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I N D I A N A
U N I V E R S I T Y – P U R D U E
U N I V E R S I T Y
F O R T
W A Y N E
ALUMNI
Fun at
Science
Central
Graduates and their
families from area
universities including
IPFW, Manchester
College, Grace College,
Indiana Tech, Taylor
University, Tri-State
University, Ivy Tech
Community College
Northeast, Huntington
University, and the
University of
St. Francis gathered for a fun night at Science Central in downtown
Fort Wayne, Jan. 31. Children had hands-on science fun and then dined on hot
dogs and chips with their parents. More than 400 people attended the event.
IPFW students (from
left) David Zink and
Tony Wilson talk with
Dr. Don Kreitzer, B.G.S.
’94, at the recent Grip
& Grin networking
event, Feb. 9.
Students spent time
learning how to
network professionally
and then put their
new skills into action
with IPFW alumni at
the Fort Wayne
Country Club.
Students and Alumni network at Grip & Grin event
GOOD TO ONLY IPFW DUES-PAYING ALUMNI WITH A MEMBERSHIP CARD
Attach this coupon to your official Tapestry 2006 registration form and payment, and receive $10 off admission!
$10off
Friday, May 12
7:15 a.m.–4 p.m.
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Complete this coupon as follows (please print):
Your Name_______________________________________________________________ Alumni dues paid to ❏ IPFW
Expiration date on membership card_____________ Graduation Year___________________ My degree is from
❏ Purdue
❏ IPFW/IU ❏ IPFW/Purdue
After we verify your dues are current,
we will process your Tapestry registration. Thank you!
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
Alumni Relations
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y – P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y F O R T W AY N E
❏ IU
ALUMNI
N E W S L E T T E R
Volume 9, Number 5, April 2006
Dressed for Success
Alumnae have their
designs on Texas fine arts
Sarah Lankenau says she grew up keeping to herself for
the most part. But she found it took just a little drama in
her life to bring her confidence center stage. Now she’s
connected to Hollywood stars the likes of Keanu Reeves
and Winona Ryder.
From her introspective childhood where she
concentrated on reading, drawing, and painting to her
silver screen leap, Lankenau’s self-awareness
blossomed beginning in eighth
grade. On a whim, Lankenau,
B.A. ’99, decided to try
something new by signing up
for a theatre opportunity. “And
while it certainly was fun,”
Lankenau says, “I also began to
discover I had a voice and
something to say.”
Sarah Lankenau
The greatest visibility for her
talents to date will be through her costume contributions
on A Scanner Darkly, a science fiction and animationbased movie to be released this summer that will star
Reeves, Rider, Woody Harrelson, and Robert
Downey Jr. The book-based feature is set
in suburban Orange County, Calif., in a
future where America has lost the war on
drugs. When one reluctant undercover
cop is ordered to start spying on his
friends, he is launched on a paranoid
journey into the absurd, where identities
and loyalties are impossible to decode.
She says she has a favorable opinion
having worked on the set, observing the
actors and learning the various
responsibilities of the film crew. “I
certainly wouldn’t turn down film work,
but I don’t see myself pursuing it long term,” Lankenau
says. “It is an intense and draining process, although I
have to say that I look forward to seeing my name up on
the big screen.”
Since graduating from IPFW, Lankenau has been
working for various-sized nonprofit and professional
One university.
Two great names.
IPFW Alumni is published six times
per year by the Office of University
Relations and Communications at
Indiana University–Purdue University
Fort Wayne, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.,
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499.
260-481-6807
www.ipfw.edu/alumni
Irene Walters, Executive Director,
University Relations and
Communications
Jennifer R. Bosk, Editor,
Director of Alumni Relations
Produced by IPFW Publications
Sarah Lankenau, B.A. ’99, is an award-winning costume designer
and is now the costume shop manager at the Zachary Scott
Theatre Center in Austin, Texas (Archival photo courtesy of Nichols
& Company Inc.). At left, an example of Lankenau’s numerous
sketches before her costumes take to the stage.
theatre groups in numerous cities, earning notoriety
along the way.
