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The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne

Chris Sweeney (MSJ08)

“The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne” tells the fascinating and remarkable true story of the world’s first forensic ornithologist— Roxie Laybourne, who helped solve murders, investigate airplane crashes, and break up international poaching rings using nothing more than a microscope and a few fragments of feathers. Award-winning journalist Chris Sweeney takes readers deep within the vaunted backrooms of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to tell the story of this burgeoning science and the enigmatic woman who pioneered it.

Once divorced, once widowed, and sometimes surly, Roxie shattered stereotypes and pushed boundaries. Her story is one of persistence and grit, obsession and ingenuity. Drawing on reams of archival material, court documents, and exclusive interviews, Sweeney delivers a moving and amusing portrait of a woman who overcame cultural and scientific obstacles at every turn, forever changing our understanding of birds—and the feathers they leave behind. NPR selected it as one of its most anticipated books of summer, while Publishers Weekly described it as entrancing.

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Books

A Life of the Party

Dave Schechter (MSJ78)

“A Life of the Party” is a work of historical fiction about a Jewish woman who devoted four-plus decades of her life (1920s-50s) to the struggles of working men and women, as a member of the Communist Party. Amy Schechter’s adventures took her twice to Russia and across the United States, from strife in coal fields and textile mills, to docks and shipyards. Her name appeared in newspaper headlines during a textile strike in North Carolina and she chronicled labor issues for Communist Party and other sympathetic publications.

An FBI informant labeled Amy “a regular ten-minute egg” (as in hard-boiled). The New York Times called her “one of the most ardent among the New York radicals.” A Jewish columnist wrote that she was “one of the few genuinely idealistic Communists; she lives up to her ideals in her private life, sharing what she has with others less fortunate.”

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Books

The Perfect Stranger

Brian Pinkerton (MSJ90)

Everyone loves Alison, the new remote employee at a major energy company. She’s a rising star in the virtual workspace, displaying incredible intelligence and efficiency with digital technology. But Linda, her manager, has growing suspicions that Alison is not the person she claims to be. As Linda probes Alison’s background, Alison fights back through cyber-attacks, ravaging Linda’s work, her family and her safety. Linda must uncover the truth to save herself and discovers Alison’s past history is a lie – in fact, she has none. Is it possible Alison isn’t human at all?

The Perfect Stranger is a science-fiction thriller based on today’s headlines about artificial intelligence, cyberattacks and deepfakes.

Booklist, the magazine of the American Library Association, called The Perfect Stranger “terrifyingly realistic… a fast-paced, near-future, AI-horror nightmare that will chill readers to the core.”

To create a compelling and authentic backdrop, Pinkerton leveraged his experiences in corporate America witnessing the evolution of the virtual workplace and influence of artificial intelligence.

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A German Jew’s Triumph: Fritz Oppenheimer and the Denazification of Germany

Cindy Handler (BSJ79)

When Prussian soldier Fritz Oppenheimer left the WWI battlefield with two Iron Crosses, he could never have imagined that the pinnacle of his military career would come 27 years later – as U.S. General Eisenhower’s legal aide at the Nazi surrender in Berlin, taking top Nazi leaders into captivity and interrogating Wilhelm Keitel, head of the Wehrmacht.

At a time when authoritarian movements worldwide once again threaten to gain traction, “A German Jew’s Triumph: Fritz Oppenheimer and the Denazification of Germany” is an untold David-and-Goliath story that reminds us how even in the darkest times, one individual’s efforts can help change the course of history and forge a more hopeful future.

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Books

The Last Ferry Out

Andrea Bartz (BSJ08, MSJ08)

When Abby sets foot on Isla Colel, she isn’t sure what—if anything—she’ll find. She only knows that she needs to see the place where her fiancée, Eszter, died to try and make sense of the tragic accident.

The island is nothing like Abby expected: Though it was once a bustling tourist hub, a hurricane has left it a shell of its former self. There, Abby befriends an alluring group of expats, but her sense of unease surges when one of them says he knows the truth about Eszter’s final days. Before he can tell her more, though, he vanishes from the island. Hours turn to days with no sign of him, and the others are chillingly cavalier about his disappearance.

