For the first time in more than 40 years, North Central’s men’s track and field program will experience a coaching change, as longtime associate head coach Frank Gramarosso has been promoted to the position of head coach, effective Aug. 2.

Al Carius, who has guided the program since 1966, will continue to serve as the College’s head coach for men’s cross country and will coach the Cardinals’ distance runners during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.

“This is a reorganization that will enable us to sustain the growth and success of our programs and better support the individual areas of the program,” Carius said. “The management of a track and field program requires an extraordinary amount of focus on a lot of different details and no one manages those details better than Frank. He is also a phenomenal coach and there are not many areas of our program that he hasn’t helped build up in some way.

“I am as passionate about track and field as I have ever been, and I want us to win, and I think we’re in the best position we’ve ever been in to continue as a nationally recognized power in track and field for many years to come.”

The decision comes on the heels of a 2009-2010 season which saw North Central become just the second NCAA Division III institution and the fourth in collegiate history to collect the men’s cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field national championships in the same academic year.

The trio of championships brings Carius’ career total to 20, 14 of which have occurred since Gramarosso joined the staff in 1983. North Central has claimed seven NCAA Division III national track and field championships (two indoor, five outdoor), including a sweep of the indoor and outdoor titles in 1989.

“When Frank came on board, he helped bring the balance to the success of the track team that we see today,” Carius said. “He is one of several coaches we have now who are specialists in their areas. Putting Frank in position to be the head coach for track and field allows me to return to my specialty and focus on the distance events.”

Gramarosso, who currently coaches North Central’s sprinters and relay squads in addition to serving as the day-to-day administrator for the cross country and track and field teams, has mentored 161 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin individual champions and 139 All-Americans. His 4×400-meter relay team placed first at the Division III Indoor Championships this season, winning the Cardinals’ first national title in the event. He has also coached middle-distance runners, pole vaulters, hurdlers and decathletes during his time at North Central. Gramarosso joined North Central’s faculty as an assistant professor in the health and physical education department in 1985 and was promoted to associate professor in 1996. He has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and a master’s degree in health education, both from Northwestern University.

“One of the hardest things about coaching in track and field is bringing the entire team together,” Gramarosso said. “We’ve been successful in several different areas, but we still want to work as a great team, because that’s the attitude that’s gotten us to where we are. It’s now my responsibility to take the lead in that process, and I’m honored that the administration trusts me to continue the success and growth of the program.

“After working with Al for 28 years, I know the philosophy will remain the same—‘We build winners in life.’ The characteristics that young men need to develop to be successful in track and field are the same characteristics needed to be successful in a career and as a citizen, spouse and parent.”

Stephen Maynard Caliendo, associate professor of political science, was named a recipient of the Emerging Voice Award from the Purdue University College of Liberal Arts Alumni Association. Each year, three alumni, ages 40 or younger, are honored with the award. It recognizes outstanding young alumni from the College of Liberal Arts who are rising stars in their industries or fields of study. Caliendo received his master’s and doctorate from Purdue and will be honored during a reception Sept. 24 at the university.

For the past six weeks, 37 students and 15 faculty have participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Colloquium (SURC) conducting research that spans many majors and topics. Students presented their research to the campus community July 21 in a poster format in Kroehler Science Center.

Nancy Peterson, professor of chemistry, noted research can be lonely and slow-going at times, so students and faculty involved in SURC meet weekly to collaborate and discuss their work. “Students meet in small groups and learn to explain and answer questions about their research to those who aren’t in their field and to researchers who are. And, at the end of the summer they get to present their posters to the campus. I know sometimes it can be a little frightening to put your work out there for scrutiny. But it’s great experience.”

Student researchers included Jiyoung Ahn, Christian Allen, Jessika Bajorski, Brandi Balensiefen, Monica Bienias, Mallory Blanchard, Matthew Borchardt, Marlon Brown, Caila Byrd, Jennifer Ciesiulka, Kirsten Coffman, Laura Constantine, Michael Curtis, Katelyn DeRosa, Samantha DeWerff, Andrew Dubois, Rosemary Forg, Christopher Halverson, Shanon Hankin, Erin Hinckley, Brett Hulett, Sadie Jacob, Alex Jaczak, Alexander Johnson, Kate Lueders, Megan Malone, Cody McCullough, Nathaniel Meno, Michael Oberling, Amy Olson, Emilio Saraga, Cassandra Schneider, Alexis Smith, Megan Smith, Jessica VandenBerg, John Willis and Victoria Winslow.

