Missouri State University alumni magazine

SPRING 2015

THE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR THE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

AN MVP FOR A PARIS-BASED BASKETBALL TEAM

VOL. 10 ISSUE 1

A MILITARY HELICOPTER-REPAIR EXPERT

You do THE SCIENTIST WHO OVERSEES YEAST FOR ANHEUSER-BUSCH

n

AN AWARD-WINNING FICTION WRITER

WHAT?!

THERE ARE BEARS OUT THERE WHO HOLD SOME VERY ATYPICAL JOBS. Meet seven alumni with fun, interesting, singular or otherwise unusual careers.

A FITNESS EXPERT WHO TRAINED ON "THE BIGGEST LOSER"

AN EXECUTIVE AT SILVER DOLLAR CITY

AN EVENTS MANAGER FOR NASCAR

The Bear necessities to help you kick off the Spring semester!

M is souri StateBookstore.com

Publisher: Missouri State University office of publications Publications director: Stacey Funderburk Magazine managing editor: Michelle S. Rose Magazine art director and designer: Amy Schuldt Class Notes editors: Debbie Branson, Caitlin West, Candice Wolf Photographers: Brandon Carry, Bob Linder, Jesse Scheve, John Wall, Kevin White Writers: Nicki Donnelson, Don Hendricks, Trysta Herzog, Rick Kindhart, Mandy Morgan, Kelsie Nalley, Andrea Mostyn, Michelle S. Rose, Clif Smart, Mark Stillwell OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Lori Winters Fan, Executive Director of Alumni Relations Wendy Ferguson, Executive Director of Development Denise Kettering, Director of Advancement Services Melanie Earl, Director of Annual Funds Jenny Crews, Director of Prospect Management and Research Stephanie Lashley, Senior Director of Donor Relations and Special Events Debbie Branson, Associate Director of Alumni Relations Karissa Jones, Assistant Director of Alumni Activities Candice Wolf, Assistant Director of Alumni Activities Angela Pinegar, Assistant Director of Advancement Services Jacqui Coones, Director of Development Andrew Garton, Director of Development Patty Ingle, Director of Development Keri McKee, Director of Development Sophie Pierpoint, Director of Development Lisa Clark, Director of Planned Giving Kevin Greim, Senior Director of Athletics Development Austin Schilling, Assistant Director of Athletics Development Phone: 417-836-4143 Fax: 417-836-6886 Email: Foundation@missouristate.edu Email: Alumni@missouristate.edu

FEATURES 12 There are some career titles that don’t just pop up every day on job search websites. These are singular, impressive, atypical, fun or funky careers — and the seven unique job titles profiled here just happen to be held by Bears.

You do

WHAT?!

Joe Kammerer, Director of Development Missouri State-West Plains Melody Hubbell, Assistant Director of Development Missouri State-West Plains Phone: 417-255-7240 Fax: 417-255-7241 Email: development@wp.missouristate.edu MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Richard F. Young, chair, Arlington, Mass.

Robert A. (Tony) Foster, Springfield Robert C. Fulp, Springfield Billy E. Hixon, immediate past chair, ex officio, Springfield Karen L. Horny, Springfield Michael H. Ingram, vice chair, Springfield Gordon Kinne, Springfield Mary McQueary, secretary, Springfield Timothy B. O'Reilly, Springfield Patricia L. Sechler, Springfield Clifton M. Smart III, president, Missouri State University, ex officio, Springfield Joseph Carmichael, Board of Governors, Missouri State University, ex officio, Springfield Stephen C. Foucart, treasurer, ex-officio, Springfield W. Brent Dunn, executive director of the Missouri State University Foundation, ex-officio, Springfield Cindy R. Busby, assistant secretary, Springfield

22 HOMECOMING 2014 See a photo round-up of Missouri State University’s major Homecoming events.

Phone: 417-836-4143 Fax: 417-836-6886 Email: Foundation@missouristate.edu Missouri State is published three times a year by Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897 Postmaster: Send address changes to Missouri State, Office of Alumni Relations, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897 Missouri State University adheres to a strict nondiscrimination policy and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, or on any basis (including, but not limited to, political affiliation and sexual orientation) not related to the applicable job requirements for employees in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the University.

Printed with soy ink. ALM 320 14

26 THE FACULTY Dr. Wenping Qiu, a research professor in the William H. Darr School of Agriculture, discovered the first DNA virus ever reported in grapevines.

CAMPUS NEWS

NEW FACILITIES OFFICIALLY OPEN

The landscape of the Missouri State University campus in Springfield changed dramatically in 2014, thanks to several new or renovated recreation and athletics facilities.

A series of dedications and open house events, held in August and September, correlated with the first events at these facilities.

Robert W. Plaster Stadium

FACILITIES DEDICATED OR OPENED THIS FALL:

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Betty and Bobby Allison North Stadium (for field hockey and lacrosse)

Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium (for soccer and track)

Betty and Bobby Allison Sand Volleyball Courts

Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Academic Achievement Center

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear alumni and friends: I'm writing today about one of the top challenges facing Missouri State University: state funding for higher education.

When you think of public colleges and universities, you may assume these institutions — Missouri State among them — receive most of their funding from the state.

Years ago, that was true. Public higher education was regarded as a fundamental service provided by the state, since it is part of the collective good. People with degrees tend to propel economic and civic growth.

They create new industries, pay taxes, vote, run for office, help those in need, participate in worthy causes, elevate the arts and contribute in other ways too numerous to list.

More students, less funding Missouri State has experienced years of decreasing or flat state appropriations, while system enrollment has grown significantly.

FISCAL YEAR 2009 State appropriations:

$87.3 MILLION System enrollment in fall 2008:

21,688

FISCAL YEAR 2014 State appropriations:

$78.4 MILLION System enrollment in fall 2013:

23,838

STATE FUNDING MAY BE GONE ENTIRELY IN THIS CENTURY In 2008, the economy crashed and almost all states cut spending for higher education. Missouri already funded higher education at a lower percentage than most other states, making these cuts even more difficult to handle. Economic downturns often result in cuts for higher education, and states rarely restore the money later.

In 2001, the state of Missouri provided about 62 percent of Missouri State University’s operating budget. During the 2013-14 academic year, the state only covered about 37 percent. By the calculations of the Missouri Department of Higher Education, Missouri State is underfunded by $14 million compared to other four-year universities in the state.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, a leading news source covering academics, says if trends from 1980 to now continue, then state spending on public colleges around the nation will eventually stop.

HOW WE HAVE ADJUSTED TO FUNDING LOSSES We have adjusted to decreased state funding in a number of ways. We rely on more private support through the Missouri State University Foundation, our fundraising arm that works with supporters to allow us to offer scholarships, build or renovate facilities, retain top faculty with endowments and otherwise secure our future.

We also aggressively seek grants and contracts, and look to auxiliary enterprises (such as the Bookstore and residence life, housing and dining services) to expand the University’s revenue.

Another adjustment is to rely more on student tuition and fees. We’ve been fortunate that our enrollment has grown at a sustainable rate through the years, resulting in increased revenue from tuition and fees.

Unfortunately, we have also had to raise tuition and implement fees, although, since 2008, tuition increases have been below the rate of inflation.

Keep up with President Smart: @ClifSmart

Today, Missouri State’s tuition remains much lower than most other universities in Missouri and around the nation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: TALK TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES As our state budget challenges continue, MSU will need to depend more and more on our alumni, donors and friends if we are to continue providing the quality educational experiences our students need to succeed.

So, what can you do to make a difference? Talk to your elected representatives and tell them about Missouri State. Tell them about our incredible academic programs and student life activities. Tell them how Missouri State has affected your life, and the lives of others. Tell them how much you appreciate Missouri State and believe in its mission to develop educated persons. Tell them about how much Missouri State does to fulfill the three pillars of its public affairs mission: ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement. Let your government officials know that public support for public institutions is vital.

The next generation MUST be able to afford higher education, at a public institution, in order to keep the American dream alive and attainable.

Very truly yours,

Clif Smart President

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Bright Lights, Big City: St. Louis again hosts

Maroonation Ball this spring in Kansas City!

WHEN: April 25, 2015 WHERE: The Gallery, 61 E. 14th St., an event space in the Power & Light District

Maroonation Ball this winter in St. Louis!

WHEN: Dec. 5, 2015 WHERE: Palladium Saint Louis, 1400 Park Place

The Missouri State University Foundation held the second MarooNation Ball, a black-tie optional event, Nov. 15 in St. Louis.

The event featured live entertainment, mingling, dining and dancing.

The MarooNation Ball in St. Louis would not have been possible without the support of these businesses and individuals.

PHOTOS BY PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

PRESENTING SPONSOR: McBride & Son Homes CARRINGTON SPONSOR: SSM Health Care MAROON AND WHITE SPONSORS: H. Douglas Adams, PhD Hilda Chaski Adams, MPH BKD CPAs & Advisors The Diamond Family Great Southern Bank

TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS Individual tickets, $150 each; sponsorships, $2,500-$5,000 Sponsors are guaranteed a table for 10 at the ball, and will receive gifts and recognition MORE INFO: 417-836-4143 or www.missouristatefoundation.org

Missouri State University College of Business UniGroup Missouri Valley Conference OTHER SPONSORS: Ameren Edward Jones

Cal Ripken Jr. to speak at Public Affairs Conference Legendary former baseball shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. will be the keynote speaker at this yearÕs Public Affairs Conference, Ripken to be held April 14-17 on campus. Ripken will speak on the evening of April 14. The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required.

Missouri State, Dickerson Park Zoo partner on Bear Country Bear Country, the new name for the black bear area at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, was announced Sept. 27 at Missouri State Family Day at the zoo.

The renaming of the area to Bear Country marks the launch of a five-year partnership between Dickerson Park Zoo/Friends of the Zoo and the Missouri State University Foundation, Alumni Association and Student Government Association to support bear conservation.

Bear Country is home to two male black bears, both of whom were wild orphans.

