From The President’s Desk
Moravian Greyhound family and friends,
This year, our nation turned 250. Moravian University turned 284. We were writing American history before there was an America to write about.
In 1742, Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf founded a boarding school for young women in Bethlehem, the first of its kind in the colonies. We were also the first to teach Native Americans in their own language. When the Revolution came, our campus became part of it: The Single Brethren’s House was converted into a hospital for wounded Continental soldiers, and its halls hosted General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. That ground is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Moravian is only the second university in the country, and the eighth in the world, to hold that distinction.
I share this not out of nostalgia, but because it explains who we still are. Moravian has never been a school that just watches history happen. We help write it.
That’s as true today as it was in 1776. This fall, we launched new programs in aviation management and professional piloting, undergraduate social work, substance use counseling, artificial intelligence in business, and a new research doctorate in health sciences. Each one answers a real need in the world our graduates are entering, the same instinct that led Zinzendorf to open a school for women nearly 300 years ago.
You’ll read more of that story in these pages: an alum now leading the National Constitution Center as the nation marks this milestone, another whose songs carried the sound of a Bethlehem coffeehouse to stages across the country, and members of our university community working to save Moravian-era homesteads in New Jersey for the next generation to learn from.
Our story is far from finished. Thank you for continuing to write it with us.
Sincerely,
President Bryon L. Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26, P’29
From The Editor
When I joined Moravian University last year, I learned about the Moravians’ foundational role in our nation’s history—a story that continues to evolve.
Last spring, I attended a talk at the Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth by historian Scott Paul Gordon about Bethlehem’s Moravians during the American Revolution (see page 4). The upheaval of war transformed a peaceful community into a town suddenly overrun with convalescent soldiers and outsiders who challenged the Moravians’ way of life.
And yet, the Moravians endured. Their resilience ensured that the community—and the school that would eventually become Moravian University—continued to grow and adapt. That spirit of perseverance and their cultural contributions inspired this issue of Moravian University Magazine. In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, we highlight exceptional alumni, dedicated students, and community leaders who continue to build, preserve, and reimagine the American story.
Explore the intercultural contributions of Professor Natessa Amin and Caterina Filangeri ’27 to Radical Americana, a Philadelphia-based creative initiative celebrating the 250th.
You’ll also hear from Vince Stango ’99, the interim president and CEO of Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, which recently unveiled two new—and timely—permanent exhibits: America’s Founding and Governing the Nation. Stango built a nearly 30-year career at this institution that explores our nation’s principles.
Learn about nationally renowned folk singer John Gorka ’80, who got his first taste of performing on the stages of Moravian University’s coffeehouse and Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem with the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, founded by Gorka and his fellow classmates.
You’ll also read about Robert May ’74, P’02, GP’22, and Pete Peterson P’19, who are among the volunteers preserving New Jersey’s largest Moravian-era village, featuring even more 18th-century buildings than Bethlehem.
I hope you learn something new and exciting about the Moravian story. I welcome your ideas and comments at tatuc@moravian.edu or by regular mail at Colonial Hall, 1200 Main St., Bethlehem, PA 18018.
Sincerely,
Christina Tatu, Editor
Features
The Man Behind Philadelphia’s Constitutional Landmark
Vince Stango ’99 was named interim president and CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia this year, a journey he says began with a connection made at Moravian University.
Preserving Hope: A Grassroots Effort to Save a Moravian Village
Robert May ’74, P’02, GP’22 and Pete Peterson P’19 are among the dedicated volunteers helping to preserve New Jersey’s largest Moravian-era village.
Out of the Valley and Back Again
Folk singer-songwriter John Gorka ’80 found his voice at Moravian University and Godfrey Daniels, launching a renowned career that’s taken him around the world.
View Finder
Technicians (from left) Luke Lee and Robert Horton of Brunner & Associates tune an organ built by David Tannenberg, 18th-century America’s foremost organ builder. Installed in Bethlehem’s Single Brethren’s House in 1776, the organ is now housed by the Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth and is one of nine Tannenberg organs remaining in the country. Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
The HUB
News & Notes
Moravian history is, in many ways, early American history. Even before the American Revolution (1765–1789), the Moravians were shaping the nation’s future. In 1742, Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf founded a boarding school for young women that would eventually become Moravian University. The following highlights offer a glimpse into the Moravians’ remarkable contributions to early America.
