Geneva Magazine - Fall 2015

His handiworkThe heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims GFall 2015
Psalm 19:1
GENEVA

MAGAZINE

Dr. Harry Hartley ’58

From his condominium overlooking the Atlantic Ocean,
Harry reflects on the remarkable story of his life: how an
Aliquippa boy, with Geneva degree in hand, climbed the
ranks of higher education institutions to become a deeply
loved President at the University of Connecticut.

It is a story that includes 31 years of service to UConn,
strong fiscal leadership, 10 national championship rings,
groundbreaking work to establish the Big East Athletic
Conference and, most significantly, Harry’s vision and
fight for passage of the UConn 2000 Act, allotting $1
billion for UConn to rebuild its infrastructure statewide.

Geneva College awarded Harry the Distinguished Service
Award in 1992, one of many awards and recognitions
he has received during his career. Despite his many
accolades and professional successes, Harry remains
loyal to his blue-collar roots and the values of education,
hard work and fiscal responsibility he learned from
his parents.

Because of his commitment to higher education and in
appreciation of his quality Geneva College experience,
Harry has partnered with Geneva through a planned gift.
Perhaps you, too, have a life story rooted and grown
by your Geneva education, and you wish to help others
further their education at Geneva. If so, please visit
Geneva.edu/give or contact the Office of Planned
Giving at 724.847.6514.

T O D AY

G
FALL 2015

handiworkHis CONTENTS

8 10 20

IN EVERY ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE 12 Each Step of the Way
14 A Boon to Beaver County
2 From the President 6 Full-Cycle Learning 16 Step Forward, Take Off!

3 In Brief 8 Determining His Steps Your feedback is greatly
appreciated. Please send
14 In Motion 10 A Heart for Engineering your correspondence to
[email protected] or
20 In Service EDITOR Greg Wise ’95 Geneva Magazine,
DESIGNER Kristen Lang Geneva College,
22 Class Notes EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD 3200 College Ave.,
JOLYNN FREY Beaver Falls, PA 15010.
28 In Conclusion Dr. JAMes GIDLEY
Larry Griffith ’85
Geneva Magazine is published Cheryl Johnston
two times per year for Geneva DR. Jeff Jones
College alumni, donors, students Dave Layton ’88
and parents. It showcases the Van Zanic ’93
college and its constituencies as
they strive to fulfill the college’s
mission. Opinions expressed in
Geneva Magazine are those
of its contributors and do not
necessarily represent the opinions
of the editorial review board or
the official position of the college.

from the

Gpresident

Geneva’s campus is beautiful. There is a pleasing to prepare people for service to the Lord in
mixture of old and new buildings, green grass and important ways. Christ is the center of the higher
flowers, and short distances between buildings education provided at Geneva, and while that
that everyone appreciates when winter comes. becomes more distinct and more special in this
Fall is here, so the staff personnel and professors fallen world, it remains intrinsic to the mission
have returned. All impress me as earnest believers of the institution. By God’s grace, Geneva will
in Jesus Christ: what a delight to be among continue for another 167 years, unless the
these people, working with them. Lord returns first.

Traditional undergraduate enrollment is strong. I close by observing that Geneva College seeks
The incoming freshmen class is larger than to obey Jesus’ Great Commission to teach what
Geneva’s four-year average, especially remarkable He taught. Because Jesus has all authority in
considering that the number of graduating high heaven and in earth, Geneva teaches every subject
school students in the Northeast continues to with this great idea: our ascended Lord, Jesus of
decline. Transfers continue to enroll, as well. Nazareth, is the final standard of truth, beauty,
and right. We want to graduate students who are
The Search Committee that Trustee Chair Joye full of courage because they know that Jesus is
Huston appointed has begun its work with with them to the end, and full of love for Christ
professional thoroughness. The chair is Dr. and country—God and neighbor—because love
Bonnie Weir, and members are drawn from the is Jesus’ greatest commandment.
college administration and faculty, as well as from
both boards. Many of its members are Geneva As you read this issue of Geneva Magazine,
alumni. Their goal is to present a candidate give thanks to God for your college and for the
to the Trustees for their consideration at blessings God has given to the world through its
the February 2016 meeting. graduates. They are people who, as they pursue
their careers, create and build out of love for
Businesses that were once strong have come and Christ and country.
gone—Bethlehem Steel, Pan Am, E.F. Hutton,
Enron—and indeed, the list of once-mighty Bill Edgar
corporations now gone is extensive. But Geneva Interim President
has been in existence for 167 years and continues

2

in brief

CAMPUS NEWS

Dr. William Edgar Named Interim President

Geneva College’s Board of Trustees has appointed William J. Edgar, years longer than the average for college presidents. In God’s
Ph.D., as interim president. providence, I became aware of an opportunity for which I
seemed particularly well suited and have decided to move
Edgar’s appointment follows the recent resignation of Dr. Ken in that direction.”
Smith. After serving as Geneva’s president for 11 years, Smith has
moved on to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, Geneva’s Board of Trustees Chair Joye Huston noted that
where he has been appointed Dean of the McLane College of Dr. Smith did “good and valuable work for the college over
Business. He said, “When I was recruited by the Board of Trustees, the last decade.”
I committed to serving for eight years; it has now been 11, several
Edgar is the immediate past chair of Geneva’s Board of Trustees
and currently chairs its Board of Corporators. Prior to his board
work for Geneva, he chaired the Board of Trustees of the Reformed
Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He also has extensive family
connections with Geneva: his son Daniel graduated from Geneva
two years ago, Dr. Edgar’s parents both graduated from Geneva,
and his grandparents Dr. and Mrs. John Coleman were Bible
professors at Geneva for many years.

He graduated from Swarthmore College with a major in history
and minors in political science and philosophy. After earning
an M.S. in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, with
secondary certifications in social science and mathematics, he
received his Ph.D. in history from the same university. Edgar
conducted his dissertation research in Athens, Greece, with
the help of a Fulbright Dissertation Grant.

Edgar recently retired as pastor from the Broomall Reformed
Presbyterian Church near Philadelphia where, aided by his wife
Gretchen, he served for 34 years. For 30 of those years,
he also taught mathematics at East High School in West
Chester, Pennsylvania.

Huston said, “We believe that God will continue to provide the
resources that the college needs to meet the spiritual, academic,
enrollment and budgetary challenges ahead of us. Our interim
president, Dr. Edgar, is well suited to the task at hand.”

A committee is currently conducting the search for Geneva’s next
president. The committee chair is Dr. Bonnie Weir, who currently
serves Geneva as a Corporator and Trustee. Other committee
members are: John P. Edgar, Esq., Trustee; Larry Griffith ’85,
Executive Vice President of Geneva College; Dr. Jay Neikirk,
Chair of Geneva’s Department of History, Political Science and
Sociology; Jay Roy, Trustee; Professor Amy Russin ’99 (MBA ’08),
faculty member of Geneva’s Business Department; David Schaefer
’91, Corporator; and Dr. Melinda Stephens ’93, Geneva’s Dean
of Undergraduate Programs and Chief Academic Officer.

3

Faculty Kudos Dr. Wang Joins Yamaha
Artist Roster
DR. RALPH ANCIL, Professor of Economics,
published “A New Take on Economic Substitution” Dr. Sha Wang, Geneva College piano and music theory professor,
at the Imaginative Conservative recently joined notable artists such as Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett
(www.theimaginativeconservative.org). and Justin Timberlake on the Yamaha Artist Roster. The list is
comprised of accomplished artists, and acceptance onto the
JENNIFER CARTER, Registrar, co-authored a review roster is a prestigious honor.
of Today’s College Students: A Reader, published by
Teachers College Record (tcrecord.org). “I am honored and humbled to join the Yamaha Artist Roster,”
said Dr. Wang. “I am super excited to be working with a group
DR. ROBERT COPELAND, Professor Emeritus of amazingly talented colleagues from the Yamaha Corporation.
of Music, presented “Music in Hermann Hesse’s We have many potential projects on the horizon. I am looking
Steppenwolf” at Kent University’s Invitational forward to these collaborations.”
Conference on Historical Musicology.
Dr. Wang enjoys a career as an active concert pianist, as well as
DR. BYRON CURTIS, Professor of Biblical Studies, a professor of music and scholar in music theory. At the age of
composed three anthems that The Genevans recorded 19, she became the winner of the 16th International Young Artist
for the choir’s latest album, Psalms for the King: Piano Competition, Washington, D.C. Since then, she has been
“Choral Fanfare on Psalm 24,” “Out of the Depths” the first-prize winner at the Long Beach Mozart Festival Concerto
(Psalm 130) and “O Lord, My Heart” (Psalm 131). Competition, the grand-prize winner of the Pittsburgh Concert
Society Competition, the second-prize winner of the Bradshaw &
DR. JONATHAN IMPELLIZZERI, Assistant Buono International Piano Competition, and the alternate finalist
Professor of Counseling, presented “Pre-blended at the Seattle International Piano Competition.
family counseling: A prevention framework for
stepfamilies in formation” at the Christian Association Dr. Wang has appeared on radio stations in Chicago and
of Psychological Studies International Conference. Pittsburgh and on television stations in China and other parts of
the world. She performed at the Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium
BRIAN JENSEN, Dean of Student Development, in NYC and was also the featured soloist at the Chicago Cultural
and DR. KEITH MARTEL, Director of the Master of Center. She has been the guest soloist for the Long Beach
Arts in Higher Education program, published Storied Symphony Orchestra and Pasadena Pops Orchestra and has
Leadership: Foundations of Leadership from performed for former U.S. President Ford.
a Christian Perspective (2015).
Also a passionate new music promoter, Dr. Wang has premiered
DR. KERRY MCMAHON, Associate Professor compositions of many current composers. Her active participation
of Chemistry, has been composing numerous in new music festivals, such as Music X and Grandin Music
Christian songs, recently copyrighting “Do This In Festival, gave her the opportunities to work with composers
Remembrance of Me,” taken from 1 Corinthians 11, such as Joel Hoffman, Martin Bresnick, Kaija Saariaho
and “I Lift My Eyes to the Hills,” taken from Psalm 121. and Michael Torke.