“Gus” was found on a farm in Howell County. “Yona” came to Dickerson Park Zoo from the Tulsa Zoo. (Yona is pronounced O-nah and is the Cherokee word for bear.)

ABOUT RIPKEN Ripken played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981-2001.

He holds the record for the longest stretch of consecutive games played by anyone in baseball history (2,632). Ripken is a 19-time All-Star and two-time American League Most Valuable Player, and has numerous other recognitions. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

He has long been a supporter — or, in some cases, a founding member — of philanthropic organizations, with causes he supports ranging from baseball, to the arts, to literacy, to programs for underprivileged children.

PRIVATE MEET AND GREETS The Missouri State University Foundation will hold private meet-and-greet events with Ripken. The opportunity to attend is available for purchase. For more information, call 417-836-6666.

WANT TO GO? When: 8 p.m. April 14 Where: JQH Arena To attend: His lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets may be picked up at Hammons Hall, JQH Arena or Plaster Student Union ticket offices. Tickets also may be ordered by calling 417-836-7678 or (toll-free) 1-888-476-7849, but a shipping and handling fee will apply.

The Missouri State University Foundation, Alumni Association and Student Government Association have entered into a five-year partnership with Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield to help bear conservation.

TOP PHOTO: (From left): Alumni Association Executive Director Lori Fan, University President Clif Smart and Student Government Association President Jordan McGee were at the zoo Sept. 27 to launch the partnership.

BELOW LEFT: One of the black bears at the zoo.

BELOW RIGHT: Bears of a different variety tour Bear Country.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN WHITE MI S S OU RI S T AT E

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CAMPUS NEWS

TWO NEW BUILDINGS NOW HAVE OFFICIAL NAMES Davis-Harrington Welcome Center When Missouri State's new Òfront doorÓ opens this fall, it will be due in large part to a significant gift from Warren and Anne Davis and their family, including Patrick and Kim Harrington. In recognition, the building will be named the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center.

WHY THE UNIVERSITY NEEDS THE WELCOME CENTER When prospective students and their families now visit Missouri State, they wait for tours in a small area in Carrington Hall.

Sometimes it’s not clear to visitors how to find that building, and many times the group is too large for the Carrington space to comfortably accommodate.

The Welcome Center will be easy to find, at the corner of National Avenue and Bear Boulevard. It will have a lobby, offices, a 100-seat auditorium and more. This will be the designated starting place for tours, and give Missouri State a place to hold admissions presentations and showcase information about the University.

“The Davis-Harrington Welcome Center will provide a stunning first impression of the University as it welcomes many generations of future Missouri State

students to campus,” said Missouri State President Clif Smart.

MEET THE FAMILY BEHIND THE NAMING GIFT The Welcome Center has been largely funded by private gifts, including this naming gift.

The Davis family is the namesake behind Davis Properties, one of the largest property owners in downtown Springfield.

Warren Davis’ daughter, Kim, is married to real estate developer Patrick Harrington, a

1997 graduate of Missouri State.

“Our family is honored to have the opportunity to make this gift to Missouri State,” Warren Davis said. “We are excited about the direction the University is going and this gift is a way for us to help the institution fulfill its mission.”

ABOVE: A portrait of the Davis-Harrington family.

PROVIDED BY THE FAMILY

TOP AND LEFT: These renderings show the planned exterior and interior of the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, which will be open this fall.

CANNON DESIGN

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Missouri State University supporters have lent their names to the Welcome Center and Health Sciences Center.

OÕReilly Clinical Health Sciences Center Future health care professionals studying at Missouri State will find state-of-the-art facilities, thanks to a significant gift from the OÕReilly family.

The O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center is under construction at the corner of Cherry Street and Holland Avenue, and is scheduled to open this fall.

This facility will include a clinic, laboratories, offices, classrooms and group study spaces. It will serve programs including occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, nursing and nurse anesthesia. It will also include mannequin simulation labs for the nursing and nurse anesthesia programs.

The O’Reilly family — Charlie and Mary Beth O’Reilly, Larry O’Reilly, David O’Reilly, Rosalie Wooten and the Charles H. (Chub) O’Reilly Trust — are longtime supporters of Missouri State.

“Our family has a keen interest in Missouri State University and in health education,” Charlie O’Reilly said. “This gift will not only help students succeed, but will also help advance health care in the state of Missouri.”

ABOVE: A rendering shows the O'Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center.

CANNON DESIGN

LEFT: Members of the O'Reilly family and Missouri State President Clif Smart (far left) were among those who gathered Nov. 12 near the building's construction site as the facility's name was announced.

KEVIN WHITE

CELEBRATE WITH US:

WE’RE TURNING

110!

Missouri State was founded in March 1905, so weÕre holding a campus-wide celebration this spring for our 110th birthday.

You are invited to campus to help us mark this milestone! WeÕll have food (birthday cake!) and 110 hours of events starting March 17 and going through March 21.

WeÕll be adding specifics about our 110th birthday celebration online as they become available. The best present would be seeing you on campus!

www.missouristatefoundation.org

CAMPUS NEWS

Foster family recognized with Bronze Bear award The Bill R. Foster family received the 2014 Bronze Bear award during the Dec. 12 commencement ceremony at JQH Arena.

The Bronze Bear is the highest nonacademic award from Missouri State.

The late Bill R. Foster, his wife, Juanitha, and their children Robert A. (Tony) Foster, John D. Foster, Bill R. Foster Jr. and Kaye Foster-Gibson are longtime friends of Missouri State. Bill R. Foster served on the Missouri State Foundation Board of Trustees from 1987-93, and was president of the Board in 1990-91. Robert A. (Tony) Foster and John D. Foster currently serve on the Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees.

In 2011, a major gift commitment from the family led to the naming of the Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center. The Foster family has also invested in the University with gifts supporting Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, Ozarks Public Television, JQH Arena, intercollegiate athletics programs and

numerous academic scholarship funds.

This award includes a framed resolution and an 18-inch tall Bronze Bear.

Former Missouri State art professor Dr. Jim Hill designed the Bronze Bear award, and a 14-foot statue version of the Bear is located just north of Plaster Student Union.

The Foster family, which has long supported Missouri State, received the Bronze Bear as part of the fall 2014 commencement ceremony. The family is the namesake behind the Bill R. Foster and Family Recreation Center. They have also given to many other areas of the University. JOHN WALL

MSUÕs first free, open online courses attract thousands More than 8,300 people around the world signed up for Missouri StateÕs first-ever massive open online courses, known as MOOCs, in fall 2014.

Missouri State’s MOOCs are online, noncredit courses that are free and open to the public. Anyone, even those not affiliated with the University, may participate.

Missouri State MOOCs focus on subjects in which the University has expertise not shared by most other institutions. The courses are all delivered online and use high-quality video lectures.

ABOUT MSUÕS FIRST MOOCS Laura Ingalls Wilder: Exploring Her Work and Writing Life Ñ The Early Years: This course, taught by author and Wilder expert

WANT TO SIGN UP FOR A MOOC?

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Pamela Smith Hill, had an enrollment of more than 6,800 people.

Ozarks History, Examining an American Culture: This course, taught

by Ozarks history expert Dr. Brooks Blevins, had an enrollment of more than 1,500 students.

MORE MOOCS ON THE HORIZON Missouri State is planning more MOOCs. For instance, we will offer the second part

of the Laura Ingalls Wilder course beginning in early April.

“By offering these courses, we are developing our ability to deliver this kind of class, raising the profile of our part of the state and of our University (no other public Missouri university is offering something like this), and promoting a lifetime of learning,” President Clif Smart said in the 2014 State of the University address.

Check available courses and enroll online:

www.outreach.missouristate.edu/moocs

Second annual Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame inauguration set for spring The second class of people inducted into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame will be inaugurated April 17.

The names of the 2015 class will be announced early in the spring semester.

The Hall of Fame honors those who improve the lives of others through their academic, personal or professional achievements. Honorees must have a connection to the state of Missouri and be examples of global citizens who act consistently for the benefit of others.

Missouri State created the Hall of Fame in 2013 as part of the University’s statewide public affairs mission; however, honorees are not required to have a tie to MSU. The Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame induction ceremonies include a black-tie optional dinner open to the public.

MORE INFO ONLINE Inductee names, ticket prices and event details will be posted as information becomes available:

www.publicaffairs. missouristate.edu/ halloffame

NEWS IN BRIEF Alumni invited to student networking event Alumni are invited to share stories about their careers with current students at Missouri State’s annual Speed Networking Event, to be held Feb. 12 on campus.

During the event, alumni share career advice and conduct short conversations with students. This allows students to practice their introduction and networking skills with alumni and local professionals who represent a variety of organizations.

EMAIL US TO PARTICIPATE OR LEARN MORE: alumni

@missouristate.edu

Fall enrollment leads to new system record Official enrollment for the Missouri State University system was up for the fall 2014 semester with 24,489 students, a new system record.

The previous record of 23,838 students was established last fall.

In addition, the Springfield campus set a new record with a total of 22,385 students enrolled, up 587 (2.7 percent) students from 21,798 students last fall.

Springfield students represent every Missouri county, 48 other states and 88 other countries.

On the West Plains campus, the census day

figures showed 2,193 students were taking classes in fall 2014 compared to last year’s overall tally of 2,123 students, a 3.3 percent increase.

Some 89 students are enrolled on both campuses; these students were only counted once in the system total.

Annual diversity conference to be held in March Missouri State will hold its third annual Statewide Collaborative Diversity Conference from March 25-27.

The conference is intended to show attendees from any professional background how and why to build diversity in your institution, including universities, corporations, government, social services and nonprofits.

Participants will learn about best practices of diversity professionals from around the nation, and hear addresses from social entrepreneurs.

REGISTER OR LEARN MORE: www.

diversity.missouristate. edu/conference

First class enters pharmacy doctoral program The UMKC School of Pharmacy at Missouri State University hosted an open house and ribbon-cutting Oct. 29.

Fall 2014 was the first semester of the program,

which is a collaborative effort between the University of Missouri-Kansas City and MSU. Students may earn a UMKC Doctor of Pharmacy degree by taking UMKC pharmacy courses at Missouri State’s Springfield campus.

