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ALUMNAE MAGAZINE ~w~ ajhf 9 ,1 I L I ! _ » f . Starting Line. A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JO ELLEN PARKER ON STRATEGIC PLANNING In introducing the current strategic planning process, I used the metaphor ofthe A "starting line." starting line, ofcourse, suggests that a race is about to begin. There were several reasons I liked the metaphor ofa race for this particular A strategic planning process. race has a beginning, a middle and an end. It has a clear goal and a clear pathway toward that goal. A race involves an awareness of competition—even ifonly against one's own previous best—and success depends on training, preparation and attitude. And, ofcourse, a race involves moving quickly! The "Starting Line White Paper" (available in its entirety on the strategic planning blog at strategicplan.blog.sbc.edu) laid out my charge to the community; in a way, it charted out our racecourse for us. The rest ofthis message summarizes its key points. Continuedonpage 24. . FOLLOW ALONG ONLINE AT: strategicplan .blog sbc edu . . , Ki«' // I p in j,.-. t»-E, 1 p.* oD Hank Yochum, DirectoroftheMargaretJones Wyllie '45 Engineering Program SWEET BRIAR ALUMNAE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2010 VOL. 81, NO. 1 INSIDE FRONT COVER: Message from the President on Strategic Planning 2 Engineering Inspiration: 1945 Graduate Endows $3 Million Fund to Support Engineering Program 4 Engineering Inspiration: 2009 Engineering Graduates 8 101st Commencement Links Class of 201 to SBC's 10th President 10 Going Places in the Foreign Service 12 All in a Life's Work: Elinor Stebbins '00 Receives the Congressional Gold Medal 4 Worlds Within Worlds: 201 Senior Art Show 1 OSnWeEEoTf(BhReIoAbRjeActLiUveMsNoAfEihMeAmGagAaZzIiNnEeiPsOtLoICY 18 Sweet Briar Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Boxwood Circle presentinteresting,thought-provokingmaterial Publicationofmaterialdoesnotindicate 20 Advanced Fiction with Carrie Brown endorsementoftheauthor'sviewpointbythe BmraigaarzCionlel,egteh.eTAhleumSnweaeetABsrsioocriaAtliuonm,naoreSweet 22 Homecoming 2010: Go Somewhere You Love this Fall Magazinereservestherighttoeditand,when pnuebcleiscsaatriyo,n.reCvoinsteaaclltmuastearniyaltitmhea!titacceptsfor 24 Strategic Planning Continued 25 Just Say Yes! ColleenKaraffaMurray'06,editor 434381.6317 cmurray@sbcedu 26 Mini Reunions ETBRIAft Media,MarketingandCommunications 27 Alumnae Weddings POBox 1056,SweetBriar,VA24595 434.381.6262 28 Bulletin Board BoxwoodAlumnaeHouse P80O0B3o8x1.1601553,1SweetBriar,VA24595 29 Recent Deaths [email protected] OfficeofDevelopment 30 In Memoriam POBox1057,SweetBrior,VA24595 434.381.6161 32 Transitions GSwreaepthiBrciardeAsliugmnnaebyMaTghaeziDneesPirgonducGtrioonup, 33 Class Notes Lynchburg,VA. PrintedbyProgressPrintingCompany. INSIDE BACK COVER: In the Sweet Briar Tradition: Anne Walden DeweyGuerin '41 Cover Image: Juniors Sarah Lightbody (left) and Lauren Perhala work on one of the >0° MixedSources engineering department's ongoing projects to design and build a low-cost, functional prosthetic hand. The students are contributing to the project through the Honors Summer Research Program, which awards competitive fellowships to work one-on-one with faculty sponsors. PHOTO BY NANCY BIACKWEIL MARION '74 Engineering wf 1 H 3R / ft 1945 Graduate Endows $3 Million Fund Support Engineering Program to JENNIFER MCMANAMAY, STAFF WRITER Margaret "Peggy" Jones Wyllie always wanted to be an engineer, but when she entered college in 1941 pursuing that dream, was nearly impossible. In those days, universities with engineering programs rarely admitted women and no women's college in the country offered the degree. So in 1945, Wyllie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Sweet Briar College. 2•Summer2010 SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.edu inspiration Sixty-five years later. Sweet Briaris one ofonly two sending women engineers intotoday's marketplace U.S. women'scollegesto offeranengineering degree. preparedto use their skills responsibly, sustainably and Theprogram's success haspermittedWyllietorevisit thoughtfully." herchildhood dream while expandingopportunities SBC engineeringdirectorHankYochumalso noted forSweet Briar'saspiringengineers oftoday. She and that theWyllies gift validates what the College has herhusband, Jesse Wyllie, havegiven $3 million to done todevelop a high-qualityprogram. Sweet Briartocreate an endowment in support ofthe "This endowment speaksto the successof program. Shortlyafterthegift wasannounced, Jesse the program and to ourcommitment tocreating Wylliepassed away. opportunities forwomentobecome engineersthat In recognition ofthegift, SBC Engineeringwill make a difference in the world,"Yochum said. henceforth be known asthe MargaretJonesWyllie '45 "The giftwill help usprovide even more The Wyllies Engineering Program. It isthe first named academic opportunities forourstudents, including funds appreciate the program inthe College's 