Chandor, who crafted a student-designed major in cultural film studies at Wooster, received an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay for his 2011 directorial debut,��. Featuring an ensemble cast including Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci, the film follows a group of traders and executives at a Wall Street investment bank through 24 hours during the 2008 financial crisis, as they struggle to come to grips with a crisis that threatens to sweep them, their clients, and the entire firm away. The film also earned recognition from the Independent Spirit Awards, Berlin International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, National Board of Review, and New York Film Critics Circle.

called Chandor’s work on Margin Call “an extraordinary feat of filmmaking” when it debuted in 2011. “His formal command — his ability to imply far more than he shows or says and to orchestrate a large, complex drama out of whispers, glances, and snippets of jargon — is downright awe-inspiring.” The awe-inspiring director met the star of his next film, Robert Redford, when Margin Call premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and developed All Is Lost, starring Redford solo as a sailor battling the wind and sea. Also known for A Most Violent Year and Triple Frontier, Chandor began his film career at Wooster.

“Wooster saw something in me, and I really flourished there. I got into theatre, took photography and painting classes,” Chandor told the 91�Թ��� in 2012.

For his Independent Study, the 91�Թ���’s signature, nationally recognized senior capstone project, Chandor wrote, shot, and edited a film, which he cheerfully admits was “a total overreach, too vast in scope and scale…but I got jobs right away after graduation based on it.” The production of The Table for I.S. was not a small feat in 1996 before the prominence of digital filmmaking. One of his faculty advisors Richard Figge, professor emeritus of German, noted Chandor’s problem-solving skills and acuity with the film production process even as an undergrad in an article in Wooster magazine in 2014. “He wrote the script, enlisted actors and technicians, and stuck to an ambitious production schedule,” said Figge. “The Art Department gave him a small office, which became his editing room. Somehow, he secured a Steenbeck professional editing table and holed up with it until the project was finished. He found himself minus a supporting actor, but — always prepared to find a solution — he played the part himself. I was astonished at his easy screen presence in the part.”

The showing of Margin Call at The Lyric is part of a collection of events during Wooster’s Reunion Weekend celebration May 28-31, when alumni will reconnect with classmates and the 91�Թ���.

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“It’s not typical to get an assistant stage management position in a main stage production as a first semester freshman,” Harvey said. “I’d done theater for many years, and I’m a logistical minded person. I love a spreadsheet and a calendar, and the stage manager is a strategist, a leader, and the one in the room who wears 10 hats.”

The application process for USITT’s Stage Management Mentorship Project (SMMP) is rigorous, with only a few selected to participate across the country. Harvey’s professors provided encouragement that applying was the right choice. The mentorship experience at Wooster built a foundation that helped them prepare to take full advantage of the variety of opportunities in the program.

“Participation in SMMP positions Andi at the forefront of industry trends and best practices,” said Naoko Skala, assistant professor of theatre and dance at Wooster. “It provides unique, real-world learning experiences that are invaluable for professional growth, and Andi’s experience will bring fresh perspectives and new skills back to campus, enriching the theatre and dance department and inspiring fellow students.”

The program took place during spring break this year, introducing Harvey to dozens of stage managers while working most intensively with a single mentor. They participated in a variety of discussions and practical event management during the conference. The opportunity allowed them to try their hand at managing components of the conference as well. Harvey was impressed by how the confidence gained from so much interaction with professional stage managers has already impacted their interactions on campus and thoughts about the future.

“I took away a lot of soft skills, gaining confidence speaking with many new people,” Harvey said. “When you’re around individuals who are this accomplished and eloquent, you have to come with a level of flexibility and openness, which really helped me.”

In true Wooster fashion, the Independent Study that Harvey will begin this coming semester was top of mind while participating in SMMP. With their proposal for their I.S. focused on the unseen emotional labor in the work of stage management, Harvey was able to poll a diverse range of stage managers participating to see if a better understanding of emotional labor was a salient issue in the field.

