FHSU ROAR Magazine | Fall 2016

ROAR

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

BUILDING ON DISTINCTION

From actual bricks and mortar to developing new programs to increasing enrollment, there’s a whole lot of building – and growing – going on at FHSU. p. 12 INSIDE Inaugural Issue, Fall 2016 From FHSU to Mars p. 16

The Journey p. 20 Tiger Teacher Nation p. 28

Galapagos p. 30

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

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FALL 2016

VOL.1

NO.1

Director, University Relations and Marketing Lisa Karlin Executive Editor/Creative Director Lyndsey Dugan

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Managing Editor/Feature Writer Diane Gasper-O’Brien Deputy Editors Melissa Dixon Daniel Shea

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Feature Writer Randy Gonzalez Contributing Writer Kurt Beyers Designers Amy Smarsh-Johnson Meghan Oliver Joseph McKenna

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DEPARTMENTS

COVER

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Creative Spotlight

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From the Director

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Campus News

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Alumni News

Hear the ROAR of the Tiger family. Fort Hays State University is a place where each student matters. A place where students can be themselves, or redefine themselves. A place with a big open sky, a sky as big as their dreams and a limitless as their imaginations.

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Alumni Profiles

CONNECT

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Athletics News

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Feature Stories

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My Journey

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Tiger Notes

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Our Sponsors

f Fort Hays State University l @forthaysstate @forthaysstate

Photographers Jared Tadlock Mitch Weber Alumni Association Director DeBra Prideaux Contributing Writer Alumni Karl Pratt Charlene Nichols Advertising Mary Ridgway

ROAR Magazine is published twice a year (winter and summer)

by Fort Hays State University’s Office of University Relations and Marketing. Subscriptions are by paid membership in the Alumni Association.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FHSU Alumni Association, One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601-3767

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FROM The Director

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his is the inaugural issue of ROAR – the magazine of Fort Hays State University – which tells the stories of the people of the university, showcasing the work and accomplishments of our students and alumni, our faculty and staff, and our friends and supporters.

This first issue must also announce the departure of Dr. Mirta M. Martin, who resigned the FHSU presidency on Nov. 23. Mike Barnett, vice president for administration and finance, was designated acting president until the Kansas Board of Regents name an interim president to guide the university until a new president is selected.

Change is not new for Fort Hays State, and a change in leadership, whatever the reason, is part of the evolution of institutions no less than of people and cultures. The mission goes on, and the Fort Hays State family continues its work preparing the next generation of Americans to take their place in the life of the nation and world.

The university is undergoing historic growth right now, and change is much in evidence. Two construction cranes dominate the university’s skyline right now, one on the site of a new residence hall and the other helping to construct a new academic building. But growth is also evident in enrollment, with a 16th consecutive year of record numbers.

Fort Hays State is now the third largest university in Kansas. FHSU has also added a fifth college and made other organizational changes that will help us make the next leap for ward for our students.

Another historic endeavor is the largest capital campaign in the history of the university, the $100 million Journey Campaign, which launched this semester.

Journey seeks $45 million for scholarships; $39 million for programs in the academic

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colleges, the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, the Alumni Association and Forsyth Library; $8 million for athletics; and $8 million for student life.

You will learn about some of these things here. You will also learn about people like Joe Erdman, an FHSU alumnus originally from western Kansas who now works on NASA’s Orion project, or Dr. Yass Kobayashi, who works side by side with student scholars as they assist him in his award-winning research efforts in biology.

Or Joel Dugan, assistant professor of art and design, whose latest murals, The Journey, welcome visitors to campus by articulating not only the beauty of Fort Hays State University and Hays, but also their importance to travelers (at one time farmers and soldiers; today, students and professionals) as they find their paths in the world.

Fort Hays State University continues to increase access to education through programs like our new Doctor of Nursing Practice, our Honors College, and our Hispanic College Institute. Our impact on regional education is far-reaching. For example, in this issue you will read about Shawn Henderson from the College of Education who helps place student teachers in schools, helps our graduates find jobs, and uses innovative ways to help people become teachers.

These are just a few examples of the people and programs profiled in this first issue of ROAR. Explore these pages and learn more about the many ways in which Fort Hays State University is growing. You will understand why we’ve become the destination for Kansans, the nation and the world.

Lisa Karlin Director, University Relations and Marketing

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT JARED TADLOCK

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien

T

he chance to continue playing his favorite sport brought Jared Tadlock to Fort Hays State University in 2013.

The 6-foot, 9-inch basketball standout found so much more.

The immediate reward was more time on the court than at NCAA Division I Miami University of Ohio.

But Tadlock embraced the opportunity to experience something different than the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where he grew up.

Now a 2016 graduate of FHSU with a degree in studio arts with an emphasis on photography, Tadlock is pursuing a graduate degree in art and design.

A self-proclaimed introvert, Tadlock has plenty to photograph in the wide open spaces of rural northwest Kansas, where sunsets are golden and skies seem to never end.

He also met his future wife at FHSU. Tadlock and Megan DeWerff, a speech-

CREATIVE Spotlight

language-pathology graduate student from Topeka, became engaged earlier this semester.

So the tall, lanky photographer who has become a common sight around campus is walking with a lighter step these days.

Tadlock said he felt a pull to Hays from the first time he visited FHSU. “I fell in love with it: the campus, the basketball program, everything,” Tadlock said. “From the beginning, I thought, ‘There’s no reason I shouldn’t be here.’”

Tadlock grew up snowboarding in the foothills of the Rockies in Conifer, Colo. – and playing basketball.

“But basketball wasn’t big in high school out there like it is here,” Tadlock said.

“Obviously, anything to do with snow was the thing to do where I grew up.”

So Tadlock accepted an offer to play his final two years of high school ball for a prep school in North Carolina, which he helped lead to national runner-up and championship finishes.

He was offered a scholarship by Miami of Ohio, where he was involved 24/7 with the basketball program but didn’t get a lot of playing time. Even more troubling for Tadlock was his difficulty to schedule necessary art classes for his major because of

basketball responsibilities.

That, he says now, was a blessing in disguise.

“I desperately needed something besides basketball to put some balance in my life,” he said.

A Christmas gift his sophomore year at Miami of Ohio changed Tadlock’s life. His mom gave him a digital camera.

“Photography became that balance,” he said. “It really opened up my world.”

Tadlock started to recognize there was more to life than basketball but still wanted to play. He found the best of both worlds at Fort Hays State after a coach at Miami of Ohio familiar with the Tiger program told him to check it out.

“Gross Memorial Coliseum is the same size of Miami of Ohio’s facility, a lot bigger school,” he said of FHSU’s basketball arena.

“The difference here, though, is that people really support the team. Fans are great here.

Students come to the games and support you.”

With two years of basketball eligibility remaining, Tadlock made the most of his opportunity at FHSU. He practiced just as hard as before – “I never lost a sprint here in practice,” he said – and it paid off. He averaged about

12 minutes a game and his junior year, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Division II regional tournament.

Best of all, Tadlock says, he was able to schedule the art classes he wanted.

Whether it’s behind the camera or with paintbrush in hand, Tadlock’s goals are the same.

“Photography is more natural to me, but creating something with my hands is so rewarding,” he said. “I want to capture a sense of calm, whether that’s a portrait or highlighting some crop in a field.”

Fort Hays State has helped Tadlock reach that sense of calm. He does a lot of freelance work, and as part of his graduate assistantship, he teaches drawing and painting classes, something he would like to make a career of.

“I really enjoy interacting with students,” Tadlock said, “and teaching helps me to learn more myself.”

Jared Tadlock is an MFA candidate in the Department of Art and Design FHSU.edu/artanddesign To see more of Jared’s work, visit TADLOCKA.com FHSU.EDU/roar

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CAMPUS News

TGOF March across Jellison Bridge

FHSU Grows Into 3rd Largest University In Kansas With an all-time high enrollment of 14,658, Fort Hays State University has become the third-largest university in Kansas, public and private. The numbers announced by the Kansas Board of Regents on Sept. 26 show FHSU increased by 448, or 3.15 percent, from the fall 2015 headcount of 14,210 on the 20th day of classes. The new record marks a 16th consecutive year of record enrollments.

“The official numbers are yet more proof of what I said almost two months ago,” FHSU President Mirta M. Martin said.

“What makes us unique, what makes us distinctive, is our concern for the welfare of our students.”

The 20th day, set by the Regents as the official enrollment day to provide a standard basis of comparison from year to year, was Sept. 19 for Fort Hays State. Regents policy is to hold any announcement of enrollments until numbers are in and verified for all Regents institutions.

FHSU delivers college courses through three modalities – on campus, through the FHSU Virtual College and to students at partner universities around the world, primarily in China.

This fall’s numbers reflect the reversal of a downward trend in enrollment at the university’s international partners.

Enrollment at those schools totaled 3,252 this year, up 128 from 3,124, an increase of 4.10 percent.

This fall’s enrollment in the FHSU Virtual College, 6,694, was an increase of 371, or 5.87 percent, from last year’s 6,323.

On-campus enrollment this year is 4,712.

“The diversity of our offerings has been 04

Hansen Hall Dedication

W.R. Robbins

a major factor for our success over the past 16 years,” said Dennis King, assistant vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

“When our international partners have been down, our on-campus and online (Virtual College) programs have grown. Other years, it may be the exact opposite, leading to our growth,” he said.

“This year, our new freshmen, Virtual College graduate students and our international partners have all contributed to our growth.”

The freshman class for 2016 is 937, up 23 from last fall and is the third largest in university history. Virtual College graduate students for the fall are at 2,200, up 225 from fall 2015.

celebrate the beginning of the next stage of our journey,” President Martin said.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and its trustees. Without their belief this dream would not be a reality. Today marks the beginning of the next journey of Fort Hays State University.”

“And the future of our nation are these bright minds right here,” she said, pointing to the Hansen Hall residents in attendance.

These students, she continued, will be the leaders and the entrepreneurs of the future who will “become part of the economic engine of Kansas and of the world.”

Newest Residential Hall Develops Entrepreneurs Homecoming 2016, Fort Hays State University’s $3.95 million Dane G. Hansen Scholarship Hall was dedicated.

Appropriately for a residence hall dedicated to aspiring entrepreneurs, the ribbon was cut by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors at the close of the ceremony, just before the 16 Hansen Hall residents present conducted tours of the building.

Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation, opened the ceremony with thanks to the major donor that made the scholarship residence hall possible, the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, which provided $3.5 million of the cost.

“I want to thank the trustees of the Hansen Foundation for believing in Fort Hays State University, for sharing our vision, for investing in the future of northwest Kansas,” said Williby before introducing FHSU President Mirta M. Martin.

“Thank you all for being here today to

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

FHSU College of Business Named The Kansas Board of Regents at its September meeting approved naming Fort Hays State University’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

In addition, a section of the building will be named the Robbins Banking Institute.

Robbins, an alumnus from Fort Hays State University and his wife, Yvonne, are longtime, devoted supporters of the university. He is chair of Farmers Bank and Trust, Great Bend, which owns and manages seven locations in central Kansas and two in Johnson County.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in education, W.R. Robbins spent two years teaching math and science before moving into the banking industry.

In 1971, he bought his first bank, Farmers State Bank of Albert, which comprised $4 million in assets at the time. Presently,

CAMPUS News

Peter Werth

Dr. William Stark, professor of biological sciences

Farmers Bank and Trust has assets of about $775 million, nine locations and 110 employees.

During the past 50 years, Robbins has been actively involved with Fort Hays State University in many capacities and served in a variety of executive board positions, including president of the FHSU Foundation. In 2000, he was selected as chair of FHSU’s $30 million Centennial Capital Campaign.

An official dedication ceremony for the college and its new name was held in October.

master’s degree in organic chemistry from Stanford University. In 1982, he founded ChemWerth, Inc. in Woodbridge, Conn., to develop active pharmaceutical ingredients to produce generic drugs.

President Mirta M. Martin said FHSU was thankful for the Werths’ gift.

“What you have done here is transformational for our university,” Martin said. “We are thankful for your generosity.

We are thankful for your confidence in the direction of the university. This, and other gifts will allow our FHSU to go from great to extraordinary.

