Valley: Lebanon Valley College Magazine

32 Pages·1994·1.9 MB·English

by  Lebanon Valley College

LebanonValleyCollegeMagazine Winter 1994
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The
Belle
ofAnnville
Julie Harris Brings
Alumni Events 1994
Feb. 12 2p.m.HotDogFrankDay
Basketball(LVCvs.Susquehanna)
Feb.19 7-10p.m.HarrisburgRegional
Event,HarrisburgMarriott
March1 AwardsCommittee 6p.m.,
CarnegieBoardRoom
March20 BaltimoreRegionalEvent,
CrossKeysInn
March22 ScholarshipLuncheon
April29-30and May1 AlumniWeek-
endandSpringArtsFestival.Individual
reunionsbeingplannedbytheClassof
'49,'54,'59,'79,'84and'89
April30 AllAlumniDinnerDance,
LanternLodge
May1 ReunionWorshipService,
AnnvilleUnitedMethodistChurch
May14Commencement
June16-18 AlumniHostel
-
Sept.23-25 FamilyWeekend
(formerlyParentsWeekend)
October22 HomecomingandHallof
FameDay
December10 NewYorkCityBusTrip
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The
Valley
Vol. 11,Number3 LebanonValleyCollegeMagazine Winter 1994 J
Departments Features
l? NEWSMAKERS Star ofStage, Screen and Classroom
20 NEWS BRIEFS Dstuurdienngtshaenrdthtrheeecdoamymsuonnitcyamalpiukse,. actressJulieHarrisenchanted
22 SPORTS ByLauraChandlerRitter
ALUMNINEWS
23 Catalyst for a Career
— —
26 CLASSNOTES Awosmueppnorcthievmeisattrmyosmpahjeorresthaantdextthreacahdavnacnetatgoed.oresearch gives
ByNancyFitzgerald
A
10 Quiet Presence
Editor:JudyPehrson TheLebanonValleyAuxiliaryfor75yearshasbeenmaking
campuslifemorecomfy.
Writers:
GlennWoods('51),ClassNotes ByLauraChandlerRitter
JohnB.Deamer,Jr.
NancyFitzgerald
LauraChandlerRitter 12 It's NeverToo Late
DianeWenger('92) These500adultsyearntolearn.AndLebanon Valleymakesit
convenientforthemtoearnthedegreetheywant.
ByJudyPehrson
Sendcommentsoraddresschangesto:
OfficeofCollegeRelations
LaughlinHall
LebanonValleyCollege
101N.CollegeAvenue
Annville,PA17003-0501
TheValley ispublishedbyLebanon
ValleyCollegeanddistributedwithout
chargetoalumniandfriends.Itis
producedincooperationwiththeJohns
HopkinsUniversityAlumniMagazine
Consortium.Editor:DonnaShoemaker;
Designer:RoyceFaddis;Production:
LisaDempsey
OntheCover:
OneoftheninecharactersthatJulieHar-
risportrayedduringherDecember1993
appearancewiththeAuthors&Artists
seriesoncampuswasMaryToddLin-
coln,depictedhereinaportrait(artist
unknown)fromthecollege'sDr.
WoodrowS.DellingerLincolnCollec- Foradultsnervousabouttakingacollegecourse,onecontinuinged
tion.PhotographbyDennisCrews. studentoffersthisadvice:Justdoit.
Star of Stage,
Screen and
Classroom
ActressJulie Harrisbrought
herspecial brand ofmagic
to the campus and commu-
nity during a three-day visit.
ByLauraChandlerRitter
is abittercold night in De-
cember,thecoldestoftheyear
It
sofar.Yettheglossy,narrow
pews ofMiller Chapel begin
filling nearly an hour before
actress Julie Harris is sched-
uled to appear. Some 500
people crowd in for the per-
formance, offering Harris a thundering
ovationevenbeforeshespeaks.
