Roar Magazine Vol. 8 / Issue 1 / Fall-Winter 2023 by Fort Hays State University

ROAR FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Vol. 8, Issue 1 Fall/Winter 2023

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Meet Xingyi “Jerry” Long

Xingyi “Jerry” Long, a student from FHSU’s partner Sias University, in Xinzheng, Henan, China, is bringing his musical talents to FHSU and to the Tiger marching band. He enjoys band favorites, like the FHSU Fight Song, In Heaven, and Tiger Rag, mastering the art of marching while playing his chosen instrument, the saxophone. In addition to the sax, Jerry plays piano, cello, and violin. After he graduates from FHSU, he anticipates a career as a private music instructor.

“

Music is truly the universal

language! Can you imagine traveling to a foreign country where you have no experience with the language, marching band, or sports? That is what Xingyi “Jerry” Long did this year and, with the help of the friends he met in the band, he was able to participate as a full-fledged member of the

”

FHSU Tiger Marching Band.

— DR. PETER LILLPOPP Director of Bands Associate Professor of Music, Low Brass

CONTENTS

ROAR MAGAZINE | Vol. 8, Issue 1 | FALL/WINTER 2023

Features 14

FHSU MEN’S SOCCER

Not just a team, a family

19 FROM CASTLES TO ALCHEMY

FHSU students’ extraordinary adventures abroad

TEACHING RESILIENCE

An FHSU professor’s life in Israel

EMPOWERING GLOBAL CITIZEN-LEADERS

Haley Williams and global ambassadors

A HISTORICAL VIEW

Tomanek’s research abroad in Argentina

FHSU GLOBAL LEARNING PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS Expanding in Southeast Asia

LANGUAGE CONNECTS PEOPLE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Robert Lloyd

Departments 02 03

FROM THE EDITOR CAMPUS NEWS ALUMNI AWARDS

12 44

TIGER ATHLETICS ALUMNI NEWS TIGER NOTES

ON OUR COVER: Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, England, site of FHSU study abroad experience 2023.

FHSU.EDU

FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF Welcome to the first edition of ROAR Magazine where all feature stories are built around a central theme: FHSU’s development of global citizen leaders. The theme comes directly from Fort Hays State University’s mission statement: Fort Hays State University provides accessible quality education to Kansas, the nation, and the world through an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals to develop engaged global citizen-leaders. In the pages of this edition, you will discover how members of the FHSU community are engaged in living the mission of the university by bringing the world closer to us in Western Kansas and bringing Fort Hays State University closer to the world.

Regards,

Scott Cason Gerry Cleary, FHSU Men’s Soccer Head Coach, Dublin, Ireland

Diminga Safietou (Safie) Salene Senghor of Senegal, West Africa, is a Global Ambassador.

Xinrui (Crystal) Wang of Luoyang, China, is a Global Ambassador.

Luciana Mendoza of Paraguay, South America, is a Global Ambassador.

Ayooluwa Animashaun, a native of Oyo, Nigeria, is a Global Ambassador.

Letters to the Editor

Thanks, Riley!

We received some complimentary notes from our readers regarding the Spring/Summer 2023 edition of ROAR Magazine. Here are a few: Congratulations to the ROAR staff on the recent publication! I can say for sure that there was something in there for just about every one of your subscribers. Well done!

—NANCY PIATT, VICTORIA

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I just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading all of the articles in the recent issue of ROAR. There were a variety of stories of interest to a range of people with differing life experiences. I think this variety is crucial to a good alumni magazine. I really liked the cover art. It was very Kansas! —JANIS HILL ’71,

MARIETTA, GEORGIA

Riley Tinder is a senior graphic design major from Basehor, Kansas, and the creative virtuoso behind the last issue of ROAR Magazine. Riley was responsible for the layout and design of the magazine, coverto-cover. She’s also a threeyear starter and senior cocaptain for the Tiger volleyball team. Riley will graduate in December 2023 after a distinguished academic and intercollegiate athletic career at FHSU. All of us in the Office

Dr. Ziwei Qi, born in Tianjin, China, brings her international perspective to the FHSU Department of Criminal Justice.

Dr. Vandeth Chea expands FHSUs global learning partnership efforts in Cambodia.

of University Communications want to thank Riley and wish her the best of luck as she moves on to the next great adventure in her life.

INTRODUCTIONS

CAMPUS NEWS

Editor in Chief Scott Cason Creative Director Stocks Creative Managing Editor Boyce Durr Senior Editor Dawne Leiker Writers Scott Cason Boyce Durr

Sarah Keiss

Dawne Leiker Robert Lloyd

Photographers Will Burns Boyce Durr

Dawne Leiker Contributors FHSU Alumni Office FHSU Athletics

FHSU Foundation

ROAR Magazine is published twice a year (fall and spring) by Fort Hays State University’s Office of University Communications. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FHSU Alumni Office, One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601