She recently designed costumes for Keepin’ It Weird, a
three-act play that celebrates the unique character of
Austin, Texas, where more than 200 locals were
surveyed to determine which qualities gave their city the
dubious title of being “weird.” “I designed and created
114 costumes for the characters,” she says, “including a
Success, Continued on page 5
TM
Fort Wayne, IN
Permit No. 92
PAID
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
2
ALUMNI
Field trip to
the Statehouse
More than 75 IPFW
students, alumni, and
faculty traveled to the
Indiana Statehouse to
meet with our 18
legislators for northeast
Indiana, Feb. 1. The
group thanked our
legislators for planning
funds for the new IPFW
Student Services
Complex and then asked
for building funds for the
project. Discussing
details are (from left)
Senator Dennis Kruse,
’70 B.S.Ed., and public
management students
Pone Vrongphachanh and
Erica Hartman.
Upcoming Alumni Events
VPA Student Honors Banquet
April 23, 6 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Graduates and scholarship recipients will be recognized. There is a fee for dinner.
Attendees must R.S.V.P. by April 17. Call Gary Lanier at 260-481-6977.
Literacy Fair
April 24, 4–6 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Come visit your favorite School of Education faculty and staff. Learn about the
school’s research and local literacy efforts. Enjoy presentations and vendor booths.
Mid-Year Economic
Outlook Luncheon
June 13, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Keynote speaker Ken Goldstein has been an economist at The Conference Board
since 1971 and is responsible for analyzing current trends in labor market
activity and forecasting near-term economic developments. Hear what
Goldstein has to say about Fort Wayne, Allen County, northeast Indiana, and our
state. The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch, keynote, and handouts.
Charge by phone at 260-481-6807.
July 4th Rooftop
Fireworks Party
College Ring Ceremony
April 26, 6–7 p.m., Walb Student Union, Room 222
Order the only “official” IU or Purdue ring through Herff Jones and attend this
honor ceremony. Chancellor Michael A. Wartell presents your ring to you. Bring
the entire family to witness this momentous occasion. See the rings online at
www.herffjones.com. This is the ONLY recognized ring as the “official” ring for
both IU and Purdue.
July 4, 4–10 p.m., Parking Garage #1 roof
(near the Helmke Library)
Bring your chairs, cameras, snacks, and your
best “ooos” and “ahhs” for the city’s great fireworks
display. It will be the closest spot to see the fireworks
without trees and lights being in the way. There will
be a huge play area for kids with bubbles, chalk, games,
and more. Music will be provided by family friendly
WAJI Majic 95.1FM. There will be prize drawings
all night long. The cost is $10 per car load.
DPEA Graduation
and Alumni Reception
31st Annual IPFW Alumni
and Friends Golf Outing
April 28, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.,
Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science Building lobby
The Division of Public and Environmental Affairs will conduct its 28th annual
Graduation/Alumni Reception. Attendees must R.S.V.P. by April 24. Call Tammy
Davich at 260-481-6351.
July 21, 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. shot gun start, 12:30 p.m.
luncheon, prizes, and awards, Deer Track Golf Course
Have fun while raising scholarship money for children of alumni.
The cost is $69 if signing up by May 30. It’s $75 after May 30.
Charge by phone at 260-481-6807.
Graduates and Families Zoo Day
Alumni Council Call to Action
June 10, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Adults: $6 (regularly $7.50). Children (ages 2 to 14): $4 (regularly $5). Rides: $1.60
per person for train, safari ride, carousel, and canoe ride (regularly $2). Pony rides
are unable to be discounted. Pre-paid tickets ONLY. Charge by phone at
260-481-6807. Pick up your tickets at the college table near the zoo entrance.
Ready to become more involved with your alma mater, its direction, and the
work of the alumni board of directors? Consider joining your school alumni
council. Each school and division has a five-person or more alumni council to
assist with event planning, fund-raising, advising the dean, and more. Contact
Louise Teague at 260-481-6495.
Success, Continued from page 1
“”
dancing chicken fried steak and an armadillo.”
The performance was so popular, it garnered
attention through a feature on the CBS Sunday
Morning program.
