Alumni Profiles
11.29.2012 Jonathan Rauberts ’97, senior art director at Showtime
Jonathan Rauberts ’97 says of his second winter on Antioch’s campus, “There were . . . 100 people on campus. It was like being in a protracted horror movie.” Now that Rauberts is a senior art director at Showtime, that background can only come in handy as he designs campaigns for shows such as Dexter. › MORE
10.25.2012 Anne C. Heller ’73, author of Ayn Rand and the World She Made
Anne C. Heller ’73 is a magazine editor and the author of Ayn Rand and the World She Made, the first investigatory biography of the philosopher. She talks about her time at the Antioch Review, being at the College during a time of turmoil, and a twenty-page monologue on money that a reader thought sounded just like Suze Orman. › MORE
09.27.2012 Jennie Knaggs ’01 through Yellow Springs, Sweden, and Detroit
Jennie Knaggs ’01 is one half of the musical duo Lac La Belle, an acoustic duo from Detroit, Michigan, that juxtaposes the early decades of recorded rural American music with decaying Rustbelt aesthetic. They’ve recently released their second album, but their first as a duo, Bring On the Light. Here, Knaggs talks about how Environmental Field Program was a great introduction to touring, self-designed majors, and cabaret. › MORE
08.31.2012 Sonia Jaffe Robbins ’65, managing editor at Publishers Weekly and former “normal control”
In a recent edition of A Buffalo Grazing, Duffy told the story of a foray current students made up to New York City. Among other alumni, they met Sonia Jaffe Robbins ’65, the managing editor at Publishers Weekly, the trade magazine for the bookselling and publishing industry. She took a moment from hosting student visitors and editing page proofs to talk about her time at Antioch College, which included hearing the Beatles for the first time, classes with Oliver Loud, and being a “normal control.” › MORE
07.26.2012 Andrew Garrison ’74: From Antioch to Trash Dance
Andrew Garrison ’74 is an independent filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. He is also an associate professor of film and digital media production at the University of Texas at Austin. He recently completed the documentary Trash Dance. The film follows choreographer Allison Orr as she joins Austin sanitation workers on their daily routes to listen, learn, and ultimately convince them to collaborate in a unique dance performance. › MORE
06.28.2012 Bart Leib ’00 on Crossed Genres, Kickstarter, Co-op, and more
Bart Leib ’00 and his independent science fiction publishing company, Crossed Genres, have had successful Kickstarter campaigns before. However, for Crossed Genre’s third Kickstarter campaign, to fund the publication of six titles through 2013, he asked renowned author Neil Gaiman for a mention on his Twitter feed—and Gaiman went to the campaign’s website, read all about it, and enthusiastically promoted it to his 1.7 million followers on Twitter. › MORE
04.27.2012 Twonette Pack ’94 on finding her place at Antioch
Twonette Pack ’94 has “a relatively new position for the City of Dallas,” she explains—the Community Reintegration Housing Coordinator. She coordinates housing and intensive case management services for ex-offenders with HIV and AIDS. › MORE
03.29.2012 Christopher Hebert ’98 on the path from the Antioch Review to his debut novel
Christopher Hebert ’98 is, as he says with a laugh, “slightly frazzled.” And small wonder. His debut novel, The Boiling Season, has been released to wondrous reviews. Booklist says of The Boiling Season: “Hebert conjures a vibrant atmosphere, as rich a character as any inhabitant, whether in the fetid stink of the slums or the cool, detached opulence of the most affluent homes, and each locale is made more striking by the close proximity of the other.” Dayton Daily News calls it “a wondrous debut.” › MORE
02.23.2012 Sharon Feigon ’74 on urban economics, study abroad, and co-op
Sharon Feigon ’74 has taken I-GO from a small start-up with just ten cars in 2004 into a leading car-sharing nonprofit, going head-to-head with the for profit Zipcar. She talks about urban economics, transportation in Tokyo and Moscow, why she was “very happy” at Antioch, and more. › MORE
01.26.2012 Jon Baker ’72, one of Antioch College’s most active alumni volunteers
Retired union representative Jon Baker ’72 talks about what Antioch College does better than any other college, why his memories of Antioch are a blur, proletarian dictatorship, and more. › MORE
11.04.2011 O'dell Owens ’71 Touts Taking Advantage of Educational Opportunities
