From The President’s Desk
Moravian Greyhound family and friends,
Some things you don’t fully understand until you live them.
I attended Moravian as a student. I sat in those classrooms, walked that campus, and came away shaped by faculty who genuinely cared—people who treated education as transformative rather than transactional. I knew Moravian was a great institution. What I didn’t know was how it would feel to watch my own children discover that for themselves.
All three of them have. My daughter Eliza graduated in 2022 with a degree in neuroscience and is now a physician assistant. My son, Hal, crossed the stage this spring with majors in history and Japanese, and minors in Spanish and business. And my youngest, Philippa, is currently in our nursing program.
Each of them found their own path, wrote their own verse—and each of them, I proudly say, surpassed their father academically.
There is a particular joy in this that is hard to put into words. You don’t hope your children will follow you somewhere. You hope they’ll find places that shape them the way the best places shaped you. When those turn out to be the same place, it means something very special.
That’s the Moravian story. It isn’t just a story about an institution—it’s a story about generations. About families who return because Moravian delivers on its promise, decade after decade, since 1742. About students who arrive and leave as something more: more capable, more curious, more connected to the world around them.
This issue of the magazine beautifully captures that theme—from the Driscoll family legacy embodied in Lily ’29 to Ryan Burke ’26 and his siblings, to Nicole Loyd’s powerful reflection on what it means to lead the next generation of Greyhounds.
I hope this issue reminds you, as it reminds me, why we’re all so proud to call this place our alma mater, or nourishing mother.
Sincerely,
President Bryon L. Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26, P’29
From The Editor
This issue was inspired by the Hounds for whom attending Moravian University has become a cherished family tradition spanning generations.
In my short time here, I’ve learned just how deeply those traditions run. Many new students arrive with a direct family connection to Moravian—as the children of proud alumni or as younger siblings eager to follow in a brother’s or sister’s footsteps. This year’s graduating class even included a set of triplets who, as far as I can tell, are the second set of triplets to graduate from Moravian.
I was moved by the story of alumni Jennifer Kunes Driscoll ’05, G’11 and Justin P. Driscoll ’05, whose daughter, Lilian Hope Driscoll ’29, was born very prematurely. The Driscolls founded Lily’s Hope Foundation to support families facing similar challenges. After completing her first year at Moravian, Lily recently joined her family for a conversation with writer Linda Harbrecht about the foundation’s growth over the past 13 years. Lily and Jen also took part in a Q&A reflecting on their shared, yet distinct, Moravian experiences.
Another feature in this issue highlights a remarkable story of continuity and connection: an inspirational letter and cross medallion passed down over more than two decades by David Schattschneider, former dean of Moravian’s School of Theology. When Christian Rice, the school’s newest dean, arrived at Moravian last fall, he was surprised and delighted to discover these mementos. The message Schattschneider shared continues to resonate today, just as powerfully as it did when it was written in 2001.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer, and as always, I welcome your ideas and comments via email at tatuc@moravian.edu or by mail at Colonial Hall, 1200 Main St., Bethlehem, PA 18018.
Sincerely,
Christina Tatu, Editor
Features
What began as a humble effort to help local families in need, Lily’s Hope has evolved into a national organization that touches thousands of lives.
A Q&A with Jen Kunes Driscoll ’05, G’11 and Lily Driscoll ’29
Jen and Lily answer questions about their respective time as students of Moravian University.
Greetings from the Former Dean
A 25-year-old letter offers words of wisdom, and a pewter cross medallion is a symbol of Moravian University School of Theology traditions passed down through the generations.
View Finder
This year’s Intercultural Graduation on May 8 in Foy Hall saw the largest participating class in the ceremony’s 11-year history, and for the first time included a set of triplets. Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
The HUB
News & Notes
A recap of all things newsworthy and noteworthy around campus.
Community
Faculty Focus
Yvette McCoy brings more than three decades of experience in adult neurological rehabilitation to her role as an assistant professor of speech-language pathology and supervisor of Moravian University’s pro bono speech clinic.
Student Spotlight
Graduating senior Ryan Burke ’26 completed his siblings’ Moravian legacy by leading his fraternity to top national rankings.
Brilliance
Creators
Some photographers specialize in landscapes; others, portraits; and still others, street scenes. Javier Griffey ’23 photographs questions.
Thinkpiece
The “new generation,” Gen Z, is often misunderstood. In the media, they are sometimes painted with a brush of fragility. But from my view, I see something entirely different. I see a generation that is perhaps the most resilient and self-aware in our institution’s 284-year history.
In Memoriam
There are people who work at a place, and there are people who become a place. Mary Beth Spirk was the latter. For 45 years, she was Moravian—its heartbeat, its backbone, its most enduring expression of what it means to lead with love.
Class Notes
1969
Paul H. Stein lives in Rancho Mirage, California, a suburb of Palm Springs. Since 2003, he has sung with two all-male choruses of 100 to 150 singers. From age 33 to 50, he was a long-distance runner and completed nine marathons in New York City, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.
2005
Todd James was recently appointed chief financial officer of Bambusa Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotechnology company. The company is developing next-generation bispecific antibodies for immunology applications and the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
2013
Julianna B. Rodrigues was this year’s recipient of the Health Sciences Champion Award from Moravian University’s Public Health and Health Sciences Department. The award recognizes service by individuals, groups, or agencies that significantly advance the mission of Moravian’s health sciences program and the healthcare field.
Reaching a historic fundraising milestone is a moment of celebration for any institution, but for Moravian University and Theological Seminary, crossing the finish line of Lighting the Way: The Campaign for Moravian University is something far more profound.
Flip-book Versions
Summer 2026
Foundation of Hope
- A Life of Its Own
- A Q&A with Jen Kunes Driscoll ’05, G’11 and Lily Driscoll ’29
- Greetings from the Former Dean
Community HUB
- Inside Moravian’s Reimagined HUB
- Providing What’s Essential
- Democracy in Life and Death
Formula for Success
- Taressa Diaz’11, G’16 is a Leader at the Coca-Cola Company
- Designed with Your Future in Mind
- Eight Badges Elevate the Moravian Experience
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