What Working Families Knead
Since 1999, Red Hen Baking Company has become known throughout Vermont for its baguettes, batards, and other bodacious breads. But last April co-owner Randy George ’93 gained national attention, joining other “Champions of Change” at a White House press conference about making strides for working families.
“The first experiences I had baking bread on a professional level were in the Marlboro College kitchen, when Richard Caplan was there,” says Randy George, co-owner of Red Hen Baking Company, in Middlesex, Vermont. “I enjoyed working with food, but it was that time baking bread for the dining hall that I realized I really wanted to focus on that.”
Randy worked in several bakeries after college, from Maine to Oregon and Washington, and some of them were truly inspirational to him in terms of their employment practices. So when he and his future wife, Eliza Cain, moved from Portland, Oregon, to start their own bakery in Vermont, Randy instilled many of the most family-friendly policies into his own business.
“I still consider myself a worker, and at 42 employees, our business is small enough that it is impossible for me to forget what it’s like to work long hours in a physically and mentally taxing job,” says Randy. “I’m grateful for everyone that works for us, and it only seems natural to express that gratitude in concrete, meaningful ways.”
In addition to providing a livable wage in most positions, Red Hen covers most of the cost of comprehensive health insurance for employees. They have a dedicated “wellness” room that is available for lactating moms, as well as massages, which are provided by a massage therapist who visits regularly. For every mile that they ride their bikes back and forth to work, Red Hen employees receive 35 cents toward a gift certificate to the bike shop of their choice.
“There is actually a self-serving side to it too,” asserts Randy, who has also been an outspoken advocate for raising the state minimum wage, paid sick days legislation, and the Wage Gap Compact. “I want to sleep and take days off knowing that the people who are working for us at those times are experienced at what they do and truly care about doing the best job they can. You’re not going to find people like that if you just pay them the bare minimum.”
Randy appreciates being in a small state like Vermont, where a relatively small business can have a meaningful impact on the local economy and community, but Red Hen Bakery’s employment practices have also attracted attention on the national stage. Randy was one of 12 “Champions of Change” invited to the White House last April 16 to discuss their efforts at more family-friendly policies with President Obama and Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. He shared the table with the CEOs of Microsoft and Patagonia, the executive directors of the North Dakota Women’s Network and Family Forward Oregon, and other luminaries in the area of progressive workplace policies.
“We shouldn’t have to choose between rewarding work and raising a family, and we’ve got to fight for that change,” said President Obama. Besides making the best organic, hearth-baked breads this side of the Atlantic, Red Hen Baking Company is part of that change.
For more about the Champions of Change event, including pictures of Randy standing behind every possible fellow champion (Vermonters are very polite), go to the White House blog. Randy says to stop by Red Hen Baking Company (just off I-89 in Middlesex) and say “hi,” or go to redhenbaking.com.
Class Notes
Class notes are listed by year and include both graduates and nongraduates; the latter are listed under the class with which they are associated.
’60
PENNY SAYRE WIEDERHOLD mourns the loss of her husband, Michael, in January 2015. “I am traveling and involved in our symphony and several chamber music groups—as an educator, not a player,” writes Penny. “Your publications are excellent.”
’63
“Preparing to direct Goldoni’s Servant of Two Masters for the Midcoast Actor’s Studio, located in Belfast, Maine,” writes JONATHAN POTTER. “Just had some poetry published, and my novel We Will What We Will is doing well. Working on a poetry book with friends. Looking forward to rowing and sailing.”
’68
“Enjoy reading Potash Hill,” writes MARK KLIMO. “Keep up the good work and communication. Always have fond memories of my formative years at Marlboro, 1964 to ’68.”
’70 
“It was a fertile time,” said JOEY KLEIN, who participated in a Vermont Historical Society forum on the state’s cultural renaissance in the 1970s, as reported in the May 4 Times Argus. Joey describes it as a period when energetic people looking for grounding in life encountered native Vermonters, who already were grounded. “Some folks scowled at us and some folks were amused by us.” Joey lives in Plainfield, where he and his wife, Betsy Ziegler, own Littlewood Farm.
