDPRESIDENTPaula Spezza Tishok ’71

VICE PRESIDENTMarian Stevenson ’74

SECRETARYPeggy McCleary ’71

TREASURERJennifer Nickle Vanzhof ’94

ALUMNAE TRUSTEESEllen Van Looy Reed ’53Tracy Leskey ’90Nancy Kostas ’74

DIRECTORSJane Appleyard ’66 Jennifer Nickle Banzhof ’94Linda Collenberg Bisaccia-Ammerman ’68Sandra Griggs Clark ’85Mary Cramer ’91Tina Robertson Dorsey ’92Kendal Hopkins ’80Cazella Hinojosa Goodall ’70Jane Stever Jones ’73Kristina Heuck Knubel ’02Patricia Darras Hockenberry ’74Patricia Keffer ’96Laureen Lutz ’08Rebecca Ross ’05Susan Ross ’66De-Enda Peck Rotz ’05 Sarah Muller Smith ’85

NOMINATING COMMITTEEBetty Jane Weller Lee ’57Robin Herring ’07Amy Allen Boyce ’73

Alumnae Quarterly FAll 2011 • Volume 83 • Number 4

Wilson College Alumnae Quarterly (USPS-685-580) is published quarterly by the Office of College Advancement and the Alumnae Association of Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, PA.

Periodicals postage paid at Chambersburg, PA 17201 and additional post offices. Subscriptions are $15/year. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Wilson College Alumnae Office, 1015 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, PA 17201-1285, 717-262-2010 or [email protected].

Opinions expressed are those of contributors or the editor and do not represent the official positions of Wilson College or the Alumnae Association of Wilson College.

4 l Alumnae Quarterly l FALL 2010

MESSAGE from the President

I have always appreciated the rhythms of college life, with its cyclical

opportunities for begin-ning anew in each of the three academic terms and then culminating work at the end of the semester in a way that fosters integration and closure.

In this, the last fall term that I will spend at Wilson, I find myself reflecting more thoroughly than usual on how powerful this college is in transforming the lives of all who work and study here. Wilson’s power to prepare knowledgeable, confident, courageous citizen leaders—especially women—is a great distinction emanating directly from our endur-ing educational mission and vision for an equitable and sustainable world. Our newly Board-approved 2010-15 Strategic Plan guides us forward to achieve our ambitious goals.

As a long time colleague of mine often says, “Strategic plan-ning—without financial resources—is hallucination.” I am happy to say that at Wilson, we are not hallucinating. With eyes wide open and a strong grounding in reality, we are making good progress in building the strong financial foundation that is fundamental to our long-term success. We must continue to provide a rigorous, personalized, affordable education to deserving students, even during times of economic downturn such as the one we are experiencing now. As I have said before, we are finding our way through this recession with a certain amount of grace—maintain-ing high-quality programs for our students, helping students and families continue to afford a Wilson education, and avoiding layoffs, furloughs and downsizing, as many other colleges and universities have been forced to do.

To accomplish these things, we’ve worked closely together. The talented members of my Cabinet and Wilson’s Board of Trustees are creating and implementing wise and prudent policies and practices for the strategic use of our resources.

Wilson and I are blessed to have a strong and dedicated Board of Trustees, a talented and hard-working Campaign Commit-tee and excellent external investment advisers, whose willingness to examine all options for action thoroughly at critical decision points ensures that Wilson’s affairs are responsibly and effectively managed.

At our October 2010 Board of Trustees meeting, Wilson’s external auditors gave Wilson high praise for having an Aver-age Composite Financial Index of 6.4 for the past four years. The auditors noted that this is an unusually high index, significantly surpassing 3.9—the highest such index they are seeing among their other college and university clients. They were especially laudatory about our successful fundraising.

Last year, for the first time in years, we exceeded the Wilson Fund goal with the help of the Lenfest and Goodwin challenge

grants, your increased generosity and a growing number of new individual, foundation and corporate donors. Of particular note is the remarkable fact that 100 percent of Wilson’s faculty, adminis-trators and staff gave to the Wilson Fund, a claim that few colleges can make.

To date, we’ve raised $44.3 million toward the $45 million goal for Leading with Confidence: The Campaign for Wilson. For the ninth consecutive year, net tuition revenue continues to rise, and the value of Wilson’s total endowment bounced back to approxi-mately $67 million.

Our greatly improved financial position made it possible for the Board to approve the use of resources for several key initiatives:

• Employee compensation increases were given, after holding salaries steady for the past year.

• The Wilson website will undergo a major upgrade as an extension of the successful branding research project.

• A reserve fund was created for deferred maintenance.• An integrated administrative system will be purchased and

installed, greatly enhancing Wilson’s reporting capability, stewardship effectiveness and capacity for supporting hybrid and other forms of online instruction.

• Wi-Fi will be expanded to the entire campus.

Over the course of many years, a wide range of talented individuals have contributed to our growing financial strength. In this issue of the Alumnae Quarterly, we feature three Trustees who played particularly important roles in this process:

• Patricia A. Tracey, Retired Navy Vice Adm., chair of the Board Finance Committee

• Julie I. Englund, Ed.D., chair of the Board Investment Subcommittee

• Marsha A. Sajer, Esq., chair of the Board Audit Committee

It is my honor and pleasure to work with these three women, and I know you will enjoy learning more about them and the ways in which they play key roles in Wilson’s success.

With the coming of the new year, the members of the 2011 graduating class of seniors and I begin our final semesters at Wilson. Together, we plan to accomplish much and savor every moment.

Before I take my leave, won’t you do everything in your capacity to help me bring this campaign home—way beyond the $45 million goal?

I look forward to seeing you in the coming months, as I travel throughout the country to visit with you and thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for your alma mater.

Sincerely,

Lorna Duphiney Edmundson, Ed.D.President

1015 Philadelphia Avenue

Chambersburg, PA 17201-1279

Telephone: 717.262.2010

Fax: 717.262.2042

Office of College Advancement

www.wilson.edu

www.campaignforwilson.org

Eleanor “Ellie” Allen ’49

Jeanne Crawford Beck ’65

Trudi Warner Blair ’76

Barbara A. Conover ’59

Leslie L. Durgin ’69

Joan Foresman Edwards ’58

Susan Breakefield Fulton ’61

Mary Redington

Galbraith ’60

Cynthia Dimmick Grove ’63

Pamela Francis Kiehl ’66

Cindy Sandford Landreth ’69

Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55

Tracy Leskey ’90

Jane Everhart Murray ’67

Judi Reny Stewart ’73

Betty Lou Leedom

Thompson ’60

Paula Spezza Tishok ’71

Mary Lou Kerfoot Wells ’65

Campaign Committee

Dear Alumnae, Parents and Friends,

As we enter the last year of the Leading with Confidence campaign for Wilson, the College stands on the brink

of success. With over $44 million in hand toward the goal of $45 million, the generosity and devotion of

alumnae, parents and friends is clearly evident. When you visit the campus of Wilson, the impact of the

campaign is clearly visible. The new Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology

stands proudly alongside Lortz Hall, and it has quickly become a center for learning and research on campus.

