On The Hill

Six Join Board of Trustees

The Allegheny College Board of Trustees welcomed six new members into its ranks at its October meeting. Joining the board were Christian L. Allison '83, Alice S. Bierer '59, William H. Brown Jr. '80, Ann Jones Gerace '60, Hayes C. Stover '62, and Marvin Suomi.

Chris Allison is chairman of Tollgrade Communications, a manufacturer of testing equipment for the telecommunications industry. Most recently, Tollgrade was named to Fortune's small businesses list of the "Fastest Growing Small Companies in America" for the second year in a row. Allison and his wife, Jane France, reside in Pittsburgh.

Alice Bierer is CEO of Essex Grain Products, which she and her husband, William '59, purchased in the early 1970s and which they have steadily expanded. Essex is a large regional distributor of food ingredients such as soy protein, salt, sugar, and corn syrup solids. The Bierers have homes in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Park City, Utah.

A first vice president and certified financial planner with Merrill Lynch, William Brown has worked for the company since shortly after graduation from Allegheny College. He is a member of a number of business and professional organizations in the Pittsburgh area. He and his wife, Ellen, reside in Sewickley.

Ann Gerace is executive director of Conservation Consultants, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental responsibility through education, service, and demonstration programs, with special attention given to lower-income and elderly households. She lives in Pittsburgh.

Hayes Stover has worked for the law firm of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, the largest law firm in Pittsburgh, since he graduated from Harvard Law School. He is now a partner in the Pittsburgh office, where he represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law. He and his wife, Patricia Dolan Stover '62, reside in Sewickley.

A graduate of the University of Michigan and Princeton University, Marvin Suomi is president and CEO of KUD International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kajima Corporation. He also serves as chairman of KUD Limited (UK). Kajima is one of the largest construction-related service companies in the world. He and his wife, Mariclare, live in Beverly Hills.

"The College community is fortunate that these exceptionally talented men and women have made the commitment to help lead Allegheny at such an exciting time for the College," President Richard Cook said in announcing the appointments. "The remarkable breadth of experience that the trustees bring to their work is matched only by the depth of their commitment to the College. It's a privilege to be working alongside them."

Jochen Richter, Mary Bieler Professor of Modern Languages, received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in July at a ceremony at Middlebury College. The award which recognizes those who advance German culture and language beyond German borders was presented to Richter on behalf of German President Johannes Rau by P. Christian Hauswedell, Boston's general consul of the Federal Republic of Germany. A member of the Allegheny faculty for more than twenty years, Richter has authored two books on German literature, as well as research papers on German writers and the influence of World War II and technology on German literature. He has also taught at Middlebury College's German School for twenty-six years and recently earned a directorship there.

Noted Speakers Lecture on Campus

A number of noted speakers have recently given presentations on the Allegheny campus.

Author and civil activist Paul Loeb presented a lecture in September based on his latest book, Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. Published in 1999, Soul of a Citizen has garnered praise from prominent figures such as novelist Alice Walker and consumer advocate and former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Acclaimed nature writer Gary Ferguson, author of fourteen books on nature and science, presented three lectures in October, including a presentation on his recent field study for a National Geographic book documenting wolf and grizzly activity in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

Esteemed biochemist Jane S. Richardson presented the Annual Lord Lecture in September. Richardson revolutionized the analysis of protein architecture with "Anatomy and Taxonomy of Protein Structure," published in 1981. The ribbon diagram has since become one of the indispensable tools of the structural scientist. A current focus at the Richardson lab is the use of all-atom contacts to analyze and improve macromolecular structures, including application to structural genomics.

USPS Honors Tarbell With Postage Stamp

One of Allegheny's most notable graduates, Ida Tarbell, became even more recognizable on September 14 when the U.S. Postal Service issued a new postage stamp with her image. Tarbell is one of four reporters Nellie Bly, Marguerite Higgins, and Ethel L. Payne are the others honored on the USPS's new Women in Journalism commemorative postage stamps.

The only woman in Allegheny's Class of 1880, Tarbell set a standard for investigative reporting that journalists today continue to hold high. She is best known for her 1904 book The History of the Standard Oil Company, in which she revealed the unethical means used by John D. Rockefeller to monopolize the early oil industry. As a result of Tarbell's investigative work, the 1911 Supreme Court issued a decision to break up the Standard Oil trust.

The official ceremony for the stamps' release was held at the Society of Professional Journalists National Convention. Another ceremony honoring Tarbell was held in her hometown of Titusville, Pennsylvania. Allegheny College also paid tribute to this illustrious alumna with an unveiling of the Tarbell stamp at a reception at Pelletier Library during October's Celebration of the Liberal Arts.

College Sycamore Stands Tall in National Register

Standing for 180 years near the southwest corner of Bentley Hall, Timothy Alden's sycamore now also stands in a select group of historic trees such as the Gettysburg American sycamore and the Betsy Ross sycamore. Believed to have been planted by Alden in 1822, the College's sycamore has now been added to the American Forests' National Register of Historic Trees.

