ALSO INSIDE: PRESIDENT MURPHY RETIRES

Transcription

1 THE ANNUAL MAGAZINE OF JOHNSON S TAT E COLLEGE 2014/ ALSO INSIDE: PRESIDENT MURPHY RETIRES 14 -Y E A R T E N U R E M A R K E D BY U P G R A D E S TO P R O G R A M S A N D FAC I L I T I E S 10 JOHNSON VIEWS 2014/2015 i

2 from the president President s Message As this is the final opportunity I will have to offer an opening note to our annual magazine, much comes rushing at me in an attempt to name all that is precious and important about Johnson State College. The magazine is a good place to start. This issue of Johnson Views underscores the dynamism of a college that continues to reach forward and create its future while honoring the most basic traditions of teaching and learning. Our alumni continue to do us proud as they design and develop businesses, teach and care for our youth and families, steward our environmental resources, and make and perform art. They take pride in their JSC degrees and take note of the campus as it continues to redefine itself with new labs, studios, upgraded classrooms and places for students to gather, study and collaborate. Our Common Reading Initiative begun in 2007 continues to thrive and serve as an organizing vehicle for rich and diverse activities. This year s choice, A Pearl in the Storm, had us talking all fall about grit and determination, courage and the greater world. While the author s visit was a highlight of the fall semester, spring s lively session on women as adventurers rounded out a year that also included boat-building and conversations about our heavy footprint on the Earth. Faculty and staff had their own journey this semester into a shared reading, as we read Vincent Tinto s Completing College and shared observations about the factors and commitments that must align in order to guide students toward success. As ever, I am impressed by the seriousness and collegiality that guide my friends and colleagues at Johnson State College, how deeply we do our best to live our mission that believes in the power of higher education to transform lives. Sally Ballin s very generous article (see page 10) about my tenure at Johnson State College describes much of the work we have done together over the past 14 years. Public higher education is a less forgiving field than it was at the beginning of the century, with changing demographics, a struggling economy and a regrettable shift in view that sees college more as a private rather than a public good, all combining into a complicating mix. Still we have much to note and celebrate at our college. A Title III grant awarded nearly a decade ago left a lasting legacy in the form of our Office of First-Year Experience and its significant program offshoots of learning communities, first-year seminars, creative audience programming and more intentional advising. We have launched new academic programs, including Media Arts, Musical Theatre and Sport Management. These new fields and indeed all areas of our curriculum are benefitting from revitalized faculty ranks. We are thrilled with the faculty who have joined our veteran professors in raising standards and exposing us all to new areas of scholarship and creativity. Our physical resources buildings, classrooms, labs and studios have expanded and been upgraded. Our students and faculty teach and learn together in brighter, better equipped, more energy-efficient settings. Our Stearns Student Center and SHAPE Center extend these benefits beyond the classroom. We have been helped in these campus improvements by the generosity of many. Our library was named in 2011 for the Willey family by an alumnus whose goal was always to be successful enough to make a gift of such significance that it would stand in memory of his family. Another gift that figures prominently in our current landscape is an endowment that will ensure an annual allocation to enable students and faculty to present research, attend conferences together, and design internships and experiences beyond their own budgets. These are the funds that allow us to offer opportunities that level playing fields and equalize opportunities. And, Johnson State College keeps growing! We have added women s lacrosse to our roster of opportunities for student-athletes, opened our doors to high school seniors through Early College at JSC and launched both a Diversity Task Force and a student-run ALANA group. This year we graduate our first cohort of students with a B.F.A. in Media Arts and a B.A. in Business with a Sport Management concentration. Johnson State College has many assets mostly its faculty, staff and students and a bright future. It takes courage and a deep commitment to Johnson State s mission to keep going. Our college has both.

3 337 College Hill Johnson, V T VOLUME /2015 PRESIDENT Barbara E. Murphy contents Around the Rock ACADEMIC DE AN Daniel Regan DE AN OF STUDENTS & COLLEGE REL ATIONS David Bergh DE AN OF ADMINISTR ATION Sharron Scott DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Deborah Bouton DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & alumni rel ations Lauren Philie EDITOR Deborah Bouton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sally Ballin, Leila Bandar, Lisa Baranyay, Elaine Harvey, Paul Heintz, Lisa Kent, Meredith Woodward King, Lauren Philie, Marilyn Tagliavia, Melissa Weinstein CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGR APHERS Glenn Callahan, Mary Claire Carroll, Kali Covell, Barb Flathers, Victoria Greenia, Elaine Harvey, Paul Heintz, Ellen Hill, Eric Kirk, Don Landwehrle, Kathleen Landwehrle, Forrest Mattern, Margo Warden Barbara s Artistic Vision 15 Announcing the Barbara E. Murphy Fellowship A New Giving Opportunity in Barbara s Honor 17 The Art of Beer 18 JSC Alums Play a Major Role in Vermont s Craft Brew Boom From Punk Rock to Politics Grad Dylan Giambatista Lands a Gig in the State House Keeping the Books for a New Century 28 PRINTING An Interview with JSC Faculty Librarian Joe Farara Queen City Printers Inc., Burlington, VT please Send suggestions, alumni news & address changes to : A Lasting Impression 10 Reflections on the 14-year tenure of President Barbara E. Murphy Kate Wolinsky Hathaway Point Design, St. Albans, VT is an annual publication for alumni, parents and friends of Johnson State College. F E ATUR ES DESIGN johnson Views 2 Next JSC President: Elaine Collins Third Time s a Charm for Dinner with the Boss New Programs in Psychology, Sport Management, Physical Therapy, Criminal Justice Common Book Initiative Enters 9th Year Gender-Neutral Housing Comes to Campus Greening Up Disc Golf Course Improvements SHAPE Pool Lives On Departments Join Forces to Serve Students New JSC Website JSC Deemed Military Friendly and a Top 100 Affordable Small College Alumni & Family Reunion Weekend DE PAR TMENTS Faculty & Staff News Alumni Awards 34 Athletics Update 36 jscalum@jsc.edu 2014 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees 39 Philanthropy Report 40 Donor Report 44 on the cover : Alumni News 47 Photo of Matt Nadeau at Rock Art Brewery by Glenn Callahan In Memoriam 59 Office of Development & Alumni Relations Johnson State College 337 College Hill Johnson, VT Phone Fa x THE ANNUAL MAGAZINE OF JOHNSON S TAT E COLLEGE 2014/ ALSO INSIDE: PRESIDENT MURPHY RETIRES 14 -Y E A R T E N U R E M A R K E D BY U P G R A D E S TO P R O G R A M S A N D FAC I L I T I E S 12 JOHNSON VIEWS 2014/2015 I Photo of President Murphy by Don Landwehrle Johnson views 2014/2015 1