DR. ESTHER MEEK, Professor of Philosophy, had
her essay “A Reformed View of Life and Learning:
Covenant Epistemology” published in Liberal Learning
and the Great Christian Traditions (2015).

DR. ERIC MILLER, Professor of History, served as
a Research Fellow at the Kentucky Historical Society,
which provided funding for him to start a new
project, “Wendell Berry and the Rise of the
New Localism.”

PROFESSOR ANTHONY SADAR, Adjunct
Associate Professor of Science, received the
“Outstanding Service to Mid-Atlantic Regional Air
Management Association” award for his nationally
delivered air-modeling webinar and air-emission work
on oil and gas well operations.

4

in brief

Dr. Miller Receives CCCU Grant

The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) involved in community and church life,” he remembered. “But
recently awarded an initiative grant to history and humanities Brazilian Protestantism was something I only began years later to
professor Dr. Eric Miller. He was the lead writer of a team of six understand in anything like an academic or historical sense; initially,
scholars working on the grant, which proposed a book that will it was simply what we did and who we were. In this sense it’s bound
examine evangelical Protestantism in Brazil. up in my own identity.”

The recipients of the grant—a team of three CCCU and three Brazilian The idea for the book was conceived at a 2013 seminar in Brazil
scholars—are overseeing the writing of the book, which will feature sponsored by Calvin College’s Nagel Institute for the Study of
15 to 20 contributors. The book will look at the history of evangelical World Christianity, directed by Joel Carpenter, a historian and
Protestantism in Brazil, as well as its political and social implications. former provost at Calvin. The two-week event drew together 25
Brazil is home to the world’s largest populations of both Roman scholars from Brazilian and CCCU institutions. They spent time both
Catholics and Pentecostals. The number of evangelical Protestants, in conventional discussions and on-site exploration, all of which
more generally, is quickly increasing, with a total population behind centered on the rise of Protestantism and how it is affecting the
only the United States. Miller says that this growth is significant: “For social dimensions of Brazilian life, questioning whether Brazilian
a country with such deep and extensive Roman Catholic roots, this evangelicals were more or less likely to be politically involved, what
is a shift of truly historic proportions.” their politics might look like, and how they might address social
issues like poverty and environmentalism. “It was a completely
The subject of Christianity in Brazil is one that is close to Miller’s own invigorating experience,” said Miller, “and it left us with
heart. His parents were missionaries to the country for 30 years, and the desire to pursue further collaboration.”
they moved there when he was just beginning high school. “Since
my parents were church planters, my siblings and I were intensively That desire is fulfilled with the awarding of the grant, which will
provide $18,000 over three years to fund production of the book.
Work will include meetings and workshops among the writers, who
plan to publish the book by the end of the three years. So far, the
effort has been productive. “The team represents a beautiful and rich
range of perspective, given the diversity of our origins and native
traditions of all sorts,” Miller explained. “Yet at the same time it’s also
become apparent that as Christians, we indeed share a theology
and a devotion, and that as scholars in the contemporary academy
we are in fact part of the same intellectual world.”

The collaboration has not come without some occasional friction,
but Miller said that even these difficulties advance the work. “At
times what starts as conversation turns pretty quickly to debate.
Our experience thus far, though, has been that the arguments and
contentions have proved very fruitful. We trust that the work we
do will lead to more of such fruit.” The scholars also hope that
this project will set the stage for collaboration in the future.

Overall, the goal of the project is to spread the knowledge of what
is going on in Christianity around the world. “We hope above all
that the work of the gospel will be deepened through a sharpened
understanding of what is happening historically in Brazil, thus
enabling Christians there and elsewhere to rethink their own vision
of their work,” Miller explained. “And we hope that those outside
of the Christian faith will also gain clarity regarding the meaning
of Christian faith and its presence and effects in the very volatile
21st century.”

5

by C ALEB MCCR AKEN ’16

Full-Cycle

Learning:

Engineer Competitive Senior
Design Projects

D esigning something in the safety of a classroom under mechanical engineer Andrew Sorenson, and electrical engineer
the supervision of a professor is a common experience. Jessica Decker. Having an interdisciplinary team was essential for
Designing a vehicle, structure or tool takes this experience facing the difficult challenge of the competition.
to a higher level. Although classroom work is necessary and valuable
for engineers, nothing takes the place of real-world experience. The robot had to be able to travel from a starting point to a shelf,
grab a plate of food and deliver it to a doll in a wheelchair at a table.
One way that Geneva addresses this need is by providing seniors Wall-B performed its first round perfectly. The team even received
opportunities to pursue a variety of engineer-design projects as extra points for having the robot carry the plate of food without
members of four teams that compete around the country: Robotics, spilling and for returning it to the starting line.
Steel Bridge, Baja SAE and Solar Splash. These teams engage
realistic, open-ended problems as they work to design, fabricate These competitions also serve as a great place to meet and represent
and compete with a physical manifestation of their learning. Geneva to other schools. Faculty advisor Leila Wallace said, “Our
students did very well interacting with others and displayed their
skills well. It was great!”

Robotics Steel Bridge
The Robotics team may be the newest, least established group, Civil engineer Kody Oliver, a member of the Steel Bridge team, says
but it had the most opportunity to advance. Members completed “I have always had a passion for steel bridges. The Geneva Steel
an autonomous waiter named Wall-B, making this the first year that Bridge team was a great way to be involved in all stages of a scaled
the team had a competition-ready robot. bridge design, fabrication and implementation.” Kody found that
working with the team provided him a unique experience. “Being
The 2014-15 senior design Robotics team members were computer able to see all three phases as an engineer is rare but allowed for
engineers Grace Green, Michael McGregor and Daniel Keys, many important lessons to be learned through the process,” he says.
6

“I think engineering was the project I desired to work on as my senior project since it
in itself is has automotive applications, which is what I hope to work on in
honoring to God.” the future.” He also recalls the need for team cooperation. “We
all worked very well together, especially during the competition
These are the lessons he has carried with him following graduation when anything that could go wrong did.”
as a bridge designer for HDR Engineering, Inc.
Solar Splash
Kody worked alongside engineers Kyle Eshelman, Nicholas Goforth, For the 2014-15 Solar Splash team, getting ready for competition
David Ritsema, Joe Hlebiczki, Paige Southworth and James Gregor meant constantly looking for ways to improve. Senior engineers
to create the bridge over the course of the 2014-15 school year. Brad Alan, Tyler Harbison, Sean Pace, Matt Watson and Dylan
Each year, competition organizers present a different scenario, so Weaver revised the design of the solar-powered boat’s hull so
the teams start from the drawing board. Individually, the members that it could travel more smoothly through the water.
created different designs, which were analyzed using computer
software. This process yielded a final design for which they purchased They also worked to implement a new solar panel to improve the
materials and fabricated a bridge for the competition. charging time and power management. The reality of needing
to constantly upgrade designs became clear, especially to Sean,
James, also a civil engineer, appreciated the experience. “The who says, “Our goal is to take a vessel and optimize its performance
project fit my interests perfectly,” he says, “I was really interested in using our knowledge of fluid dynamics and mechanical design;
seeing a project from start to completion.” He also enjoyed working objectives that will carry over to our careers as engineers.”
with other senior engineers. “The team was great. We all got along
well, but we were still different enough to have positive conflict According to faculty advisor William Barlow, senior projects
in order to create better ideas.” are meant to be capstone experiences for the students. “They
integrate many of the things that they have learned and reduce it
Baja SAE to practice,” he explains, “Because that is what engineers do. We
Students who compete with their designs must think on their feet really haven’t done anything until we have produced something.”
to resolve the inevitable hiccups that arise. “The purpose of the From the first semester Geneva engineers are taught a design
senior design project is to help engineering students apply the cycle that starts with the identification of a need and ends with
things that they learned in their courses in response to a realistic a final physical product. Projects such as these enable students
open-ended problem,” notes faculty advisor Robe Liljestrand. to experience the whole process.

The Baja SAE team designs and builds an off-road vehicle that By giving students the experience of a full design cycle, these
can withstand the harshest elements of rough terrain. But the real senior competitive design projects prepare them to serve God
challenge comes during the competition, which is run by the Society in whatever they engineer. As Professor Liljestrand points out,
of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The 2014-15 team consisted of Brett “Christians do not build ‘Christian bridges.’ They build solid
Alberti, Jay Beiler, Jacob Hamberger, David Ritsema, Michael bridges that serve the public safely for many years economically.
Underwood and Jonathan Antonishen [who passed away prior to Hopefully this project gets them started.”
the date of the competition–see page 28]. When they arrived at
Budds Creek Motocross park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, they Professor Barlow agrees that these projects equip students for
had to work around the clock to pass inspection. service in the Kingdom. “I think engineering in itself is honoring
to God,” he said, “I think it mimics God in that He looks at need
This kind of experience gives students a taste of the nitty gritty of deeply. The gospel is about Him looking at our need and seeing
automotive design. Jay recalls his reason for joining the team: “This us in a helpless state. And engineers look at need and try to
come up with solutions for that. I think our whole process
is God-honoring.” G

7

by ADA M ROWE ’14

Determining His Steps:

The Worldwide Impact

of One Civil Engineer
Bob Carlsen (center)
working in Uganda.

