For
a small liberal arts college, Knox is a big shot in the field of
pre-medical education. Knox currently has a 100 percent acceptance rate
for students applying to medical school. 
Chinese Ambassador Delivers Caterpillar Lecture
The
relationship between China and the United States is "the
most important bilateral relationship in the world," said His
Excellency Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador to the United States from the
People's Republic of China, who gave Knox College's 2007
Caterpillar Distinguished Lecture in Global Affairs on May 7.
While "economic development is in the fundamental interests
of both countries," Ambassador Zhou said, "China
remains a developing country and a long way from modernization."Ambassador Zhou's talk, before a standing-room-only audience of more than 300 in Kresge Hall, covered China's relations with the U.S. on a wide variety of issues, including bilateral trade; China's internal economic, political, and social institutions; and international topics -- the Korean peninsula, Iran, the Darfur region of Sudan, and Taiwan and Tibet. Read more . . .
Listen to a podcast of the Ambassador's speech.
Fulbright Recipient to Study Sea Turtles in Costa Rica
Kourtney
Cone '07 was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study sea
turtles in Costa Rica. Cone is the thirteenth Knox student in the past
12 years to receive a Fulbright, among the nation's most
prestigious fellowships for international postgraduate study.A biology major, Cone has conducted animal research since her sophomore year at Knox, including research on howler monkeys which she studied on a previous trip to Costa Rica. The Fulbright will give Cone the opportunity to do more than just study. "Part of the Fulbright requires you to work in the community, so I will teach English," says Cone. She will also help with beach cleanups and lead conservation programs with children.
After completing her fellowship, she plans to pursue conservation field medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. Read more . . .
Oxfam America Board Chair to Receive Honorary Degree
Knox
College will award a 2007 honorary degree to Janet McKinley, board
chair of Oxfam America, at the College's Commencement exercises on
Saturday, June 2. Other honorary degree recipients are former United
States President Bill Clinton, who will deliver the Commencement
address, and Lincoln scholar Douglas Wilson."Janet McKinley has distinguished herself in business. Her current commitment to global economic development is exemplary," notes President Roger Taylor '63. "She has made a personal commitment to helping the world's poorest citizens make better lives for themselves and their communities. It will be an honor to make her a member of the Knox community." Read more . . .
A Note from the Editor
Today's students, tomorrow's alumni!
Welcome to this year's Senior Class, which is receiving the Gizmogram for the first time today. We hope that you enjoy your first issue and that you look forward to receiving future Gizmograms. And to make sure you keep receiving the Gizmogram, as well as other
|
| Judy Ludwig '72 & Peter Gorham on their wedding day at Old Main. |
Final Plea for Old Main Memories!
Thanks to everyone who has shared their memories of Old Main with us. But we still need more! In honor of Old Main's 150th anniversary, we are collecting alumni memories -- in both words and photos -- of Knox's most recognizable building. Memories will be displayed in Old Main over Homecoming weekend, October 18-21; select memories will appear in the Fall 2007 issue of Knox Magazine.
Did you get married at Old Main?
If you were one of Knox's many alumni to get married at Old Main, please send us your wedding photos. We plan to run a special "Old Main Wedding Album" in Knox Magazine, and photos will be on display in Old Main during Homecoming as well.
Campus News
 |
| Architect's drawing of new front entry. |
Knox will undertake an extensive renovation and expansion of its Hamblin Hall student residence this summer. Renovation of the residence hall at 251 West South Street will add nine new apartments to the existing 24.
The project will add spaces for 29 students, increasing capacity to 101 from the current 72. Some preliminary work is planned to begin this spring, with the major construction in June and July. Completion is planned for August, prior to students returning to campus in late August and early September. Read more about the project.
Knox is Looking for Lincoln
Knox recently unveiled its "Looking for Lincoln" wayside exhibit. The new exhibit tells the story of Knox's participation in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and features a full color map of Galesburg and the Knox campus from the time of the debate in 1858. The exhibit is a part of the "Looking for Lincoln" Heritage Coalition. Read The Register-Mail story.
 |
| Karl Rodgers '98, a member of David Dorfman Dance, leads dancers in a rehearsal for Underground. |
Underground, a new work from noted choreographer David Dorfman, had its Midwest premiere in Harbach Theatre on April 7. The performance featured members of the Knox and Galesburg communities. Underground is based on the activities of the Weather Underground, an American protest organization that originated with opposition to the VietNam War. According to Dorfman, his work uses dance to explore questions such as: "When can activism become terrorism, or vice versa?"
David Dorfman Dance has developed more than 30 community dance projects, and the company has performed worldwide. Dorfman has received seven New York Dance and Performance Awards.
Read The Register-Mail story on the performance.
Knox Named One of America's Best Values
Knox is one of the nation's best values among undergraduate institutions, according to the new 2008 edition of America's Best Value Colleges, released on April 24 by The Princeton Review. The guidebook said that it selected 165 colleges, based on "excellent academics, generous financial aid packages and/or relatively low costs of attendance." Read more . . .