’72
“A lot of changes in the Gerzina household,” writes GRETCHEN GERZINA. “Anthony and I have left Vermont, and I am leaving Dartmouth College: I have been appointed the dean of the Commonwealth Honors College, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. It is an exciting change, although it’s been challenging to downsize from a 250-year-old farmhouse with 12 acres and 2 barns to a smaller place in Northampton. The new job is also a new challenge and wonderful opportunity. We’ll now be closer to our son Simon and his family (including our two grandchildren) in Brooklyn; our son Daniel remains in Chicago. I remain a member of Marlboro’s board of trustees, and so Vermont will remain a part of my life.”
“A member of the class of 1972, you first came to Marlboro to study Italian literature, poetry, translation, and MICHELLE CHASSE ’73, not necessarily in that order,” reads the honorary degree citation for DAVID HOLZAPFEL. David received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Marlboro on the occasion of his retirement celebration in the dining hall in June.
’75
In March, KATIE KRAMER appeared on campus for a reading of selections from her work, including her new memoir, Missing History: The Covert Education of a Child of the Great Books. Katie is a visiting assistant professor of English and American literature at Middlebury College.
’76
“My husband, one of our daughters, and I just returned from a trip to Osaka and Kyoto, Japan,” writes MELISSA METTLER ABRAMS. “It was a business trip, but we managed to include some sightseeing as well. We were lucky to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. My older daughter is graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May, so we will all be there for that. My younger daughter will be finishing up her freshman year at San Diego State University.”
Smarter on Crime: Scott Williams ’93 
Last November, Scott Williams defeated the incumbent Republican for the position of Vermont state’s attorney in Washington County. He won the office on a campaign of striving to be “smarter on crime,” playing an active leadership role in law enforcement, and ensuring that victims are given a better “voice” in the criminal court system.
“I am working to bring others, and particularly government decision makers, to realize that responding to crime as a public health issue is, in the long run, a more effective approach than the traditional ‘law enforcement’ model,” says Scott. “My staff and I are trying to create space within which we will seek to build efficient and smart structures for how our community as a whole responds to crime.”
A graduate of Temple University Law School, Scott brings a wealth of experience to his new job, with almost 20 years practicing law, most recently in his own firm, Williams & Gray. He says he is well suited to his position because he enjoys working with people, and he realizes the value of collaborative work, but he’s also comfortable being “the boss.” Perhaps more importantly, he has a profound sense of humanity. “As a former defense attorney, I am aware of and empathetic to the reality of so many people charged with crimes, people for whom we, as a society, seem to have lost any sense of forgiveness.”
When he is not lawyering, Scott loves being with his family, skiing, and of course running a chain saw. He still loves to read, often four books at once: “the Kindle is Satan’s spawn,” he says. “For years I have pitched to anyone who would listen the value of a Marlboro education. Not only the willingness to question but the typically unavoidable questioning of the existing paradigm.”
’80
ANNIE QUEST writes, “Had a lovely dinner and mini reunion at Panda North in Brattleboro, Vermont, with JAY DAVIS ’79, LINDY WHITON ’77, MATT SKEELE ’79, Emma Worth (daughter of DIANE KAZER WORTH), and friends to celebrate a visit from Lindy’s nephew Jason. Also in attendance was our 9-month-old grandson. What a joyful gathering.”
OLGA PAREDES writes, “I’m still mediating child custody disputes at superior court in Alameda County and am still loving the work. When not at work I can be found in my garden with Leo the wonder dog. Regards to all at Marlboro, especially CHRIS DEWART ’78.”
’82
DAVID SKEELE writes, “Still happily employed at Slippery Rock University, in Pennsylvania, teaching acting and playwriting and directing lots of shows. Currently I’m hard at work on a TV pilot script and an iambic pentameter political thriller/rock musical.”
DANIEL PICKER is the author of a new scholarly article, “Incredible Diligence,” in the Spring 2015 issue of the Sewanee Review. “The article discusses Updike, on the life and work of John Updike, which includes his life in Vermont. I’m also the author of a new short story that appears in the fiction section of the Spring 2015 issue of the Abington Review. I correspond on occasion with Marlboro historian DAN TOOMEY ’79, Native American and Irish scholar JIM WADE, as well as INGRID AUFDERHEIDE CARLSON, TIM PRATT, PHIL HALL ’81, BEN SARGENT ’83, and Tom Ragle, former president.