Werth said with state budgets tight, it is important for others to do what they can to support schools.

“I feel that state schools are under a lot of pressure,” Werth said. “If you want something great, people are going to have to step up, give the money. And I want Fort Hays State to be great. ”

FHSU College of Science, Technology and Mathematics Named.

Peter Werth is a man of few words.

But his gift to Fort Hays State University speaks volumes.

Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation, announced a pledge of $5 million from Peter and Pamela Werth at the Nov. 3 dedication at the Memorial Union’s Sunset Atrium. The Kansas Board of Regents in their October meeting approved naming FHSU’s College of Science, Technology and Mathematics the Peter and Pamela Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics.

“I hope you really make great progress with what we’re giving here, change the world,” Peter Werth said. “I have a simple motto: Do good. Make a difference.

Change the world.”

Peter Werth is a Hays native, a 1959 graduate of FHSU with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and a 2013 recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award at Fort Hays State. Following his time at FHSU, Werth earned a

Dr. Craig Smith, assistant professor of agriculture, and student

FHSU receives $700,000 USDA Grant for Development of Precision Agriculture Curricula Fort Hays State University has been awarded a grant of more than $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop curricula focused on the use of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in precision agriculture.

The program, under development by FHSU, will enhance and improve the technical and analytical skill sets of the next generation of farm managers, technicians and crop advisors. The grant is part of a $4 million award to Non-Land Grant Colleges and Universities.

As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Sen. Moran supported a $1 million increase in federal funding for the USDA Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program, which is furnishing the $701,072 grant to FHSU. This is the second largest grant given out by the program this year and one of the larger federal grants received by FHSU. The new curricula will teach both the gathering of data by UAS and the incorporation of the data into agriculture.

The primary focus will be on providing students with experiential-learning opportunities involving the hands-on use of UAS and analytical tools along with “real world” experiences applying data in management decision making.

The primary beneficiaries of this grant at FHSU will be students pursuing postsecondary agricultural degrees, as well as those seeking degrees in natural resource management. Farmers and ranchers on the Great Plains and Flint Hills will also benefit through open houses, field days and workshops held at regional farms and natural areas that will demonstrate and provide experience with new UAS technology in the support of the agricultural economy.

Demand is high and the job outlook is very strong for individuals skilled in the understanding and use of precision agricultural technologies. In Kansas alone, the economic impact of UAS technologies is estimated at $2.9 billion over the next decade. This grant will help make certain that a skilled workforce is available to meet this potential.

FHSU.EDU/roar

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ALUMNI News

HOMECOMING WRAP UP Homecoming 2016, “Welcome to Tiger Town”, was truly one for the books as the Alumni Association celebrated 100 years of service to Fort Hays State University, its alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students.

Selling out once again this year, 174 golfers enjoyed a beautiful day on the lush greens at the Smoky Hill Country Club, sharing in the Tiger camaraderie, all while raising scholarship funds for students to advance their educational dreams at Fort Hays State.

The fun continued Thursday evening with the Tiger bonfire and pep rally held on the east lawn of the Robbins Center, home of the Alumni and Foundation offices.

The Association’s 100-year Centennial Celebration kicked off festivities Friday morning immediately followed by the Half Century Club’s luncheon and induction ceremony, where members of the 50-year honored class of 1966 were officially welcomed into the organization. Members 06

of the 60-year honored class were also recognized during the luncheon.

Graduates from the Department of Biological Sciences enjoyed reunion activities throughout the weekend, including a reception on Friday evening, and a breakfast, lunch and behind-the-scenes tour of the Sternberg Museum on Saturday.

The 2016 Alumni Awardees were honored Friday evening at the annual Awards and Recognition banquet. Receiving the Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association, were Dr. Thomas P. “Tom” Binder ’79, ’79, Marion, Iowa; Dr. Jana M. Hawley ’75, Tucson, Ariz., and Dr. Brenda K. Lang Hellyer ’85, Pasadena, Texas. The Young Alumni Award recipients were Seth D. Kastle ’05, WaKeeney, and Dr. Jamie R. Schwandt ’06, ’08, Cheney. Dennis M. Spratt ’71, Lawrence, received the Nita L. Landrum Award, and Shannon Alan “Mac” McKinney ’83, Lincoln, received the Distinguished Service Award posthumous, which was accepted by his wife, Donna, and

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

sister, Kelly ’85, in his memory.

Early morning running enthusiasts enjoyed fine weather, ordered especially for them after five solid years of rain, for the Tiger 5K Run/Walk on Saturday. The scenic tour took them in and around the beautiful and ever-changing FHSU campus.

More than 80 parade entries made their way down Main Street to the delight of spectators young and old, all leading to the FHSU vs. Lindenwood University football game, where the Tigers reigned triumphant with a score of 37-6.

Until next year, we close the book on Homecoming but invite all to mark your calendars for Oct. 5-8, 2017, when we will gather to celebrate once again as the Tiger family!

ALUMNI News IT’S NOT JUST A T-SHIRT!

MENTORING PROGRAM KICKS OFF The Tiger Mentors freshman-alumni mentoring program began its pilot project in September. Students in six designated sections of the Freshmen Seminar course have been matched with alumni mentors.

This has resulted in 136 mentor pairings.

The program will last through the 2016-17 academic year, with a celebration of the completion of the year set for April.

The goals of the program are to increase the connection first-year students feel with Fort Hays State University and the Hays community and to increase students’ academic self-confidence.

Volunteer mentors represent 20 states across the country and the District of Columbia as well as 41 communities across Kansas. To participate in the program, mentors agreed to undergo a background check and complete a profile including information on their current activities, involvement as FHSU students, and interests. Similarly, students completed profiles indicating their intended majors, FHSU activities of interest and hometowns.

This information was used to match mentors and their students.

Fort Hays State received a grant to offset costs of the background checks through the Kansas Mentors program. The Kansas Mentors program, of which the Tiger Mentors program is a partner, is a statewide mentoring partnership that connects existing mentoring programs with one another and serves as a resource center for communities wishing to start a program.

Charlene Nichols, assistant alumni director, who is leading the program said, “I have received notice from several mentors about the positive relationships that they have already developed with their students.”

“Others have commented that they appreciate the opportunity to give back to Fort Hays State in a new, meaningful way. It is great to know that we are helping to build connections between different generations of Tigers, and also between alumni and their alma mater, that will last far beyond this academic year.”

Alumni who are interested in participating in the mentoring program should contact Nichols at the FHSU Alumni Association at canichols5@fhsu.edu or by phone at 888-351-3591 for additional details.

INTERESTED IN HOLDING A REUNION? The Alumni Association is dedicated to developing, fostering and advancing the relationships of the Tiger community.

Historically, the Association has provided planning support and facilitation for FHSU reunions during the Homecoming weekend. In an effort to further that support, the Association has created an online request form for those groups interested in scheduling a reunion.

As a new initiative, reunions may be scheduled all-year long, providing alternative opportunities for gathering at times other than Homecoming, often limited by its already busy schedule. Interested groups should complete the online request form at www.goforthaysstate.com/reunionrequest for consideration of reunion implementation by the Association.

Established in 2011 by the Alumni Association, the Tiger Generational T-shirt Project raises funds for the Tiger Generational Scholarship, awarded to FHSU students with one or more generations of Tigers in their families who hold paid membership in the association.

Each year, a new theme and shirt are designed. To date, more than 84 deserving students have received the scholarship to assist in their educational endeavors at FHSU. Eligible students may apply online.

For the 2016-17 academic year, 22 students were selected to receive a $500 scholarship.

“Both of my parents, four grandparents, three uncles and my older sister have attended Fort Hays State. This university means more than words can describe to my family. FHSU opened the door of success for us and we are forever grateful.”

- Abby Gales, Coldwater. Granddaughter of Jerry 59’ & Dianne (Miller) 59’ Anderson, Kinsley.

Funds for the scholarship are also generated through the Tiger State of Kansas educational license plate program available at your local county treasurer’s office.

To make a difference in a student’s life, order your shirt(s) today by calling toll-free 888-351-3591 or online at www.goforthaysstate.com/tigergifts.

Seven of the 2016-17 Scholarship recipients include, back row: Katherine Rabe, Spearville; Abby Gales, Coldwater; Dalton Steinert, Otis; and Schyler Brown, St. John. Front row: Kiara Sharp, Healy; Monica Michaud, Hays; and Madison Macari, Augusta.

GOFORTHAYSSTATE.com

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ALUMNI Profiles

GRANT BANNISTER

STEPHANIE CONKLIN

MARINA NEIRA

Interests in justice and public service led to a career in law for Grant Bannister, Manhattan, who now holds the distinction and title of Honorable District Judge of the 21st Judicial District, serving Riley and Clay counties.

Appointed to the position in early September 2016, by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Bannister officially took the bench Oct. 17 after 20 years in private practice as a partner of Knopp & Bannister, PA. Bannister, who received an economics degree from FHSU in 1993, utilized a foundation of analytical and critical thinking skills he acquired to pursue a career in law.

He attributes one class in particular, General Logic, for providing the tools necessary to “construct or deconstruct an argument which has certainly lent itself to the practice of law.”

As a student, Bannister campaigned and was elected Student Government President, a position he said helped introduce him to numerous groups, people, meetings and issues.

Although naturally introverted, he admits, Fort Hays State provided Bannister with not only the opportunity but also the ability to participate in activities “because I could see the value in the organizations, and I wanted to contribute. These experiences were critical in reinforcing that not only in spite of, but maybe because of being an introvert, there was a lot of value that I could add to any organization.”

Bannister encourages today’s students to do several things. First, be honest about the cause of any success or failure they have encountered. Then challenge themselves to do better, and always believe that they can succeed. “FHSU believes in you enough to direct a lot of resources to all kinds of student services. So find the student support service you need, and utilize it.”

It’s not often that one is asked to plan his or her own awards ceremony, but that was the case for Stephanie (Standley) Conklin, a 2002 elementary education graduate, from Olathe, who serves as principal at Brougham Elementary School, one of 35 elementary schools in the Olathe School District. She thought the “ceremony” was simply a guest visit from state and local leaders, her duties limited to organizing an assembly, scheduling musical entertainment by students and providing a welcome of the special guests. She was wrong.

To her complete surprise, Conklin was named a 2016 Milken Educator, receiving a $25,000 cash prize and joining the ranks of an elite class of educators from across the nation. Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken was on hand to present the award Friday, Oct. 7. As quoted in a press release by the foundation, he stated, “The educational outcomes that Stephanie Conklin has helped to drive at Brougham Elementary School are outstanding and a true example of the leadership that’s needed to ensure children’s success.”

Her passion for education began at FHSU. Although originally a psychology major, this soon changed when she grew envious of the experiences of education majors living on her floor in McMindes Hall, so she took her first education class and was immediately hooked. Conklin attributes her education for laying the foundation she needed to become a teacher.

Her journey took her through several teaching positions in the Kansas City area while concurrently completing her master’s degree from the University of Kansas from 2005-2007, thus leading to a position as an administrative intern before taking her post at Brougham in 2010.

Conklin credits her success and the award to the people around her. “We have great teachers at Brougham. It could have been many different people who received the award.

It is a reflection on my school community.”

Recent graduate Marina Neira [pronounced “nai-da”] quips when reflecting on her transition from student to young professional: “It is funny to think of the moments when you are sitting in class, because many times you may tell yourself ‘I’m never going to use this outside of school.’ Well, you do.

I honestly have to say that all of my major classes were very interesting, and I learned a lot from them. I always get excited when I hear a term I learned in class actually used at work because 1) I know what it means, and 2) I was paying attention in class!”

Neira has quickly climbed the ranks within the Albuquerque Convention Center in the two short years since her graduation in 2014 with a degree in tourism and hospitality management. Beginning as a banquet server, she advanced to catering supervisor after just two months, holding this position for one year before her promotion to assistant food and beverage manager, now serving as food and beverage manager since August 2016.

She chose FHSU to advance her education because “it just felt right.” As a student, Neira learned many pertinent skills: networking, teamwork, how to work with a broad range of personalities, how to train others and more. The fine details of “dress to impress” and “know the company for which you want to work” were vital elements in her education. “My advisor not only taught classes but she made sure to provide students with real life skills and knowledge that we would need for the real world.”