Harris loves adventure: Shethrills to
journeying to unknown places and voy-
aginguponstormyseas.Shetoldoneclass Portrayingninecharactersandtalkingwithstudents,JulieHarrismadeliteraturecomealive.
ofLebanonValleystudentsthathadshe
beenaboylivinginMelville'stime,she
would have shipped out on a whaling "All people belong to a 'we' except Dressedinblack,wearingvirtuallyno
ship.HerperformanceinMillerChapelis me, and not to belong to a 'we' makes makeupandreadingfromlargesheaves,
itselfasortofadventure,assheportrays youtoolonesome,"Frankiesays,explain- Harris embarks on an adventure on the
nine extraordinary women, each one ingthedilemmaofhumanalienationwith MillerChapelstage,ajourneythatseems
drawn from adifferentplay, each one a thesearinghonestyofchildhood.Though fraughtwithdifficulty.Yetfortwostraight
classicinherownright.Sevenarechar- somefourdecadeshavepassedsinceHar- hours, without intermission, she intro-
acterssherecallsfromvariousmoments ris first portrayed Frankie in 1950, she duceshercharacters:quirkyanddelight-
in her long career, which encompasses recapturesthepuresimplicityofthishon- fulHannahJelksfromNightoftheIguana,
award-winningperformancesonstage,in esty with a performance that transfixes Mary Tyrone from Long Day'sJourney
moviesandontelevision.Twoarechar- theaudience. intoNight,LindaLomanfromDeathofa
acters she has not portrayed, but whom Withhardly apausebetweencharac- Salesman and Mary Todd Lincoln from
sheneverthelessseemstoknowasthough ters, Harris next portrays Joan of Arc, TheLastofMrs.Lincoln.
shehad. from Lillian Hellman's adaptation of a Then come three intrepid women
The first is 12-year-old Frankie playbyJeanAnouilh.Standingbehinda drawnfromplayswrittenfortheactress
Addams, from Carson McCullers's The large podium without even the smallest by herfriend,playwrightWilliamLuce:
MemberoftheWedding. Harrisoncetold prop,Harristheactressallbutvanishes, Charlotte Bronte, Karen Blixen (Isak
aninterviewerthattheroleofFrankiewas replacedby atragicchild warriorstrug- Dinesen)and,finally,EmilyDickinson.
"thebeginningofeverythingbigforme." glingtomakepeacewithherGod. Beforeanaudiencethatbarelystirsin
TheValley
the chapel's bare pews, Harris presents hewhenshewrotebackfourdayslaterto Harris'sthreedaysoncampuswere
thesewomenasonewoulddearfriends, sayshe'dperformtheBrontepiece, and packedwithappearancesbefore
peoplewhosecharacterandideasareim- tosuggestdates. classes in poetry, American lit-
portant to her, people who ought to be During her visit to Lebanon Valley, erature and theater arts, as well as the
remembered, even ifthese qualities are Harris recalled how, for that 1981 ap- MillerChapelperformanceandanevening
not obvious at first glance. Her perfor- pearance, Woland had told her the stu- receptionandreadingatKreiderheim,the
mance draws on a remarkable talent to dentswouldbuildsetsforherportrayalof president'shome.
revealthestrengthandintegrityofthese the British novelist, who spent most of Several times, and in several ways,
characters, to makethembelievablebe- herlifeinherfather'sisolatedparsonage. sheseemedtoexhortthestudentstodis-
causeshesoclearlybelievesinthem. Arriving at Palmyra High School, covertheirworldandtopursueitwhole-
Herperformancescintillateswiththe Harriswasstunnedwhensheviewedthe heartedly, with all their energy. She
skill thathas made herone ofthe most students'effort. encouragedheryoungaudiencestofind
honored and respected actresses in the "I was horrified. What I saw was a somethingtheylove,andthendoit."What
nation.ShehaswonfiveTonyawardsfor streetin Haworth, the outsideofallthe youliketodowillattractsomebodyelse,"
herworkonBroadway,anumberunsur- buildings.Theywerewonderfulsets,but she says, which also describes the way
passedby any otherperformer. She has Ididtheplayfromasmallsittingroom, sheleapsintoherroles.
beennominatedninetimesfortelevision's
Emmy Awards, and won twice; she has
won a Grammy Award and numerous
otherhonors. Hercareeralso includesa
seven-year, prime-time stintin theCBS "Extraordinary power is what
series"KnotsLanding."