T he son and grandson of missionaries, John “Bob” Carlsen ’72 Unusual—and sometimes dangerous—experiences like these
was born in Bangkok and spent his childhood and teenage strengthened Bob’s resolve to find comfort in God’s providence
years in Thailand, Vietnam and the Cameron Highlands at an early age. “Placing my trust in the Lord was the beginning
of Malaysia. So naturally, much about his formative years was of our walk together,” he remembers. This faith that the Lord
uncommon. For example, he speaks about riding water buffalo would direct his path was reinforced by Bob’s parents.
as a child and finding bullets strewn about from the World War II
Japanese occupation and the French Indochina War in Dalat, When an American G.I. who attended his parents’ Bible study
Vietnam. Bob also remembers hearing distant artillery shells asked Bob what God was calling him to be, the eighth grader
while attending a school for the children of missionaries in gave a confident reply: “an engineer.” An engineering career may
Dalat at the beginning of the Vietnam War. not have been what his parents had in mind for Bob, given the
family’s strong history in missions. However, “They trusted the
Bob stepping in a helicopter to tour NATO infrastructure Lord to direct my path,” he says.
installations in Germany.
As a senior in high school, Bob had a typically atypical winter
8 vacation experience. Most high school and college students spend
Christmas break relaxing, visiting family and friends, and perhaps
engaging in seasonal work to earn some extra money. But from
mid-November of 1967 through January of 1968, Bob joined a
surveying expedition to the top of Doi Inthanon, the highest
mountain in Thailand.

Bob hiked the mountain with a team of two American engineers
and local porters. The trip began with an armed police sergeant
escorting the newcomers, protecting them from communist
insurgents and tigers. The group then traced a path up the moun-
tainside along a river. The journey ended with Bob making an

interesting discovery: a neighboring ridge on the spine-like Bob (second from right) visiting a potential radar site in
Inthanon Range actually surpassed the point previously assumed northern Norway.
to be the highest peak. The believed-to-be-highest peak, which
held a Buddhist shrine housing the ashes of a nineteenth century Despite his frequent job changes and even more frequent travels,
king, was almost a meter below the absolute top of Thailand. totaling over 80 countries so far, Bob finds assurance in scripture.
This was a landmark for Bob in many respects. One passage in particular speaks to his nomadic career. And Bob
found it to be the only marked verse in his father’s Bible: “In his
After graduating high school, Bob moved to the United States to heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”
attend college. Under the recommendation of friends of his family, (Proverbs 16:9). Regarding the application of this verse to his life,
he decided on Geneva College. Professionally, he considers his Bob says, “I know that no matter what happens, I can trust that
education to have been “a great foundation” for his career. He also the Lord will determine each step of the way.”
appreciates the social benefits of conversation and friendships
with peers that he experienced in college. Most importantly, Bob Even after a 2005 retirement from government service and move
is thankful for the way that Geneva helped him grow spiritually: to Colorado, Bob remained busy. He encountered Engineering
“We had weekly chapel, we had godly professors, and the school Ministries International after running a Google search on
took a stand.” “Christian engineering ministries.” Bob helped the organization
transition to 3D Building Information Modeling, which greatly
Bob met his wife, Linda (Hare ’75) at Geneva. True to form increased its productivity, and learned about construction
for Bob, their relationship began in an unusual way. During a management for projects in Uganda. In addition, he volunteered
conversation with a mutual friend, Bob mentioned his childhood with a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity where the Lord
water buffalo rides, which convinced her that he was “weird.” determined his steps would include aiding in the building
Despite the less-than-stellar beginning, the couple married soon of 11 homes.
after Bob’s graduation.
Bob has spent his career fulfilling his eighth-grade assertion that
The time that Bob spent at Geneva marked an important he would be an engineer, and the handiwork of the civil engineer
experience for the college as well as the student. He was the can now be seen in structures across the world. But his calling
first person to graduate under Geneva’s civil engineer track. to create functional buildings has not ended at retirement. Most
recently, he was elected to a position on a city council with an
Following graduation, Bob applied to the Naval Facilities incredibly specific platform: he expected to raise funds for an
Engineering Command personnel office in Washington D.C. and aquatic center that the community had been attempting to
was accepted for a professional development position—in Thailand. construct for over 30 years.
Through the Lord’s provision, Bob returned to his childhood home
and was able introduce his wife to his parents face-to-face. His efforts, though trying, led to the funds being obtained.
Construction is set to begin in October of 2015, and the community
Interestingly, Bob was assigned to oversee the construction of will have the aquatic center that it has long desired. His mission
a radar station at the same site on Doi Inthanon where he had complete, Bob does not plan to run for re-election in 2016.
worked four years earlier and discovered the erroneous opinion
regarding Thailand’s highest point. As he supervised the project As a child, Bob remembers being enthralled by the iron ring
on the mountain’s summit, he may have become the only engineer worn by many Canadian-trained engineers. He enjoyed the
to officially change a country’s topography twice. During thought of the engineering profession symbolized by a physical
construction of the station, the top of the highest ridge was item. Though he never received a ring himself, Bob’s legacy can
leveled for the radar structure, establishing the shrine as truly be found in even more important physical structures, from a
sitting on the highest peak in fact, as well as in common opinion. Thailand radar station to a Colorado aquatic center opening in
2016. And in the college in Beaver Falls that trained him as the
For the next 20 years, Bob served as Program Manager for the first graduate in the civil engineering track, preparing him to
NATO Infrastructure Program in Washington D.C., Germany and go forth and plan to prepare and build. In all cases, Bob returns
Belgium. In 1984, he also began serving as U.S. Representative to the glory to the Lord who determines his steps. G
the NATO Infrastructure Committees and the Senior Resources
Board. Then, in 1995, Bob was offered a job in the United States 9
and bought a home in Virginia.

Since returning to the states, Bob has held a series of short-term
government positions that included the roles of directing the
division responsible for implementing the Navy’s environmental
cleanup program, Program Manager for the Arctic Military
Environmental Cooperation Program with Norway and Russia,
and Director for Facilities Planning for the Navy.

by H olly V i z i no ’15

AHeart for

engineering
Photo by Marti Aiken’04 (2015)

O ne evening after a night class that he was taking during your lungs and the left ventricle pumps through the rest of your
his senior year in 2003, inspiration struck Joshua Woolley— body. Rather than replace your whole heart, scientists developed
he would be a heart engineer! Motivated by free pizza, a pump that supports one ventricle at a time, since usually only
the successful basketball player and Solar Splash boating the left ventricle needs support. VADs are only implanted in people
competitor decided to attend a meeting of the American Society with the sickest hearts. Most VADs are implanted to provide support
of Mechanical Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh. until a transplant heart is available. The VAD returns normal
There, he heard Dr. James Antaki present his development blood flow to the body, allowing the patients to recover from
of a ventricular assist device (VAD) for the heart. their heart failure symptoms and improve their quality of life.”

“I was instantly hooked on the application of engineering VAD patients often arrive for their transplant in better health than
to the human body,” says Joshua. they would without the device, improving the odds of a successful
transplant surgery, as well as a shorter recovery time. Heart disease
God’s timing was perfect. “The last semester of my senior year, is the number-one cause of death in the U.S., and VADs have
I realized I did not really want to be a mechanical engineer,” become the standard of care for end-stage heart failure.
Joshua recalls. “I had some very good job offers available after
graduation, but I knew something wasn’t right.” But Joshua wondered how he could make the change from
mechanical to bioengineering. Fortunately, Geneva’s Assistant
So he combined the knowledge he developed through Geneva’s Dean of Students Joy (Morgan ’68) Jewell provided a path. Shortly
engineering program with his newfound curiosity about hearts. after Joshua began making plans for graduate school, Joy
After speaking to Dr. Antaki and conducting some personal approached him, pointed to him and said “Artificial hearts!”
research, Joshua learned that focusing his graduate studies in Joshua was surprised that she knew who he was and, even
bioengineering would provide the knowledge of biology he more so, of his newfound academic interest.
needed to work with mechanical heart devices.
Joy explained that her husband Paul ’68 had received a VAD from
“A ventricular assist device is a type of artificial heart,” explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) a few years
Joshua. “From an engineering perspective, your native heart is earlier, which successfully transitioned him to a heart transplant.
simply two pumps placed in series separated into two sides—the The Jewells had sustained friendships with the cardiothoracic
right and left ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood through surgeons and bioengineers of the Artificial Heart Program (AHP)
at UPMC.
10