As this magazine goes to print, new technology is being installed that will enhance efficiency in serving

students and extend the capacity for online learning. Campaign gifts have established scholarships for the

Global Citizenship Initiative, and millions have been added in support of the Wilson Fund.

As the President, Trustees, campaign volunteers and staff have traveled the country, we have been struck

with how quickly and enthusiastically many of you have expressed pride in today’s Wilson and confidence

that we are on the right course for a future full of opportunity. In increasing numbers, you are stepping

forward to help us realize the goals of the Leading with Confidence campaign.

For all that we have accomplished together, there is still more to be done. Despite our efforts, we have not

yet been able to personally contact all of you – and we need all of you to help us push this campaign over the

top. Two alumnae are offering Challenge Grants that give you an unprecedented opportunity to double the

impact of your gifts to the Wilson Fund and the Brooks Complex by matching your gifts:

• Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55 and her husband, Gerry, have generously offered a $10 million challenge

in support of the Brooks Complex and gifts of $10,000 or more to the Wilson Fund. Thanks to the gifts

of many alumnae and friends, less than $1.5 million of this grant remains to be matched. Hundreds have

stepped forward to join with Marguerite and Gerry in their support of Wilson. We ask today that you

consider joining us as well.

• Thérèse Murray Goodwin ’49 has established the Goodwin Wilson Fund Challenge to match any new

or increased gift of $1,000 or more to the Wilson Fund. If you have never given to the Wilson Fund

before, or if you have yet to become a member of the Pines and Maples Society, the Goodwin Wilson

Fund Challenge may be for you.

As we near the end of Dr. Lorna Duphiney Edmundson’s very successful ten-year term as president of

Wilson, our college stands strong and prepared to embrace a promising future. Completing these Challenge

Grants, and fulfilling the goals of this campaign, will provide the foundation for Wilson’s success in this

upcoming presidential transition and in serving generations of students to come. Please join us. Give to your

capacity. Be a key player at this historic moment.

Sincerely,Betty Lou Thompson ’60 Cynthia Grove ’63

Co-Chairs Leading with Confidence: The Campaign for Wilson College

To make your campaign gift, contact the Advancement Office at 717.262.2010 or go to www.campaignforwilson.org.



Special Feature


The women who chaired the committees that protected the

College through the recent recession.


Special Feature

To be a Wilson Woman doesn’t mean only to have graduated from Wilson. It means

also to have the wherewithal to meet challenges head-on and be able to problem-solve.

As Wilson faced the approaching storm of the economic recession that began in 2008,

three members of the Board of Trustees showed their Wilson Woman grit, holding fast

to the college’s financial tiller and guiding it through the recession.

Julie EnglundEnglund joined the Board of Trustees in 2005. At the time, she

was vice president for finance and administration and treasurer at

Catholic University of America. She has also worked in finance and

investment management at Harvard University School of Law, the

Brookings Institution, the Council for Advancement and Support of

Education (CASE), Hood College, and the United States departments of

Education, Health and Welfare. A 1969 graduate of Briarcliff College,

she received a Master of City Planning and Doctorate in Education in

administration, planning and social degrees from Harvard University.


Special Feature

Under the stewardship of Patricia Tracey, chair of the Board

of Trustees’ finance committee, Julie Englund, chair of the

investment committee, and Marsha Sajer, chair of the audit

committee, Wilson managed to weather the recession without

laying off or furloughing any employees, a feat few other colleges

Wilson’s size can boast.

Because of the financial recession, Wilson’s endowment

shrank from a high of $64,139,772 in fiscal year 2008 (prior to

the economic downturn) to a low of $50,276,858 by June 30,

2009, a decline of 22 percent. That decline was lower than the 30

percent most other colleges and universities endowments saw,

according to Jim Fisher, vice president for finance, said. This was

due, in part, to the diversification in Wilson’s investment strat-

egy, he added. Fortunately, Wilson’s endowment has experienced

a strong recovery and is now valued at $65,836,235.

“The impact slowed down our ability to move beyond the

Harry R. Brooks Center for Science, Mathematics and Technolo-

gy,” Tracey said. “We had executed an aggressive plan to build the

Science Center, but that plan was based on the anticipated ability

of people to attend college, and much of the rest of the strategy

reflected the College’s ability to grow enrollment, she added.

“On the plus side, it forced us to look at tools and processes,

and to take a multi-year look at the budget,” Tracey said. “The

administration of the College responded positively to our

suggestions.”

The College “took the necessary actions to reduce the

budget, especially with regard to pay raises,” Tracey added. “We

had originally planned for pay raises for faculty and staff, but we

eliminated raises and reduced the contributions to the

pension plan. Reducing pension contributions was something

the College brought to the trustees as being preferable to em-

ployee furloughs. The risk to the College of lay-offs was too

great, since we are very thinly staffed across all departments.

“One of the key decisions prior to the downturn was to

go ahead with the Science Center, because it was important to

maintain Wilson’s position,” Englund said. “Part of the Science

Center’s funding was through gifts and returns on our endow-

ments. The value of the endowment declined. The receipt of

gifts declined. The assumptions we used to make the decision

about assuming additional debt and the source of funds to pay

debt service had changed. The potential also was that enrollment

could decline and financial aid needs increase, which would

negatively affect the College’s financial position. The decision to

move forward with the Science Center at the time was sound,

but the recession coming on the heels put added strains on the

budget and resources.”

The recession forced the Board to re-examine some of its

policies. “We changed the policy to allow increased use of the

endowment and bequests to provide additional funds for the

operating budget,” Tracey said. The Board has now returned to

its goal of budgeting an annual decrease in the percentage of the

draw on the endowment from its current 6.25 percent level to 5

percent of a trailing three-year market value of the endowment

by 2015.

The College had stabilized spending and is working toward

getting salaries up to comparable levels at peer and aspirant

Patricia TraceyTracey joined the Board of Trustees in 2006. A graduate of the College

of New Rochelle with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, she earned

her master’s degree in operations research and systems analysis from

the Naval Postgraduate School. At her retirement, she was the senior

ranking officer in the U.S. military. She also was the first woman in

the U.S. Navy to achieve the rank of vice admiral. In 1998, Tracey was

awarded the Living Legacy Patriot Award by the Women’s International

Center in recognition of her accomplishments. On May 12, 2002, she

was the keynote speaker at Wilson’s commencement exercises.


Special Feature

institutions, which has gone a long way in getting the College to

the position where it can grow to its fullest potential.

“Prior to the economic downturn, we made prudent deci-

sions to diversify our investments, which insulated us to some

extent,” Sajer added.

The Board also brought on an outside investment advisory

firm which helps to oversee the endowment and performance

of investment managers to guide the College’s investments,

Englund said.