“I’m interested in organizational management and really want to know how theatre organizations can prevent burnout and prepare for the emotional labor aspect of the job,” Harvey said. “Everyone I spoke to said they’d had some experience with it, and that really cemented to me that this was something that needs to be studied.”

While Harvey isn’t sure quite yet whether a professional theatre setting or more academic theatre work is in their future, the experience has created a wealth of contacts and connections. They plan to keep building upon the many stage management skills they’ve been learning during classwork and stage management roles at the 91�Թ���.

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“The generous financial support from the State of Ohio for these students supports enrollment in Wooster’s exceptional STEM majors and makes their degree more affordable,” President Anne McCall said. “Wooster faculty and staff guide students through real-world learning and mentored-research opportunities in our community and beyond, positioning the 91�Թ��� to prepare students for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and health-related fields.”

Wooster is one of 59 institutions to receive funding from this year’s grants according the . “Ohio’s future depends on preparing more students for the careers that are shaping our economy, and that starts with giving them the chance to pursue high-demand STEM fields,” Governor DeWine said in the announcement. “Choose Ohio First inspires more students to reach their full potential. It helps students discover their passion for opportunities in STEM and graduate ready to start a great career right here in Ohio.”

At Wooster, STEM students engage in an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum, adding to their understanding of their field through insights into the arts, humanities, history, and social sciences. Every student participates in Wooster’s signature capstone research program, and more than 78% complete experiential learning opportunities, such as an internships, consulting, or research projects, above and beyond their I.S. Some of the community partners and companies across Ohio where students frequently engage in work-based learning opportunities supported Wooster’s application for the Choose Ohio First Scholarship including Schnieder Electric, Community Action of Wayne and Medina Counties, Wooster Brush Company, Camp Nuhop, and Wooster City School District. Through connections with area employers, Wooster students build their networks and graduate prepared to excel in both advanced study and the modern workforce, where adaptability, communication, and cross‑disciplinary thinking are increasingly essential.

Available to incoming students in 2027-28, Wooster majors supported by the program include biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, chemical physics, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, computer science, statistical and data sciences, earth sciences, environmental studies, mathematics, neuroscience, and physics, as well as education degrees and certificates with a STEM focus.

Featured image: Majoring in earth sciences and environmental studies Cady Eakins ’25 interned at Akron Cooperative Farms as part of an APEX Fellowship, allowing her to make connections in her community and gain knowledge in agriculture and entomology.

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Chapter president Emily Armour ’95 opened the event which included recognition of student, faculty, and staff achievements, a look at the society’s history, and the dedication of a centennial plaque. She then introduced Lisa Perfetti, 91�Թ��� provost, who spoke about the significance of Phi Beta Kappa as the nation’s oldest academic honor society and highlighted its commitment to the liberal arts. ����

“The three Greek initials; Phi (Φ) Beta (Β) Kappa (Κ), as you may well know, represent a motto: ‘Love of learning is the guide of life,’” Perfetti said. “Regardless of whether we’re just entering the Phi Beta Kappa fellowship or whether we’ve had decades of experience in this journey of intellectual discovery, let us all cherish the opportunity we have not only to be guided by love and wisdom but the opportunity and chance to have companions along the way.”��

The showcase featured Nurain Amier ’26 and Abigail Reytblat ’26, recipients of the 2026 Phi Beta Kappa Prize honored for their campus engagement and leadership who shared their I.S. research and took questions from the audience. Amier, majoring in biology and Chinese studies, researched historical treatments of influenza through an interdisciplinary approach of western and Chinese medicinal practices. Reytblat, a classical studies major and chemistry minor, studied cosmetics and perceptions of beauty in ancient Rome, interpreting themes of gender and identity in the Roman context. ��

Phi Beta Kappa��was��founded in 1776 at the 91�Թ��� of William and Mary. It recognizes outstanding achievement in the liberal arts and sciences, with membership typically extended to top students in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.��The society��promotes intellectual curiosity, freedom of thought, and the value of a broad-based education.��Phi Beta Kappa’s history at��Wooster��stretches back to 1902 with��activity from multiple��faculty members of the��society. The��91�Թ��� officially became the 105th chapter in the nation and the 10th in Ohio��in 1926.��Chapters exist at colleges and universities across the United States, and induction is considered one of the highest honors an undergraduate can receive.��

Faculty, staff, and alumni PBK members gathered for a group photo to mark the occasion.

