Editorial StaffRenée Ahee, EditorTresa Meyer, Graphic Designer

The Marygrove College Newsletter Volume 83 • Number 86 • May 1, 2007

Marygrove Matters, the College’s bi-monthly newsletter, is published by the Communications and Marketing Department and reports on campus news and other information regarding students, faculty and staff. The next issue is scheduled for September 4. Please e-mail your information by August 29 to Rahee@marygrove.edu. • Marygrove College • 8425 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI 48221

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My Expressions of Gratitude, My Commitment to Leadership

I have been given a humbling respon-sibility, which I am honored to accept. As the eighth president of Marygrove College, I follow in the innovative, inspired, and dedicated footsteps of visionaries. I take pride in the com-mitted alumni who use the skills and talents they acquired here to make the world a more humane and just place. And I devote myself to leading Marygrove College’s faculty and staff in preparing current and future students who will demonstrate competence, compassion and commitment in car-rying forth this institution’s sacred mission.

As the campus community has prepared months for this occa-sion, it has been an opportunity to boast about the proud traditions of Marygrove, its top-notch graduates and students, its commitment to the city of Detroit, and its core values. It has also been an opportunity to share our vision of fostering Urban Leadership, a unique vision that illuminates, motivates and dedicates this College to preparing students to take leadership roles in Detroit and America’s other urban centers as well as to broadening our own institu-tional leadership in the revitalization of our local community, the city of Detroit at large and our state.

There are dozens of people whom I wish to thank for their part in bringing this day to fruition. But I am most compelled to express deep gratitude to two individuals: the Chair of the Inauguration Committee,

our Board Member Irma Clark, who creatively engaged and resource-fully led the complex processes that produced today’s celebratory events, and our Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Jo Ann Cusmano, who has spent innumerable sleepless nights and long days bring-ing together the thousands of details of this Inauguration. It could not have happened without them.

With profound appreciation, I acknowledge the members of the Inauguration Committee, the staff of the Institutional Advancement Division, and the scores of faculty, staff, alumni, students and vol-unteers who worked to plan and execute all the Inaugural Events. For their professionalism, hard work, ingenuity, and demonstrated pride in their Marygrove College, I am truly indebted.

David J. Fike, PhD, President

Dr. Fike joined Marygrove in 2005 as Provost. From 1997 to 2005, he served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty for Holy Names College in Oakland, California. As the Chief Academic Officer of these century-old liberal arts institutions, Dr. Fike was responsible for academic programming, student affairs programming, enrollment services, information technology, and a variety of academic and administrative support services such as information resources, student registration processes, learning support resources, and academic advising.

Dr. Fike served as an elected official in Kensington, California, from 1994 to 1998. He has held numerous appointed positions on Boards and Commissions, including the BioScience Workforce Advisory Team for the City of Oakland, the Life Sciences Task Force of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, the Bay Area’s Community Capital Investment Initiative, the Community Reinvestment Subcommittee of Alameda County’s Economic Development Advisory Board, the City of Oakland’s Sustainable Community Development Commission, the BayTEC Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of AnewAmerica Community Corporation, and the Board of Directors of the Chabot Space and Science Center.

SCHEDULE OF INAUGURATION DAY EVENTS

Celebration of Inaugural Mass and Missioning 10:00 a.m.Liberal Arts Building, Sacred Heart ChapelHis Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida, Archdiocese of Detroit, Presider

Inaugural Luncheon11:30 a.m.Madame Cadillac Building, Alum-nae Hall

Robing and Assembly of Inaugural Procession Participants 12:45 p.m.Madame Cadillac Building, Designated Areas

Inaugural Procession1:15 p.m.

Installation of the Eighth President of Marygrove College 1:30 p.m.Liberal Arts Building, Marygrove Theatre

Inaugural ReceptionImmediately FollowingMadame Cadillac Building, Alumnae Hall

As an economist specializing in capital markets and urban economic development, Dr Fike has provided consulting services and research in the areas of economic revitalization, sustainable community development practices, capital access in underserved markets, and strategic decision-making. His clients have included the City of Oakland (participating in the development of the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy, among other projects) and the Community Bank of the Bay, the first de novo community development bank in the western

United States. Dr. Fike also served as part of a team with members of Shorebank Advisory Services (consulting division for the South Shore Bank in

Special Inaugural Edition

Chicago) sent to Central America to develop a strategic plan for the establishment of a nationally chartered bank to finance infrastructure projects for El Salvador’s cooperative sector.