Englund, who is chief financial officer at the National Acade-

my of Sciences and previously was the vice-president for finance

and administration and treasurer at Catholic University, said

that, for her role on Wilson’s board, she was “fortunate to have

worked at a university and be knowledgeable about the measures

other schools were taking to deal with the financial downturn.”

Thanks to the College’s own practices, and the board’s care-

ful stewardship, the College will achieve financial equilibrium in

2014, meaning that annual budgets are and will continue to be

balanced, Tracey said.

“Wilson has provided a balanced budget every year I’ve been

on the board. It has balanced the budget in a transparent and

clear way, where the revenue stream matches the expected

expense growth rate and limits draw from the endowment so as

to preserve it for future generations,” she explained.

“It’s very creditable to the College, as an institution, that it

balances the budget without one-time uses. The College now

operates on standard multi-year plans,” she added.

Englund pointed out that the board members have a

fiduciary duty to the College in setting strategic plans, but the

College’s administration is responsible for carrying out and

managing those strategic plans.

As an example, Sajer cited the College’s annual audit. “At the

same time we’re going through the recession, we still had obliga-

tions to our lenders, the federal government imposed new rules

and we had to maintain our credit worthiness. We also changed

auditors,” she said, explaining that the previous auditors had

been with the College for a decade and a fresh set of eyes was

warranted as a ‘best practice.’

Although the College is exempt from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

— the 2002 law that set new, enhanced standards for all public

boards, management and accounting firms in the United States

— “It is important to follow the ‘best practices,’” Tracey said.

The recession served as an opportunity to put greater ur-

gency in planning for long-term sustainability and financial

equilibrium, Englund added. “We have now established an excel-

lent foundation for managing the College’s finances annually in

the context of multi-year planning. This is very helpful as we go

forward.”

“We are in a better position with strategic risk management

to gauge decisions and risks,” Sajer said. “We made changes

to the way we were doing business before the recession. That

helped. Our processes were crystallized by the recession.”

Although the recession is not yet over, Wilson has weathered

the financial downturn and emerged on the other side of the

storm strongly positioned to meet the challenges it will face in

educating the women leaders of tomorrow.

Marsha SajerSajer joined the Board of Trustees in 2005. She is a litigation partner

with Kirkpatrick and Lockhard, Harrisburg. A 1980 graduate of Wellesley

College, she earned her law degree from Duke University in 1989 and

her LLM from the Judge Advocate’s General School in 1992. She served

as an assistant to the Army General Counsel in Washington, D.C., from

1998 to 2001 providing legal advice to the Army General Counsel,

Secretary of the Army and senior Army officials on a broad range of

administrative and criminal issues. She retired from the U.S. Army in

2001 as a lieutenant colonel after more than 20 years of service.


Kelly Flavin ’12VMTCarlisle, PA

“I don’t really have a hometown owing to the fact that my father was in the Army. The main reason I like working in the call center is the opportu-

nity I get to talk to so many alumnae from Wilson. I enjoy speaking to women from all around the country and hearing how their lives have changed because of Wilson College.”

Monique Hawkins ’11VMT, with biology minor, Baltimore, MD

“I enjoy working in the call center because I’m able to connect with the alumnae and hear stories of Wilson in the past. I believe the Wilson Fund is

important because it provides campus wide aid as well as scholarships and financial aid for new and returning students. Without it, Wilson wouldn’t be able to successfully provide the excellent environment for students that it’s known for. “

Sarah Nicholl ’12EducationGreysteel, Derry, Northern Ireland

“I graduated from Loreto College, Coleraine, Northern Ireland in 2007. I was then accepted to St Mary’s University College, Belfast, where

I have been studying for three years to become a High School Business Studies teacher with History and Religious Educa-tion, and will graduate in 2012. Teaching is my passion, and I absolutely love the interaction with new people on a daily basis, and being a part of others’ learning experiences.

As part of a Business Education Initiative (BEI) Scholarship, I was able to travel to America for one year and become part of the Wilson College family. I am a new caller at the Call Center but I eagerly look forward to meeting new friends through the Wilson Fund and learning about their Wilson experiences. As a scholarship student, I understand the importance of the Wilson Fund for students and for the College.”

Adria Spikes ’13Accounting Hagerstown, MD

Born and raised in Hagerstown, she is married with one child, who graduated high school in June. Adria lost her job more than a year ago

because of the economy. She was surprised and excited to learn that there opportuni-ties to further education, which has been a lifelong dream of hers. As our student supervisor, she likes working with other students in the Call Center because she encourages them and they, in turn, en-courage her in her studies.

Alyssa Hockenberry ’12Art historySpring Run, PA

Alyssa was a Lenfest College Prep scholar at Wyoming Seminary. Along with working at the Call Center, Alyssa works in the College Archives at the Han-

key Center and she serves as treasurer of the yearbook. She enjoys talking to alum-nae about their experiences at Wilson and how the school has changed over the years.

Chaquita Sligh ’12Sociology, with mathematics minorWashington, DC

“I like working in the Call Center because I can talk with gradu-ates in all kinds of fields. I chose to come to Wilson because of its distinction.

In addition, I admired the Women with Children program.” (Chaquita’s cousin, Brinita, is enrolled in the WWC program.)

Meet the Callers of the Student Calling Program at Wilson!

SHAPING THE FUTURE Advancement News

Student callers at Wilson reach out to alumnae, parents and friends to gather updated address information, share news of the College and ask for Wilson Fund gifts. We wanted to introduce you to the young women who are the voice of Wilson:

Brittany Tabler ’12Psychology, with English minor Cumberland, MD

“I like working in the Call Center because I am able to connect to people over the phone. Alumnae are often willing to share with me their personal stories, which I greatly enjoy. I am grateful that some offer advice from their experience and give me encouragement to continue reaching for my goals. Contributing to the Wilson Fund is vital,because Wilson gives women the opportunity to foster their dreams and aspirations. Without the support, many may not be able to achieve what they want in life.”


This past year $1,061,228 was raised for the Wilson Fund – more than 2,200 of you gave and on behalf of all the students who benefitted from your generosity, we thank you once again for doing so and for giving so generously. We are excited to be able to continue our two Wilson Fund challenges until 2011.

The Lenfest Challenge, created by Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55 and her husband, H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, matches any gift of $10,000 or more to the Wilson Fund. Wilson salutes the 39 donors that have graciously taken this challenge and given $10,000 or more to the Wilson Fund. The Lenfest Challenge continues until December 2011 or until the match is exhausted.

Thérèse “Terry” Murray Goodwin ’49 believes that all alumnae and friends of Wilson should support the College’s mission of providing an exceptional education for young women. To that end, in May she established the Goodwin Pines and Maples Society Challenge. Through this challenge, all new or increased individual gifts of $1,000 or more to the Wilson Fund will be matched. The Goodwin Challenge runs through June 30, 2011.

Beyond scholarships, the fund also provides learning support to faculty in the classroom, provides for out of classroom experiences like seminars, and enhances the educational experience in countless ways.