4 Happenings at Johnson State College Elaine Collins Named Next JSC President 2 Johnson views 2014/2015 Dr. Elaine Collins, dean and chief operating officer of the College of Education at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, has been named the 13th president of Johnson State College by the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees. She officially assumes the helm July 1, 2015, upon the retirement of President Barbara E. Murphy. The College of Education at Grand Valley houses the university s largest graduate program and comprises approximately 4,000 students, 175 faculty and 25 staff members. During her 12-year tenure as dean, Collins led the college through two successful national accreditations, receiving commendations for faculty quality and academic partnership, and strengthened its programs through partnerships with local museums, school districts, community colleges and businesses. Collins emerged as the top candidate for the JSC presidency following a nationwide search that brought four candidates to campus, each of whom spent two days meeting with students, faculty, staff and local community members. Search Committee member Jamey Ventura, JSC s director of athletics and recreation, praised Collins vision for moving the college forward. Her focus on developing and marketing a strong college brand, providing opportunities and support to help students achieve their dreams, and developing new initiatives and Photo: Kali Covell/Forrest Mattern partnerships will distinguish Johnson regionally and nationally, he said. A first-generation college student, Collins has a bachelor s degree in music from the University of California at Los Angeles, a master s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of California at Davis, and a doctorate in educational policy and leadership from Ohio State University. At Grand Valley, she chairs the Professional Teacher Education Advisory Council and serves on the Advisory Board for Sustainability. In past years, she has served as president and member of the executive board of the Michigan Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and has represented Michigan s public university education deans on the State Board of Education s Professional Standards Commission. She also has chaired the Urban Center Revitalization/ Education and Arts/Education initiatives for the organization Leadership West Michigan. Elaine brought a rich background of teaching and leadership experience to us, said Grand Valley Provost Gayle R. Davis. It is no surprise that her talent and experience have attracted another institution to select her as its president. n Photo: Kali Covell/Forrest Mattern JSC Performing Arts students brought down the house with their spring 2015 production of Grease on the Dibden stage.

5 around the rock Photos: Kali Covell/Forrest Mattern Connecting Students to Careers Dinner with the Boss Returns to Campus JSC held its third Dinner with the Boss, an annual event made possible by the JSC Alumni Association. The evening connects business leaders who are JSC alums with students at a catered dinner and features information about business etiquette and career opportunities. Seven alums and 25 students at least two of whom received job offers by the end of the evening participated. Pictured clockwise from above: South Burlington Chief of Police Trevor Whipple, JSC class of 1994, chats with psychology major and graduating senior Sammy Cochran before sitting down for dinner; students, staff and alumni at the event are all smiles as they gather for a group photo; and Accuworkx USA Vice President & Chief Scientist Jeff Simone, JSC class of 2001, addresses the gathering. n JSC Launches 4 New Academic Programs Three new academic concentrations Health & Sport Psychology, Pre- Physical Therapy and Sport Management debuted in the academic year, and a fourth, Criminal Justice kicks off in fall Here s an overview Health & Sport Psychology, a new concentration available within the psychology major, explores how psychology can be used to improve motivation and performance, how physical activity improves mental health and overall well-being, and how stress and other psychological factors affect health and wellness. Students have the opportunity to assist with ongoing research at JSC into biofeedback as a tool for exercise motivation. As with the psychology major, an internship is required. Pre-Physical Therapy, a new concentration in the health sciences major, is a rigorous program designed to prepare graduates for admission to doctorate of physical therapy (D.P.T.) programs. In addition, this intensive, science-packed program paves the way for chiropractic and physician-assistant graduate programs. Courses include chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology and statistics. An internship under the supervision of a physical therapist, chiropractor or physician assistant is required to complete the program. Sport Management is a new option for students pursuing a B.A. in business at JSC. It enables students to combine their interests in sports, finance, management and leadership to prepare for a career in the business side of sports a growing, $213 billion-a-year industry in the U.S. alone. This program recognizes that sports today is as much about marketing events and refining a brand as it is about working with players and scheduling events and that strong business skills are essential for successful careers in sport management. Criminal Justice is a concentration available in either the political science or anthropology and sociology major. It goes far beyond the study of law and crime to explore complex issues of social justice as they relate to crime, punishment and victimization, including race, class, gender and sexuality. A distinguishing feature of this program is its emphasis on the growing field of restorative justice, a technique that involves working with victims as well as offenders typically bringing them together so that offenders can understand the harm they have caused and a program of mutually agreed upon restitution can be put into place. n Johnson views 2014/2015 3