The program was developed to address current and projected shortages of pharmacy professionals in the state, particularly in rural areas.

Thirty new students may enroll each fall.

MSU to work with nonprofit agency Convoy of Hope Missouri State University and Convoy of Hope signed a memorandum of understanding in October to increase and improve agriculture and water availability in Haiti, and possibly other developing countries.

Convoy of Hope is an international humanitarian-relief organization based in Springfield. It responds to global disasters with food and emergency supplies for victims.

Missouri State faculty and staff will contribute expertise and experience to Convoy through scientific and academic research, grant writing and application, and similar areas. Students may also become involved in Convoy projects through training and community service.

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You do

WHAT?!

There are some career titles that don’t just pop up every day on job search websites. These are singular, impressive, atypical, fun or funky careers — and the seven unique job titles profiled here just happen to be held by Bears.

All stories by Michelle S. Rose except where noted

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I focus on helping your family have fun THOMAS’ FUN FACTS ABOUT SDC RIDES Fire in the Hole is based on the

story of a real town, located where Silver Dollar City now stands, that burned down — and that guy in the ride isn’t getting his pants back from the dang Baldknobbers any time soon. “I’ve learned through my life to never say never,” Thomas said, “but I will tell you that when we ask visitors, ‘What things at Silver Dollar City are most important to you?,’ Fire in the Hole is always at the top of the list.”

When Outlaw Run opened in 2013, it was the second-fastest wood roller coaster on the planet. It is in the Guinness World Records 2015 book for having the steepest drop of any wood coaster in the world.

ridership at the park. It was built by renowned Swiss coaster-design company B&M, and offers views of mountains and Table Rock Lake.

BRAD THOMAS

KEVIN WHITE

Wildfire currently has the largest

MSU DEGREES: Bachelor’s in management and marketing, 1984; Master of Business Administration, 1987 CAREER: President, Silver Dollar City Attractions

For Brad Thomas, it is acceptable Ñ no, expected! Ñ to ride roller coasters, eat funnel cakes and see a saloon show, all while on the clock.

Thomas’ office is near the front gates of Silver Dollar City, the Branson theme park that attracts about 2 million visitors a year.

He also spends time at White Water and the Showboat Branson Belle, other Ozarks properties owned by the Herschend Family Entertainment group.

Thomas manages teams of people who talk about every business aspect of these attractions: industry trends and tactics, human resources, revenue and expenses.

He and his teammates use market research

to determine which new rides will roar to life, which new festivals or events will attract visitors, which foods will fill the air with their aromas and more.

“Our research involves those who visit us, those who love us, those who know us, and those who may have chosen to not visit us. We’ll ask our loyalists, and we’ll ask those who don’t visit us, ‘If you had your options of a new ride at Silver Dollar City, would this particular ride motivate you to visit us?’ Or we may ask potential visitors to help us prioritize concepts for a new show or festival.”

Thomas’ interest in business started early. “I worked in retail during high school and college. While I was a

sophomore at Missouri State, I was one of the original employees at Famous Barr in the Battlefield Mall.”

He was promoted to management before he even finished his bachelor’s degree. He worked for Heer’s department store during his master’s program and beyond, but “in the back of my mind, I knew that I always wanted to work at Silver Dollar City.”

He had a great impression of the park during his first visit in seventh grade, and since then his admiration has grown.

“The business allows people to have fun. I also knew that Silver Dollar City’s owners loved their employees, customers Continued on page 20

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I make sure military helicopters are airworthy THOMAS’ (MANY!) FAMILY TIES TO MISSOURI STATE His father, Bill Thomas, was the men’s basketball head coach from 1964-80 and a professor in the physical education department His uncle, Dr. Arthur Mallory, was president of the University from 1964-71 His paternal grandmother graduated in 1928 His paternal grandfather attended from 1925-27 His brother graduated in 1978 He graduated in 1984 from Greenwood Laboratory, the K-12 school on campus His wife, Diane Thomas, graduated in 1990 with a degree in chemistry One of his two sons is currently a student seeking a degree in chemistry

KEVIN WHITE

His in-laws were chemistry professors His brother-in-law, Brian Grindstaff, ’88, is an experimental machinist in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences

COL. WILLIAM (B.J.) THOMAS JR.

MSU DEGREE: Bachelor’s in agriculture, 1989 CAREER: Commander of Missouri Army National Guard’s 1107th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group (known as TASMG)

When Col. William Thomas Jr. is at work, he may be flying a repaired UH-60 Black Hawk, overseeing a team making a custom piece for an AH-64 Apache damaged in battle or figuring out the logistics of getting a CH-47 Chinook to another state.

In the whole country, there are just four aviation sustainment/depot maintenance facilities that support the National Guard. Thomas commands the facility in Springfield, which services a 14-state region.

“We’re the crown jewel, as far as I’m concerned, of all of the four. We have the 14

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best facilities. We have the best people. We have the best reputation.”

Thomas had never piloted an aircraft before reporting to Fort Rucker, Alabama, in January 1990 after going through the ROTC program at Missouri State. He requested to join an aviation unit for a simple reason: “It’s flying! This is really cool stuff.”

Now, he can pilot just about any Army helicopter used in the last few decades.

From his facility’s campus, he and his team of officers, engineers, machinists, citizen soldiers and more — many of whom are also Missouri State graduates — solve complex mechanical problems related to military helicopters. They may strip a

helicopter to the frame and rebuild it. They may create a one-of-a-kind piece using sheet metal or a 3-D printer.

“A lot of the repairs performed are nonstandard — they don’t currently exist, so we create them here. Once our strategy has been validated, it can be used by the Army again and again.”

Each year, they fix about 100 helicopters and make or repair thousands of components — everything from radios to transmissions to engines — that are then sent around the country.

Thomas’ facility saves the government millions of dollars each year. For one thing, a repaired helicopter means the Army Continued on page 21

KEVIN WHITE

I manage all the yeast for Anheuser-Busch

KENDRA BOWEN

MSU DEGREE: Bachelor’s in chemistry with a minor in marketing, 1993 CAREER: Manager of global yeast dispatch and preservation for Anheuser-Busch

Every Budweiser brewed anywhere in the world starts in Kendra Bowen's laboratory.

Bowen and her team of four other people are responsible for maintaining the health and quantities of Anheuser-Busch’s yeast, as well as distributing yeast to breweries around the globe that make the company’s 30 or so brands.

This is not just any yeast you can pick up at the store: This is a library of thousands of strains cultivated to meet the needs of one of the country’s biggest brewing companies.

“Yeast is one of the key ingredients of beer taste,” Bowen said. “It can impart floral or fruity notes, and it also affects the way the beer finishes.”

The oldest strain in her laboratory — the “mother culture” — dates back to the 1800s.

“This is the original strain. So, the yeast that I make today for Budweiser is a descendant of the mother culture that was the original Budweiser yeast,” Bowen said.

The “master cultures,” which Bowen’s team makes from that mother culture, are kept at -185 degrees Celsius in a locked cryogenic freezer.

Bowen is the only person in the world with a key to that freezer.

Every week, she takes a small amount of yeast out of the freezer and lets it thaw.

That is added to a glass bottle containing

“wort,” a sweet liquid made from grains (basically, unfermented beer).

The yeast consumes the sugar in the wort and grows. Her team gives the yeast more wort, and the process starts over.

Eventually, there’s so much yeast it must be transplanted to a larger container, where it gets more food. By the end of the process, the yeast is living in a 2,000-barrel steel tank at the St. Louis brewery.

But not all of it stays in St. Louis.

“We ship it around the globe in specially designed containers. First, the yeast is put into kegs that are similar to regular beer kegs. Those kegs are put into big, insulated containers with ice gel packs in them.”

Continued on page 21

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I write award-winning, acclaimed fiction

HIGHLIGHTS OF BROCKMEIER’S CAREER Three O. Henry Awards (one, a first prize)

One of just 21 writers on Granta

magazine’s 2007 Best of Young American Novelists — a prestigious list put out about once every 10 years

Published in The New Yorker,

LARRY ELMORE

The Best American Short Stories, New Stories from the South, McSweeney’s and other culturally important bellwethers

Recipient of both a Guggenheim

Fellowship and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

KEVIN BROCKMEIER

MSU DEGREE: Individualized bachelor’s in creative writing, philosophy and theatre, 1995 OTHER DEGREE: Master of Fine Arts, Iowa Writers’ Workshop, 1997 CAREER: Writer/author

In Kevin Brockmeier's unflinchingly honest 2014 book, "A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip: A Memoir of Seventh Grade," he writes of himself: "Kevin is good with stories and always has been."

That was acknowledged by his classmates in 1985 — when he was a sensitive, smart boy in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, traversing an always-confusing, sometimes-cruel year — and it’s acknowledged now by some

significant authorities within contemporary literature.

Brockmeier is a fiction and fantasy writer whose work includes novels and short story collections. His novels, including “The Illumination” and “The Brief History of the Dead,” deal with hard subjects such as pain, isolation and the afterlife.

“I don’t know that there’s ever an easily derived message from any of my books.

What I really want to do is examine various subjects closely, and often through unusual methods. For example, ‘The Illumination’

Watch Kevin Brockmeier read passages from his novel "The Illumination" during his campus visit in 2011.

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lends a cast of fantasy and magic and luminosity to a subject that is otherwise very difficult: human suffering. I wanted to explore: What could all the suffering that life exposes us to possibly be any good for?

What if our suffering was what made us beautiful? What does it mean if our suffering makes us beautiful to God — is that comforting or disturbing? I don’t know the answer, but in this book, pain and beauty were inextricably entangled together.”

There are often elements of fantasy in Brockmeier’s work. “I grew up reading science fiction and comic books — and still do today — but at MSU I began discovering classics and great contemporary literary Continued on page 21

SCOTT HUNTER/NASCAR

I plan banquets and events for NASCAR

DAWN SCHAEFER

MSU DEGREE: Bachelor’s in public relations with a minor in advertising and promotion, 2006 CAREER: Senior manager, content and production, NASCAR Events Group

Dawn Schaefer has more than a bit of motor oil in her veins.