Wilson Fund Challenges

Lost your Wilson yearbook? Want an extra copy? The Advancement Office and the staff of The Conococheague are offering yearbooks, for the years

of 1976-2008, to benefit the 2010-11 Wilson Fund. The Wilson Fund helps provide funds for student clubs and organizations, like the Conococheague.

Every fall, the Conococheague staff attends a yearbook/media conference in New Orleans for training. The Wilson Fund provides the funds needed for this training.

A yearbook is a great way to re-claim memories of your Wilson days as well as a way to enrich cur-rent students’ experience. The cost is $35, which includes shipping and handling, and the yearbooks will be sent USPS Priority Mail within two weeks of your order. To place your order for a yearbook, call the Advancement Office at 1-866-446-8660.

Thérèse “Terry” Murray Goodwin ’49

The Lenfest Dinner




For more information please visit our webpage, www.campaignforwilson.org/planned-giving,

or contact the Office of Advancement:

Jeffrey Zufelt, Vice President: [email protected] Lambert, Director of Development: [email protected]

or Toll Free 866-446-8660

TYPE OF GIFT ADVANTAGES BENEFICIARY

GIFTS THAT PAY YOU INCOME

Charitable Gift Annuity sCurrent income tax deduction sPortion of payments may be tax freesFixed and predictable payments

s One or two annuitant beneficiariessWilson College is future beneficiary

Charitable Remainder Trust sCurrent income tax deductions No capital gain recognition on

appreciated assetssPayments for life or term of years

sOne or more beneficiariessWilson College is future beneficiary

GIFTS YOU MAKE TODAY

Cash, Securities, Real Estate, or Tangible Personal Property

sCurrent income tax deductionsSee benefit of gift during your lifetime

s Wilson College is immediate beneficiary

Charitable Lead Trusts s Potential gift tax savings on transfer of assets to individual beneficiaries

s You or your heirs are future beneficiariess Wilson College is immediate beneficiary

Memorial and honorary Gifts sCurrent income tax deductionsHonor a loved one

s Wilson College is immediate beneficiary

Donor Advised Funds sCurrent income tax deduction sWilson College is future beneficiary

GIFTS THAT BENEFIT WILSON AFTER YOUR LIFETIME

Bequest s Charitable deduction for taxable estatess Allows you to make a large gift at no

immediate cost to you

sWilson College is future beneficiary

Retirement Plans sAvoids double taxation of assetss The College applies the full amount of

plan assets to the purpose of your choice

sWilson College is future beneficiary

Real Estate sCurrent income tax deductionsEstate tax savingssContinued use of property for life

s You retain lifetime beneficial use of propertysWilson College is future beneficiary

Planned gifts provide creative and flexible strategies for your estate and charitable

planning. Some planned gifts provide you with income. Many of them can reduce

your taxes. The greatest benefit, however, lies in knowing you are supporting work

at Wilson College that is important to you and helpful to others.

Why a Planned Gift?

There are many ways to make a charitable contribution to Wilson College, while at the same time providing yourself and your family (or other beneficiaries) with significant tax benefits. A plan can be specially designed for you to not only help reduce your taxes, but provide a life income, or help during estate

planning. Planned gifts can offer many advantages to help you to meet your overall financial goals, and help Wilson College in its long-term financial planning. They can also provide special opportunities to strengthen and improve programs. The chart below briefly outlines ways to give.

Please be advised, this information is not intended as tax or legal advice, but as general information on planned giving. For legal advice, please consult your attorney or financial planner.


The Annual Scholarship Donor Recognition Dinner during Leadership Weekend brought together Wilson’s past with its future. More than 120 scholarship donors, scholarship

recipients, their families, Pines and Maples Society members and Wilson faculty and staff enjoyed a delicious fall-themed dinner with bright piano music and lively conversation in Jensen Dining Hall.

Speaking to the donors gathered, President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson emphasized that the value of their gifts cannot be underestimated. “The educations your gifts help provide students will enable them to work and positively affect their communities and the world around them.”

The evening’s guest speaker, Wilson President Emerita Gwendolyn Jensen, shared the story of a graduate who gave up a daughter for adoption before the inception of the College’s Women with Children program – an initiative Jensen helped to establish. “And when I met her (the graduate), she said to me, ‘I am glad you have this program because no woman should have to go through that.’” Jensen encouraged Wilson women to “give back for the general good for society…at Wilson, this is what we do.”

A WWC student and recipient of the Hick-Evans and

Ensminger scholarships, Christina Sauter Vosburgh ’11, also spoke and recognized her scholarship donors, Jensen, her sister, Helen Evans Febbo and Jane T. Ensminger ’52. “Tonight I have the privilege of standing here and conveying my deepest gratitude (to attendees Jensen and Ensminger), but I also wish to thank those of you who are helping other Wilson women and promot-ing their successes, so they too can become like Phoenixes rising boldly out of their ashes and blazing forward into the future.”

The dinner’s program concluded with an emotional affirma-tion from Mary Ann Naso, vice president of enrollment. She pointed out the integral part financial aid plays in not only attract-ing academically accomplished students, but also in retaining deserving students who could not afford an education otherwise.

At the end of the program, President Edmundson presented President Emerita Jensen with a bouquet of flowers for taking part in what was President Edmundson’s last scholarship dinner in her tenure at Wilson.

For more information about the vital part you can play in making scholarships possible for Wilson students, contact Jeff Zufelt, vice president of advancement, at 1-866-446-8660.

A N O P P O R T U N I T y T O S Ay

Thank YouBy Dianna C. Heim


Jensen encouraged

Wilson women to

“give back for the

general good for

society…at Wilson,

this is what we do.”

Gwendolyn Jensen


‘MID A GROUP OF PINES & MAPLES News from Around Campus

To the members of the Wilson College CommunitySince I last sent you an announcement about the work of the Presidential Search

Committee, I’m eager to report on some recent developments. When Board Chair

Trudi Blair asked me to chair this committee, she also developed a Charge to the

Search Committee based on best practices in Presidential Searches, with information

from the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) and input from committee mem-

bers. The Charge, shown here, defines the committee’s purpose, scope and timeline;

communications strategy and confidentiality requirements; and specific roles for

the committee and the Board of Trustees. The Charge to the Search Committee was

unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees at its meeting in October affirming

the above-mentioned principles and delineating a timeline for completion. As part of

our communications strategy, I wanted to share the Charge in this announcement so

that each member of the Wilson community is informed about its nature and scope.

Early in September, our search consultants, Archer~Martin Associates, began

publishing advertisements for the position of President of Wilson College in various

publications of higher education, including such sources as the Chronicle of Higher

Education and Diverse Issues in Higher Education. In addition, we sought nomina-

tions from the Wilson community in order to develop a qualified pool of candidates.

I’m pleased to report that we’ve had an outpouring of nominations and expressions

of interest for this exciting opportunity, resulting in a deep pool of highly qualified

candidates. In November, the committee began reviewing curriculum vitae and

evaluating candidates based on the attributes defined in the Leadership Profile. The

committee then compiled a short-list of candidates and began the interview process

in early December.

