CLASS
NOTES
22
TOWER
|
Winter 2013
Todd Davies ’96
was hired as assistant
superintendent for the Exeter Township
School District.
Grant Ervin ’96
is the public safety
Geographic Information System (GIS)
program manager for the city of
Philadelphia. Recently, the team
he manages won the 2013 Special
Achievement in GIS Award from the
Environmental Systems Research
Institute (ESRI) and will present at
the ESRI user conference in San
Diego. Ervin has been selected to
present the morning plenary session
as the first user story.
Daniel Smith M ’96
is a fifth grade
teacher at West Reading Elementary
School. He lives in Cumru Township
with his wife, Karen, and son, Quentin
(15). He and his family love to travel,
and they have been to 27 of the 30
major league baseball stadiums.
Smith also serves as the assistant
boys tennis coach at Wyomissing
Area High School.
Daniel Stephens ’96
has been named
vice president for National Penn Capital
Advisors (NPCA). In his role, Stephens
will be responsible for providing retire-
ment plan consulting and portfolio
management solutions for defined
contribution plans. He is a Qualified
401(k) Administrator through the
American Society of Pension Profes-
sionals & Actuaries.
William Bowen ’97
recently accepted the
position of principal at Gwynedd Square
Elementary School. He started his career
in 1997 as a fifth-grade teacher in the
Philadelphia School District before
teaching in the Central Bucks and
Palisades districts.
Nathan Shultz ’98
unveiled Nouveau
Dental Studio in Jan. 2012, in his Spring
Township home. He specializes in high
quality and aesthetic dental restorations.
Jason Dugan ’99
recently assumed
the position of assistant scout execu-
tive/COO with the Pacific Skyline,
Boy Scouts of America in Foster
City, Calif.
Vali G. Heist M ’99
owns ‘The Clutter
Crew,” a business that helps clients
organize their lives. She’s a certified
professional organizer and has self-
published a book, “Organize This!
Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and
Ruminations About Your Crap.”
Clark Zimmerman ’99
was awarded
the Lincoln Forum Teacher Scholar-
ship, which recognizes excellence in
history education. Zimmerman is the
chairperson of the Hamburg Area
High School’s Department of Social
Studies, where he teaches American
Civics, American History and Ameri-
can Comparative Government and
Politics, in addition to coaching
varsity golf and softball.
After her cancer diagnosis in 2011,
MARGUERITE BIERMAN
’79
threw herself into art.
“I wasn’t afraid to die, but I was frustrated my life
would evaporate and that would be it,” she revealed. “I
have an extreme urgency to do, feel, get out and try.”
Bierman reached out to KU last year and offered to
donate artwork from her personal collection, by promi-
nent artist
MICHAEL KESSLER ’78
. After visiting the cam-
pus in April 2013 (pictured at right), she met with several
faculty members and was impressed with the Fine Arts
Department. At the start of her career, Bierman struggled
as a woman in a largely male-dominated field. The signif-
icant number of tenured female faculty in KU’s Fine Arts
Department, including the department chair, professor
Cheryl Hochberg, demonstrates how far the field has
come in eliminating gender bias.
A generous gift from Bierman has established an
endowed fund to provide encouragement and support
The Marguerite Bierman ’79 Why Not Dare,
Dream, Feel and Do Mentorship Fund
FOR THE COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
for women entering the field of visual arts. This schol-
arship will enable students majoring in studio arts or
crafts to obtain experience working with professionals
in the field and access to a mentoring relationship. The
goal is to allow students to gain an understanding of
the interplay between the studio art profession and
fullness of life in all aspects.
“This is a transformative donation that allows us
to provide expanded opportunities for our students
and faculty,” Hochberg said. “Starting in fall 2013,
Bierman’s endowed scholarship will provide for four
mentoring projects.”
Bierman, who died Oct. 30, was a decorative
painter and well known for her large public works,
which are displayed in a number of buildings around
Williamsport, Pa. Selections of her paintings can
be viewed in the gallery section of her website, at
ANNOUNCING
