Don L.F. Nilsen earned his doctorate in linguistics from the University of Michigan. He studies humor to illustrate the complexities of everyday language. In the 1980s, he organized six April Fools' Day Humor Conferences at ASU, which laid the foundation for the founding of the International Society of Humor Studies. In 2000, he and his wife, Alleen Pace Nilsen, wrote “The Encyclopedia of 20th Century American Humor.”
Alleen Pace Nilsen earned her doctorate at The University of Iowa, where she specialized in literature for young adults. In the 1980s, she was co-editor of the English Journal for the National Council of Teachers of English. She is also the founding editor of The ALAN Review and co-author of “Literature for Today's Young Adults.” Nilsen is a past-editor of Emeritus Voices.
Frances New was born in Tientsin, China, to Christian parents who had been educated in the United States. Between 1932 and 1942, their home was one of the gathering places for Christians of all denominations. New came to the U.S. in 1947. She and her husband became citizens under the 1948 Displaced Persons Act. She worked in ASU libraries from 1970 to 1996, and completed her master’s degree in fine arts at ASU in 2004.
John Metz (1944–2016) joined the music faculty at ASU in 1980 and for the next 24 years taught piano and harpsichord and built an early-music program in Baroque performance techniques. Early retirement in 2004 allowed him and his wife to move to Waterford, Connecticut, where they set up a private school for talented cellists and pianists, and he began composing. The response to his output has been rewarding as shown by the success of Anthony's Cosmic Adventures, which premiered in December, 2014. The Metz's returned to Arizona and reside in Gold Canyon.
Charles F. Merbs received his doctorate in anthropology and medical genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught at the University of Chicago for 10 years before coming to ASU in 1973 to head the then Department of Anthropology. His specialties include the human skeleton and paleopathology.
Christine Marin received her doctorate from ASU. She served as the archivist and historian of the Chicano/a Research Collection and the Arizona Collection in the Department of Archives and Special Collections, in the Hayden Library at ASU, for more than 35 years. She is currently researching the history and stories of African American women in Globe and Miami, Arizona.
Ann Ludwig spent 24 years in the then Department of Dance, teaching studio courses and criticism, and directing the graduate program at ASU. As artistic director and choreographer of A Ludwig Dance Theater for 35 years, she has received numerous grants, commissions and awards, including the 2011 Governor's Award for Arts in Education.
Marjorie Lightfoot ( – 2014) taught in the Department of English at ASU 40 years. She specialized in 20th-century British and American literature. She wrote poetry from her early 20s when she became fascinated with modern poetry.
Beth C. Lessard joined the ASU faculty in 1969, served as chair of the then Dance Department from 1977–1994, and retired in 1999. She is active with A Ludwig Dance Theater, the Daniel Nagrin Theater, Film and Dance Foundation, and the Animal Defense League of Arizona. She received the 2012 Governor's Arts Award for Arts in Education and recently served two terms on the Emeritus College Council.
Mary Laner taught in then Sociology Department at ASU for 26 years. Her primary courses were Courtship and Marriage and Family Violence. Her publications include more than 40 articles in scholarly journals and several encyclopedia entries. Since her 2002 retirement, she has given talks to various groups including the New Frontiers in Learning program at Mesa Community College.