’83
“I wish Jim Tober a happy retirement,” writes XENIA WILLIAMS. “I recall struggling through Jim’s 9:00 a.m. statistics class, preceded by the 8:00 a.m. math for numerically challenged stats students. My current math problem is living on social security.”
’85
RACHEL BERESON LACHOW writes, “My high school (Audubon Expedition Institute [now known as EEI]) has merged with my college. Mind blowing. Good luck to Ellen.”
’86
CHARLES CURTIN is pleased to announce the publication of his new book, The Science of Open Spaces, recently out from Island Press. “The book chronicles two decades of work in conservation, spanning marine and terrestrial systems, and spans international and North America projects,” writes Charles.
’87
JENNIFER WEST writes, “In June, I won the contest to design the burgee and logo for the newly formed Steamboat Springs Yacht Club. I’m in the process of organizing a group called Sketch Steamboat Springs, an informal, friendly sketching group for all levels and ages. The idea is that we go on 'Sketchcrawls' (like pub crawls but with sketchbooks instead of Guinness)."
KIMBERLY DOW became chief of academics at the innovative U.S. Performance Academy, a digital, independent school for competitive athletes in middle and high school. “Our passion is to create a personalized learning plan that is both flexible and balanced, and which offers opportunities to build collaborative environments among elite athletes in many different sports around the world,” says Kim, who will lead the school’s academic operations from Lake Placid, New York.
Entrepreneurship as a Way of Life: HeatherJean MacNeil ’02 
A self-described “start-up junkie,” HeatherJean MacNeil launched her first venture, an ethical fashion company called Proxy Apparel, in 2008 (see Potash Hill, Summer 2009). Since then she has joined the team at the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership, at Babson College, where she founded a women’s accelerator program called the Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab.
“I love working with women founders and start-ups,” says HeatherJean, whose experience launching Proxy opened her eyes to gender biases for entrepreneurs. “I’m very passionate about closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The WIN Lab has become my outlet to design and test possible solutions and educational models that could change the landscape for women founders and CEOs.”
The WIN Lab is a nine-month, customized program for women entrepreneurs (that’s right, WINners) to test, launch, and grow high-potential, high-impact ventures. The program is rigorous, milestone-driven, and recognized by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship as an outstanding specialty entrepreneurship program. Last December, the WIN Lab received BostInno’s “50 on Fire” award for cutting-edge educational programming.
“I love working in Boston’s start-up scene, and being around creative people executing on their ideas, problem-solving, and being bold,” says HeatherJean, but she can still wax nostalgic about Potash Hill. “My Marlboro friends are for life, and the most talented, audacious people I know. The pressing questions of my Marlboro professors are still like a bug in my ear, and they continue to sponsor my ongoing ‘Plan’ in life. Marlboro teaches you to write and find your voice, and I have always found this to be a competitive advantage.”
HeatherJean is starting a fulltime doctoral program in entrepreneurship and strategy at Bentley University this fall, and will be working to scale the WIN Lab globally. For more information, go to thewinlab.org.
’90
“My first novel, Hidden View, will be published by Green Writers Press of Brattleboro this coming fall,” writes BRETT ANN STANCIU. “I was at my niece’s graduation in May 2014, and it was such a pleasure to see Marlboro looking so fine. Furthermore, ANDREW DELBANCO’s speech reminded me all over again just why I am so fortunate to have attended this great college.”
