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FIVE INDUCTED
JAMES I. SWENSON BUILDING
RACE, SLAVERY, AND AMERICAN HISTORY
UMD ENGINEERING IN TOP TEN MIDWEST COLLEGES
ALL THAT GLITTERS
MARDI GRAS
PROFESSOR FOR A DAY

FIVE INDUCTED INTO THE UMD ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Five alumni and friends of UMD were recently inducted into the inaugural UMD Academy of Science and Engineering, which has been established to give public recognition to “distinguished alumni and special friends of the College of Science and Engineering, who have brought distinction to themselves through their participation, commitment, and leadership in their chosen profession.”
Those honored were:

Jerome Klun - Bachelor of Arts, Biology, 1961
During 37 years of entomological research, Klun has worked with the chemical nature of host-plant insect resistance in corn and has made discoveries in the field of insect chemistry and behavior that have had significant impact on agriculture, science and technology. Klun was awarded a Ph.D. in Entomology by Iowa State University in 1965. He is the author of 114 peer-reviewed scientific publications and five patents and is recognized internationally in his field. Klun and his wife Harriet live in Potomac, Maryland.

Casmir Ilenda, Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry, 1969
Ilenda grew up in Proctor, Minnesota. He was the co-author of two publications at UMD while performing undergraduate research with Chemistry Professor Ronald Caple. Casmir was the recipient of a NSF graduate fellowship his senior year that enabled him to obtain his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Colorado. As a senior scientist with Rohm and Haas, he has been involved with many successful endeavors, from plastics to fiber optic lighting systems. This work has lead to 14 patents. In 1991, Ilenda was awarded the “Otto Haas Award of Scientific Achievement” by his company, Rohm and Haas. Ilenda and his wife Beverly live in Holland, Pennsylvania.

William E. Crain, Bachelor of Arts, Business and Economics, 1953; Geology, 1955
After graduating from UMD, Crain, a Duluth native, received a MS in geology from the University of Minnesota. He joined Chevron in 1957 as an exploration geologist, and retired in 1994 as director and vice president of Chevron Exploration. Crain’s commitment to earth science education earned him the University of San Francisco Medallion Award and the American Geological Institute’s (AGI) Explorer award. In 2002, he and the late Chancellor Emeritus Robert Heller received the AGI’s William B. Heroy Jr., Award for distinguished service: together they generated the vision and support of AGI’s inquiry-based, secondary school Earth Science curricula. Crain currently lives in Danville, California with his wife, Jean, who graduated with an English degree from UMD in 1951.

David L. Karpeles, Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, 1956
After Karpeles graduated from UMD, he continued his graduate studies in mathematics. His interests eventually turned to real estate investment in southern California, and in 1981 Karpeles received an award from California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., for developing an affordable housing plan. Karpeles, with his wife Marsha, began collecting historical documents in 1978 and established seven Karpeles Manuscript Libraries, including one in Duluth, which today preserves the largest private collection of original manuscripts in the world. Karpeles is author of 60 historical monographs relating to the Library’s holdings. He and Marsha Karpeles live in Santa Barbara, California.

Howard Hanson, faculty member, 1947-1985
Hanson helped found the UMD Department of Physics, arriving at UMD in 1947 with three other new faculty. He served as head of the department from 1951 until 1984, just before his retirement from the faculty in 1985. Hanson received his bachelor degree from St. Cloud State and his Ph.D. from UW-Madison. Hanson was active in both the American and the Minnesota Area Associations of Physics Teachers and was instrumental in leading the department to its present size, including the addition of the graduate program and increased emphasis on research, without detracting from the undergraduate teaching mission. Hanson and his wife, Agnes, live in Duluth, Minnesota.

JAMES I. SWENSON BUILDING:
Taking science students to the next level

The new James I. Swenson Science Building is quickly becoming reality. UMD broke ground for the new facility on August 29. Starting with a $7.5 million gift from Jim Swenson, a 1959 UMD chemistry graduate, and his wife, Susan, the Minnesota Legislature followed suit with $25.5 million of funding to build a new facility for the chemistry and biology departments at UMD. Set to open for spring semester of 2005, the James I. Swenson Science Building will serve over 1,000 students per semester with new faculty-student research and teaching labs, undergraduate research areas, a student study room, and a lounge area. “UMD is one of the leading institutions in the nation in terms of providing opportunities for undergraduate students to do research with a faculty member,” said James Riehl, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. The state-of-the-art building will provide additional space for undergraduate research.

RACE, SLAVERY, AND AMERICAN HISTORY

In fall 2002, Ronald Sundstrom, UMD alumnus and Duluth native, who is now a professor in the field of race theory and African American philosophy, returned to campus for a series of lectures. Sundstrom’s current research involves race theory and African American philosophy and their intersections with issues in the philosophy of social science, and political and social philosophy. He has published several articles on race and the metaphysics of social categories, and he is currently working on a book that extends his work on social categories to questions concerning segregation and distributive justice. The work is entitled, Race and Place: Social Space, Human Categories, and the Politics of Place.