6 around the rock JSC Common Book Initiative Connects discussions, exhibits, films and concerts complementing the book. This year s book A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure follows the author as she attempts to become the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. The book charts in vivid detail McClure s treacherous crossing during one of the worst hurricane seasons on record as she rows a 2,800-pound boat across 3,600 miles of open ocean. In addition to book discussions during Orientation Weekend, students participated in a variety of activities that reinforced the book s themes of perseverance, dedication, and realizing a dream against seemingly insurmountable odds. Common Reading Initiative events this year included: Since 2008, first-year students at JSC have participated in the Common Reading Initiative, which involves reading a common book with fellow members of the JSC community and participating in a series of lectures, Construction of three wooden boats on campus, under the guidance of volunteers from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, over three days in September. Chesamore Cup Rowing Regatta, with the goal of collectively rowing 1,350 miles the same mileage McClure rowed on her journey using Concept 2 rowing machines. Looking Back: The Books of the Common Reading Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff Once a thriving metropolis a true leader in the nation for production, wealth, and opportunity Detroit is now the nation s poorest city, leading the nation in unemployment, arson and other social ills. As a Detroit native and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, LeDuff tells the tale of the city s decline, getting up close and personal with his subject Characters by Lou Beach Beach s characters contend with the strange and terrible and beautiful in life, and no outcome is certain. Begun as a series of Facebook status updates, 420 Characters marks a new turn in the career of an acclaimed artist and illustrator Greasy Rider by Greg Melville Journalist Greg Melville and a friend set out on a road trip with the goal of becoming the first people to drive cross country, from Vermont to California, in a vehicle powered entirely by vegetable oil collected from restaurant grease dumpsters along the way Outcasts United by Warren St. John The book chronicles a refugee soccer team, a remarkable woman coach and a small southern town Clarkston, Georgia turned upside down by the process of refugee resettlement. Luma Mufleh, an Americaneducated Jordanian woman who founded a youth soccer team to help keep Clarkston s boys off the streets. These boys named themselves the Fugees short for refugees How Does It Feel To Be A Problem? Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi The book tells the stories of seven young Arab American men and women living in Brooklyn after the events of 9/11 as they begin to face pervasive workplace discrimination and government surveillance, cultural misunderstanding and threats of violence. The book served as a springboard for a lecture by the author himself, a semester-long photo exhibit of mosques in America by Edward Grazda, a performance by Iranian comedian Maz Jobrani; and a five-week residency by visiting Fulbright scholar Zaharom ( Rom ) Nain of Malaysia, who came to JSC through the Fulbright s Direct Access to the Muslim World program. 4 Johnson views 2014/2015

7 around the rock Students to the Campus Community An author talk and book signing by McClure, who also spent two days on campus in late September sharing tales of her life and some of her many adventures. Displays, art exhibits and films related to McClure s journey and the ocean life she observed, plus a panel discussion by some of Vermont s top female athletes who addressed what it means to be both a competitor/ explorer and a woman, including the many roles women play and societal expectations that accompany them. n Photos: Margo Warden Initiative, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah A Long Way Gone is Beah s firsthand account of being pressed into service as a child soldier in the war-torn country of Sierra Leone. His story of a childhood lost and an adulthood found is an inspiring journey, from heartbreaking tragedy to hope and redemption Dead in Attic by Chris Rose This searing chronicle of post-katrina New Orleans explores the city during its most desperate time as it struggles out of the floodwaters and wills itself back to life. As one reviewer wrote, Rose s stories are stories of the dead and the living, stories of survivors and believers, stories of hope and despair. Gender-Neutral Housing Arrives on Campus JSC will begin offering gender-neutral housing to residential students starting in the fall 2015 semester. It will be located on the second floor of Martinetti Hall, which already has a shared, gender-neutral bathroom along with 22 rooms, both singles and doubles. More and more students were starting to self-disclose their identity as transgender or in some other way, so we began to explore what it would look like to offer this option, both from a logistical perspective and in terms of best practices, says Jeff Bickford, JSC s assistant director of student life. Before that, we had worked on an individual basis with students who identified as transgender or gender-variant to find them housing on campus. Nationally, more than 120 colleges and universities have some form of gender-neutral housing, Bickford adds. We re creating a space welcome to all so that nobody has to make any kind of disclosure or out themselves by living there, Bickford says. It s a space where gender doesn t matter. Gender-neutral housing benefits and welcomes many different types of students, including those who are gender-variant, also male and female siblings and platonic male-female friends who wish to share rooms. JSC s other residence halls are single-sex by floor or by suite. n Meredith King Johnson views 2014/2015 5

8 around the rock Greening up JSC Revitalized Gardens in the Works Campus Solar Array Up and Running JSC has installed a one-acre, 150 kwh solar panel array near the main campus entrance, just up the hill from the former upper pond. The project has been tied into Johnson Water & Light and generating electricity since late fall The college and surrounding energy consumers are using the power supplied by the array, and JSC receives a leasing fee for the acre of land, as well as an additional payment for being a net-metered customer an incentive established by the Vermont Legislature to encourage the adoption of alternative energy sources throughout the state. The solar farm continues JSC s focus on sustainability and a reduced carbon footprint and is a natural extension of the college s energyconservation efforts. The array is projected to have a lifespan of 25 to 40 years and an annual production of about than 200,000 kwh enough to meet the power needs of both McClelland and Martinetti halls. As of April 2015, the array had: generated 40,755 kwh of electricity and provided 30,138 hours of electricity to area buildings; saved 27.5 trees; offset 12,096 pounds of coal. n A renovated garden space for residents of the College Apartments is the focus of a collaborative project between JSC s Student Government Association and Green Solutions Club. SGA Senator Marina Turco became interested in fixing up the area because of her love of sustainable living she developed through her Wellness & Alternative Medicine major at JSC. She connected with Samantha Gorton, who Turco says has been the sole caretaker of the existing garden and has a real passion for its upkeep. Turco realized that very few people know that the apartments have this resource and wants to make it a place where people will congregate. Now Turco, Gorton, the Green Solutions Club and part-time faculty member Russ Weis are working to create 6 x 8 beds that could be shared among interested households and to redo the whole garden space, including a former labyrinth (meditation walk) that is now overgrown, says Turco. n Marilyn Tagliavia New Forestry Plan Under Way Recognizing that managing our woodlands opens up wildlife habitat, provides watershed protection and enables the college to generate revenue through the sale of timber, JSC implemented a new forestmanagement strategy as the spring 2015 semester began. The goal is to selectively harvest mature and over-mature trees, which stimulates regeneration. Following conversations with key users those who use the campus woods for cross-country running, disc golf and the ropes course staff marked trees for harvesting and solicited bids for the work in the fall. Harvesting began during the winter, when frigid temperatures provided a protective frozen base. Lamoille County Forester Raymond Toolan, who works in the Forest Resource Management Division of the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks & Recreation, has been chosen to oversee and guide the process. n Sharron Scott Melissa Weinstein 6 Johnson views 2014/2015

