Congratulations on magazine
I finally had a chance to read cover-to-cover the spring ’04 magazine – and it was very good.

Particularly, I was very pleased to read of the Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, as I was very active (president for two-plus years) in the Hillel organization on campus during my stay, 1987-91.

Also, I will be ordering Farideh Goldin’s book, and I truly enjoyed the piece on Scott Sechrist.

Lastly, as we all check the Class News section right away, I was glad to read of a long-time friend who now heads his own firm – Brian Popkin ’93.
– Marc “Squiggy” Strent ’91
Commack, N.Y.

Congratulations on the alumni magazine. It gets better with each issue!

FYI ... ODU can boast that two former colleagues are heading up their respective higher education governing bodies as State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEOs). Conrad Festa, a former English professor at Old Dominion, was recently named South Carolina SHEEO and I (a former director of admissions) was named Alabama’s SHEEO two years ago.

We’ll both be quick to credit the university’s role in developing our careers.
– Mike Malone (M.A. ’91)
Birmingham, Ala.

Rabbi Forman a wise choice to lead Jewish Studies Institute
Rabbi Lawrence Forman is exactly the sort of “mensch” needed to lead ODU’s Institute of Jewish Studies!

It was only 30 years ago that Rabbi Forman stood in front of my wife, Shelley, and me to declare us man and wife. We began a relationship – a friendship – with this great cleric and religious leader. I thank my heavenly father every time I reflect on all he taught me about my Jewish roots, the foundation of my faith and the notion that regardless of our choice of faith, we all – Jew, Christian, Muslim, etc. – bring to the table a set of guidelines which can elevate each and all of us, and truly bring paradise to this rock we call Earth.
– Norman Bossert ’73
Lay Leader, Brevard Jewish Community
Pisgah Forest, N.C.

Another ODU love story
We just received the alumni magazine and I just had to comment on your “Between the Lines” column. I have very fond memories of my years at ODU. Although I am not an alumna, my husband, Stephen C. Hailey, received his M.S.Ed. degree in 1980. I did, however, work at ODU from 1974 until 1981 in the School of Education (in the student teaching office). As a matter of fact, it was there that Steve and I met and where we fell in love.

Steve always says we met over the copy machine, which was near my desk. We married in the fall of 1979. I left the university in the summer of ’81 just before we had our second child.

Each of us had been married before, with two children each, and we ended up having three children together. We now have nine grandchildren.

Steve is a special education teacher for Capital School District and I finally got my master’s degree last year and work for Wesley College as a student services adviser and part-time instructor.

I just wanted to let you know that there was another couple out there that found true love at ODU.
– Valorie Hailey
Dover, Del.

Enjoyed story on Scott Sechrist
I arrived home today to find my alumni magazine in the mailbox and was so excited to see the profile on Scott Sechrist. It was such a good article (and, truly, long overdue).

Scott is blessed with a wonderful gift. I thank him for sharing his love of teaching, learning and nuclear medicine with all of us who were privileged enough to take a class with him.
Although I never took him up on the offer to be a nuclear medicine major, I remember my Medical Terminology class – and him – fondly. I learned so much from him and always appreciated his support during the trying times in my cytology classes. I am sure that there are many other graduates who feel the same way. Scott’s dedication and spirit are inspiring.
– Jennifer Hendrickson Keffer ’97
Greensboro, N.C.

Just a note to tell you how much we enjoyed the article on Scott Sechrist in the latest Old Dominion University magazine. I don’t think we knew he was a Norfolk native and Maury grad. I surely remember the early days when he was getting the nuclear medicine program up and running and I was a freshman adviser from 1985-89.

I congratulate Scott on leading a strong, growing program. My wife, Dianne Bryan, is now on the Career Center staff at Dickinson College here in Carlisle, Pa., where we moved when we left Norfolk in 2001. She sends her greetings too.
– Roger Strand (M.S.Ed. ’93)
Carlisle, Pa.

It was great to read about Scott Sechrist in Old Dominion University magazine. It really brought back memories of my time with the nuclear medicine department. I really learned a lot that semester – about nuclear medicine and about Norfolk.