Neira encourages students to not grow up too fast. “Enjoy your time in college by picking classes that interest you. Getting involved in organizations is a great way to meet friends, and you’ll get a better idea of the everyday events that happen around the university.” Also, she states, “you can never ask too many questions. There is always something new to learn.”

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

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From clothing to jewelry and watches to house decor, there’s something for everyone this holiday season!

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Orders received by Dec. 15 will be processed in time for the holidays. Thereafter, we cannot guarantee receipt of items for gifts. Orders received after Dec. 23 will not be processed until Jan. 4, 2017, due to holiday break. Thank you.

ATHLETICS News

TIGER ATHLETICS The front Porch of the university

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

ATHLETICS News

T

he past year has seen athletes competing in intercollegiate sports at Fort Hays State University produce All-America efforts, high national rankings and record-breaking performances – both team and individual.

But one of the things Curtis Hammeke probably is proudest of is how many studentathletes each year are honored for what they do in the classroom as well.

About 270 – more than half of the 450plus athletes wearing the black and gold of Fort Hays State – are honored each year for maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or above.

“We want to give our student-athletes the opportunity to compete at a high level,” said Hammeke, in his 13th year as athletic director at FHSU. “But the academic experience speaks for itself. Those two elements, and service to the community, are the three things we touch on when recruiting student-athletes. Then we feel we will send a well-rounded graduate out to society.”

Hammeke feels athletics play a big role in that process.

“Athletics are the front porch of a university,” Hammeke said. “It creates an opportunity to unify a university, to bring people together at a common event whether it be alumni events or on-campus events. It’s a source of entertainment and discussion.”

“Athletics are going to provide visibility one way or another,” he added, “and we want that to be something positive.” State-of-theart facilities are a vital part of that equation, Hammeke said.

show that our facilities are second to none.

Ours don’t need to be as good as the others; they need to be better.”

In addition to ongoing improvements to existing facilities, Fort Hays State has been able to showcase some of the best new facilities among universities competing at the NCAA Division II level.

FHSU’s soccer complex is just five years old. An indoor training facility, which includes a 50-yard turf field and a separate weight training room, was completed in 2013 and provides a place to practice, no matter what the weather is like outside.

Construction of a new track and field complex adjacent to the Tiger soccer complex is nearing completion with plans to be ready for the 2017 spring season.

“We’ve got great community support that’s allowed us to improve our existing facilities and the new development of others,” Hammeke said.

The success of athletic programs in general is on the rise at Fort Hays State.

Last year, the football team advanced to post-season action for the first time in 20 years and is continuing that same type of success this fall. Since Chris Brown took over as coach for the 2011 season, the Tigers have improved their record by one victory every single year. In 2015, they tied the school record for most wins in a single season with their 8-4 record.

The men’s soccer team is consistently ranked in the national poll and is the twotime defending Central Region champion.

The women’s soccer squad was nationally

“We’ve got great community support that’s allowed us to improve our existing facilities and begin the new development of others.”

Curtis Hammeke, Director of Athletics

Athletes from more than 20 different states and eight other countries filled rosters in 16 different Tiger sports this past year.

“Where we are at geographically, whether it’s a faculty member, a coach, a student-athlete, a general student, an administrator, we’re trying to attract to this town and university,” Hammeke said in reference to FHSU’s location in rural western Kansas. “For our athletes, our facilities that we offer need to be outstanding.

“We’re not in the midst of a high population base,” he continued. “We need to

ranked for the first time in program history this fall and was co-champion of the MIAA. Both Tiger soccer teams qualified for the 2016 regional tournament.

The women’ basketball team jumped out to a 16-1 start to the 2015-16 season, including victories in its first 10 games.

That led to a No. 1 ranking in NCAA D-II for the first time in school history last year and its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Men’s basketball appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in program history last year, continuing its long tradition of success.

Numerous sports featured at least one All-American last year, led by women’s track and field, which had two athletes earn that achievement in the same event for two consecutive years. Two wrestlers earned AllAmerica honors – the first time since 2010 that more than one Tiger placed in the top eight at nationals the same year.

Men’s cross country had a runner qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2015, and the women’s squad qualified for nationals this fall. The 2015 and ’16 volleyball teams recorded the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 2003 and ’04 seasons. The women’s tennis team had a banner fall 2016 season; after losing their first two duals, the Tigers finished with five consecutive team wins.

Tiger golf featured a top-10 regional finisher in men’s competition in 2015, and the softball team has been the leader on the diamond in recent years, including a regional runner-up finish in 2013 when the Tigers finished 47-12.

Much of the success of the athletic programs across the board, FHSU President Mirta M. Martin said, can be attributed to the generosity of donors who have established scholarships specifically for student-athletes. With more scholarship money available, athletes can concentrate more on their sport and academics without having to work a lot of hours. “We are forever grateful for their support,” she added.

“It’s an ongoing quest to increase scholarship amounts,” Hammeke said. “We have made great strides in that area and will continue to do so. Increased scholarships have helped our programs grow. That wouldn’t be possible without university support and donor support.”

Hammeke, who grew up in Great Bend, is pleased with the progress he has seen in more than 20 years of association with Tiger athletics.

He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State and coached the Tiger baseball team for five years before leaving in 1996. He returned to his alma mater in 2004 as athletic director.

Hammeke’s two oldest children are Fort Hays State graduates, and his youngest son is a current FHSU student.

“This university means a lot to me; it’s meant a lot to my family,” Hammeke said. “I’m very proud of Fort Hays State University and am very interested in continuing to help it grow and improve.”

FHSU.EDU/artandesign FHSUATHLETICS.com

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FEATURE Stories

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

WE ARE GROWING FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY IS UPHOLDING TRADITIONS AND GROWING FOR OUR FUTURE

T

he phrases “we’re building” and “we’re growing” have taken on several meanings at Fort Hays State University.

From actual bricks and mortar to developing new programs to increasing enrollment, there’s a whole lot of building, and growing, going on – on campus, throughout the state, the region, the country and the world.

Earlier this semester, the Kansas Board of Regents announced that FHSU was the third largest university in the state with its all-time high enrollment of 14,658. In addition to the 4,712 students on campus, that historic number includes 6,694 students taking courses through FHSU’s Virtual College and 3,252 more at partner universities around the world.

“That didn’t happen by accident,” said Dr. Mirta M. Martin, president of FHSU. “Our historic growth continued into a 16th straight year because of our entrepreneurial spirit, our dedication and hard work and the support of alumni, donors, students and employees who support our new vision for FHSU.” In the literal, physical sense of building, the university is currently in a construction phase like no other time in the school’s 114year history.

The construction of three new buildings is currently under way. Another was completed just in time for the fall semester, and another is in the planning and/or design stages. And there are three major remodeling projects on campus as well.

“You can go anywhere on campus and see the physical signs of growth,” Martin said. “But we’re also building in ways that aren’t always so visible to the naked eye. Our academic colleges, for instance, are not only building access to our programs of distinction and growing unique partnerships, but they’re also continually educating and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.”

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photography by Mitch Weber Several of those future leaders moved into the Dane G. Hansen Scholarship Hall this fall as the finishing touches were still being applied. Hansen Hall is a 12,775-square-foot, three-story residence hall for 32 aspiring entrepreneurs.

Residents in Hansen Hall are able to witness firsthand the ongoing progress of another building next door – a four-story, 450-bed, 110,748 square-foot residence hall that will replace Wiest Hall.

Down the block to the east, at the corner of Dwight Drive and Elm Street, construction crews are busy erecting the 31,000 square-foot, three-story residential life building for Greek organizations designed to house four groups of 24 students each.

Across campus, on the former north parking lot for the Memorial Union, beams are being raised for the new Center for Applied Technology, a 58,000 square-foot structure that will house all of the industrial technology programs, technology and engineering education and a sculpture/art studio.

Nearing completion is a new track and field facility adjacent to the Tigers’ soccer complex, and all around campus is ongoing construction of new parking lots.

Meanwhile, inside existing buildings is the university’s mission “to educate the next generation of leaders,” Martin said.

“FHSU has positioned itself as the premier forward-thinking, world-ready university in the Midwest,” said Dr. Joey Linn, vice president for student affairs.

“Having 16 consecutive years of record enrollments speaks for itself.

We congratulate the faculty and staff at this great institution for truly making a difference in hundreds of students’ lives each and every year.”

FHSU.EDU/roar

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY’S PROGRAMS OF DISTINCTION: Petroleum Geology

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

By Randy Gonzales Photography by Jared Tadlock

D

r. Hendratta Ali – like the program she developed – is unique.

Ali, an associate professor of geosciences at Fort Hays State University, is one of the few female faculty members in the field of petroleum geology. She arrived on campus six years ago not only to teach, but to develop, the petroleum geology undergraduate program at the university.

Now, FHSU students can obtain a bachelor’s degree in geosciences with a petroleum geology emphasis. The local energy industry helped the program get started in 2008, when FHSU announced it would add a petroleum geology emphasis within the school ’s Department of Geosciences.

Ali said offering an undergraduate program for petroleum geology, in addition to a graduate program which now has an emphasis in petroleum geology, makes Fort Hays State stand out among other universities.

“I think it’s unique because most

students these opportunities to gain handson practical experience,” she added. “This collaboration between our university and our local industry has given our students a competitive edge in the current job market.”

Dr. Grady Dixon, chair of the Department of Geosciences at FHSU, understands the benefits of having an undergraduate petroleum geology program.

“I think it shows the advantage of having a small university and small program. We can be nimble and adjust to the constantly changing needs of our students and the citizens of Kansas,” Dixon said. “Larger universities are often more invested in graduate students, so undergraduates must wait to get involved in discipline specializations and research. At FHSU, we have the luxury of letting students gain valuable experiences earlier in their academic careers.”

Before applying for an open position at FHSU, Ali had heard positive things

“In addition to teaching specialized courses at the undergraduate level, one of the biggest selling points is we have an apprenticeship program.”

Dr. Hendratta Ali on petroleum geology program schools – even the big institutions – don’t have a petroleum geology program at the undergraduate level,” Ali said.

FHSU has something else that sets it apart from others with its undergraduate petroleum geology program.

“In addition to teaching specialized courses at the undergraduate level, one of the biggest selling points is we have an apprenticeship program,” Ali said. “Most schools let students do internships in graduate school. We have an apprenticeship that is required for all of our undergraduates.

“Our apprenticeship program has been a success thanks to the support of local companies that are willing to give our

about the school from Mindy Parsell, a Fort Hays State geosciences alum. Parsell was a graduate student at Oklahoma State University while Ali was there working toward her Ph.D. When the FHSU opening popped up, Parsell encouraged Ali to apply.

“Everything else, it started with her,” Ali said. “She always talked to me about Fort Hays State.”

But back in the day, if Ali had anything to say about it, she would have chosen a different career.

“Geology was not my thing; I was not exposed to geology until university and never had a geography class in school,” Ali said. “My thing was literature. When I was

in secondary school, I read an entire library of books.”

“I wanted to write stories, I wanted to learn languages,” she added. “I was into the arts. I love dancing, too. I love literature. I enjoy history.”

Ali grew up in Cameroon, a diverse country in central Africa known for its varied terrain, everything from mountains to grasslands to the Atlantic Ocean on the coast. Cameroon is best known for its national soccer team. It is also culturally different from the United States. Ali’s family wanted her to be a medical doctor.

“For my culture, parents know better,” Ali said. “When I was in the equivalent of 10th grade, you have to start deciding what major you will be in. I wanted to do history and literature because it came easily to me. I didn’t have to study. I had to study math and chemistry and physics to get good grades.”

But Ali heeded her family’s wishes and went to college in Cameroon with the goal of becoming a physician. She didn’t make it into medical school on her first try, so Ali studied biochemistry while waiting to try again. One of her classes was physical geology.

“I did my best, and my best was better than the majors in the class,” Ali said.

Still smarting from not being accepted into medical school, Ali was advised by a professor to consider geology. Her graduate advisor recommended Ali continue her education in another country.

“I like to say the U.S. chose me,” Ali said.