Lankenau shares that her favorite part of
working on the play was the final act, which
– Sarah Lankenau, B.A. ’99
explored “the darker side of weird” in her
words—one that explored the historic lack of
opportunities available to the city’s minority
Lankenau adds that IPFW represented a good
groups. “Theatre should engage the audience
place to start as a theatre major. “Being in a
and ignite a reaction,” she says, “and everyone
smaller program allowed me to design six
had a reaction to the show because of Act III.”
productions while completing my undergraduate
Her love for the performing arts — and their
degree,” she says. “Entering into the working
ability to convey social commentary — extends
world of freelance costume design, construction,
to her high school days, where
and wardrobe with that
she knew she wanted to stay in
experience was worth far
the theatre in some capacity. As
more than a degree from a
Lankenau’s theatrical experience
larger institution.”
grew, she found herself moving
Her afore-mentioned movie
behind the scenes primarily.
and television credits do not
“Costume design brought
represent the first time
together a number of things I
Lankenau’s talents have been in
enjoy doing,” she says. “I enjoy
the spotlight. In 1999, she won
reading and doing research. And
first-place honors at the regional
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
each show is an opportunity to
Kennedy Center American
Lankenau’s costume talents will be
learn about the world from a
College Theater Festival. The
featured in this summer’s motion
new perspective.”
ACTF is a national theatre
picture, A Scanner Darkly.
“Theatre should
engage the audience
and ignite a reaction.”
A persistent journey
To say Jan McCauley is driven is an
understatement. It’s an observation that is quite
literal as well.
A nontraditional student, McCauley
commuted to the IPFW campus to complete her
undergraduate degree from Fremont, Ind., a 50mile commute. And that’s just one-way.
Nevertheless, she doesn’t regret the
inconvenience even to this day. McCauley,
B.G.S. ’04, says she referred to the drive as her
“thinking zone.” She attributes those commuter
miles with the opportunity to interpret
landscapes and sunrises in a creative manner.
It is that ability to see things from a new or
different perspective that served her well as a
Bachelor of General Studies major with an
emphasis in costume design. When applying
her observations to the stage, “it’s the simple
appearance of a character that can tell volumes
before a sound is even heard,” McCauley says.
In fact, it’s the application of these visual
talents that earned her a highly competitive
spot in the Design Intensive Fellowship last
summer, which operates in conjunction with the
education program that identifies and promotes
quality in college-level theatre productions. From
there, she competed in the ACTF nationals at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C., the following spring. Her
winning designs were from the full-stage
production of Assassins at IPFW.
Presently, she serves as costume shop
manager for the Zachary Scott Theatre Center in
Austin. In this position and through similar
experiences, she says she has sharpened her
theatre skills, focusing toward costume tailoring,
draping, dyeing, puppetry, and mask making —
skills she will develop further this fall as she
becomes a candidate in the Master of Fine Arts in
Theatre Technology program at the University of
Texas at Austin.
Once her graduate degree is in hand, Lankenau
shares she doesn’t want to limit her career
possibilities. “I could easily see myself as head
cutter/draper in a university costume shop,
possibly teaching a class or two, or as the
costume shop manager for a high-level theatre,”
she says. In those capacities, she will likely
maintain a stage voice similar to the one she first
recognized by participating in the arts — only this
time, it’s her costume work and stage-prop styling
that will continue to speak volumes for her.
McCauley says she still
Kennedy Center American
treasures her student
College Theater Festival. She
experiences from sitting in the
studied in Washington, D.C.,
audience of Williams Theatre
with Tony Award-winning set
fighting back tears during
designer and Yale professor
moving performances to
Ming Cho Lee and Tony Awardlaughing through her tears
nominated costume designer
during long work hours in the
Constance Hoffman. She says
costume shop as fatigue set in.
she views theatre as a
“Attending IPFW did just what I
collaborative process that
Tony Award-winning set
hoped it would — open the
makes it different from other
designer Ming Cho Lee and
door to a world of possibility I
fine arts. “There’s something
Jan McCauley, B.G.S. ’04
hadn’t been aware of,” she
about the synergy when
says. “I have gained a behind-the-scenes
approaching the arts in this manner that
insight into the nuts and bolts of putting a show
appeals to me rather than as a solo effort,”
through production, been dragged on stage
McCauley comments.
myself, and forged lifelong friendships.”
Her curtain call to the fellowship came as a
McCauley says she attended a graduate
result of her regional acclaim and national
school convention in Chicago during the winter
attention — twice — during consecutive
of 2004. She elected to pursue a Master of Fine
ACTF competitions. She won top regional
Arts in Theatrical Design with an emphasis in
honors for Pippin in 2003, a non-staged
production, and Talking With… in 2004, a full- costume design at the University of Texas at
stage production at IPFW. McCauley went on
Austin, where she began last fall. It’s a good
to showcase her work during the ACTF
thing McCauley is accustomed to a long haul.
nationals at the John F. Kennedy Center for
She can appreciate the value of the journey
the Performing Arts in D.C.
along the way.
