Michael Placco has been to every one of the annual Macomb Nights at Jimmy John’s Field, during which the college’s president throws the first pitch and staff, students and alumni sit together to cheer on their favorite team.  For the Macomb history professor, however, baseball is more than a sport, it’s a connection to what used to be.

“I love the music of the sport, this American pastime, everything about it,” says Placco. “Baseball is a haunted game with all these great American stories about its players. Even (President) Lincoln allegedly played baseball!  It’s always been there for us.”

In Placco’s office at Center Campus, replicas of two old-time wooden baseball bats rest against his desk.  Lining the walls are framed images of historic figures, including a reproduction of the only know photograph of Andrew Jackson, the country’s president 1829 to 1837. Interspersed are pictures of baseball players with handlebar moustaches in vintage uniforms, mementos from Placco’s days as a student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a circa 1848  drawing of New York City, where he grew up in the borough of Queens.

“I was born, I think, with a predilection for history,” offers Placco, who joined Macomb’s faculty in 2000.  “My parents took me to Connecticut and Massachusetts to visit all the historical sites when I was a child. Later, I realized how many times you think about what used to be.  That’s something that we think about every day.”

Placco’s own family history is rich in cultural milestones. His great grandparents emigrated from Sicily, entering America through Ellis Island, the gateway for nearly 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954.  His great uncle, a WWII vet, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, which he visited over Memorial Day weekend while in Washington, D.C. to witness the (possibly last) Rolling Thunder motorcycle tribute to veterans.  His father served in the Vietnam War and his mother was in the audience when Jimi Hendrix performed the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock.  And, then, there is his distant aunt by marriage, Viola Liuzzo.

Liuzzo was a Detroit mother of five, Wayne State University student and a civil rights activist.  She drove to Selma, Alabama, in March 1965 to participate in a voting rights march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Five days after arriving, she was murdered by Ku Klux Klan members while driving other activists to the airport.  Liuzzo is the only known white woman to have died during the Civil Rights Movement, and Dr. King was among the mourners at her funeral in Detroit. Several books, documentaries and movies have chronicled her life, and tributes to her bravery can be found in Detroit and Selma.

“She believed it was everyone’s fight,” says Placco, who has given talks about his relative, as well as other historical topics, in several community lecture series, including Macomb’s SOAR program.   “She was ahead of her time.”

Placco and his parents moved from New York to Michigan while he was in high school and while other seniors were talking about going away to Central or Eastern, Placco looked farther afield.  He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Bowling Green, before a full-time teaching position brought him back to Michigan.

“This is my home now, and I’m happy to be here with such decent, generous people,” says Placco.  “I love going to baseball games, and I love being in N Building on Center Campus where I am able to share my passion for what used to be with my students.”

Judy Burke was mentored by award-winning novelist Elmore (Dutch) Leonard, is a founding member of Michigan Sisters in Crime (a mystery writers’ association), snuck into Cuba before the travel ban was lifted to see Hemingway’s hideaway and will be signing copies of her novel, Blackrock Island, 1-3 p.m. on May 11 at the Barnes and Noble bookstore on Hall Road.  It’s a writer’s life that she gladly shares with students in her classes at Macomb.

“In the seventh grade, I had a wonderful teacher who taught us how to read and write short stories,” relates Burke.  “From then on, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to be a writer.”

Burke earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education – English from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.  She has been teaching English and communications at Macomb since 1980, and also teaches most of the creative writing courses offered by the college’s continuing education department.

“When you teach, it inspires you to keep writing,” says Burke, “and the students here are wonderful.  I want them to be passionate about writing.”

At Macomb, Burke teaches classes on campus and online.  To keep her lectures lively, she uses some of the method acting techniques she learned at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.  “Method” also comes into play when she is researching a book project, which, in the case of Blackrock Island, took her to Ireland to get the setting right.

“I stayed for seven weeks and visited lighthouses,” says Burke, whose suspense thriller about the horseracing industry is set in County Mayo, where her father was from. Central to the plot is a lighthouse owned by a wealthy racehorse owner who may, or may not, be a villain in the story. “I love bad guys,” says Burke, but as she tells her creative writing students, the trick to their authenticity is “giving them a redeeming quality.”