“I grew up in mid-Missouri, which has a strong racing presence.”

Her dad and uncle raced two-man cruisers at local dirt tracks, and “my dad was a fan of NASCAR; it was always on our TV on the weekends.”

So it’s no surprise that she wanted to combine her interests in racing and public relations.

After graduation, she became a media buyer for an ad agency in Warrensburg, Missouri. She researched demographics and placed ads on TV, radio and in print.

She liked the work, but she was

dreaming of being an event planner for a motorsports company.

“I did event planning for some Missouri State courses and became passionate about it. It left such a strong impression that I knew I wanted to do it for a living.”

She started sending résumés to every track, team and organization, including NASCAR. “I just wanted to get my foot in the door. No job was too small.”

International Speedway Corporation called her about a job in corporate hospitality. “I did a phone interview, and a week later they said they wanted me to move to Daytona Beach, so I packed up and moved down the next week.”

She’s been in Florida ever since.

In 2008, she ran into someone who knew about a job with NASCAR. After a very competitive interview process, she joined a team of 13 people who manage NASCAR corporate events.

Schaefer and her team oversee many components of banquets and media conferences: audio/visual needs, signs, graphics, stage choreography, script writing — anything creative or technical needed to create a great event.

She interacts with NASCAR drivers, as well as celebrity hosts, musical guests and presenters. “We have rehearsals for nearly every show we do with those who will cross the stage. Sometimes it’s for an awards Continued on page 21

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KEVIN WHITE

I whip people into shape, “Biggest Loser” style

MARIE PEARL

MSU DEGREES: Bachelor’s in accounting, 2007; Master of Accountancy, 2008 CAREER: Senior staff accountant at Ozarks Technical Community College; fitness instructor at CoxHealth

Marie Pearl was looking for a second chance in 2013 when she went to Oklahoma for the season 15 casting call of the reality show "The Biggest Loser."

“I had just turned 30 and was really unhappy with my weight and where I was with my personal health and fitness,” Pearl said. “I felt like I had been so successful in many other aspects of my life. I had my education, a great job and friends and family, but I was miserable.”

Pearl never thought they’d pick her, a

small-town girl from Missouri, out of more than 200,000 applicants. But they did, and the now-111-pound lighter Pearl says she’s not the same person she was before going on the show. She was eliminated in the 13th week, just two weeks before the finale.

“More than the physical aspect I got out of it, I got so much mentally — confidence-wise, strength-wise. Those things are priceless.”

Now, more than a year after coming home from the Biggest Loser ranch, Pearl makes fitness a part of her everyday life.

Get Marie Pearl's top tips about weight loss, fitness, motivation and more. W WW .M AGAZINE.M IS S O U RIS TATE.EDU

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She became certified to teach spin classes, which she does at several of CoxHealth’s fitness centers. Pearl also teaches a healthy eating class for CoxHealth, plays softball, goes to Zumba classes and travels as a motivational speaker.

Pearl also still works as an accountant, using her training from MSU. “One of my favorite memories was working in the Voluntary Income Tax Assistance clinic. I got to help people with their tax returns, and I learned a lot about accounting that way.”

She also keeps up with MSU athletics: “I’m a huge Bears basketball fan.”

Pearl, ever the accountant, sums up her views on health in financial terms.

Continued on page 20

I play professional basketball in France WEEMS’ FAVORITE MOMENTS AS A BEAR The very first game ever

played in JQH Arena in 2008.

“The atmosphere that night was crazy. My girlfriend, parents, cousin and uncle were there. I had 15 to 17 points that night as a freshman in my first home game.

It was fantastic.”

Scoring a career-high 31 points at

Creighton University in 2011. “It was on Fox Sports Midwest, so my family and friends got to see that.

Creighton was ranked 19th in the country, so it was a big win.”

The first-ever Missouri Valley

KYLE WEEMS

CLAIRE MACEL

Conference regular-season conference title in MSU history, won Feb. 26, 2011, against Wichita State. “It was the best day of my playing career at Missouri State. I saw the emotion in the eyes of the long-term season-ticket holders, my teammates, my coaches — I will forever remember that.”

MSU DEGREE: Bachelor’s in hospitality and restaurant administration and minor in business, 2012 CAREER: Professional basketball player for Jeunesse Sportive des Fontenelles de Nanterre (known as JSF Nanterre)

A French basketball news site called BeBasket tweeted in late September: "C'est Kyle Weems qui s'adjuge le trophee de MVP du Match des Champions 2014!"

Even if you don’t speak French, you see what you need to know: Kyle Weems.

Trophy. MVP. Would you expect anything else from one of the best players in recent Missouri State history?

Weems has been on European teams since 2012, starting with the Telekom Baskets Bonn, then the Medi Bayreuth, both in Germany.

He’s played in countries including Belgium, Georgia and Israel.

In 2014, he signed with JSF Nanterre

and moved to France with his wife, former Lady Bear Jacque (Griggs) Weems, ’12.

“We live 10 to 15 minutes outside Paris, so getting to experience the European life together is great.” The newlyweds have been to Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich and other cultural centers. But for the most part, Weems’ focus is on the game. He’s in the gym about five hours a day.

“I really love basketball, and my wife does, too, so that makes it that much better.

I have been around it my whole life. My dad played, my grandpa played, my uncle played at Stanford and went to the Final Four. I grew up in it.”

While he is practicing, Jacque takes online courses to finish a Missouri State

MBA. Together, they cook healthy food and practice conversational French.

The Weemses plan to stay in Europe a while: “I would like to do this for as long as I can stay in shape. If I can play to age 30, 33, 35 — as long as God keeps blessing me with health — I would continue to play on European teams. The time to do this is now, while we’re young.”

Weems, an only child, misses family in his home state of Kansas, but his parents have been able to visit. He also thinks about friends in Springfield — which he and Jacque call their “second home.”

The two came back to Kansas City last June for their wedding, and many former Continued on page 21

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So, how do I get a job like this?!

Wiggins

Jill Wiggins, ’99 MBA, is the director of Missouri State University’s Career Center. She has some tips for alumni who might want to try something new in order to follow their passion.

1) Start with self-assessment — Missouri State offers resources!

Your ideal career should match your personality, interests, skills, abilities and values — for instance, if you love rural life, you shouldn’t be in a field that requires you to live in an urban epicenter.

Free career assessment available to Missouri State alumni Alumni may access the services of the Career Center, including career assessments. Alumni may take the Web-based “Focus 2” for free.

To get started: Learn more about Focus 2: www.careercenter.missouristate.edu/ Assessments.htm Email the Career Center at CareerCenter@ MissouriState.edu and ask for a password for Focus 2.

After completing this assessment, if you live near Springfield and would like more assistance, you may contact the Career Center to schedule an appointment to meet one-on-one with a specialist.

2) Try a new career before you make a permanent leap.

Wiggins recommends volunteering at the site of your dream job, or even asking for an internship. You may have to put in some nights or weekends, but it may give you an accurate look at the field you’re considering. You might also take a continuing education class or online course to delve into the career you’re considering.

3) Look beyond job listings.

Create your own job: If you see a need you’d like to fill in your current organization, start assisting with tasks that prepare you to step into that role.

4) Don’t rush in.

“Do a lot of planning if this is going to be a huge leap,” Wiggins said. She recommends saving at least 6 months to a year’s worth of necessary finances before quitting a current job.

5) Dream big — because, why not?!

“Life is too short to dread work!”

Wiggins said.

Career Expo 2015

Alumni are welcome to attend Missouri State’s Career Expo 2015.

What: Typically, more than 100

employers are in attendance and are actively recruiting to fill open positions.

When: 1-5 p.m. Feb. 24 Where: JQH Arena on the Missouri

State University campus in Springfield

More info: www.careercenter.missouristate.edu

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You do

WHAT?!

BRAD THOMAS Continued from page 13

and community, which I thought would be a solid foundation for a career.”

In 1991, Thomas began his career at SDC in an entry-level leadership position.

Now, as a regional president, he sees himself first and foremost as an encourager — a role once played for him by mentors in the MSU marketing department: senior instructor Sherry Cook, professor Dr. Stephen S. Parker and marketing department head Dr. Ron Coulter.

He’s ready to lead SDC as the park opens Fireman’s Landing in 2015, an area with 10 new rides and attractions.

Also new this summer is a six-week performance run by the Harlem Globetrotters.

One thing that won’t change: “Our stockholders — the Herschend family — are very, very, very serious about the guest experience. Our goal is to bring families closer together. That’s our passion.

That’s our vision.”

MARIE PEARL Continued from page 18

“People always tell you it’s never too soon to start saving money for retirement, but why is it never too soon to start taking care of your body so you can be there for that retirement?

People don’t understand that you have to invest in yourself.

Don’t wait until you’re 60 and all those years have passed you by, and now you’re spending all that money on health care.”

— Kelsie Nalley, student writer in marketing and communications

COL. THOMAS

KENDRA BOWEN

KEVIN BROCKMEIER

DAWN SCHAEFER

Continued from page 14

Continued from page 15

Continued from page 16

Continued from page 17

doesn’t have to buy a new one at a cost of at least $17 million to taxpayers.

The component-repair process is also cost-effective.

Buying a new rotor blade for the Chinook model, for instance, would cost about $197,000. Having one repaired

by Thomas’ team would cost, on average, $2,083. Multiply that by the thousands of repairs they do each year, and you can see why this facility is thriving — and expanding.

His team recently completed the second phase of a four-phase construction project. Thomas is currently focused on phase three, which will improve his back-shop repair capability and bring additional National Guard jobs to the Springfield area.

His team doesn’t just serve in Springfield: They are also trained to do the most complicated levels of maintenance and repair in a theater of war. Thomas’ unit, the 1107th, has been deployed to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan several times.

Thomas deployed with the 1107th in 2006, then again in 2010. Each deployment lasted a year, and the unit had no casualties during either stretch.