5
4
ALUMNI
DIAMONDDONS
Upcoming
home games
DH indicates doubleheader
Baseball
April 15
Chicago State (DH)
April 16
Chicago State (DH)
April 18
Bowling Green
April 27
Goshen
April 28
Grace (DH)
April 30
Defiance
Upcoming home games…
Get tickets!…260-481-6000
1 p.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
April 7
Loyola–Chicago
7 p.m.
April 14
Penn State
7 p.m.
April 15
Rutgers–Newark
7 p.m.
At Gates Sports Center – Tickets: $5
1981
Kathy Carrier, B.S., accounting, CEO of
Briljent, has recently received the
entrepreneurial spirit award as part of the
2005 Indiana Entrepreneurial Awards of
Distinction. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
honors companies for taking risks and for
persevering through lessons learned.
1985
Rose Clevenger, A.S., organizational
leadership and supervision, vice president of
Sentry Management Services Inc., has
recently become an officer-elect with the
Apartment Association of Fort Wayne for 2006.
1 p.m.
Softball
April 6
Detroit
April 10
Indiana Wes. (DH)
April 11
Butler (DH)
April 20
Valparaiso (DH)
Class Notes
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
1987
Thomas G. Burroughs, B.S., business, has
joined Sommer, Barnard, Ackerson Attorneys,
PC. He is also a member of the firm’s
litigation and business law practice groups.
IPFW
Athletic
Apparel
1992
Bill Quackenbush, M.B.A., president of QCI
Technical Staffing, has been elected as a
2006 Fort Wayne board member for the
Indiana Search and Staffing Association.
1995
Cynthia E. Raugh, B.S., business
accounting, has recently joined the firm of
T. L. Wagner Professional Corp. as a staff
accountant.
1993
Kathleen Ann Sherman, M.S., education,
has received her doctorate in education
administration. Her dissertation was
“Principals’ Strategies for Raising
Achievement Test Scores, Improving
Conditions for Student Learning, Conducting
Curriculum Alignment, and Complying with
Systemic Accountability.”
1997
Annette Johnson, B.S., organizational
leadership and supervision, vice president
of Business Health Services, has earned the
Certificate of Competency in Occupational
Health from the National Association of
Occupational Health Professionals.
Greg Conkling, B.S., business management,
has been elected to a 2006 board position
with Farmington Homes Inc. by the Home
Builders Association of Fort Wayne Inc.
Your IPFW Alumni Association Board of Directors: 2006–2007
Per the IPFWAA by-laws, this slate of candidates for the IPFW Alumni Association Board of Directors is
being sent to all IPFW graduates. Please approve this slate or write in candidates as you wish and return
this form as indicated below by April 26:
President
Sue McInturff
Class of ’04
Terrece Jordan
Karen Clelland
Class of ’05
Erin McConaha
Secretary
Brent Wake
Class of ’06
Lamar Dixon
Immediate Past President
Mike Engels
A&S representative
President Elect
Kids Club!
2001
Carrie E. Fischesser, M.B.A., has recently
been hired to the Dinsmore & Shohl, PC law
office in Cincinnati. She practices in the
labor and employment law department.
IUAA Representative
Eric Steenman
PAA Representative
Glenna Raber
IU At-Large
Purdue At-Large
Tanveer Wahid
Justin Brugger
Debbie Branfield
E. G. Henderson
Jeneé Johnson
Nancy Vojtash Moore
SBMS representative
Steve Franks
DCS representative
Lyna Weaver
Education representative
ETCS representative
VPA representative
Health Sciences
representative
DPEA representative
Eva Merkel
Tony Romano
Vacant
Greta McKinney
Kimberly Wagner
❑ I approve this slate of candidates.
❑ I do not approve this slate of candidates and wish to write in the following graduate of IPFW for
Get your IPFW mastodon
threads at all home games!
T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts,
headwear, windshirts, and more!
www.ipfw.edu/athletics
consideration for the following board positions:__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
❑ I am interested in serving on my School Alumni Council:
Name______________________________________________________________________
Day phone___________________________________________________________________
E-mail______________________________________________________________________
Please return this form to IPFW Alumni Relations, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499 no later than April 26.
