Personal Information:

· Name when in high school yearbook: Kay Ann Snyder

· High school nickname:

· Legal name today (if different):

· What do people call you now? : Kay

· Address (please provide at least a city and state): 2470 Hillside Dr., Indiana, PA 15701

· Email contact: kayannsnyder@gmail.com

· Phone number (if you want): 724-349-8873 (home); 724-422-0526 (cell)

Current life situation (retired working, volunteering, etc.):

I am a Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and still continue to do some academic work. Increasingly I spend more and more time doing other volunteer activities in the community.

Family history (spouse, children, dogs, etc.):

My husband Tom Nowak and I met in graduate school, and will celebrate our 44^th anniversary (!) in August. We spent the first four years of our academic careers (including one year in a commuter marriage) trying to find tenure track faculty positions where we would still be able to live together. That led us to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where we both taught in the Sociology Department – Tom for 35 years and Kay for 36 years before we retired in 2011. Over the years Tom and I have also done most of our academic research together, so our professional and family lives have been quite interconnected.

Tom and I feel blessed to have two wonderful daughters, one in New Haven, CT and another in Olney, MD. Since retiring we have enjoyed having more time to spend with family, including our 5 ½ and 8 year-old granddaughters. Each summer we now travel with our grandchildren to Oregon, where we get together with many relatives in both of our families.

Current hobbies and interests:

Tom and I love to travel and spend time outdoors – including swimming, kayaking, hiking, and gardening. After retiring Tom and I became Master Gardeners through Penn State Extension, and (among other things) started growing shitake mushrooms on logs in our yard. We spend much of our time helping with the Indiana Community Garden, where I have enjoyed coordinating various hands-on programs for children and adults that hopefully help inspire people to grow and eat healthy local and sustainable food. In its second year, the garden has been a powerful tool in building bridges between different segments of the community and in creating greater access to quality food.

Claims to fame (books, awards, etc):

Some of the academic research that Tom and I have done over the years has gained a fair amount of attention in the popular media, which was embarrassing when it sensationalized rather than accurately reflected what we actually found. At various times I have been honored for my contributions to my department, the university, and the community. My biggest claim to fame in 2013: managing to keep vegetables alive in a low tunnel at the Indiana Community Garden throughout the entire winter, even though temperatures dipped below zero at various times.

Anything else you want to share:

I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to share what you have been doing over the past 50 years; I have really enjoyed reading your entries, and look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion. Thanks especially to the Reunion Committee for making all of this possible.

Education, Military Service or Training After ELHS:

· Michigan State University, 1967, BA (Social Science)

· Cornell University, 1970, MA (Sociology)

· Cornell University, 1974, PhD (Sociology)

Work History (dates, company name, location, title/job function):

· 1972-75, Michigan State University, Instructor and Asst. Professor of Sociology

· 1975-2011, Indiana University of PA, Indiana, PA, Asst. Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Sociology (also Sociology Department Chair for 3 years and Sociology Masters Coordinator at various times for a total of 18 years)

· 2011-Present, Indiana University of PA, Indiana, PA, Professor Emeritus of Sociology