Celebration of Service
A decade of leadership, vision and expectations
On January 22, the Bluffton campus and surrounding community gathered for a “Celebration of Service” in Founders Hall to commemorate Dr. Lee Snyder’s decade of leadership, vision and expectations as president. The evening was filled with music and words of appreciation, recognizing the accomplishments of the university during the past 10 years.
Six individuals spoke of Snyder’s contributions, including junior Andrew Bixel, 2005-06 Student Senate president; Dr. John Kampen, former vice president and academic dean; Ruth (Bundy ’71) Naylor; Elaine (Aeschliman ’72) Moyer, board of trustees member; senior Ariel Kennel, Presidential scholar; and Dr. Jeff Gundy, professor of English.
As the program drew to a close, Dr. James M. Harder, vice president for institutional planning and president-elect, presented Snyder with a piece of artwork created by Gregg Luginbuhl ’71, professor of art. Morris Stutzman ’72, chair of the board of trustees, presented Snyder and her husband, Del, with an endowed Academic Honors Scholarship named for the couple. After the ceremony, the community joined the Snyders for a reception in Marbeck Center Commons.
For more information about giving to the Lee and Del Snyder Academic Honors Scholarship fund, please contact the Advancement Office at 419-358-3240 or visit www.bluffton.edu/giving
Retiring faculty combine for 141 years of service
Five long-time faculty members with a combined 141 years of service retired following the 2005-06 academic year. Each made a distinctive contribution to campus life and was beloved by students. At commencement in May, all five were awarded “faculty emeritus” status.
Dr. Stephen D. Jacoby, musician
After receiving an undergraduate degree in church music (1964) and a graduate degree in organ pedagogy (1966) from The Ohio State University, Jacoby began his 40 years of teaching at Bluffton, earning a doctorate in music history in 1985 from OSU. He was a model liberal arts professor, teaching courses in music, religion, humanities and general education, in addition to instructing ensembles and lessons. During his tenure, he directed all of Bluffton’s choirs at one point or another, led Bluffton’s touring choir for 12 seasons, established Camerata Singers in 1984 and conducted numerous major works.
Among many other accomplishments, Jacoby served as faculty chair, coordinated two successful accreditation reviews by the National Association of Schools of Music and was as a member of the leadership team for the design and construction of Yoder Recital Hall. He also directed more than 25 musical theatre productions at Bluffton University, Encore Theatre (Lima, Ohio) and The Ohio State University.
“Stephen Jacoby has truly exemplified the type of individual that Bluffton hopes to engage on campus, in the community and in the wider world,” says Dr. Mark J. Suderman, professor of music. “Many students have gained great insights about life through his teaching, nurturing and mentoring.”
Jacoby moved to Columbus to “experience big-city life.” He looks forward to spending time with his family, especially his six grandchildren. Although he will continue playing the organ in church, he will miss working with the choirs. He will most miss the camaraderie with students and faculty.
Dr. Mary Ann Sullivan, art historian
Sullivan came to Bluffton in 1972 and taught nearly every course offered in the English department at one time or another. Having earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Rice University (1963 and 1964) and a doctorate in literature from The Ohio State University (1973), she anchored Bluffton’s art history offerings, helped develop the women’s studies program and served on dozens of committees. An accomplished photographer, she created an award-winning Web site that displays 12,000-plus images, more than 300 of which have been published in widely distributed textbooks and other publications.
Throughout her career, she received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, the Sears Teaching Excellence Award, a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institution grant, a C. Henry Smith Peace Lectureship and three Bluffton University Study Center grants.
“Mary Ann Sullivan has modeled academic integrity; a firm commitment to justice, peace, women’s concerns and human rights; and an unshakeable and energetic dedication to her work and the welfare of her students,” says Dr. Jeff Gundy, professor of English. “She continues to inspire, stimulate and challenge all those who know her.”
In her retirement, Sullivan’s plans include traveling and leading tours in Europe (in October she’s leading a group of adults in a trip to Italy, including a number of retired Bluffton faculty), taking more pictures for her Web site and raising a puppy. She will greatly miss being in the classroom. “I absolutely love teaching and now I don’t know where I’m going to get my adrenaline rush,” she says.
Dr. J. Denny Weaver, theologian
The Mennonite peace tradition brought Weaver to Bluffton in 1975. Graduated from Goshen College in 1963 and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 1970, Weaver completed a term of service with Mennonite Central Committee in Algeria before earning a doctorate at Duke University. Since joining Bluffton, he served on nearly every major faculty committee, spending nine years as chair of the department of religion and history and 22 years as faculty athletics representative.
During three decades, Weaver emerged as one of the most prominent and influential theologians in the Mennonite church, writing more than 50 scholarly articles and book reviews as well as writing and editing five books. He also served as the founding editor of the C. Henry Smith Book Series.
“His record of service to Bluffton has rendered J. Denny Weaver as much a part of the institution as its buildings or landscape,” says Dr. Perry Bush, professor of history. “He has mentored and inspired a generation of religion students, who have gone out from his tutelage to pastor churches and preach and teach across the nation.”
Weaver moved to Madison, Wis., to live near his daughter and her family. He plans to attend games with his two grandsons, continue to write and edit, work on his stamp collection and bird watch. Weaver says he will miss “being involved in a large enterprise that has ultimate significance, the academic conversations both in and beyond Bluffton, and having the opportunity to shape the next generation of thinkers.”
Dr. Phillip R. Kingsley, psychologist
Kingsley returned to Bluffton and began teaching psychology in 1988. He brought a passion for greater cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity, along with the careful application of the scientific method, to the study of behavior. While at Bluffton, he served as department chair, published in numerous professional journals and gave countless scholarly presentations. He also served as associate editor and editor of various journals.
“Phil Kingsley’s scholarship, teaching and international experiences informed and enriched his teaching at Bluffton,” says Dr. William Slater, professor of psychology. “Thanks to his dedicated service, Phil’s students have gone on to make important contributions to the field of psychology here and abroad.”
“I’ll miss the intellectual and moral stimulation of colleagues and students,” says Kingsley. “The new ideas brought by outside speakers and faculty colleagues in the Forum and Colloquium series have been a particularly valued feature of teaching at Bluffton for me.” Kingsley wants to explore sustainable agriculture and farm organically when he and his wife, Judy, move to a farm she grew up on, outside of Bluffton.
Dr. Judith R. Kingsley, anthropologist
Kingsley returned to Bluffton and began teaching part-time in 1988 before obtaining full-time status in 1995. She taught a variety of courses in the social sciences and English from humanities to African studies to intercultural communication. She completed a second master’s degree in English with a specialization in teaching English as a second language in 1995 from Bowling Green State University and was instrumental in organizing Bluffton’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program that same year. Under Kingsley’s 10 years of leadership, the program became one of Bluffton’s most popular minors.
“Judy Kingsley has been a humane, meticulous, generous presence at Bluffton, always seeking the best for students and colleagues, often going the second mile in offering directed studies and special arrangements for those in need,” says Dr. Jeff Gundy. Kingsley says she will most miss her faculty colleagues in English/Language and in Social and Behavioral Sciences, as well as her students. In her retirement, she plans to pursue more pleasure reading, music and socializing with family and friends.