CONNECT Fort Hays State University @FortHaysState @FortHaysState FortHaysState

FHSU shotgun team celebrates new facility To kick off Homecoming weekend, Fort Hays State University community members, alumni, and friends gathered for a ribbon cutting at the Hays City Sportsmen’s Club to celebrate the newly completed Wilmer and Lorena Kellogg Training Center, home of the FHSU Shotgun Team. The facility would not have been possible without a generous lead gift from Lorena Kellogg and her late husband, Wilmer. Other individuals and businesses followed suit and contributed to bring the project to fruition. The Kellogg Training Center will provide additional resources to build upon the team’s past accomplishments. Not only will the team’s new head coach, Jerrod Lies, an FHSU Shotgun Team alum and former assistant coach, have an on-site office to provide mentorship to those currently on the team, but he can also meet and recruit future members in the new space. In addition, its new reloading room and equipment will allow multiple members at a time to efficiently reload shells. Unlike previous winters when team members shoveled several feet of snow to practice for upcoming competitions, the new indoor shooting simulations allow students to implement current technology to practice and improve their abilities year-round. Additionally, students living on campus have a place to store their shotguns and ammunition in the training center’s on-site storage. For information about the Kellogg Training Center or the FHSU Shotgun Team, please contact the Fort Hays State University Foundation at 785-628-5620 or head coach Jerrod Lies at 785-628-4566 or jglies@fhsu.edu. If you’d like to support the FHSU Shotgun Team, make your gift online today at foundation. fhsu.edu/donate and list “Shotgun Team” as your area of designation. FHSU.EDU

CAMPUS NEWS

Cybersecurity conference provides vital information for Kansas businesses The Kansas Small Business Development Center at Fort Hays State University offered its first cybersecurity conference, Cybersecurity 101 for Any Business, on Oct. 3 at the Robbins Alumni Center at FHSU. Focusing on real-life examples, the conference helped business owners and support staff learn more about cybersecurity, enabling an understanding of the importance of risk mitigation and actionable steps. “One of our goals for this conference is to help small businesses be informed and confident in taking proactive steps to protect their digital environments,” said Laurie Pieper, assistant director of KSBDC. “We are very excited about the partners that have come together to provide training and resources to support our business communities in Western and North Central Kansas.” Speakers from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Tree Top Security, Nex-Tech, FHSU, the U.S. SBA, and USD 489 provided valuable information and opportunities to connect with resources. “I’m excited about the Cybersecurity 101 For Any Business conference in Hays this year,” said Mark Griffin, assistant vice president and chief information officer for FHSU’s technology services. “Cybersecurity has a far-reaching impact, especially on small businesses. Providing this opportunity for our local small businesses to enhance their cybersecurity knowledge is invaluable. In today’s digital landscape, a single major cybersecurity incident can be catastrophic for a small business. This conference has the potential to educate and significantly reduce the vulnerability of our small businesses.” 4

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FHSU’s Applied Technology career fair expands its impact The Applied Technology Career Day, now in its eighth year, brought a record number of 67 companies to campus to meet, discuss career opportunities, and interview applied technology students. A special addition to this year’s career fair was the participation of students from FHSU’s affiliation initiative partners NCK Tech and Northwest Tech. FHSU’s strategic affiliation initiative with NCK Tech and Northwest Tech, announced last January, was launched to forge strong connections among the three institutions, their students, and the communities and businesses of Western Kansas. Participation in the career fair enabled faculty and staff to develop new synergies and

Faculty awards presented at fall convocation Highlighting Fort Hays State University’s fall convocation Wednesday was the presentation of faculty awards. Awards included the Faculty Member of the Year, John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor, and the President’s Distinguished Scholar Award. The Faculty Member of the Year award was presented to Dr. Carol Ellis, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders. Commerce Bank provided a

explore opportunities for collaboration. “I think students from the affiliation schools are enjoying the day,” said Kim Stewart, FHSU’s Department of Applied Technology chair. “What I’m hoping is that they not only find some internships or full-time employment, but maybe we can entice them to see the other opportunities at Fort Hays as well.” “It’s good when we can get students connected to so many businesses,” he said. “These companies are looking for hard-working young men and women. It’s a fun day when we get everybody in the same place, let them talk together, and make connections. This is what it’s all about.”

$1,000 stipend for Dr. Ellis in recognition of this honor. Dr. Ellis provides academic and clinical education to FHSU students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The 2022-2023 awards for scholarly activity went to Dr. Whitney Whitaker, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Lori Kniffin, assistant professor of leadership studies. Outstanding service awards went to Dr. Jerrie Brooks, assistant professor of advanced education programs, and Dr. Karmen Porter, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders. Dr. Carol Ellis, associate professor of communication

College of Education leaders awarded NASA grants Dr. Janet Stramel and Dr. Paul Adams of the Fort Hays State University College of Education were awarded several federal grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) via the Kansas Space Grant Consortium to support teacher training and professional development in Western Kansas. These grants will provide funding for a series of workshops for Kansas teachers to be held in the fall of 2023. “Through these grants, we are able to bring NASA into the classroom to spark excitement and interest in technical or scientific careers vital to the future growth of Kansas,” Adams said. The Dean of the College of Education, Adams, recently secured two grants. The first was a $21,700 award for FHSU’s Robotics for Middle School Teachers workshop program. The workshop provides teachers with a robot kit, training on how to work with their students and robots, an introduction to the FHSU Western Kansas Robotics Competition, and support to prepare team(s) to participate in an upcoming FHSU robotics competition. Teachers are also provided with information about NASA’s engineering programs and their

use of robots, along with an overview of potential careers in robotics that teachers can share with their students. Dean Adams' second Kansas Grant Consortium award of $25,390 was for FHSU’s High-Altitude Balloon workshop program. This workshop provides teachers with the tools that enable students to create an investigation of the upper atmosphere (up to 100,000 feet) with a balloon launch system provided by FHSU’s Science and Mathematics Education Institute and MakerVan. Participating teachers fly a flight and then return to their schools to work with students to design a later investigation to be flown during a return trip to FHSU with their students. Dr. Stramel’s grant of $36,461 will support the delivery of a workshop titled, Astronomy – The Year of Eclipses. The workshop will focus on preparing teachers to work with their students as they observe the two solar eclipses occuring during the 2023-24 school year (October and April). Participants will discuss eclipses, heliophysics (the study of the Sun and how it influences space), how to safely view solar phenomena, and work with two digital planetariums

designed for classroom use and operated by the FHSU Science and Mathematics Education Institute and its associated MakerVan program. Learn more about these and other FHSU Science and Mathematics Education Institute programs at fhsu.edu/smei.