Even though Ali’s career path veered, she still enjoys the same things she did before.

“I still read a lot,” Ali said. “I feel like if I want to write a book I can still write it.”

Perhaps that book could be about how a woman from faraway Cameroon makes her mark in Hays, America.

“Most people still see America as the ultimate land of opportunity,” Ali said.

Fort Hays State gave Ali her opportunity.

“I ended up at Fort Hays State because they chose me,” she said, “as simple as that.”

FHSU.EDU/stm

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FROM FHSU TO MARS

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photography by Jared Tadlock

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

T

he only son of a uranium mines worker in Grants, N.M., Joe Erdman thought his path in life would take him to college and then back home to work in the mines.

After graduating from Fort Hays State University in 1985, Erdman never made it back to his hometown – except to visit.

Rather than extracting uranium ore from deep beneath the earth, Erdman’s career path guided him into aerospace projects involving military and NASA programs.

Erdman currently is a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Littleton, Colo., where he is working on Orion, America’s next generation spacecraft for NASA’s mission to Mars by 2028. He oversees the entire harnessing integration for the service module portion of the Crew Exploration Vehicle built for four astronauts, which is set to fly beyond the moon and back in a vital test of its systems in 2018.

Erdman credits some of the values learned on the plains of northwest Kansas for helping shape his future.

Unsure of what to major in at Fort Hays State, Erdman chose business but didn’t care for accounting. So he switched to industrial education (now called technology studies), “and that’s what really opened the door for me,” he said.

“I didn’t really want to teach, so I took a lot of classes in the electronics and drafting side of the program,” Erdman said. “They had a great electronics instructor there named Jim Walters, who really made a difference in my education.”

“It’s called problem solving,” said

company that specialized in aerospace and electronics.

“I wouldn’t have gotten the job without the degree; that got me in the door,” he said.

“I think it was a plus for me coming from Fort Hays State. Engineering schools can be so big, and you’re just a number. (At FHSU) you’re in a smaller group and break up into even smaller groups to work on things. That helps when you get in the real world. You can’t hide and let someone else take over in a smaller class. The same is true in real life.”

Erdman got the opportunity to apply for the Martin Marietta job because of another principle in which he strongly believes — service.

About a year out of college, he was working in a RadioShack store in Englewood, Colo., and often helped a customer who regularly came into the store to ask about transistors.

“He came in a lot, and I was the only one who knew how those transistors worked, so I helped him out. I was the only one who would wait on him,” Erdman said. “It was all about service. I treated him right. That’s just what you do, treat people right.”

That same customer returned the favor one day when he asked Erdman for his resume. The customer’s wife happened to work in the human resources office at Martin Marietta. That corporation – which merged with Lockheed Corp. in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin – was looking to fill several positions at the time.

Erdman successfully sought one of those positions, and so began a career for Erdman

“I wouldn’t have gotten the job without the degree; that got me in the door.”

FHSU alum Joe Erdman

Walters, an assistant professor who taught at FHSU for 26 years before leaving in the late 1990s to enter private business full time.

“These students know how to put 2 and 2 together and figure things out,” said Walters, who is now retired and still living in Hays.

“We were blessed with kids who were really directed, and I’m really tickled to see that so many of them have done so well.”

Although he didn’t have an engineering degree, Erdman said his bachelor’s degree is what helped him secure a draftsman’s job at Martin Marietta Corporation in Littleton, a

that he would never before even dreamed of.

During that time period, he worked on his Master of Telecommunications Degree at the University of Denver, completing it in 1992.

“Martin Marietta was starting to become more engineering-degree centered,” he said.

“I had to do something, so I decided to get my master’s.”

Earning a master’s degree and working on NASA projects were in stark contrast to Erdman’s goals heading into high school.

“My dad was a uranium miner. My

sister worked in the mines,” Erdman said.

“Everything was centered around that.

Mining is what people did. I figured that’s what I would do after college.”

A family friend had told Erdman’s parents about a tradition-rich Catholic boarding high school in Hays, Kansas: Thomas More Prep-Marian. So at 14 years old, Erdman packed his belongings and headed to northwest Kansas.

After graduating from TMP-Marian in 1981, Erdman said he couldn’t make up his mind where to attend college.

Eugene Segura, a graduate of Fort Hays State, happened to be from the same hometown as Erdman. Segura often invited Erdman to the FHSU campus to attend athletic events, and he convinced Erdman to check out the university just a few blocks from his high school.

Erdman, a standout middle distance runner, said at the time he was probably more interested in sports than academics. So he walked on to the Tiger track team, then later earned a track scholarship – and a degree.

He was an all-conference runner in the 800 meters and wound up doing quite well academically after all. He earned academic all-conference honors in track and was treasurer of Epsilon Pi Tau, an honorary fraternity for industrial arts students.

It wasn’t the path he had intended to take, but looking back, Erdman said he thinks his ability to remain flexible was key to his success.

“I was not a 4.0 student. I was not a valedictorian or salutatorian,” he said. “But I was always willing to do whatever they asked me to do. I’m kind of still that way.”

It’s a career that will make for some interesting stories to tell his grandchildren someday – and others that he can’t talk about at all.

“I’ve gotten to work on a classified program. I will go to my grave not talking about that program and knowing it was the coolest program I ever worked on,” Erdman said. “I’ve gotten to work on missions that put men and women into space. There aren’t too many people in the population who can say that.”

“God’s providence has been involved in all this,” he added. “Some people say I’m lucky that things turned out the way they did. But I think I’m blessed, and there’s a difference.”

FHSU.EDU/stm

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

PRESCRIPTION FOR LEADERSHIP W

B y Ra n d y G o nza le s

hen he was a practicing physician, Dr. Joseph Parra affected patients’ lives on a daily basis. One might think since Parra is now a hospital administrator, that is no longer the case.

Not so for the Fort Hays State University graduate.

Parra, chief medical officer at Orange Park Medical Center in Orange Park, Fla., since October 2015, believes he affects even more people in his current position. As a doctor who saw patients in a hospital, he cared for perhaps 20 people a day. When he was a medical director with 10 physicians under him, the math translated into 100 patients a day for whom he was responsible, he said.

“As CMO now, I take care of an entire hospital, affecting the care of an entire hospital full of patients,” Parra said.

When he realized he wanted to get into hospital administration, Parra recognized the fact he needed more of a business background.

Parra was working at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita when he decided to pursue his Master of Business Administration. Parra chose FHSU, taking classes online for two-and-a-half years before graduating in December 2015.

“I had been doing a lot of leadership with the hospital, growing in my career,” Parra said. “I realized I didn’t have a lot of business background training in the business side of medicine.”

Getting his degree online with FHSU appealed to Parra.

“I had heard it was a good program,”

Parra said. “It was in the state, which was nice, because I’m Kansas born and bred.”

Growing up in Kansas City, Kan., Parra, 38, wanted to be a doctor from an early age.

Several family members of his are physicians.

along, work at your own pace.”

Getting his MBA at Fort Hays State facilitated the transition to hospital administration for Parra. What worked for him could work for others, too.

“The online aspect was great. The professors were great. I’ve recommended (FHSU) to people who are looking for MBAs.” Dr. Joseph Parra, MBA online graduate

“I just like taking care of people,” he said.

“I like making a difference in people’s lives.”

Now, he does that as an administrator, overseeing everything from provider care to nurse practitioners to risk management and patient safety. But to get to where he is now, Parra needed that piece of paper on the wall.

That’s where FHSU came in, and what he learned at Fort Hays State helps him today.

“You have to know finances, and I really didn’t have that background,” Parra said. “The MBA helped there.”

Parra admitted the thought of getting his MBA online was a little scary at first, but the people at FHSU helped him through it.

“The online aspect was great. The professors were great,” Parra said. “I had never done an online course before. It was a learning curve for me initially, just how to do it. They really eased you into it, showed you how to do it.

“Each professor was just a little bit different,” he added. “It was easy to follow

“I’ve recommended (FHSU) to people who are looking for MBAs,” Parra said.

Parra said accepting his current position in Florida was a good move both professionally and personally. He is also looking toward the future and what it might hold.

“I think I’m eventually going to head one of two routes,” he said. “Either move up on the CMO side with our company, or the other option I’m considering is the CEO side of a hospital administration.

“I really wanted to move into this,” he added. “I like doing this from a high level. I feel like I take care of more people this way.”

Parra said making the career change to the administrative side was the right choice.

FHSU was the right choice, too.

FHSU.EDU/mba

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THE

PAINTING PICTURES, TELLING STORIES, CHANGING LIVES

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photography by Jared Tadlock

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

T

he artist stepped back and smiled almost sheepishly. A visitor to his domain marveled at the ease with which Joel Dugan sketches lines on a life-sized canvas, using a piece of charcoal attached to a long stick.

Dugan’s eyes twinkled, and he shrugged.

For a painter of his caliber, this is all in a day’s work.

Dugan, assistant professor of art and design at Fort Hays State University, was busy working on Phase 2 of “The Journey,” a group of historical murals to be displayed in the FHSU Memorial Union.

His eyes moved toward the small drawing on the easel more than 10 feet away.

He tilted his head a bit to the right as he added another line to the drawing.

A red beard covered a youthful-looking face that deceives the appearance of a man in his mid-30s, but Dugan’s passion for his work is more difficult to mask.

That passion is far greater than the large number of paint tubes lying on a nearby table. Beneath Dugan’s paint-spattered apron beats a heart that burns a fire unmatched by many.

A history buff with a compassion for community and family, Dugan and Dr. Mirta M. Martin – just a few months into her presidency at FHSU – came up with the idea of placing some murals on campus that portrayed the rich history of the community and the university.

“You paint them,” Martin told Dugan, “and we’ll find a place to hang them.”

The name of the mural collection, “The Journey,” coincides with the Journey Campaign, a $100 million, five-year capital campaign spearheaded by the FHSU Foundation and the largest in the university’s history.

Dugan’s journey into the world of creating art for others to enjoy began long before he ever set foot on the FHSU campus five years ago.

He remembers admiring his grandmother’s prints of legendary artist Norman Rockwell, whose paintings and illustrations reflected American culture.

“Norman Rockwell was so talented at capturing the pure essence of compassion and community and family engagement in such a way it spoke of a mirroring of what I grew up to know,” he said. “That’s what I want to do here.”

Dugan does exactly that in every stroke of the brush he takes, every work of art he completes. His soft-spoken demeanor raises an octave when he begins talking about one of the murals that shows a student walking across campus.

“I wanted to leave that figure blank so that students can walk under the painting and envision themselves as that student,” he said. “That’s leaving the door open to let the viewer be an active participant.”

That open-mindedness is one of several reasons why students are drawn to Fort Hays State – and into Dugan’s classes.

Mike Knutson, FHSU graduate

“The number one thing is the fact that he is honest and open with conversations with students,” said Tristan Lindo, a senior studio arts major from Garden City who first met Dugan at an art exhibition when Lindo was in high school.

“I got an award from him at that exhibition, and then I saw his work, and my fascination in his painting was sky high,” Lindo said. “I knew I wanted to learn under him at Fort Hays State because of his talent.

Then I got to know him, and I knew I wanted him to be my mentor because of how he works with students.”

Lindo’s twin sister, also a studio arts major at FHSU, echoed her brother’s thoughts.

“He genuinely cares about the success of the student,” Hannah Lindo said, “not only in the art world but personally. That means so much to students.”

Both Lindo siblings are enamored with how Dugan “tells a story with his paintings” and hope to follow in the footsteps of their mentor someday. Both have aspirations of becoming teachers of art after graduation.

Dugan got the opportunity to tell some of those stories at Fort Hays State by taking over for long-time painting professor Mick Jilg, who retired in 2011 after 30 years of teaching at Fort Hays State.

“It isn’t easy replacing a Mick Jilg,” said Lee Powers, then chair of the art department who now is on phased retirement from

FHSU. But there was something about Dugan that intrigued Powers – and the search committee charged to find Jilg’s successor.

“People are often cautious about expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised (with Dugan),” Powers said.