PBK alumni participated including alumni speaker Niall W. Slater ’76, former president of the national Phi Beta Kappa Society. Slater reflected on the organization’s origins and encouraged the audience to value the pursuit of learning, bringing forward the visions of the organization’s five student founders who gathered at 91�Թ��� of William and Mary during the early days of the American Revolution. “The five young men at the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern, on Dec. 5, 1776, would not really have imagined what has evolved in 250 years,” Slater said. “I think they would be very proud and glad to be part of this occasion.”

The event concluded��with��Wooster President��Anne McCall leading��the dedication of the centennial plaque.��An exhibit in the library lobby, organized by Rebecca Roper��’14, special collections librarian, featured materials from the chapter’s history, including a 1926 commemorative certificate.��Faculty, staff, and alumni members of the association were recognized,��and attendees gathered for a group photo to mark the occasion.��

Featured image: Niall W. Slater ’76, former president of the national Phi Beta Kappa Society, spoke at the event honoring 100 years of Wooster membership with the organization.

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With her opening remarks, President Anne McCall recognized the newest class of alumni and the process that guided them to the next chapter of their lives. “While you traveled your own individual paths, linear in some respects, circuitous in others, you did not do so alone,” she said, acknowledging the “dedicated mentors” and all the members of the 91�Թ��� community who celebrated their successes and accomplishments. Sharing stories of alumni and the ways they have represented the 91�Թ���, pursued inquiry for the evolution of knowledge, supported each other amid challenging times, and given back to the 91�Թ��� to inspire others, McCall encouraged the graduates to look ahead as their lives evolve: “You will bring joy in sharing where life has taken you and in considering the myriad ways you can show your love to those coming after you at 91�Թ���.”

President McCall honored Jodi Nunnari ’84 with an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the ceremony.

McCall honored Nunnari with an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the ceremony. Currently senior vice president, head of discovery science, and founding principal investigator at Altos Labs, Nunnari shared that at Wooster she “found a launchpad” acknowledging the immediate opportunities she received to experiment with the unknown in the chemistry research labs alongside incredible mentors. “They looked at a first-generation student and didn’t see what I lacked. They saw what I could become. They challenged me, guided me, and they believed in me.”

Nunnari remembered that after she graduated, “the Wooster network looked out for me yet again.” She completed her doctorate in pharmacology in the lab of another Wooster chemistry alumna Lee Limbird ’70 at Vanderbilt University. “Under Lee’s incredible scientific guidance and mentorship, the foundation I built here grew into a career in science that I could never have imagined.”

“What Wooster taught me was my motivation at the very foundation of me is derived from a love of advancement and breakthroughs,” Nunnari said. “I fell in love with focusing my mind on complex problems, the resilience I need to pivot when our hypotheses are wrong, and the profound satisfaction I experience when creating a new piece of knowledge.”

Nunnari noted how today’s culture promotes shortcuts and avoiding friction but that growth comes from meeting resistance. “You aren’t born with resilience. You build it by tackling problems that don’t have easy answers,” she said. She noted the graduates’ achievement in completing Wooster’s senior capstone program, a button of achievement that alumni often reference in job and graduate school interviews. “You are sitting here today because you have already encountered uncertainty. Your very training here at Wooster demands that you do that, and you’ve navigated through it. Your Independent Study is the ultimate proof of that.” Nunnari reminded them of that same Wooster network by charging them to: “Look at the friends who supported you when you were convinced your I.S. project made absolutely no sense. Look at the faculty who didn’t just teach and grade you but treated you like a colleague, so you became one. Look at the families who carried you here. Feel deeply grateful to them. Gratitude actively rewires our brains to focus on what empowers us: transforming daily struggles into resilience.”