The tree, at 125 feet tall, has a diameter of 43 inches at the five-foot mark and a crown that extends more than 50 feet. Although not the largest tree on campus in girth, it surpasses all others in height. The historic sycamore will be included in the first National Register of Historic Trees, scheduled for publication in the spring of 2004.

The register defines historic trees as those standing where a historical event took place or those planted on the property of famous citizens, as well as those that are considered unique because of their size, age, or landmark status.

Professor Emeritus of History and College Historian Jonathan Helmreich is gathering seeds from the Alden sycamore for the American Forests' catalogue, which sells saplings grown from the seeds of historic trees. American Forests is the nation's oldest nonprofit citizens' conservation organization. It was established in 1875 and leads the world in planting trees for environmental restoration.

Energy Project Wins Governor's Award

The Meadville Community Energy Project (MCEP)which was initiated by Allegheny faculty, students, and staff and is based at the College has been named a 2002 recipient of the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence in the category of education and outreach. The award recognizes the best of Pennsylvania's businesses, municipalities, and organizations for their efforts to protect the environment.

A program of the Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED), the MCEP was recognized in part for establishing a local Home Energy Ratings System. After evaluating the energy usage of homes, MCEP provides property owners with a list of recommended energy improvements as well as associated costs and savings.

MCEP has also introduced the Partnership for Energy Performance (PEP), a joint effort among businesses, institutions, and industries in Meadville that develops opportunities for local contractors and vendors while reinvesting capital in the local economy.

Another MCEP program, the Home Energy Loan Program, offers low-interest loans to landlords and homeowners to be used to implement energy improvements.

"Allegheny College has a long tradition of encouraging environmental stewardship, engaging students in real-world, collaborative projects that help build better and stronger communities," says MCEP co-director Kathleen Greely. "This award honors that commitment, and we couldn't be more pleased."

In addition, Meadville-based Channellock Inc. received a Governor's Award for its new clean coat and grip line (CCG), which is helping to protect the environment as it works to eliminate the company's dependence on chlorinated solvents for the cleaning and degreasing of pliers. Channellock's work on the CCG line was aided by data gathered by environmental science student Jen Zewatsky '97 for her Senior Project.

For more information about the 2002 Governor's Awards, visit http://www.greenworks.tv/govawards 2002/. For more information on MCEP, visit http://welcome.to/MCEP.

College Takes Up Recycling Challenge

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recognized the College for participating in the "Rush to Recycle Challenge." The challenge pits colleges and universities across Pennsylvania against one another to see which school can increase its recycling percentage the most.

DEP Secretary David Hess visited the campus in October to thank the College community for their recycling efforts. "The 'Rush to Recycle Challenge' targets our next generation of Pennsylvanians to make recycling a way of life," he explained. "The goal of the challenge is to encourage participation among colleges and universities that currently are not involved in recycling, while encouraging schools with established programs to expand their efforts. This is certainly a good fit at Allegheny."

Hess used his visit as an opportunity to express his appreciation for Allegheny's sponsorship of the Meadville Community Energy Project, which won a 2002 Governor's Environmental Excellence Award.

This summer Professor of Art Amara Geffen led a crew of CEED interns in the design and fabrication of a unique sculptural mural at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) maintenance yard on Route 322 in Meadville. Read Between the Signs provides an interesting visual screen for the heavy equipment lot adjacent to the main roadway.

Local topography serves as the theme for the artwork. Students cut, shaped, and reassembled retired road signs into mountains, waterways, and roadways. With assistance from PennDOT employees, the Allegheny crew bolted the first 200 feet of the mural to a chain-link fence that protects PennDOT's trucks, gravel piles, and road gear. Plans are to extend the artwork to 1,200 feet over subsequent summers. For more information about Read Between the Signsand to see photos of the mural go to CEED's Web site: http://ceed.allegheny.edu.

Nature tourism in northwest Pennsylvania got a boost when ten driving tours, developed by CEED and the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CCCVB), were launched on the Web (http://naturetourism.allegheny.edu/drivinghome.html).

CEED ecotourism interns, building on the work of former students, including a senior comp by Laura Paich '02, designed the Web page to highlight the natural treasures of northwest Pennsylvania. Each tour includes a driving map, site descriptions, and environmental information. An added bonus is that tourists can customize their driving tours to suit their personal preferences, visiting as many sites as their time allows. "Nature-based tourism comes at a good price," says Juanita Hampton, CCCVB executive director. "Nature is free to see, and with the current economy, the timing of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Nature Tourism Driving Tours is perfect."

Additionally, the creators of the driving tours site hope to promote regional environmental awareness. "We hope that these tours will enhance appreciation of our natural assets and provide momentum to efforts to conserve and protect environmental resources," says Rich Bowden, associate professor of environmental science.