“She offered to drive me to UPMC to meet some of the staff,” Reprint courtesy of Berlin Heart.
says Joshua. “Soon I was meeting the chief cardiac surgeon and
touring the hospital with the director of the program. Next I was Joshua has been first author on four peer-reviewed publications
standing in surgery watching a patient have a ventricular assist and first author for a book chapter in a physician’s textbook for
device implanted. They hired me as a biomedical engineer at VADs. He has also participated as a contributing author on 12
AHP, and I absolutely loved working with the patients.” other peer-reviewed publications. In March 2014, Joshua completed
his doctorate studies after successfully presenting his thesis “
Through the AHP program, Joshua met Dr. Harvey Borovetz, Immunological and Hemostatic Responses to Ventricular
the Chair of the Bioengineering Department, who advised him Assist Device Support.”
to apply for the Ph.D. program at Pitt and helped him through
that process, all the way to admission. While completing his thesis, Joshua began in his current position
as Clinical Affairs Specialist for Berlin Heart, Inc., a role through
“Without Joy’s help, I would not have been introduced to my job which he helps provide clinical support for children supported
with AHP, and there is no way that I would have been accepted with VADs.
to Pitt,” says Joshua. “Pitt is a top bioengineering program, and I
had nothing on my resume that would set me apart. God worked “Implantation of a pediatric ventricular assist device is a relatively
through Joy, and my journey started at Geneva.” uncommon surgical procedure,” says Joshua. “On the day of the
surgery, I offer guidance for the surgeon on implanting and
While completing his graduate work at Pitt, Joshua continued to optimizing the device so that it will provide the best support for
work as a biomedical engineer during the evenings and nights. “I the patient. I train the patient’s doctors and bedside caregivers on
worked directly with the patients implanted with the ventricular the device and consult with doctors to coordinate blood thinners
assist devices, making sure that the device was optimized to the and medications to ensure proper function of the pump.”
patient and providing assistance in emergency situations. It is a
difficult time for patients, and God enabled me to show His love Joshua interacts with the families for shorter visits than he did at
and goodness to these families, helping them to carry that burden UPMC, but he still strives to honor God by remaining available to
and give them hope. During other instances, I helped them grieve.” answer questions until the patient receives the transplant. “Many
of the physicians have become friends as we share dedication and
Joshua strove for godly obedience in many areas throughout passion for these patients,” he says.
graduate school. “Academia can be a pretty ruthless and competitive
environment,” he says. “Everyone is fighting for the same grant Joshua and his wife Danila (Kennedy ’03) Woolley have been
money, and you are always racing to be the first to make a scientific married 11 years. In October of 2014 they welcomed their daughter,
breakthrough to advance your career. In this environment, there Tirzah Elise Woolley. Their family lives in Pittsburgh, where
is always the temptation to gain advantage at any cost. I made Joshua continues to heal hearts for God’s glory and finds joy in
sure to always be above reproach in my studies and glorify God a vocation that started at Geneva College. G
with my work.”
11
The effort to always achieve excellence in research was
recognized. Joshua won a number of awards: NIH Training
Fellowship Award (2007-2009), NIH Travel Fellowship (2011),
Gordon Research Conference Travel Fellowship (2007, 2009,
2011) and ASAIO Paul Malcheski Young Investigators Award (2007).

Joshua continues to be active with ASAIO, an international
academic society for artificial organ development. He has most
frequently presented his research at the ASAIO annual conference,
and he was named the assistant program chair for the 2016
meeting. His past research focused on blood interactions with
artificial surfaces in VADs, while his most recent studies involve
anticoagulation (blood clot prevention) strategies for pediatric
VAD patients.

Reprint courtesy of Berlin Heart.

by JESSICA DRISCOLL ’14

Eacohf tShteepWay

G od blessed Danielle Davis (ADP ’07, MSOL ’11) with an Programs. Geneva was a perfect fit for Danielle to develop her
entrepreneurial spirit that shaped her life and led her to innate talents. “I love Geneva,” she says, and explains that the
pursue a number of business ventures. “When you are an scriptural foundation and passionate teachers allowed her to
entrepreneur, you are one from a very young age,” she says. grow in her faith while building marketplace skills.

Her first foray into business ownership was a printing company, A business-related degree may have seemed like the logical
which she began at age 22. “My first official business actually choice, but the Lord provided a different direction. “I felt like God
came as an accident,” Danielle says. This venture evolved into was calling me to ministry,” says Danielle, so she chose to pursue
a business-development service geared to small businesses. a degree in community ministry. And as always, God’s reasoning
However, as a single parent, providing support for her two eventually made sense: “I learned that a community ministry
children was her priority. She realized that she was missing degree is strongly related to social services, and from there
some necessary skills to operate the business and so returned it clicked.”
to the workforce while continuing college.
Danielle had already been working in the social service field for
Danielle was attending community college at the time. But years. And her business ventures had always revolved around
despite her desire to develop her business skills, she hadn’t helping others. “My previous for-profit business should have been
yet pursued a degree. “Every time I considered finishing my a non-profit since I was always giving things away to people,”
bachelor’s, it just seemed so intimidating,” she says. In effect she explains.
a permanent student at her local community college, Danielle’s
advisors pushed her toward completing her degree. As Danielle began looking for ways to fulfill her desire to help in
new ways, God presented yet another clear call. “Geneva’s Master
Based on recommendations from her advisors, as well as a desire of Science in Organizational Leadership caught my attention
to successfully meet the challenges she faced, Danielle chose to everywhere I went,” says Danielle. She felt a master’s degree
complete her degree at Geneva College through the Adult Degree was needed to continue her path, but again felt intimidated.
However, she knew that achieving this goal was necessary.
12

While enrolled in the organizational leadership program, “I knew this was a mandate
God’s plan began to become even clearer. Danielle says that from the Bible—
the program was a blessing. “I don’t know what I would have
done without my classmates and caring professors during this to help the poor.”
time,” she says, pointing to challenges she faced that included
an illness in her immediate family and the loss of a job. Consulting Solutions—providing clients with the resources
and training so that they can advance their future.
During this time, Danielle received an offer from the executive
director of Pittsburgh Community Services Inc. (PCSI) to work Reflecting on her journey, Danielle sees the perfection of God’s
in a temporary position. The mission of PCSI is to help those in plan. “When I first started the business it appeared as though the
poverty throughout the Pittsburgh area. Soon after she started, idea was half insane, but during the process I learned that it was
Danielle had the opportunity to serve fulltime for one of the perfect,” she says. “No matter how hard I tried to get away from
organization’s newest programs, the Micro-Business Institute it, I couldn’t because it was His purpose.”
(MBI): “I knew this was a mandate from the Bible—to help
the poor.” While the path may have been rough, Danielle couldn’t be
happier. “The awesome thing is that God was preparing me for
Eager to answer the call, Danielle began developing this the whole time,” she says. Danielle has a joy from her work
curriculum, business coaching, consulting, establishing with which few others can identify. “It has to be something you
partnerships and searching for funding opportunities. “It don’t mind getting up early for, going to bed late for and it doesn’t
definitely increased my skill set and how God could use me,” feel like work.”
she says. “God accomplished so much through me during
my time there.” Danielle has also found a deep joy in learning. And Geneva’s
ADP and MSOL programs have prepared her well to pursue
Danielle found working at the Micro-Business Institute continuing education. Recently, Danielle enrolled in Point Park
fulfilling; but when a new opportunity at a local housing authority University’s new Ph.D. program in Community Engagement,
was presented, she accepted the position. She assists in an which is designed to help business leaders work
initiative to ensure businesses owned by minorities have access with communities.
to government contracts. This led to an assignment as Project
Manager for the housing authority’s new faith-based engagement Danielle always warns job-seekers not to choose their business
initiative, and Danielle feels privileged to work with clergy based on the amount of money the will make. She believes that
and leaders in community development. each person has a career calling that will leave them feeling
rejuvenated. “We were not created to just exist,” explains
But Danielle experienced God’s pull toward entrepreneurship Danielle. “Those things that God has wired us to do are the same
once more. “I felt like this was a call on my life, but I did not have things that God has graced us with the ability to gain wealth.” G
confidence to pursue it any further until MBI” she says. “There,
I felt comfortable and was still living out my passion.” G

Throughout her time at MBI, Danielle’s clients from her 13
earliest work encouraged her to re-establish her consulting
business because they did not qualify for services provided by
her department. “The Micro-Business Institute’s money has
limitations,” she explained. “This was a challenge to me because
I wanted to help some of the individuals that we had to
turn away.”

As a result, Danielle opened a consulting and training
business, Davis Consulting Solutions. Her company motto
is “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man
to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Danielle chose this
because many of her clients are unaware of the resources
available to them. “A lot of programs and individuals will tell
you what to do, but they don’t teach you how to do it and let it
become part of your natural behavior,” she explains. “I see such a
gap in people not knowing where to go that it drives me to make
sure people have what they need.” This is the heart of Davis

by g re g W i se ’ 95

A Boon

toBeaver County

G eneva College has a rich history of being an important As the county and surrounding areas undergo a dramatic
and active member of the local community. The Harmony transformation caused by this emerging emphasis on energy
Society, which was settled not far from Beaver Falls, donated resources, Geneva is ideally positioned to pave the way through
the land for Geneva’s campus in order to “enhance the town’s community partnerships and workforce preparation. In addition,
prestige and economic prosperity.” Since that time, Geneva has Geneva fully appreciates humanity’s obligation to God’s creation.
brought students to the area from faraway places by providing Faculty members emphasize the importance of responsible
high quality and affordable Christ-centered education. stewardship of our resources, our
time, our relationships, and our
These students provide thousands of service hours to nonprofit safety and health. This biblical
organizations and neighborhoods every year. And from the heart worldview will be evident in the
of Beaver County to the other side of the world, Geneva graduates contributions to this industry made
excel as leaders in their chosen fields and make a lasting impact on by many Geneva graduates, as it
the world. This influence now has a unique opportunity for regional already is through the involvement
growth as Shell Chemical Appalachia assesses the likelihood of Shannon Debes ’98, Community
and makes the initial investment in building a world-scale Liaison Officer for Shell
petrochemical complex in the nearby Monaca area. Chemical Appalachia.