’91
After visiting campus last spring with her husband, HAYDAN BAKER ’92, and daughter, a prospective student, JUDY-GAIL HOUSER BAKER shared this reminiscence of coming to Marlboro, the first in her family to graduate from high school, let alone college. “It’s probably cliché to admit that my life’s path was set here. A lesson in my World History class that began with ‘write down everything you know about the Middle East—you have five minutes’ (I was thoroughly disgusted with my limited knowledge—no, seriously, camels, oil, desert...limited) led to: self-studying Arabic; diving deep into multicultural literature; interning in Jordan; writing a Plan with Birje (my spirit father) and Tim Little; going to grad school to pick up five more languages and figure out the existing barriers to real teaching outside of oases like Marlboro; becoming a high school humanities teacher and a college and high school writing prof; and now getting ready to take on a PhD in English, examining the concept of authentic teaching and learning of academic writing. Now, when someone tells me that a particular kid or group of kids isn’t ‘my’ caliber of student, I think: Yes. Bring ’em on!”
’92
A professor of Music at Ashland University, in Ashland, Ohio, CHRISTINA FUHRMANN received the 2015 Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award medal during AU’s academic honors convocation in April. Christina’s research focuses on theater music and imported opera in early 19th-century London. Referring to her Plan sponsor, Luis Batlle, Christina says, “Luis was one of the most inspiring teachers (and people) I have had the pleasure to work with.”
ALEX GARDNER makes a timely appearance on the Lambda Legal promotional video called “Say #IDO to Equality,” supporting the LGBT rights movement leading up to the historic Supreme Court ruling in June and beyond. “I do because it would be a huge step toward equal rights in America,” says Alex.
’93
CATE MARVIN is having quite a year. Her new book of poems, Oracle, was published by W. W. Norton in March, and she was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship. In her spare time, Cate spearheaded the Jed Fels ’92 memorial prize, raising over $12,000 from some 80 donors.
Art imitating life? SEAN COLE has a cameo performance in the recent movie Learning to Drive, with Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson, where he plays a radio interviewer. In real life, Sean is one of the producers for the popular public radio show This American Life. You can hear his familiar voice at the beginning of the trailer.
JODI CLARK MSM-MDO ‘15 was chosen one of the 100 most stylish dapperQs for 2015, demonstrating that even in Vermont you can find the perfect suit. In Jodi’s case, this is a three-piece Mantoni.
’96
TRAVIS STEVENS was producer on the recent horror film We Are Still Here, which one reviewer called “a wildly original and terrifyingly entertaining ride, sure to be the most memorable genre film of the year."
’98
“All is well here in Ohio,” writes NORA DANIEL. “Ruby is 8 and thriving. Paul and I are working toward upcoming shows.”
’99
“Hi Marlboro,” writes JUNIPER KATZ. “I’m back in school again as a PhD student at University of Colorado Denver, in the school of public affairs.”
CHARLIE BARMONDE organized a group show featuring generations of Marlboro ceramics artists for March’s annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, in Providence, Rhode Island. Titled From Potash, the show featured artists MALCOLM (ORV) WRIGHT ’80, ELLEN SCHON ’75, and WILSON GAUL ’10, along with visual arts professor Tim Segar, students, and former faculty members.
“My work revolves around buildings because they encompass everything I think is important about sculpture,” says CHRIS OLIVER in an article about his spring exhibit at the Community School of Music and Arts in Ithaca, New York. “Buildings are at once timeless and so serious, such a basic human need, and can also be such hilarious exhibitors of human tastes.”
Outsmarting Brain Cancer: Tenley Archer ’03 
“I have found that my experience at Marlboro scales to other projects,” says Tenley Archer. “The Plan gave me a solid experience in completing a big project, and made it less daunting to do it again, and again.” Following her Plan on developmental cell biology, Tenley started graduate school in the lab of her outside examiner, Elena Casey, at Georgetown University. Having completed her PhD with a dissertation on the role of transcription factors in neural development, she is now doing postdoctoral research at Boston Children’s Hospital.
“As a postdoc, I get to be really creative about solving scientific problems, and I have the best group of people to work with,” says Tenley. She and her colleagues are studying medulloblastoma, the leading malignant brain cancer in children. Her team has identified several mutations associated with this disease, and her own work focuses on unraveling how some of these mutated genes contribute to cancer, in order to propose new treatments.
“We quickly realized we needed to take a systems biology approach because there are so few similarities from patient to patient. If a new drug will ever be successful, it has to be useful in a large group of patients. My favorite things about this work are the collaborative atmosphere, teamwork opportunities, cutting-edge methods, and developing and testing new ideas.”