3
4
ALUMNI
DIAMONDDONS
Upcoming
home games
DH indicates doubleheader
Baseball
April 15
Chicago State (DH)
April 16
Chicago State (DH)
April 18
Bowling Green
April 27
Goshen
April 28
Grace (DH)
April 30
Defiance
Upcoming home games…
Get tickets!…260-481-6000
1 p.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
April 7
Loyola–Chicago
7 p.m.
April 14
Penn State
7 p.m.
April 15
Rutgers–Newark
7 p.m.
At Gates Sports Center – Tickets: $5
1981
Kathy Carrier, B.S., accounting, CEO of
Briljent, has recently received the
entrepreneurial spirit award as part of the
2005 Indiana Entrepreneurial Awards of
Distinction. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
honors companies for taking risks and for
persevering through lessons learned.
1985
Rose Clevenger, A.S., organizational
leadership and supervision, vice president of
Sentry Management Services Inc., has
recently become an officer-elect with the
Apartment Association of Fort Wayne for 2006.
1 p.m.
Softball
April 6
Detroit
April 10
Indiana Wes. (DH)
April 11
Butler (DH)
April 20
Valparaiso (DH)
Class Notes
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
1987
Thomas G. Burroughs, B.S., business, has
joined Sommer, Barnard, Ackerson Attorneys,
PC. He is also a member of the firm’s
litigation and business law practice groups.
IPFW
Athletic
Apparel
1992
Bill Quackenbush, M.B.A., president of QCI
Technical Staffing, has been elected as a
2006 Fort Wayne board member for the
Indiana Search and Staffing Association.
1995
Cynthia E. Raugh, B.S., business
accounting, has recently joined the firm of
T. L. Wagner Professional Corp. as a staff
accountant.
1993
Kathleen Ann Sherman, M.S., education,
has received her doctorate in education
administration. Her dissertation was
“Principals’ Strategies for Raising
Achievement Test Scores, Improving
Conditions for Student Learning, Conducting
Curriculum Alignment, and Complying with
Systemic Accountability.”
1997
Annette Johnson, B.S., organizational
leadership and supervision, vice president
of Business Health Services, has earned the
Certificate of Competency in Occupational
Health from the National Association of
Occupational Health Professionals.
Greg Conkling, B.S., business management,
has been elected to a 2006 board position
with Farmington Homes Inc. by the Home
Builders Association of Fort Wayne Inc.
Your IPFW Alumni Association Board of Directors: 2006–2007
Per the IPFWAA by-laws, this slate of candidates for the IPFW Alumni Association Board of Directors is
being sent to all IPFW graduates. Please approve this slate or write in candidates as you wish and return
this form as indicated below by April 26:
President
Sue McInturff
Class of ’04
Terrece Jordan
Karen Clelland
Class of ’05
Erin McConaha
Secretary
Brent Wake
Class of ’06
Lamar Dixon
Immediate Past President
Mike Engels
A&S representative
President Elect
Kids Club!
2001
Carrie E. Fischesser, M.B.A., has recently
been hired to the Dinsmore & Shohl, PC law
office in Cincinnati. She practices in the
labor and employment law department.
IUAA Representative
Eric Steenman
PAA Representative
Glenna Raber
IU At-Large
Purdue At-Large
Tanveer Wahid
Justin Brugger
Debbie Branfield
E. G. Henderson
Jeneé Johnson
Nancy Vojtash Moore
SBMS representative
Steve Franks
DCS representative
Lyna Weaver
Education representative
ETCS representative
VPA representative
Health Sciences
representative
DPEA representative
Eva Merkel
Tony Romano
Vacant
Greta McKinney
Kimberly Wagner
❑ I approve this slate of candidates.
❑ I do not approve this slate of candidates and wish to write in the following graduate of IPFW for
Get your IPFW mastodon
threads at all home games!
T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts,
headwear, windshirts, and more!
www.ipfw.edu/athletics
consideration for the following board positions:__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
❑ I am interested in serving on my School Alumni Council:
Name______________________________________________________________________
Day phone___________________________________________________________________
E-mail______________________________________________________________________
Please return this form to IPFW Alumni Relations, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499 no later than April 26.