As her quest for the truth unearths dark secrets, shady pasts, and a web of lies, Abby grows more determined than ever to find out what happened to the love of her life. And the deeper she gets in the close-knit expat community, the more she suspects that one of them is Eszter’s killer—and will do anything to keep the truth buried. But will Abby discover who it is before she becomes the island’s next victim?

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Books

A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection

Nolan Zavoral (MSJ69)

In “A Season on the Mat (Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection),” the author takes the reader through the last season that the legendary Gable coached the University of Iowa wrestling team. One of the most successful coaches of any sport in NCAA history, Gable battled physical pain and emotional trauma en route to the climax of his remarkable career.

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1980s Featured Legacies Featured Legacies Home Legacies Uncategorized

Madeline Halpern (MSJ86)

Madeline J. Halpern, née Jackolin, passed away peacefully at home on May 8, 2025. She was 79. Beloved wife of the late Richard C. Halpern, loving mother of Rebecca (Hal Rudnick), stepmother of Susan Winstead and Daniel (Mary) Halpern, and “Mam” to grandchildren Eden, Megan and Nathaniel.

Madeline, or “Maddi”, was born in Chicago, IL, on August 11, 1945, the daughter of Arlene Eier Jackolin and Luigi Giuseppe Iacolin (Louis Joseph Jackolin), a brick mason who immigrated from the town of San Leonardo in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. She was a devoted sister of Joyce June Keith, and Louis (Judy), Bill (Janet) and Robert Jackolin, and aunt and cousin to many.

A graduate of Harrison High School, Maddi was a lifelong learner who earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, which she parlayed into a successful career as a food journalist. In 1987, she developed, produced and starred in “All About Food” for Cablevision, the first food-related magazine show of its kind that later became the format of so many of the cooking shows we see on television today. She was also a regular columnist for several Chicago-area publications, including Today’s Chicago Woman, The Pioneer Press and Fra Noi.

Maddi and Richard, her soulmate of 44 years, were partners in the truest sense of the word. Maddi was instrumental in helping grow Richard’s career as a master builder who oversaw the construction of more than 200 Chicago-area landmarks and buildings around the world, including the Willis Tower, Navy Pier, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Harold Washington Library. A former member of the Women’s Board of the Goodman Theatre and Ravinia Festival, and a Governing Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Maddi and Richard also endowed the M.J. Halpern Scholarship Fund for Medill at Northwestern, and established the Architectural Engineering & Design Certificate Program and the Richard C. Halpern/RISE International Distinguished Architect in Residence at the McCormick School of Engineering. Maddi was a longtime member of the Chicago Botanic Garden, and she loved tending to her herb, vegetable and cut flower beds at the home that she and Richard built with Architect Tom Beeby in 2005.

A guiding light to all who were inspired by her, Maddi’s life was a masterclass in living, and dying, well. Her family is forever grateful to the many caregivers and cherished friends who helped maintain her charm, elegance and dignity to the very end.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/wilmette-il/madeline-halpern-12369249

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1950s Legacies

Joan Kelday (MSJ55)

Joan Marie Kelday peacefully of natural causes on March 30, 2025, in Seattle, WA. Joan lived a life filled with adventure. She was born May 10, 1931, in Chicago, IL, and during her childhood, moved with her family to Germany, England and the US, before settling in Hamilton, Ontario. Joan’s passion for language and literature led her to the University of Toronto, where she received her BA, and next to Northwestern University, where she received her master’s.

Joan’s career started as a general reporter before taking roles in public relations and research. She later joined the University of Washington School of Medicine in the Office of the Dean. The highlight of her time there was as the Assistant Director of the WWAMI Area Health Education Program, to improve the supply and distribution of health care in rural areas.

She was honoured with a biographical sketch in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the West (17th and 18th editions). Many happy summers were spent cottaging in Gananoque and Southampton, surrounded by family. Joan was a passionate traveller and had a love for exploring the world, including Russia, Kenya, Northern India, Iran, Turkey, Peru and Mexico. Her interest in genealogy and family history led her to North Ronaldsay in the Orkney Islands and Cork, Ireland.