Saturday morning’s ceremony also included multiple speakers from the graduating class. In the invocation, Stuart Franklin ’26, president of the Jewish Student Organization and majoring in education and religious studies, set the tone that carried on throughout the morning saying, “Behind every graduate are mentors who have nurtured our curiosity, friends who have stood beside us through thick and thin, and loved ones whose endless sacrifices have paved the way for this journey.”

One of the speakers selected to represent the class, Josephine Fleischel ’26, a global media and digital studies major said, “What I will take most from Wooster is the importance of community.” An environmental geoscience major also selected from the class, Elliot Miller ’26, added, “Relationships have defined our experiences here at Wooster. Whether that is faculty, coaches, family, classmates, or friends, these relationships have had profound impact toward the individuals we have become today; for we are who we are because of each other.”

Closing the ceremony, Lilly Ashe ’26, a��communication sciences and disorders major and music minor, performed Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb” before President McCall issued final congratulations to the Class of 2026, and the pipers sent off the graduates in true Wooster fashion.

The Class of 2026 marched from Kauke Arch to Scot Center greeted by the faculty.

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teamed up again to present at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) 2026 International Conference. Their latest presentation focused on using AI chatbots as an element of reflective practice in teacher education. Megan Wereley ’94, associate professor of education, Ryan Ozar, assistant professor of education, and Matthew Broda, Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Endowed Associate Professor of Education, are exploring how they might capitalize the learning value of chatbot configurations to allow their students (teacher candidates) to better understand the impact of their pedagogical choices.

“The nature of scholarly work with AI is very collaborative, and the pace moves quickly,” said Wereley. “There’s a tremendous amount of interest and lots of discourse about strategies for using it.” The trio’s first three publications focused on how AI significantly reduces the time investment for lesson planning and curriculum development where teachers are compiling structured ideas to address specific skills and meet requirements. AI also substantially increases personalization of the materials used to present lessons. Because of these benefits, Wereley and Ozar encourage teacher candidates to use AI to help create leveled reading passages (the same passage adjusted for different ability levels), design detailed rubrics, or establish behavior intervention plans, among other materials.

“The teacher is still the driver, but AI gives them another tool to think about how to personalize learning for P-12 learners,” said Wereley. Ozar added, “AI shines a light on how important it is to be good at human-based work. You can get really good materials, but to be really good, you have to be a human that can execute these lessons.”

Julia Struck ’26, a senior in the primary (PK-5) licensure track, uses Magic School (an AI platform used by teachers for lesson planning) to create a lesson plan she used for teaching preschoolers as part of her senior I.S.

That’s where the chatbot exploration comes in. Teacher candidates can practice executing their lessons in simulations with rule-based chatbots. The chatbots act as conversational partners that respond to prompts and help teacher candidates think through lesson planning or teaching decisions.

In Wooster’s Build-A-Bot Configuration Project, preservice teachers design and configure an AI chatbot to support a specific learning goal designed for their students. They define the instructional context, learner needs, and learning goals. Then they’ll develop instructions (configuration models) for their chatbot that drive how it will explain concepts, respond to confusion, and scaffold student thinking without simply giving answers. “By embedding these decisions into the bot’s behavior, our teacher candidates will translate their pedagogical beliefs into concrete instructional choices,” explained Wereley. They’ll have opportunities to revise the bot as a way of reflecting on their teaching assumptions after simulated student interactions.

Another chatbot, designed by Broda, generates simulated classroom management scenarios across a range of grade levels and content areas. Wooster students are presented with a situation that requires them to determine how they would respond as the teacher. After proposing a strategy and explaining their rationale, the chatbot provides feedback that highlights strengths in their thinking while also raising possible concerns or alternative approaches to consider. Then at the end, the chatbot provides a summary of the teacher candidate’s key strengths in managing the situation along with suggestions for continued growth.