Blackrock Island has been well received in Ireland, providing Burke with a great thrill: reading from it at the John B. Keane pub in the small Irish town of Listowel.  Named for the Irish playwright and novelist, Burke was invited there by Billy Keane, John Keane’s son and the pub’s well-known proprietor.

Burke is now writing a second mystery novel set in Key West, which, like Cuba, was once home to Hemingway.  It is one of two books that Burke is currently working on.  The other is about a jewelry heist in Bordeaux, which will require a trip to France’s famed wine region for research.  A children’s book, which she collaborated on with her granddaughters, is with a New York publisher.

“I write every day. You go into a zone when you are writing and all of a sudden you look up and you have been at it for 12 hours,” offers Burke.  “I learned from Dutch, though, that when you are done for the day, write one more sentence that you can pick up on tomorrow.”

Chances are, you’ve heard of the “KISS” acronym. Martin Kohl adheres to this principle for teaching, but changes one key word: “keep it simple, silly.”

“Boil it down until it’s simple,” says Kohl. “Make something that’s very complex very simple in a fun environment.”

Taking this concept a step further, Kohl also wants to ensure students feel comfortable coming to him with questions. It’s this welcoming attitude that draws graduates back, popping in to say “hi” and celebrate their accomplishments.

“I have a lot of successful students out in industry,” says Kohl. “They work for smaller companies doing mobile development. They’re working in high security areas, where they can’t even tell me what they do.”

Kohl’s own Macomb success story began in the early ‘80s, when he came to the college to pursue a degree in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining, which was “the closest thing I could get to computers and manufacturing.” He followed this up with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University.

Kohl spent his early career serving in an Information Technology (IT) capacity for large scale companies, including Electronic Data Systems, K-Mart and Blue Cross, Blue Shield. Concurrently, he also taught at Macomb as an adjunct professor for more than 10 years, with his sights set on full-time work. After more than 20 years in the industry, he was offered the chance to make the switch to higher education and has “been loving every single minute of it.”

It should come as no surprise that Kohl found his calling through teaching programming. In his own words, “I love computers. I love programming computers. And, I love the students.”

Learning to like and adapt to change is an important part of working in the IT realm, and Kohl finds it exciting to see the amazing strides being made in technology. Singling out the cell phone as an example, he cited that the first model cost $5,000 and was essentially a “suitcase on wheels.” They now have more power than “the first rocket that went up into space,” and are even taking the place of point-and-shoot cameras.

“And, it’s a phone!” exclaims Kohl. “Share! Email! Save! Print!”

New for the 2018-19 academic year, Kohl and Professor Jackie Wanner teamed up to share their love of technology by starting a makerspace at Macomb. Using funds awarded through a college Innovation Award, the duo purchased a bevy of fun and innovative gadgets, including Raspberry Pi kits, a 3D printer and virtual reality (VR) goggles. Now in its second semester, the makerspace offers flexible hours to anybody who would like to experiment with technology and let their imagination run wild.

Whether stopping by the makerspace or taking an IT class, Kohl encourages students to “stay hungry and keep learning.” And, Macomb provides the perfect atmosphere for this.

“It’s a really good school for students straight out of high school,” says Kohl. “You can save tens of thousands of dollars coming here before you transfer.”

While he is part of what marketers once dubbed “The MTV Generation,” Joe Rice’s preference when he was growing up in Sterling Heights was to watch game shows, sitcoms and sports.  But the thought that someday he would work at a television station and win three local Emmys never crossed his mind.

“I knew I loved watching TV,” says Rice, who teaches marketing at Macomb’s Center Campus, “but it wasn’t until I did my internship at Fox 2 that I fell in love with the behind-the-scenes world.”

Rice earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications management from Western Michigan University (WMU) and the internship, which constituted the last three credits of his program of study, turned into a full-time job that lasted 12 years.  It was, he says, “a lot of fun,” and it wouldn’t have happened if his boss hadn’t, “moved to Colorado to make ski movies.”