The story’s focus on Scott’s experiences in Norfolk and at ODU during the ’70s was also interesting, since, while I was working with him, I ended up writing a paper for one of my classes with the help of a lot of his materials.

Currently, I work as the medical communications coordinator for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation at the University of Miami. I enjoy receiving updates from the researchers, learning what they are working on and what they have discovered, and turning this information into articles and promotional materials for the institute. Obviously, a lot of this is similar to what I did at the College of Health Sciences, which was my first venture into what would be my career. I definitely got my start in the nuclear medicine department at ODU.

I thank Scott for the great memories, for the wonderful workplace environment and for my start in the world of science writing.
– Libby Williams ’00 (M.A. ’01)
Miami, Fla.

I was delighted to see the extensive article about Scott Sechrist in the latest Old Dominion University magazine. I met him circa 1988 when I was a student and we were on the interview team for (I think) the Dominion Scholarship. I remember how curious and kind he was, and in fact, he sent me a personal letter when he heard that I’d won an award at my graduation that year. It didn’t surprise me at all to see how positive his former students’ quotes were in the article.

I feel like my life has come full circle now. I’m going to be visiting Old Dominion the week of March 22 for the annual Film and Video Festival. I’m presenting a documentary I produced last year.

I work full time in higher education now, and I hope I’ve been able to carry on some of the lessons I learned from people I met and watched as a student. Dr. Sechrist’s genuineness and willingness to talk to me like a peer are definitely tucked away in my file of qualities to emulate.
– Colette Shaw ’89
Franklin & Marshall College
Lancaster, Pa.

Lifelong learner Kathryn Ogg a truly inspiring woman
I wanted to express my extreme joy at reading the article about Kathryn Ogg in the spring issue. I had the immense pleasure of taking classes with Kathryn from 1984-89, along with her friend Margaret Ober, and was always inspired by their determination to learn.

I was also heavily involved in the ODU Model United Nations Society, working alongside Kathryn. Reading about her life and achievements was incredibly inspiring. I made copies of the article and distributed them to my fellow teachers at Williamsburg Middle School in Arlington, Va.

Reading the article brought back great memories of my time at ODU. I am even more impressed with Kathryn as she has continued to pursue her education into her 80s. I vividly remember a time in our Model U.N. class when she signed her birth date on a sheet of paper, as we all did, and she was 68 back then. I started to call her the Grandma of MUN.

She was such a sweet woman, and I am sure still is, and I only hope I can achieve the level of influence she had on me and other younger students and continue a lifelong pursuit of education as she has so successfully done.

I wish Kathryn many more years of educational pursuit and inspiration to all lifelong learners. – Randall Keith Easter ’93
Arlington, Va.
easterrk98@yahoo.com

Thanks for story on Kornblau Alumni Center
Thank you for giving the Barry M. Kornblau Alumni Center such prominence in the recent issue of Old Dominion University magazine. I am confident it will spark new interest and support from our alumni masses.

It is a pleasure working for the university and our Alumni Association on this project.
– Donna S. Morris ’77
Virginia Beach, Va.

Proud graduate completes degree he started in 1976
I recently finished the degree I started in 1976. It was a long journey, but with the help of special people like Mary Beth Lakin [ODU’s director of weekend college and experiential learning] and my family, I was successful. This was also possible thanks to TELETECHNET.

I worked 20 1/2 years for UPS and had a great management career. I decided to retire at 44 and enjoy the time with my family. I hope to use my occupational and technical studies degree in the future. I am very proud to say that I am a graduate of ODU.
– Matthew Gambardella ’03
Moseley, Va.

Voting tips for U.S. citizen-alums stationed, living overseas
I recently became the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act coordinator for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a former “military brat,” I recognize that working and living overseas presents many unique and frustrating challenges, voting being among them.
To help resolve any barriers alumni may have encountered when attempting to register or cast their absentee ballot from overseas, please note:

•To register and request an absentee ballot you need to use a federal postcard application, available at www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html.

•To access state registration and voting procedures, go to www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html.

•For general information, access www.fvap.gov.
Realize your power. Vote it on Nov. 2, 2004.
– Vickie R. Williams (M.P.A. ’02)
vickie.williams@sbe.virginia.gov