Thomas will likely be with this unit until 2018, his mandatory removal date as a commissioned officer. There’s no telling how many test flights he’ll do between now and then.

“The best part of my job is the interaction with the soldiers.

It’s just a real privilege. Couple that service opportunity with a helicopter flight every now and then — it’s hard to beat.”

The cold helps the yeast survive trips to far-flung places.

Bowen is the first woman to manage the yeast center. She started at Anheuser-Busch in flavor analysis, using her science background to ensure the consistency of the beverages. “We want the beer that you taste in China to taste exactly like the beer that’s brewed in St. Louis.” Scientists test samples made in each place to see if the beers have the same chemical compositions.

Next, she moved into freshness control. The yeast center job opened up a few years ago, and she has been there ever since.

She didn’t intend to enter the sciences when she enrolled at Missouri State as a business major. “Biochemistry with Dr. Anthony Toste was my favorite class — it was also a class I didn’t do very well in! I didn’t understand chemistry at the time, so it was probably the hardest class I had ever taken.

Specifically because it wasn’t easy for me, it sparked my interest. I’m a curious person, and chemistry, to me, is how everything works.”

Outside of class, she loved going to Bears games. Bowen dated her husband, Todd, ’93, all the way through college, and they now have three children.

She’ll likely continue to be a part of every Budweiser consumed around the world.

“As a native St. Louisan, if somebody offers you a job at Anheuser-Busch, it’s a dream job,” Bowen said. “There’s a certain pride in working here.

It is a cool job, there’s no doubt about it.”

fiction, which opened windows and rooms of narrative I simply didn’t know were out there.

Missouri State was the time in my life when I first began studying creative writing with rigor, and my reading life became deeper. I had teachers who cared a lot about the discipline and were very generous to me and my stories.”

He has been able to write full-time since his first book deal in 2000, and sometimes serves as a visiting professor at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Brockmeier is now crafting his next project from his office in Little Rock.

“I have started something new, but I am never willing to talk about these things until they are finished; I’m afraid the threads will tease apart if I do. … I work sentence-by-sentence, perfecting each small unit before the next. It’s terribly slow and painstaking, but I can’t imagine any other way. If a sentence is ugly, I don’t have it in my character to leave it standing that way.”

show, other times it’s a press conference or an industry summit. Every single thing that happens at our events, there’s a plan for it.”

The team is responsible for 200+ events each year, including some that take place at a track. She travels a great deal, hopping from Las Vegas to Atlanta, Chicago to New York City.

“One of my favorite events is our biggest off-track event of the year: the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas, where we crown our NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. It’s amazing to see it all come together after working on it for nearly an entire year.”

She also loves going to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Drivers tour the hospital to sign autographs and meet the troops there.

By the time you read this, Schaefer will have moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to work in the NASCAR office there.

No matter where she lives, she stays tight with her Missouri State friends — including her sister, alumna Carrie Seiler.

“I met one of my best friends in the world at MSU, and we still talk pretty much every day. I am proud of my education there. My professors really instilled the knowledge and drive it takes to create flawless results and have my work in the public eye — that resonates with what I do today.

Going to Missouri State is one of the best decisions I made.”

KYLE WEEMS Continued from page 19

Missouri State coaches and teammates were among the guests. “There are people there who are pretty much like family to me.”

But for now, he is amazed that his team bus can travel past the Eiffel Tower like it’s no big deal.

“I sit back every now and again and realize this is a life a lot of people dream of. I am extremely blessed, and I never take a day for granted.”

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DISTINGUISHED BEARS DINNER AND AWARDS 1

This evening event, held Oct. 17, started the Homecoming festivities.

Five alumni and one emeritus professor received awards that celebrated their professional accomplishments and contributions to the community.

2 BEAR

TRACKS 5K

Bears were up bright and early Oct. 18 to race around campus. The 5K started and finished at the statue in front of Plaster Student Union.

3 BAND OF BEARS HOMECOMING PARADE

Student organizations, area high school bands and community members competed on the morning of Oct. 18 for the honor of having the best float, band, walking entry and more.

5

4 BEARFEST

The Missouri State alumni community celebrated Homecoming with six events put on by the University.

VILLAGE

Fans spent the afternoon of Oct. 18 getting ready for the football game with music, food, vendor booths and games at the Ozarks’ biggest tailgating party.

At noon, the new bronze Bear statue at Bill O’Neill Way was unveiled. The statue was the 2013-14 senior class gift.

In a new tradition, football players run by and touch the statue for luck.

5 FOOTBALL

GAME

This was the first Homecoming game in the renovated Plaster Stadium, and the Bears won 31-12 over the South Dakota Coyotes in front of 15,537 fans. At halftime, the Pride Marching Band performed and Homecoming king Slayton Boone, a senior socio-political communication major, and queen Taylor Moody, a senior entertainment management major, were crowned.

PHOTOS BY MISSOURI STATE PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

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BEARS ON THE SQUARE

This brand-new evening event was held after the football game Oct. 18 at Park Central Square downtown. It featured live entertainment, activities and specials on food and drinks from about 30 businesses. The headlining music group was the Brothers Osborne, a country music duo.

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STRONG HALL

GLASS HALL

KEMPER HALL

TEMPLE HALL MEYER LIBRARY

PLASTER STADIUM McDONALD ARENA BEARFEST VILLAGE

CARRINGTON HALL PUMMILL HALL

ART ANNEX

KARLS HALL

HILL HALL

CRAIG HALL

ELLIS HALL

HOMECOMING, An aerial shot taken Oct. 18 by Missouri State photographer Kevin White shows our growing campus.

HAMMONS STUDENT CENTER

BETTY AND BOBBY ALLISON NORTH STADIUM (FIELD HOCKEY/LACROSSE) JUANITA K. HAMMONS HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

JQH ARENA

BETTY AND BOBBY ALLISON SOUTH STADIUM (SOCCER/TRACK) FOSTER RECREATION CENTER HAMMONS HOUSE

FREUDENBERGER HOUSE

BLAIR-SHANNON HOUSE

HUTCHENS HOUSE

WOODS HOUSE

PLASTER STUDENT UNION

BAKER BOOKSTORE

WELLS HOUSE

SICELUFF HALL

CHEEK HALL

FROM THE AIR

THE FACULTY A look at teaching, research, scholarly activities or service at Missouri State <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Dr. Wenping Qiu

Getting the juicy details: Researcher sequences grape viruses When you pop a grape into your mouth, you probably aren't thinking about the DNA of the plant. You’re thinking about the flavor,

color and juiciness. But if you grow grapes and begin to see a decline in the quantity or quality, you might need to investigate what is going on at the cellular level.

Research professor in When a Missouri vineyard manager the William H. Darr contacted Dr. Wenping Qiu in 2004 to express concerns about a disease plaguing School of Agriculture; his vineyard, Qiu speculated the decline director of The was caused by a virus. Qiu and his research Center for Grapevine team were unable to find a link with Biotechnology known viruses after two years of testing, so they began utilizing a relatively new <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< technology called RNA (ribonucleic acid) sequencing to decipher the sequences of Story by Nicki Donnelson small fragments of RNA to piece together Photos by Bob Linder the viral genome.

In 2009, Qiu, a research professor in the William H. Darr School of Agriculture, discovered the first DNA virus ever reported in grapevines, named the Grapevine vein-clearing virus (GVCV).

“We only found a small piece (of DNA),” said Qiu. So he and his colleagues spent the next couple of years trying to find the entire genome of the virus, utilizing polymerase chain reaction technology. In 2011, after mapping out all 7,753 base pairs of DNA in the genome, they published their results.

“We sequenced thousands of those small fragments, and then we — Dr. Wenping Qiu compared our fragment sequences with sequences in the gene bank. And then we found, ‘oh, this is new!’”

“We all want to learn more about new viruses. By studying this virus, we can develop some strategies for preventing this virus from spreading.”

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Dr. Wenping Qiu (front) discovered the first DNA virus ever reported in grapevines. Now, he and his colleagues, including Missouri State students, are at the forefront of grape research.

During the past 10 years, Qiu has been the principal investigator on numerous grants from the state and federal departments of agriculture, leading to approximately $2 million in grant funding for his research. And all of that research stems from this interest in grapes.

But why grapes? According to Qiu, grapes host the largest number of viruses of any plant because they are a perennial woody plant. Therefore, they are a great model for the progression and prevention of diseases. But DNA and RNA viruses multiply differently, so his team is still trying to understand how this virus multiplies and spreads over time.

Through study of the GVCV in an isolated environment — in the Springfield laboratory, as well as on Missouri State’s Mountain Grove campus, which is home to the Fruit Experiment Station, the Center for Grapevine Biotechnology and Mountain Grove Cellars — Qiu hopes to learn all he can about how to prevent the spread of GVCV, since it is quite detrimental to grape production in a vineyard.

Graduate student Shae Honesty prepares solutions for grape-leaf tissue DNA extraction.

Growing and selling healthy grapes Worldwide, more than 5,000 grape varieties exist; in Missouri, about a dozen popular varieties thrive. At MSU's Mountain Grove campus, grapes such as Norton, Traminette, Chardonel, Chambourcin, Cayuga White, Vidal Blanc and Vignoles are grown. These grapes are harvested each August, beginning the winemaking process for Missouri State's Mountain Grove Cellars, which bottles and sells MSU-branded wine. The campus' vines also serve a greater purpose. Qiu is busy testing these grape varieties for the presence of 16 known grapevine viruses Ă&#x2018; and virus-tested vines are being sold to vineyards with the assurance of good health.

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FOLLOW ALVSTAD'S JOURNEY Find out more about Alvstad's progress, get links to Facebook and Twitter feeds, and learn how you can help:

IN THE

www.missouristate.edu/alliestrong

FACES CR Senior

BEARS

The MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 5-8 at the Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis.

Bears fans can gather at The Hangout in Union Station from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on MSU game days to purchase BearWear and souvenirs, participate in pre-game pep rallies and more.