“Mick had a great reputation, was a bedrock kind of faculty member who makes people wonder, ‘What comes next?’ ” What came next was a 31-year-old fresh out of graduate school who grew up in Florida, went to college in Michigan and Indiana and didn’t care where he

“Professor Joel Dugan really gets students to believe in themselves and to believe in the process more than anyone I’ve known.” landed in life, as long as he could help students succeed.

One former FHSU student said that Dugan has already accomplished that with his uncanny knack of connecting with students.

“Out of all my years in higher education, Professor Joel Dugan really gets students to believe in themselves and to believe in the process more than anyone I’ve known,” said Mike Knutson, now an art instructor at Garden City Community College who studied under Dugan at Fort Hays State.

“Professor Dugan is all for the students, all for the community, all for the university, making sure everyone around him succeeds,” Knutson continued. “He’s always looking at how he can create a better learning environment for the students. He will go out of his way to make sure they succeed and help them develop their own rules and guidelines for success.”

Powers agreed that Dugan possesses an art, if you will, for knowing how to deal with people.

“The magic question when hiring someone new is how one interacts with his or her constituencies,” Powers said.

“One of the most important of those groups, of course, is the students. It’s a rare gift, and Joel has it.”

FHSU.EDU/artanddesign

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To learn more visit http://foundation.fhsu.edu or contact your FHSU Foundation at 785.628.5620 or foundation@fhsu.edu

DREAM • BELIEVE• SUCCEED

By Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photography by Jared Tadlock and Mitch Weber

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

I

n what many called an “eye-opening experience,” Fort Hays State University started a program last summer that it hopes will make a difference in hundreds of students’ lives for years to come.

It could also continue to boost the enrollment, which with this past fall’s increase in numbers made FHSU the thirdlargest university in the state of Kansas.

Modeling a successful program she helped start in Virginia, FHSU President Mirta M. Martin brought the Hispanic College Institute – the first of its kind in the state – to western Kansas.

The institute is traditionally run by a host of voulenteers, but this time was organized by FHSU staff. It is a free, fourday residential program that prepares first generation Hispanic students for success in higher education.

Nearly 90 students heading into their junior or senior years of high school came from Kansas, Missouri and Colorado to

participate in the inaugural HCI at Fort Hays State in June. The experiment was a huge success.

“I think it’s really cool how Fort Hays State started this,” said Damian Espinosa, an HCI participant who is a senior at LangdonFairfield High School in Reno County this year. “I think I really want to come here to Fort Hays State. I was really looking into this college before I came here, but now, I definitely think I want to go here.”

During the week, students attended workshops on a variety of subjects, ranging from public speaking and social media to understanding the foundations to succeed in college to the process of taking the ACT and applying for college.

The day before their departure, students participated in a math and technology day.

Students also had small-group discussions and met Hispanic leaders who have been successful, providing inspiration as well as networking opportunities.

One of those leaders was Dr. Sonja Esquivel, an assistant professor and counselor at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Esquivel grew up in Garden City, the youngest of 10 children of Hispanic parents. As a young single mother, Esquivel worked her way through college, earning an associate degree, then transferring to Fort Hays State, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees before eventually getting her Ph.D. at Kansas State University.

Esquivel told the HCI students they could reach their American dream by joining the Fort Hays State family.

The word “family” – “familia” in Spanish – was used frequently during the week, and family is important to Martin, who at 6 years old escaped the Communist regime of her native Cuba with her grandmother and younger sister, while the rest of her family remained behind.

“Here at Fort Hays State, you don’t only FHSU.EDU/hci

25

have a community, you have a family to support you,” Martin said.

Martin told the HCI students that as the fastest growing minority in the United States, “you need to be educated so you have access to meaningful careers.”

Two out-of-staters on hand for the HCI surely would recommend choosing Fort Hays State as their college destination.

Two friends of Martin, Isaac Rodriguez from Tennessee and Pam Urquieta from Virginia, had participated in numerous HCIs, a takeoff from the Hispanic College Fund, which was started more than 20 years ago in Washington, D.C. During her time in Virginia – where Martin worked in higher education for more than 20 years before being named FHSU’s ninth president in May 2014 – Martin helped create a statewide HCI there.

Martin knew Rodriguez and Urquieta from the Virginia HCI and invited them to Kansas this summer to help in any way they could at Fort Hays State’s HCI. However, Rodriguez and Urquieta often found themselves literally sitting around,

“We came as strangers, and now we’re leaving as family.”

Damian Espinosa, Langdon-Fairfield High School senior

taking in the scenery and enjoying the students’ enthusiasm.

“There’s not much they need us to do; it’s already done,” Urquieta said.

“We haven’t seen such organization as this,” Rodriguez added, almost in awe.

“We’ve been commending Fort Hays State, telling them that it seems like they’re pros at this. You would never believe this was their first (HCI). The volunteers are rock stars.”

Brett Bruner, director of the event’s planning committee, said there were several reasons that Fort Hays State was able to pull off what no other university had done quite like this before.

“All of us on the committee had eventplanning experience, so we were able to utilize all those experiences in the execution of the event,” said Bruner, director of transition and student conduct at FHSU. “Plus, we planned it for 11 months, and yes, volunteers are crucial to the program.”

Bruner considered it an advantage 26

planning the event as a university team rather than relying on an outside organization because “we were able to provide specific information at a specific institution level.”

From their perspectives, Rodriguez and Urquieta think Fort Hays State could call on the success of its first HCI as a model for other categories of first-generation students.

“This is a great template for any group,” Rodriguez said. “This is a pipeline you can use for so many other programs.”Martin agreed.

“If you’re a first-generation student, it doesn’t matter whether you’re purple, green or blue. You’re a first-generation student,” she said. “There’s no reason why we couldn’t have an African-American College Institute.

There’s no reason we couldn’t have a Farmers College Institute. First generation students don’t need to feel they are alone.”

Students definitely did not feel alone at the HCI. “We went from being strangers to being really, really good friends, really good family,” said Jessica Pulido, a senior from Great Bend. “Before I came here, I was a really shy person.”

Current Fort Hays State students, who were called “leads,” helped at the HCI and were positively impacted as well.

“In high school, I didn’t have any help. I was a first-generation student,” said Yoana Cruz, a junior management major from Garden City. “My parents didn’t have any idea how to get through the process. I wanted to be a guide to other Hispanic students so they don’t go through the struggles that we did.”

Edna Galindo-Esquivel from Liberal, a freshman majoring in social work, said she wanted to be a “lead” so she could help fellow Hispanics.

“I got to meet a lot of really great ladies,” Galindo-Esquivel said. “It was a lifechanging experience, for sure.”

It was an experience that HCI participant Espinosa, and so many others like him, said they will never forget.

“We came as strangers,” Espinosa said, “and now we’re leaving as family.”

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MY Journey

My Journey M

y name is Jensen Scheele, and I am an athletic training senior originally from Marysville, Kan. As I’m approaching my graduation date this upcoming May, I’ve started to reflect about my time here at FHSU. One of the biggest reoccurring themes has been the impact scholarships have had on my education.

While the majority of students on campus receive some form of scholarship, I am not like the majority. Outside of being a full-time student, I am also a mother.

When I was 16 years old, a few weeks from finishing my sophomore year of high school, I gave birth to my daughter, Aubree. Before her, I was a typical overachiever. I had straight A’s and was highly involved in athletics, dance, extracurricular clubs and our church youth group.

From an extremely young age, I dreamed of going to college, with Fort Hays State University being at the very top of my list, but the statistics are against teenage mothers graduating from high school, let alone graduating from college.

My mother and the rest of my family knew my dreams and were supportive in whatever decision I made. I knew the only way I could provide for my daughter was by getting a college degree. So after giving birth and finishing my sophomore year, I left my high school and classmates I had grown up with since preschool and transferred to an online high school to graduate on time. This not only allowed me to maintain my grades but I could be at home to raise my daughter. I was able to graduate on time as well as at the top of my class while getting to spend every day with Aubree for two and a half years.

I decided on Fort Hays State University for college early on in my junior year of high school.

My family lived nearby who could help me with Aubree, and it was also extremely affordable.

During my senior year, I was then accepted into

the Distinguished Scholars Program, which was the predecessor to the current Honors College.

Even with all of this, I was still extremely nervous about college because of the expense.

Not only did I have the normal costs of tuition and books, I also had to worry about a daycare expense as well as providing for my daughter.

I didn’t think it would be possible for me to go to school and work, while being able to be the mother Aubree deserved. However, once I had officially been accepted into FHSU, the scholarship opportunities started rolling in.

Before I knew it, my tuition and my books were covered completely. It was clear FHSU had donors who cared about the students and wanted them to succeed while they were here on campus.

Since day one of my time here at FHSU, I have had some form of scholarship from the university, and nearly all of my tuition has been covered. Because of this, I haven’t had to work near as much, so I’ve been able to maintain my grades to keep my scholarships and my membership in the Honors College. After three years of college, I have achieved a 4.0 grade point average, while also being highly involved on campus with leadership positions in Fort Hays State Honors Society, Phi Kappa Phi and membership in the Athletic Training Club. I also made the transition from Distinguished Scholars Program into the Honors College.

This program has blessed me with not only a substantial scholarship, but also with leadership and professional skills I wouldn’t have gained anywhere else. Through this program, I have also found my closest friends who are truly my family here on campus. They are extremely supportive of Aubree and me and I can count on them for anything.

There are so many people to thank for my success here at FHSU. My family, friends,

athletic training professors and mentors have all played a huge role in helping get to where I am now. But it’s also important to thank the scholarship donors. But the one thing I will never be able to thank the donors enough for, is a gift I had taken for granted until recently, the gift of time with my daughter. As an athletic training major, I spend a majority of my afternoons and weekends at practices or games to complete clinical hours. If I had to worry about working full time on top of those hours and studying, I would never get to see my daughter. Because of scholarships made possible by the donors, I haven’t had to work full time, and I’ve been able to spend my free time with Aubree at home as well as creating precious memories with her which could never be replaced.

So I want to give the donors a thank you from the very bottom of my heart. The generosity they have shown has allowed me opportunities I never thought were possible. Focusing on my grades helped me win professional athletic training scholarships from both the district and national level. This upcoming May, I will graduate with my Bachelor of Athletic Training, something only 2 percent of teenage mothers will accomplish before they are 30 years old.

My student loan debt is minuscule compared to what it would be without scholarship supplementation. But more importantly, because of their selflessness, they have allowed me to be a mother to my daughter. There will never be enough words from Aubree or myself to express how much we appreciate what has been done for us here. Aubree and I will be forever thankful to be a part of the wonderful Tiger Family.

To support students like Jensen visit http://foundation.fhsu.edu or contact your FHSU Foundation at (785) 628-5620 or foundation@fhsu.edu.

http://FOUNDATION.FHSU.edu

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TIGER TEACHER NATION EDUCATING KANSAS TEACHERS

By Randy Gonzales Photography by MITCH WEBER

I

f your goal is to become a teacher, Shawn Henderson is your man.

Henderson, director of field experiences for the College of Education at Fort Hays State University, prepares students for student teaching. He places student teachers at schools. He helps student teachers find jobs. He helps people without an educational background become teachers. He helps teachers with professional development.

“My job, first and foremost, is to help coordinate all the placements that come from the College of Education,” Henderson said. “We have a lot of students. What I learned really quickly is that Fort Hays State has an incredible footprint.”

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When he was working as a band director and later a principal, Henderson enjoyed impacting lives on a personal level. Now in his second year at FHSU, Henderson has had to make some adjustments. He’s still helping people, but through different means.

“I’m a people person, and a lot of my world now is on the phone and the computer,” he said. “But the thing is, you still have the opportunity to make connections and help people out.”

Henderson expects a group of about 125 students for the class of student teachers next spring. Because of the online component, his current group of student teachers numbers 76 in seven states, and one

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in China. Henderson has a color-coded map on his office wall with a pin representing the location of each student teacher.

“My main job is to be the teacher of the student teacher,” Henderson said. “What I often joke about is that I used to be a principal, and now I talk to them all day long. I call on behalf of our students to make connections in the fields where they are going to be student teaching.”

Every student teacher at FHSU has a cooperating teacher at the school willing to be his or her mentor. FHSU also employs a supervisor who mentors both the student teacher and that teacher’s mentor at the school.