109-yearhistory. foradditional state-of-the-art labequipmentand Sweet Briar's engineeringcurriculum was built scholarships. It will also supportcommunity-based importance overseveral years beginning in 2002, largely with $1.5 design courses, like lastyear's collaborationwith of sending million in grants from the National Science Foundation. disabledworkers at Lynchburg Sheltered Industries. The firstclass ofdegree candidates was enrolled in That projectresulted in a national workplace innovation women 2005 andgraduated lastyear. award fordesign." engineers The College offers a B.S. inengineering science PeggyWyllie liveson hercattle farm inTroy,Va. anda B.A. in engineering management.The She and Jesseretired there in 1982 afterhis careeras into today's curriculum emphasizesexperiential learning, design a research scientist andexecutivewith GulfOil Corp. asafundamental element ofengineering, andcreating Theymoved around, living in the United Kingdom, the marketplace solutionsto human problems.The engineering science Middle East, andTexas. California and Pennsylvania. prepared degreetrack is multidisciplinary, rooted inmechanical While herhusband, a Rhodes Scholarfrom South engineeringand engineering design, withan emphasis Africa, climbed the ranks atGulfto serveaspresident to use onelectrical and mechanical systems. andchairman ofthe company, Peggy raisedthree their skills The B.A. option responds to the high demand children and pursued herown interests, includingriding amongtoday'stechnical companies forgraduateswith horses. In arecent interviewwithVirginia Business, responsibly, strongeducational backgrounds inboth management Wyllie said she rode competitivelyat Sweet Briarand sustainably andtechnology. Fundamental science, math and didn't stop riding until age 75. engineeringcourses, combined with an emphasison There alsowas atime inthe 1950s when she and developingmanagement skills and interconnections satisfied herneed forspeedas a race cardriveron betweenthe disciplines, arethecore ofthe program. the Sports CarClubsofAmerica circuit. Whatthe thoughtfully." TheWyllies, whometatTheJohns Hopkins somewhatdiminutiveWyllie lacked instature she made University where Peggyearned hermaster'sin up in nerve, sometimes pushingtheJaguars shedrove —JO ELLEN PARKER chemistry, were early andgenerous supporters to 11 milesan hour. ofengineering at Sweet Briar. They contributed substantially for laboratory renovations and equipment, computers and software from 2005 to2007. Earlierthis winter. PresidentJo Ellen Parker invited thecouple tocampustoattenda lecture, tourthe department's labsandmachine shops, and meet with students, faculty and administrators. "PeggyandJesseWylliewere impressed bythe quality ofSweet Briar'sengineering students and faculty, by the missionofthe program andbythe innovative curriculum," Parkersaid. "Theyappreciatedthe careful stewardship, which made effective andthoughtful use oftheirprevious giftsand ofNational Science Foundation grants. But Leftto right: PresidentJo Ellen Parkerwith JesseWyllie, PeggieWyllie '45 and Hank mostly, I think, they appreciate the importance of Yochum. SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.edu Summer2010•3 Engineering Inspiration 2009 Engi neering Graduates May In 2009, Sweet Briar graduated its — women first full class of engineers four who helped pave the way for future engi- we neering students. Recently, learned that these new alumnae have begun promising careers or gone on to further study. From conducting research nanotechnology in to working with a government intelligence agency, these engineers are doing work that proves the program's success. During interviews with the four graduates, each was asked about Sarah Smileystands in frontofTuck School ofBusiness where she attends manyof herclasses atDartmouth. her most memorable experience at Sweet Briar. Three, who eSmnicleeya'nsdinbutseinndeesds.degree integrates both engineering sci- attended the spring 2007 Technology and Society course, said Sarah Smiley the same thing. As part of the class, they planned and executed Helping others in practical ways has always been important to Sarah Smiley, and engineering has a trip to Guatemala, where they helped build a clean-water sup- provided herwith the tools to dojust that. She chose ply system for a rural boarding school. They also built a pump Sweet Briar's engineering program for its focus on mechanical and electrical engineering, small class connected to the storage tank that could be operated by hand sizes and varied course offerings. Having graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a double or electrically. All three alumnae spoke of how the project gave major in engineering science and mathematics. Smiley them the chance to help others, one of the fundamental goals of now attends Dartmouth College where she is earning a masters degree in engineering management. engineering. "I believe that we're blessed to be a blessing," Smiley said. "And I want to help people. I want to be The newly