Closer to home, she was deeply involved in her community, volunteering with the Seattle Japanese Garden, the Ravenna Springs Community Council, and serving on the board of Ravenna House a number of times over the years. Joan welcomed many friends and family members to her home and provided expert tours of the city. Joan will be dearly missed by her siblings, Eric (Marilyn) and Lois (James); her nieces and nephews, Colin (Luisa), Scott (Lori), Heather, Tracy (Matt) and Ryan (Rebecca), and their families.

She was predeceased by her parents, Roy and Marie Kelday; and siblings, Roy and Mary.

https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/joan-kelday-obituary?id=58127053

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1950s Featured Legacies Legacies

Carol Ruzic (BSJ50)

Carol W. Ruzic died on Jan. 25, 2025, at age 96 after hitting her head in a fall a few weeks earlier. She was active until the end, curating the Beverly Shores Depot Museum, feeding raccoons and spending time with a huge number of friends and family.

Carol was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 19, 1928. Her father, Albert Kalsbeek, was an immigrant from Holland and her mother, Ida Grassmader, an immigrant from Germany.

Carol lived the American dream. She graduated from Northwestern with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and later got a master’s in education. In 1950, Carol and her husband, Neil Ruzic (who died in 2004) moved to Beverly Shores, Indiana, where she taught first and second grade. At one point, Carol was the president of the Town Board and had the distinction of being the longest-abiding resident of the town she loved so much.

In her later years, she worked tirelessly to save the Beverly Shores train station, helping turn it into a museum, gallery and gift shop where she created almost all of the exhibits.

Carol is survived by her son, David Ruzic (Marilyn); and grandsons, Ryan Ruzic (Eileen) and Brandon Ruzic (Maria); step-grandchildren, Gavin Hyde (Jackie), Stacia Carlson (Justin) and Shelby Cain; and seven great-grandchildren, as well as the many people in Beverly Shores who also called her Mom.

She was so great of an animal lover that she even had a Cat-Crossing sign made and installed in front of her house on the lake front. She will be so missed by many – including the raccoons! (They are being relocated to a sanctuary in Ohio).

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/lpheralddispatch/name/carol-ruzic-obituary?id=57427039

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Christian Grönroos is the recipient of the 2025 Don Schultz Award

Christian Grönroos is the recipient of the 2025 Don Schultz award for Innovation in Teaching, Theory and Practice of Integrated Marketing Communications.

Grönroos is a pioneering scholar in the field of marketing. He has developed an area of marketing scholarship known as service-dominant logic that closely parallels the approach of integrated marketing communications in prioritizing customer service and customer experience.

His articles are some of the most cited papers on IMC, and have advanced IMC thinking substantially.

“We are delighted to recognize Christian’s groundbreaking contributions to the marketing field,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “He is among the very best scholars in marketing in Europe, and thus, a worthy recipient of the Don Schultz Award which honors innovation.”

Grönroos is professor emeritus of service and relationship marketing at Hanken School of Economics, Finland. Besides his interest in service marketing and related areas, such as relationship marketing, service quality, and internal marketing, he has worked on new strategies for marketing and marketing communication.

In the context of marketing communication, he has particularly emphasized the role and power of customers. He has also advocated that integrated marketing communication must adhere to the numerous means of communication to become effective and not remain within a conventional range of communication channels.

He has published several books, translated to eight languages, and published extensively in scientific journals such as the Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, European Journal of Marketing, Australasian Journal of Marketing, Marketing Theory, Journal of Industrial & Business Marketing, Management Decision, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Management, and Journal of Service Theory and Practice, and in several other popular journals.

In 1999, he received American Marketing Association’s Servsig Career Award for his contribution to the service field and in 2013 he was elected Legend in Marketing by the Sheth Foundation.

Medill’s Schultz award is named for long-time Medill Professor Don Schultz who played a pivotal role in creating the field of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and establishing the IMC department at Medill in the early 1990s. Medill was the first school to offer a graduate degree in Integrated Marketing Communications in the United States. Schultz is regarded internationally as the “father of IMC.” He died in 2020.

Grönroos will give a presentation to Medill faculty this spring and accept his award.