Remembering Gail:
On April 3, 1996, nine days before her 35th birthday, Gail Dobert, '83,
perished when the military transport plane she was on crashed into the
hillside during its approach into Dubrovnik, Croatia. As the Deputy Director
of the Office of Business Liaison (OBL), Dobert worked out of the Department
of Commerce, and with Secretary Ron Brown and his staff, on mutual missions
to promote U.S. business interests around the world.
Dobert went to Washington in 1984 seeking work on Capitol Hill.
Beginning in public relations, she soon joined as professional staff,
entering as a scheduler and then as a senior legislative assistant. At
Commerce, Dobert accepted the position of acting director of the OBL.
Dobert was known as an individual who never forgot her friends, and "who
always believed she could make a difference in people's lives."
After the initial shock and confirmation of Dobert's death, Denise
Cohen, '83, who had been one of Dobert's roommates at Bucknell, pondered
what could be done in light of Dobert's philosophy and life of public
service. "After I heard the news, I thought about what I could do to keep
her memory alive. For me, Gail was Bucknell. Everyone who knew her was
close to her. She was the connection, the glue for everyone." Also in
remembrance of Dobert, Eric Allgaier '82, another of Dobert's friends,
joined Cohen in the work of establishing an endowed scholarship in Dobert's
name. Allgaier, praising Dobert's vitality and unending good will, remembers,
"She had incredible spirit and enthusiasm. No matter how stressful things
were, she always had a smile and brightened every room she entered."
Set up for students "from Long Island (Dobert's home) who have an interest
in public service careers," the scholarship "will generate $2,250 in financial
aid annually for each $50,000 raised." For those who wish to contribute
to the Gail Dobert scholarship fund, please contact Kathy Graham, Office
of Planned Giving, Cooley Hall, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837,
or call (717) 524-3200.
Washington Post, Washington, DC, Saturday, April 6, 1996
Bucknell World, Alumni Association, May 1997
Susanne Gray Behringer, '84, is inducted into the Bucknell Athletic Hall of Fame. "One of the most prolific scorers in Bucknell Women's Lacrosse history. Behringer graduated with eight school records, including most career goals (127). She was named All-East Coast Conference, and was invited to try out for the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Association national team. She captained both the women's lacrosse and field hockey teams.
1996 Hall of Fame Induction Program
"We're really trying to build up the manufacturing area within mechanical engineering," she says.
Ziemian maintains that students are a big asset. "I need to offer my students as much as possible- I usually get back what I give."
Bucknell Engineering, Fall/Winter 1997
Ruth Burnham, Associate Dean of Students, expresses her personal view of advancement and success in an interview conducted by the Women's Resource Center. She says, "It's not having a higher title necessarily. It's in quality of work. And balance of life. And my life is in balance with what I do. I have some time for my hobbies. I have some time for my family. I have some time for my work ... I decided when I was 12 years old that I wanted to work in education. I just didn't know what area. This is where I feel I can make my contribution. It is not lack of success that I am not at a higher level. It's personal choice. And I think that women with families ought to feel free to make choices. You can have it all but not at the same time maybe. Or decide what constitutes success for you." When Burnham is asked to give her advice to young women today, she responds:
"I have a 13-year-old daughter so I think about this a lot. For her I don't care very much what she does as long as she does something well. As long as she's good at something. I'm trying to find the ways to expose her to lots of different options. So that she has some sense of what people do in the world. I think that having a mother in a dean's position in higher education is good. She takes for granted the fact that I do what I do and she sometimes tells me I work too much. But it's fine. She sees a woman who has a life in balance, has hobbies, has a family, has work. And that's good. Her dad has the same kind of thing. We're both at the university. We both support education and so forth. As far as advice I really want women to get in touch with what makes sense to them. What they personally are good at. And try to find the ways to express that ... Let's look hard at the central things that are important to you that make you who you are. And what are the fields where that can be expressed. And what do you have to do to get there. I want women to be exposed to lots of different options and to have the ways to know themselves. So that they can make healthy choices. As an adult you really want to save them the heartbreak and the struggle and you can't do it. So I know there will be some of that along the line. Just making good choices. Try hard to make good choices."
WRC Interview, 2/96
Kathleen Swindler, '99, a civil engineering major, is a recipient of
the Engineering Dean's Award for Distinguished Service and Scholarship
for
1997-98. She also received the Dean's Award in 1996-97.
A dean's list student, she is an active member of the coed service fraternity
Alpha Phi Omega. Her campus employment has included serving as a Bucknell
tour guide and transportation safety research assistant.
"Receiving the Engineering Dean's Award is a special honor for me as it
recognizes and encourages strengths that I had not appreciated in myself.
I have always recognized my parents' sacrifices to allow me to attend
private schools and since high school have worked to help defray the costs.
In fact, contributing to my tuition, dedicating myself to education, and
being involved in volunteer activities are three of the most important
parts of my day-to-day life. Through this scholarship, the Wright-Bentley
Foundation has made me realize that these activities are indeed worthwhile
and interconnected. I am deeply thankful to the foundation and the generous
alumni who provided the scholarship funding."
Bucknell Engineering, Fall/Winter 1997
Besides her classes, Johnson is an admissions intern, resident assistant for Roberts Hall, and a teaching assistant for ENGR100 (Exploring Engineering). With her interest in engineering, and her work with admissions, Johnson is especially pleased with the growth in the number of women engineering students. This year, 30 percent of the engineering majors are women, compared to a national average of 14 percent.