sciences and disorders, and Dr. Richard Lisichenko, professor of geosciences, were recognized for outstanding teaching.

current faculty and unclassified staff members at levels comparable to academic faculty are eligible. The awardee’s home department is provided $500 of budget funding to benefit the recipient. Dr. Qi’s student-led projects include individual-to-community-based collaboration on victimology, crime prevention, and legal analysis. She assists her students with these research projects from presentation to publication and successful outcomes in the juris doctorate and graduate programs. One student wrote: “Dr. Qi’s mentorship has helped me achieve academically and professionally.”

President’s Distinguished Scholar Award Dr. Laura Wilson, associate professor of geosciences, was announced as the 2023 President’s Distinguished Scholar. Dr. Wilson’s interdisciplinary research integrates aspects of the earth and life sciences, specifically the study of animals and the environments from the western interior seaway. She has been awarded four federal grants to support her scholarly activities focused on museum practices, including collection improvements at Sternberg Museum. Her scholarship in teaching and learning continues to impact college students in both informal and formal science education settings.

John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor Dr. Ziwei Qi, associate professor of criminal justice, was named the John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor. The award is named after our esteemed former colleague, Dr. John Heinrichs, who was active in all research areas. This award recognizes faculty members’ commitment, time, and energy in promoting undergraduate research. All

FHSU.EDU

CAMPUS NEWS

University farm fencing project completed in August Replacement of more than six miles of fencing at the Fort Hays State University Farm was completed during the summer of 2023. According to Harland Werth, manager of FHSU’s crop division, it is likely that current fencing had been in place since the 1960s or early 1970s. The University Farm began operating in 1908 and, during its early days, served as an income source to supplement the college budget, supply grain for dairy, hog, and poultry projects, and provide

food for students and staff. Today, the 3,825-acre farm gives agriculture students hands-on experience in crop, beef, swine, and sheep divisions as students pursue their degree programs. More projects are in the works for the

University Farm in the future. Next year, Werth anticipates another five miles of fence will be constructed. Other improvements, including the construction of new classrooms in the Riegel building, were slated for the fall of 2023.

K-State 105 partnership initiative to expand FHSU-led Small Business Development Center operations in Northwest Kansas The K-State 105 initiative is supporting small business development in Northwest Kansas through a collaborative approach that leverages the expertise and small business connections of higher education and statewide and regional partners. Two universities — Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University — as well as two K-State 105 partners — NetWork Kansas and the Innovation Center — are working together to expand the service offerings of the FHSU-led Small Business Development Center in Northwest Kansas. "Our K-State 105 initiative focuses on community engagement that drives economic impact and prosperity for Kansas and our 105 counties," said Marshall Stewart, K-State senior vice president and chief of staff. "This type of innovative partnership that brings together higher education and economic development organizations across the state is exactly the type of work in which a next-generation land-grant university should engage." Through the partnership, K-State 105 is providing NetWork Kansas with fund6

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ing that will go to resource partners and support entrepreneurship programming and technical assistance for small businesses in all 105 counties. In this instance in Northwest Kansas, NetWork Kansas will work with the Innovation Center to enhance the Kansas Small Business Development Center. The FHSU-led Kansas Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, operates as a network of eight regional economic development and business consulting centers that currently serve all 105 counties in the state. “The businesses and communities of Northwest Kansas will benefit greatly from this investment in professional expertise and better access to essential resources the SBDC and the Innovation Center will begin delivering in just a few short months,” said Tisa Mason, president of Fort Hays State University. “This initiative will ensure our best business and economic development experts are working every day to advance economic prosperity throughout the High Plains.”

The SBDC/Innovation Center partnership will serve a larger number of clients in Northwest Kansas than each organization can serve individually. The partners ultimately expect to serve 432 clients, help start 16 new businesses, and conduct 60 capital transactions in fiscal year 2024. The K-State 105 funding that will support this initiative comes from the annual state investment that K-State 105 received for fiscal year 2024. K-State 105 is Kansas State University's answer to the call for a comprehensive economic growth and advancement solution for Kansas. The initiative leverages the statewide K-State Research and Extension network to deliver the full breadth of the university's collective knowledge and solution-driven innovation to every Kansan, right where they live and work. Additionally, K-State 105 forges the connections and partnerships that create access to additional expertise within other state institutions and agencies, nonprofits, and corporations — all part of an effort to build additional capacities and strengths in each of the 105 counties in the state.

Fort Hays State University and Kansas Health Science Center – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine launch new partnership A new admissions partnership agreement between Fort Hays State University (FHSU) and Kansas Health Science Center – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KHSC – KansasCOM) will help address Kansas’ physician shortage. The agreement allows a select number of Fort Hays State University students to accelerate their career path with a 3+4 program. Qualified students who meet admission requirements will have the opportunity to begin their first year of medical school in their senior year of undergraduate studies at Fort Hays State University. After completing their first year at KHSC – KansasCOM, they will receive their bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University, thereby completing both undergraduate work and a medical degree in seven years.