Prairie Burn 2007Knox College students torched more than 20 acres of grassland in the annual Prairie Burn, held April 1 at Green Oaks, Knox's biology field station and the oldest prairie restoration in the region. See photos from the event.
Whiting Hall Turns 150
Old Main isn't the only building celebrating a sesquicentennial this year. Whiting Hall, Knox's former all-women's dormitory, also turns 150 this year. Although Knox sold Whiting Hall in 1979, it remains a beloved building among the women who lived there during their four years at Knox, as well as the men who visited its halls. Read The Register-Mail article on its anniversary.
Student News
Junior Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District TeamPaul Bennett '08 was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Baseball Team as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He also received Second Team All-District V recognition in the College Division. Majoring in biology and psychology, the junior outfielder from Edwards, Illinois, appeared in all 32 games and made 31 starts for the Prairie Fire this season. Read more . . .
Knox Senior Finds Plenty to do in Galesburg
Knox senior Martha Camargo wants Galesburg youth to know there is plenty to do in their city. A Spanish literature major with minors in business and sociology, Camargo interned with the Knox County Area Project, a local Galesburg non-profit, helping research available youth programs in Knox County. Read more . . .
More coverage of Knox students is available on the Knox news page.
Alumni News
Flunk Day MemoriesThanks to everyone who sent in their special Flunk Day memories. Below is a small sampling of the notes we received from alumni around the world:
- "The Friars were kept under control by spending midnight until 4 a.m. at Dean Harlan's house. We were then driven to campus in the back of a paddy wagon (Galesburg police) to begin the wake up process." -- George Pearce '76
- "We fondly remember fireworks over the athletic field by Fine Arts where debris came showering down." -- Linda Nelson Langston '75
- "A free movie at the Orpheum in the a.m. (in '56 it was Kind Hearts and Coronets with Alec Guiness)." -- Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht '56
- "There can be no greater memory for those of us in the '70s, '80s, and '90s than Harley Knosher's pants." -- Scott Hansberger '84
Alumni Join Board of Trustees
Two alumni were recently welcomed to the Board of Trustees. Steven P. Luetger '75 and Jane Strode Miller '81 both joined the Board as general trustees and will attend its June meeting. Luetger joins Knox after serving as chair of the Knox Fund Steering Committee for the last two years. In addition to his volunteer work in Advancement, Steve is a member of the Business Advisory Council and is a supporter of the Old Siwash Prairie Fire Athletic Club. He is a senior managing director at Mesirow Financial in Chicago.
Miller has amassed a career in brand management, marketing, field sales, and operations that has taken her from brand manager to president for consumer goods companies, including PepsiCo, Inc., Gateway, Inc., and HJ Heinz Company. She currently owns her own professional consulting firm, Miller Management Group. Miller is a member of the Business Advisory Council.
As general trustees, Luetger and Miller will serve four-year terms. More information on the Board of Trustees.
Poet Returns to Campus
Poet Jen Tynes '01 returned to campus on May 18, where she read from her own work and presented the 2007 Davenport Poetry Awards. Tynes is the author of two volumes of
poetry, The End of Rude Handles and See Also Electric Light, and co-author with Erika Howsare of The Ohio System. Her poems have received two Pushcart Prize nominations, and her writing has appeared in more than 50 print and electronic journals.
Come Home to Knox, October 18-21, 2007!Hotel reservations are going fast! Don't miss your chance to catch up with old friends, attend classes with current Knox students, cheer on the Prairie Fire, and much more. Make your reservations today! And look for your 2007 Homecoming Brochure in July, outlining all of the weekend's exciting events.
Alumni Notes
Randy Oberembt '76 will begin his new position as athletic director (AD) of New Trier High School on July 1. He currently serves as AD of Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School. He previously spent 11 years at Knox as head football and track coach.
P. Christopher Earley '80 was named dean of the University of Connecticut School of Business and awarded the new Auran J. Fox Chair in Business. Currently dean of the National University of Singapore Business School, he will join the University of Connecticut on January 1, 2008.
Caryl Fank '02 was named as associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society. Fank is an assistant actuary at Allstate Insurance Company.
Liz Leahy '03, who works at the Washington-based nonprofit Population Action International, recently presented a report tying youthful populations to national discord at the United Nations. The report was also featured in the New York Times.
The Forgotten West, a short film by Vince Singleton '03, had its television debut on the cable channel BETJ on May 13. The film is part of BETJ's Best Shorts Program, which will run on the channel until May 27. Check your local listings for exact show times. Read more about
The Forgotten West.
Donnie Forti '06 is one of six graduate students in the nation to receive a Carnegie Corporation fellowship to work with the Brian Ross investigative unit at ABC News this summer. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in journalism at the University of Illinois.