While chatbots give teacher candidates initial feedback, Wereley emphasized that, “It’s important for the AI strategies and conversations to be happening among researchers, administrators, and practitioners simultaneously about how theoretical ideas are actually experienced when they are operationalized in the classroom,” said Wereley. “The ideas need to be experienced among real kids in real classrooms to see what works best.”

The trio said they’ll continue to learn more about agentic AI and consider how it will start to replace textbooks or even operate alongside paraprofessionals in the classroom, as well as what that means for the field. Several members of the education department will also lead an Alumni 91�Թ��� session at Wooster’s upcoming Reunion Weekend called “Don’t Panic (but maybe learn to prompt)!” to share how Wooster is preparing teachers for the age of artificial intelligence. Presenting faculty include Wereley and Broda, along with Sarah Dunlap, director of field assessment and candidate engagement, Allison Neptune ’05, visiting assistant professor of education, and Gretchen Tefs, visiting instructor of education.

Featured image: Brooke Johnson ’27, a junior in the primary (PK-5) licensure track presents pre/post assessment data she generated as part of her final project for a Curriculum Methods and Assessment in Primary (P-5) Education��course where she taught a series of lessons and measured their impact on student learning.

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Alongside Mark Snider, Robert E. Wilson Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, BCMB majors presented results of their research projects (from Independent Study and sophomore research) at the in Washington, D.C. The following students presented this year: Jacob Enzman ’26, Charlie Cuttino ’26, Caley Sherrill ’26, Faiyaz Hasan ’26, Frederick Pytel ’27, Noah Lanyi-Lari ’27 (BCMB majors), and Aneesh Pant ’27 (BCMB and statistical & data sciences major). In addition, Lanyi-Lari was chosen to participate in the national ASBMB undergraduate research poster competition.

Professor Mark Snider and seven Wooster students attended the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Washington, D.C

The 91�Թ��� boasts a long history of strong representation and award-winning undergraduate research at the national ASBMB meeting and other national conferences, with Snider taking 24 research students to present posters in the past five years alone.

Meanwhile on the west coast, four students traveled to Vancouver, Canada for the . Accompanied by Grit Herzmann, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, students Alexis Kulin ’26, Lilly Moody ’26 (neuroscience majors), Jacob Hankin ’26 (neuroscience and music major), and Hannah Reinicke ’26 (psychology and music major) attended or presented posters based on their I.S. research.

“I pre-select students who I think will have high-quality projects by spring,” explained Herzmann. “It’s a mix of having a publication-eligible project, which is a higher level than what I typically impose on I.S. projects and preparedness of the student to put in the extra work.” She said the typical March or April timing of the CNS meeting is ideal because it allows for students to complete intensive work on I.S. and showcase it on an international stage.

Both Herzmann and Snider said their undergraduates are often mistaken for graduate students because of the depth and clarity of their presentations. “Our students’ engagement in research is unique because they design much of the project themselves and thus have great ownership and understanding. That level of scholarship shines when they present their novel discoveries to the scientific communities,” said Snider.

To be considered for this opportunity, Snider’s students had to have their research results by November to write and submit an abstract summary later that month. ASBMB chose the abstracts for the presentations, and one student was chosen to participate in the undergraduate research poster competition.

Students funded the trip through a variety of sources including Wooster’s Center for Advising, Planning, and Experiential Learning (APEX), the STEM Success Initiative (SSI), or endowed departmental funds.

“Attending research-focused conferences allows students to dip their toes into the water of graduate school and research as a profession,” noted Herzmann, adding that students felt empowered by connecting with leading scientists and sales representatives.

For Noah Lanyi-Lari ’27, one of the most valuable parts of the experience was discussing his work with researchers who approach similar problems from different angles, especially those working in structural biology and molecular dynamics. “Those conversations gave me new perspectives on how to interpret and extend my results,” said Lanyi-Lari. “Presenting my research helped me develop my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, which is an essential skill in both graduate study and scientific careers.” To boost those skills further this summer, Lanyi-Lari plans to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Kansas, working in structural biology and gaining experience with techniques like X-ray crystallography.