According to Dr. Grady Dixon, dean of the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics at Fort Hays State University, the partnership will serve as a tremendous new career option for FHSU’s top science students. “We have been working with KHSC – KansasCOM leaders on this partnership for the past several months, and I am very impressed with their new med school in downtown Wichita. Their faculty, staff, and facilities are all top-notch, and I am excited to see some of our students continue their medical education with them.” KHSC – KansasCOM is the first private, nonprofit osteopathic medical school in Kansas. Partnerships like this support its mission to address the severe physician shortage across the state. This is the fifth partnership agreement KHSC – KansasCOM has signed in Kansas and the first with a public univer-

sity. Other colleges with similar agreements include Kansas Wesleyan University, Southwestern College, Friends University, and Newman University. About KHSC – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KHSC – KansasCOM)

KHSC – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine welcomed its inaugural class in August 2022. Implementing a curriculum that is student-focused, patient-centered, and community-based, the mission of the nonprofit institution is to train osteopathic physicians to provide effective, empathetic, and innovative care to optimize the health of patients and their communities. Located in downtown Wichita, KHSC – KansasCOM is the first osteopathic medical school in the state of Kansas. Learn more at KansasCOM.org.

Tiger athletes earn national Academic All-American honors In 1952, a group known as the College Sports Communicators (CSC) created a new accolade called the “Academic All-America” program to recognize student-athletes who excel in the classroom and athletic competition. The program is known today as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American program, and to qualify for consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or play an important role as a reserve or substitute with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at their current institution. In the 2022-23 academic year, ten Tiger athletes earned Academic All-American honors. This was the most in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and by far the most in FHSU’s history. Fort Hays State has produced 68 Academic All-America selections since our first selection in 1975. Creating an Academic All-Americans

legacy at FHSU is no small task. It takes great coaches who recruit and develop superb talent and faculty who challenge and mentor our student-athletes. It also takes dedicated professional staffers like Ryan Prickett, the sports information director for Tiger Athletics. This year, he was the prime mover behind this remarkable rise in Academic All-Americans. Ryan puts the nomination packages together each year, and the process is extensive. To create a nomination package for a worthy student-athlete, Ryan creates a summary write-up of their accomplishments that he submits for consideration to the voting members of CoSIDA. As a voting member, Ryan says he reviews several hundred nomination packages each year and makes just a handful of selections. “We are limited in the number of individuals I am allowed to nominate in each sport, and it fluctuates a bit from sport to sport,” Ryan said. “Since all of the schools

that are members of the College Sports Communicators group can vote on the Academic All-America team, competition is fierce.” Ryan stays in close contact with Tiger Athletics coaches throughout the school year as part of his nomination process. Congratulations to our 2023 Academic All-America selectees listed below. Each of you is a superb ambassador for your sport, Tiger Athletics, and Fort Hays State University. 2023 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans • Baseball – Ed Scott • Football – Alex Schremmer • Men’s Track and Field – Ryan Stanley, Hayden Albright, Ethan Lang, and Xavier Robinson • Women’s Golf – Morgan Brasser • Women’s Soccer – Isabel Robben • Women’s Track and Field – Mattie Rossi and Addie Berens FHSU.EDU

ALUMNI AWARDS

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DR. KENDALL KRUG ’83 | Distinguished Service Award DR. KENDALL KRUG has aspired to serve others even from a young age. A general science major who graduated cum laude from Fort Hays State University in 1983, Krug set the foundation for his nearly 40-year career as an optometrist. Hoping to help others as a physician, Krug pursued an optometry degree at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. Through his studies, he developed an interest in assisting blind and low-vision patients, which led him to receive additional low-vision rehabilitation training at the New York Lighthouse for the Blind. Krug returned to Hays after passing his national and state boards, earning his Kansas optometry license, and began spearheading several projects impacting area residents. Krug's expertise was critical in establishing and staffing the first hospital-based low-vision rehabilitation program in Kansas, which utilized occu-

pational therapy for visually impaired patients at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Topeka. Following his passion for helping blind and visually impaired adult patients, Krug began helping students facing similar struggles. He worked on a team that devel-

oped KanLovKids, a low-vision program for the Kansas State School for the Blind. For 30 years, Krug served as a primary care provider at his Hays practice. In his primary care practice and with low-vision patients, Krug earned numerous accolades over his decades-long career from the Kansas Optometric Association and the Kansas Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, among others. Krug often shares the critical pieces of his success as a lecturer for the Fort Hays State Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) students, Envision University, and the KU Area Health Education Center. Undeniably, Krug touched lives through his advocacy, patient care, and philanthropy. He and his wife, Dr. Katrina Hess, reside in Hays. They have two children, Russell and Laura, who are both FHSU graduates.

DR. EUGENE "GENE" FLEHARTY | Nita M. Landrum Award DR. EUGENE "GENE" FLEHARTY has often been described as a “friend of the university,” but this description falls short of the many contributions he has made over his 37 years of service to Fort Hays State. His involvement demonstrates that one does not have to be a Fort Hays State University graduate to provide unwavering support to its community and students. Growing up in Hastings, Nebraska, Fleharty remembers observing native birds and wildlife on his family's farm north of town. His father, a chemistry professor at Hastings College, urged Fleharty to pursue his growing interest in college. Fleharty studied biology and mathematics at Hastings College. It was also where he met his wife, Jo Ann. The couple later moved to Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico, where Fleharty earned his master's in biology in 1958 and his doctorate in 1962.

FHSU hired Fleharty as a biology instructor in 1962, and alongside Dr. Gary Hulett, he helped create "Can Man Survive?" a course exploring the environmental impact of humans. Many FHSU alums still express how the course changed their lives.