9 around the rock Campus Disc Golf Course Improvements Ahead By the time fall 2015 rolls around, JSC community members can look forward to some major changes to the campus disc golf course. Graduate students Thomas Brace and Ross King and their friend Travis Connolly have banded together to bring a new look and layout for disc golf players. The overall project will consist of new tee boxes on every hole, new tee signs for every hole, signage throughout the course, some new bridges over some of the water areas, and a new welcome sign, explains Brace. There will also be a little check-in station with a sign-in book and some rules, and some general safety improvements because of fallen and leaning trees. Brace, King and Connolly started putting their ideas together for the course about a year ago. We like the sport so much that we wanted to improve the course for everybody by relocating some baskets and making other improvements, says Brace. Moving CREEK SWAMP CREEK WATER TOWER ROAD VAC PARKING RULES SIGN a basket can almost make it a whole new course, he adds. It gives it a new look and a more competitive feel, and it avoids concerns about throwing discs across paths where people were walking. The trio conducted the upgrades in such a way that the course was able to remain open. They worked when fewer people were on the course and moved baskets to their new places one by one, repositioning them immediately so that no hole would be unavailable for long. Funding for this project was provided by Healthy Lamoille Valley, an organization that focuses on healthy lifestyles, including limiting alcohol and drug use. Tee signs will help to deliver the messaging Healthy Lamoille Valley wants to promote. The messaging focuses on things that promote a positive, healthy lifestyle, says Brace. Just friendly, positive messages reminding people to not litter, to have a MINAERT FIELDS ADVANCED TEE BEGINNER TEE (NOT ALL HOLES HAVE BEGINNER TEES) COLLEGE APARTMENTS CAMPUS ENTRANCE healthy and safe day and enjoy the course, to respect others while they re out there. Each tee sign will have a description of the hole with a map and the phrase on the bottom, he explains. When the last traces of snow were gone, Brace, King and Connolly cleared out broken trees and invited the community to pitch in. They plan to host a tournament after the work is completed to promote the new course and additions. It s been a really exciting project and I m really happy to be a part of it, says Brace. A lot of work has gone into it and will continue going into it. We re always looking for help and feedback, he adds, inviting anyone who wants more information to JSCdiscgolf@gmail.com. n Marilyn Tagliavia Departments Team Up to Improve Student Services After a year of planning, the offices of the Register and Academic Advising were combined in Dewey Hall this year, following a model in place at many colleges that partners the two offices in order to better help students plan and successfully complete their degree requirements. Registrar Doug Eastman and Director of Advising Sara Kinerson proposed the collaboration after considering the many ways that student records, before they become completed documents, are evolving plans that need regular attention and that students rely on advising from faculty and Advising Center staff as they move toward program completion. In another move aimed at improving services for students, the former Business and Financial Aid offices have merged into a new department called Student Financial Services. The move provides one-stop service for students and families with questions about matters related to bills and payments. As a result of these changes, several other offices on campus relocated as well. For example, Information Technology Services, previously located in the lower level of Senators, now occupies the former Registrar s space in Martinetti Hall, and the Office of Development & Alumni Relations is now fully accessible and located just down the hall from its previous space in Martinetti. n Johnson views 2014/2015 7

10 around the rock A New Website for JSC After more than two years of research and development, JSC unveiled a revamped website during the summer of The look and feel of the mobile-friendly site is designed to both better reflect JSC s vibrant community and increase user engagement. Feedback from the site s primary audience prospective students and their families has been overwhelmingly positive, with users citing the clean look of the site and easy-to-understand site navigation as the most impressive features. The homepage provides a place to highlight students and alumni as well as clear paths to top level information. With hand-drawn -style graphics that are echoed throughout the site, it relays to users that Johnson State is a welcoming community where students can be themselves and feel at home. Below that main graphic, users find three columns. Is JSC Right for You? takes users to a microsite that explores our purpose, our place and our people ; Finish Your Degree links users to information about the External Degree Program; and Information for: links to information sought by key audiences. The site was designed by NewCity Media, which was chosen after a competitive bid process. Feedback from JSC students, faculty and staff, as well as current best practices in web design and user engagement, guided the process. We set out not only to make it easier for users to find the information they wanted, but to make the site cleaner and less cluttered so it would function as well on a smartphone or tablet as it does on a desktop, explains Melissa Weinstein, JSC web and digital communications manager. We want to be sure that no matter what device a potential student is using to research a college and at this point, it could be anything from a desktop to a watch they have the best experience possible. A quick links section at the top of the homepage, just above the search bar, opens to reveal links to frequently sought content, further reducing content on the homepage itself. Key landing pages throughout the site have been similarly streamlined. In addition, a new Planned Giving Guide at walks visitors through the steps of leaving a planned gift to JSC, complete with a benefits calculator for specific types and amounts of gifts. And on every page is a footer with the JSC address and phone number, social media links, and the all-important Support JSC button, which links to a page where users can make a secure online gift. More work remains to be done and will always remain to be done but the new site is light years ahead of its previous incarnation. As Weinstein puts it, Websites are works in progress they re never finished. We d love your feedback. Please send an to web.editor@jsc.edu with your thoughts. JSC: Military Friendly & Affordable Johnson State College has been designated both a Military Friendly School in recognition of the college s commitment to student veterans and an Affordable Small College in recognition of the number of students and tuition cost at JSC. The military friendly certification was bestowed by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business that assesses colleges on their programs and services for veterans and bestows the designation at no cost. JSC has taken several steps in recent years to enhance services to students who are veterans. In 2013, the College received a $10,000 innovations and collaborations grant from the Vermont Community Foundation to expand programs for veterans and their families. At that time JSC began serving as an outpost of the South Burlington Vet Center, providing counseling and information on veterans benefits on Fridays to students and area residents who otherwise would have to travel to Burlington or White River Junction. The following year, JSC established a Veterans Center in Dewey Hall and started offering a course called The Military Experience: To War and Back. In addition, recently JSC was named one of the Top 100 Most Affordable Small Colleges in America by BestValueSchools.com. The website notes that the College is ideal for students who love the outdoors but don t want to feel isolated from the real world and acknowledges the College s strong campus community, small classes, modern facilities and student involvement in athletics and extracurricular activities. The only other Vermont colleges to make the list were JSC s two sister colleges, Castleton and Lyndon. All three are part of the Vermont State College system and the only VSC institutions that award degrees at the both the baccalaureate and graduate levels. n 8 Johnson views 2014/2015