Featured image: Lilly Moody ’26, a neuroscience major was among the students presenting her research at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver.

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A political science major at Wooster, Culnan went on to earn a Ph.D. in business from UCLA and enjoyed a more than 30-year career as a college professor. She is now Professor Emeritus at Bentley University where her research and teaching interests included information privacy and security, and social media.

She established the Culnan Faculty Recognition Endowment to provide one or more awards each year to members of Wooster’s current faculty who are selected by a committee of their peers for their excellence and creativity. Whether innovating through their research, teaching, and mentorship, or by developing new activities or programs to benefit students and the 91�Թ���, the endowment seeks to recognize these important contributions. The three initial honorees were recognized in a ceremony on April 27:

One of Broda’s nominations stated that his “identity as an educator and scholar is fundamentally shaped by experiential learning.” This commitment is evident across his advising, mentoring, curriculum design, and teaching. Matthew’s innovative courses — from backpacking-based First Year Seminars to a game-design seminar connecting students with professional designers — immerse students in purposeful, real-world learning grounded in best practice. Broda extends his impact through influential publications, conference leadership, and creative play-based learning initiatives. Collectively, his sustained leadership, generosity as a colleague, and deep commitment to student growth exemplify excellence in experiential education.

Holt is known for her sustained work integrating hands-on learning and intentional career development into her pedagogy in ways that deeply benefit students. A long-standing partner with Wooster’s Center for Advising, Planning, and Experiential Learning (APEX), Holt helps students connect their liberal arts education to meaningful, real-world internship experiences. Her work with the Wooster Digital History Project exemplifies community-engaged scholarship, giving students authentic opportunities to apply historical methods to local projects with lasting public impact. Through continued leadership in workshops and learning communities, she generously shares her expertise with colleagues, reinforcing her sustained excellence and leadership in experiential education.

Nurse was recognized for seamlessly integrating community engagement, practical skill-building, and career readiness into her curriculum. Her commitment is evident through a long-standing partnership with a local juvenile correction facility in her Criminology course. She intentionally incorporates networking, career exploration, and professional skill development into every course, empowering students to translate their learning into real-world opportunities. Through both formal coursework and informal encouragement, Nurse inspires students to engage deeply with their community while preparing them for impactful, socially engaged careers.

Featured image: As Culnan Award winners Broda, Holt, and Nurse received additional professional development funds to support their continued growth.

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Widely known for her expertise on Anglo-American life cycle rituals and American religious holidays and traditions, Frese taught students on topics such as religion and symbolic anthropology, contemporary American society, food and cultures, and gender studies. She appreciated Wooster for its interdisciplinary atmosphere and the rich interactions with colleagues across campus it brought to her work as an anthropologist.

Coming to the 91�Թ��� and the first anthropologist and woman in the now sociology and anthropology department in 1986, Frese helped to establish the discipline to incorporate biological anthropology, archaeology, cultural, and linguistic anthropology. Christa Craven, her colleague in anthropology noted her “extraordinary spirit” and how she encouraged those around her to “re-evaluate and engage with cultural norms and everyday rituals in unique and complex ways.”

In addition to performance rituals, civil religious holidays, and traditions, Frese’s book publications and research extended to gender roles in shaping cultural ideology and social interaction, ethnographic research into U.S. Military culture and its impact in the 21^st century, the wives of retired military officers, gated retirement communities, the police, and Neopagan religions. She also actively engaged with the local and academic communities including the NAACP, American Anthropological Association, Central States Anthropological Society, Society for Feminist Anthropology, American Ethnological Society, and Society for Humanistic Anthropology. She was widely quoted in national media outlets including the History Channel, The New York Times, USA Today and The Los Angeles Times, and she appeared on CNN and multiple radio talk shows. Frese completed her undergraduate work at University of Maryland and earned her Ph.D. in anthropology at University of Virginia, including fieldwork studying American Wedding Rituals, attending 76 weddings, working as a photographer, and interviewing participants.