named MargaretJones Wyllie '45 Engineering the best leaderthat I can be, and I believe that one way to obtain this goal is to challenge myselfand get Program continues to grow with 20 students enrolled for the the best education I am capable of." At Sweet Briar, Smiley was involved in the Falls- coming year. The number of women in engineering is steadily on-Nose tap club, golfclub, theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, and she participated in three increasing through our Explore Engineering program for high separate internships. During her sophomore year. Smiley traveled to school girls and through our engineering scholarship pro- Guatemala with herclassmates where they began gram, both of which are funded through the National Science construction on a water system for a local school. For Smiley, the project was rewarding, not only because Foundation and the Wyllie endowment. ofthe hands-on experience, but also because ofthe 4*Summer2010 SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.edu Richmond Engineering Group Names weet Briar Recipient jrst i Award f s HI JENNIFER MCMANAMAY, STAFF WRITER The RichmondJoint Engineers' Council has selected Sweet Briar College Amanda Bakerexplored parts of EcuadorinJanuary 2009on a kayaking trip. to receive its 201 RJEC Award for Outstanding Achievement in connections she made with the children at reconstruct the items before being caught. In the school. high school. Bakerbegan taking engineering Advancing the Study and Practice of "We got to throw a party with the kids classes at a community college and felt she'd Engineering. there with a pinata, which we helped them found herniche. Sweet Briar is the first recipient of to set up," she said. "The watersystem Now she is a full-time employee of the new award. The RJEC chose the construction was a lot ofphysical labor, but Straughan Environmental Services in we learned about the culture while we were Columbia, Md. She spends her days doing College to recognize its creation of there. We practiced our Spanish, drew on stream surveys and assessments, field degreed programs in engineering and our history ofLatinAmerica, really put to work, habitat assessments and storm water the graduation of its first class in the work ourproblem-solving techniques." management plans. She's also a part-time spring of 2009. Sweet Briar is one of Smiley always valued the intimate setting student atThe Johns Hopkins University, two women's colleges in the country to she encountered at Sweet Briar andthe where she's earning hermaster's in offer degrees in engineering. confidence that a women's college gave her, environmental engineering and science with especially since she has entered a field in a focus on stream restoration. She's also Hank Yochum, director of the engi- which women are the minority. part ofthe Johns Hopkins Outdoor Pursuits neering program at Sweet Briar, Currently, Smiley is working toward program, leading kayaking, backpacking, accepted the honor at the RJEC's a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certificate, rock climbing and outdooradventure trips. annual Engineers' Week Awards which focuses on developing best practices Baker chose Sweet Briar to provide in manufacturing production. Eventually, herwith the necessary link between her Banquet, held Feb. 1 8 at theJefferson she'd like to work fora technical company high school education and post-graduate Hotel in Richmond. in operations. She is on the Master aspirations. A double major in engineering "The award acknowledges the ofEngineering Management Council and environmental sciences, Bakerwas College's commitment to increasing and is co-leaderofthe Operations and involved in clubs, activities and programs the number of women in engineering," Manufacturing Professional Club. She is all overcampus, including the Sweet Yochum said. "We are especially ateaching assistant for the upper-level BriarEngineering Society, American mechanical engineering class, machine Society ofMechanical Engineers, Women pleased to earn this inaugural award design. Overall, Smiley is thriving in her in Engineering, SWEBOP (the College's from an organization with such state- new life at Dartmouth, and fondly cites her outdoorprogram) andTau Phi. wide reach as the RJEC." Sweet Briar experience as the springboard During her sophomore year. Bakerwas Since the class of 2009 graduated, forherpath. part ofthe Guatemala trip and said that it was an adventure she'll never forget. Yochum has been following the wom- Amanda Baker "I helped organize the logistics ofthe en's progress as they pursue advanced As ayounggirl,Amanda Bakerwas curious trip," Bakersaid. "It was one ofthe most degrees or begin careers in the field. about mechanics. She took apart radios, demanding classes and at the same time one "The success of our first graduates, in remote controls and toys with moving parts, ofthe most gratifying." graduate school and in practice, dem- trying to figure out how they worked. When The trip taught Baker that