Faculty & Staff News
Don't miss your chance to see President Taylor '63 on Illinois TV!On Thursday, May 24, President Roger Taylor '63 will be featured on Interesting People, a monthly program on WTVP, Peoria's Public Broadcasting Station. The program will air at 8:00 p.m. and be rebroadcast on Sunday, May 27, at 10:30 p.m. Hosted by local Peoria attorney and media personality Ed Sutkowski, Interesting People features half-hour conversations with a wide range of interesting individuals about their lives, careers, ideas, goals, and accomplishments. For more information on the program, visit the WTVP Web site.
Penick Co-Authors Article in Nature
Knox College neuroscientist Esther Penick is co-author of a paper recently published in the renowned journal Nature. Penick's research delves into a new way morphine -- and other commonly abused drugs -- can alter the brain.
Penick, an assistant professor of biology, has taught at Knox since 2005. Her research specialty is neurobiology, and she has co-authored papers in Science, The Journal of Physiology, Neuron, and other research journals. Penick is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, and earned her doctorate in cellular and clinical neurobiology at Wayne State University. Read more . . .
Knox Welcomes Three New Coaches
Knox will have three new head coaches patrolling the sidelines in 2007-08. Two of them have won Midwest Conference championships, while the third has been a fixture at Prairie Fire athletic events for the last several years. Jami Strinz, Nikki McLellan, and Kim Schraderare the newest Knox head coaches. Strinz, the softball coach, and McLellan, the women's soccer coach, will start their duties on July 1. Schrader took the reins of the volleyball program in the spring. Read more . . .
Faculty & Staff Notes
Three poems, "Another Disappearing," "After Settling," and "If Only Disappearing" by Monica Berlin '95, assistant professor of English, appear in the newest issue of Dislocate, a literary magazine published by the University of Minnesota.
Sarah Day-O'Connell, assistant professor of music, was awarded an Edison Fellowship to conduct research at the Sound Archive collection of the British Library in London.
Linda Dybas '64, Watson Bartlett Professor of Biology, presented a paper at the Illinois State Academy of Science's annual meeting.
Tim Kasser, associate professor of psychology, recently gave three talks. He was the keynote speaker at the 22nd Annual University of Scranton Psychology Conference. He also gave two talks at the University of Rochester, speaking to the social psychology department and participating in The Humanities Project's series on Nature and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Frank McAndrew, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, published a book review in the most recent issue of the Journal of Mind and Behavior. He also presented a poster, co-authored with Andy Garrison '04, titled "Sex and Suicide: Beliefs about sex differences in methods and causes for suicide" at the Midwestern Psychological Association meeting.
The poem "Father of the Bride" by Robin Metz, director of Knox's Program in Creative Writing, appears in the new anthology, On Retirement: 75 poems, published by University of Iowa Press. Metz was also one of the four featured speakers at the Professional Development Workshop for Arts and Entertainment Journalists presented at Galesburg's Carl Sandburg Days, as well as the featured speaker at Carl Sandburg College's commencement exercises.
Wilbur Pillsbury, Philip Sidney Post Professor Emeritus of Economics, was inducted into the Founders Circle of the Carl Sandburg College Foundation. This honor is given in recognition of his instrumental role in the founding of Galesburg's community college.
"Amtrak," a short story by Chad Simpson, lecturer in English, appears in the just-released Blue Earth Review. Simpson also received a Tennessee Williams Scholarship in fiction to attend the Sewanee Writers' Conference held in July.
Jon Wagner, professor of anthropology, presented a paper at the 84th annual meeting of the Central States Anthropological Society meeting in Minneapolis.
Marilyn Webb, Distinguished Professor of Journalism, is included in the book Feminists Who Changed America: 1963-1975, published by the University of Illinois Press. The book is the first comprehensive directory to document many of the founders and leaders of the second wave of the women's movement.
Advancement News
The End is Near . . .
The end of the fiscal year that is. Thanks to everyone who has made a gift to Knox this year. If you haven't already done so, please consider making your gift by June 30, 2007. And remember, every gift counts -- whether it be $10, $50, or $100.
iGive.com
One way you can give to Knox each year is as simple as shopping. Go to igive.com, an online shopping mall, and shop at familiar stores such as Amazon.com, Landsend.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Gap.com. Choose the Knox College Knox Fund as your favorite charitable cause, and each time you make a purchase at one of the participating online stores, a percentage of the cost of the purchase will come back to the Knox Fund. It's free! There is no extra cost or obligation to you or Knox College. Visit igive.com today!
Contact Us
Submissions to The Gizmogram should be made to the editor at gizmogram@knox.edu. Submissions may be edited for space.
Editor
Megan Scott '96
If you do not wish to receive further issues of The Gizmogram, please type "Unsubscribe" in the subject header of an email message and your full name in the message window. Send to gizmogram@knox.edu.