In order to comply with the confidentiality provision in the Charge to the Search

Committee, I want to advise you that every member of the Presidential Search Com-

mittee and its Communications Subcommittee has signed a confidentiality agreement

to protect the identity of each candidate. We believe that confidentiality is a crucial

element of our success and, therefore, we ask that you respectfully honor this effort.

Thank you for your support and participation.

Sincerely,

John W. GibbVice Chair of the Board of Trustee and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee



Charge to the Search Committee for the 19th President of Wilson College

Purpose and ScopeThe Presidential Search Committee is charged with recom-

mending to the Board of Trustees, no later than March 2011, an unranked list of finalists who, in the Committee’s judgment, are best qualified to serve as the 19th President of the College. Though the list of finalists is unranked, the Committee may advise the Board as to the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate as a potential leader of Wilson College.

CompositionThe Committee, appointed to advise the Board of Trustees,

shall be composed from a broad range of the College’s constitu-encies, but individual members are not charged with represent-ing a particular constituency. It is expected that each committee member shall represent the College as a whole with the overall goal of finding the next great leader for the College.

Confidentiality and Communications The Committee shall create an organizational structure that

provides efficient operation and orderly communication within the Committee and between the Committee, the candidates, the outside world and the Board of Trustees.

The Committee shall ensure that appropriate information about the College and the presidency is provided to candidates at each stage of the screening process.

With respect to applicants and to the Committee’s internal deliberations, the Committee shall ensure that there is a clear definition of confidentiality and that it is strictly observed.

The Committee shall develop a communications plan in order to keep the broader Wilson College community informed of the progress of the Presidential Search and, the Committee shall agree that the Chair of the Committee and the Chair of the Board of Trustees shall be the only persons to communicate with the media or any member of an interested constituency.

Specific RolesThe Committee shall develop a budget to cover Committee

expenses and shall obtain approval of that budget and provide a report of expenditures to the Board of Trustees.

The Committee shall develop the Leadership Criteria State-ment, using input from all major campus constituencies, to be followed in selecting the new president.

The Committee is authorized to work with a Presidential Search consultant, if desired, to actively solicit nominations and applications from a diverse group of well-qualified persons by drafting and placing advertisements for the position; contacting the College constituencies, college and university administrators, educational associations and foundations. All advertisements and solicitations for applications shall be based on the Leader-ship Criteria Statement.

The Committee shall keep a record of and respond to all applications and nominations from all sources.

In considering candidates, the Committee is to comply with equal opportunity/affirmative action policies and the Equal Opportunity Employment and Affirmative Action Nondiscrimi-nation Statement of Wilson College.

The Committee, using the Leadership Criteria Statement as a basis, shall screen all applications; select and interview semifinalist candidates; check references of semifinalists; and arrange campus visits for finalists by mid-March 2011 during which the finalists will meet with representatives from the faculty, staff, students and Board of Trustees.

Approval by the Board of Trustees Immediately following the completion of the campus visits,

a special Board of Trustees meeting will be held in late March 2011. The President of the College shall be appointed by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the Trustees present at that meeting.

The Chair of the Board and the Chair of the Presidential Search Committee shall negotiate the terms and conditions of the appointment.

The Board of Trustees extends its gratitude to the members of the Presidential Search Committee for accepting this demand-ing assignment. You have the Trustees’ warmest wishes for a successful conclusion. Upon your wisdom the future of the College rests.



If there is such a thing as a perfect match, Wilson College and new alumnae relations director Rita Dibble fit the bill.

Dibble, who joined the College in August, has a back-ground in making connections, building relationships and forging bonds. The position of director of alumnae relations seemed an ideal fit to her.

“I read the job description and then spoke to several alumnae,” Dibble said. “I realized very soon that if you took my personality and my likes and strengths, and wrote a job description to match those, it matched perfectly.”

The conviction was shared by members of the Alumnae Association’s search committee, according to association board president Paula Spezza Tishok ’71, who said committee members unanimously nominated Dibble for the position previously held by Ann Terry, who resigned last summer.

“Rita had a very solid resume. She had a background in development so she understood the fundraising aspects of what was required in alumnae relations,” said Tishok. “She had a background in communications, which was important because we publish the Alumnae Quarterly, plus she had managed large departments so she had the supervisory skills that we felt were required to run the office. But meeting her in person is what clinched the deal.”

Dibble exudes a personal warmth and genuineness that make any who spends time with her quickly feel like her best friend, according to Tishok.

“People respond to that and it’s key to building relationships” she said.

Dibble was born and schooled in India before coming to the United States at age 21 to pursue her second master’s degree - one in mass communications with a specialty in advertising and public relations - at the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

While working in the S.U. publications office, she met her future husband, Edward F. Dibble Jr., to whom she has been married for 27 years. They live in Honesdale in northeastern Pennsylvania and have three children – a daughter, Aasma, 26, and sons Pramod, 24, and Anand, 21.

Before joining Wilson, Dibble worked as assistant director of development at Misericordia University in northeast Pennsyl-vania. She spent eight years with the American Cancer Society Northeast Region office in Jessup, Pa serving as the regional

director of development. Dibble also worked as a marketing assistant to the editor of the well-known Highlights magazine for children and spent seven years as principal of a Montessori school in Honesdale.

Dibble’s life, however, cannot be so succinctly summarized. She also is a world traveler who has spent time in 20 different countries and lived in four: India, the U.S., England and Germany.

She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature, about which she remains passionate.

“English literature contains, in my opinion, all of life and ex-perience. It is the richest body of writing in the world,” she said.

As a girl growing up in India, daughter of a captain in the merchant navy and a mother who was a homemaker, Dibble was always inclined towards academic rigor.

“I was actually very reserved, hardly spoke, read voraciously and was not very friendly,” Dibble says in her decidedly matter-of-fact way.

Meet the New Alumnae Relations Director... Rita Dibble

By Cathy Mentzer



But in college, Dibble joined a semi-professional Shakespeare troupe and came out of her shell. She also credits the experience in part, for her perfect diction, which she describes as BBC-speak.

As a young woman, she studied comparative religions in a program that took her around the world and led to her meeting Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama. She also met and worked with Mother Theresa.

Dibble is just as deft in the kitchen as she is at an alumnae reception. She taught nutrition for nine years and can cook dish-es from 13 countries. She can whip up coq au vin or spaghetti bolognaise just as easily as palachinka from the Czech Republic or Turkish baklava.

“I love to read. I love to knit. I am very fond of sleeping,” Dibble joked.

Although she describes herself as a dog person who has had as many as four canine companions at one time, Dibble is a lover of all kinds of animals and was briefly a wildlife rehabilitator.

The surprises don’t end there.“I am Indian but I am not vegetarian, I don’t do yoga and I

don’t meditate,” she said, as if explaining these facts for the hundredth time.