3
2
ALUMNI
Field trip to
the Statehouse
More than 75 IPFW
students, alumni, and
faculty traveled to the
Indiana Statehouse to
meet with our 18
legislators for northeast
Indiana, Feb. 1. The
group thanked our
legislators for planning
funds for the new IPFW
Student Services
Complex and then asked
for building funds for the
project. Discussing
details are (from left)
Senator Dennis Kruse,
’70 B.S.Ed., and public
management students
Pone Vrongphachanh and
Erica Hartman.
Upcoming Alumni Events
VPA Student Honors Banquet
April 23, 6 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Graduates and scholarship recipients will be recognized. There is a fee for dinner.
Attendees must R.S.V.P. by April 17. Call Gary Lanier at 260-481-6977.
Literacy Fair
April 24, 4–6 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Come visit your favorite School of Education faculty and staff. Learn about the
school’s research and local literacy efforts. Enjoy presentations and vendor booths.
Mid-Year Economic
Outlook Luncheon
June 13, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Walb Student Union Ballroom
Keynote speaker Ken Goldstein has been an economist at The Conference Board
since 1971 and is responsible for analyzing current trends in labor market
activity and forecasting near-term economic developments. Hear what
Goldstein has to say about Fort Wayne, Allen County, northeast Indiana, and our
state. The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch, keynote, and handouts.
Charge by phone at 260-481-6807.
July 4th Rooftop
Fireworks Party
College Ring Ceremony
April 26, 6–7 p.m., Walb Student Union, Room 222
Order the only “official” IU or Purdue ring through Herff Jones and attend this
honor ceremony. Chancellor Michael A. Wartell presents your ring to you. Bring
the entire family to witness this momentous occasion. See the rings online at
www.herffjones.com. This is the ONLY recognized ring as the “official” ring for
both IU and Purdue.
July 4, 4–10 p.m., Parking Garage #1 roof
(near the Helmke Library)
Bring your chairs, cameras, snacks, and your
best “ooos” and “ahhs” for the city’s great fireworks
display. It will be the closest spot to see the fireworks
without trees and lights being in the way. There will
be a huge play area for kids with bubbles, chalk, games,
and more. Music will be provided by family friendly
WAJI Majic 95.1FM. There will be prize drawings
all night long. The cost is $10 per car load.
DPEA Graduation
and Alumni Reception
31st Annual IPFW Alumni
and Friends Golf Outing
April 28, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.,
Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science Building lobby
The Division of Public and Environmental Affairs will conduct its 28th annual
Graduation/Alumni Reception. Attendees must R.S.V.P. by April 24. Call Tammy
Davich at 260-481-6351.
July 21, 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. shot gun start, 12:30 p.m.
luncheon, prizes, and awards, Deer Track Golf Course
Have fun while raising scholarship money for children of alumni.
The cost is $69 if signing up by May 30. It’s $75 after May 30.
Charge by phone at 260-481-6807.
Graduates and Families Zoo Day
Alumni Council Call to Action
June 10, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Adults: $6 (regularly $7.50). Children (ages 2 to 14): $4 (regularly $5). Rides: $1.60
per person for train, safari ride, carousel, and canoe ride (regularly $2). Pony rides
are unable to be discounted. Pre-paid tickets ONLY. Charge by phone at
260-481-6807. Pick up your tickets at the college table near the zoo entrance.
Ready to become more involved with your alma mater, its direction, and the
work of the alumni board of directors? Consider joining your school alumni
council. Each school and division has a five-person or more alumni council to
assist with event planning, fund-raising, advising the dean, and more. Contact
Louise Teague at 260-481-6495.
Success, Continued from page 1
“”
dancing chicken fried steak and an armadillo.”
The performance was so popular, it garnered
attention through a feature on the CBS Sunday
Morning program.
Lankenau shares that her favorite part of
working on the play was the final act, which
– Sarah Lankenau, B.A. ’99
explored “the darker side of weird” in her
words—one that explored the historic lack of
opportunities available to the city’s minority
Lankenau adds that IPFW represented a good
groups. “Theatre should engage the audience
place to start as a theatre major. “Being in a
and ignite a reaction,” she says, “and everyone
smaller program allowed me to design six
had a reaction to the show because of Act III.”
productions while completing my undergraduate
Her love for the performing arts — and their
degree,” she says. “Entering into the working
ability to convey social commentary — extends
world of freelance costume design, construction,
to her high school days, where
and wardrobe with that
she knew she wanted to stay in
experience was worth far
the theatre in some capacity. As
more than a degree from a
Lankenau’s theatrical experience
larger institution.”
grew, she found herself moving
Her afore-mentioned movie
behind the scenes primarily.
and television credits do not
“Costume design brought
represent the first time
together a number of things I
Lankenau’s talents have been in
enjoy doing,” she says. “I enjoy
the spotlight. In 1999, she won
reading and doing research. And
first-place honors at the regional
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
each show is an opportunity to
Kennedy Center American
Lankenau’s costume talents will be
learn about the world from a
College Theater Festival. The
featured in this summer’s motion
new perspective.”