Fleharty’s work as a department chair and professor earned him several accolades, including the President's Distinguished Scholar Award in 1990 and the Pilot Award in 1991. However, Fleharty considers mentoring students his greatest reward. After retiring in 1999, Fleharty remained committed to Fort Hays State University and its students. Along with establishing academic scholarships for biology students, Fleharty and his family provided financial support for the installation of new bleachers and artificial turf at the FHSU softball complex. In order to thank the family for their contributions to the FHSU Softball team’s future, the field was dedicated as the “Fleharty Family Field” earlier this year. Fleharty resides in Hays with his wife, Jo Ann. They have two children, Debra and Chris, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Opposite: Back row: Dr. Judd Choate, Dr. Kendall Krug, Chris Dinkel; Front row: Dr. Gene Fleharty, Dr. Sandra Billinger; Not pictured: Kelly Nuckolls

FHSU.EDU

SANDRA "SANDY" BILLINGER ’02 | Alumni Achievement Award SANDRA "SANDY" BILLINGER'S JOURNEY to becoming a world-renowned and award-winning researcher began in 1993. During an average day working as a dental assistant, Billinger, pregnant with her first son, experienced a life-changing accident that propelled her to shift gears. Unable to continue working as a dental assistant, Billinger came to Fort Hays State University to pursue a new career as a physical therapist. Billinger quickly excelled as a researcher during her time as a pre-physical therapy student in the Department of Health and Human Performance. Dr. Greg Kandt, Billinger’s advisor at FHSU, recommended that she switch focus from cardiovascular research interests to stroke research. At the time, many people believed that exercise after a stroke worsened patients' conditions, but Billinger made it her life purpose to dispel that misconception.

FHSU faculty recognized Billinger’s hard work by naming her the 2002 Outstanding Student of the Year for the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. She was also named a 2002 Torch Award nominee in recognition of her leadership and academic performance as a graduating senior.

After graduating from Fort Hays State in 2002, Billinger relocated her family to Kansas City to pursue a master's in physical therapy and a Ph.D. in rehabilitation science at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). Billinger currently serves as a professor and the vice chair of stroke translational research in the Department of Neurology at KUMC. As a researcher, she has published more than 100 scientific papers and has conducted one of the leading NIH-funded studies on stroke rehabilitation. Her strides in neurovascular research, instruction, and determination to help others through her work exemplify how an education from Fort Hays State can prepare graduates for a lifetime of professional success and distinguished community service. Billinger lives in Kansas City with her family.

DR. JUDD CHOATE ’92 | Alumni Achievement Award GROWING UP THE SON of the late Dr. Jerry Choate, the longtime director of the Sternberg Museum and a well-known biology professor at FHSU, Dr. Judd Choate was destined to attend Fort Hays State University. Judd Choate, a Hays native, attended FHSU from 1988-1992, majoring in political science and minoring in geography. Choate's experiences at Fort Hays State led to his eventual position as election director for the state of Colorado. While at FHSU, Choate regularly contributed to The University Leader school newspaper and was involved in the American Democracy Project and Model United Nations. After graduating summa cum laude from FHSU, Dr. Choate completed his master's degree and Ph.D. at Purdue University. In 1997, Choate became an assistant professor of political science at Baker University and then at the University of 10

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Nebraska. Relocating to Colorado, Choate completed his juris doctorate at the University of Colorado in 2006, focusing on election law. He then clerked for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court. After time spent with a private law firm, Choate was hired as Colorado's election director in 2009.

In the 2020 presidential election, over 92% of Colorado's eligible population was registered to vote, and Colorado's turnout of 76% was the country's second highest, bringing national attention to Choate’s efforts. He has earned numerous accolades in his 15 years of service as Colorado election director, most notably the U.S. Attorney's Award for leading U.S. efforts on election security in the 2020 presidential election. Choate's career exemplifies how the education and community service experiences central to FHSU’s political science program prepare graduates to become engaged global citizen leaders. Dr. Judd Choate resides in Denver with his wife Lyn, their daughter Jacqueline, and Leo, the dog. His mom, Fi Choate, lives two blocks away from the family. His father, Dr. Jerry Choate, passed away in 2009.

CHRIS DINKEL ’10 | Young Alumni Award CHRIS DINKEL PROVES how much one can accomplish in a short amount of time with a degree from Fort Hays State University. In under a decade, Dinkel climbed the professional ladder and earned his place as a top lawyer with an esteemed New York law firm. Dinkel graduated magna cum laude from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2008. Dinkel, a Hays native, then decided FHSU was the perfect place to further his education. Dinkel excelled at Fort Hays State, completing his master’s degree in history and graduating with honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA in 2010. He then served as an adjunct instructor for his alma mater for over six years while earning his juris doctorate from Columbia University. While at Columbia, Dinkel quickly became involved in fellowships, student

organizations, and assistantships. After graduating in 2021, Dinkel’s professional tenacity helped him land a job with the prestigious New York law firm Jones Day.

Among his many accomplishments with Jones Day, Dinkel played an integral role in Glacier Northwest v. Teamsters, a case involving liability for damages caused by striking workers, which his team argued and won before the United States Supreme Court in January 2023. Dinkel's research and writing were included in legal briefings and led to an opportunity to attend the oral argument proceedings before the court in Washington, D.C. Dinkel is in his first year of service as a federal law clerk for Judge Benjamin Beaton in the Western District of Kentucky. Next year, he will serve as a clerk for Judge Raymond Kethledge in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Michigan. He and his wife, Ervis, live in Kentucky with their two children, William (Liam) and Arabella (Ari).