Tenley attributes much of her teamwork and leadership skills, crucial to project management, to her years of involvement in the Outdoor Program. “The OP, under the stewardship of Randy Knaggs, was one of the best parts of Marlboro for me, and imparted on me tools that I draw from every day. Caving, hiking, skiing, or paddling can get people out of their comfort zones, and puts them in positions that force them to find more abilities inside them than they thought possible.”
’02
“We’re doctors!” write JOHN COAKLEY and KATE HOLLANDER. Last August, John graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a PhD in history, studying the early modern Caribbean, and Katie defended her dissertation on 20th-century German intellectuals this spring and graduated from Boston University, also with a PhD in history. “We both teach at the college level in the Boston area. We get to see Marlboro folks quite a lot around here. Marlboro epitomizes the life of the mind in community for us. Thank you, college on the hill.”
“BRIAN ANDREWS ’00 and I are still living in California, now on a boat in Sausalito,” writes NORA SAWYER. “Brian is converting an old houseboat into an art studio—you can view the work in progress on our studio blog. You can also see Brian’s artwork (and more studio shots) on his website. I’m working as a librarian in a law firm, and starting to look for other library work (my job will be moving to Kansas City without me in January). I’ve recently started a guerrilla arts group with some friends, which we’ll be blogging about (until we get a cease-and-desist order).
J. ANDREW SANDLIN is working as web developer for Omnia Agency in Providence, and is married to SONJA REITSMA ’03. They have three children.
’03
“ALLISON GOLD ‘06 and I are happily married in Brooklyn,” writes KURT RODERICK. “We are living with our two cats, George-Dude and Pork Chop, in Crown Heights. Allison is a nurse working in Manhattan, and I am co-owner of Crow Hill CrossFit. We both compete in local Olympic-style weightlifting competitions, and are staying very busy.”
’05
LIZ CRAIN writes, “Living in Washington State, on 10 acres northeast of Seattle, with my first-generation Dutch-American partner, Bernard, and my pup, Indonesia, who thinks she’s died and gone to heaven on this land. Leafhopper Farm is a permaculture-inspired design with no-row cropping, but plenty of earthworks, water flow systems, and planned rotational grazing to keep the soil healthy and the land thriving. This stuff is not really cutting edge, but agriculture as we see it today must start changing soon if there is going to be enough fertile land to feed us. Small, organic farms are the solution.” See all the fun.
MICHELLE WRUCK writes, “I’m enrolled in St. John’s master’s program in Eastern classics, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love it. I’ll graduate at the end of the summer and then will probably do their Western classics program as well. I’m hoping to teach at the collegiate level in the humanities and am considering a University of New Mexico PhD program.”
’06
“ERIC STROM ’07 and I have been living in Brooklyn, New York, since 2008,” writes EMILY WENDLAKE. “Eric works in outside sales for Land’s End, and I am an ESL teacher at a wonderful public high school for newly arrived immigrants. We got married on June 28, 2014, and are expecting our first baby this October.”
’07
SARAH DOBBINS left her position at the San Francisco Department of Public Health this year to start her second graduate degree. She is in the master’s entry program in nursing at University of California San Francisco, and in three years she will be a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. “This year I will be publishing two peer-reviewed manuscripts, one about housing as health care for the homeless and the other about using comics as a tool for public health communication in underserved communities,” writes Sarah. She lives in Oakland, California, with her partner.
KIRSTEN GRAVDAHL writes, “Gabe Lein and I welcomed our son, Milo William Gravdahl, on February 7 this year. We are all thriving out in Colorado, though some day hope to move back to New England.”
“I could not be prouder to announce my first national publication, in the New York Observer,” writes MICHELLE THREADGOULD. “I got to write about Black Lives Matter and the importance of teaching hip hop education in high schools. I met the most inspiring people who are creating positive change in our youth and culture, and I am happy to bring attention to Brian Mooney and Khafre Jay, two educators who are fighting for people of color from the inside.” That’s not BRIAN MOONEY ’90, by the way. Who imagined there could be two?