ACTF is a national theatre
picture, A Scanner Darkly.
“Theatre should
engage the audience
and ignite a reaction.”
A persistent journey
To say Jan McCauley is driven is an
understatement. It’s an observation that is quite
literal as well.
A nontraditional student, McCauley
commuted to the IPFW campus to complete her
undergraduate degree from Fremont, Ind., a 50mile commute. And that’s just one-way.
Nevertheless, she doesn’t regret the
inconvenience even to this day. McCauley,
B.G.S. ’04, says she referred to the drive as her
“thinking zone.” She attributes those commuter
miles with the opportunity to interpret
landscapes and sunrises in a creative manner.
It is that ability to see things from a new or
different perspective that served her well as a
Bachelor of General Studies major with an
emphasis in costume design. When applying
her observations to the stage, “it’s the simple
appearance of a character that can tell volumes
before a sound is even heard,” McCauley says.
In fact, it’s the application of these visual
talents that earned her a highly competitive
spot in the Design Intensive Fellowship last
summer, which operates in conjunction with the
education program that identifies and promotes
quality in college-level theatre productions. From
there, she competed in the ACTF nationals at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington, D.C., the following spring. Her
winning designs were from the full-stage
production of Assassins at IPFW.
Presently, she serves as costume shop
manager for the Zachary Scott Theatre Center in
Austin. In this position and through similar
experiences, she says she has sharpened her
theatre skills, focusing toward costume tailoring,
draping, dyeing, puppetry, and mask making —
skills she will develop further this fall as she
becomes a candidate in the Master of Fine Arts in
Theatre Technology program at the University of
Texas at Austin.
Once her graduate degree is in hand, Lankenau
shares she doesn’t want to limit her career
possibilities. “I could easily see myself as head
cutter/draper in a university costume shop,
possibly teaching a class or two, or as the
costume shop manager for a high-level theatre,”
she says. In those capacities, she will likely
maintain a stage voice similar to the one she first
recognized by participating in the arts — only this
time, it’s her costume work and stage-prop styling
that will continue to speak volumes for her.
McCauley says she still
Kennedy Center American
treasures her student
College Theater Festival. She
experiences from sitting in the
studied in Washington, D.C.,
audience of Williams Theatre
with Tony Award-winning set
fighting back tears during
designer and Yale professor
moving performances to
Ming Cho Lee and Tony Awardlaughing through her tears
nominated costume designer
during long work hours in the
Constance Hoffman. She says
costume shop as fatigue set in.
she views theatre as a
“Attending IPFW did just what I
collaborative process that
Tony Award-winning set
hoped it would — open the
makes it different from other
designer Ming Cho Lee and
door to a world of possibility I
fine arts. “There’s something
Jan McCauley, B.G.S. ’04
hadn’t been aware of,” she
about the synergy when
says. “I have gained a behind-the-scenes
approaching the arts in this manner that
insight into the nuts and bolts of putting a show
appeals to me rather than as a solo effort,”
through production, been dragged on stage
McCauley comments.
myself, and forged lifelong friendships.”
Her curtain call to the fellowship came as a
McCauley says she attended a graduate
result of her regional acclaim and national
school convention in Chicago during the winter
attention — twice — during consecutive
of 2004. She elected to pursue a Master of Fine
ACTF competitions. She won top regional
Arts in Theatrical Design with an emphasis in
honors for Pippin in 2003, a non-staged
production, and Talking With… in 2004, a full- costume design at the University of Texas at
stage production at IPFW. McCauley went on
Austin, where she began last fall. It’s a good
to showcase her work during the ACTF
thing McCauley is accustomed to a long haul.
nationals at the John F. Kennedy Center for
She can appreciate the value of the journey
the Performing Arts in D.C.
along the way.
