Tag Archives: Alumni achievers

Photo of book cover

Phillip Rumrill ’89 Co-authors The Sandwich Generation’s Guide to Eldercare

For Alumni, Uncategorized

Photo of book coverMembers of the KSC community and of the “sandwich generation”—those struggling to care for their elderly loved ones while raising their own children—will find help in The Sandwich Generation’s Guide to Eldercare: Concrete Advice to Simultaneously Care for Your Kids and Your Parents, co-authored by Phillip D. Rumrill ’89 PhD, CRC.

Dr. Rumrill, recipient of the 2012 Alumni Achievement Award, received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Keene State and is currently a professor and coordinator of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program at Kent State University (Ohio) as well as the director of the Center for Disability Studies at Kent State. His latest book is a co-authored project with two other rehabilitation specialists and shares insight and advice for the sandwich generation. This invaluable resource offers tips for every aspect of eldercare, including how to navigate the legal and financial considerations while ensuring the best care for loved ones and avoiding caregiver burnout.

Joanna Saidel ’85

Joanna Saidel ’85 Delves Deeply into Nazi History in “Deal with the Devil”

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Joanna Saidel ’85
Joanna Saidel ’85

Towards the end of WWII Hitler ordered his killing machine into overdrive to exterminate the Jews. Joanna Saidel ’85 has written a fascinating article, “Deal with the Devil,” for The Times of Israel that delves deeply into clandestine efforts to thwart Hitler’s orders—a little known story that saved perhaps tens of thousands of European Jews.

Saidel received a master’s degree from Keene State before going on to get a Ph.D. in History from UNH Durham (her dissertation topic was “Revisionist Zionism in America: The Campaign to Win American Public Support, 1939-1948”). “My work at Keene definitely helped pave the way for the current article,” Saidel explained. “At that time I studied with Charles Hildebrandt. If I remember correctly, he was in the process of establishing a Holocaust Studies program then (probably around 1984?). He was my mentor for my master’s thesis, Jewish Life in Latin America. I enjoyed working with him very much; I could sense his genuine dedication—his emotion and spirit—as he undertook his mission to develop a Holocaust center at Keene.”

Saidel currently live in New Hampshire with her family, writing for The Times of Israel and occasionally for the Jerusalem Post.

Dana Hilliard ’95

Dana Hilliard ’95: Somersworth’s New Mayor!

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Dana Hilliard ’95
Dana Hilliard ’95 receiving congratulations at Somersworth’s Teatotaller Tea House after he won the mayoral race on Nov 5. (Photo courtesy of John Hunt, staff photographer for Foster’s Daily Democrat)

Somersworth Middle School Principal Dana Hilliard ’95 had been bitten by the political bug back when he was active in student government while he was on campus. His success, and his willingness to serve, reached a new high on November 5 when he was voted in as mayor of Somersworth, NH. Mayor Hilliard is a former KSC Alumni Board member, and he is still active in Seacoast alumni events and promotes the College whenever he gets an opportunity.

Read the announcement of his mayoral win in Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Granfa Grigg Had a Pig

Alumni Authors Featured at the Alumni Center

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Granfa Grigg Had a PigJD Salinger once said, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.” Unless you’re part of the KSC community, of course—then you have a connection to a whole host of great authors who would love to meet you and chat. Maybe the next time you’re at the Alumni Center, or at a College event.

Who are these authors? Come on into the Alumni Center between now and early next spring and check out the dozens of books that Norma Wright Walker ’51 has gathered in the display cases just inside the main door. The driving force behind the Golden Circle Society, Norma took on the task of creating a KSC alumni authors library for the Alumni Center.

“The outpouring and response from the alumni authors was wonderful; I had no idea we had so many. The books keep coming by mail—it’s terrific!” exclaimed Walker as she added more publications to the display.

Some are works of non-fiction, historical in nature, such as those by William Marvel ’79, Joe Citro ’71, Alan Rumrill ’79, Don Johnson ’53, and Marcia Lusted ’84. Others are compilations of poetry by Wes McNair ’63 (Poet Laureate for the State of Maine) and Jean Saunders Duling ’68, or children’s books by Wallace Tripp ’62. Vincent Russell ’50, Ruth Doan MacDougall ’61, Ernie Hebert ’69, and Angie Frazier ’00, to name a few, have novels in the collection. Several nonfiction works explore contemporary subjects such as youth leadership (Steve Fortier ’86) and computers (John Barry ’71). Again, this only names a few, and we’re sure there are others out there that we don’t yet know about. We look forward to the collection growing. Have you written a book? Let us know about it!