KELLY NUCKOLLS ’13 | Young Alumni Award THE CONNECTIONS FORMED between Fort Hays State University students and faculty are as meaningful as the education and credentials earned. Kelly Nuckolls was inspired by former political science chair and professor Dr. Shala Mills to pursue a career in food insecurity advocacy. Sitting in Dr. Mills' first-ever Food and Politics course offering, Nuckolls was struck by the political, ecological, and economic consequences of food insecurity. As a political science major, Nuckolls understood that she could make a difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity and decided to start working towards positive change in her own community. With Dr. Mills' mentorship, Nuckolls helped establish FHSU’s on-campus Tiger Food Pantry, which continues to provide free pantry staples to Fort Hays State students in need. Through her work

with FHSU’s Center for Civic Leadership, Nuckolls connected the university with statewide and national hunger initiatives, including the Kansas Hunger Dialogue and Universities Fighting World Hunger. An active and engaged student at FHSU, Nuckolls was inducted into the Mortar Board National Collegiate Honor Society and Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political

Science Honor Society. After graduating from FHSU in 2013, Nuckolls received her juris doctorate from Drake University Law School, where she continued her service commitments and became a staff member and executive editor for the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law. Nuckolls later attended the University of Arkansas, where she was admitted into their prestigious Master of Law (LL.M.) in Agricultural and Food Law Program. Nuckolls went on to work at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. Her accomplishments and career track have led her back to the University of Arkansas School of Law, where she serves as its assistant director and visiting law professor for the LL.M. in the Agricultural and Food Law Program. Nuckolls resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter. FHSU.EDU

TIGER ATHLETICS

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS

MYLES MENGES

ENTERING THE 2023 SEASON WITH

GRADUATE STUDENT, BUSHTON, KANSAS Myles Menges is in his third season on the football field for the Tiger football team in 2023. Menges is a two-time All-MIAA performer, earning the honors at linebacker his first season on the field (2021) and then as a de-

420 240 KILLS

BLOCKS

MONTSERRAT DIAZ, SOPHOMORE, CURRIDABAT, COSTA RICA Montserrat Diaz made a big impact for the FHSU Women’s Soccer team during her freshman season in 2022. She ranked second on the team in goals scored with five and

fensive lineman in his second season (2022).

added an assist, helping the Tigers to

Menges is only a junior in football eligibil-

an overall record of 11-3-7

ity since he redshirted his first year out of

and their first appearance

high school in 2019 and then saw the 2020

in the NCAA Division II

season canceled by COVID-19. Menges led the team in tackles in 2021 with 75, then led defensive linemen in tackles in 2022 with

EMILY ELLIS,

Tournament since 2016. One of her goals was in

SENIOR, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

the MIAA Tournament

36. Menges already holds a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance with

Emily Ellis is in her fifth

Tigers advance in a win

an emphasis in Sports Management/

season on the volley-

over Central Okla-

ball court in 2023. Taking

homa. An Art/

advantage of a COVID year of eligibility,

Graphic Design

master’s degree while

Ellis opted to return to the team this season

major, Diaz was a

remaining one of the top

after completing her undergraduate nursing

member of the MIAA

defensive players

program at FHSU and is the most experienced

Academic Honor

for the Tigers.

player on the roster. As a middle blocker/hitter,

Roll in her fresh-

she was an All-MIAA Second Team selection in

man year.

Recreation, and he is currently working toward his

quarterfinals, helping the

2022, ranking third in the conference in blocks with 111 and led FHSU in attack percentage (.224). Ellis has been elite in the classroom as well, earning the MIAA Academic Excellence

ALL-MIAA PERFORMER

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

Award three times in her career for a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA and then the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award in 2022 for earning allconference honors and having a GPA of at least 3.5. Entering the 2023 season, she had 420 kills and 240 blocks in her career at FHSU.

2nd

IN GOALS IN HER FRESHMAN YEAR

INIGO JIMENEZ,

REGAN HODSDEN,

JUNIOR, MADRID, SPAIN

JUNIOR, MITCHELL, NEBRASKA

Inigo Jimenez had a strong first season as a member of the men’s soccer team at FHSU. After playing against FHSU in the 2021

Regan Hodsden is in her second year at Fort Hays

ALL-MIAA PERFORMER

State after transferring from Colby (Kan.) Community College. Hodsden had a great cross

NCAA Division II national tournament for Lake Erie College, Jimenez transferred to FHSU prior to the 2022 season. He led the team in assists with seven in 2022, on his way to earning an All-GAC/MIAA Honorable

country season in 2022, qualifying individually for the NCAA Division II Championships and

GRANT BRADLEY,

taking home All-America honors. She had four top-10 performances throughout the 2022 season on her way to All-MIAA honors and

Mention selection at defender. Entering the

JUNIOR, AURORA, COLORADO

2023 season, Jimenez had 11 assists in his

Grant Bradley emerged

also turned in a solid track and field season

career between the two NCAA Division II

as an all-region performer

in the spring of 2023 by winning the MIAA

institutions he has played

in cross country for Fort Hays State in 2022. He

title in the 5,000 meters during the outdoor

for. Jimenez was also

finished 21st in the NCAA Division II Central

season. She was an All-MIAA performer in four

named to the GAC

Regional Championship. Bradley had three

events, including the 10,000 meters (outdoor),

All-Academic Team for

top-five individual finishes during the season

3,000 meters (indoor), and 5,000

the 2022-23 ac-

prior to the regional championship race.

meters (indoor) to go with her

ademic year,

Aside from his strong performance in cross

conference title in the out-

majoring in

country, Bradley is a three-time All-MIAA per-

door 5,000 meters. She set

Internation-

former in track and field for the Tigers, which

school records in both the

al Business

includes the distance medley relay and

indoor and outdoor 5,000

and Economics

3000-meter steeplechase. He has turned

meters. Hodsden excelled

in an all-region performance in the steeple-

in the classroom as well,

chase during his time at FHSU. Bradley was

earning MIAA Schol-

also a member of the distance medley relay

ar-Athlete honors.

team that set a new school record. Excelling

5000

at FHSU.