Dr. O'dell Owens ’71 is a man with an impressive résumé: M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from Yale, and former Harvard professor, just for starters. He also established the first division of reproductive endocrinology in the department of OB/GYN at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. While there, he established an in vitro fertilization program and announced Cincinnati's first pregnancy from a frozen embryo. He was twice elected as the Hamilton County Coroner, and is now the President of Cincinnati State. › MORE
10.07.2011 Devon Berry ’99 Became a Leader Thanks to Antioch College
Devon Berry ’99 is a bit different from most principals. "I'm shy," he said when answering a request for an interview with The Independent. However, the head of Dayton's Ruskin Pre-K–8 Neighborhood School soon overcomes his reticence by talking about tough professors, life-changing co-ops, and steering future students to Antioch College. › MORE
09.08.2011 Scott Sparling ’76 Author of Wire to Wire
Scott Sparling's son is 18 and heading off for his first year of college. "We both really thought he would be great for Antioch, particularly the inaugural class, but he made his own decision," said Sparling ’76. "Which is what I did, really. My parents had ideas about me being really happy at Oberlin, but Antioch appealed to me much, much more." Sparling has just finished a book tour for his successful debut novel, Wire to Wire. He reminisces about finding love as an Antiochian, Bob Seger music, and typesetting the Record in hot lead. › MORE
08.11.2011 Lois Wolk ’68 offers sage advice to Antioch's newest pioneers
Since Lois Wolk ’68 was elected to the California State Senate in 2008, she has worked to bring attention to a wide range of issues, including flood protection, the crisis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, water management, and climate change. She spoke with us about folk dancing, winning "victories for humanity," and being a pioneer. › MORE
07.28.2011 Steven Cramer ’76 Directs Lesley University's Low-Residency MFA Program
Steven Cramer ’76 directs the very successful low-residency MFA program at Lesley University, in Cambridge, MA. "I was hired in 2003 to build the program from a grain of sand," Cramer said. "We now have around 100 students and 200 alumni, and offer degrees in five genres" Poets & Writers magazine named the Lesley program one of the top-ten low-residency MFA programs. "I like to say that the program has thrived beyond my worst nightmares," said Cramer, who took time after the summer session to talk about his own creative work and how he got to where he is. › MORE
07.13.2011 Charles Doering ’77 Focuses on Antioch College's Competitiveness
Professor Doering is notable for research that focuses on the analysis of mathematical models of physical systems with the aim of extracting reliable, rigorous, and useful predictions. These models range from stochastic dynamical systems arising in biology, chemistry and physics, to systems of nonlinear partial differential equations such as those which describe turbulent fluid flows. Recently, as part of the $1M Clay Institute millenium challenge concerning the regularity of solutions to the equations of fluid dynamics, he has been focusing on fundamental questions in the field. He is the co-author, with J.D. Gibbon, of the book Applied Analysis of the Navier-Stokes Equations. › MORE
06.02.2011 Peter Kumble ’80 Landscape Architect Lecturer at UMass
Peter Kumble ’80 has just gotten back from Brazil where he'd been conducting onsite research. A lecturer of landscape architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Kumble is working with the nonprofit ProPeten to develop ecotourism opportunities for La Compuerta, a Mayan village in Guatemala. Last year, Kumble’s Field Studies class conducted site surveys at the village and prepared site development and management plans for trails, signage, site interpretation, erosion stabilization, and rustic overnight accommodations. Here, he tells us about the importance of co-op, Biosphere 2, and water fights between Presidents and North. › MORE
04.21.2011 Peter F. Kurland ’81 Oscar Nominee, Learned from Maples
Peter Kurland ’81 comes from an Antioch family. “My cousin went there!” he says. “You know, I never saw her when I was there…” His nephew, Peter Zimbicki ’08, was “the second to last graduate of Antioch!” Kurland was recently nominated for an Oscar for his sound work on True Grit. This marks the third time he was nominated for an Academy Award. His other nods were for No Country for Old Men, and Walk the Line. Here, Kurland talks about the importance of accreditation and how he learned from Maples. › MORE