To spur even greater growth, Johnson wants to see the Women in Engineering Mentorship program at Bucknell expand. This program, she says, provides needed support for women engineering students.
Bucknell Engineering, Fall/Winter 1997
Over the 16 years following graduating from Bucknell, Roberts held various positions at Scott Paper Company in process, development, product development, international business, and logistics. But as each job took her further into the world of corporate politics and away from the things that she loved about engineering, she became dissatisfied with the business world and decided to make a change.
"As a little girl, I changed my room around a million times. And in college, I drove my roommates absolutely crazy. They would come home and I would have moved everything in the room." But the thought of turning that interest into a second career was frightening. Roberts nevertheless investigated schools and found that she would have to start over- nothing she had taken at Bucknell would count for credit. Two and a half years later, she had an associates' degree in interior design from the Art Institute of Philadelphia.
"Engineering helped me tremendously, by teaching me to think clearly and logically. And if you can do that, you can do anything!"
Bucknell Engineering, Fall/Winter 1997
Sue Mestier Brauner, '74, is inducted into the Bucknell Athletic Hall of Fame. "A pioneer in the Bucknell aquatics program, Sue Mestier Brauner served as team captain of Bucknell's first varsity women's swimming team and qualified for national championship competition.
Brauner, who began her Bucknell career when women's swimming was only a club sport, captained the Bison's inaugural varsity team in 1973 1974. She graduated with school records in the 100, 200, and 400-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly, and recorded two top-10 finishes at the 1974 National Women's Swimming Championships. She placed 10th in the 200 freestyle relay team that finished seventh.
Led by Brauner, Bucknell's first-ever varsity team finished fifth at the Eastern Championship and placed 18th of 75 teams at the national championship meet."
1997 Hall of Fame Induction Program
At its Annual Meeting on June 6, the Union County Chapter of the American Red Cross presents Ruth Burnham, Associate Dean of Students, with its "Clara Barton Award." This is the Chapter's highest award, and is given for "meritorious volunteer leadership." Burnham is a past Chair of the Chapter's Board of Directors, and has served on the Board with a year's interruption while away on sabbatical, since
. She is cited for her efforts to expand and strengthen the Board, as well as improve the functioning of the Chapter through revised by-laws and greater fundraising efforts.
Daily Item, 7/27/97
11/5/89, The Bucknellian
There seems to be ghost that is haunting Hunt Hall, which is the residence hall for the sororities. But, there are different versions regarding the existence of the ghost and its identity.
One story was, in 1965, the young lady was a student at Bucknell University and a sister of Kappa Delta. She resided in a room on the third floor of the south wing of Hunt Hall. But no one knows the true story of how and why she died.
One source claims the young lady left after hearing of her brother's death. This followed the death of her mother. While returning to school, it is believed that she fell asleep at the wheel or lost control of her car. She died in a car accident just a mile from the car accident on Route 15.
Another variation of the story states that the young lady raced away from campus after receiving a phone call informing her that her parents had been in a car accident. This was later believed to be a prank. She was killed in an auto accident on Rt. 15 while returning to campus during a heavy rainstorm.
Yet, another story leaves us questioning the identity of the ghost. According to the university press office, the ghost could be a student who died almost a century ago by drowning in a nearby creek. While, another story is that the spirit is woman who died in a buggy accident in the early years of Bucknell.
According to the Bucknell University press, after the accident, strange events occurred. There have been numerous reports of cupboards flying open, custodians tools being spirited away and lights flipping on in the summer when the building was vacant. Various sorority sisters have claimed everything from moved furniture to actually seeing the ghost.
Supposedly, the ghost appears every two to three years and asks for help according to an article in the July/August 1983 issue of the Bucknell World. It is said that she appears in a raincoat and haunts the third floor of Hunt Hall asking for help. She is said to move between the third and fourth floors of the dorm, which is home to mostly juniors.
Bucknellian
Bucknell World
Daily Item
Lewisburg Daily Journal
The Patriot-News
Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Julie Sweitzer '99, a talented distance runner, received the honor of being named an Academic All-American to the Women's Fall/Winter At-Large Third Team. She was also one of Bucknell's 1999 recipients of the ECAC/Robbins Scholar-Athlete Award. Prior to her selection to the national team, Sweitzer was named to the GTE Academic All-District II First Team. For the 1998-99 winter season, Julie was named Patriot League Scholar-Athlete in indoor track and field.
Notes & Notices 4/23/99
Five Bucknell '99 graduate student-athletes received the honors of induction to Phi Beta Kappa, an academic honor society: basketball player Leslie Blue, volleyball player Emily Pomeroy, water polo player Meghan Rielly, rower Alexis Rush, and softball player Stacey Waite. In addition, Leslie was nominated for an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Notes & Notices 4/23/99
The regional conference of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) began on November 5, 1999, at Drexel University, with 25 of Bucknell's SWE members attending. This represented the largest turnout of all the schools in attendance. The team collected $1,200 in prize money at the end of the competition which consisted of three interactive, team-building exercises. Teams had to come up with spontaneous and creative solutions to problems. One was to design the tallest free-standing structure using only balloons and tape. Another was trying to prioritize a list of 15 items that would be needed to survive a plane crash. Bucknell placed second and third place in the final competition. This involved two women placed back-to-back: one communicated the arrangement of objects on a piece of paper, and the other interpreted and attempted to reproduce the picture. The conference provided much valuable experience for the members: "I learned that you can't find your niche in life unless you find the courage to try different things," says Brenda Lando, class of 2001 and co-president of SWE.
Bucknell Engineering 2000