Ronn Cabaniol ’68

His Time at KSC Prominent in Ronn Cabaniol ’68’s First Kindle Novel

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Ronn Cabaniol ’68
Ronn Cabaniol ’68

Ronn Cabaniol ’68, a former English major who taught American lit and drama for 35 years, has recently published his first novel on Amazon’s Kindle: Journey from Blue: the Life and Times of a Baby Boomer, and his days at KSC in the 60s have a big part in it. The story “is a memoir that I wrote in the third person giving the main characters fictional names,” Cabaniol explained. “Almost everything in the novel is true, probably about 95 percent. Besides my wonderfully adventurous four years at KSC from 1964 to 1968, there are other parts of the novel about Keene when we moved back for a year in 1985 when I was a reporter at WKNE and published a short story with Yankee Mag called “The Monadnock Roar,” which can be found on the magazine’s website under “Classics.” We also lived in Peterborough in 1976 and several notable New Hampshire celebs play a part there. If you go into the Keene State archives, you should find that I drew a popular cartoon in the school paper for many years called “Roscoe.”

Cabaniol has already followed his first novel with a second, Forgotten Angels, which is set around Buzzards Bay and is also available for Kindle.

Eleni Guptill

Third Holocaust and Genocide Studies Major Interns at Auschwitz Institute

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Eleni Guptill
Eleni Guptill

For the third consecutive year, the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR), a New York-based organization dedicated to building a worldwide network of leaders with the professional tools and the personal commitment to prevent genocide, has accepted an intern from Keene State’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies program. This year, it is junior Eleni Guptill. The Auschwitz Institute invites government policymakers, military leaders, and NGO activists, through its core program, the Raphael Lemkin Seminar for Genocide Prevention, to the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland to teach them to recognize the signs of genocide and use their influence to stop it. The prestigious internship is very competitive, and offers a rare opportunity to one of our finest students.
Continue reading Third Holocaust and Genocide Studies Major Interns at Auschwitz Institute →

Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere

Dom Smith, Former Study Away Student from England, Releases App for Alternative Music News

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Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere
Dom Smith, editor of Soundsphere

If you were on campus in the fall of 2005, you probably remember Dom Smith, the exchange student from York St. John University in northern England. He made quite an impression—and he made the Dean’s List.

“During my short time at KSC, the whole place made a massive impact on me,” Dom recalled. He took a journalism class with Rose Kundanis, whom he remembers as rewarding hard work and accuracy. “I learned my work ethic from Rose, and my fellow students. I did my very first face-to-face interview around a story on Pumpkinfest ’05. I got some feedback from Rose about “leading questions,” which I like to think I’ve taken forward! I also volunteered at the radio station to get more experience, and now I am a regular contributor to BBC Radio North Yorkshire. As a person, my experiences in Keene made me more confident, more worldly-wise, and also more competent as a journalist. … I am incredibly proud of my experience there.”
Continue reading Dom Smith, Former Study Away Student from England, Releases App for Alternative Music News →

Emily Burns ’10

Emily Burns ’10 Featured on ABC Family’s The Vineyard

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Emily Burns ’10
Emily Burns ’10 (ABC courtesy photo)

Communication major Emily Burns ’10 is featured on ABC Family’s new reality show, The Vineyard. This docu-series, set in Martha’s Vineyard, follows a mix of locals and transplants living and playing together for the summer. The show premiers July 23 and runs each Tuesday at 10 p.m. (Eastern time) on ABC Family.

“I’m really excited about the show,” Burns said. “I’m grateful I had the chance to work with a fun cast and crew, top producers, and to be on an amazing network. Also, spending the summer on Martha’s Vineyard wasn’t too shabby.  Keene State College gave me a well-rounded education that prepared me for the entire process.”

Congratulations, Emily!

Chepina Rumsey ’05

Chepina Rumsey ’05 Wins Kansas Math & Science Partnership Grant

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Chepina Rumsey ’05
Chepina Rumsey ’05

Chepina Rumsey ’05, now in her first year as an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at Kansas State University, is the principal investigator of a $450,000 mathematics and science partnership grant from the Kansas State Department of Education. This three-year professional development project, titled “Improving Mathematics Instruction through Lesson Study,” aims to deepen the mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge of elementary school teachers in order to impact student learning and strengthen the partnership between elementary school teachers (K–6) and Kansas State University.

Holding a BS in Math and a BS in Education, Rumsey noted that she’s integrated what she learned from both degrees in her current position working with elementary school teachers and pre-service teachers in the area of mathematics. “Having the mathematics background was helpful in my graduate work and now in my job as I work with mathematicians and mathematics educators,” she said. She’s also using skills she learned outside the classroom as an athlete at KSC. “I ran cross country and track, so I had to learn to manage my time well and stay organized. I have used those skills in graduate school and now in my first year at Kansas State University.”