04.05.2011 Sylvia Turner ’67 2011's Walter F. Anderson Award Winner
Sylvia Turner ’67, the Dean of Fine and Performing Arts at Santa Ana College, says she reacted with a "mix of great surprise, honor, and wondering who knew about my work and my career," upon learning she was the 2011 Walter F. Anderson Award winner. Her storied career in dance, though, is of interest to all Antiochians. Professor Turner is an award-winning choreographer and educator who has been active in concert dance, professional theater, and arts organizations for many years. › MORE
03.24.2011 Jaimy Gordon ’66 National Book Award Winner, Was Introduced to the Real World at Antioch College
Jaimy Gordon ’66, a professor of English at Western Michigan University, has taught creative writing for more than 35 years, published six novels, and won NEA grants. Interestingly, when she won the National Book Award for Lord of Misrule last year, the press called her a "completely unknown" writer. "It was disconcerting," she said in a recent interview. "On the other hand, it made a narrative and got me so much press—I got a whole lot more press for a National Book Award finalist, or even an awardee." Lord of Misrule is now out in paperback and Gordon is currently on a book tour. › MORE
03.10.2011 Jeffrey Woods ’96 Explores the Limit of Glass, Sculpture, and Co-op
Jeffrey Woods ’96 is a refugee from the land of software development. He has moved back to Tucson, his birthplace, and runs Woodeye Studios, a custom glassware studio. Here he talks about art professors, exhibiting at the Springfield Museum, regrets about not moving to France, and more. › MORE
02.25.2011 Dana Felty Bynum ’98 Talks Scholarships and New Media
Dana Felty Bynum ’98 is an award-winning journalist for the Savannah Morning News. She is currently a feature writer at that publication. In her off hours, she is a member of the Savannah Derby Devils, under the nom de skate "Fear Abby." Here, she talks about the importance of scholarships, and the dream of new media at Antioch College. › MORE
02.25.2011 Jason Rothstein ’94 Goes Carless in Chicago, and Thinks About Co-ops
Jason Rothstein ’94 lives and works car-free in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Since 2005, he has worked at the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he currently serves as a project manager for the MidAmerica Center for Public Health Practice. He is the author of Carless in Chicago. He earned his MPH in health policy in 2009. Here he talks about going car-free on co-ops, stable endowments, and the future of education. › MORE
01.13.2011 Doug Fieldhouse ’81 on His Life, Career and Why Antioch College Worked for Him
Doug Fieldhouse ’81 was a founding investor in Vesta in 1995 and was appointed president and chief executive officer in May 1997. Prior to Vesta, Doug spent 15 years engaged in building and leading businesses in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. His experiences include building and operating law firms, international non-profits, and high-tech enterprises. Doug has been recognized as an entrepreneur, leader and innovator, and was named Ernst & Young’s 2009 Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur Of The Year®. Additionally, he received the 2008 Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement from the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and has been previously recognized by Computerworld, Fast Company, and Inc. magazines. He is a featured author in Smart Business Growth, a book by CEOs of fast-growing companies on strategies and methods behind successful growth. › MORE
12.14.2010 Erika Nakamura ’04 and her Antiochian Meat Market
Erika Nakamura ’04 didn't start out wanting to be a butcher. "I was a visual arts major!" she laughs. "I was always inclined to work with my hands." However, after a stint in Brooklyn and meeting her now-wife, Amelia Posada, Nakamura apprenticed with renowned butcher Joshua Applestone of Fleisher's Grass-fed and Organic Meats in Kingston, NY, and moved back to Posada's hometown of LA to start their own sustainable butchery, Lindy & Grundy. "The way I see it," she says, "what I do is subtractive sculpture. I get this tremendously creative rush [from butchering]." Even though Lindy & Grundy is only a month away from opening, she talked about traditional Antioch College elements, capital, and food education. › MORE
11.29.2010 Bruce LeBel ’76 On Sheltering the Homeless and the College's Future