In her teaching, Frese emphasized the value of that same ethnographic research for the ways it allows researchers to “look at the world through other people’s eyes and using their words” as she once told students at the annual Hochhauser Alumni Panel, according to an article of The Wooster Voice published about the event in February 2020. Lisa Hochhauser ’89, who Frese mentored for Independent Study, established the event series as part of a gift to the 91�Թ��� to support bringing alumni who incorporate ethnographic methods into their work back to campus. Her most recent publication in performative anthropology incorporated studies on ethnographic performance in the classroom, tying her research to the ways she incorporated experiential learning for her students, allowing them to experience cultural traditions and rituals as observers and participants. A graduate of Wooster Citizen’s Police Academy, Frese brought local police officers to her classes to talk about their role, providing an opportunity for officers and students to hear each other’s perspectives. Her classes connected with people in the greater community as guest speakers and through dinners with local NAACP members, a Great Mohican Pow Wow, Amish auctions, and further exploring different cultural traditions.

Members of the community honored Frese, who started a tradition to celebrate the Day of the Dead on campus as part of her Contemporary U.S. Culture and People and Cultures of Latin America class, with an altar near her office honoring her legacy.

A favorite of her classes for her and many of her students, Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion, studied cultural beliefs in the sacred, including practices from myths and rituals to magic and shamanism. The cross-cultural course brought speakers from different worldviews and examined the role that the study of religion, magic, and witchcraft has played the theoretical development of anthropology. A tradition for more than 30 years, Frese and students from her Contemporary U.S. Culture and People and Cultures of Latin America classes constructed a Day of the Dead Altar in Old Main of Kauke Hall each fall to celebrate and honor those lost. The students create a skull in honor of a deceased family member, close friend, deceased pet, or even a famous person they admire. The skull, their picture, and an object or food that was important to the deceased become an “ofrenda” or offering for the altar to welcome their spirit into the afterlife. After Frese’s passing a similar altar near her office allowed students and members of the community to honor the tradition by leaving offerings to honor her legacy.

A first-generation college student herself, Frese avidly supported the First-Generation Student Organization on campus, served on the 91�Թ���’s conduct board, and was involved with other student organizations, as a trusted mentor, friend, and advocate for students. Frese’s husband Simon Gray previously served as a professor of computer science at the 91�Թ��� and is now a senior program director with the Global Liberal Arts Alliance. They have two children who graduated from Wooster: James Gray ’10 in English and Selena Draper ’12 in theatre and dance.

A public celebration of life will be held at The Connection, 1034 Country Club Drive in Wooster from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, and .

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The vision for the planned greenway across the southeast corner of campus includes an iconic and welcoming space with distinct areas that invite people to learn and enjoy the outdoors. Students, faculty, staff, and community members will share ideas as plans move forward through a cross-functional steering group in partnership with philanthropic investment. While this vision is in very early stages, ideas such as interactive art, water features, pollinator gardens, research areas, recreational spaces, and other designs for activity, beauty, and vibrancy have been suggested.

The plan includes the removal of 16 small houses on Stibbs, Spink, and University streets, selected based on location and an assessment of overall condition, uses, historical value, energy efficiency, and potential for financially responsible rehabilitation. After the close of Wooster’s spring semester, removal of the structures begins May 18 and is expected to be completed before the new academic year in mid-August 2026, dependent upon weather conditions. The planned completion of the project over the summer allowed new places on campus to be selected for student living and programing previously in the facilities, and preparations included the documentation of house interiors and exteriors for historical purposes. Furniture and fixtures have been offered to Habitat for Humanity to benefit the organization’s work in the community.

The 91�Թ��� will save more than $6M in deferred maintenance costs associated with basic repairs and approximately $75K in upkeep and annual operating costs after the completion of the project. Following removal of the houses, the sites will be restored to grass through seeding as the vision for various areas of the greenway takes shape. Answers to frequently asked questions about the project can be found here.

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