11 Photo: Elaine Harvey In the spring of 2014, as JSC was strategizing on ways to reduce expenses, one of the items put on the table was closing the pool in the SHAPE Center something no one wanted to happen, but which nonetheless was a possibility due to repeated failures of the system that heats the pool and controls humidity. The system had outlived its projected 25-year lifespan, and the price tag to replace it upwards of $400,000 was out of reach, even though in recent years the college had spent $60,000 to $70,000 for repairs on top of the annual $80,000 just to run it. By the time the fall 2014 semester began, administrators agreed to keep the pool open through the end of the semester, but the future was uncertain at best. With an outpouring of concern from local residents that the pool might close, the college formed a committee of college and community members to explore ways to keep the pool open. A long-term loan for energy-efficiency improvements from the Vermont State Colleges ended up being the solution, and plans were made to install the new system over winter break. As luck would have it and to no one s surprise at SHAPE the system broke down yet again, forcing the pool to close in November. It took longer than expected for the new system to arrive, but eventually it was delivered and installed in late February The pool reopened the following month with great fanfare and a new, energy-efficient heating and ventilation system. The College celebrated by hosting a Saturday open house for local residents that Scenes from the March 2015 Open House drew more than Photo: Barb Flathers 60 adults and children for a free day of swimming and related activities. And so the JSC pool lives on, now with a more efficient heating and dehumidification system that will save the college about $20,000 per year. While relatively few students, faculty and staff use the pool on a regular basis, it is used for some Outdoor Education classes, and it hosts swim lessons, physical therapy, water aerobics classes and other activities frequented by community members. n around the rock SHAPE Pool Gets a New Lease on Life Photo: Kali Covell/Forrest Mattern JSC Casino Night Wins Big for United Way of Lamoille County Margo Warden deals the cards at JSC s 38th annual Casino Night in March. One of the College s longest-running traditions, Casino Night is sponsored by JSC s Student Government Association and supports the United Way of Lamoille County. This year s event attracted more than 100 students and community members, many of whom dressed to the nines for the Hollywood theme, and raised more than $800 for the organization. Johnson views 2014/2015 9

12 feature title The Legacy of Barbara E. Murphy 14 Years as President of Johnson State College 32 Years with the Vermont State Colleges 2001 Barbara E. Murphy is inaugurated as the 12 th president of JSC. Number of online courses offered through the External Degree Program doubles. The first technologyenhanced classrooms are established on campus. 10 Johnson views 2014/2015

13 feature a lasting impression What President Barbara Murphy will miss most about JSC besides the views and the outdoors and the ever-present energy on campus where something is always happening is the stimulation of being part of a culture in which teaching and learning are the primary purpose. She will miss the creative projects and research of faculty and conversations with them about their work, the thoughtful ideas of staff committed to trying out new strategies for students to thrive. Especially, she will miss the faith and energy of students. They trust us with their futures, she said, and are lending us their hopes and dreams for a while. That is huge. The students will miss her, too. Senior Nick Nadeau, from nearby Fairfax, first met President Murphy when he was college-shopping and came to Johnson. During a tour of campus, the group encountered her in Martinetti Hall. She talked with me for about five minutes, asking a lot of questions about my interests, he recalls. It made a big impression on him at no other college had he even met the president and in fact tipped the scales in his decision to attend JSC. She s really involved in the community I see her everywhere, from varsity athletics on campus to the local market in town where I work. She seems genuinely interested in what s happening in my life, even beyond how things are going for me at JSC, he says, adding that college was a longshot for him because he grew up in a foster family. It matters to him, he says, that the president puts students first and has an open door. It s a common theme echoed by many, including David Bergh, dean of student life and college relations, who s worked side by side with Barbara during her entire tenure at JSC. She puts a priority on being approachable and visible on campus, and she takes great interest in students as people, he says. She s always curious to know how Barbara has been exceptional at engaging people in creative thinking around how we can better serve our students. She s been very supportive of new ideas and initiatives. Sara Kinerson Director of Advising 2002 JSC partners with the Community College of Vermont to bring the External Degree Program to all CCV academic centers in the state. JSC workforce-education opportunities expand throughout the state, including degree programs at Rutland Regional Health Center and Washington County Mental Health Services. JSC joins forces with Copley Health Systems to support the Lamoille Valley Tobacco Task Force. Implementation of Colleague, the new student-information system for the Vermont State Colleges, begins The Fund for Johnson State College is established. Students travel to Nicaragua for a service-learning project in conjunction with Burlington s Sister City program in Puerto Cabezas. Campus computing facilities expand, and McClelland Hall receives a new laboratory. JSC creates a long-range plan to address deferred maintenance in residence halls and the College Apartments Initial courses are developed for the new First-Year Experience program. As learning technologies grow, the campus computer network gets a substantial upgrade. JSC endowment continues to grow, now approaching $1 million. JSC students partner with Clear Path International and travel to Vietnam to help landmine survivors. Johnson views 2014/