Throughout her career, critics have actingis allabout. Once a
used words like "luminous" and "bril-
liant"todescribeHarris'swork.Herper- performance starts, itshould be
formanceatMillerChapeldemonstrated for youandfor the audience
thesamequalityofradianceandlight.
intHhaerrAiust'hsovrissit&waAsrthisetrsthsierrideas.ppSehaerawnacse like your lastday on Earth.
invitedby longtimeseriesorganizerJim You can tpretend."
Woland, whosaidhe"fellinlove"with
theactressintheearly1960s,whilelying
onthe floorofhisgrandmother's living
room."Mygrandmotherwastheonewith
the television," he said. "I was totally
mesmerized.Juliewasstarringin'Victoria indoors.Icouldn'tdoitstandinginfront "Extraordinary power is what acting
Regina,' for which she won an Emmy ofallthosebuildings,"shesaid. is all about," she says. "Once a perfor-
Award.Duringtheperformance,sheages Asshewatched,"thebuildingsopened mancestarts,itshouldbeforyouandfor
over50years.Itwasincredibletositon upandthereinsidewasthesittingroom," theaudiencelikeyourlastdayonEarth.
thefloorandwatchithappen." Harris recalled, hersmilebringingback Youcan'tpretend."
In1981,stillenchantedbythetheater, thesenseofreliefshefeltatthatmoment. Inherowncase,Harrissaysshemust
WolandwasdirectingagroupofPalmyra "IrealizedrightthenIwasinthehandsof identifywithsomethingintheheartofa
High School students in The Belle of agreatcraftsman." charactersheportrays."Idon'tknowhow
Amherst, Luce's one-woman play about Harrisin 1982returnedtoPalmyrato itcomesabout; it'samystery. Youfind
Dickinson.InWoland'sproduction,each perform The Belle ofAmherst. And in whatyouloveandyouhavetoworkfrom
youngwomanwouldtakeaturnportray- December, she foundtimeforthisthird there."
ingthepoet.WolandwrotetoLuce,and visitto Authors & Artists, now held on Known for her exhaustive efforts to
learned that the playwright had written campus. She came during abriefbreak research arole, Harristellsthe students
anotherplay forHarris, aboutCharlotte betweenperforminginTimothyMason's thatshelikestowork"fromtheoutside
Bronte. Following up the letterto Luce off-Broadway play, The Fiery Furnace, in,"whichmakeshersomethingofaren-
withonetoHarris,Wolandinvitedherto and taking off for England, where she egadeaccordingtosomeschoolsofact-
appear in the Authors & Artists series, willplaythepartofRhettButler'smother ing.InthecaseofDickinson,Harrissays,
whichwasthenheldatPalmyra. in a television miniseries based on shebeganwithaportrait. "Ifeelmoved
Perhapsnoonewasmoreamazedthan Scarlett,thesequeltoGonewiththeWind. by her portrait; she has an interesting
Winter1994
I
mouth.... There is a little soul in there
thatisbeautifulandmoving."
For Harris, knowledge ofthe details
points her towards an understanding of
character. She read and re-read
Always a Survivor Dickinson's letters, studiedthe kindsof
pens she used and what hershoes were
like."Youputontherightshoes,andyou
feelsomething,"Harrissays."Ican'tsee
Inamovingmomentatthebeginningof 'Stop!You'rekillingyourself!'"shesaid. howitdoesn'thelp."
hervisit,JulieHarrisspoketomembersof Harrisbelievesthatamacrobioticdiet Askedifshehasafavoriterole,Harris
thePennsylvaniaBreastCancerCoalition. canbe helpful to people suffering from says she has loved almost all ofthem,
Thisnewlyformedgroupispartofalarger cancer. She recommended eliminating including the recent role in The Fiery
National BreastCancerCoalition, which coffee, caffeine, sugar, meat and dairy Furnace,whichclosedshortlybeforeher
recently completed a successful petition productsfromthediet,andaddingmiso arrivalatthecollege.Shepausesbriefly,
drive requesting andtofu. asifsearching foraword, andthenshe
President Clinton "At first tofu turnsandbeginstotellastoryabouttruth-
toplacebreastcan- and miso seemed fulnessandfaith.
ceronthenational hopeless to me. Itisalongstory,andsheiswellintoit
healthagenda. But if you study before many watchingherrealizesheis
Harris,wholost them and get in a performing a scene from Mason's play.