’10
KENNY CARD writes, “I’m excited to share that I’ll be starting a PhD in urban planning at UCLA in the fall.”
As of this past January, SARAH HOROWITZ has been working as a curatorial assistant at the Picker Art Gallery and Longyear Museum of Anthropology at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. She is conducting provenance research on objects in the collections and contributing to gallery publications, as well as curating an exhibition featuring the work of contemporary multimedia artist Jaye Rhee, scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.
’11
SARAH VERBIL graduated from CUNY School of Law in New York City, along with fellow alumnus PATRICK TYRRELL ’08. “Hopefully, by the time of Potash Hill publication, I’ve passed the New York bar and am celebrating by looking for human rights jobs in the NYC area,” writes Sarah.
AMANDA WHITING writes, “I’m the events coordinator at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, and after becoming a Get on Board Fellow in Marlboro’s Board Leadership program, I was elected to the board of the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association.”
Recommended Reading, Electric Literature’s emagazine of original fiction, published JOHN THORSON’s short story “All Dogs Go to Heaven with a Vengeance.” “Thorson is a writer who communicates all of this without a moment of explanation— it’s all done through brilliant, transportive writing,” writes the magazine’s editor-in-chief.
’12
“Nothing about the war or the death of friends has ever been easy for me. But I write it all down anyway,” says BRANDON WILLITTS, writing in a Huffington Post blog post last April titled “Why I Write: A Veteran Reflects on Coming Home from War.”
“I understand that the senator had a great time at Marlboro this weekend,” says DREW TANABE, referring to commencement speaker Senator Patrick Leahy. “It is so cool to me that he spoke at commencement.” Drew is a junior staffer for Senator Leahy on agriculture, environment, and energy issues, and is headed to Cambridge University in October for a master’s in environmental policy.
’13
“I’ve been having a phenomenal time creating micro books for around a year now,” says EVAN LORENZEN in an interview on hlntv.com, a CNN network site. The article, titled “These Tiny Books Are a Big Deal,” focuses on Evan’s penchant for creating handmade, illustrated books “smaller than some thumbnails!” such as one called Life’s Lil Pleasures. “I really hope that the book inspires others to investigate the little pleasures in their lives that often go unnoticed or disregarded,” says Evan.
ALEXIA BOGGS is attending law school at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi. “ANNA LUCIA UIHLEIN ’14 and SEAN PYLES visited me this weekend, from New York City and San Francisco, respectively,” she writes. “Coming from the edges of each coast to Mississippi, my former classmates brought with them a special feeling of home away from home. I draw from the lessons I learned at Marlboro on a regular basis. I am focusing on space law—a decision that was first sparked by Eric Toldi ’11 and his Plan on the history of space. In January, I won a negotiation competition and a spot on the University of Mississippi School of Law’s Negotiation Board.” Over the summer, Alexia worked in Washington as a clerk for Senator Patrick Leahy.
’14
MOLLY BOOTH has sold the rights to the young adult novel she wrote on Plan, Saving Hamlet, to Disney-Hyperion Publishing House, in a two-book deal. This past June, she made the move to Portland, Maine, where she lives and fraternizes with other Marlboro alumni. “I write and drink tea all day, and hear my Plan sponsors’ voices in my head constantly,” she says. More to come, but in the mean time learn more in Wicked Local Marblehead.
After serving for several months as the assistant to former president Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, KARA HAMILTON has moved on to the position of admissions counselor for Marlboro College Graduate and Professional Studies. There she is focusing on recruiting candidates for the Master of Arts in Teaching programs.
Graduate and Professional Studies
MAT
LAUREN SUMMA MAT ’02 lives with her husband, Andy, and son, Quen, in Liverpool, Texas. She is currently in her 12th year as music teacher at Melba Passmore Elementary, where she serves as the lead music teacher. “Teaching music to elementary students really is one of the happiest jobs in the world, and I love dancing and singing with happy children all day long,” writes Lauren. She has presented sessions on educational technology in the music classroom at several professional conferences, and is co-director for the Music and Technology Conference of Houston (MATCH), the first-ever music technology conference for elementary music teachers.