2022 LED THE TEAM IN ASSISTS

competing on the national stage. Hodsden

not only in sports but also in the classroom, Bradley is a five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Bradley is currently in his fourth year at FHSU.

METER MIAA TITLE IN 2023

WOMEN’S WRESTLING PREVIEW Seventeen individuals will pioneer the new women's wrestling program at Fort Hays State. Though the team will officially start competition in 2024-25, these individuals are allowed to compete on their own in

open competitions during the 2023-24 academic year while they at-

tend their first year of school at FHSU. The initial group for the 2023-24 academic year consists of four transfers and 13 incoming freshmen.

FHSU.EDU

FHSU Men’s Soccer

NOT JUST A TEAM,

a family STORY BY BOYCE DURR

PHOTOS BY FHSU ATHLETICS & BOYCE DURR

International soccer players pose for photo during September practice.

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

HETHER IT’S THE ROAR OF A STADIUM FILLED WITH FANS

a soccer scholarship in America is one step away from the pros for most players. Everyone we recruit is the best player from where they are from.” FHSU’s highly competitive NCAA Division II (D2) soccer program certainly helps with the recruitment efforts. Sophomore or the camaraderie amongst teammates, sports finance major, starting center back, with an impressive freshman create a common experience that can often transcend linguistic, season and first team all-regional and first team all-conference this religious, and cultural differences. Athletic competition has the power to remind us that beneath our differences, we are all part of season, Callum Frogson arrived at FHSU in the fall of 2022 from Nottingham, England. a larger human family united by our love of the game. “I had like 10 or 12 offers, and I decided to come [to FHSU] From robust intramural programs open to all students to 17 because of the prestige of the soccer team that has regularly made NCAA Division II Athletics teams (eight men’s and nine women’s it to the NCAA tournament, over nine times teams, including the recently added women’s in the past ten or eleven years,” Callum said. wrestling program), Fort Hays State UniversiFORT HAYS STATE “Also, the campus facilities are as good as you ty is dedicated to engaging in and celebrating UNIVERSITY HAS can get, even at most D1 universities.” this international phenomenon we call sports. Like most soccer players, Callum started And, while our intercollegiate teams primarily at a very young age. One of the differences compete in the Midwest, the draw is worldbetween the United States and England is the wide, attracting coaches and athletes from INTERNATIONAL length of the soccer season and the amount of around the world to Hays to participate in STUDENT-ATHLETES, practice and play children have. Tiger Athletics. FROM “I started playing [soccer] when I was 4 In the fall of the 2023-24 academic year, and began playing six or seven days a week eight team rosters include international for Nottingham Forest F.C. Academy at about athletes, and six have international coaches. DIFFERENT 7, with the season going from August until While each of these teams helps to contribute COUNTRIES May each year.” to the global reach of FHSU, two rosters stand This level of dedication to the sport is out for their international makeup. Seven out REPRESENTING common among the stories of FHSU internaof 10 women’s tennis players are from outside tional players. For example, Scott Pengelly, a the U.S., making it the squad with the largest junior biology major from Belfast, Northern percentage of international athletes. And then OF OUR Ireland, has been playing since he was very there is the men’s soccer team, with nearly SPORTS TEAMS! young, and started working to become an ex50%, or 15 out of 31 current players, hailing ceptional goalkeeper at the age of 7. His early from other countries. years were spent playing for competitive local The soccer team also has FHSU’s only teams, and then, at about 14, he moved up to one of the biggest international head coach, Gerry Cleary. Cleary is originally from teams in Belfast, Linfield Football Club (LFC). Dublin, Ireland, and has just completed his fifth season at Fort “At 16, I moved to England to play soccer full time for two and Hays. He has also recruited several international assistant coaches a half years for Fleetwood Town F.C. I returned to Northern Ireland over the years, including the current assistant, Jordan Walshaw, in 2020, when I was 18, and played for Portadown FC. In 2021, who is from Sheffield, England. when I was 19, I moved to California to play for CSU Bakersfield,” The 15 international players on the team for the fall 2023 season Scott said. “I’ve always wanted to push myself and see where I can come from 10 countries, primarily in Europe and South America, go, so I jumped at the opportunity to play [in the United States].” with one from New Zealand. Why does FHSU have such a broad While Scott began playing college soccer in a Division 1 school international mix of players, and what attracts them to Hays? in California, he discovered that it wasn’t the experience he had “To be competitive, we need to recruit internationally,” Cleary said. “[Men’s soccer] is the most popular sport in the world… and hoped for.