abreast to cancer class, they can be Buttheaudience,fromhighschoolcheer-
13 years ago, told very interesting," leadersinpleatedskirtstocollegefaculty
the women it was shesaid. members, is barely breathing; even a
the first time she Following sur- photographer'sshutterstopsclicking.The
hadspokenbefore gery, she warned, emotionrisesuntilHarrisisintears,and
a group about her "the gloom is thenalmostassuddenlyasshebegan,she
experience. something you bringsherperformancetoaclose."Those
"I never was havetobecareful words are powerful," she remarks sim-
sick. Ijust had a of."It'simportant ply,astheroomexplodeswithapplause.
lump,whichIdis- tohaveagroupto Answeringquestions,Harrisslipsfre-
covered myself," shareyourfeelings quentlyintoexamplesfromthemanyroles
shesaid.Shewent with, she added. shehasplayed,rarelyspeakingabouther-
to a doctor, who "Anger and fr—us- self. As one student put it later, "You
toldhersheneededimmediatesurgery. trationcre—ateachemical inthebody didn'treallyknowshehadalreadystarted
"ButI'mworking!"shereplied."Can't callitbile thatisbadforus." ascenefromaplay, andthen shecould
itwaittwoorthreemonths?"Tolditcould Ontheotherhand,findingjoyinone's enditandbeherselfagain."
notwaitevenaweek,Harriswasamazed. workandkeepingapositiveoutlookcon- Inaneveningpoetryclass,Harrisex-
"Iwasn'tsick.Ididn'tfeelanydifferent tributetogoodhealth,sheobserved. pands on her fascination with Emily
atall,"shesaid.Nevertheless,sheunder- "Sharing is so important. It helps to Dickinson. Harris is petite, with small
wentabiopsy,followedbyanimmediate relievetheburden. Sharingisoneofthe hands and adelicate face dominatedby
modifiedmastectomy andthenayearof answers that help get rid of the pain," largeeyesthatwidenasshebecomesab-
chemotherapy. Harrissaid. sorbed inwhatsheis saying. Herfawn-
"Iwasn'tevensickfromthechemo," PatHalpin-Murphy,coordinatorofthe coloredhaircurvessoftlyaroundherface,
Harris said. "Ididn'teven losemyhair. Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, afringeofbangsfallingtothetopofher
Iwasn'tsick,andIworkedeverydayof thanked Harris for her encouragement, large,deep-blueglasses.
thatyear.IthinkIwasveryblessedthatI and pinning a pink ribbon on Harris's Shepagesquietlythroughathickvol-
hadaneasytime,"sheadded. lapel,invitedhertobecomeanhonorary umeofDickinson'spoetry,searchingout
Butforfouryears beforethe cancer, member. Theribbon was placednextto aparticularpoem.Shepausesamoment;
her life was anything but easy. "I was the small red AIDS ribbon the actress sitting in the middle of the room, she
under great personal strain," she said. waswearing. looks fragile, and somehow unremark-
"My knees were shaking, I was driven. "You can call on me whenever you able.Then, like abirdperchedunobtru-
Perhaps the cancer was saying to me, want,"Harrissaid. sively on a branch that suddenly
relinquishesallcamouflageandburstsinto
TheValley
"
Harriscaptivatedstudentsandthepublic
alike.JimWoland(below)hasworked
withtheactressonallthreeofherappear-
anceswiththeAuthors&Artistsseries
thathedirects.
bookinthewastebasket.Heasksifatthe
outset, Harris had had difficulty with
Dickinson'swork.
"I was hooked from the beginning,"
shereplies,butsheaddsthatpoetryoften
requireswork.Tounderstandalinelike:
"AnewerSevrespleases,oldonescrack,"
Harris explains, one must know that
"All that within us thatsays Sevresisakindofporcelain.
"Youhavetolookupalot,butitisfun.
I shouldn't do it, but I must: Iliketobeeducated....Therearepoems
thatareobscure,likesecrets.Yousimply
I can't do it, but I will. havetostudy,studyandstudysomemore.