“I am so fortunate to have had a group of people who pushed me to succeed.”

Michaela Gower, first-year elementary education teacher “I coordinate the whole process,” said Henderson, who also keeps in touch with the student teachers himself. “We just want to make sure everybody is on the same page of how to work with our students.”

Michaela Gower, a first-year teacher in a fifth-grade classroom at Roosevelt Elementary School in Hays, said FHSU provided the assistance she needed as a student teacher.

“Mr. Henderson and members of the Teacher Education Program provided an immense amount of support while I was student teaching,” Gower said. “They were always willing and ready to answer any question. In addition, they held meetings for the student teachers in order to provide us with a community of support.”

One aspect of his job Henderson appreciates is finding a teaching position for his student teachers.

“I really like to try to find people jobs,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.”

Henderson said most of the state is experiencing a teacher shortage. He thinks everyone who works in education should encourage students to become teachers.

According to the Kansas Association of School Boards’ website, more principals and superintendents in the state graduated from FHSU than any other institution.

“It is still an amazing profession, and it always has been,” he said. “The opportunity to make an impact on children’s lives and change the future – it’s still there.”

It’s a challenging time, Henderson said.

But with challenge comes opportunity. For example, FHSU is a leader in the Transition to Teaching (T2T) program.

“That is an alternative pathway to becoming a teacher,” Henderson said.

“We’ve had tremendous success with T2T.” For example, if a person with a business degree wants to try something different and become a teacher, in T2T that person could teach business in a school district that has an opening while at the same time earn teaching credentials through FHSU’s online program. Currently, Fort Hays State’s T2T group, which covers a two-year program, numbers 190. There are 117 who comprise this year’s incoming cohort, the largest ever at the school.

“The FHSU T2T program allowed for an alternate route for me to reach my goal of becoming a teacher,” said James Harris, who teaches physical education and technology exploration at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School and computers at the junior high. “The program design and curriculum provided me with the knowledge and background that I needed to become a successful teacher.

“The direction and support from all involved made this a unique experience and an opportunity that I will forever be grateful for,” he added. “Teaching has always been my dream and because of the T2T program, I can now live my dream.”

FHSU also assists para educators who would like to advance to become teachers. If accepted in the Teacher Education Program, a para can fulfill the FHSU teacher requirements over two years in the school’s residency program. At that time, the para would meet the requirements to become a teacher.

“They continue with their job and are given time during the workday to finish the Fort Hays State requirements as they go through the residency program,” Henderson said. “They come out a teacher. All of a

sudden I go from a para – not making a lot of money – to teacher. People refer to it as ‘grow your own.’ It’s super attractive to a school district.”

FHSU also assists current teachers. The Kansas Center for Innovative Education provides workshops tailored to specific educational needs. As the KCIE director, Henderson looks for ways to enhance professional development for teachers.

Planned for this fall was the third annual regional development day, with more than 75 sessions for educators.

Henderson knows how much teachers make an impact. That’s what makes it so rewarding to help teachers.

“Teachers make a difference,” Henderson said. “So, if you help a teacher get into the profession, and you support them so they can stay in the profession, then we know exponentially they are going to impact the lives of people – and that’s just going to balloon out. “That’s what gets me excited.”

Gower said FHSU made a huge impact on her. “My educational experience at FHSU has shaped me into the person I am today,” she said. “I chose FHSU because of the people. The professors within the Department of Teacher Education took the time to get to know me as a student and as a person.

“I am so fortunate to have had a group of people who pushed me to succeed,” she added. “I am using the skills I learned within my classes as I teach today.”

Looking to the future, Henderson is pushing the concept of Tiger Teacher Nation, where FHSU teachers are kept track of, and they can connect with – and support – other Tiger teachers in their area.

“When I send a Tiger to a geographic area, I want to connect them to the other Tigers in that area,” Henderson said. “To be honest, they need the support.

“We want it to mean something when you say you are a part of the Tiger Teacher Nation.”

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GALÁPAGOS Experiencing Biology Firsthand

By Randy Gonzales Photography by David Levering

I

n high school, Kayla Wright dreamed of one day going to the Galápagos Islands, where famed naturalist Charles Darwin visited. Fort Hays State University helped make that dream come true.

Wright, a sophomore zoology major from Aurora, Colo., was one of seven FHSU students who visited the Galápagos Islands as part of FHSU’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History’s effort to reach out to undergraduate students. That spring break trip of 2016 also included a visit to the cloud forest in Ecuador. FHSU provided some financial assistance to students for the trip, which was organized by the museum.

“My experience in the cloud forest and Galápagos Islands was amazing,” Wright said. “I remembered when I was in my biology class my sophomore year of high school learning about Darwin’s finches and just dreaming about going to the Galápagos one day. So when I was actually there it didn’t feel real.”

David Levering, education director at the Sternberg Museum, led the expedition.

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courtsey of FHSU’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History

Levering hopes to lead a student trip to the cloud forest in Ecuador for spring break 2017. He also plans a trip to the cloud forest with a group of high school students in June 2017 as part of Sternberg Museum science camps.

“It has an incredible level of biodiversity,” Levering said.

Wright had seen and heard about the Galápagos Islands, but said it was nothing compared to being there.

“It was something I never imagined I’d get to do,” Wright said. “You hear about this place on National Geographic and Discovery Channel, but you never really think about actually getting to go to a place like this.

“I think it’s great that FHSU provides these kinds of trips because it gets us into the world.”

Kayla Wright, FHSU Sophomore

Levering said the students’ reactions to the trip to the Galápagos Islands and cloud forest were overwhelmingly positive.

“The entire experience was as much as – or more than – they were expecting,” Levering said. “I think there’s an element of being closer to wildlife and close to nature in a very physical sense that is very difficult to prepare for.”

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“I love animals, and to be able to see a giant tortoise in its natural habitat was something that really drew me in; also just being in a place with so many different species of animals and birds that you can’t see anywhere else,” she added. “The idea of seeing where the birth and idea of evolution took place was pretty awesome as well.”

Connor Phelan, a junior geosciences

major from Rangely, Colo., enjoyed the bike trip down the mountain from the cloud forest.

“It was an excellent way to see all of the sights as well as explore the new territory outside the comfort of a vehicle,” he said.

One of the highlights for both Phelan and Wright was snorkeling – with reef sharks.

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to snorkel,” Wright said. “I love seeing all the wildlife beneath the surface because it’s not something I get to do every day. So any time I get the option of snorkeling, I take it head on. This was also the first snorkeling trip that I actually got to see a sea turtle, which was absolutely amazing.”

“At one point during the trip we were swimming in a lagoon/bay type area and we saw a few fins popping out of the water,” she

added. “We began to realize that we were swimming with some docile reef sharks; I think about five or six of them. We were freaked out to begin with, but all the locals told us before we went out that these sharks don’t attack, so that was just a nice reassurance.”

Wright also thinks it was commendable that Fort Hays State affords students these kinds of opportunities.

“I think it’s great that FHSU provides these kinds of trips because it gets us into the world,” Wright said. “Some of these students would never be able to go to half of the places FHSU offers if they it were on their own.

“This gives so many kids opportunities to explore new things and maybe get them interested in different career areas that they never thought to explore,” she added.

“I honestly suggest the study abroad programs to everyone, because I think it’s so important for students to get out and explore the world as much as they can while they can.”

Phelan also was appreciative of a great adventure being coordinated by Fort Hays State.

“I truly think that FHSU providing these experiences is of the utmost importance for students,” he said. “Not only is it a great time, but it allows us to view the actual subjects we study in ways that cannot be provided by books or the internet.”

For more information on the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, go to sternberg.fhsu.edu.

STERNBERG.FHSU.edu

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By Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photography by Mitch Weber

O

ne decision Ashley Butler didn’t have to be concerned with while preparing for college was where to enroll.

A sophomore elementary education major from Ellis, Ashley had heard enough stories from her older sister, her mother and her grandmother to know that Fort Hays State University was pretty special to her family.

So after graduating from Ellis High School in May 2016, Ashley stayed close to home to continue her education at the institution where her great grandparents attended school and where her great-great grandfather worked as a custodian in the 1940s and ’50s.

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“I knew people from the band program, and I knew it had a really good education program,” said Ashley, a music education major. “It was close, so I could still live at home, and I could get a really good education at a good cost.

“And, of course,” she added with a smile, “there was the generational thing.”

That “generational thing” for Ashley’s family began more than 70 years ago when William Smith – her great-great grandfather – worked as a custodian in the library, then located in McCartney Hall, from 1944-55.

Smith and his wife, Olive, lived in a

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home owned by the college, then called Kansas State Teachers College of Hays.

As best as Ashley’s grandmother, Arleen Whittaker, can recollect, the home was located approximately where Hammond Hall sits today.

Whittaker visited her grandparents with her parents, Fay and Gussie Smith, who were attending summer school at FHSU. “I remember my grandfather walking to work across Big Creek and going over a swinging bridge,” she said. “It was a pretty wooded area back then.”

Smith didn’t know it at the time, but

he was starting a family tradition that has spanned parts of eight decades and the presidency of six of FHSU’s nine top leaders in the school’s 114-year history.

Arleen’s father earned a bachelor’s degree in 1951, and both her parents received life teaching certificates and taught at numerous places before landing in Great Bend.

In addition to visiting her grandparents at their home, Arleen accompanied her parents to Hays when they returned to campus over the years for summer school.

When it came time for Arleen to choose a college, “it wasn’t even a thought of going anywhere else for me.”

Arleen was an only child, and she pursued a degree in music education, graduating in 1955 from Fort Hays Kansas State College, which it was named at that time. She also earned a master’s degree in elementary education and taught elementary school 36 years before retiring in 1994.

“Considering my background with Fort Hays State, it was always my intention to go there; that was a given,” Arleen said.

Ditto for Arleen’s youngest daughter, Sheryl Butler.

After attending Barton County Community College in her hometown of Great Bend her first two years, Sheryl continued the family tradition and came northwest to Hays and enrolled at the college that had been renamed yet again – to Fort Hays State University.

“Even if I would have thought about going anywhere else, she’s such a promoter of Fort Hays State,” Sheryl said of her mother. “She was a big influence on me. She always liked the small-college feel.”

Sheryl graduated in 1986 with a psychology degree and two years later started Dream Inc., a counseling and

educational service for those dealing with alcohol and/or drug addiction and their families. Today, Dream serves people from the surrounding area and also has two outreach offices – in Russell and Great Bend.

Sheryl credits an FHSU professor who helped her secure an internship that directed her toward her career path.

“I had worked with Dr. Tom Jackson on an internship for an abnormal psych class,” Sheryl said. “I wanted to do a practicum, get some hands-on experience to see if that’s

that’s the (grade level) my grandmother taught for a lot of years.”

While she taught music in the school system for only one year, Arleen remained involved in music, giving private piano lessons and directing choirs over the years.

Music is still a big part of Arleen’s life.

She plays the organ at her church, and she also frequents Hays – and the FHSU campus – to attend Ashley’s music events.

“My grandma is really proud of me to continue on the music side,” said Ashley, who plays the trumpet in the Tiger

“Considering my background with Fort Hays State, it was always my intention to go there; that was a given.” FHSU graduate Arleen Whittaker what I wanted to specialize in. He made that happen, and that’s how I learned what I wanted to focus on.

“That’s where with the smaller colleges, you have professors where you can approach them personally,” she added.

Nearly 30 years later, Sheryl’s oldest daughter, Kelsey Beale, graduated from FHSU with an elementary education degree and teaches kindergarten in a Wichita magnet school.

“My viewpoint was, ‘We’re right here, and this is a good college,’ ” Sheryl said. “It’s a degree, and they do a really good job here.”

Kelsey said she visited one other college during high school, “but Fort Hays State was always the place where I was going to go.”

“My family having all gone here was a big part of that,” she added. “And it’s really neat that I’m teaching kindergarten, and

marching band and also is a member of FHSU’s jazz band, symphonic winds, wind ensemble, brass choir and pep band.

Kelsey said that Fort Hays State and education are synonymous for her family.

“With mom working in counseling and working with all those kids in Dream, that’s also education,” Kelsey said. “That’s really cool.”