Faculty researchers included Jonathan Visick, Jeffrey Bjorklund, Karl Kelley, Rocky VanHorn, Nancy Peterson, Robert Moussetis, Paul Brandt, Paul Bloom, Christine Weihofer, Stephen Johnston, David Horner, Brian Hanlon, Jennifer Jackson, Stephen Maynard Caliendo and Thomas Sawyer.

Photo: Samantha DeWerff and Andrew Dubois discuss their poster, titled “Phenotypic analyses of the effects of YAK1 on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus in response to carbon and nitrogen sources,” with Jonathan Visick, associate professor of biology.

Ann Benjamin, assistant director of financial aid, was promoted to associate director of financial aid.

Megan Hoinkes, transfer admission counselor, was promoted to assistant director of transfer admission.

Amy Avery is the new director of academic support services.

Alex Knobloch ’10 was named the 2010 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Man of the Year. Recognized as the conference’s top male student-athlete, he was chosen through a voting process conducted by the CCIW Senior Woman Administrators and Faculty Athletics Representatives. There were five other nominees.

Knobloch, a biology major who graduated with a 4.0 GPA, was a member of the travel squad as an alternate for North Central’s national championship-winning cross country team this past season. He was a conference champion in the distance medley relay at the 2010 CCIW Indoor Track & Field Championships, while also placing third in the mile. He also earned all-conference recognition in the 1,500 and 5,000-meter runs at the CCIW Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

He was a CCIW Academic All-Conference member in each of his four seasons, and was a North Central College Scholar-Athlete award winner as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior, having obtained the highest GPA among all athletes in his respective class.

North Central student-athletes have claimed each of the three Man of the Year Awards that have been presented, with wrestler Adam Johnson ’08 earning the award in 2008 and another wrestler, Ben Youel ’09, winning last year. More

North Central finished 25th among all NCAA Division III athletics programs in the final Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup all-sports standings for the 2009-2010 academic year, released June 23 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

The College’s 25th-place finish is its third highest Directors’ Cup placing ever and is its highest since finishing 22nd in the final standings in 1998-99. North Central finished 30th last year. This year, the College ranks second among CCIW schools; Illinois Wesleyan University finished fifth overall. More

Photo: North Central’s three national championship trophies for the 2009-2010 academic year, including cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.

Director of Athletics Jim Miller received the Harold and Eva White First Citizen of the College Award during the College’s Commencement exercises June 12.

In presenting the award to Miller, President Harold R. Wilde said, “Jim has helped shape this institution in many important ways. … His energy and passion for North Central have helped inspire our recent successes in football, baseball and wrestling and our national championships in cross country and track and field. He’s a true enthusiast for his alma mater, for the 80-plus coaches who report to him and for every one of our 600 student-athletes.”

The criterion for this award is very simple: to be the best. The person must witness for the highest ethical standards; set a standard of performance, hard work, involvement and results; be highly respected by his or her peers; and have something extra—empathy, compassion, courage, generosity of spirit—that exemplifies North Central College at its best. More

Promotions:
Jared Bogan to area hall director and housing coordinator

Richard Ponx to assistant head football coach, defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, assistant director of the football strength program

Tatiana Sifri to director of counseling

Brad Spencer to assistant football coach, director of football recruiting, coordinator of the football academic program, assistant director of the football strength program

Jeffrey Thorne to assistant head football coach, offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, assistant director of the football strength program

New employees:
Lucinda Mroozian is the human resources information systems manager.

Stafford Davis IV joins the football program as an assistant coach and director of football strength program.

Ramona Wis, Mimi Rolland Professor in the Fine Arts and chair of North Central’s music department, is presenting her paper “Reframing Leadership” today at Northwestern University as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience (CSEME).

CSEME brings together music education faculty, doctoral students and center fellows to examine contemporary issues and foster collaborative research on music teaching and learning. Through her involvement with CSEME, Wis contributed to the book, “On the Nature of Musical Experience,” and her current paper is to be included in a book published by the CSEME commemorating its 25th Anniversary Conference.

Senior Nick Robinson, who played shortstop for the conference champion Cardinals this season, has been drafted by the Boston Red Sox, according to a report.

Robinson, the son of Red Sox Texas-area scout Jim Robinson, likely will sign with the organization and begin his career with the Lowell Spinners, SoxProspects.com reports.

Robinson batted .427 with 56 runs scored and set new North Central records for hits (76) and at-bats (178) this season, finishing among the Cardinals’ career top 10 in hits (199), at-bats (560), runs (123), total bases (245) and triples (7). He was a First-Team All-CCIW selection this season and was named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-Central Region Second Team.