14 feature title I think Barbara s greatest legacy will be the transformation of Johnson s small External Degree Program into something dynamic. EDP has reached to the far edges of the state, seen extraordinary growth and made a college degree much more accessible for Vermonters. Tyrone Shaw Professor of Writing & Literature Ribbon cutting at the renovated Bentley Hall with senior Ryan Joy and Professor Liz Dolci; opposite page: the new chemistry lab on the second floor students are being served, and she s very responsive to their needs and interests. In the space of her 14 years at JSC, Barbara has transformed JSC in a number of significant ways. She is proudest overall, she says, of helping to create a climate that values access and supports the belief that every student has a right not just to attend college, but to succeed in college, surrounded by staff and faculty with high standards to reinforce the notion that excellence is within reach. The essential Barbara Murphy philosophy about higher education is this: Make it available, meaningful, and worth it. Being a college president means you are involved every day in a complex work in progress, she says. The job is never done, although many milestones signal important achievements. Points of Pride Many on campus point to the renovation of facilities in serious need of improvements as one of Barbara s greatest accomplishments: Stearns Student Center, the SHAPE Center, the Visual Arts Center, the Bentley Hall science building, the bookstore and classrooms in Dewey Hall, the new dance studio and student lounge in McClelland Hall all have been brought into the 21 st century since Barbara became president in Sharron Scott, dean of administration, credits her with $12 million in campus improvements over the past decade. She was instrumental in getting the funding and deciding where improvements would be made, basing those decisions on academic programs and students interests, she says. She didn t just look at the immediate needs; she looked at what could be, in the future. She saw the potential in academic quality. These improvements have enhanced academic programs as well as campus aesthetics and student pride, she notes. Another of Barbara s proudest achievements is her role in fostering the creation and work of JSC s First-Year Experience program and its wraparound focus on the wellbeing of students during their first year. This grant-funded initiative is a model for welcoming and engaging new students by involving them in the campus community. Drawing on the wide-ranging talents of faculty members to create a series of seminars for first-year students, it includes a common book, extensive programming tied to the book theme, and focused academic and servicelearning opportunities. It s a program that has transformed the experience for incoming students by providing programs and resources that support their success, says Margo Warden, director of the program. Among other things, it s helped increase first- to second-year retention, she notes. Barbara s been a best friend to undergraduate research at JSC. Her vocal and financial support has allowed over a dozen psychology students to present research and represent JSC all over the country. As a direct result, most have embarked on graduate educations. In raising the visibility of and celebrating research activity, she s helped to highlight scientific inquiry as the foundation of the social and life sciences. Dr. Gina Mireault Professor of Psychology 2005 JSC is awarded a $1.8 million Title III/Institution Strengthening Grant. The College creates a dedicated Office of First-Year Experience. JSC is issued full reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges. The Lamoille County Housing Summit, sponsored by JSC, explores long-term solutions to local housing issues. Among the Vermont State Colleges four campusbased institutions, JSC educates the largest number of Vermonters (77% of the undergraduate population) A JSC planning group creates an action plan in six areas identified as crucial to success of first-year students. JSC is one of five baccalaureate colleges in Vermont to collaborate with the University of Vermont in the Vermont Genetics Network, funded by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Institutes of Health. The College completes its first Facilities Master Plan. Enrollment in JSC s External Degree Program surpasses 500 students, an all-time high. A women s center is established on campus.

15 feature a lasting impression Before I arrived in 2002, Barbara told me she was a diehard liberal arts president who values applied knowledge but firmly believes that a good liberal arts education is excellent preparation for the flexibility, resiliency and problem-solving the real world of work requires. More than a decade later, I appreciate her unceasing support for these values in a climate not always friendly to them. Dan Regan Academic Dean Shortly after arriving on campus in 2001, Barbara established the President s Fund for Excellence in Teaching & Learning to encourage and support learning opportunities for students and faculty outside the classroom. This donor-supported fund supports worthy projects large and small, including student travel for unique experiences that otherwise would be out of reach. Last year it sent members of JSC s new Model U.N. Club to Boston for a weekend competition at Harvard. It s been used to send a music student to an out-of-state conducting seminar, to finance art students museum and gallery trips, to send students to a national conference on service and civic engagement. Launched in 2001, the Presidents Fund has awarded more than $300,000 to date. Celebrating the successes and contributions of JSC alumni is important to Barbara, and she will be remembered for highlighting their accomplishments through an annual awards ceremony and other programs that bring alums to campus. The Willey Library Learning Center named in honor of alumnus Richard Willey ( 71) and his wife, Rosalind, who made a $1 million gift to the college in 2010 is an example of what strong alumni relationships can mean. Another point of pride for Richard Willey & Rosalind Weiss Barbara is creating a climate that attracts and welcomes a student population that more closely mirrors the face of the nation. The number of minority students has doubled over the past 11 years, and JSC is known as a school that embraces different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. We all feel really good about that, she says. Support for Science Dr. Elizabeth Dolci, JSC professor of biology, is especially grateful for Barbara s advocacy of faculty-mentored undergraduate research. Her support has been essential to the dynamic state of the sciences here, she says. Barbara has been a strong proponent of our involvement with the Vermont Genetics Network and Vermont EPSCoR, making JSC competitive at the national level for scienceprogram and research funds. It s significantly enhanced professional academic achievement at JSC, she adds. Of special note is the financial support Barbara has provided directly to students to conduct genuine research, attend professional conferences with JSC faculty and present research there, Dolci adds. These experiences have been truly transformative for our students. Indeed, students who conduct serious research during their time at JSC leave college with credentials above and beyond an academic degree. This is the tangible value of the nationally recognized science program now in place at JSC one that attracted the attention of the National Science Foundation, which awarded the College more than $500,000 in 2010 to provide scholarships to promising science students at JSC. To date, 12 students have been awarded these START Scholarships, which provide up to $10,000 a year over four years at JSC. The goal of the START initiative Barbara s been a tremendous supporter of the sciences at JSC. She uses her President s Fund to support our research and empower our students, sending them with faculty around the world to attend and present at professional conferences. Dr. Leslie Kanat Professor, Environmental & Health Sciences Dept., and Coordinator, START Science Scholarship With Barbara s support, Johnson is at the forefront of the Vermont State College system in developing and sustaining a culture of research that focuses on the education of our undergraduates and promotes the scholarly activity of our faculty. Dr. Liz Dolci Professor & Chair, Environmental & Health Sciences Department 2007 Ishmael Beah s A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier launches the College s new Common Reading Initiative. Governor James Douglas attends JSC s first annual Extended Classroom Experiences Showcase. Service-learning opportunities take students to Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota, New York City, Utah and Tanzania Cutting the ribbon to Stearns with student Toni Little The academic year begins with 32 first-year seminars in place for incoming students. A newly renovated Stearns Hall opens as the Stearns Student Center, with a refurbished dining hall, performance space, and facilities and meeting spaces for students and clubs. With the support of two $40,000 workforcedevelopment grants, the College provides workshops for regional environmental workers and entry-level professionals in the nonprofit sector. Senator Patrick Leahy delivers the College s 141st Commencement address. Johnson views 2014/