During MSU games, The Hangout closes its doors for fans to experience the Bears playing live. The Hangout is near the South Plaza entrance of Union Station, 1820 Market St. LADY BEARS

The MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 12-15 at the Family Arena, 2002 Arena Pkwy., St. Charles. Meet up with fellow Lady Bears fans at the official team hotel, the Sheraton Westport Plaza, 900 Westport Plaza. This will be the location for the official team send-off prior to each Lady Bears game.

Megan Furnish El Reno, Oklahoma

Jones returns for her senior season after an outstanding junior campaign in which she led the team in doubles (12) and sacrifice flies (five) while fielding her position perfectly. A two-time MVC Pitcher of the Week in 2014, she earned her second-consecutive MVC Scholar-Athlete honorable mention team selection. At UT Arlington on Feb. 14, 2014, Jones became the first MSU player since 2000 to hit three doubles in a game.

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Missouri State basketball fans are invited to cheer for the Bears and Lady Bears during postseason play.

WD

Chelsea Jones Softball

See Bears, Lady Bears in postseason

KEVIN WHITE

Allie Alvstad, a sophomore on the Bears softball team, was diagnosed in Alvstad early September with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.

She began chemotherapy Sept. 9, and will need a bone Students added orange to their maroon at marrow transplant after Homecoming as they raised money to help softball chemotherapy. player Allie Alvstad, who has leukemia.

Unfortunately, transplant matches are extremely hard to find. the MSU community, since orange is the Her family has had to use Texas as a awareness color for leukemia. home base during her treatment, and that Students, faculty, staff and the entire cost combined with her medical bills MSU community have been asked is expected to be tens of thousands to join the national bone marrow of dollars. registry to see if a match can be found The entire campus community is for Alvstad. Registration only takes a rallying around Alvstad. Here are some of few minutes and involves filling out a the efforts to support her and her family: form and swabbing the inside of the A “Rally for Allie” leukemia awareness cheek. A donor registration drive was softball tournament will be held Feb. 28 held at Bearfest Village during and March 1 at Killian Softball Stadium Homecoming week. in Springfield. The Bears will host three A benefit dodgeball tournament was other Missouri schools: Saint Louis, held in late October.

SEMO and UMKC. The MSU bookstore is selling a shirt Orange wristbands with the inscription with the message “#AllieStrong” for $15 “Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose! while supplies last. The proceeds benefit #AllieStrong” have been distributed in Alvstad’s family.

JESSE SCHEVE

SPORTS

Campus gets #AllieStrong to support Bear with cancer

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Women's Golf

Junior

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Furnish began to hit her stride for the Bears at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, where she placed sixth and missed earning all-conference honors by a stroke, shooting 222 over 54 holes. She continued her strong play during the summer, capturing her second consecutive Iowa State Amateur title and qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

Bill OÕNeill, former coach, passes away; stadium area named for him

KEVIN WHITE

Bill OÕNeill, who was a mainstay on Missouri StateÕs campus in Springfield for nearly 40 years, passed away in late October after a bout with cancer.

O’Neill, 71, retired in 2008 after working for 16 seasons as an assistant football coach on the staffs of head coaches Don Cross and Rich Johanningmeier.

He added the duties of an assistant director of athletics in 1976 and was promoted to associate director in 1991.

He was inducted into the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

Most recently, he was on campus Sept. 13 for the dedication of the Bill O’Neill Way at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. The area includes a gateway and locker room plaque that now stand as a lasting tribute to O’Neill.

Bill OÕNeill (left) walked with former Football Bears head coach Terry Allen past the new Bill OÕNeill Gateway during a game in September.

Football standout earns national academic award Caleb Schaffitzel was among just 17 collegiate football players honored Oct. 30 by the National Football Schaffitzel Foundation in its 2014 National Scholar-Athlete Class.

The honor brings with it an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and automatic consideration as a finalist for the 25th annual William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. Schaffitzel has a 3.93 cumulative GPA after completing his undergraduate degree in wildlife and conservation management. He has had numerous distinctions during his football career, and was among the top-rated safeties in the nation last season.

See the Bears in action this spring! www.MissouriStateBears.com Get the latest information, statistics, schedules and news for Bears baseball, softball, track, tennis and golf!

Former volleyball coach's jersey retired

BRANDON CARRY

Missouri State raised a banner to the Hammons Student Center rafters Sept. 5 to honor longtime volleyball coach Linda Dollar with a retired jersey.

Dollar, an alumna who graduated in 1970, is one of the pioneers of women’s athletics at Missouri State. She coached the volleyball Bears from 1972-1995, finishing with an overall record of 758-266-21.

Her number of wins and .735 winning percentage remain among the NCAA’s top 25 all-time coaching records, while she became the first coach to reach the 700-win plateau and retired in second place on the all-time wins list. She led the Bears to 13 national postseason appearances.

Among Dollar’s many honors: In March of this year, she will be among a group of six people enshrined into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame.

MissouriStateBears.com Eric Cheray Baseball

Senior

Shavonne Husbands Topeka, Kansas

Infielder/catcher Cheray returns for his senior season as one of the Bears' top producers. A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference choice, Cheray anchored the Bears' infield as one of the top defensive second baseman in the MVC last spring. He also logged time behind the plate, handling all 83 chances flawlessly while finishing second on the squad in hitting (.290), hits (61), runs scored (37), home runs (3), RBIs (32) and total bases (84).

Track and field

Junior

St. Philip, Barbados

In two seasons as a Missouri State track and field athlete, Husbands has built up quite an impressive r sum . Her accomplishments include seven All-MVC honors in four events throughout the outdoor season, a trip to Eugene, Oregon, for the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with the MSU 4x100-meter relay team, and being named to the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team.

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SPORTS

tion, prepara It takes reat g and a passion É b y to e memor

THE

E C I VO S R A E B OF THE Story by Mark Stillwell Photo by Jesse Scheve

In 2014, Art Hains shot past the 2,000 mark in total Missouri State broadcasts.

Art Hains is nothing if not a creature of habit.

Now in his fourth decade doing radio play-by-play broadcasts of Missouri State sports, the voice of the Bears is meticulous in preparation for a broadcast. His routine never varies.

For baseball, his score book has each player’s name, position, hometown, class and other stats. Weather, umpires, attendance and team records are included.

For basketball, his spiral-bound notebook lists players and stats for both teams, with entire rosters and personal information. As the game progresses, he keeps a running point total for each player.

For football, he puts lineups for each team on a page by position, like how the team would look on the field, with height, weight and other particulars. Another form has offensive totals.

The football page is torn out and attached to a Southwest Conference clipboard left over from Art’s days at Southern Methodist University. The clipboard has taken fearful abuse over the years from the rigors of games, travel and, doubtless, an occasional outburst of temper.

Art spends long hours in pre-game preparation, digging through stat packets, media guides and team notes to glean the best information to squeeze onto one sheet of paper.

When he’s ready for the game, the finished page is literally a “work of Art.” 30

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And it serves him well. His crisp, distinctive voice and encyclopedic memory for facts clearly have him in the right profession.

“I want my listener to feel like he or she is at the game,” Hains said, “and the better and more thoroughly prepared I can be, the more I can provide the game’s flavor.”

A native of Marshall, Missouri, Hains earned his broadcasting degree in 1976 at SMU. He became Springfield’s KGBX radio sports director, and moved right into Bears’ football and basketball.

“For as long as I can remember,” Hains said, “Dick Bradley and Vern Hawkins were both doing the Bears. They were giants in Springfield radio. Dick retired, and I got to sit alongside Vern a few years as basketball moved into Hammons Student Center. I had to pinch myself to realize my good fortune.”

Hains moved from KGBX to KICK to KWTO-AM, and, since 1988, the Bears have been on KTXR. Hains has the mental makeup of a sports information director. He keeps track of things. He got his start working for SID Bob Condron at SMU and recalls with a grimace: “I went through an SMU baseball season where we were 2 and 36.”

One of the things he tracks is the number of games he’s broadcast. Other than a 1981-85 hiatus in which he worked for Brad Sham at KRLD in Dallas, Hains has been the Bears’ voice since 1977, and this year shot past 2,000 in total MSU broadcasts.

That’s right. 2,000.

The actual number is above 2,100 midway through 2014-15.

There have also been some 4,000 renditions of his afternoon talk show, and he’s finished six seasons as Kansas City Chiefs’ radio studio host.

His mid-year totals for games included 377 football, 1,050 men’s basketball, 9 women’s basketball, more than 640 baseball and three dozen softball.

Hammons Student Center is his most frequent site, with 429 games from that venue. He’s broadcast games from 238 venues in 38 states.

His top memories are NCAA tournament trips. The recollections of Art Hains, the broadcaster, are very similar to Art Hains, the fan. A bleeds-Royal-blue fan of the Kansas City Royals since their first game back in 1969, Hains was single when he first came to Springfield. He and his wife, Lisa, now have two grown children, Chris and Kathleen.

“I’ve been living a dream the whole time,” Hains said. “I’ve wanted to broadcast ballgames since I was 10, and to do it in this University and this community have exceeded my wildest dreams. We’ve maintained lifelong friendships from Marshall and Dallas, and developed lifelong friendships here. The blessing of being able to work within the success MSU teams have enjoyed is almost too much to measure.”

CONTINUE the TRADITION SON:

DAD:

Atlee Champion

Kirk Champion

YEAR:

DEGREE:

Sophomore

Bachelor's in elementary education, 1980

MAJOR: Undeclared

JOB TITLE:

HOMETOWN:

Field coordinator for player development, Chicago White Sox

Shiloh, Illinois

LIVES IN: Shiloh, Illinois

MORE FAMILY TIES: KIRK'S BROTHER, KEITH CHAMPION, WAS A BASEBALL BEAR FROM 1978-81 AND IS IN THE MISSOURI STATE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

Atlee

Kirk

In high school I came for a visit because my dad came here. My uncle (a former Baseball Bear) also really talked it up!

He decided early in his senior year of high school, I believe. He knew some students there already and was familiar with the school. It's a great school and community. The facilities just continue to improve ... It is amazing what they have been able to do yet still keep a small campus atmosphere.

