Tower-Summer 2019

H eaps of talent, a dash of serendipity and a pinch of magic are the ingredients for G. Robert ‘Bob’ Omrod’s (’56) fantastical dioramas. Omrod’s passion for miniatures began in 1975, when he received a ready-to-assemble kit from his school’s cafeteria workers. Soon, Omrod graduated from off-the-shelf kits to using found objects, which he lovingly refers to as ‘junk, scraps and trash.’ Inspiration comes from what’s available, such as Metamucil bottles transformed into a Romani caravan; an old salad bowl given new life as the dome of the Majestic Theatre; or a discarded pirate ship rescued from curbside trash bins. Many of his detailed creations are motorized, musical or illuminated. As a veteran, educator, artist, performer, and yes, magician, there’s nothing Omrod can’t do. He’s the recipient of many awards and honors, including a Freedom Foundation National Award, and awards for his teaching, miniatures, set designs, and photography. After retiring from a 40-year teaching career at Spring-Ford Middle School, he still created magical miniatures, and imagined new ways to delight his grandnieces and nephew. You can visit his exhibitions at the American Treasure Tour Museum, in Oaks, Pa., and, if the stars align, he might just be there, thrilled to give you a personal tour. Bob Omrod’s (’56) final creation, which took six months to make, is of Epcot that includes a miniature train and monorail, fireworks, and even Tinkerbell. Y ou might think that U.S. Marshal Dr. Matthew Harris ’95 spends most of his days tracking down escaped fugitives or crafting new identities for the witness protection program. While those are crucial tasks assigned to the presidentially-appointed marshals, he’s also responsible for protecting the federal judiciary and establishing relationships between state and local partners. “I started out in law enforcement because I wanted to make a positive difference, and put the ‘bad guys’ in jail,” Harris chuckled. “As you become more seasoned and grow as a leader, you learn that being able to develop effective partnerships is imperative – you can’t operate a federal task force without cooperation between state and federal agencies.” Before his appointment as marshal for the District of Utah, Harris worked for five different law enforcement agencies in six different states, and earned his master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in business administration. Although he has published research in several academic journals, and received numerous promotions in his career, what he’s most proud of is his family. “My kids are awesome,” Harris avowed. “Professionally, I’m most proud of my academic accomplishments, but that’s secondary to being a dad.” DR. MATTHEW HARRIS ’95 public administration and criminal justice G. ROBERT OMROD ’56 art education ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 28 TOWER | SUMMER 2019 BY ESTHER SHANAHAN