Some ofher poems seem very difficult,
butstickwithher.She'sworthit."
her temper-
ament." Dick- In still another class, this time on
insonkeptaBible Americanliterature,Harrislistensas
and a copy of studentsdescribethebookstheyhave
Shakespeare next read.Onestudentislessthanenthusiastic
toherbed,butshe aboutMelville'sMobyDick, explaining
"had to worship thatitcontainstoomuchdetaileddescrip-
God in her own tionofwhalingandwhalingships.Harris
way,"Harrissays. listensattentively,butsheobviouslyloves
Asshespeaks, thebook.Shedescribeshertriptoawhal-
she bursts into ingmuseumandherfascinationwiththe
linesofpoetrythat primitiveboatsthatwhalersused."Iloved
illustrate the alltheexplanationanddescriptions,"she
points she makes says. "ThemoreIknow,themoreexcit-
aboutDickinson's ingitbecomes.... [MobyDick] isthrill-
life.Sheisclearly ing to me, the idea ofthis huge animal
fascinatedbywhat takingeverybodyforaride.Idon'tknow
astartlingsong,Harrisbeginstoread. shecalls"alittlegirl'svoicecomingout, howanybodysurvived."
Hervoiceseemstoglideoverpuzzling evolvingintothisgreatpoet." Indeed,onewondershow,at68,Har-
words, emphasizing only the ones that HarrisisaskedwhytheNewEngland ris continues not only to survive the
carry the meaning she wants to share. poet who wrote with such a liberated gruelingscheduleshesets,buttosurvive
AlthoughDickinsondiedin 1886,Harris feeling never left her very conservative it with enthusiasm, an enthusiasm for
somehowshowsherworkispackedwith family and chose to live with them all truthfulness and authenticity that she
meaningfortoday."It'slikeShakespeare," herlife. sharessoopenlywithothers.
Harrisexplains."Itnevergrowsold." "Shedidn'ttrytogetawayfromthem," Sheseemstothriveonchallenge,ona
Harris tells how she was drawn to Harris replies. "She loved them, they spiritofadventure thatforherseemsto
Dickinsonafterreadingherletters,"those wereherworld.Shedidn'twanttoleave definelife:"AllthatwithinusthatsaysI
first schoolgirl letters." Dickinson at- them." shouldn'tdoit,butImust: Ican'tdoit,
tended Mt. Holyoke, which at the time Though Dickinson never married, it butIwill."
wasareligiousschoolwherestudentswere seems thereweremeninherlife whom Inhercase,itiseasy toimaginethat
expectedto"cometoGod." shereallyloved."Severalpeoplesheloved whatever challenge or adventure next
Inspiteofareligiousupbringingand died, oritjustdidn't workout," Harris comesherway,shewillmeetitwitharms
her deeply religious parents, Dickinson observes. "But if she had accepted life outstretched, study itfrom itsoutsideto
never felt called to come forward, and withaman, she mightnothave written itsessenceandthrilljusttobepartofit.
neverdeclared she had "come to God," whatshewrote.Writingbecamethemost
Harrissays. importantthingforher."
"This little girl said, 'No, I can't do Another student notes how some LauraChandlerRitterisaLebanon-based
that.' Sheneverdid 'cometoGod.' That poemsaresoobscureandfrustratingthat freelance writer who contributes regu-
amazedme,thatawarenessofherselfand he sometimes wants to throw the larlytoTheValley.
Winter 1994 5
'
Catalyst
for a Career
P '""™ YvonneD'Uva
performsanexperi-
mentinafreshman
chemistrylab.
R^^^A
*1V
p,<fl^
received from the
W i
NationalInstitutesof
Health(NTH).
'Tome,research
is exciting," Hevel
says."Thequestions
are always new.