The proposed ethane “cracker” plant will convert ethane from the With the company currently proceeding in its efforts to develop the
abundant Marcellus shale natural gas liquids into chemicals such as proposed petrochemical complex, Geneva Magazine spoke with
ethylene, which is then used to produce products such as plastics, Shannon, who graduated with a degree in broadcast communication
tires and antifreeze. With site development currently underway, and minor in political science, about her job with Shell and her
the project is estimated to provide up to 10,000 construction jobs. work as founder and principal of Stratecom Solutions.
Once completed, hundreds are expected to be employed at the
plant alone, with many more jobs created throughout the region What are your duties as Shell’s Community Liaison Officer?
at ancillary businesses. My role with the proposed petrochemical facility in Potter

14

Township, Beaver County, is somewhat unique, as the project is still in political science. Dr. Wollman believed in me and identified
in the evaluation phase and has not yet received a final investment strengths and characteristics I wasn’t able to see in myself as a
decision. The absence of an operational project creates an exciting student. He wrote a letter of recommendation that played a major
dynamic though, as my responsibilities include the development role in my securing a spot at Georgetown University’s Institute on
of a framework for community engagement that would already be Political Journalism between my junior and senior year
present in an established project. To construct it requires collaboration of college—an experience of a lifetime.
with staff members who perform our engineering, environmental,
non-technical risk, government, social performance and corporate Dr. Farra had a talent for distilling concepts within the realm of
communications functions. There is a continuous loop of leadership into digestible material teenagers could understand
communication that involves sharing the story of the project, and apply to the world around them. The beauty of what he did
receiving the community’s input, consulting with team members to wasn’t fully realized until I grew older, re-read the material and
provide answers sought by the community, and sharing those local was able to appreciate it for its complexity as a professional
perspectives with the project team so they have a keen understanding in the workplace.
of the community’s values, concerns and aspirations for the project.
Our collective efforts as a corporate team support Shell’s global Sam Siple worked in the public relations office, where I had a job
goal—to help meet the energy needs of society in ways that are as an intern throughout my four years at Geneva. Mr. Siple took
economically, environmentally and socially responsible. me along with him to marketing meetings with Pittsburgh radio
and TV stations, and built my courage and confidence to apply
What do you enjoy most about working on this project? what I had learned in real-world settings.
On a broad level, I enjoy the challenge, the variety and my
colleagues. From a day-to-day perspective, there aren’t many jobs How did your Geneva education prepare you for
where you can show up for work in steel-toe boots and a hard hat, your career?
and leave in a suit and heels. I am proud to be a part of a project that Geneva’s comprehensive approach to its core curriculum created
prioritizes being a good neighbor. As such, even in the event the a solid foundation that enabled me to build a career across several
proposed petrochemical facility does not receive an affirmative final fields. As a student, I would have been content to take classes
investment decision, Beaver County will benefit from a development- that focused solely on my major. As a graduate with the benefit
ready site, which Shell has taken care to be a good steward of as of reflection, I’ve put to use courses in geology, economics and
part of its permitting and pre-decision processes. political philosophy that I may not have realized the full value of
at the time I took them, despite enjoying them. Additionally, the
What is Stratecom Solutions and why did you create ethical framework interwoven in every course by each professor
the company? guides Geneva graduates to conduct their business with the highest
Stratecom Solutions offers public involvement, strategic planning, level of integrity, and to expect the same in their relationships
community planning, data gathering and analysis, conflict mediation, with others, while leading the charge to foster those standards
crisis communication, and media management services to government, in the workplace.
nonprofit and private sector clients. I worked as a radio news reporter
for several years after graduating from Geneva, which fulfilled What kind of impact do you hope to make through
a lifelong dream. A few years into my career, as much as I truly your work, both with Shell and through Stratecom?
enjoyed the work, I felt called to be more engaged with people— I hope to continue working with communities—local, regional,
not only sharing their stories, but working alongside them as they and corporate—as they reflect on their status and practices and
shaped their communities and set goals for the future. contemplate how to best grow to serve future generations. Any
impact resulting from any initiative I’ve been privileged to be a
Can you tell the readers about your Geneva experience? part of will always be attributable to the efforts of a team. It is a
I certainly made friends to last a lifetime! I keep in touch with many reality I count as a blessing, reminded that without counsel,
of my former classmates, and in my career, have become close plans fail; but with many advisors, they succeed.
friends with alumni who passed through Old Main’s halls several
years before and after I did. G

There were several influential professors and staff members who
fostered my growth and development at Geneva—most notably
Dr. Jay Neikirk, Dr. David Wollman, Dr. Harry Farra and Sam Siple
[’85]. Dr. Neikirk and Dr. Wollman’s classes were challenging,
growth-inducing, and inspiring—so much so that I added a minor

15

by C ALEB MCCR AKEN ’16

Step Forward

TAKE OFF!

John is holding a DJI Phantom II
outfitted with R Cubed Engineering’s
All Weather Sense and Avoid System
(AWSAS). This system uses Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
(ADS-B) to monitor and detect other
aircraft that are providing their GPS
coordinates over the 978MHz and
1090MHz frequency standards for
aviation in the United States. AWSAS
was the first system to use ADS-B
to perform autonomous collision
avoidance maneuvers between
two UAS. This technology is a key
enabler for flying safely in the
National Airspace System (NAS)
under Beyond Visual Line of Sight
16 (BLOS) conditions.

J ohn Daniels ’79 has worked in many areas throughout his “Geneva was very
long career in aviation. “Subject-matter expert” is a fitting instrumental in
descriptor for a man with so many in-depth capabilities. helping form my
And Geneva College can be described as the runway from technical capabilities.”
which he took off.

Before arriving at Geneva, John had some background in both
accounting and computer science, but was not sure which
direction to take. His faculty advisor said to him, “Well, you are
going to do both.” In fact, John pursued a triple major in data
processing, accounting and business administration. A man
who likes to stay busy, he also found time to play intramural
sports and work at the cafeteria to pay for tuition.

Throughout his time as a student, John considered the routes Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to
ahead of him. “Up until about my senior year, I wasn’t sure what as drones.”
path I wanted to go,” he remembers, “Computer science or
accounting? I think it was in my senior year that I kind of finally EES has been actively collaborating with government,
realized that the computer science path was the way to go for me.” industry, and academia to address the safe integration of UAS
into the National Airspace System (NAS). EES also supports the
So after graduation, John worked with other Geneva graduates transformation of secure and efficient information sharing in a
at Ohio Edison in Akron, Ohio. But he only stayed there for about trusted cross-enterprise framework. EES began collaborating
nine months. Originally from the New Jersey shore, John could with companies that had more subject matter expertise in UAS
not stand being landlocked and decided to move back home. technologies. The firm then began to work out how to safely
Immediately upon returning to his hometown of Ventnor, NJ, integrate these unmanned aircraft systems into the whole
an employee headhunting firm informed him of a position at the national airspace system.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center (FAA’s
national R&D facility), which was only 15 miles from home. “We are well positioned with a number of companies doing
a lot of test integration of these capabilities,” he remarks.
He earned the job and began to use his knowledge of computers
to support a real-time air traffic control system. John started at an John identifies Geneva as shaping primary areas of his life and
entry-level position and worked his way upward. Eventually, he career. “Spiritually,” he says, “through not only my relationship
began traveling across the country fixing air traffic control issues with the Lord, but also with people. I am still very close with
with the FAA’s En-Route Backup system. “I really loved working a lot of Geneva alumni and I count that a blessing to be able to
on that system,” says John, “and I supported it for probably interface with other Christian Geneva alumni and families.” John
about 25 years.” enjoys coming back to campus when he can for events such
as homecoming.
John became recognized as a subject matter expert in aviation
due to his broad experience in automation, security, safety “Secondly, Geneva was very instrumental in helping form my
management and many other domain areas associated with the technical capabilities,” he explains, “When I first went to Geneva
National Airspace System (NAS). In the early 2000s, the FAA is when the computer industry was just starting to take off.”
began modernizing a lot of their systems, including the one John
worked on. The initiative was called NextGen. “Everything is an But John is still not satisfied unless he stays busy. He has kept up
acronym when you work for the government,” laughs John. with accounting standards and does tax returns for family and
During this transition, he stepped into a full-time management friends. John credits Geneva for providing a solid foundation to
role, enabling him to use his technical expertise to assess support technology advancements and also serve functionally in
business opportunities. the church. John is an avid fisherman and spends his spare time
boating and on the beach with family whenever he can.
An engineer at heart, John enjoys the challenge of integrating
new technologies and increasing safety and security capabilities in John and his wife Debbie have three children: Sean, Eric
a federated environment. John currently serves as Vice President and Dana. John and Debbie are active members of Beacon
of Federal Programs for Enterprise Engineering Services (EES). Evangelical Free Church in Galloway, NJ, where John serves as
Finance Chairman. G
A few years ago John perceived a trend in the world of aircraft
and flight. He says, “One of the movements I saw coming was

17

in motion

athletic news

Top 10Golden Tornadoes
2014-15

10 8

Geneva athletics used technology in a new way with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has become a focal point of the
implementation of “Men’s and Women’s Student-Athlete of the Week” entire athletic department. Growing at a fast pace, FCA has attracted
video interviews. With an assist from the Communication Department close to 100 student-athletes during the 2014-15 school year. From
and Professor Richard Talbert, the Golden Tornadoes produced one- a group that consisted of only a handful of students just a year ago,
on-one interviews with weekly award winners. Those interviews were FCA has grown in leaps and bounds during the past year. Attracting
posted on the Athletics Web page, Geneva.edu/athletics, throughout speakers from across the region from the professional ranks and
the year. beyond, FCA has established itself as one of the strongest groups on
campus. “Quite simply, FCA embodies everything that we are about at
9 Geneva College and within our department,” said Director of Athletics
Van Zanic ’93. “Reaching well beyond the scoreboard, the life lessons
and values that these student-athletes are gaining through FCA will
last forever.”

7

A student-athlete doesn’t often continue his or her playing career (l-f) (Rawding) Shroads, Nesmith, Dr. Kim Gall, Murray, Muschette,Cobbs
into the professional ranks. However, this spring, graduating men’s
soccer stand-out Bryan Butler signed a professional contract with the The Golden Tornadoes celebrated their athletic past last fall when
Evergreen Diplomats in Bowie, MD. Butler, who completed his college they welcomed back several of the all-time greats to ever wear
eligibility last fall, finished as one of Geneva’s top goalkeepers ever. Geneva jerseys. Those jerseys were retired in a stirring ceremony
He helped lead Geneva to four consecutive trips to the PAC post- during Geneva’s season finale football game and again that evening
season, as well as two trips to the NCCAA national tournament. at the men’s and women’s basketball openers. Three of the greatest
running backs to put on a Geneva jersey, Willie Murray ’97 (#32),
18 Melvin Cobbs (#32) and Gerard Muschette ’11 (#22), were each

honored alongside basketball standouts Nancy (Paxton ’89) Gary 3
(#45), Jennifer (Rawding ’06) Shroads (#13) and Troy Nesmith ’97
(#20). The three football jerseys were hung in Reeves Field while the
basketball jerseys now have a new home inside Metheny Fieldhouse.