Sheryl is just as proud of her daughters for keeping an important family tradition alive.

“I think the girls saw the accomplishments of everybody else in the family, and there were a lot of positive feelings from that,” Sheryl said. “I guess you can call it Tiger pride.”

FHSU.EDU/roar

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FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

By Randy Gonzales Photography by Mitch Weber

A

n avid fly fisherman, Dr. Yass Kobayashi has quite the fish tale to tell. Not about the one that got away (and he has plenty of those), but about the one he and his students are using for obesity research.

Kobayashi, associate professor of biological sciences at Fort Hays State University, has been using catfish in his obesity research for several years now.

“We’re trying to see if we can use catfish as a model to study human obesity development,” Kobayashi said. “We use catfish to see if we can study human problems. That is the whole goal of this.”

Each year, Kobayashi oversees a lab full of undergraduate students who are K-INBRE scholars. FHSU has had K-INBRE scholars since the inception of the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence in 2001, which receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. Of FHSU’s 30 scholarships through

K-INBRE, 17 have been awarded since Kobayashi’s arrival on campus in 2010.

Eleven of those scholars have worked in Kobayashi’s laboratory.

“I try to provide financial incentive to work in my lab, and K-INBRE scholarships are one sure way to provide financial support for my students,” Kobayashi said. “Students also get recognition by K-INBRE because their names are listed on the K-INBRE website.”

Kobayashi expects his K-INBRE scholars to generate data to present at the annual K-INBRE symposium. In addition, all of his students, especially his K-INBRE scholars, present at a national or international scientific conference before they finish.

“By presenting their data at the conferences, students have documented evidence of their research activity, which is crucial when they put in their application for professional schools,” Kobayashi said.

Kobayashi usually chooses his K-INBRE

applicants from his classes. Once accepted as K-INBRE scholars, the students typically start working for Kobayashi in the summer and continue the following school year.

“I think that being a K-INBRE scholar has benefited me greatly at FHSU because with that scholarship, I have been able to completely focus on my research and school studies without having to worry about getting a job as well,” said Derby senior Rebekah Spainhour, a biology pre-veterinary medicine major. “I was really honored and felt very blessed to be one of the few chosen to receive the scholarship.”

Helping his students succeed, helping them take the next step in their careers, is what motivates Kobayashi. The students he has chosen each year for his lab are like family.

“What I get out of it the most, I come to commencement, I know they’re going to walk across that stage,” Kobayashi said. “I

FHSU.EDU/biology FHSU.EDU/roar

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Class Notes ALUMNI

often consider my research students as my children. So, knowing that’s my kid out there, walking across the stage, graduating from college and moving on to bigger and better things, makes me feel very proud.”

Kobayashi will often choose a certain type of student for his lab, one not just based on his or her grades, but also based on character.

career goals but also have great character as a person.”

A typical Kobayashi lab student is competitive.

“Granted, some of our students (in the lab) are not really interested in pure research,” Kobayashi said. “They’re trying to get experience to become competitive.”

While that student also is often from

“I think that being a K-INBRE scholar has benefited me greatly at FHSU … I have been able to completely focus on my research and school studies.”

Rebekah Spainhour, Derby High School senior

“If you look at the students in my research lab, my students are pretty good students but need that extra push to become competitive applicants for any type of post-baccalaureate program,” Kobayashi said. “I would say conducting research gives them the extra experiences they need.

“I don’t just look how they do in my classes,” he added. “There’s another thing that’s common in my students: They have sheer, unbending determination to achieve their 36

a small town – he or she can see the world working for Kobayashi. His students often present papers at national conferences in big cities.

Paige Buer, a Concordia senior majoring in biology, has already presented her research data at national conferences in San Diego and Bethesda, Md. She has learned a lot in the lab.

“I think having this lab at Fort Hays State is amazing,” Buer said. “Here at Fort

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FALL 2016

Hays State, it’s so personal and it’s so handson. Having a mentor who is so available and really cares about you – we’ve all been kind of a family in the lab. It’s been a really great experience.”

Even if most of Kobayashi’s students don’t go on to become biomedical researchers, they do become doctors, dentists and veterinarians. And they often do return to their small-town roots, giving back to their communities.

“Most of the kids want to come back and help the community they grew up in, or the surrounding area,” Kobayashi said.

What FHSU does is provide the opportunity to be successful. Being smaller than some other schools is a plus, Spainhour said.

“I think this school is better than other schools because it is smaller,” she said.

“You have more opportunities to build relationships with your teachers and get the help that you need.”

Kobayashi was given the opportunity to succeed when he was college age. That’s what he’s trying to provide for his students now.

“What most students need is somebody to give them opportunity,” Kobayashi said.

“We can’t guarantee success. All we can do

is say, ‘This is your opportunity. I will give you a chance – see what you can do with it.’ ” Now, back to that fish tale.

The ever-competitive Kobayashi has his obesity study on the hook, and he won’t ever let it go. He’s been searching for the answer since 2007, when he was working as a faculty member in a small university in northwestern Mississippi. And years from now, he suspects, he will still be searching for answers. Because that’s what scientists do.

“It will be for a long time,” Kobayashi said with a laugh about his obesity research on catfish. “It’s like climbing a mountain and you can’t see the peak. You think you reach the peak, then there’s some more.

“That’s how it’s supposed to be,” he added. “When you design an experiment, conduct the study, gather the data and analyze it, it should hopefully answer what you asked at the beginning but also lead you to more questions.”

Aside from the obesity study, Kobayashi is also looking at what he can do next for FHSU students. He realizes that FHSU can become a leader in providing training in

biomedical sciences for ethnically and socioeconomically under-represented students.

Kobayashi wants to increase the number of these students being trained at FHSU and successfully moving on to biomedical careers.

“I would like to develop a program especially for the Hispanic students and first-generation students coming from socioeconomically challenged backgrounds,” Kobayashi said. “I’m trying to help them by giving them the same opportunity I had when I first started all these years ago as a university student.”

Kobayashi would like to increase the number of first-generation students attending FHSU, students like himself, who was the first in his immediate family to attend college and receive degrees.

Kobayashi came to the United States from Japan in 1987 to attend college. His worldly possessions filled two suitcases – plus he had his fishing rod.

Kobayashi learned how to fish from his grandfather when he was 6 years old. Now, he travels to New Mexico’s streams to fish for trout. Kobayashi prefers to make the long drive to New Mexico. It reminds him of his youth, when he would ride with his father,

who was a truck driver.

“In high school, I would ride with him on the weekends; it was fun,” Kobayashi said. “One of the things I like is to take a long drive. As scary as it is to go down to New Mexico – especially when there’s a road with nobody on it – I actually enjoy driving the road.

“It’s just enjoyable,” he added. “It’s probably from my dad. That was the job he loved. He didn’t get it until his 40s, but he found it.”

Kobayashi has found his passion, too.

One can see it in the way he interacts with his students. One can see it in the smile on his face when he recounts their experiences.

He’s always proud of their accomplishments.

One can see that, too.

“All of the students in my lab have good hearts,” Kobayashi said.

They’re not the only ones.

Shop the latest in Tiger apparel and gifts at the Fort Hays State University Bookstore

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE 600 Park Street | 785.628.4417 | fhsushop.com

FHSU.EDU/roar

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TIGER Notes SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH THE TIGER COMMUNITY. We want to hear from you, whether it’s new employment, honors, appointments or births.Visit www.goforthaysstate.com/ alumupdate or send your news to FHSU Alumni Association, One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601 or email alumni@fhsu.edu.

CLASS NOTES 1960s

Delbert Erickson ’65, Atwood, was inducted into the Newton High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Coralee (DeWald) Thornburg ’61, ’70, Utica, has been inducted into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

1970s

Debra (Oliphant) Ermoian ’76, Hays, joined the Victory Christian Academy staff as an upper-grade elementary teacher.

Greg Johnson ’71, Parkville, Mo., retired from the UMKC School of Dentistry as a clinical professor emeritus DDS after 18 years, followed by his retirement from the U.S. Navy Dental Corps.

Rebecca (Meier) Sander ’75, Hays, was appointed to the Board of Nursing by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

1980s

Ward Cassidy ’85, Saint Francis, was appointed to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

Stephen Kirkham ’82, Colorado Springs, has retired from his position as athletic director of the University of Colorado.

Linda Riedy ’81, Salina, is the director of the Meals On Wheels program sponsored by the Saline County Commission on Aging.

Dana (Poteet) Waters ’95, Fowler, was selected as the Distinguished Alumnus for 2016 by Dodge City Community College.

Brad Shores ’83, Haven, is the scramble band and athletic band director at Bethel College, North Newton.

Annette Wiles ’91, ’93, Lawrence, has been named athletic director of Topeka High School.

May Schumacher ’87, Hays, was named director of Student Fiscal Services at Fort Hays State University.

2000s

1990s

Michael Akers ’92, New Braunfels, Texas, is the women’s golf coach at the University of North Texas, Denton.

Blake Bittel ’94, Ellis, was appointed the 23rd District Judge by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.

Mark Bowers ’99, ’02, Cheyenne, Wyo., is an education consultant in the Career and Technical Education Division of the Wyoming Department of Education.

Jeff Gross ’92, McCook, Neb., has been promoted to principal of McCook High School.

Sandee Mott ’97, Denver, is the senior associate athletic director for University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Lorrie (McClelland) Mowry ’92, ’99, Cambridge, Neb., was named the 2016 Outstanding Faculty Award recipient at McCook Community College and was recognized by the Nebraska State Business Association as a 10-year consecutive recipient of the B.E.S.T Teaching Excellence Award.

Sandy Billinger ’02, Roeland Park, is the recipient of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award as a faculty member of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Andrew “Andy” Demko ’05, Longview, Wash., was named a 2016 National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehram Institute of American History.

Mike Koerner ’00, ’05, Hays, was awarded first place in the DJ Personality Aircheck by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Benjamin Markley ’05, Laramie, Wyo., was appointed by The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees as an assistant professor for the Department of Music.

Cole Reif ’08, Great Bend, is serving as a campaign co-chair for United Way of Central Kansas.

Lesley Schmidt ’08, Park City, was elected state president for Kansas Agri-Women.

Ginger Neier ’93, Scottsdale, Ariz., is a senior designer at Krause Interior Architecture, Inc.

Drew Thomas ’07, ’07, Prairie Village, is an assistant principal at Olathe East High School.

Jason Pavlu ’96, Ness City, earned salesman of the year at Simpson Farm Enterprises, Inc.

2010s

Kendall Krug ’83, Hays, was awarded the Claude M. Devorss award for his work with the Kansas Lions Statewide Low Vision Program (KanLovKids).

Amy (Macy) Schaffer ’96, Hays, is the university compliance officer and deputy Title IX coordinator/lead investigator for FHSU.

Maggie (Boley) McKain ’83, Osborne, is a part-time vocal teacher at Tipton Community Catholic Schools.

Dustin Schlaefli ’96, ’97, Hays, accepted two TeleChoice awards from the NTCA on behalf of Nex-Tech.

38

Rachel (Gardner) Angel ’03, ’05, Paradise, is the executive director of The Family Crisis Center, Great Bend.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

FALL 2016

Kelli (Kubal) Fischer ’13, Scotland, S.D., is a speech therapy teacher for Stewart Elementary School.

Jera Gales ’16, ’16, Goddard, is an English, speech and drama teacher for Cheney High School.

Clinton Goebel ’13, ’15, Garden City, has been promoted to senior accountant with

TIGER Notes Lewis, Hooper & Dick LLC. Ryan Herrman ’10, ’10, Salina, was named manager of the KCoe Isom Salina office.

MARRIAGES

Lauren (Bolyard) Mahrous ’11, ’14, Lubbock, Texas, is a unit coordinator at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Loren Pepperd ’68 and Paula Gilliland, July 16, 2016.

Craig Nicholson ’16, Wichita, has signed a two-year basketball contract to play with CS Cuza Sport Braila of Liga I in Romania.

Jordan Niernberger ’13, Kansas City, Mo., is the satelite office leader with Total Quality Logistics, Cincinatti, Ohio.

