Jul/Aug 2017

From David H. Johnson: “My wife and I recently visited Mary Starnes, widow of former Dramat director Leland Starnes. Mary lives in Salisbury, Maryland. Lee was teaching and directing at Salisbury State College (now University) when he passed away in 1980. Mary’s as bright, pretty, and perceptive as she ever was. She remembers all the Dramat performances (and performers) of the late ’50s to the late ’60s. She has very precise memories of taking MFA classes at the drama school with the legendary Miss Welch. Her son Timothy, born during our freshman year, lives in L.A., where he’s working in a successful music production business. Earlier he worked under composer Howard Shore on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m sure Mary would love to hear from old friends. Her address is 603 Manor Drive, Salisbury, MD 21806.”

Yale reports that the Class of 1969 Scholar is Madeline Hoffman ’19, Calhoun College: “A recipient of this honor for a second year, Madeline intends to major in chemistry. She had the opportunity to study the German language in Berlin last summer through a Yale Summer Session program. Here on campus, this sophomore has kept busy with a variety of activities. As head of the earth science sub-team of the Yale Undergraduate Rover Association—whose mission is to build a Mars-like rover and compete with other undergraduate teams from around the world—she led the group in designing and implementing scientific tests, such as soil sampling and other environmental studies. Maddie also works for our Student Technology Collaborative as a student tech. A varsity swimmer in high school, she keeps connected to this sport as vice president of Yale’s club swimming team and as a swim instructor for local children through our aquatics program at Payne Whitney Gym.”

After many years, your scribe was delighted to hear from Bruce Myers: “Since teaching at Wheaton College (Illinois, circa 2004), I returned to Maryland and NSA and resumed my mathematical career. Most recently I served as the director of hiring for mathematicians and statisticians for the agency. I am on the precipice of retirement, set for April 28. This marks the culmination of my second 20-year federal career. I am still happily married to Therese (30 years this June) and enjoying all facets of life. Daughter Annelise is about to graduate from PennVet with her VMD. Annelise loves cows and wants to find a herd to care for in a climate that isn’t Wisconsin.

“Daughter Julia graduated from Yale, class of 2012 (ES: The Moose). It was fun to pop up to New Haven during 2008–12 for visits and stay at the Hotel Duncan. This hotel has the oldest functioning elevator in the State of Connecticut, kind of a Tower of Terror lite. I enjoyed seeing anew the beautiful collegiate Gothic buildings of Yale, now known as Hogwarts. After graduation, Julia worked for Discovery for a couple of years editing short-form online product for some of their channels. Now she freelances, writes and produces films, and edits various projects as they come up. She is part of the production team on A Capital Fourth, the annual TV show from the Mall on July 4.

“My goals in retirement are quite mushy at present. I will undoubtedly continue to play the violin (www.ellicottstringquartet.com) and will find some mathy endeavors to keep the neurons active. I’d like to get back to violinmaking too, and figure out how Stradivari colored his varnish. There is recent chemical analysis in that direction that confirms what had been only folksy wisdom for a long time.

“Aside from colon cancer, two replaced hips, foot osteotomy, rotator cuff tear, and loss of vision in one eye from retinal detachment, I am in most excellent health!”

From Tom Guterbock: “Thomas Guterbock, director of the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia, has been named the 2017 recipient of the John M. Kennedy Achievement Award, given by the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO) for his service and leadership to academic survey research.

As founding director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Survey Research, now in its 29th year, Guterbock has led his organization through numerous changes in our industry, including leadership in the introduction of dual-frame telephone surveys, developing multimode survey capabilities, and using text messages as survey reminders. He is highly respected within the field of academic survey research, with many peer-reviewed publications and media interviews.

“The Center for Survey Research is one of the larger units of UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The Cooper Center is a research and training organization focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia. The center provides objective information, data, applied research, technical assistance, and practical training to state and local officials, community leaders, and members of the general public.

“Guterbock has participated in every AASRO meeting since the initial meeting in 2007 when he attended as a founding member. At the 2008 Berkeley meeting, he authored AASRO’s ‘Declaration of Interdependence’ that served as AASRO’s initial charter document. He served on the steering committee, helped to draft the AASRO by-laws, and was elected as the first secretary of AASRO. Guterbock was also elected as AASRO’s third president and led a strategic planning process that helped to chart AASRO’s future. He has continued to be active in AASRO, serving as chair of the history and archives committee and playing an active role in developing AASRO’s presence on Twitter.”

Full column, but mailbag empty. Memo to those who have been Johnny Tight-Lips (“I ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.”): Now is the time. It’s later than you think!

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back; they’re called memories. Some take us forward; they’re called dreams.”—Jeremy Irons, actor (b. September 19, 1948).