6

On the final day of the women’s basketball season, Heidi Mann Outstanding performances from an impressive freshman class seemed
became just the 12th player in women’s basketball history to reach to be the norm in 2014-15. In football, freshman defensive back
the 1000-point plateau for her career. Even more impressive, Mann Nate Cannon certainly took home his share of recognition. Cannon
became the fourth player in Geneva’s history to reach the mark prior earned ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 with
to her senior season. Mann, who also stars for the Geneva women’s an outstanding opening season. Cannon pulled in a conference
soccer team, is on pace to perhaps finish in the top five on Geneva’s leading seven interceptions while finishing second in the PAC with an
all-time scoring list by the end of her senior campaign. average of 15.6 yards per punt return. Additionally, Cannon finished
the season with 41 tackles, which was good enough for first-team
5 All-Conference recognition and an invitation to the ECAC national
banquet this past spring.

2

Geneva’s volleyball team enjoyed yet another historic season, and The women’s volleyball team continues to carry the torch of excellence
one of the main reasons for that success was the play of freshman for the Golden Tornadoes’ athletic department. Matching the school
Erica Hughes. In her first collegiate season, Hughes was twice named record for victories in a season, Geneva’s volleyball team finished the
Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) player of the week and three year with a record of 27-10. Despite a loss in the PAC tournament, the
times honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Golden Tornadoes continued their season into the ECAC post-season.
as the Division III Rookie of the Week. At season’s end, Hughes was Geneva’s volleyball team brought home the school’s first-ever ECAC
named a first-team All-Conference selection with 434 kills and 30 title as they captured the South Region championship with a victory
blocks for the season. over Carnegie Mellon University in the finals.

4 1

Records continued to fall in the men’s track and field record book. The 2014-15 school year proved to be another outstanding campaign
Most notably, the men’s 4 x 100 relay team comprised of Ryan White, in the classroom for Geneva’s student-athletes. A record 59 student-
Cameron Unrath, Aaron Tedys and Josh Guiser set a new outdoor athletes achieved a 3.6 GPA or higher during the fall semester and
record with a time of 42.21. The 4 x 100 relay team took home the were recognized on the PAC honor roll. Geneva’s 59 awardees
gold medal at the PAC championship meet while also breaking the marked the highest number of honors by any school in the conference.
stadium record at Grove City College.
19

in service by H olly V i z i no ’15

Dr. Romaine Jesky-Smith

As she talks about teaching, education professor Dr. Romaine Jesky- After she started teaching full time at Geneva, Jesky-Smith got her
Smith ’74 lights up. She loves her students and career tremendously, Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Curriculum and Instruction.
but after 36 years at Geneva College, she felt that it was the right She wanted to make sure she was fluent in the newest methods
time to retire. Jesky-Smith departed after the spring 2015 semester. as she taught her pre-service teachers. Many of her courses were
devoted to technology.
Jesky-Smith says that her retirement was announced rather
humorously. While she was at a Pirates game last fall, a friend “In the early 1980s, we knew technology was going to be
secretly had the news displayed on the scoreboard. “I looked incorporated into the classroom more and more,” she remembers.
up at the board and there was a huge announcement that said “For that reason, I started a computer lab on campus for education
‘Congratulations Dr. Jesky-Smith, enjoy your retirement!’ I thought, students. We’re talking about the old Apple IIe at the time. We knew
‘If this was a surprise, it isn’t now because 39,000 people that it was going to be important for our students to know how to
just saw it.’” use computers to help students learn and to enhance lessons.”

Jesky-Smith’s educational journey both started and ended at
Geneva. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in elementary
education in 1974 and taught fifth grade in the Blackhawk School
District for a five years. “I absolutely loved it,” she says. “It was
good preparation for me coming here to teach pre-service teachers
because I knew what it was like to be in the classroom every day.”

Jesky-Smith earned her Master of Education as a Reading Specialist
while she was still teaching at Blackhawk. Around that time, she started
teaching part time at Geneva. When a full-time position opened, Jesky-
Smith was hired permanently and has been teaching in Geneva’s
classrooms ever since. However, she says she never got tired of this
place for a second because of her love for her students and colleagues.

210

In 1996, Jesky-Smith took a sabbatical and retrained in math “Conceptual knowledge
and science. “Up to that point I taught language arts,” she says. is as important as
“And I enjoyed the switch.” procedural knowledge.
It was always my hope
On the first day of her math education classes, she says that many that my students would
of her students expressed their fear of math, even at the pre-k to take that into the
fourth-grade level. “They are scared to do it, let alone teach it.” classroom ...”
For Jesky-Smith, helping her students understand math rather than
simply knowing the procedure was a great reward. “Conceptual to travel more internationally since I’ve seen so much of the United
knowledge is as important as procedural knowledge,” she says. States,” she says. First on the list is Rome, which she plans to visit
“It was always my hope that my students would take that into the next summer with her friend and former colleague, English professor
classroom and show kids the meaning behind math.” Dr. Lynda Szabo.

And Jesky-Smith loves that she was always able to witness growth So as she departs Geneva after 36 years, Jesky-Smith takes comfort
as she watched her students progress through college. In her field in her favorite scripture verse, Romans 12:1 from The Message:
experience course, which is the step before student teaching, she “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-
would announce that on the last day, they would be teaching an work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as
entire morning in the classroom on their own. an offering.”

“I would see the look of fear in their eyes, sometimes almost tearful. On her last day in the field for an observation this spring,
And I knew after doing it for so many years, observing probably Jesky-Smith recalled walking up the stairs to the school next to
over 2,000 students, that they would be fine. Recently, I was talking a kindergartner. “I thought, ‘Isn’t this an interesting juxtaposition.
with a student who was telling me how much she loved teaching the Here’s a child starting the beginning of his educational career
whole morning. She said that by the time she got there, she knew and I’m walking up parallel, step for step, at the end of my
she could do it. And I loved being a part of that journey with her.” educational career.”

Jesky-Smith has also applied her expertise to writing several
scholarly articles and reviews that have been published in
various publications.

After working in education for so long, Jesky-Smith has seen
how the education system has changed and adapted her teaching
methods to best prepare her students. “The standards have been
raised for teachers, and much more is expected, from students as
well. We have elementary-age kids doing math that people 20
years ago would have said they couldn’t do. In some ways the
higher standards have reminded us that maybe we can expect
more. That’s the positive end,” she says.

Jesky-Smith enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the changes
in the education system over the years. But retirement certainly
won’t mean boredom. One of the main things she looks forward
to is spending more time with her mother, who resides in a local
nursing home. She also enjoys interacting with the residents and
would like to devote time to volunteering there.

She especially connects with those who have dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease. “I might have the same conversation with
them five times, but I love that I’m able to have an impact on
their day even if they don’t remember it. Although it can be
heartbreaking, I often leave there feeling like I’ve made a difference.”

She also hopes to travel more. Jesky-Smith traveled extensively with
her late husband Dr. Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus of English at
Geneva from 1966-2005. The couple visited nearly every national
park in the United States, and she would like to revisit some of her
favorite spots like Glacier National Park in Montana. “I also want

215

class notes 1965 1973

Class Notes are available on Marlene (Herr) Miller—See Miller ’63 Meg (Elliott ’73) Garber—See Garber ’76
Geneva.edu. Visit the site to
learn about fellow classmates, 1969 1974
and submit an update so they
can remain connected with you. Carolyn (Joy) Harding—See Harding ’71 David Reed resides in Galion, OH,
with wife Laura.
1948 1970
Marilyn (Pascoe) White and her husband
Evelyn (Bergan) Meeder recently received Frank Bendekovic is retired and resides in Paul reside in Carnegie, PA. They have been
Weichert REALTORS highest award, the Alliance, OH. married for 37 years.
President’s Cup, at the Southeastern Awards
Program. Evelyn was a top Realtor in Dr. Wayne R.C. Hentschel, D.O. has accepted 1975
Louisville, KY, before her move to Sun the position of Medical Director of the Centers
City Hilton Head, SC. Evelyn has been for Occupational Health at Crozer-Keystone James Washington retired from the Irvington
a Realtor for the past 36 years. Medical Center in Chester, PA. Dr. Hentschel School System after serving 36 years as a
lives in Garnet Valley, PA. teacher, assistant principal and principal.
1959 While principal, he also served as the
administrator’s union president. Jim and
Margaret Ann “Maggie” (O’Neill) Regney is his wife reside in Edison, NJ.
a retired high school teacher and realtor. She
and husband Bob live in Lynchburg, VA. Dr. Michael Hink was inducted into the Patricia (Mishler) Wolfe has retired from
Lawrence County Historical Society Sports ExxonMobil. She has a personal goal of
1962 Hall of Fame on April 26, 2015. Mike writing a Christian devotional. Her husband
played football at Geneva, where he lettered Daniel is also retired and they reside in
Dr. Bruce Bowman won the Texas State for four years, was captain his senior year Pearland, TX, with their dog and three
Senior Games for tennis. He won in the men’s and was selected an NAIA All-American wonderful cats.
singles and mixed doubles in the 75 to 79 Honorable Mention in 1969. He was named
age bracket. While a student at Geneva, one of Geneva’s All-Time Top 100 football 1976
Bruce played on the tennis team coached players, 1890-2001. Mike retired in 2006
by Cliff Aultman. as superintendent of schools for Neshannock Jane (Laudig) Calhoun is a member of the
Twp. School District. He and wife Marilyn Phoenix Symphony Chorus. She resides in
1963 (Shaner ’71) reside in New Castle, PA. Litchfield Park, AZ.