She does not own a television set and hasn’t in years, according to friend Lisa Malcolm, who worked with Dibble at Misericordia.

Humor is one of the ways Dibble disarms people. She also speaks her mind and stands on principle.

“I have experienced extreme caring from Rita - and loyalty,” Malcolm said. “Rita can be loyal to her own detriment, where she will stand up and take responsibility and not just let the chips fall where they may.”

At Misericordia, Dibble is credited with helping the col-lege’s fundraising arm secure a 28 percent alumni participation

rate, earning the college first place in its category, according to the Council for Aid to Education. She also helped build long-neglected bridges with other departments on campus, according to Malcolm.

“We are reaping the benefits today of those roads that she created,” she said, adding that Dibble’s influence with donors remains strong. “There are donors and alumni who she had a very good rapport with who still ask about her.”

Dibble also has a broad world view, thanks to her particular experiences, which challenges others’ ways of thinking at times and fits well with Wilson’s current emphasis on global citizenship.

“She always had a different kind of view on things,” Malcolm said.

Dibble’s own status as a global citizen was a happy coincidence for the College, said Tishok, who did not realize Dibble was from India until they met in person.

“Everything started to click into place because now we had a whole new dimension to our global citizenship initiative,” Tishok said. “It never crossed my mind that we would be able to hire someone with that capacity and depth for this position.”

Already, Dibble has begun tapping into relationships and contacts with an aim to form new bonds overseas, including reaching out to acquaintances in India to help arrange a Wilson January-term class there.

The one common thread through her career has been relationship-building, Dibble says.

“What moves, delights, sustains me in my day-to-day work is the ability to make a connection,” she said. “I see my best work done when I can act as a suture that heals a wound and then melts away.”

Join Wilson alumnae, family and friends for a custom-designed tour of Charlottesville, Virginia, a charming historic southern town located in the foothills of the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains. Timed for the spectacular flowering dogwoods, we will visit the homes of three Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, and learn about their role in the establishment of the University of Virginia. Also included in the program is a visit to Barboursville Winery with its fine wines and ruins of the Barbour house designed by Thomas Jefferson and now on the National Register of Historic Sites. Your accommodations will be at the Omni Hotel centrally located on the historic downtown Pedestrian Mall.

April 28 - 30, 2011 • A tour to Charlottesville, VAT h re e P re s i d e n t s a n d a U n i v e r s i t y

Special note to all graduates of classes ending in 1 and 6; join the trip and plan an extraordinary reunion in the free time during the trip!

Accompanying us will be Rita Dibble, Director of Alumnae Relations and Jill Abraham Hummer, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the History and Political Science Department. Jill also happens to be an alumna of the University of Virginia.

Price: Based on double occupancy $595 Based on single occupancy $795

Transportation to Charlottesville, VA is on your own. Charlottesville is served by four airlines,

Greyhound and Amtrak.



Rochel Gelman, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Science at Rutgers University, visited Wilson on October 4 and 5 as a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar.

During her stay, Gelman participated in a graduate school panel discussion, gave a public lecture in the auditorium of the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology, visited several classes, talked to Women with Children program students and with students from a Child Development class at Chambersburg Area High School.

Amy Ensley, Director of the Hankey Center for the Education and Advancement of Women, arranged for Dr. Gelman’s visit. Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most widely known Academic Honor Society. Every year, there are approximately eleven Phi Beta Kappa scholars who visit different chapters across the country to give lectures and talk with faculty and students about their research.

Before going to Rutgers, Gelman taught at the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA. Early in her career, she decided to focus on finding ways to show that preschoolers and infants were conceptually more com-petent than assumed by existing theories. Her work on early cognitive development and learning has brought her many honors, including membership in the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has received awards from the American Psychological Association (Distinguished Scientific Con-tribution Award), the Association for Psychological Science (William James Fellow) and the Society for Research in Child Development (Lifetime Contribution to the Study of Child Development).

On Monday, Oct. 4 at 6:30pm, Gelman gave a public lecture entitled “Early Cognitive Development and Be-yond” in the Brooks Complex auditorium. She discussed the paradoxical fact that infants and preschoolers know much more about math and science than people thought

while older students have real problems mastering the material they are supposed to learn in these domains.

“Dr. Gelman is a remarkable woman and renowned in her field, having authored textbooks and many re-search articles. We are fortunate to have an opportunity to meet her and learn about her research. Her area of expertise is of interest to a broad spectrum of faculty and students at Wilson, from psychology, mathematics and the sciences, to education and the mothers and children in our Women with Children program. She is an ideal speaker for our community,“ said Ensley.

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, Gelman spoke to two psychol-ogy classes on campus. One of them was Learning and Memory taught by Prof. Carl Larson. The students read an article by Gelman before class. Gelman then described some of her research relevant to that article and responded to questions from the students. “Dr. Gelman’s areas of expertise are developmental psychol-ogy and human learning. She has developed theoretical concepts which argue that humans may have innate capacities for learning about certain aspects of their environment, such as mathematical concepts, animate versus inanimate attributions and causality. This perspec-tive is very different from the traditional view in the area of learning that human knowledge is largely based on simple principles of association,” said Larson.

Larson also mentioned that he was impressed by the students’ interaction with Gelman and hopes that similar programs could happen more often and in a variety of areas on campus, “Some areas, such as English, dance, and fine arts do bring noted individuals who augment what students hear and do in their classroom experience. It is truly important for us to pursue such experiences.”

Gelman’s visit was also part of the Science in Society Seminar Series that Wilson kicked off last year in order to bring prominent women in the sciences to speak at Wilson.

Phi Beta Kappa Scholar Rochel Gelman Visits WilsonBy Xiaomeng Li

This article originally appeared in the Billboard student newspaper.


FREYA BURNETT, Director and Associate Professor of Veterinary Medical Technology (VMT), strives to show students what is possible in their future and her recent appointment to the Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine has accomplished just that.

In July 2010, she was sworn in at the state capitol in Harrisburg for a six-year term to serve as the only veterinary technician on the board. “I’m very proud. Anything I can do to be involved in professional organizations is exciting for me, and it sets a good example of what is out there for our students.” She is grateful to Robin J. Bernstein, a Wilson friend and Chair of the State Board of Vet-erinary Medicine, for recommending her name to the Board for nomination.

“We were thrilled when Governor Rendell nominated Freya to serve on the state board of Veterinary Medicine, filling the position reserved for a Vet Tech,” Robin said. “Everyone recognized the value of having not only an expert on VMT issues, but an academic as well. As the former Chair of the Board of Trustees at Wilson, I was happy to see the College’s Vet Tech program essentially be recognized for its excellence through this honor which has fallen on one of Wilson’s great professors.”

As a new board member, Freya wants to help provide strong legislative support to the field of veterinary medicine. “A licensed vet-erinary technician can do all but prescribe, diagnosis, and perform surgery. I can’t tell you how many veterinarians are seeking this kind of assistance in their practices. Graduates of Wilson’s VMT program seek employment in veterinary practices that allow them to do all they have been trained to do here at the College.”

