Spring 2025 Issue:

Spring 2025

Lights, Camera,
Passion!

Alums make it big in the entertainment biz.

Plus, 50 years of dance at Moravian

Spring 2025

Lights, Camera, Passion!

Alums make it big in the
entertainment biz.

Plus, 50 years of dance at Moravian

Content

Features

The Accidental Executive Producer
Gretchen Morning ’92 didn’t plan on showrunning some of the biggest hits on the Discovery Channel. She didn’t plan on anything, in fact, and that’s made all the difference in her world.

Inspired Movement
Moravian University celebrates a half century of dance.

A Blush with Greatness
Makeup artist Amy Zdunowski-Roeder ’96 fine-tunes some of the world’s most iconic faces.

From The President’s Desk

Spring 2025

Moravian Greyhound family and friends,
It is always my pleasure to share the remarkable growth and success Moravian University has experienced over the past decade. Our enrollment has soared from 2,096 in 2013 to 2,967 in 2023, making Moravian the fastest-growing university in the region. This growth is a testament to our unwavering commitment to preparing students for successful careers in vital industries such as nursing, health sciences, business, education, technology, and the arts.

This issue of the Moravian University Magazine celebrates alumni who have made significant contributions to the performing arts. This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of dance at Moravian. What began as a component of physical education has blossomed into a vibrant minor, with a dedicated dance studio on our South Campus made possible by generous alumni, whose contributions provided state-of-the-art facilities.

We are incredibly proud of those alumni who have excelled in the arts. Gretchen Morning ’92 is an executive producer at Warner Bros. Discovery, overseeing all aspects of production of many network series. Her leadership and creativity shine as a beacon of what Moravian graduates can achieve.

Amy Zdunowski-Roeder ’96 is a celebrated celebrity makeup artist who has worked with some of the biggest names from the runway and red carpet to stage and screen. Her expertise and artistry exemplify the diverse career paths our graduates pursue.

One of my dear friends, Brian Dailey ’90, is the senior vice president of International Media at Paramount Pictures. He credits his success in the film industry to the strong foundation he built at Moravian. His journey stands as an inspiring testament to the transformative power of a Moravian education.

We remain committed to nurturing our students’ talents and ambitions as we grow and evolve. Thank you for being a part of our vibrant community.

Warm regards,

President Bryon L. Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26

Spring 2025

Features

Spring 2025

The Accidental Executive Producer

Gretchen Morning ’92 didn’t plan on showrunning some of the biggest hits on the Discovery Channel. She didn’t plan on anything, in fact, and that’s made all the difference in her world..

Spring 2025

Inspired Movement

Moravian University celebrates a half century of dance.

Spring 2025

A Blush with Greatness

Makeup artist Amy Zdunowski-Roeder ’96 fine-tunes some of the world’s most iconic faces.

View Finder

Photographer Nick Chismar ’20 captured a Moravian University student offering assistance in a classroom at Bethlehem’s Thomas Jefferson Elementary School during Heritage Day 2024, Moravian’s celebration of volunteerism.

Why I Play

“I am fearless when I’ve got my guys around me. It’s a sort of uplifting spirit to know that the guy next to me—I can trust him—blood, sweat, and tears.”

—Jeremiah Espinosa ’25

Why I Play

Spring 2025

“I am fearless when I’ve got my guys around me. It’s a sort of uplifting spirit to know that the guy next to me—I can trust him—blood, sweat, and tears.”

—Jeremiah Espinosa ’25

Community

Spring 2025

An Alum Reflects

Around the World in Seven Years

Tom Turcich ’11 reflects on his journey across six continents and shares an excerpt from his new book.

Spring 2025

Moravian Moment

The Father of Education

John Amos Comenius’s philosopy continues to serve as the foundation of a Moravian University education.

Spring 2025

Faculty Focus

Kin Cheung

The associate professor of religion shares his experience as a fellow in the National Committee on United States–China Relations Public Intellectuals Program (PIP).

Spring 2025

Student Spotlight

Music and Cutting-Edge Cancer Research

Biology and music composition double major Hailey Belverio ’25 pursues dual passions on her way to becoming an MD/PhD.

Spring 2025

Ask an Alum

Who was your favorite professor and why?

Moravian University faculty are beloved, as evidenced by the many responses we received to this prompt.

Ask an Alum

Spring 2025

Who was your favorite professor and why?

Moravian University faculty are beloved, as evidenced by the many responses we received to this prompt.

Brilliance

Spring 2025

Creators

Two students preserve the legacy of the Hollywood Saxophone Quartet.

Spring 2025

Thinkpiece

Shaping the future of learning

Bookshelf

Womb Work: Healing Narratives as Reparative Praxis in Black Women’s Literature
By Belinda Waller-Peterson, associate professor of English and associate dean for equity and inclusion

Stone Creek
A novel by Kate Brandes, professor of practice for environmental studies and sciences

Gloria Guardia (Panama): Critical Approaches (Essential Central American Writers Series, Volume 3)
By Nilsa Lasso-von Lang, associate professor of Spanish and assistant director of multicultural enrollment

Hounds of Moravian

Get to Know
Savannah

Tom Turcich ’11 adopted Savannah, a mixed breed, in Austin, Texas, after she was found with her sister on the side of a highway. Savannah joined Turcich on the World Walk, journeying 25,000 miles over six continents.

Hounds of Moravian

Get to Know
Savannah

Spring 2025

Tom Turcich ’11 adopted Savannah, a mixed breed, in Austin, Texas, after she was found with her sister on the side of a highway. Savannah joined Turcich on the World Walk, journeying 25,000 miles over six continents.

Alumni

Spring 2025

Alumni

Jesse McHugh ’14 has overseen the publication of more than 600 books, including The World Walk by fellow alum Tom Turcich ’11.

Spring 2025

Alumni

Sara Kaskowitz ’14, a resident physician and fellow with Atlantic Sports Health System, is a member of the team of physicians that serve the New York Jets.

Spring 2025

IN MEMORIAM

President Grigsby and First Lady Lea Grigsby share their farewell to beloved greyhound and university mascot Mo.

Class Notes

1957

Roland Passaro married his high school sweetheart, Elaine Hall. Both are 88. They reconnected at their high school’s 50th class reunion. You can read their story in People magazine.

1982

Susan Kressly is currently serving as president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics and will assume the presidency in January of 2025.

2018

Bryan P. Cleary has joined the law firm Goodell DeVries as an associate
in the firm’s Medical Malpractice Practice Group.

Spring 2025
Spring 2025

The journey of first-generation student Donald G. Musselman ’68 at Moravian

Spring 2025

Honnie Spencer, MD ’90 attended Moravian on scholarship and knows that the kindness she received changed her life.

Get to Know Our Lighting the Way Subcommittee Chairs

Mrs. Evelyn Trodahl Chynoweth ’68
Chair
Comenius Society Subcommittee

Flip-book Versions

Spring 2025

Fall 2024

The Future of Education

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Black and Latino College Readiness 
  • Teachers as Transformational Leaders
Spring 2025

Summer 2024

DIGITAL ONLY

The great outdoors

  • Nature’s healing powers
  • A photo essay: Close-ups of Moravian’s natural wonders
Spring 2025

Spring 2024

Working for the earth

  • Cutting greenhouse gases
  • Protecting coastlines
  • Preserving biodiversity
Spring 2025

Fall 2023

The Food Issue

  • Heat up your cooking skills
  • Follow our food trail
  • Try these wines, ciders, and beers

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