DEANNA DONZA MAT ’13, a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Monument Elementary in Bennington, Vermont, was honored with a “Bright Spots in Education” certificate from the Bennington chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Deanna was chosen both for her work on a Nature’s Classroom trip and for her knowledge of technology gained in the MAT program. Monument Principal Donna Cauley said, “Deanna is known as a mentor to other faculty members in the area of technology.”
Hartford High School teacher MIKE HATHORN MAT ’13 has captured national attention for his statewide program on 3D modeling and local history. “Room 212’s a little bit different than a regular classroom,” he says in a recent video by lynda.com. “I’m trying to make sure the kids at Hartford High School have cutting-edge stuff happening on a regular basis. Every day, the kids come in and they get right to work.”
MBA
“I’m thrilled that I’ll be teaching finance at Bard’s Sustainable MBA program starting next January,” writes KATHY HIPPLE MBA ’13. “Thanks to Marlboro, I had the academic credentials to be considered for the position. During the past few years, I’ve been running a digital marketing firm, Noosphere Marketing, which I founded while at Marlboro. Our firm helps our clients—mostly social enterprises, large financial services, and tech companies—communicate their vision, including their sustainability initiatives.”
Five years after starting the Daughters of Toleza with faculty member Beverly Winterscheid and four other MBA students, DON SIMMS MBA ’11 reports, “Our nonprofit organization supports seven Malawian girls who go to the Bakhita Secondary School, a boarding school located in Balaka, Malawi.” The mission statement of Daughters of Toleza is to “empower one Malawian girl at a time with expanded life choices by supporting her secondary education.”
CleanPowerPerks (CPP), the company started by TESS O’BRIEN MBA ’12, won Green America’s People and Planet Award in March, including a $5,000 prize. “The People and Planet Award will allow us to educate more Americans that clean energy is something anyone can choose and that switching to clean energy through CleanPowerPerks comes with very tangible rewards,” says Tess.
Former faculty and staff 
No subject is too itchy for retired biology professor BOB ENGEL. He conducted a spring series of lectures at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, in Dummerston, Vermont, on the lives of insects.
In July, Wilmington’s Pettee Memorial Library and Bartleby’s Books celebrated the publication of LAURA STEVENSON’s new novel, Liar from Vermont (Brigantine Media, ISBN: 978-1-9384064-2-3). Laura read from her book at Memorial Hall, in downtown Wilmington. Set in the mid-1950s and early 1960s, a time of a rapidly changing landscape in Vermont, the 10 interlocking stories of Liar from Vermont follow a young woman’s quest for belonging.
In 1957, Bruce Cole ’59 and other students attended an astronomy class with physics professor JOHN MACARTHUR at his MacArthur Road farmhouse. Jump ahead 58 years to January 2015, and Bruce was attending a class with the same professor, now 92 years old, in the same farmhouse. This time Bruce and John were joined by Barbara Cole ’59, John’s son Dan, retired ceramics professor Michael Boylen, retired bookstore manager Lucy Gratwick, and a few other old friends, in a lively class titled Energy, Climate Change, and Global Warming. “Such a treat to join in with the old master,” said Barbara, who house-sat in the same old farmhouse in 1957-58 when John and family were in Cambridge while he taught at MIT. “Thanks John for continuing to share your knowledge with your college and community.”
In April, retired anthropology professor CAROL HENDRICKSON gave talks in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, titled “Crossing Borders: Interdisciplinary Work and Marlboro College Abroad.” The events invited prospective students, alumni, and friends of the college to learn about Carol’s research and Marlboro’s international programs.
“There is really only one circle in the world,” said retired math professor JOE MAZUR, who made a cameo appearance in the spring Penzeys Spices catalog. He was featured in an article about Pi Day (3/14/15, same as the first five digits of pi), in which he discussed the history of applied mathematics, his own fascination with math, and his recipe for “Grandma’s Great-Aunt’s Apple Pie.” Last year Joe published Enlightining Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and Its Hidden Powers (Princeton University Press, ISBN: 978-0691154633).