5
I N D I A N A
U N I V E R S I T Y – P U R D U E
U N I V E R S I T Y
F O R T
W A Y N E
ALUMNI
Fun at
Science
Central
Graduates and their
families from area
universities including
IPFW, Manchester
College, Grace College,
Indiana Tech, Taylor
University, Tri-State
University, Ivy Tech
Community College
Northeast, Huntington
University, and the
University of
St. Francis gathered for a fun night at Science Central in downtown
Fort Wayne, Jan. 31. Children had hands-on science fun and then dined on hot
dogs and chips with their parents. More than 400 people attended the event.
IPFW students (from
left) David Zink and
Tony Wilson talk with
Dr. Don Kreitzer, B.G.S.
’94, at the recent Grip
& Grin networking
event, Feb. 9.
Students spent time
learning how to
network professionally
and then put their
new skills into action
with IPFW alumni at
the Fort Wayne
Country Club.
Students and Alumni network at Grip & Grin event
GOOD TO ONLY IPFW DUES-PAYING ALUMNI WITH A MEMBERSHIP CARD
Attach this coupon to your official Tapestry 2006 registration form and payment, and receive $10 off admission!
$10off
Friday, May 12
7:15 a.m.–4 p.m.
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Complete this coupon as follows (please print):
Your Name_______________________________________________________________ Alumni dues paid to ❏ IPFW
Expiration date on membership card_____________ Graduation Year___________________ My degree is from
❏ Purdue
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After we verify your dues are current,
we will process your Tapestry registration. Thank you!
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
Alumni Relations
I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y – P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y F O R T W AY N E
❏ IU
ALUMNI
N E W S L E T T E R
Volume 9, Number 5, April 2006
Dressed for Success
Alumnae have their
designs on Texas fine arts
Sarah Lankenau says she grew up keeping to herself for
the most part. But she found it took just a little drama in
her life to bring her confidence center stage. Now she’s
connected to Hollywood stars the likes of Keanu Reeves
and Winona Ryder.
From her introspective childhood where she
concentrated on reading, drawing, and painting to her
silver screen leap, Lankenau’s self-awareness
blossomed beginning in eighth
grade. On a whim, Lankenau,
B.A. ’99, decided to try
something new by signing up
for a theatre opportunity. “And
while it certainly was fun,”
Lankenau says, “I also began to
discover I had a voice and
something to say.”
Sarah Lankenau
The greatest visibility for her
talents to date will be through her costume contributions
on A Scanner Darkly, a science fiction and animationbased movie to be released this summer that will star
Reeves, Rider, Woody Harrelson, and Robert
Downey Jr. The book-based feature is set
in suburban Orange County, Calif., in a
future where America has lost the war on
drugs. When one reluctant undercover
cop is ordered to start spying on his
friends, he is launched on a paranoid
journey into the absurd, where identities
and loyalties are impossible to decode.
She says she has a favorable opinion
having worked on the set, observing the
actors and learning the various
responsibilities of the film crew. “I
certainly wouldn’t turn down film work,
but I don’t see myself pursuing it long term,” Lankenau
says. “It is an intense and draining process, although I
have to say that I look forward to seeing my name up on
the big screen.”
Since graduating from IPFW, Lankenau has been
working for various-sized nonprofit and professional
One university.
Two great names.
IPFW Alumni is published six times
per year by the Office of University
Relations and Communications at
Indiana University–Purdue University
Fort Wayne, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.,
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499.
260-481-6807
www.ipfw.edu/alumni
Irene Walters, Executive Director,
University Relations and
Communications
Jennifer R. Bosk, Editor,
Director of Alumni Relations
Produced by IPFW Publications
Sarah Lankenau, B.A. ’99, is an award-winning costume designer
and is now the costume shop manager at the Zachary Scott
Theatre Center in Austin, Texas (Archival photo courtesy of Nichols
& Company Inc.). At left, an example of Lankenau’s numerous
sketches before her costumes take to the stage.
theatre groups in numerous cities, earning notoriety
along the way.
She recently designed costumes for Keepin’ It Weird, a
three-act play that celebrates the unique character of
Austin, Texas, where more than 200 locals were
surveyed to determine which qualities gave their city the
dubious title of being “weird.” “I designed and created
114 costumes for the characters,” she says, “including a
Success, Continued on page 5
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