In 1995, Dr. Fike was granted a prestigious Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship. As a fellow, he investigated innovative public/private partnerships designing sustainable development strategies for low-income urban communities. He has presented on the topics of socially responsible investing, economic revitalization and community development and is the recipient of teaching awards from the University of Maryland, College Park and Holy Names College as well as co-author of Everything You Need to Know About Economics, (Simon & Schuster, November 1999).

Dr. Fike currently serves on the Board of Directors of New Detroit, Inc.

Dr. Fike holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Fike and his wife, Sylvia Rosales-Fike, are the proud parents of three children, Alexandra, Valeria, and David Thomas.

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Registration. There’s time.Registration for Summer Term March 1–May 12

Session I classes May 14–June 23

Last day to drop Session I classes May 21

Session II classes June 25-August 4

Last Day to drop Session II classes July 2

David J. Fike, PhD: Eighth President of Marygrove College

Urban Leadership: Expressions of Legacy, Commitment to Progress

L o o k i n g A h e a d

Planning for the May 5 Inauguration of Dr. Fike as Marygrove’s eighth president began months ago. Campus activities that in some way focused on Urban Leadership were designated as Inaugural Events. “Urban Leadership: Expressions of Legacy, Commitment to Progress” is the theme of the inaugural year, which anchors the College’s strategic vision of fostering Urban Leadership.

Marygrove’s Urban Leadership vision is rooted in a legacy of innovation, quality and dedication. As we look to the future, Marygrove is committed to:

Developing urban leaders. This means something special for students as it provides them the opportunity and preparation to apply classroom knowledge in an urban laboratory through practical application in the community, take leadership positions in America’s urban centers and foster the return of graduating Marygrove students to the city of Detroit.

Serving as an institutional leader. This provides Marygrove the opportunity to convene forward-thinking political, economic, social, and cultural leaders to explore and positively contribute to a vibrant city, strategically partner with corporate and community leaders to improve the city of Detroit for businesses, residents, students and the region and create a new model of an engaged urban institution that attracts positive attention in other American cities.

We want to recap the Inaugural Events that have set the stage for this Saturday’s Inauguration. The campus also looks forward to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Student Degree Show from May 3 through 16 and to the visit later in the year by mayors of some of America’s urban centers who will discuss urban leadership in the 21st century.

Friday, March 16—7:30 p.m. Marygrove College Celebrates Women’s History Month: An Evening Coffee House with Spoken Word Poets, presented by Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. Queen Sheba of Atlanta and local poets Jamaal “Versiz” May, Legacy Leonard and Karega Ani shared with the 150+-member audience their unique perspectives of life and love in “Urban Leadership and Contemporary Literary Voices.”

Friday, March 30—9 a.m.-6 p.m. Academic Symposium by Faculty and Students: “Urban Leadership: Expressions of Legacy, Commitment to Progress.” Faculty, staff

and students were joined by members of the community surrounding Marygrove as they probed the many facets of Urban Leadership. Thursday, April 12—7:30 p.m.Defining Detroit Lecture Series: Sponsored by the Institute for Detroit Studies, Dr. Angela Dillard, associate professor at The Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, discussed “True vs. False Religion: How Faith Mattered in Detroit’s Radical History.” The lecture was based on her new book, Faith in The City: Preaching Radical Social Change in Detroit, from University of Michigan Press, “a milestone study of religion’s place in Detroit’s protest communities from the 1930s to the 1960s.”

Friday-Sunday, April 13-15; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m. No Street Shoes Annual Dance Department

Concert featured guest choreographers Sidra Bell of Sidra Bell Dance New York, Gregory Robinson of the Dayton Ballet and Barbara Sellinger, founder of the Detroit Dance Collective,

whose work showcased a diverse, living world of urban movement.

Friday, April 20, 8 p.m.Contemporary American Authors Series featured Marilyn Nelson, who held the nearly 500-member audience rapt with her poetry reading. Her most moving reading was from the popular book of poetry, A Wreath for Emmett Till. Mallory Draughn, Paula Grogan, Kerry Howell, Melanie Wallace, Briana Williams and Rachel Willis won writing contest awards for their Marilyn Nelson-inspired submissions.

Sunday, April 22, 4 p.m. Sacred Traditions: The Marygrove College Chorale was joined by the Marygrove Handbell Ensemble and members of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Choir in a concert that featured the popular and moving Fauré’s Requiem and choral music from the Catholic, Jewish and Protestant religious traditions.