engineering is onstrates the high quality engineering she heard hermother's footsteps coming about helping people. "That should be our down the hall, she'd quickly attempt to numberone priority," she said. education a small liberal arts college can provide," he said. SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.edu Engineering; Inspiration 2009 Engineering Graduates Guyerreceiveda B.A. in engineering management at Sweet Briar. The degree combines engineering science andthe business practices that are common in her field, which include production management, marketing, human resources and accounting. Guyers Sweet Briarexperience gave herthe confidenceto work in a male-dominated field and also the practical knowledge she needed to get ajoband excel in it. Like others in hermajor, Guyerwas involved in the Falls-on-Nose tap club and the Sweet BriarchapteroftheAmerican Society ofMechanical Engineers. A memberofthe riding council, Guyerspentmany hours at thebarn planning in-house horse shows, volunteering, ridingand caring forhorses. At Sweet Briar, two events were Leake Kaelyn particularly memorable forGuyer, who isnowan intelligence specialist withthe National Ground Intelligence Center in Kaelyn Leake is doing something at the Charlottesville,Va. In herfirst year, she University ofCalifornia, Santa Cruz, that and herteammates won the Cardboard Boat most people have neverheard of. She's Regatta, paddlingto victory in Sweet Briar's specializing in nanoscale optofluidics, a lake aboard theircardboard-and-ducttape research field that studies optic and fluidic vessel. components in the same microscopic During hersophomore year, the system. Leake is attempting to design a Guyer Lauren Guatemala project hada strong impacton portable, inexpensive device that will be heroutlook as an engineer. Guyerand her used to detect dangerous viruses and strands Lauren Guyer foundherwayto SBC team overcame numerous obstacles during ofDNA, as well as many otherprocesses engineering along an indirect route. She andbefore theirtrip including fundraising, that take extensive amounts oftime and started with a strong interest in architecture badweather, language barriers and sickness. money to detect in a laboratory setting. and also in riding. Searching forcolleges In the end. the opportunityto have a tangible These devices would be useful to traveling effect on a school in needwas invaluable, researchers as they enterdeveloping that offered intensive riding instruction, she stumbled upon Sweet Briarand the said Guyer, who feels that Sweet Briarhelped countries and remote areas where they could engineering program, which turned outtobe herto become a confident leader, equipped to identify a hazardous virus on site. the right fit. handle the challenges in front ofher. "Engineering is very much a multidisciplinary field," Leake said. "We use Engineering Students Recognized Nationally for Community Outreach In a recent regional version of the Technology and Society course, students designed and created tools for physically and mentally challenged employees at Lynchburg Sheltered Industries, a local nonprofit company. The new tools created by the students are being 1 EJ used at LSI today. 1 Students involved in the project participated in the 2009 NISH National Scholar Award for Workplace Innovation and Design, a national engineering design competition. Sweet Sarah Smiley '09, left, and Maxine Emerich '10 atthe U.S. Capitol inWashington, D.C.,where Briar students, including '09 graduate Sarah Smiley, earned third place in the competi- theywere recognized fora projectdesign. tion, an impressive accomplishment for our program. 6'Summer2010 SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.erJu physics, chemistry, math and even biology daily at UC Santa Cruz. Sweet Briars engineeringprogram, whichcombines mechanical, electrical and some civil engineering, prepared me forthis." As an undergraduate, Leake was involved in the Engineering and Physics Society, fencing,American Society for Mechanical Engineers and the Falls-on-Nose tap club. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with majors in engineering science and physics and received the George H. Lenz Excellence in PhysicsAward. One ofLeake's favorite moments at Sweet Briartookplace on a late night inthe Guion Science Center. In herfirst engineering class, shewas taskedwithcreating a Beanie Baby Engineering launcher. The contraptionhadto launcha ° Beanie Baby overa"mountain" at a certain ^ angle andheight. c AT SWEET BRIAR "The night before the assignmentwas due, the whole class was in the engineering lab trying to finish the building forthe The engineering program at Sweet Briar now hosts a week-long summer project and calibrating the catapults ... course and two overnight Explore Engineering weekends for junior There were many flying Beanie Babies, and senior high school girls. Participants engage in engineering projects such as collisions and races on wheeled chairs down creating robots that make music and art, designing