As an Antioch College student, Bruce LaBel ’76 traveled to Guatemala to design and coordinate a relief shelter program with a team from the Mohawk Nation. Today, he volunteers with World Shelters and runs ProStar Software, his own software company. › MORE
11.12.2010 Michael Olenick ’91 Fights Bank Fraud, Pushes for Greatness at Antioch College
Michael Olenick ’91 and his company, Legalprise, have been in the news lately. Legalprise “aggregate[s] and analyze[s] large sets of public records data to find patterns of potential bank fraud,” Olenick said during an interview. “We believe our data will guide a new breed of honest and responsible banks.” › MORE
11.01.2010 Aaron Gruenberg ’82 Improves the World Through Home Improvements, Has Antioch College in His Blood
When asked what he does for a living, Aaron Gruenberg ’82 laughs and says, “I renovate bathrooms.” As the president and senior craftsman of Green Mountain Construction & Design , GruenbergGruenberg tackles restorations from the Victorian to the Art Deco periods. He does custom woodworking, and designs and renovates building interiors. Based in New York, his workshop in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. › MORE
10.14.2010 Robin Rice Lichtig ’64 Has Penned More than 40 Plays
New York playwright Robin Rice Lichtig ’64 has over 40 plays to her name, including Lola and the Planet of Diversity, Frontier, Suki Livingston Opens Like a Parachute, Play Nice! and Embracing the Undertoad. Her works have been seen on stages from Alaska to Florida, Amsterdam to South Africa to Mongolia. She has been awarded the Goshen Peace Play Prize and has had residencies at the Cleveland Public Theater and Sarah Lawrence College. Her website is http://dramamama1.homestead.com. › MORE
09.30.2010 Rachel Tso ’95 Protects the Black Mesa, Teaches Media Literacy
Rachel Tso ’95 is a media literacy education advocate on and around the Navajo Reservation. She teaches media literacy and filmmaking at the STAR School. With her students, she is creating a documentary on "playground peacemaking." She is also working toward a master's in sustainable communities at Northern Arizona University. › MORE
09.07.2010 Kristine Herman ’94 Talks About Love at First Sight and the Dynamics of the Group Process
Kristine Herman ’94 has worked in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault for nearly 15 years. She is currently the director of global gender initiatives at the Center for Court Innovation in New York. › MORE
08.18.2010 Shadia Alvarez ’96 on Community Governance and Critical Lovers
Shadia Alvarez ’96, one-time community manager and former assistant to the president for multicultural affairs at the College, is currently the assistant principal at the Collegiate Institute for Math and Science in the Bronx, New York. She took time out of her jam-packed schedule to talk to the Independent about culture shock and moving forward. › MORE
07.22.2010 Thaddeus Russell ’89 Explores How Antioch College Made Him a Renegade of History
Thaddeus Russell ’89 is a historian, cultural critic and the author of the forthcoming A Renegade History of the United States. He teaches American history and cultural studies at Occidental College. › MORE
07.08.2010 Tom Blumenthal ’66 Newly Elected Member of AAAS
Dr. Tom Blumenthal ’66 was recently elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, based on his work in molecular biology. He takes time out of his ongoing research to reminisce and plan for the future of Antioch College. › MORE
07.08.2010 Rachel McKay Laskowski ’91 Documents Gulf Oil Spill
Rachel McKay Laskowski ’91 takes time out of her busy volunteer schedule of documenting the wildlife rescue efforts in the Gulf of Mexico to talk about her memories of and hopes for Antioch College. › MORE
06.24.2010 Author Laurence Leamer ’64 on Moral Seriousness and Madness in Palm Beach
Laurence Leamer ’64 is a best-selling author and journalist. In his most recent book, Madness Under the Royal Palms, Leamer looks at the way wealth makes its own rules and how it creates a culture of privilege. › MORE
06.24.2010 Lawrence Block ’60 on Mentors and Campus Tramps
Lawrence Block ’60 is an acclaimed and best-selling mystery author, best known best among Antiochians for his 1959 pulp novel Campus Tramp, published under the nom de plume Andrew Shaw. › MORE
06.03.2010 Peter King ’86 Talks Nurturing the Future, Biochar, and Digital Design
Peter King ’86 is one half of the dynamic duo Sweet & Fizzy (www.sweetandfizzy.com), a digital design firm responsible for multimedia, illustration and web design for clients such as Thomson-Wadsworth, The Chicago History Museum, Hewlett-Packard, and, oh yes, Antioch College. › MORE