Byron and Marlene (Herr ’65) Miller have Bob and Jane (Kidd ’72) Rak reside in Dr. Steven Garber authored Visions of Vocation:
two children and reside in Naperville, IL. Ellwood City, PA. Bob is a retired social Common Grace for the Common Good (IVP).
studies teacher from Riverside High School. Like his earlier The Fabric of Faithfulness:
22 He now substitutes for kindergarten through Weaving Together Belief and Behavior (IVP),
12th grade and is an assistant boys and girls it was one of Christianity Today’s “Books of
varsity basketball coach at Riverside. Jane the Year,” as well as being chosen “Book
is a preschool teacher at Concord United of the Year” by Byron Borger of Hearts and
Methodist Church. They have been married Minds. The principal of the Washington
for 42 years. Their daughter and son-in-law Institute, Steve lives near Washington, D.C.
and two granddaughters reside in GA. with his wife Meg (Elliott ’73).

1971 1977

Ronald Harding is now retired. He and wife Diane (Davis) Gennaro and husband John
Carolyn (Joy ’69) reside in Upperco, MD. reside in Aliquippa, PA. John recently retired
as mechanical technical maintenance from
Marilyn (Shaner) Hink—See Hink ’70 ArcelorMittal.

Gary Stewart resides in Fort Mill, SC, 1978
with wife Patti.
Marilyn (Williams) Wilt resides in Media, PA,
1972 with husband Robert. They have two children,
Kathryn and Nick. Marilyn is an emotional
Jane (Kidd) Rak—See Rak ’70

support teacher at Rose Tree Media School for “Amine-Based Shale Inhibitors and College). He continues to work as a policing
District. Methods” for oil drilling, fracturing and well practitioner with the Darien Police Department
treatment. He has two daughters and resides in CT, where he serves as an Acting Lieutenant.
1982 in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Jeremiah and his wife Nadia reside in Bethel,
CT, with their four children: Tayler, Hunter,
Karen-Susanne (Budnick) Whitlock and 1993 Skyler and Amber.
husband William have two children,
Alexandra and Nathanael. The Whitlocks Mark Sampson (DCP #023) recently 2002
reside in Coatesville, PA. completed the certification requirements
for the Association of Certified Biblical Patricia “Patty” Tinkey (MAHE) is a professor
1984 Counselors (ACBC). In addition to working in the Modern Languages Department at
at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Grove City College. She and husband Larry
Carlos Leon is in upper management at UPS. Seminary, Mark is a student in the Master reside in Grove City, PA.
He and wife America reside in Doral, FL. of Theological Studies program with an
emphasis in biblical counseling. Mark and 2003
Carol (Moore) VDuran joined Sandia National his wife Sharon both counsel at the Biblical
Laboratory in 2015 as a Principal Project Counseling Institute at the seminary. Anne (McCready) Boyle—See Boyle ’00
Controller, in support of our nation’s defense
program. She resides in Albuquerque, NM, 1998 2004
with husband Victor and too many cats.
Sarah (Zwinger) Gibbs—See Gibbs ’99
1986
1999
Jean (Radcliff) Ruhlen traveled with seven
others from Woodside Bible Church to Byron (DCP #108) and Sarah (Zwinger ’98)
Kashmir, India, on a mission trip in September Gibbs were married on December 23, 2012.
2014. It was a life-changing experience as The couple met while attending Victory Family
they tried with limited use of words to share Church in Cranberry Township. Byron has an
the gospel. Jean resides in Waterford, MI, MBA from Waynesburg University and Sarah
with husband Matt and daughters Amina has an M.S. from Robert Morris University.
and Karima. Sarah is the Director of Admissions at Grove
City College.

1987 Jaime (Smith) and Rob Godek welcomed
Simon Matthew into the world on March 11,
2015. He joins big sister Sadie. The Godeks Amy (Totten) Lassiter and husband Elliott
reside in Oviedo, FL. welcomed son Nathan Robert on February 9,
2015. The Lassiters reside in Monroeville, PA.
2000
2005
Matt and Anne (McCready ’03) Boyle
welcomed their fifth child, Callie Joan, on
May 11, 2015. She joins big brothers Tyler,
Cameron and Derek and big sister Bria. The
Boyle family resides in Shawnee, KS.

David Marshall announces the graduation of Tania (Chipman) and Jason Brower have
daughter Chelsea Marshall ’14. Chelsea joins two sons, Luke and Ethan, and reside in
sister Ashley Marshall ’11 and father David Columbia, SC. Tania received an M.A. in
as Geneva graduates. David is the Facilities Spanish from the University of South Carolina.
Director for Lower Dauphin School District in
Hummelstown, PA. He and wife Pamela
have three daughters and reside in New
Cumberland, PA.

Rebecca “Becky” (Douthitt) Saymansky is a Barry Leicher is the Executive Pastor at New
Business Education Teacher at New Castle Life Christian Ministries in Saxonburg, PA.
School District. She and husband Gary have Laura “Leslie” (Turner) Leicher is working for
three children, Aci, Brook and Jimmy, and Life Choices, a crisis pregnancy center in
reside in Darlington, PA. Butler, PA. She welcomed daughter Laura
Grace in June 2014, joining twin brothers
1988 Jeremiah Johnson recently completed his Scott and Barry (affectionately nicknamed
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at the City University Tiger and Bear).
Kenneth and Sharon (Lapp) Faulk were united of New York Graduate Center (John Jay
in marriage. They reside in Aliquippa, PA. 23

1991

Joseph Monahan is the holder of two patents

2007

Faith (Armstrong) Walker and her husband Laura (Capper) and Rob DePietro welcomed Benjamin Roberts married Eliana Qiao on
welcomed son Silas Allen Walker on January Grace Anne into the world on April 30, February 21, 2015. The couple resides in
14, 2015. The family resides in Pittsburgh. 2015. She joins big brother Carson. Bloomington, IN.

2006 2009

Emily (Chismire) Maddox, a special education
teacher at the Dorchester County, MD, Sandy
Hill Elementary School was selected as
“Teacher of the Year” for 2015-16.

Tressa (Cashdollar) McCune—See McCune ’08

Tiana (Sebastian) Proudfoot and husband 2008 Marissa (Kudlik) and Matthew Harrington
Michael have expanded their family in a were united in marriage on August 24, 2014.
crazy way. Levi Jordan Pengfei and Joshua Tesni (Searles) Freed graduated in May 2015 The couple resides in Loveland, CO.
Nathaniel Ziqiao were adopted in China in with a Master of Arts in Professional Writing
January 2015. They joined big sister Nadia from New England College, where she was Tristan and Robyn (Weber) Moran reside in
Joy Kabahumuza, adopted in Uganda in the sole recipient of the President’s Graduate Fort Worth, TX. Robyn recently graduated
2012. Together, the three siblings welcomed Studies Award. This award is presented to from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Charis Eliora on March 3, 2015. Going from the student who best exemplifies professional Medicine. She is continuing her medical
one child to four within six weeks and becoming leadership and academic excellence. Tesni training in internal medicine at Plaza Medical
a family has been a fun and challenging recently started as a full-time Development Center in Fort Worth.
journey. The Proudfoots live in VA, where Associate at the New Hampshire Association
Michael is a youth and associate pastor for the Blind, a nonprofit organization in 2010
and Tiana consumes many cups of coffee Concord, NH. She and husband Brian
to keep up with the kids. reside in Hooksett, NH.

Elise Grybos resides in Portsmouth, VA.

Jeffrey and Holly Robinson announce the Matthew and Tressa (Cashdollar ‘07) McCune David and Julia (Urbanski ’11) Callahan
birth of their first child, Clayton Joseph, born welcomed the birth of their son, Murray Gene welcomed daughter Ailee Elizabeth on
April 9, 2015. In July, the family went back McCune, on December 6, 2014. January 8, 2015. The Callahans reside in
to Tanzania to continue serving a Bible Phoenix, AZ.
translation project in the Mara region. Jeff
is a Scripture Use Coordinator for Wycliffe
Bible Translators.

24

2013

Dan King was recently awarded the Bruce Cameron and Heidi (Palmer ’14) Davies
Perry Volleyball Ambassador Award during were married on May 30, 2015 in Enon
the annual Florida Region Awards Ceremony. Valley, PA.
He is an assistant coach for the Nova South-
eastern University volleyball team.

Amanda (Griffith) Yarger—See Yarger 2012 Micah and Amanda (Griffith ’10) Yarger
welcomed daughter Regan Mae Yarger
2011 into the world on June 27, 2015. Micah
was recently promoted to Manager of
Katie Blumberg resides in Mars, PA. Corporate Communications & Government
Affairs for PGT Trucking.
Julia (Urbanski) Callahan—See Callahan ’10
2014
Brenna (Garda) Hamming—See Hamming ’12
Zachary Harvey and Emily Crain are
Ashley Marshall—See Marshall ’87 engaged to be married in August 2015.

2012 Heidi (Palmer) Davies—See Davies ’13

Nicholas and Brenna (Garda ’11) Hamming Marie Scott (DCP #024) recently graduated Chelsea Marshall—See Marshall ’87
were married on July 19, 2014 and reside in from Liberty University with distinction,
Hollidaysburg, PA. earning a Master of Arts in Public Policy
with a concentration in International Affairs.
Aaron O’Data accepted a position at the She is a paralegal for Michael P. Malakoff,
University of Pittsburgh as a Biographical P.C. Marie has three children, Andrew, Felicia
Research Officer in the office of the Vice and Trevor, and resides in Pittsburgh with
Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. In husband Robert.
this capacity, Aaron prepares documentation
on individuals and corporations requested by Katelyn (Slagle) Miller—See Miller ’14
the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.