^Hr ^flf .J Binitorcihgeumedistmreyehvaesr
sinceIgottoLeba-
nonValleyandfirst
heard of it I liked
chemistryenoughto
think that if you
paired it up with
Thesewomenchemistry Many 18-year-olds, when makeareallyinteresbtiinoglofgieyl,d."it would
majorsfoundthe right tarheeny'tfirqstuigteettsourceollwehgaet, majHoerveiln,chwehmoisgtrrayduaantdedbiwoichtehmiastdroyu,blies
formula attheValley: theywanttodowiththeir typicalofotherchemmajorswhocredit
lives, or even what the warm, supportive atmosphereatthe
rewardingresearch that coursestosignupforthatfirstsemester. Valleywithnurturingtheirsuccess.That's
spurred themon to earn Oth—ers know exactly whattrackthey're anobviousadvantageofasmall, liberal
on like Joanie Hevel, who arrived on artscollege.Butinotherways,Lebanon
aPh.D. campus in Annville as a freshman in ValleyCollegeisprettyatypical.Though
September1984. itgraduatesonlyahandfulofchemistry
ByNancyFitzgerald "Idon'trememberthisatall,"Hevel majorsinanygivenyear,itranksinthe
explains,"butDr.MoesaysthatwhenI top4percentofnearly 1,000institutions
registered for my freshman classes, he inthenumberofchemistrygraduateswho
asked me what I wanted to do when I goontoreceivePh.D.s. AndtheOffice
graduated.H—esaidIdidn'tbataneyeor of Technology Assessment, a federal
missabeat Ijustanswered, 'Iwantto agency, included Lebanon Valley in its
get my Ph.D. in chemistry and go into list ofthe 100 most productive institu-
chemicalresearch.'"WhetherDr.Owen tionsinscienceandengineering.
Moe,professorofchemistry, recallsthe Whatisevenmoreremarkable,ofall
eventwiththedetachedmindofascien- LVC chemistry graduates, over40per-
tistorengagesinalittleselectiveediting cent are women, compared to approxi-
of his memory, we'll probably never mately25percentnationwide.Inaddition,
know. fourrecentwomen graduates have won
ButthefactisthatDr. JoanieHevel prestigious national fellowships: three
('88),postdoctoralfellowattheUniver- postdoctoral fellowships from NTH and
sityofCaliforniaatBerkeley,isnowcon- one predoctoral fellowship from the
ducting research under a grant she HowardHughesFoundation.
TheValley
—
Some 40 percent ofthe college's
chemistry graduates are women,
compared to 25 percent nationally.
What are the reasons behind these behind it We spoke with some recent andisnowemployedbytheDowC—hemi-
remarkablenumbers?Moebelievesit'sthe alumnaeofthe Valley's chemistry—pro- cal Compa—ny. Her specialty is you
Valley'semphasisonhavingstudentscarry gram, all ofwhom h—avecompleted or guessed it chemometrics, the applica-
outoriginalresearchaspartoftheireduca- arejustfinishingup adoctorate.What tionsofmathematicstogainmoreinfor-
tion. "Thecenterpieceofthat, ofcourse, did they experience at Lebanon Valley mationfromchemicaldata."Iworkinthe
hasbeenoursummerresearchprogram," that inspired them to forge ahead in a analyticallab,"sheexplains,"wherewe're
Moeexplains,"whichhasbeengoingon fieldthatwomendonotoftenenter?What responsibleforalltheanalyticalmeasure-
everyyearsince 1948.Ourballparkesti- havetheyaccomplishedtodate? mentsonincomingrawmaterial.Wemake
mate is thatofthe students whopartici-
pate, about 85 percent have gone on to
earn higher degrees in chemistry at the
master'sordoctoralle—vel.Whentheystart
working on research th—e non-textbook, "Weweren'tsingled
realaspectsofchemistry theystartget-
tinginterestedingoingonanddoingmore. outattheValley.
And our attitude has been to encourage Theytreated usas
themtogoasfarastheycango."
Thechancetodoresearchwasthespark
thatgotJoanieHevelgoing. "Myexperi- —Dr.MaryBethSeasholtz{'87)
enceatLebanonValleywasunique,"she
says. "Igotalotofexposuretoresearch
thatIwouldn'thavehadatalargerinstitu-
tion.Buttherewasnodiscriminationand
no special treatment. My professorsjust
nevergaveanyindicationthatIwaslessof
achemistbecauseIwasawoman."