When did you know you wanted to study at Missouri State?

What are the best characteristics of Missouri State?

I feel like I know everyone here. I feel really at home.

During the fraternity fall recruitment event, I walked around to all the houses. Everyone was friendly Ă&#x2018; I never felt uncomfortable. I met a lot of people and had great interactions. Now I am in a fraternity, and that has been a great decision.

Why would you recommend MSU to out-of-state students?

I am having the full four-year college experience with academics and social life. It's a good feeling.

When did you know Atlee wanted to come to MSU?

How did your time at Missouri State contribute to the rest of your life?

I have remained friends with a number of people there since I left. Former coaches and other athletics staff members are all very good friends.

How did Continue the Tradition help Atlee make his college choice?

Continue the Tradition was certainly a big help in our decision, but Missouri State being such a good fit for Atlee was the best part. I think any alum would recommend a family member to seriously look at Missouri State, and Continue the Tradition just makes a good choice even better.

CONTINUE the TRADITION is an out-of-state fee waiver program for the children and grandchildren of Missouri State graduates. To qualify, students must be classified as nonresidents for fee purposes, must be enrolled full-time and must have at least one parent or grandparent who is a graduate of Missouri State. Learn more: www.alumni.missouristate.edu/ContinueTheTradition.htm

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MarooNation events spread the spirit of maroon and white around the state and nation. At these Alumni Association events, Bears can catch up with friends, network with new contacts, win Missouri State prizes and learn about whatÕs new at MSU. We hope to see you soon!

JULY 29

AUG. 2

ST. LOUIS RALLY HOUSE EVENT

SEPT. 23

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BOLIVAR, MISSOURI

BRANSON, MISSOURI

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SEPT. 21 KANSAS CITY The Boyd family were among those who gathered at Paradise Park

SEPT. 30 FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS Brittany Jones, Nathan Jones, Õ01, Ronald and Ruth Hoover, both Õ83

SEPT. 18 ST. LOUIS Kate OÕBrien, Õ10, Bears Basketball Coach Paul Lusk, Laura Glasbrenner, Õ08

Join us for upcoming events Feb. 12 St. Louis

April 10 West Plains, Missouri

Feb. 19 Kansas City

Annual auction

April 28 Alumni Day at Hammons Field

April 18 San Diego

May 1 Springfield

April 19 Los Angeles

May 7 West Plains, Missouri

April 21 Kansas City

May 17 St. Louis

April 23 Nevada, Missouri

Family Day at the Zoo

Feb. 19 Phoenix Feb. 27 Chicago March 4 St. Louis Legacy of Learning event for educators

March 9 New York City March 27 Kansas City

April 23 St. Louis April 25 Kansas City MarooNation Ball

May 28 Monett, Missouri May 30 Bentonville, Arkansas Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Legacy of Learning event for educators

More cities are added all the time! Check online to see times and dates at venues near you, or to register to attend an event:

www.maroonation.missouristate.edu OCT. 23 HOUSTON Wen Xu, Õ14, Dr. Harold Boone, Õ92, Beth A. Boone Õ90

OCT. 25 DALLAS Rob Dyson, Õ82, Deborah Bryant, Õ81, Pam Gautreaux, Õ78, Dick Waters, Õ60

NOV. 6

ST. LOUIS

NOV. 6 TULSA Larry McKinney, Õ68, John Fossard, Õ78, Dan Richmond, Õ77

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ALUMNI

ClassNotes 1968 Rodney Davis, BA, College Station, Texas, published his new crime noir novel "South, America" under NewSouth Books. His previous novel, "Corina's Way," won the 2005 Fiction Award in the PEN Southwest Book Awards.

KEVIN WHITE

1971

1964

CLASS REUNION The class of 1964 gathered at Homecoming in October for a luncheon to celebrate their 50th reunion. They are the newest Golden Bears, alumni who graduated from or attended Missouri State 50 or more years ago.

In the 1963-64 school year: 373 seniors graduated in May (more than 1,780 bachelor's degrees were conferred in May 2014)

There were 16 international students on campus (now there are 1,500+)

Students created an on-campus evening club, the Purple Onion, in the Student Center

The University switched from the term system to the semester system

Peter, Paul and Mary played Oct. 10 to a crowd of more than 4,500 people

Four folk singers played at Homecoming as part of a "hootenanny"

Row 1 (left to right): Linda K. Blinn Small, LaWanka Mallard, Janet K. Gardner Deffenderfer, Patricia "Patti" G. Brayfield, Geraldine A. Carver Aufdembrink, Sharon Montgomery Busch, Noma A. Montgomery Row 2: D. Kim Bowman, Sharon K. Crawford Brown, Cynthia A. Chalmers Oliver, Michael W. McMillan, Gene A. Kinslow, Roy J. Gold Row 3: Nancy J. Counts Sneed, Lolita J. Abbott Albers, Sam R. Claxton Row 4: James A. Larson, Dale L. Pilant, Richard A. Johanningmeier, Charles D. Horton

James Anderson, BSEd, Springfield, was awarded the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Life Member Award, the highest honor in the chamber of commerce profession. He was president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce for 26 years. He is now vice president for marketing and public affairs at CoxHealth.

Donna Alexander Smith, BSEd, Greenbrier, Arkansas, retired from the Arkansas Educational Television Network after 28 years as director of finance and administration.

1971, 1980, 1983 Fred Fulton, BS, '71, Dallas, Texas; Craig Minegar, BS, '80, Winter Park, Florida; and James Lance, BS, '83, San Diego, were recognized as top lawyers in The Best Lawyers in America 2015 for corporate law, real estate law and commercial litigation, respectively.

1974 Ann Dryden Compton, BSEd, Springfield, was named development director of the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri. She will oversee all aspects of donor relations, corporate underwriting, grant writing, fundraising, special events and community support for the organization.

Continued on page 36

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SPOTLIGHT: 1963

Half a century after Leland ÒLeeÓ Gannaway, 74, graduated from Missouri State, he looks back on a career as a lawyer and elected official and thinks about the progress he was able to help facilitate, the battles he fought and the colorful stories he gathered along the way.

Among his personal career highlights: Serving as Springfield mayor from 1995 to 2001, a time of downtown revitalization. He ran the city when new places, such as the Jordan Valley Ice Park, came to life, and older sites — including the Gillioz and the Landers theaters — were renovated.

But his greatest achievement, he said, was also one of the most controversial issues of his mayoral career. A Native American tribe envisioned Springfield as the next Atlantic City nearly 20 years ago, and he fought to prevent a $400 million casino.

“I did a lot of research (into the impact of casinos), and when (tribal members) came here to make their pitch to the city council, I asked them questions they couldn’t answer,” he said.

Gannaway majored in public administration at Missouri State, then earned a law degree at the University of Missouri. He was in the Army, and just 11 days after taking the bar, he shipped out for training and a subsequent tour in Vietnam.

Near the end of his service, he sent résumés from the field. He got a job with Springfield attorney Jean Paul Bradshaw. “I was able to work with him for two years before he passed away. He was like a father to me — even though for the first six months he didn’t even know who I was!”

The job brought him back to the city of his alma mater. He continues to cherish the bonds forged at Missouri State, especially with those in Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

“We used to go skiing every year, but they think we’re getting too old to ski. Now, a group of us goes fishing for three or four

KEVIN WHITE

Former mayor still goes to work every day

days on the Little Red River in Arkansas,” he said. “We’ll sit around and tell some of the same stories, only they get a little better; they’re enhanced every year, I would say.”

He recalled the formal courtship and the accompanying pinning ceremonies between his fraternity and their sorority counterparts — his wife, Charlene (’78), was a Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Gannaway is not the only member of his family with MSU memories. His granddaughter, Lea Gannaway, is now a fourth-generation Missouri State student.

Lea’s paternal great-grandparents, grandparents and parents all met on campus.

“I’ve always aspired to come here,” Lea Gannaway, a senior public relations major, said. “I grew up watching the Bears, so coming here was meant to happen.”

The University was the place that

helped her grandfather with his dream to become an attorney, a profession he chose at 8 years old. Now, more than 45 years into his career, he’s not ready to give up going to work at Gannaway & Cummings.

Gannaway — who, in one moment talks nonchalantly about driving himself to the hospital in the middle of the night while having a heart attack at age 32, and in the next, proudly looks back on the college roots his parents planted — will continue to hit the gym at 5:30 every morning and be at work two hours later.

“Will I retire? I’ve thought about it. But I like what I do; I like my clients, and I really can’t think of doing anything else. Sometimes I even come across something new!” Ñ By Trysta Herzog, graduate assistant, office of publications

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ALUMNI

ClassNotes Continued from page 34

1980 Mark Fly, BS, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was named a director-at-large of ASHRAE (formerly the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) at the group's 2014 annual conference. He serves on the board of directors as well as several committees. Fly is the director of engineering and government affairs at AAON Inc., a semi-custom equipment manufacturer of packaged rooftop units, chillers, residential split systems and full-custom HVAC equipment.

1981 and 1985 William Potts-Datema, BSEd and MS, was elected to the board of directors of ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) for a four-year term. ASCD has 140,000

members from more than 138 countries. It develops and delivers programs, products and services for educators. Potts-Datema currently works as chief of the program development and services branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health.

1987 Daniel O'Toole, BA, St. Louis, was named to the 2014 Irish Legal 100, which recognizes outstanding lawyers of Irish descent.

He also serves as head of Armstrong Teasdale's Litigation practice group and a member of the firm's executive and management committees.

1989 Dr. Daniel Ponder, BS, Springfield, received the Faculty Award for Teaching from Drury University. He is a professor of political science.

1991

1998

Kevin Jansen, MS, Springfield, received the Faculty Award for Leadership from Drury University. He is an associate professor of biology.

Louis Haifley Jr., BS, Decatur, Georgia, was promoted to general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott at the Mall of Georgia. He will hire and train new employees and take charge of the metrics required to ensure the hotel's success.

1992, 2011 Randall Lightfoot, BSEd, '92, Polk, Missouri, and Angel Roller, MNAS, '11, Racine, Missouri, were named 2014 outstanding agriculture educators by the Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association.