Moving into the role of WJBK Fox 2’s promotions manager, Rice was involved in every aspect of the promos designed to attract viewers to the station’s local broadcasts. It was a perfect blending of analytics and creativity, two of the three hallmarks of the marketing profession, with “people,” he says, constituting the third. If one of his students can find “a home” in one of those areas, he tells them there is a career for them in marketing.

At Fox 2, one of Rice’s specialties was writing creative 20-second advertising spots. “You knew when you nailed it,” he says, “and it felt good.”

Working closely with the on-air talent and the behind-the-cameras staff, Rice appreciated the teamwork that went into each broadcast. The station paid for him to return to school and he earned a master’s degree in management, with a concentration in marketing, from Walsh College.  But as the broadcast industry underwent yet another transformation and he grew weary of the daily commute to Southfield, Rice began looking for something closer to Sterling Heights, where he and wife Dottie, who he met when both were in WMU’s marching band, were raising daughters Julia and Annie. Macomb was hiring marketing professors and he was in the market for something new.

Rice joined Macomb’s faculty in 2005.  And although many of the people he worked with at Fox have left the station, he still visits the Southfield studio at least one a year to see what’s new in the industry.  It’s one of the many ways he stays current in a field that is constantly changing.

“Monique (Doll, marketing professor at South Campus) and I are committed to bringing the practical side of marketing into what we are teaching in the classroom,” offers Rice.  “Talking to students about what they want to do is one of the best parts of my job.  They have a lot of great ideas, and I learn so much from them.”

When Rice first started teaching at Macomb, one of his colleagues advised him that he now had the best job in the world.  Reflecting upon his career, the marketing professor takes it a leap further.

“Actually,” he says, “I’ve had two of the best jobs in the world.”

When Randy Bangs studied in Belgium with Flor Peeters, a well-known composer with a penchant for innovation, he influenced not only her approach to the keyboard but to teaching her future students as well.

“I learned that Beethoven broke all the rules of composition,” says Bangs, “and that he believed that all people should live in peace and harmony.”

Both come into play in Bangs’ teaching philosophy.  Whether it’s the piano or the introduction to the arts course, both of which she teaches at Macomb, she regards each student as an individual and each class as a new adventure, deserving of fresh ideas.

“I had one professor at Wayne State who lectured from the same yellowed notes that he had been using for years,” relates Bangs, who has taught at Macomb for 12 years. “But I am always asking myself how can I change my approach to engage my students? How do I keep them excited about coming to class?”

For Bangs, the answer is, in part, using technology.  The intro to the arts course she teaches is a hybrid, which she credits Stuart Scott, fellow humanities professor, for developing.  The subject matter lends itself easily to visual cues, which are most effective in engaging students accustomed to social media’s transient images.

“They are visual learners,” offers Bangs.  “We can talk about short attention spans or we can work with those attention spans and, perhaps, get them more excited about what they are learning.”

With her piano students, the greater challenge is helping first timers overcome their fears.

“They start cautious and nervous and tell me ‘I would like to learn piano,’” relates Bangs. “The look on their faces when they play their first few notes is so exciting.  Piano as a group activity can be a lot of fun.”

Bangs, however, began with private lessons after returning from school one day to discover a piano in the living room and her mother explaining to her father that their young daughter was going to learn to play. Turns out Bangs loved it and, like her hero Beethoven, she learned to play the organ as well.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Wayne State University and master’s and doctoral degrees, in music performance and music education, respectively, from the University of Miami.

“Professor Peeters is responsible for me going to Miami,” explains Bangs, “to study with one of his former students.”

Bangs stayed in Florida for more than two decades, teaching both organ and piano for Dade County Public Schools before returning to Michigan when her father became ill.  After spending summers in Mexico as a teenager, travelling to China and living in Europe, she has seen many places.  Vienna, where both Beethoven and Mozart lived and are buried, is her favorite.  But, it is at Macomb where she has found her own special kind of harmony.

“It’s exciting to be a tiny part of my students’ transformation,” says Bangs. “What could be better than helping someone else realize their dreams?”

