Valpo alumni are doing amazing things across the country and around the world — in their professional and personal lives. They’re leading industries, contributing knowledge, and serving in a multitude of ways. These class notes offer a glimpse into their activities, accomplishments, and milestones. If you have news to share with your fellow Valpo alumni, please share it below.
Published Fall 2019
Benjamin Krause
Benjamin Krause ’07 of Chicago, Illinois, was named 2019 Distinguished Composer of the Year by Music Teachers National Association for his work, “Taxonomies of Pulse,” commissioned by the Indiana Music Teachers Association
Published Winter 2019
Joanna Spaulding
Joanna Spaulding ’07 recently moved to Omaha, Nebraska, from the Los Angeles area, where she worked as a genetics counselor in a private clinic for eight years. Joanna continues her work in genetics by educating others about the diversity of genetic disease and the importance of genetic testing at the Human Genetics Laboratory of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Rachel Christiansen Taube
Sean McGinnis ’07, Rachel Christiansen ’07 Taube, and Cate Valentine ’15 Lewis, all graduates of the social work program, are making a difference in their communities by teaching Youth Mental Health First Aid. The program is designed to help people recognize signs and symptoms of mental health concerns and educate them on how to connect those in need with professional support.
Sean McGinnis
Sean McGinnis ’07, Rachel Christiansen ’07 Taube, and Cate Valentine ’15 Lewis, all graduates of the social work program, are making a difference in their communities by teaching Youth Mental Health First Aid. The program is designed to help people recognize signs and symptoms of mental health concerns and educate them on how to connect those in need with professional support.
Mark Koschmann
Mark Koschmann ’07 graduated from Saint Louis University in May with a Ph.D. in American studies. His dissertation title was “Finding Their Footing in the Changing City: Protestant and Catholic Congregations Adapt to the New Urban Environment in Post–World War II Chicago.” He passed his oral defense and written dissertation with distinction. Currently, Mark serves as the Fiechtner Chair of Christian Outreach at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Katie Nemec Bruce
Katie Nemec ’07 Bruce started a new job in March 2018 as a communications manager at a nonprofit trade association, Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association. Katie works in a 12-person office in a northwest suburb of Chicago, and her boss also happens to be a Valpo grad, Wayne Geyer ’77. They are learning from one another as they pursue their common goal of service to their members and the industry, making steel the preferred tank construction material. It is Katie’s belief that Valpo contributed to this creation of two service-minded individuals.