May 3-16Bachelor of Fine Arts Student Degree Show Thursday, May 3, Opening Reception: 4:30 – 7 p.m., Liberal Arts Building, The Gallery; free event.

Saturday, May 5, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Inauguration; by invitation Celebration of Mass and Missioning: 10:00 a.m., Liberal Arts Building, Sacred Heart ChapelLuncheon, 11:30 a.m., Madame Cadillac Building, Alumnae HallInstallation of the President, 1:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Building, Marygrove College Theatre Reception, Immediately following Installation, Madame Cadillac Building, Alumnae Hall.

Date to be AnnouncedPresidential Blue Ribbon Panel on Urban Leadership; by invitationDetroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and mayors of other major U.S. urban centers conduct a lively, informative and important discussion about various facets of urban leadership. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Detroit native, radio talk show host, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities and professor of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

CongratulationsDr. Donald Levin, associate professor of English and coordinator of the Master of Arts in English program, gave a poetry reading at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit on Thursday evening, April 26.

Loretta Woodard, associate professor of English, was recognized for her ten years as advisor of Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society by its members at their March coffee house. In April, she and the organization received the Outstanding Student Orga-nization Advisor of the Year Award and Outstanding Student Organization of the Year Award, respectively, from the Student Government Association.

WEDnESDAy, MAy 2 3:30-5 p.m. Employee Recognition Day Ceremony Madame Cadillac Building, Alumnae Hall Contact: Anne Johnson, 313-927-1209 or ajohnson@marygrove.edu

WEDnESDAy, MAy 2Green and Gold Communicators meet the new Center Toastmaster Club5:30–7 p.m.Student Center, Room 115 Contact: Phil Krauss, 313-927 1519, or Ernestine McCall, 313-664-5576

ThuRSDAy, MAy 10 7 p.m. Baccalaureate Ceremony Liberal Arts Building, Sacred Heart Chapel Contact: Kim Sanders, 313-927-1259 or ksanders@marygrove.edu SATuRDAy, MAy 12 12 p.m. Commencement Ceremony Greater Grace Temple, 23500 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit Contact: Kim Sanders, 313-927-1259 or ksanders@marygrove.edu

The End is the BeginningCommencement 2007This year’s commencement exercises will take place on Saturday, May 12, at 1 p.m. at Greater Grace Temple, 23500 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit.The commencement speaker and an honorary degree recipient is Marygrove alumnus Reverend Wendell Anthony.

Reverend Anthony is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He was educated in the Detroit Public School system and graduated from Wayne State University with a B.A. in Political Science and Marygrove with an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry. Reverend Anthony is a Certified Social Worker with the State of Michigan. He became the Pastor of Fellowship Chapel in December of 1986 and Senior Pastor in February of 1987. Reverend Anthony was elected president of the Detroit Branch NAACP in 1993, the largest branch in the country, and recently re-elected to an unprecedented 8th term. Two students will deliver commencement addresses on behalf of their respective classes. Carolyn Miller, graduating with a double bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science, will represent the Class of 2007, speaking on competence, compassion and commitment. Carolyn is the recipient of the 2006 and 2007 Outstanding Student Leadership Award and Outstanding Work-Study Student and is president of Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.

Master’s student Dana Parker, who will receive her Social Justice Master’s degree, will represent the graduate students. Dana is the founder of the non-profit Dig My Roots Foundation that assists in enhancing the lives of individuals diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses. Her remarks will focus on the elements of success after Marygrove.A second honorary degree will be granted to Jay P. Harrison, president of Harrison Technology Consulting, and president and chief technology officer, Internet Operations Center, since 2001.Jay is a nationally recognized authority and speaker on Internet security, disaster recovery and business-to-business process automation. He is a board member of the Detroit Charter School for Industrial Arts. Jay was honored as one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ “Forty Under Forty” in 2000. In 2002, Jay was appointed to the board of directors of Automation Alley, Oakland County’s premier technology consortium. He attended University of Michigan, studying computer science.This year, the Theresa Maxis Award for Social Justice goes to the Matrix Theatre Company of Southwest Detroit. Since its founding in 1991, Matrix has used the transformative power of original theatre to change lives, build communities and foster social justice. Matrix creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders of all abilities, especially those from challenged or isolated populations, to become the creators, producers, and audience of original theatre.

Inaugural Events