Dave Tramontozzi, Chemistry professor, sees his younger self in many Macomb students. He rode his bike to classes at the University of Windsor, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in chemistry and biochemistry, while working as a bartender.

“We have remarkable people at this institution,” says Tramontozzi, who has accompanied Macomb students on three alternative spring break trips to assist in the rebuilding of lives in the wake of poverty or a natural disaster. “I am so impressed by how our students put themselves out there for others.  To be a part of their educational journey is an honor.”

While many of his classmates at the university were headed toward medical school, Tramontozzi chose a different path after working as lab, research and, ultimately, teaching assistant.

“Chemistry and I got along very well, and I really loved the research, but with teaching, the highs are continuous,” says Tramontozzi. “I love everything about teaching.”

Tramontozzi first taught in an auditorium to 400 students at a time, which gave him insight into what type of teaching position he would prefer.

“At the end of a semester, I knew maybe five of my students,” reflects Tramontozzi.  “One of the things I like about Macomb is I get to really know my students and they get to know me.”

One of the first things his students learn is that Tramontozzi is Canadian. He grew up just outside of Windsor and now lives on its south side with his wife and three sons, whom he coaches in baseball and hockey.  Second is that he is dedicated to showing his students how relevant chemistry is to their understanding of the world, and offering guidance if they decide to make it a career.

“A lot of the students in our intro courses are taking it because it is required. And while I absolutely don’t want to make them a chemist, my class might kick-start an idea of doing something later, says Tramontozzi. “The greatest compliment is when a student comes back to tell me: ‘I took my PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) and scored a 95 on the chemistry part.’”

Along with colleague Cathy Kelly, Tramontozzi received a Macomb Innovation Award this year to fund a Science Student Advisory Panel comprised of former Macomb science students now on their way toward science-based careers. The panel will share their experiences with current students on Feb. 21 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in K Building. South Campus.

“This is something that I thought about doing for many years,” says Tramontozzi.  “I can sit across a desk and tell a student what they should do, but it means so much more when they hear it from a peer who has been where they are.”

Psychology Professor Paulina Multhaupt loves empowering students by exposing them to new ideas, fighting stigma and challenging preconceived notions.

“Take what you know and set it aside for a little while,” says Multhaupt. “And, when you go back to it, you may take it all back. That may be what you embody, and that is fine. But, none of us can truly learn if we’re hanging on so tightly to what we already think we know, because there’s no room for growth if we’re doing that all the time.”

Multhaupt, married and a mother of two teenaged sons, obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Michigan State University, and her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Michigan University. She started teaching at Macomb in 1999, and shares what she describes as “a kindred feeling with the College.” Both of her parents attended Macomb, and her siblings (who also graduated from MSU) took math courses on campus. After her husband accepted a local teaching position, the first thing she did was to apply at Macomb.

“I remember driving by and going, ‘I will work there, one day,’” relates Multhaupt. “I always knew I was going to be teaching at a community college.”

Nearly 20 years later, she appreciates just how little students have changed since she began. While others may make claims to the contrary, she hasn’t noticed a difference.

“You know who I have in my classes?” asks Multhaupt. “Hardworking students, who have multiple roles. They’re working. They’re going to school. They’re taking care of family.”

In addition to instructing, Multhaupt also serves on the committee and is a presenter for the SAFE @ Macomb program, which strives to make the College safer and more inclusive for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and employees.

“I felt like I needed to be part of the discussion,” says Multhaupt. She was compelled to take action with fellow Psychology Professor Linda Bajdo, after hearing students tell homophobic jokes in the classroom. She’d respond, “You want to tell a joke? Find something funny that doesn’t offend anyone.”

Upon completing SAFE training, faculty and staff are given the option to become allies. They’re asked to respectfully challenge misinformation and heterosexist biases they encounter on campus. Befittingly, one of Multhaupt’s favorite things about teaching at Macomb is encouraging people to become more open-minded: “open to thinking about things differently, open to examining their current thoughts and ideas about something, open to putting to rest something that they’ve always believed in light of new information,” she says. “There’s so much excitement in that.”