Oberlin Alumni Magazine

May 2004 graduate Marta Berg held an internship in Vienna last January after earning the first David Love Memorial Fellowship, a $1,000 award given to a student to help execute an academic project following a semester abroad.

The memorial fund was established in 2002 by Love’s widow, biology professor Yolanda Cruz, to honor the late administrator’s contributions to the College and his commitment to diverse academic exposure.

Berg, a biology and visual arts major, studied documentary photography in Paris last fall before beginning an internship with Centropa, a U.S.-based nonprofit specializing in Jewish history and culture in Central Europe. In Vienna, Berg worked with renowned U.S. photographer Edward Serotta to create a poignant multimedia photo essay exploring the exiled Jewish community in Shanghai during World War II. Her piece will become a permanent contribution to Centropa’s “Witness to a Jewish Century,” a comprehensive online achive of 70,000 photos and personal accounts of Jewish life surrounding the war.

“I grew up Jewish in Germany, speaking German,” Berg says. “I guess it feels more natural to talk about something I have a personal connection with. I thought Centropa would be the perfect place to combine my interests in documentary and photography with my art education and my own family history.”

Love, who had a 31-year tenure as associate provost, director of sponsored programs, and associate vice president for research and development, initiated several of the College’s travel abroad programs.

David had vision,” says Cruz. “He was interested in always broadening students’ perspectives. With this fund, I’m taking his vision literally—using it to entice students who were studying abroad to undertake academic projects they couldn’t otherwise do in the U.S. In that regard, Marta’s project was ideal.

Between the two of us, David and I knew a lot of students,” Cruz adds. “It’s very clear that they are a special breed.”

“Witness to a Jewish Century” can be found at www.centropa.org.

Oberlin’s five-year Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith died April 23 of pancreatic cancer. Credited with enhancing student life—in part through improved residential housing and more individualized ways for students to connect with staff—Goldsmith will be remembered by many students for his integrity, humor, and wise counsel. His position will be filled for the next year by Acting Dean Linda Gates, MAT ’65, formerly the associate dean of student academic services.

A personal look at the life and work of Dean Goldsmith appears in his Memorial Minute in the Alumni Notes section.

The Oberlin Orchestra presented a free, sold-out concert in April at Cleveland’s legendary Severance Hall, the permanent home of The Cleveland Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Symphony no. 5 and György Ligeti's Atmosphères under the baton of Steven Smith. Presented with the support of the Clonick Family Foundation and broadcast live by Cleveland classical music station WCLV, the concert represented the enhanced relationship between the Conservatory and The Cleveland Orchestra.