Regan (Ochs) Reif ’13, Great Bend, is the campaign co-chair for the United Way of Central Kansas.

John Schott ’13, Wichita, senior director of export programs for Kansas Global Trade Services, has joined the board of directors of the Kansas Main Street Program.

BIRTHS 2000s

Justin and Cindy ’02 (Steiner) Keller, Lenexa, a boy, Gavin James, June 14, 2016.

Austin and Krista ’04 (Lutgen) Wasinger, Sabetha, a boy, Ryker Thomas, May 19, 2016.

William ’07 and Shannon ’07 (Dechant) Wylie, Lakewood, Colo., a boy, Liam Ford, Jan. 16, 2016.

2010s

Jay ’14 and Jordan ’14 (Matlock) Petz, Hays, a boy, Bo Clay, May 9, 2016.

Cade ’12 and Tiffany (Werner) Scott, LaCrosse, a boy, Lakin Robert, July 18, 2016.

1960s 1970s

John Streck ’45, Hays, May 7, 2016.

A. Corrine “Connie” (Miller) Wilson ’47, Salina, May 10, 2016.

1950s

W. Ardon Brandyberry ’55, Hutchinson, June 22, 2016.

Danny Stecklein ’77 and Marla (Braun) Wasinger ’87, June 3, 2016.

Shirley (King) Buehler ’51, Denver, July 5, 2016.

2000s

Merlyn “Bud” Moeckel ’55, ’72, ’72, Hays, July 21, 2016.

Brent Swart and Leanna Roberts ’09, June 11, 2016.

2010s

Bryant Bombardier ’15 and Kylee Watts ’14, ’14, July 16, 2016.

Jason Mayers ’14, ’14 and Sara Tullis, July 30, 2016.

Benjamin Meyer and Kamee Benisch ’15, July 16, 2016.

Ryan Mortimer and Erin Champlin ’15, June 4, 2016.

Trevor Ottley and Nicole Walz ’13, ’14, July 9, 2016.

Levi Prieb ’16 and Danielle Schweizer, July 9, 2016.

Dalton Radiel ’16 and Lindsay Eitel ’16, June 25, 2016.

Henry Robert “Bob” Wagner ’50, Dodge City, March 13, 2016.

Nova L. (Moody) Wells ’56, Arlington, Texas, Aug. 7, 2016.

1960s

Kenneth E. Apsley ’63, Bettendorf, Iowa, Dec. 29, 2015.

Larry Poague ’65, ’70, ’76, Fairway, June 12, 2016.

Violet (Jamison) Riffe ’61, Wellington, June 29, 2016.

Francis A. Seybold ’61, Peoria, Ariz., Aug. 10, 2016.

1970s

David L. “Dave” Comeau ’74, Denver, Colo., Aug. 23, 2016.

Steven Schroer and Kala Coulson ’15, July 9, 2016.

Mary Kay (Wasinger) Kimmitt ’74, Canton, Ga., Sept. 4, 2016.

Nathan Zimmerman ’15 and Jessa Stramel ’14, June 25, 2016.

Martha (Sandidge) McCabe ’74, ’76, Hays, Aug. 1, 2016.

IN MEMORY

1980s

1940s

Allen Mitchem ’40, Denver, Colo., Aug. 3, 2016.

Keith Meade ’47, New Milford, Conn., June 18, 2016.

Jacqueline Ann (Graves) Kohl ’80, ’04, Ellis, Aug. 24, 2016.

Shawn A. (Stewart) Larson ’84, Angier, N.C., July 7, 2016.

2000s

Daniel A. “Dan” Braun ’00, Victoria, Aug. 19, 2016.

GOFORTHAYSSTATE.com

39

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL GRADUATE PROGRAMS Master of Fine Arts Master of Arts in English Master of Arts in History Master of Business Administration Master of Liberal Studies - 19 concentrations available

Master of Professional Studies - 14 concentrations available

600 Park Street Picken Hall, Rm. 306 785-628-4236 gradschool@fhsu.edu www.fhsu.edu/gradschl

Master of Science in Biology Master of Science in Communication Master of Science in Counseling Master of Science in Education Master of Science in Education Administration Master of Science in Geosciences Master of Science in Health and Human Performance Master of Science in Instructional Technology Master of Science in Nursing Master of Science in Psychology Master of Science in Special Education Master of Science in Speech-language Pathology Education Specialist in Advanced Professional Studies Education Specialist in School Psychology Doctorate of Nursing Practice

DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN

Art and Design students are part of a vibrant community of student and faculty artists who enjoy producing their own artwork and collaborating on group projects.

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS CONCENTRATIONS BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS – GRAPHIC DESIGN Students will learn the process of visual communication, and problem solving through the interaction of conceptual thinking, typography, images, space, and color in order to convey information to an audience.

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS – INTERIOR DESIGN This degree will teach students how to work with clients and other design professionals to develop design solutions that are safe, functional, attractive, and meet the needs of the people using the space.

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS – STUDIO ART Students will receive a well-rounded fine art education through studying painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, photography, graphic design, interior design, and Art History.

BACHELOR OF ARTS CONCENTRATIONS 600 Park Street Rarick Hall, 102 785-628-4247 www.fhsu.edu/artanddesign

Bachelor Of Arts – Studio Art Bachelor Of Arts – Art History Bachelor Of Arts – Art Education

ARE YOU READY

TO LEARN HOW TO IMPROVE SOCIETY AND HELP PEOPLE?

AVAILABLE ONLINE

DESIGNED WITH WORKING PROFESSIONALS IN MIND. THE FHSU SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OFFERS AN 8-WEEK GRANT WRITING CERTIFICATION THREE TIMES PER YEAR. "For both the novice and veteran proposal writer, this class offers a blueprint for success in writing grant proposals. Along with the DVD, the clear and concise course guide takes you step-by-step through the proposal writing process."

- Gloria H., Grant Proposal Writer for a rural hospital in Minnesota

"I had the opportunity to enroll in other proposal writing courses. However, the advantage of your program was to do the course online and be able to view your video as many times as necessary for reviews. This course is an excellent opportunity for any professional having a busy work and home life.

Thank you!"

- Charlotte P., Community Relations Manager in a rural Kansas hospital

OTHER CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS OFFERED ONLINE • Building a Career in a Nonprofit Corporation • Certificate in Community Development • Certificate in Cultural Anthropology and Globalization • Certificate in Grant Proposal Writing and Program Evaluation • Certificate in Life Stages and Transitions • Certificate in the Sociology of Medicine and Aging • Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies

1-800-628-5840 sociology@fhsu.edu FHSU.EDU/Sociology/Academic-Programs/

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC AND THEATRE MUSIC AND THEATRE MAJORS, MINORS AND GRADUATE STUDY UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS Bachelor of Music in Music Education Bachelor of Music in Performance Bachelor of Music in Composition Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts (coming soon)

Bachelor of General Studies, Theatre Studies Minor in Music Minor in New Media Studies (coming soon)

GRADUATE PROGRAM Master of Liberal Studies, Concentration in Music Master of Profession Studies,

f

FHSU Music and Theatre www.fhsu.edu/music-and-theatre

Concentration in Composition

Master of Profession Studies, Concentration in Performance

STUDYING MASSAGE THERAPY CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU TOUCH. The massage therapy program at Fort Hays State University offers numerous opportunities for students, whether they’re just starting school or coming back to continue their education. The certificate program is flexible—it’s offered in a hybrid, online/on-campus format and can be completed in just two semesters. www.facebook.com/tigermassagetherapy www.fhsu.edu/Massage-Therapy

“EVERYONE NEEDS A MINIMAL DAILY DOSE OF TOUCH.”

DEEPAK CHOPRA ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ADVOCATE

785-628-4395

cmowens2@fhsu.edu

EDUCATION. WILDLIFE.

FUN. Want a unique nature experience?

Then, visit the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. KWEC overlooks Cheyenne Bottoms; the largest inland marsh in the United States.

Walk through state-of-the-art exhibits that tell the story of Cheyenne Bottoms.

Discover the magnificence of these wetlands and the animals and plants living there.

FREE ADMISSION • • • • •

KOCH WETLANDS EXHIBIT GALLERY LIVE ANIMAL DISPLAYS NATURE PROGRAMS VAN TOURS OF CHEYENNE BOTTOMS THE WETLANDS GIFT STORE

1-877-243-9268 • wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu

KANSAS ACADEMY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE AT FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY Kansas’ premier residential early-entry-to-college program for high school juniors and seniors.

Students selected to the academy earn a minimum of 68 hours of college credit in addition to graduating from high school.

The premier deadline to apply is December 15.

Students may apply after this deadline, though acceptance is contingent upon unfilled spots in the program.

For more information on the academy or to schedule a visit, please contact us at: 600 Park Street 785-628-4690 Phone Hays, KS 67601 785-628-4077 Fax FHSU.edu/kams kams@fhsu.edu

NOW SHOWING AT STERNBERG MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Galápagos Oct. 21, 2016 to Feb. 21, 2017

Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History is proud to host the North American premiere of this engaging traveling exhibition.

Galápagos is an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean and is famed for their vast number of endemic species studied by Charles Darwin.

EXHIBIT SCHEDULE Pasture & Range Plants Nov. 5, 2016 – Jan. 22, 2017 Enduring Roots Dec. 3, 2016 – June 2, 2017 Bee-lieve It or Not Jan. 29 – April 2, 2017 Art and the Animal March 25 – May 12, 2017 Permian Monsters May 27 – Sept. 4, 2017 U.S. premiere of this exhibit.

TM Sternberg Museum of Natural History 300 Sternberg Drive Hays, KS 67601

Web: sternberg.fhsu.edu Phone: 785-628-4286 E-mail: dalevering@fhsu.edu

HOURS Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sundays from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

CLOSED on Mondays (October-March)

CENTER FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY AND SCULPTURE OPENING FALL 2017

APPLY TODAY! PURSUE A DEGREE IN TECHNOLOGY STUDIES Communication/Drafting/Design Construction Technology Construction Management Manufacturing Technology Industrial Technology Technology Education Teacher Technology Leadership

PURSUE A DEGREE IN SCULPTURE The Studio Art degree program at Fort Hays State University is well suited for students who are mainly interested in pursuing a career in visual arts. Students will develop their creative skills and produce work that demonstrates critical and creative thinking. Students will receive a well-rounded art education through studying painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, drawing, photography, graphic design, and interior design.

FHSU.EDU/appliedtechnology (785)628-4211 FHSU.EDU/artanddesign (785)628-4247 FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY Department of Applied Technology Department of Art and Design

Earn Your Master’s in

ENGLISH Summers-Only MA Program

Or Year-Round Option with Assistantships Available • Only two summers residency required • Scholarships available (both summer and year-round) • Among the lowest out-of-state tuition rates in the country • Reduced tuition for residents in Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska • NCA and NCATE accredited • Established, quality master’s program Getting started:

It’s easy to get started with our streamlined application. Visit FHSU.EDU/english/MA-Programs or call 785-628-4285.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Forward thinking. World ready.

Fort Hays State University Department of English 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601-4099

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ADVERTI SI NG

CATERING FOR WEDDINGS, CORPORATE AND SOCIAL EVENTS

Chartwells at FHSU can create a customized menu for all of your catering needs.

From box lunches to Presidential Galas, we have you covered. Book now and receive a 10% discount! *

(785) 628-5396 *If booked and executed in the months of November/December 2016, January 2017.

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND MARKETING 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY ROBBINS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME! The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCOBE) is offering MBA students the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to spend a year in China, learning first-hand about one of the world's most dynamic and important markets, and adding a distinctive experience to their resumes, all while earning tuition coverage for an FHSU MBA, plus a $10,000 stipend each year. China Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) spend the first year of the two-year MBA program in Hays, Kansas, taking courses on campus and assisting faculty in Hays. The second year of the program is then spent on-the-ground in China, assisting the RCOBE's American faculty members. When in China, GTAs enjoy complimentary housing, cafeteria services, and airfare to China in August and back in June.

If interested in this international opportunity, please contact Rachel Dolechek, MBA Graduate Coordinator at 785-628-5696 or rldolechek@fhsu.edu. Complete details are available at www.fhsu.edu/mba.