For the Bachelor of Science degree, Wilson students perform all clinical tasks required by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) during their four years in the program. Graduates are then eligible for the National Veterinary Technician Examination as well as other individual licensure examinations.

Freya hopes that veterinary practices will soon proudly display the veterinary technician licenses along side the licenses of the veterinarians in their practices. “Clients should know when they walk in the door about the level of quality of both the veteri-narians and veterinary technicians who are caring for their animals.”

Freya is optimistic that the Board can provide effective direction for the veterinary medical profession in Pennsylvania, calling it “a very progressive Board.”

Professor Named to State Board

Currently in the process of earning her doctorate, Freya Burnett has a number

of impressive credentials that she brings to her teaching at Wilson:

Associate Professor of Veterinary

Medical Technology A.S., Wilson College

B.S., Edinboro State University M.S., Shippensburg University

Served as President of the National Association of Veterinary

Technicians in America (NAVTA)

Served as President of the Pennsylvania Veterinary

Technicians Association (PVTA)

Served as the liaison from the PVTA to the Pennsylvania Veterinary

Medical Association (PVMA)

Currently serving of the Board of Directors for the Dauphin County

Veterinary Assistant program

Current member of NAVTA, PVTA, American Association of Veterinary

Technician Educators (AVTE), and the Northeast Veterinary Technician

Educators’ Association (NEVTEA)




On Oct. 22-23, Alpha Delta Theta (ADT)—the math club—of

Wilson College participated in two events, one at Shippensburg University and the other at James Madison Univer-sity.

On Friday, Oct. 22, seven Alpha Delta Theta members and their advisor, Dr. Karen Adams, visited Shippensburg University for a seminar in cryptology presented by Tim McDevitt, a professor from Elizabethtown College. ADT member Shonnamarie Partlow, with help from the club members, partici-pated in a cryptology simulation.

After the seminar, ADT members and Adams headed to Harrisonburg, VA, to participate yet in another event called SUMS—Shenandoah Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics Conference. This trip was made possible by a travel grant received from James Madison University. The ADT president, Natalya Yashina ’10, applied for the travel grant in July 2010. In September, she received a notification from Dr. Brown of JMU that the math club had been awarded the travel grant which included two nights at a hotel for eight members and an advisor.

The SUMS conference started on Oct. 23 with an opening speaker, Dr. Ravi Ramakrishna, from Cornell University. Dr. Ramakrishna spoke about the importance of the elliptic curves and “what it means to look at a donut arithmetically.” Over the course of the conference, ADT members attended a variety of student presentations and faculty panels. The sessions were divided into finance-related talks, pure math-ematics talks, and science-related talks. ADT members attended the sessions of their interest. Adria Spikes ’11, public relations manager, and Natalya Yashina, club president, attended finance related talks such as The S&P 500, and Reality

vs. Black Scholes Model, presented by Andrew Snyder-Beattie from University of Michigan. Brinita Ricks ’12, ADT’s treasurer and Molly Folsom ’13, both math majors, found pure math talks more interesting and attended talks such as Numerical Power Series Solutions to Initial Value Ordinary Differential Equations among others. Ovsanna Movsesyan ’12, ADT’s publication manager and pre-med major attended talks related to biochemistry such as Model Development for Lignocellulosic Biofuels presented by Amir Ahmadi of Morehead University and Helen Vo of the University of California at Berkley.

During this trip, one of the ADT members was assigned a roommate from the University of California San Diego, Arlene Rodriguez. Arlene at-tended SUMS as a poster presenter and won a prize for her poster. University of California San Diego is one of the six schools in the United States that offers the Women with Children program, as does Wilson. Arlene Rodriguez is a senior at UCSD enrolled in Women with Children program.

The closing ceremony speaker, Cliff Stoll of Berkeley, was quite entertaining. The topic of his presentation, Low Dimensional Topology for Fun and Profit- or how to extract money from the 4th dimension, was very unusual. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Stoll was award-ing a few items that he used during his presentation. Anush Petrosyan ’14, a freshman ADT member from Armenia, won a bottle.

The members of ADT would like to thank JMU for the travel grant and Dean Mary Hendrickson and the math department at Wilson College for pro-viding transportation and meals. ADT members are hoping to participate in SUMS next year as speakers.

Dr. Brown and ADT Officers from left to right:Dr. Brown (JMU), Natalya Yashina, Molly Folsom, Brinita Ricks

Alpha Delta Theta Math Club Students Attend Conference

By Natalya Yashina

SUMS Group from left to right: Dr. Adams, Arlene Rodriguez (UCSD), Adria Spikes, Brinita Ricks, Molly Folsom, Ovsanna Movsesyan, Anush Petrosyan, Natalya Yashina, Shonnamarie Partlow

ADT group from left to right: Dr. McDevitt, Shonnamarie Partlow, Natalya Yashina, Dr. Adams, Molly Folsom, Brinita Ricks, Anush Petrosyan, in the middle: Ovsanna Movsesyan



Natalya Yashina ’10 and Adria Spikes ’11 attended a Financial Mathematics and Engineering Conference in San Francisco, CA, Nov. 19-20. The conference, which was preceded by a tutorial led by Patrick S. Hagan of JP Morgan, was organized by the Society for Industrial Mathematics (SIAM).

The first day of the conference featured a series of lectures related to portfolio management. These were presented by Ph.D students, many of whom were from countries such as China, Canada, Switzerland, France and Germany. The talks were very technical with a concentration on stochastic number of assets, random payoff, and various approaches to market modeling. The highlight of this lecture section was a presentation by Winslow C. Strong, a Ph.D. student from the University of Califor-nia at Santa Barbara. Strong talked about his research in arbitrage in market models with a stochastic number of assets. He attempted to answer the question of whether allowing the stochastic number of assets qualitatively changes the characterization of arbitrage compared to constant-number-of-asset markets. After depicting the dissec-tion of certain stock processes, extending the stochastic integration and fundamental theorem of asset pricing, Strong concluded that “functionally generated portfolios are susceptible to the changes in configuration of the market. If K is bounded, they may work but take together. If K is unbounded, they typically fail to bound worst case relative performance.”

The highlight of the lectures on the second day was a talk by Peter Carr, Ph.D., from Courant Institute of New York University. Carr is also a global head of market modeling at Morgan Stanley. A series of talks related to credit concluded the conference.

World renowned mathematician, Nicole El Karoui of Pierre and Marie Curie University and previously of École Polytechnique, also attended this conference.

The Financial Mathematics and Engineering conference provided participants with an insight on modeling process in the world of finance. They also learned about valuation methods applied to stock prices/options and calibration of different volatility models.