This hands-on a—pproach, contends
Hevel,getsstudents menorwomen UnlikeJoanieHevel,MaryBethSeasholtz sureeverythingisonspec,thatproducts
excited about chemistry and thinking arrived at the Valley with no clear-cut arewhattheysaytheyareandthatEPA
aboutgraduateschool.AtLebanonVal- plans for her future. "I never really standards arebeing followed." Shejust
ley,there'splentytogettheirhandson. declareda majoruntil myjunioryear," finishedherfirstyearwithDowinBaton
"Wehaveacollectionofinstrumentsas sherecalls."Ithought, 'Well,I'lljustgo Rouge,Louisiana,andinDecember1993
completeasyouwouldfindanywhere," alongaslongasIcan,andthendecide.'" wastransferredtothecompany'sanalyti-
explainsMoe, includinganuclearmag- Bythetimeshegraduatedin1987,witha callabinMidland,Michigan.
neticresonance(NMR)spectrometer."In doublemajorinmathandchemistry,she How did her experience at Lebanon
thepasteightyears, we've received 30 hadmadesomedecisionsthatsurprised Valleyaffectherdecisiontoventureout
grants,totalingaround$700,000,tosup- manypeople,includingherself. int—othe male-dominatedfieldofchemis-
portresearch, newinstruments, curricu- "Asastudent,IbelongedtotheAmeri- try and the new specialty of chemo-
lum development and upper-level lab can Chemical Society," she says, "and metrics? "Therewas no special way that
experiments,"headds. onemonthinthenewslettertherewasa women were nurtured at Lebanon
Once the students have gotten their lettertotheeditorfromagraduate stu- Valley," Seasholtz insists. "I don'—t feel
feetwet,LebanonValleysendsthemout dentattheUniversityofWashington.He that women should be singled out and
intotheworld-—andbringstheworldof was talking aboutchemometrics, and it thereasonIfeelthatwayisbecausewe
chemistryto—them."Notonlydowebring soundedkindofinteresting.Dr.[Donald] weren't singled out at the Valley. They
in speakers about six or seven every DahlbergsuggestedIwritetothestudent treatedusasequals.
year," Moecontinues, "butwealsoen- about it, and he wrote back, and that's "Andtheywereverygoodatacknowl-
courageourstudentstopublishtheirfind- how I learned that c—hemometrics even edgi—ng that the world is interdiscipli-
ingsinprofessionaljournalsandtopresent existed.Itwassocool ayearandahalf nary theyencouragedmetofindaway
thematconferences.Thattakesthemto later,IhadenrolledinthePh.D.program tomixmathandchemistry.Ididn'tseem
scientificmeetingsandshowsthemwhat atWashington,andwhenIwentoutthere tofitintoanyoneareaverywell,somy
thescientificworldislike." Ifinallymetthatstudent." teachersencouragedmetodosomething
ForwomenchemgraduatesatLeba- Seasholtz received her Ph.D. in ap- with the interests I had. I didn't really
nonValley,there'sdefinitelyachemical pliedmathandanalyticalchemistryfrom knowwhatIwaslookingfor,butinthe
reaction,andwewantedtofindoutwhat's theUniversityofWashingtoninSeattle, endIfoundit."
Winter1994
— —
s
Did you eversee those materials indus-
Saturday-afternoon try, from petro-
movies where Godzilla chemicals to
towered above the sky- optical disks to
scrapers of Tokyo, or — asers. "This is
HansSolopilotedtheMillenniumFalcon people weweretheoneswhoweremore pioneering research," says Taylor. "It
throughhyperspaceatbreakneckspeed? involvedinthedepartment,tookonmore won'tbeouttheremakingmoneyintwo
You knew the monsters and the space- responsibilitiesandmentoredthestudents orthreeyears."
shipsonthescreenwereonlymodels,but behindus.Forme,thatwasanattitudeI She arrived at Penn State with her
theylookedliketherealthing,andwere learnedatLebanonValley." degree in chemistry from Lebanon Val-
justasexciting. The bestthing aboutLVC, she says, leyin 1988."Itwasabigshockbecause
Inaway,that'swhatDr.LauraPence was the interaction with professors. "I ofthe numbers of people," she recalls.