Her success has already gained her notice in K-State Today. Read all about it!

Award-Winning Motion Picture Music Editor Jennifer Dunnington ’93 to Share Her Craft

For Alumni, Mark Your Calendar, ,
Jennifer Dunnington ’93, winner of two Motion Pictures Sound Editor Awards for her work on Hugo and a documentary on George Harrison. Courtesy photo.
Jennifer Dunnington ’93

Jennifer Dunnington ’93, who won an Emmy and several Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel awards for her work on such movies as Hugo, The Departed, Cosmopolis, Shutter Island, and Boardwalk Empire, will be on campus on March 26 to share her expertise with KSC film and music students. We would have had her here earlier, but she was in London applying her talents to The Hobbit.

During the day, Jennifer will be visiting classes, holding master classes and offering her professional experience to students planning to enter the film industry. At 7 p.m., the College will host a reception for her in Centennial Hall, where she will show some examples of her work.

Interested in knowing more about what Jennifer does as a motion picture sound editor? Check out the article the Sentinel did on her last December.

Tim Hancock ’79 Shoots Running Times Cover

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Tim Hancock ’79
Tim Hancock ’79

Professional photographer Tim Hancock ’79 took the photo of pro runner Meb Keflezighi that appears on the Jan./Feb. issue of Running Times magazine.

“I’ve worked as a professional photographer for the past 23 years, covering four Winter Olympics and five alpine ski championships,” Tim said. “I was SKI Magazine’s director of photography for nine years. I’ve mostly photographed the ski, bike, and running industry.”

Heidi Welch ’96 One of Four Finalists for National Teacher of the Year

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Heidi Welch ’96, maybe the next National Teacher of the Year
Heidi Welch ’96, maybe the next National Teacher of the Year

Remember Heidi Welch ’96, New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year? Well, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has selected her as one of the four finalists for the 2013 National Teacher of the Year (NTOY). This prestigious program allows teachers from across the country to collaborate with policy makers at every level and advocate on behalf of the teaching profession.

For the past 14 years, Heidi has been teaching a variety of music courses, including band and chorus, at Hillsboro-Deering High School. If she’s chosen NTOY, she’ll be taking a year off from her classroom duties to travel nationally and internationally as a spokesperson and advocate for the teaching profession. NTOYs are frequently requested to sit on national and state commissions and policy advising bodies, and sometimes to represent American educators to audiences in other nations.
Continue reading Heidi Welch ’96 One of Four Finalists for National Teacher of the Year →

Pro Snowboard Announcer Nelson Wormstead ’05

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NelsonWormstead2
Nelson Wormstead ’05 at the X Games

You might say Nelson Wormstead ’05 is living his dream. For one, he married his KSC sweetheart, Crystal Moriarty ’05. And he’s the principal New England sales rep for Oakley, and he’s a professional announcer and TV commentator for snowboard competitions around the world. Oh, and he co-owns a snowboard wax company with professional snowboarder Pat Moore.

What does he do as an Oakley rep? “A typical day is getting out on the road and servicing my dealers,” Nelson explained. “I have just under 200 accounts in New England, and daily activities include filling sunglass and apparel orders, meeting with buyers and store owners, and creating events, sales contests, and advertising to help market Oakley within my territory.”
Continue reading Pro Snowboard Announcer Nelson Wormstead ’05 →

Amy Sullivan ’89 Brings Effective Agricultural Practices to South Africa

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Amy Sullivan ’89 on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.
Amy Sullivan ’89 on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls.

Keene State’s motto of “enter to learn, go forth to serve,” has had a profound effect on many of its students, Amy Sullivan ’89 among them. A few years after she graduated with a degree in Political Science, Amy joined the Peace Corps, arriving in Senegal in 1994 as an agricultural extension volunteer.

“I was attached to the Winrock Rice Productivity Enhancement Project that was meant to increase productivity of small-scale rice producers by introducing improved varieties, bred to be highly suited to local conditions,” Amy explained. “Women were the rice farmers in that part of the country, so they were my primary contacts, farmers, and connections. I had to learn enough of the local language, Fulani, in order to live and work and have some fun.”
Continue reading Amy Sullivan ’89 Brings Effective Agricultural Practices to South Africa →

Lauren Miller ’05 Selected for Dartmouth College Today

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Lauren Miller ’05
Lauren Miller ’05

Lauren Miller ’05, the assistant director of the MBA Program at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, has been selected to participate in the Dartmouth College Today program. Offered by the College’s Office of Human Resources, Dartmouth College Today is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of Dartmouth’s goals, priorities, and programs. The program helps participants understand Dartmouth’s internal operations and its key administrators and examine complex issues affecting the institution.