S I A M C o n f e r e n c e R e p o r t

Note from Professor Douglas Crawford:

Natalya and Adria attended the

conference in conjunction with our new

Financial Mathematics program. Wilson

College is proud to be one of a few schools

in the United States that offers an

undergraduate degree in Financial Math-

ematics; a cross-disciplinary program in

Economics, Finance, and Mathematics. This

field of study can lead to careers in

banking, investment management,

insurance, and risk management. This is

the first year for the program and highlights

the strength of our business and econom-

ics programs at Wilson. Industry projects

an increased demand for people with this

training and it should provide great career

opportunities for Wilson graduates.

As I write this I realize that the past 111 days have been the most hectic and exhilarating ones in recent memory. Leaf through the pages of this issue and you will find the numerous indicators that highlight the underlying strength of Wilson College; from the way we have weathered the recent financial storms, the academic excellence of our programs to our participation on the international stage with the Academic Impact Initiative at the United Nations. All evidence the fact that Wilson College is regionally acclaimed, nationally recog-nized and uniquely poised to take her place among academia globally.

This is also a time of transitions as we wish farewell to a president who has

brought us into the 21st century and look forward to greeting another who will lead us to future success. It is only fitting that the Alumnae Relations office also have new leadership and it has been a distinct plea-sure to serve in this capacity.

A matter to consider as we prepare for the growth in our future is our identity and it is time to think of a name for our ‘quarterly’ magazine. This issue launches a search for a name and I invite all members of the Wilson family to submit your sug-gestions to [email protected]; please put the words “name suggestion” in your subject line. Entries may also be sent by mail to my attention at the college address. The deadline to receive submissions is March

30, 2011. We will put the ten best sugges-tions to a vote and aim to have a new name on the masthead of the Fall 2011 Alumnae Quarterly.

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting many of you as I travel to club meetings and alumnae gatherings. Do know that Wilson College is only as strong as your involvement. I hope you will take a moment to ask yourself where you fit into the future success of your alma mater. Please share these ideas with us; I welcome any and all conversations and can be reached at [email protected], or by mail at 1015 Philadelphia Avenue in Chambersburg, PA 17201.

~ Rita M. Dibble

Director’s Note

By Natalya Yashina


WILSON ATHLETICS

Nikola Grafnetterova ’10 was selected as the North Eastern Athletic Conference’s (NEAC) nominee for the 2010 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. This prestigious award recognizes the student-athlete in athletics as well as in academics. Candi-dates are nominated and selected on the bases of academic achievement, athletic excellence, and service and leadership throughout their college careers. Each year, NCAA institutions are encouraged to submit their top graduating female

student-athlete to the conference for con-sideration. Each conference then forwards its nominee to the Woman of the Year selection committee. Grafnetterova was the NEAC’s candidate and one of 117 student-athletes selected by conferences from a record 452 nominations. From the 117 nominees, the NCAA selection commit-tee narrows down to the top 10 student-athletes from each division, and then to the NCAA Woman of the Year.

Throughout her career at Wilson College, Grafenetterova has given new meaning to the term student-athlete. At every turn she has striven for excellence both on the field of competition and in the classroom. During her four years, she has been an active member of three dif-ferent teams; field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. In her primary sport, field hockey, Nikola was a standout goalkeeper for the Phoenix, playing in a total of 68 games and accumulating 495 saves. She has been nationally ranked in Division III in the net since her freshman season. In 2006, she was ranked 3rd in save percentage and

16th in goals against average. In 2007, she was ranked 44th in goals against average, and 26th in save percentage for 2008. In her senior season, Grafenetterova was ranked 5th in save percentage, 17th in saves per game, and 44th on goals against average. In 2006, Wilson’s field hockey team achieved the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference (AWCC) championship with Nikola in the goal. “Nikola is one of those student-ath-letes that every coach dreams of – talented, hard-working, passionate about field hock-ey and coachable. She expected nothing but the best from herself and teammates around her,” said head coach Shelly Novak.

In addition, Grafnetterova contributed to the success and growth of the lacrosse program at Wilson College. Nikola has been a member of the team since its in-ception as a varsity sport at Wilson. In 2009, Grafenetterova was named to the North Eastern Athletic Conference’s All-Conference First Team for her efforts as a defender. She also leads the Wilson lacrosse record books in groundballs and caused turnovers categories.

Grafnetterova selected as the NEAC Conference’s NCAA Woman of the Year Honoree

Three Wilson Lacrosse Players Named to the Lacrosse Academic Honor Roll

Nikola Grafnetterova ’10

Three Wilson lacrosse players were named to the Academic Honor Roll by the In-tercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association (IWLCA). Aisling Gallagher (Newry, Ireland), Nikola Grafnetterova (Prague, Czech Republic) and Beth Bush (Pottstown, PA) were among 184 student-athletes from Division III institutions hon-

ored by the IWLCA. The award recognizes female student-athletes who have attained at least junior standing academically with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Both Gallagher and Grafnetterova graduated with honors from Wilson in May. Head Coach Kelly Buikus has high praise for her players’ accomplishment, staying, “These

young women exemplify the term ‘student-athlete’ and I’m proud of everything that they have achieved on and off the field.” The Wilson College lacrosse team also earned IWLCA Academic Squad honors for the 2010 season for having a cumula-tive team grade point average of 3.0.

Beth Bush Pottstown, PA

Nikola Grafnetterova Prague, Czech Republic

Aisling Gallagher Newry, Ireland


President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson will hold events in the following locations. Specific details will be available on the website in January.

Upcoming Campaign EventsJanuary 2011San Francisco, California

February 2011Washington, DCBaltimore, MarylandPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania New York City, New York

March 2011Seattle, WashingtonPortland, OreganOrlando, FloridaWest Palm Beach, FloridaNaples, Florida

Dallas, TXNov. 1, 2010

Denver ColoradoOct. 11, 2010

East Berlin, PASept. 16, 2010

Harrisburg PANov. 16, 2010

Princeton, New JerseyNov. 18, 2010

1015 Philadelphia AvenueChambersburg, PA 17201-1285

The cost is $3,045 per person. The trip will be organized through AHI Travel.

Highlights of the trip include:• Enjoying flavorful Tuscan cuisine during a private cooking demonstration.• A private tour and wine tasting at Castello di Monsanto.• Visiting the storied towns of San Gimignano, Siena, Lucca and Carrara.• Traveling the Chianti Road to visit the well-preserved hill town of Castellina.• Seeing the ancient walled city of Lucca.• Journeying to the picturesque towns of Santa Margherita and Portofino.• Visiting beautiful and remote Cinque Terre.

And more! Visit the AHI website (www.ahitravel.com) to see a sample itinerary.

Experience two of Italy’s best-loved regions, Chianti and the Italian Riviera, on an eight-day trip Oct. 8-17, 2011, with the Alumnae Tours and Travel Club of Wilson College, fellow alumnae and President Lorna Duphiney Edmundson and husband Dan.

Call the Alumnae Office

at 1.866.446.8660 and

reserve one of the 36

spaces on this Wilson

College-exclusive trip!

Fall 2010 Alumnae Quarterly

Documents

Transcript of Fall 2010 Alumnae Quarterly