Greyhound Sports
From Assistant Coach to Athletic Director
Rebecca M. May is the next leader of Moravian University’s athletics department after being named director of Athletics and Recreation this past spring.
News & Notes
Welcome to a Record-Breaking Class
President Bryon Grigsby Among Pennsylvania’s Most Influential Leaders
James Scifers Takes Helm as Moravian University Provost
Jen Norton Named Executive Director for Emerging Technologies
Moravian Professor Awarded Visual Artist of the Year
Community
An Alum Reflects
In 2024 Trina Holmberg S’09 and her husband, Ken Holmberg, took a leap of faith. They sold everything and moved from Alberta, Canada, to Nepal.
Moravian Moment
A Home for Moravian’s Seminary
Paul G. Bahnson 1919 saw a need at his alma mater. In the mid-1950s, Moravian College was thriving, but the theological seminary seemed left behind, never having a campus space officially designated for its growing body of seminarians.
Faculty Focus
A Conversation with Richard Anderson
An assistant professor of history, Richard Anderson helps students move beyond textbooks and academic papers to discover how history can be shared with broader audiences.
Student Spotlight
Ellie Umstead ’28 has always considered herself captivated by history. The history/political science major recalls that even as a young child, she had teachers who made history come alive through stories about ancient cultures, dramatic conflicts, and heroic leaders.
Brilliance
Creators
As part of a Philadelphia-based creative initiative celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary, Natessa Amin, associate professor of art, created work exploring migration.
Thinkpiece
The landscape of higher education has shifted significantly. The long-anticipated “enrollment cliff,” a decline in the number of traditional college-age students as a result of falling birth rates, is no longer a projection; it’s a reality.
Bookshelf
The Great Tree of Iris
By Jess Skultety, Moravian University student experience mentor
This romantic fantasy novel follows seven unlikely companions, including dragons, elves, and other mythical creatures, as they race to find pieces of a prophecy to prevent the destruction of the Great Tree of Iris. The tale blends fantasy with action and adventure.
Gone Before You Knew Me
By Renate (Muller) Wildermuth ’91
A young-adult spy thriller about a high school senior, Talya, who, after losing her parents and her memory, believes a new student named Axel is a spy. The book uses a “redacted confessions” format to explore themes of survival, identity, and the pressures of high school.
On the Foundational Principles of Rehabilitation Psychology: Origins, Understanding, and Applications
By Dana S. Dunn, professor of psychology and director of academic assessment
Published in 2025, this book codifies and applies the core principles of rehabilitation psychology, viewing disability as a form of diversity. It explains the history, theory, and practical use of these principles and emphasizes resilience, identity, and intersectionality to foster well-being.
Alumni
Alumni Stories
After raising more than $190,000, former Beta Lambda Chi brothers are creating a legacy space in the Haupert Union Building that will bear the fraternity’s name and serve current and future Moravian students.
Alumni Stories
Last spring, Julianna Rodrigues ’13 became the first recipient of Moravian’s Health Sciences Champion Award, recognizing her outstanding leadership and commitment to preparing students for careers in health sciences. This past summer Rodrigues was one of 28 commonwealth residents appointed to the new Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities.
Class Notes
1968
Ginger Stage is blessed with five grandchildren, a wonderful church, and a wonderful neighborhood. She still does occasional speaking engagements and enjoys travel and her German shepherd.
1978
Judith A. Colt taught music for 10 years in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and then received a master’s degree in special education. She taught in the Council Rock School District for 20 years before becoming a special education supervisor for 10 years. She also taught in the master’s program at Delaware Valley University for 12 years.
2013
Kyle R. Stackhouse was selected for the US Navy’s Chief Petty Officer Class 133 on July 10. His pinning ceremony was held on September 12. At the time of the pinning, Stackhouse was expected to earn the title of chief petty officer as a gunner’s mate. He was previously honored as Navy Cargo Handling Battalion Eight’s Sailor of the Year for Fiscal Year 2025.
Past and present presidents of Moravian University’s Alumni Association reflect on the generosity, pride, and shared commitment that helped the Lighting the Way campaign achieve more than $100 million for students.
Flip-book Versions
America’s Story. Moravian’s Chapter.
- The Man Behind Philadelphia’s Constitutional Landmark
- Preserving Hope: A Grassroots Effort to Save a Moravian Village
- Out of the Valley and Back Again
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
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