Frank Correll ’61 and his sons Frank ’86 and Jim ’88 own Correll Company, a retirement benefits service provider in the Chicago area.  Correll Company won the silver level in the <$5M in Total Plan Assets category announced earlier this month at an awards dinner in New York, and was be featured in the March issue of PLANSPONSOR magazine.  The annual award is presented by the editors of PLANSPONSOR, recognizing plan sponsors that demonstrate leadership in providing a more secure retirement for workers.

Congratulations, Correll Company and Family!

Jeff  Grabill ‘91 is a Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Writing and Chair of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures at Michigan State University.  Jeff recently presented a TED Talk entitled “Texting is Good for Us.”

To find out if it really is good for us, click here to watch Jeff’s TED talk on YouTube.

Thanks to Hugh Vandivier ’91 for the news tip!

Photo courtesy of
Michigan State University.

Three Wabash alumni in Indianapolis and Dayton, OH are in the running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Man of the Year.  The winner is determined by the number of votes ($1 per vote) he is able to raise by May 10. “The contest raises funds for blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year, because everyone wins when cancer loses.”

Ryan Claxton ‘01, whose daughter, Sophie Grace, was diagnosed with a type of leukemia just a few days after she was born — Ryan is in the process of raising $100,000 for LLS by May 10.

Mike Biberstine ’00 — raising money to honor the LLS Boy & Girl of the Year.

Graham Bailey ’03 — a candidate from the LLS Man of the Year from the Tri-State of Southern Ohio Chapter, which covers Cincinnati and Dayton.

Each candidate can use your votes to support their common goal.  Directions on how to donate are on each of their LLS web pages, linked above.

Thanks to Bryan Roesler ’06  and Adam Van Zee ’07 for the information!

Dr. Dennis R. Dean PhD ’73 is Director of Life Sciences in the department of Biochemistry at Virginia Polytechnic & State University, where he was recently reappointed the J.B. Stroobants Professor of Biotechnology.  Other honors at Virginia Tech have included the University Distinguished Professor, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

After Wabash, Dennis earned a PhD in Molecular Biology at Purdue University.  Congratulations, Dennis!

Todd Shellenbarger ’87 is Assistant U.S. Attorney, Evansville (IN) Office, Indiana – Southern District.  On April 3 he will speak on campus with a lunchtime talk, “The No Body Murder Case and other Reflections on a Career as a Prosecuting Attorney,” focusing on a murder case that he won as a state prosecutor even though he had no body to use as evidence against the suspect. Conviction for murder is (as will be heard at the talk) possible, but difficult to prove, forcing prosecutors to rely on other types of evidence.

Todd will also speak about his career path, law school, and current duties as an Assistant United States Attorney. After Wabash, Todd earned his JD at Indiana University.

Dr. Zachary Dodd, MD ’01 joins OrthoIndy and  Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital as a surgeon with a focus on spine neurosurgery and trauma.

After Wabash, Zachary earned his MD from Indiana University School of Medicine and had his residency through Indiana University.

Photo courtesy of
Indian Orthopaedic Hospital.

John Petruniw ’05 was named partner at the law firm of Tiede Metz & Downs in Wabash, IN, focusing his practice on commercial law, and employment law, family law, estate planning, and civil litigation. He joined Tiede Metz & Downs in 2011.

After Wabash, Josh received his Juris Doctor from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indiana University. During law school, Josh also earned a Master of Business Administration from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

In addition to his law career, Josh serves on the board of directors for Wabash Marketplace, Inc. and the Community Foundation of Wabash County, and he is an active member of the Wabash Rotary Club. Josh has also served as a public defender and Guardian Ad Litem in Wabash County.

Photo courtesy of
Tiede Metz & Downs.

Tom Broecker ’84 is costume designer for a variety of shows, from 300+ episodes for the comedic Saturday Night Live to the dramatic series House of Cards.  Tom was featured in an Indianapolis Star interview this past Sunday, in which he described dressing stars such as Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Last month, Tom won his first Costume Designers Guild Award for his work on House of Cards.  Click here to listen to an online interview with Tom:  “’House of Cards’ Costume Designer Tom Broecker on ‘Helping the Actor Realize their Character Through Clothes’.”

Congratulations, Tom!

David K. Herzog ’77 was named leader of business litigation practice at Faegre Baker Daniels in Indianapolis.

David is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and leads FBD’s business litigation practice group, concentrating in complex business and commercial litigation. David was Managing Partner of Faegre Baker Daniels’ Indianapolis office from 1998 until September 2000 when he left the firm to become Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Conseco, Inc., where he served until February 2003. He then returned to Faegre Baker Daniels as a partner.

Photo courtesy of
Faegre Baker Daniels.

Sgt. Ron Kelsey ’07 will hold an art exhibit at the U. S. Army’s Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.  The exhibit is Ron’s offering a way to help his fellow soldiers deal with the trauma of war through the traveling art exhibit.  Click here to read a recent El Paso Times news story about Ron and the exhibit.

“The exhibit, called “Reflections of Generosity: Toward Restoration and Peace” will show at Fort Bliss  . . . throughout the month of April.

It will consist of Kelsey’s own original artwork, art from his friends at the International Arts Movement in New York City where he once interned, and art from his fellow soldiers and the El Paso community. Kelsey is seeking art from soldiers and El Pasoans through March 28 for inclusion.

“The goal is to use art as a healing tool,” said Kelsey, who is a personnel specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.

Good work, Ron!

Ron Kelsey ’07 with sample of art from the exhibit.
Photo courtesy of El Paso Times (Texas).