Class Notes Information Zachary and Katelyn (Slagle ’13) Miller
were married in July 2015 in Altoona, PA.
To share your news, visit Geneva.edu/class_notes and click on “Update
Form.” High-resolution pictures of at least three megapixels in size may be 2015
submitted in JPEG format. You may also mail your news and photos to:
GENEVA COLLEGE Jonathan and Anne (McEllhenney) Robel
Office of Alumni Relations were united in marriage on December 20,
3200 College Avenue 2014. The couple resides in Ephrata, PA.
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
Photos appear before the
Inclusion of all items in Class Notes is at the discretion of Geneva College, corresponding class note.
in accordance with the community standards of the institution.

25

class notes In Memoriam

40s Dr. Michael P. Nido ’53 Stanley W. Hosking ’61 Susan J. Salopek ’89
on April 1, 2015 on March 13, 2015
Kenneth D. Finney ’40 on June 12, 2015
Gerald E. Seaburn, Ph.D. ’62 90s
on January 29, 2015 Robert D. Sweringen ’53 on January 12, 2015
Thomas E. Burkhart ’97 (DCP #073)
Florence V. (Ecoff ’40) Kennedy on March 8, 2015 William F. Born ’63 on March 1, 2015
on February 19, 2015
on March 4, 2015 Harry W. Beightley Jr. ’54 John A. Yellenik ’98 (DCP #087)
Raymond P. Colwell ’63 on May 18, 2015
Henry “Hank” E. Pence ’40 on May 30, 2015 on June 23, 2015
00s
on March 4, 2015 Rocco R. Bovalino Jr. ’54 Dr. Henry A. Tumpa ’63
on April 8, 2015 Peggy Sue Younkin ’05 (DCP #184)
Bertha M. (Gault ’40) Van Ryn on May 19, 2015 on April 3, 2015
Howard A. Buffington ’64
on February 15, 2015 Nellie N. Masser ’54 on March 3, 2015 10s

Virginia M. (Guldbrandsen ’42) Felker on June 5, 2015 Charles B. Long ’67 Jonathan R. Antonishen ’15
on May 24, 2015 on March 23, 2015
on March 13, 2015 Harvey R. Robinson ’54
Harry C. Raab ’67 Friends
Janet (Gardner ’45) Dawson on April 25, 2015 on February 1, 2015
Edward L. Kuriger
on March 25, 2015 Dr. Sam N. Castronovo ’55 Fawn (Virgin ’69) Fulton on February 12, 2015
on April 30, 2015
Ruth (Schnebly ’45) Dawson on June 5, 2015 Mary Jane Kuriger
Rita Jo (Chuey ’69) Nicol on May 21, 2015
on June 9, 2015 A. Kathryn “Kay” (Follette ’56) Orr on May 1, 2015
Beverly J. O’Leary
Elizabeth “Libby” M. (Gissel ’46) Orr on February 13, 2015 Robert F. Shively ’69 on June 21, 2015
on May 8, 2015
on April 30, 2015 Edward G. MacKenzie ’57

Albert C. Hardies Jr. ’47 on June 12, 2015

on April 15, 2015 George E. Conway ’58

John R. Rumisek ’47 on February 14, 2015

on February 25, 2015 William E. Hodgkinson ’58

Myrna D. (Bristol ’47) Tinstman on December 13, 2014

on February 4, 2015 John “Jack” Keeley ’58

Florence (Cooper ’49) Craig on February 21, 2015 70s

on March 5, 2015 Ralph P. Miller ’58 Linda M. (Elder ’70) Monico
on February 3, 2015
Oscar L. Jackson Sr. ’49 on March 24, 2015
Kathleen J. (May ’72) Guza
on February 15, 2015 Frank C. Sofelkanich ’58 on May 17, 2015

on February 24, 2015 David A. Dorn ’73
on June 9, 2015
50s William B. Albright ’59
on April 21, 2015 Charles E. Keefer ’73
Dr. Paul D. Lambert ’50 on May 27, 2015
on February 1, 2015
Nancy L. (Craig ’77) Tundel
Dr. Robert J. Farls ’51 Everett P. Bryant ’59 on June 2, 2015
on April 26, 2015 on May 23, 2015
Robert J. Bower Jr. ’79
Kenneth E. Price ’52 Paul H. Gault ’59 on May 19, 2015
on January 24, 2015 on February 27, 2015

Donald E. Bradshaw ’53 60s 80s
on June 17, 2015
Daniel R. Dinello ’60 Katalin “Katherine” A. Nemeth ’84
Frederick K. Gumpf ’53 on March 5, 2015 on February 9, 2015
on June 23, 2015
George Banyas ’61
on March 27, 2015

26

When you establish a charitable gift annuity with a gift of $10,000 or more,
Geneva promises to provide you, or two annuitants, payments for life. And after death, the

remaining balance goes to support the mission of Geneva College as you designate.

It’s a win-win!

C harit able G ift Annuities... Win Annual To learn more about
Payout Rates securing your future—and
Guarantee fixed income payments for life. X Geneva’s—through a charitable
X Age One-life gift annuity, contact Wendy Smith
Provide immediate income tax deductions. X at [email protected]
60 4.4% or 724.847.6614.
Provide a partial escape from capital X 65 4.7%
gains taxation when funded with 70 5.1% 27
appreciated assets. 75 5.8%
80 6.8%
Give you the satisfaction of knowing 85 7.8%
your gift will make a difference for future 90 9.0%
generations of Geneva students.

in conclusion Jonathan “Anto” Antonishen

(1992–2015)

The sudden passing of senior Jonathan Antonishen ’15 on Monday, March 23,
2015 deeply saddened his many friends in the Geneva College community,
including classmates, professors, teammates and coaches. Known by many as
Anto, Jon majored in engineering and participated in football and track and
field. The 22-year-old from Acme, PA, had died of natural causes after falling
ill while studying with friends in the Student Center.

The Geneva College community gathered for a weekly chapel service during
the spring semester to mourn this unexpected loss and celebrate cherished
memories. At Commencement, the college awarded Jon a posthumous
bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Geneva offers deep condolences to Jon’s parents and brother, and holds
to the promise that he is at peace in Heaven with his Lord Jesus Christ.

“Jon came to Geneva with a genuine desire to learn— “I played football with Jon at Geneva for four years. He was one of the
to learn about himself, his God and how to use the most encouraging people I had the privilege to know. While my heart
abilities God gave him. Jon was a big guy with a breaks for his life being cut short so close to graduation and with so
tender heart who will be missed by all of us in the much left to accomplish, I know God has a purpose for this higher than
engineering department.” our own understanding. Anto will be in my heart ... throughout my life
Dr. David Shaw ’83, Professor of Engineering as I remember him as my brother in the GT Family.”
Travis Rogan ’15
28
“Jon was a great, down to earth guy who genuinely cared about the
people around him. I think I speak for most of the senior engineers
when I say that he was a blessing to have in class and talk to in the
hallways. He will be missed very much, and our prayers go out to his
family and friends.”
Brooke Wible ’15

“Thank you, Anto, for being a shining example of what it means to be a
true student-athlete. You have touched so many classmates, teammates
and friends on Geneva’s campus during the past four years and you will
never be forgotten. The Geneva community mourns with the Antonishen
family, but also celebrates the amazing young man that Anto was and
the great impact that he made on our campus. God Bless you!”

Van Zanic ’93, Athletic Director

Fall-Winter 2015 CEGLENEEBVARCAOTLLEIGOEN
WEEKEND
Events for Alumni
MAY 6-7, 2016
October
Join us for reunion events and a special
6 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Philadelphia, PA dinner program.
8 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Woodbridge, NJ
20 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Fairfax, VA 1956 and 1966

November CLASS REUNIONS

10 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Rochester, NY

January

9 The Wizard of Oz – Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

FEbruary

26 The Blue Man Group – Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

Geneva.edu/alumni

GFenunedva
A Community of Faith and Learning

“As a small, Christ-centered college, Geneva has provided
me with so many invaluable opportunities, not only as
a student, but as a young woman looking to grow in her
faith. Without you, my college education would not have
been possible.

My Geneva education has shown me just how present

Christ is in every facet of my life, and how to share the

hope of that with everyone I encounter in my life and

future career as a Christian counselor.”

Leah Daigle ’16, psychology Geneva.edu/give

G e ne va C o lle ge Non-Profit
Organization
3200 College Avenue
Beaver Falls, PA 15010 U.S. Postage

PAID

Beaver Falls, PA
Permit No. 16

Wherever you are in life, God has a plan for you. 855.766.3421

And an academically excellent, Geneva.edu

Christ-centered, affordable education
can help you to step forward in that calling.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Geneva’s list of nearly 40 majors includes programs in business, engineering,
education, biology, communication, psychology, student ministry and human
services. Grow academically, spiritually and personally with help from our
caring Christian professors and rigorous academics grounded in Biblical truth.

ADULT DEGREE PROGRAMS

Geneva can help you complete your bachelor’s degree in as little as 16 months.
Plus, our students enjoy a graduation rate that is consistently above the average.
And with multiple locations and fully online programs, we make it easy for you
to finish your degree.

Organizational Leadership • Management • Human Resources
Human Services • Christian Ministry Leadership • Child and Family Services

GRADUATE PROGAMS

A master’s degree from Geneva can help you excel through greater
understanding and elite professional skills. A high-demand advanced degree
will equip you for principled Christian service to your organization, your
community—and your world.

MBA • Higher Education • Counseling • Organizational Leadership • Leadership Studies

Programs offered fully online