He presented two lectures, “Reconciling Ourselves to the Idea of Race: Struggling with the Moral Arguments For and Against Race,” and “The Harms of Residential Segregation” which were co-sponsored by the Duluth NAACP.

Sundstrom grew up in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Duluth and graduated from UMD in 1993 with a major in philosophy. He was active in campus government and was president of the African American Student Group. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1997 and is now an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis.

UMD ENGINEERING RANKS IN TOP TEN MIDWEST COLLEGES

The UMD engineering program ranks among the “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the Nation” according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2003 rankings. UMD was ranked ninth among Midwest Public Universities that offer a Master’s Degree.

ALL THAT GLITTERS:
Studio glass from the collection of Don and Carol Wiiken

An exhibit of studio glass from the collection of Don and Carol Wiiken of Oak Park, Illinois, was held in UMD’s Tweed Museum of Art last fall. An exhibition premier, the 35 glass works featured were created by noted international artists including: Olle Alberiius, Sweden; Harvey Littleton, Joel Philip Myers, Dale Chihuly, United States; Monica Eaton, Germany; Judi Elliott, Australia; Louis LeLoup, Belgium; and many others. The Wiikens, who have provided leadership to the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, have announced a generous gift to the Tweed Museum of Art that will begin a world-class contemporary glass collection unique to the Great Lakes region.

Joel Philip Myers, internationally renowned artist and a leader in the contemporary studio glass movement, exhibited a unique glass installation in conjunction with the Wiiken exhibit. In his new work, Myers deals with the complex issues of contemporary culture and the human condition. Myers is professor emeritus from Illinois State University where he founded the studio glass program.

MARDI GRAS

School of Fine Arts Dean Jack Bowman brought more than just his water-ski boat with him to Duluth — he also brought new ideas to benefit the School of Fine Arts and UMD. One of those ideas will take place Friday, February 28, 2003.

The School of Fine Arts (Art and Design, Glensheen, Music, Theatre, Tweed Museum) and community members are working together to plan a School of Fine Arts fundraiser. This year’s event theme is Mardi Gras, New Orleans style. The event will feature food, music and a silent auction, all to take place at the historic Glensheen estate. Tickets are $75 each. Call (218) 726-8921 for more information or to make a reservation.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ALUMNI TRANSFORM INTO PROFESSORS

Last October, the UMD School of Business and Economics held its second annual Professor for a Day program. Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin welcomed 20 SBE alumni who had returned to campus to meet with other alumni and students, to speak in classes, and to participate in panel discussions. The day concluded with a reception in the Library Rotunda Room where SBE Dean Kjell R. Knudsen thanked everyone.

This year’s participants were: Michelle Anderson ’00 BAc (Bachelor of Accounting), currently an accountant at Eikill & Schilling, Ltd.; Lori Collard ’78 BA in Economics, Director of Human Resources at Minnesota Power; Sean Dean, ’94 BBA in Business Administration, founder and CEO of Citon Computer Corporation; Todd Fedora, ’87 BBA in Finance, a Senior Vice President of M & I Bank in Superior, Wisconsin; Christopher Hoffman, ’96 BA in Economics and BBA in Management, affiliated with the Hoffman Group; Charles E. House, ’62 BA in Business, a CPA and president of Hansen House Company; Jeffrey Hovis, ’76, BA in Accounting, now semi-retired and a former Supervisor of Mutual Fund Accounting at American Express; Douglas Huseby, ’66 BS in Business and Economics, the CEO and Founder of Becker Furniture World, and a recipient of the 2002 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Rodney Landin, ’99 BBA in Marketing, an Inventory Analyst at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters and a member of the UMD Alumni Association Board of Directors; Steve Lauring, ’83 BS in Economics and ’84 MBA, Consumer Insights Director with General Mills/Pillsbury in Minneapolis; Gregg McCall, ’00 BBA in Finance, a Financial Advisor with U.S. Bank; Steven Overom, ’73 BS in Economics, a partner in the law firm of Maki & Overom; Amir Permeh, ’01 BBA in Marketing, currently working with Hershey Foods; Marcia Rowell, ’86 BA in Economics and Mathematics, a Strategic Account Support Manager at Minnesota Power; Jennifer Smith, ’99 BAc, an accountant with Eikill & Schilling, Ltd.; Christopher Steele, ’80 BAc, retired June 1, 2002, as Vice President, Finance Shared Services, Best Buy; Shawnee Stephenson, ’99 BAc, a tax staff accountant with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP; Jean Sumner, ’80 BAc, a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A.; Jennifer Svendsen, ’99 BAc, an accountant with McGladrey & Pullen, LLP; and Jerry Zanko, ’71 BA in Political Science and Economics, the Manager of Employee and Labor Relations at SMDC.