1995 Brian Carosone, BS, Barnhart, Missouri, accepted a position as senior sales executive at PneumaticScaleAngelus in St. Louis. PneumaticScale Angelus is a provider of packaging-automation equipment and services for the pharmaceutical, household, cosmetic, food and beverage industries.

1999 and 2002 Lt. Colonel Cory Baker, BS and MPA, Springfield, Virginia, a member of the United States Air Force Medical Service Corps, was selected to be the 48th Medical Support Squadron Commander at the Royal Air Force in Lakenheath, England.

2002 Robert Lundien, MS, Prairie Village, Kansas, was selected as Secondary Counselor of the Year by the Greater Kansas City School Counseling Association.

Lundien is a counselor at Staley High School.

Continued on page 39

IN MEMORIAM 1930s Leslie R. Fite, Õ33 Tacoma, Washington Mildred B. Phillips Leaver, Õ35 Sandy Springs, Georgia

1940s Dr. Devoy A. Ryan, Õ43 Kingwood, Texas Mynatt W. Scott, Õ49 Bolivar, Missouri

1950s Louise Blair Wammack, Õ52 Springfield James D. Clifton, Õ53 Lexington, Kentucky Eugene H. Lampe, Õ54 Springfield Jerry D. Lumpe, Õ55 Springfield John Robert Herd, Õ56 Fair Grove, Missouri

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1970s

1990s

Maxine B. Cowan, Õ70 Springfield

Dina L. Miller Teague, Õ90 Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Dr. David S. Yates, Õ70 Springfield

Douglas S. Miller, Õ93 Republic, Missouri

Steven L. Sauer, Õ71 Springfield

Mark F. Lewis, Õ94 Springfield

Dr. Owen H. Case, Õ61 Springfield

Kent H. Nichols, Õ75 Poplar Bluff, Missouri

2000s

Dr. Thurman E. Aldridge, Õ62 Springfield

Harold C. Hoffman, Õ76 Springfield

Carol J. Osborn, Õ62 Springfield

Chris Dannenfeldt, Õ78 Dallas

Gregory H. Janian, Õ63 Dallas

Robert ÒKeithÓ Larmer, Õ79 Springfield

Michael D. Bayes, Õ00 Suamico, Wisconsin

Christine M. Peterson Squibb, Õ64 Bois DÕArc, Missouri

1980s

Leslie W. Kinser, faculty, Õ49 Rogersville, Missouri

Freda M. Ipock Philpott, Õ56 Seymour, Missouri Joetta S. Cunningham, Õ57 Crestwood, Illinois Lela R. Sass Fleenor, Õ57 Springfield

1960s

Mary Ann Blakey, Õ66 Columbia, Missouri Larry G. Harris, Õ66 Springfield

W W W .MA GA ZIN E . MISSO U RISTATE.EDU

Sue Ellen Jones, Õ82 Pleasant Hope, Missouri Laura M. Boughton Hiller, Õ88 Mountain Grove, Missouri

Eric F. Ikemeier, Õ00 Springfield

Faculty/Staff Charles D. Collins, Õ69 Springfield

Bill O'Neill, retired staff Springfield

Travel with FELLOW BEARS!

APRIL 9-12, 2015

Masters Tournament This exclusive trip to Augusta, Georgia, includes three nights at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta-Buckhead, golf at a premier Atlanta course, admittance to the Masters on Friday and exclusive souvenirs.

SOLD OUT*

APRIL 10-18, 2015

Belgium and the Netherlands

AUG. 19-27, 2015

Scotland Enjoy seven nights at the first-class Stirling Highland Hotel. Visit the historic cities of St. Andrews and Edinburgh. Witness the famed Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an army drum performance, and leave your footprints along the "bonnie banks of Loch Lomond" as local experts provide regional insights to enhance the trip. The cost of this trip is $2,995 (not including airfare) if booked by March 24, 2015. An extensive meal program is included.

Cruise the legendary waterways of Holland and Belgium, from Amsterdam to Brussels, aboard the MS Amadeus Silver. Excursions include the Zeeland Coast delta project, a special presentation on the Dutch and Belgian masters, the tulip fields at Keukenhof flower gardens, Vermeer's birthplace of Delft, scenic views that inspired Rembrandt and much more. The price for this seven-night cruise begins at $2,745 (not including airfare) and includes many meals. * Though the trip is sold out, you may contact us to be added to a wait list!

Learn more about all MSU alumni trips:

www.alumni.missouristate.edu 417-836-5654 MI S S OU RI S T AT E

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SPOTLIGHT: 2010

When the Kansas City Royals went on the postseason run that led to the Word Series, Danaya (Atkinson) Roller, '10, got to run right along with them.

Roller is an integral part of Kauffman Stadium. For four seasons she has been the official in-game emcee for the Royals, which means she is a face and voice associated with the game-day experience.

She pumps up the crowd, runs promotions and contests, chooses people to participate in activities and more.

She works at all 80-plus home games.

“I was part of the All-Star Game in 2012, and thought that would be the pinnacle of my cool experiences. But then this postseason push started, and I thought: I am going to get to be a part of history with the K.C. Royals!”

During the postseason, she prepped the home crowds before the Royals’ national TV appearances.

“I get fans ready to be quiet, then ready to go wild. The amount of adrenaline when 40,000 people are reacting to what you’re saying is just unreal.”

The Series loss was disappointing for her, but she is proud of the team and thinks Kansas City showed a great face to the rest of the country.

“While it wasn’t the ending we hoped for, the memories of winning the Wild Card, sweeping and then clinching the American League pennant, and battling through seven games of the World Series will be impossible to forget.”

The emcee position is an “awesome, cool, unique job” for the born-and-raised Royals fan, but it’s not her only job.

Roller, whose MSU degree is in music education, is a choir/music teacher in the Blue Springs School District.

She sometimes gets to use her singing

38

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BOB NIFFEN

Music alumna served as emcee for Royals during World Series

background at the ballpark.

“I am the girl they grab if someone cancels at the last minute! ‘God Bless America’ is the one I usually sing.”

She said her training from Missouri State allows her to get on the microphone with little hesitation.

“I worked with (former director of choral activities) Dr. Guy Webb, and one of the things he does is help you feel comfortable in any environment,” Roller said. “MSU helped me be proficient and instilled confidence in me.” Ñ Michelle S. Rose, writer/editor, office of publications

Follow her on Twitter for Royals info:

@danayasays

Continued from page 36

2003 Jason Hogue, BS, Fort Scott, Kansas, accepted a position as director of public relations at Fort Scott Community College.

2004 and 2006 Dr. Meagan (Howell) Dwyer, BS and MS, Kansas City, Missouri, was promoted to director of the new onco-psychology program at the University of Kansas' Cancer Center, a joint venture of the departments of psychiatry/behavioral sciences and internal medicine. The onco-psychology program will help cancer patients address emotional health issues that may arise. Howell has a PhD in clinical psychology.

2005 Adam Crane, MS, Saskatoon, Canada, received a scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for his doctoral studies at the University of Saskatchewan. He is a former biology laboratory supervisor and graduate advisor at Missouri State.

2006 Geoffrey Kunkler, BFA, Joplin, Missouri, was named studio manager at Phoenix Fired Arts, a community arts center.

2007 and 2008 Wesley Boyce, BS and MBA, Shawnee, Kansas, received a PhD in business administration with an emphasis in logistics and supply chain management from the University of MissouriSt. Louis.

2008 Zachary Tate, BFA, Goshen, Indiana, had images of his work published in the September 2014 issue of Ceramics Monthly magazine. The featured piece was part of the Kansas City Clay Guild Teabowl National Exhibition, on display at Avila University. Tate runs Zach Tate Clayworks studio.

LISA FERDINANDO, ARNEWS

ClassNotes

Jim Weatherly, MA, Sequim, Washington, was elected to the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals Board of Directors representing Region 10.

2011 Stephen Owen, BS, Springfield, exhibited a crowd-sourcing music site called ArtistSignal. com at the South by Southwest Tradeshow in 2012. Today, the social music platform has continued to grow its user base and technology to help musicians in their endeavors.

Kelsey Wilbanks, BS, Arlington, Virginia, was selected for the Judge Brown Excellence in Legal Writing Scholarship and the Burton Award for her article in the Law Review journal. The awards include a $1,000 scholarship prize and a gala held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

2014 Adam Egan, BS, Ballwin, Missouri, accepted a position with ESPN in Connecticut. He was technical director on "A Little Help," a comedy Web series written, produced, directed and primarily acted by Missouri State students.

Alumna one of five women in Army with three-star rank Lt. Gen. Karen E. Dyson, Õ80, made Army history in August when she became the first female finance officer to achieve the three-star rank.

Dyson, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Missouri State in the military science program and ROTC, is the military deputy for budget to the assistant secretary of the Army (financial management and comptroller).

Before that, she was the director of the Army Budget Office. According to the Army’s news service, she served in the budget office during sequestration and other tough fiscal challenges.

The Army’s news service said Dyson, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area, has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Dyson joins a small group of women who have earned the rank of lieutenant general: There are currently four other female three-stars serving in the Army.

is social!

Keep up with the Missouri State Alumni Association on Facebook and Twitter. @maroonation

MarooNation MI S S OU RI S T AT E

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OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS 901 S. National Ave. Springfield, MO 65897

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Parents: If this issue of Missouri State is addressed to your daughter or son who has established a separate permanent address, please notify us of the new address: 417-836-5654 or alumni@missouristate.edu

Last Look

A snapshot of traditions and student life at Missouri State

A FANTASTIC day for

BEARS FOOTBALL

The newly renovated Robert W. Plaster Stadium couldn't have had a better introduction during the University's first home football game, held Sept. 13.

Missouri State set a football attendance record of 18,386, a standing-room-only crowd. The student section (pictured) was packed and ready to cheer. The Bears dominated on the field, winning 38-0 over North Dakota State. BearFest Village, now located in the heart of campus, gave the day a festive feel. KEVIN WHITE