('87)doesinherlabattheMassachusetts always knew I had their support," she "AtPennState,thereare400peopletry-
Institute ofTechnology (MIT). "We've says."Weweresimplynevertoldthatwe ingtolearnfreshmanchemistryfromone
beenworkingonmakingmodelsofman- weredifferent,orseparatedintomaleand professor. I don't think I could have
ganese atoms. We know that somehow femalechemists.Iwasjustthinking—about handledthat.AtLebanonValley,forme
manganese atoms are working with the theclassthatIwentthroughwith they theearlyyearswereeasierbecausethere
lightin photosynthesis to makeoxygen, were strong-willed, intelligent, feisty wasalwayssomeonetogoandtalkto.If
but we're not sure how. Hopefully, this they were willingto fighthardforwhat youwantedhelp,orifyouwantedtoplay
willtellus.Ifyoucantakesomethingso theywanted.AndIthinkwegotthatcon- withaninstrument,itwasallrightthere
small as a compound and make it look fidencefromthesupportofourteachers. withinyourreach."
likesomethingbig,thenyoucanlookatit Alotofitjustdependsonhowmuchyou Though she started out as a biology
morecarefully,andunderstanditbetter." believeinyourself." majorwith plans tobecome adoctor, it
PencecametoherlabatMIT, where wasn'tlongbeforeTaylordiscoveredan-
she's a postdoctoral fellow, by way of otherniche."WhatIfoundoutaftertak-
Michigan State University in East Lan- ingasemesterofbiology,"shesays,"was
sing, where she received her Ph.D. in "IlearnedatLebanonValleythat thatIreallydidn'tlikeit. Iwastakinga
inorganic chemistry in 1992. But she you'reanindividual,andifyou chemistrycourse,too,withD—r.[Howard]
learnedherwayaroundalabatLebanon haveability,itdoesn'treally Neidig[professoremer—itus] hewasthe
Valley,whereshereceivedherbachelor' matterwhatyourgenderis." bestteacherIeverhad andwhenIcom-
deg"rIeehaindcahcecmeissstrtyo.thefacilitiesthere —RamonaTaylor('88) pwahraetdwwehawtewreewdeoriengdoiinnbgioi,ncIhdeemciisdterdyttoo
notjust somebody else running the in- switch my major." She has no regrets
strumentsforme,"Penceexplains."And about abandoning a possible career in
Igotexperienceonahigherlevelofin- Onethingyouwon'tfindinthechemis- medicine. "I don't think I would have
strumentsthatbigschoolsusuallyreserve trylabofRamonaTaylor('88)is,oddly made avery gooddoctor, anyway," she
forgraduatestudents.Ialsoknewsome- enough,chemicals.Justfinishingupwork admits."Iwouldhavehadaterriblebed-
thingaboutdoingresearch.SowhenIgot onherPh.D.dissertationinsurfacechem- sidemanner.I'mhappyinmylab."
toMichiganandworkedforanassistant istry at the Pennsylvania State Univer- Nevertheless,acareerinchemistrycan
professor,Iknewexactlywhattodowhen sity,Taylorusessupercomputerstolook be especially challenging for a woman,
thelabwasn'tsetup. Iwasabletodoa athow the thin films on metal surfaces Taylorhaslearned."Youhavetobevery
computersearchofthechemistry litera- react when they're exposed to high- dedicated,"shesays."Youworkonyour
tureandordersupplies.Iknewhowalab energyions. Ph.D. till you're 27, then your post-
shouldberun." "On the computer we can look at doctoratetillyou're30.Thenthere'salot
Pence's expertise stood her in good everyatom,"sheexplains."Wehavethe oftraveling,movingaround.Ifyouwanta
stead during her five-yearquest for her ability to tear it apart and really see it. family, there are a lot of conflicts, and
doctorate. Shewasawardedanumberof There'samathe—maticalformulaofwhat veryfewrolemodelsoutthere.Andhardly
fellowships,andwasrankedclosetothe theatomislike somy atomsareactu- anywomenchemistshaveafamily."
top of her class. "It was tough coming ally numbers on my computer screen. Taylor, who is considering a post-
from aliberal arts college to abig state From thenumbers, wegetadescription doctoralfellowshipatIowaStateUniver-
university because you don'tknow how of how different molecules and atoms sityatAmes,isfacingthechallengeshead
you'llfitin,"Pencesays."ButIfeltwell- shouldreact.They'resimulationsofthe on. "I learned at Lebanon Valley that
prepared. And after a while, you could realthing." you'reanindividual,andifyouhaveabil-
always tell the liberal arts college Taylor'sworkhasapplicationsinthe ity, it doesn't really matter what your
8 TheValley