electronic clothing, making the hall," Leake said. iPod speakers, building interactive stomp pad games and more. When most ofthe catapults didnot meet The program emphasizes the creative nature ofengineer- the specifications, Leake andher classmates realized how much testing, thought and ing and the ways that engineers make the world a better study goes into completing a seemingly place. Students see engineering in action as they simple task. workwith current SBC students and faculty. Leake recently received a QB3 They also meetwith area women engi- Fellowship for first-year studies in the Keck neers, learn about Sweet Briar's pro- Centerat UC Santa Cruz and looks forward to new discoveries in the field ofelectrical gram and stay in the residence halls. engineering. No prior experience in engineering <^C is needed. For more information on Explore ENGINEERING Engineering, visit: www.engineering.sbc.edu. FACULTY Honk Yochum Scott Pierce Dorsa Sanadgol T.C. Scott Scott Hyman Associate professor Assistant professor Assistant professor Associate professor, joint Whitney Guion Professor Program director Ph.D. Georgia Tech Ph.D. University of Virginia with UVA Ph.D. University of Ph.D. Wake Forest Registered Professional Interests: mechatronics, Ph.D. University of Maryland, College Park University Engineer increasing opportunities Michigan Interests: radio astronomy, Interests: nanotechnology, Interests: machine design, for women in engineer- Interests: heat transfer, image processing optics, engineering low-cost prosthetics, ing automotive engineering outreach robotics SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine www.alumnae.sbc.edu Summer2010 7 Commencement 10 1st Links Class of 2010 SBC's 10th President to T BYJENNIFER MCMANAMAY Jo Ellen Parkeropened Sweet Briar's 101st commencementon Saturday, May 15, readyto confer 155 undergraduate degrees and six MasterofArts inTeaching degrees. When she leftthe stage atthe conclusion ofthe ceremony, she had become an honorary memberofthe firstclassto graduate since she became president. Seniorclass president Carlisle "Carlie"Adams announced the honor, andpresented Parkerwith a class ring. Adams noted that Parkerhad faced challenges during her firstyear, butrose to meetthem. "I'll say tomy new classmates, I'mjusta little bit verklempt," Parkersaid inresponse, and notedthat as the College's 10th president she is numerically as well as emotionally linked to the Class of2010. Debra Elkins '93 deliveredthe commencement address, which struck an engineering theme appropriate to herbackground. She isarisk analysis expert serving as a section chiefwith U.S. Homeland Security.Afterreceiving herbachelor's from SBC in mathematical physics, she earneda master's in math and a doctorate in industrial engineering. Elkins advised the Classof2010thatthe liberal arts education they received at Sweet Briarhas prepared themto engineerthe future in everything from health care and education to fixingenergy shortages and environmental issuestoensuringthe nation's security. "You have the rights andprivileges that go along withbeing a Sweet Briargraduate,but you also have PresidentJo Ellen Parkerwas given a class ring by seniorclass presidentCarlieAdams atcommencement. Parkeris nowan honorary memberofthe Class of 2010. aresponsibility to use youreducation to help address these tough issues," she said. honorary title ofEmilie Watts McVea Scholarasthe Elkins said each also has aresponsibility to herself. highest ranking memberofherclass, adistinction she "Findwhateverit is that you love doingand that you shareswith Elkins, who won it in 1993. do really well, and go afterthat dream with all your As is customary, dean ofthe College Jonathan passion and energy.Then you will have found not only Green called each candidate to the stage to receive ajob, butan interesting, fulfilling careerpath, where herdiploma from President Parker. Otherspeakers youhave lots ofopportunitiesto giveback to your included Rachel Flynn representing the board of community and broader society." directors and JenniferCrossland '86, president ofthe Elkinscomes from good stock and aproud Sweet AlumnaeAssociation. Briartradition: A sisterand twocousins alsoare Three guests also were acknowledged at graduates and herlate motherwasprofessoremerita commencement. President Emerita Betsy Muhlenfeld and formerchairofSweet Briar's math department, for and herhusband, LarryWollan, and Margaret"Peggy" whomthe familyestablished theJudith Molinar Elkins JonesWyllie '45, who with her late husband, Jessie Prize. It recognizes outstandingachievements in math Wyllie, recently endowed a fundto supportthe orscienceand is one offive all-College awards that College's engineeringprogram. are presented during commencementeach year. Visitwww.sbc.edu/news/items/9680 forthe full Debra Elkins '93 delivers the 2010commencement Elkins wasable to present the award named for story. address. hermotherto Laura Nicole Jett. Jettalsoearned the 8-Summer2010 SweetBriarCollegeAlumnaeMagazine•www.alumnae.sbc.edu