16 feature a lasting impression Barbara changed the landscape and the culture at JSC for the better with regard to non-traditional learners. She encouraged everyone to treat nontraditional learners, on and off campus, as an integral part of the College. There s been a change of attitude and practices in many departments that is a direct result of her leadership. David Cavanagh Advisor & Faculty Member, External Degree Program She transformed JSC by helping to create a climate that values and supports student success. Gains in student retention are but one result. Dan Regan Academic Dean The Common Reading Initiative Barbara brought to JSC not only makes for an exciting start of the academic year, it s created extended programming that reinforces the College s belief in the importance of interdisciplinary thinking. Joe Farara Faculty Librarian is to prepare students for graduate school and future employment by providing realistic, relevant, supportive and challenging research and learning opportunities. Sophomore Shayna Bennett of Belvidere, Vt., an environmental science major at JSC, is one beneficiary. She planned to be a writer until she experienced working in a laboratory while taking college science courses as a high school student through Vermont s dual enrollment program. Today she s involved in research at JSC and is an active member of the JSC Lab Rats, an informal group of science faculty and students who meet regularly to chat about their work and build connections. Bennett points out that President Murphy is a big supporter of the STARTers and Lab Rat students. Last fall we were guests at her house for dinner. She wanted to meet us and learn more about what we were doing, she recalls. A Collaborative Style Barbara is praised by many faculty for her strong yet collaborative leadership on campus, as Tyrone Shaw Barbara leads JSC staff members in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on the steps of SHAPE in August puts it. I have been repeatedly struck by her deep commitment to our faculty and to the college, which remains undiminished even as she approaches her last commencement, adds the professor of writing and literature, who refers to the president as both a respected colleague and a friend. Fine Arts Professor Ken Leslie, who has taught painting, drawing and all sorts of other things at JSC since 1984, concurs. It hasn t been easy over the past five years because of changing demographics, which translates to a tighter budget, but rather than respond by cutting back on the arts, Barbara found funds to renovate the Visual Arts Center and enhance its prominence on campus, he says. She understood that the myth of the starving artist is just a myth. With Barbara s support, the college created a new B.F.A. degree in media arts and strengthened its collaborative connection with the town s thriving Vermont Studio Center as way to enhance the college s M.F.A. program. Enrollment in art has grown because she is a big believer in the arts for everyone, not just for art majors, Leslie notes Creative Audience program for first-year students debuts, bringing to campus a variety of programming tied to the year s common book. Fulbright scholar Zaharom Nain of Malaysia completes a five-week residency at JSC through the Fulbright s Direct Access to the Muslim World program. Major renovations to the SHAPE Athletics & Fitness Center are completed. The building is now fully accessible and includes a lab for exercise-physiology research. A steering committee of faculty and staff identifies six priority areas for a new JSC strategic plan, placing academic challenge and student achievement and early and ongoing student success at top of the list Johnson views 2014/2015

17 Looking Ahead New England faces some tough demographics, Barbara notes, presenting the next president of Johnson State College with different challenges. The population of traditional-age students is falling, Vermont s high school graduates do not proceed directly to college in strong numbers, and Vermont has steadily reduced funding for public higher education. College costs exceed the reach of feature a lasting impression many, leading to a serious imbalance in who goes to college. She calls the current patterns of college attainment deeply disturbing. A recent study by the Pell Institute showed among 24-year-olds who have attained an undergraduate degree, 77 percent came from families with incomes in the top quartile, and only 9 percent from families in the bottom quartile. Without a very conscious The College has greatly strengthened and improved our relationship with the regional community during Barbara s tenure. David Bergh Dean of Student Life & College Relations by Leila Bandar Art is an act of courage because self-expression is an act of courage. It takes leadership and vision to celebrate, embrace and nurture these acts of courage and no one has exemplified these traits more than Barbara Murphy, whose work to restore and reclaim the arts on campus will be one of her lasting legacies. It began in 2004 with the installation of track lighting in the Julian Scott Memorial Gallery. That same year, she renovated the Sundial sculpture by Kate Pond in the center of campus. In 2006, she accepted a gift from Won Lee, one of our M.F.A. alumni, of his 7-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture The Meditators, which sits atop a block of Barre granite overlooking College Hill. In 2009, she hosted the work of sculptor Cestmir Suska, which inspired the creation of a campus sculpture garden featuring some of his work. Three years later, learning of JSC s and Barbara s commitment to the visual arts on campus, Dr. Carolann and George Najarian chose to donate to us a trio of magnificent sculptures by Judith Brown. And just last year, Barbara accepted from sculptor Susie Cronin the whimsical A Matter of Balance, which now overlooks the softball diamond outside the Visual Arts Center. All the while she has supported numerous indoor art installations as well, transforming unused walls into galleries in buildings throughout campus. More than any one of these acts, Barbara has done something greater than the sum of its parts: She has restored the sense of wonder, awe and delight for art and the power of art on campus. Students have told me that seeing the art on campus allowed them to feel comfortable being themselves and to think creatively, work individually and do things their own way. The new architecture of our campus, the continuous renovations of campus buildings and the ongoing landscape work on campus grounds all are part of this celebration of visual language, part of Barbara s legacy at JSC. In Clockwise from above: Won Lee with his sculpture The Meditators ; Susie Cronin with her A Matter of Balance ; The Aegean Trio by Judith Brown; Kate Pond s sundial hosts a student gathering during fall orientation. addition to being a community of academics, scholars and researchers, we are a community of risk-takers who honor selfexpression and hard work, each of us like a color in the color wheel: scientists, artists, writers, historians, journalists, mathematicians, teachers, counselors, thespians, musicians and outdoor educators. Together, a community. n Leila Bandar is the coordinator of arts on campus and an advisor in the Office of Academic Support Services. Bentley Hall Phase One renovations are completed, adding state-of-theart research labs and equipment for molecular biology, Earth science, water-quality analysis and more to the campus science building. Media Arts Research Studio ( MARS Lab ) is installed in the Library & Learning Center, with 36 Mac stations to support JSC s new B.F.A. in Media Arts. With the installation of the Alumni Clock & Bell Tower on the campus quad, made possible by gifts from JSC alumni, the College launches the Increase Our Base campaign JSC receives its first milliondollar gift, in the form of a bequest from alumnus Richard Willey, class of 1971, and his wife, Rosalind Weiss (above). The Library & Learning Center is named in their honor. The College approves a new pre-medical concentration in biology to start in 2012, preparing students for graduate study in medicine. The new JSC Success Scholarship attracts new out-of-state students. The JSC institutional logo gets an update as the first phase of a College rebranding campaign. Athletics launches a new website. Johnson views 2014/

18 Barbara changed the landscape and culture at JSC for the better with regard to non-traditional learners, who are now considered an integral part of the College. It has required a change of attitude and practices in many departments, which is a direct result of her leadership. David Cavanagh, Advisor & Faculty, External Degree Program JSC hosted a retirement celebration Barbara cheers on the home team at a cross country meet. for Barbara in late April. One of the highlights was a video produced by Eric Kirk featuring several alumni, students, faculty and staff. You can watch it at: strategy and commitment to closing this gap, she worries about our core commitments to equal opportunity. College is a more complex place now than 32 years ago, when Barbara began her career in higher education at the Community College of Vermont and later became president. There are increased expectations and requirements for our financial and social environments, and while these obligations are often rooted in concerns about important issues, compliance to meet them and report about them comes without funding, she says. In addition, she notes, Public scrutiny of colleges, course content and even the price of textbooks has increased, particularly over the past 10 years, putting new demands on resources. So what happens after the 30th of June, Barbara s last day as JSC president? She certainly won t be drifting off into the sunset. She has a home to return to in Burlington, close to extended family, and some direction in mind: writing, seeing friends more often, traveling. Her health is good and she s energetic, so more hiking and biking and being out in nature are in her future too. She likes the idea of hiking the Camino de Santiago a network of classical pilgrimages through the Pyrenees or accompanying a friend who worked in East Africa on a trip she s organizing to Ethiopia. She also has a second manuscript in the works. And she s not ruling out further work. More focused work, paid or volunteer, remains an open question, she says. With more time to read for pleasure, she intends to finish The Neapolitan Trilogy, by Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, having read only the first book that explores a friendship between two girls growing up poor in Naples in the 1950s. I need some blank space, she says, heeding the advice of recently retired friends who counsel, Don t say Yes to anything for six months. Retirement will be a work in progress for Barbara, too and it s likely to be just as innovative, creative and visible as her 14-year tenure as JSC president. n Sally Ballin, former director of JSC s Upward Bound program, is a writer and teacher in Burlington, Vt. Barbara Murphy: A Brief Biography Before assuming the JSC presidency in 2001, Barbara Murphy worked for 18 years at the Community College of Vermont, starting as an academic advisor, advancing to academic dean and then becoming president for six years. Her career has been dedicated to education in many ways as a VISTA volunteer in the mid-70s directing the Vermont renter-rebate program, as director of after-school programs at the YMCA, and as part of a research team investigating outcomes for low birth-weight babies. The organization Vermont Works for Women honored her in its 2012 Labor of Love campaign, noting that Barbara was one of the first to drive home the point that students did not have a right to fail but had instead a right to succeed. This is not a subtle point. The first in her family to earn a college degree, Barbara earned a B.A. in English from The Catholic University, an M.S. in community development from Southern Illinois University, and an M.F.A. in writing from Warren Wilson College. Her poetry has been published in several journals, and a book of her poems, Almost Too Much, was published by Cervena Barva Press in April Barbara received the Jackie Gribbons Leadership Award from Vermont Women in Higher Education in 1994 and has remained active in educational, civic and nonprofit organizations throughout her career. She s chaired or participated on college-accreditation teams, spoken at local and regional conferences, and served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the national Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, River Arts (Morrisville), the Vermont Hunger Council, the Vermont Alliance for Non-Profit Organizations, the Lamoille County Planning Commission, Vermont CARES and others. n Photo: Mary Claire Carroll 2012 $552,000 National Science Foundation grant launches the START Science Scholarship at JSC, awarding up to $10,000/ year for academically strong students majoring in biology and environmental science. A renovated and expanded Visual Arts Center opens, marking the addition of space on campus since Features include new galleries and studios for printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting and drawing, media arts, woodworking and more. Athletics receives multiple NCAA grants to support additional staffing and educational programs for JSC student-athletes. JSC receives $1.4 million, to be held in trust, from the estate of longtime friend and supporter Prescott Stearns. JSC s hosts the first annual Performing Arts Festival for Vermont high school students Johnson views 2014/2015

19 feature a lasting impression Announcing the Barbara E. Murphy Fellowship Supporting adventurers in residence Johnson State College has established the Barbara E. Murphy Fellowship in honor of President Murphy s tenure. The fellowship will support visiting scholars, artists and adventurers in residence, as Barbara refers to innovators who are passionate about their work and excel in their field or are making a difference in the world. Barbara s dream is to expose students in every major to a visiting fellow who expands their worldview and inspires them to envision new possibilities. Gifts in Barbara s honor also may be directed to the President s Fund for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, which Barbara established shortly after her arrival at JSC. The President s Fund supports unique academic opportunities for students and faculty, including attendance at professional conferences and cultural immersion in foreign lands, and to date has awarded more than $300,000 to JSC students, faculty and staff. (For highlights of recent grants, see page 42.) Gifts to either or both initiatives may be made using the enclosed envelope or by contributing online at JSC s External Degree Program, now offering seven majors statewide, receives Vermont s State Merit Award from the New England Board of Higher Education and graduates its 3,000 th student. Renovations to McClelland Hall bring a refurbished dance studio and new student lounge to one of the oldest buildings on campus. Supported by a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, JSC brings counseling services to area veterans in collaboration with the S. Burlington Vet Center. JSC partners with Vermont Public Television to bring Community Cinema documentaries and panel discussions to Lamoille County. Athletics launches new logo, replacing our cuddlier Badger with a fiercer, badder Boris Fall brings six new full-time faculty members to JSC in behavioral sciences, education, fine arts, music, and writing and literature. New academic programs: Health & Sport Psychology, Sport Management, Pre-Physical Therapy. Twenty high school seniors enroll at JSC via Vermont s new Early College program. President s Fund for Excellence in Teaching & Learning tops $500,000 thanks to a generous gift from Peter and Evelyn Fuss. JSC varsity women s lacrosse plays its first season. JSC partners with the Community College of Vermont and Vermont Law School to create the Pathways to Law & Policy program. Eligible JSC grads may pursue graduate study at VLS supported by a $15,000 annual scholarship. A Veterans Center is established in Dewey Hall. Johnson views 2014/

20 feature title 18 Johnson views 2014/2015