35 19 8

FHSU.EDU

Scott Pengelly

Callum Frogson

“Bakersfield was a commuter college, with no one living on campus, and I really wanted to have the college campus experience that I didn’t get there,” Scott said. “While Bakersfield is a D1 school, the competition here is no less and maybe even more competitive. That is one of the reasons I came here. I could tell this was a team that wanted to win, and with the great facilities and a campus community that feels more like a home, I knew this was where I wanted to go.” Scott was not the only player to bring up the sense of “home” that FHSU soccer team players experience while here. This sentiment was echoed by several others. And not just from the international players. Team captain and graduate student Blake Arndt of Wichita also expressed feelings of home amongst the soccer players, no matter where they were from. “The [FHSU] soccer team is so much like a family, like a group of brothers,” Blake said. “I’ve met a lot of cool people here at FHSU, and being on the soccer team has allowed me to meet people from all around the world. I’ve got friends from Chile, Japan, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Greece, everywhere.” 16

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

The friendships Blake made at FHSU are clearly important to him and are one of the things he will miss most. He hopes to be able to travel and visit some of his teammates in other countries once he has time. “I think I’m going to miss the people on the team, at the school, and even in the town,” Blake said. “The people are all just so friendly. It’s such a welcoming environment.” Other team members echoed the welcoming nature of the team and community. “Everyone in Hays has been very welcoming,” Scott said. “Even though there are people from different areas and backgrounds, for me, personally, it felt really easy to integrate.” For Callum, the experience of coming to Fort Hays State and living in the U.S. has been exceptional. “The first thing I noticed, straight away, was how nice the people are,” Callum said. “The people are so welcoming, and there is enough to do on campus that I don’t get homesick too often. I have been able to really enjoy the experience.”

Coaches Cleary and Walshaw

Blake Arndt

Putting together a competitive team that students from around the world want to join and helping them make a successful transition does not happen without a tremendous amount of work. Coach Cleary and his staff have done an outstanding job with such a difficult task. They are also fortunate to have the backing and support of the FHSU Athletics Department, which helps all the student-athletes in a number of ways, including issues with paperwork, registering for classes, housing, and academics, to name just a few. “A lot of freshmen struggle to adjust to college no matter where they are from, but it is just a little more difficult when you are international,” Cleary said. “We also have a tough training schedule. In the fall, we will train six days a week, and they have only one day off. And, once we are in season, we will play one or two games a week and then train the rest. Then we have weights three days a week and mandatory study hall for the freshman and anyone who is struggling with their grades.” When it comes to academic success, Coach Cleary is obviously proud of his team overall, particularly with the international players.

“Academic-wise, my international players all have above a 3.5 GPA,” Cleary said. “Everyone on the team has good grades right now, but the international players are doing great.” Cleary also explained that after freshman year, students with good grades were allowed to control their own study times and routines, but if anyone dropped below a 3.0 GPA, they would be required to attend the study hall sessions again, as well as meet with our Student-Athlete Academic Services staff to come up with a plan to improve. Like all sports, FHSU men’s soccer is a constant work in progress. Attempting to bring together players from all over the world who speak different languages, have experienced different training regimes, and different team traditions and protocols, and shape them into a successful team takes a tremendous effort for everyone involved. The training routine, the focus on success both on the field and in the classroom, and the variety of supports put in place to help the team succeed seem to work well for the FHSU men’s soccer team. FHSU.EDU

FORT HAYS STATE HOMECOMING

OCTOBER 3-5, 2024

START MAKING PLANS TO ATTEND

from Castles to Alchemy:

FHSU STUDENTS’ EXTRAORDINARY

Adventures Abroad BY SCOTT CASON AND DAWNE LEIKER

FHSU.EDU

A TRANSFORMATIONAL COLLEGE STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE IS NOTHING LIKE A SUMMER VACATION AT DISNEYLAND OR A SPRING BREAK TRIP TO THE BEACH. Study abroad programs at FHSU

are about opening students' eyes to other perspectives and pushing them out of their comfort zones. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” Our faculty knows there are no better ways to develop global citizen-leaders than to immerse our students in cultural engagement experiences that challenge and inform their worldviews. This academic year, FHSU faculty planned eight studyabroad excursions to far-off destinations, including England, Costa Rica, Cuba, Florence, France, Prague, the Netherlands, and West Africa. In the following pages, we profile three very different faculty-led trips. This past summer, our students learned about medieval life while living in a castle in England. Another group learned about art, architecture, and science in the Renaissance, along with the strange fascination that Galileo and some of the greatest minds of the period had with alchemy, astrology, and magic. Finally, FHSU future teachers participated in transformational learning experiences in Costa Rica, highlighted by interactions during family mealtimes.

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Vikings, Wizards, and Vampires at Alnwick Castle WITH ITS RICH 950-YEAR HISTORY, Alnwick Castle has served as a military outpost, teaching college, refuge for evacuees, filming location for blockbuster movies, and, in the summer of 2023, home away from home for ten FHSU students. For Dr. Perry Harrison, assistant professor of English, the opportunity to run a faculty-led study abroad program at the castle was one he welcomed with great enthusiasm. Fostering a connection with stakeholders of Alnwick Castle was a “serendipitous” occurrence, according to Stacey Lang, FHSU coordinator of study abroad. She discovered the study abroad opportunity through her graduate school intern, Annie Dawson, in 2019. Dawson, a graduate of St. Cloud University, had studied abroad at Alnwick and spoke highly of her experience. The experience at Alnwick marked the longest faculty-led faculty study abroad experience in the

history of FHSU and is hoped to be a groundbreaker for other departments to facilitate programs at the castle. A political science course led by Dr. Jay Steinmetz is planned for the summer of 2024. Students in Steinmetz’s course will explore English political history, the implications of liberal thought, and the Scottish Enlightenment. Harrison and Lang took a scouting trip to Alnwick in the summer of 2022 to visit the castle, which has been the filming location for two Harry Potter films, Transformers, and Dungeons and Dragons movies. “The instant I saw it (Alnwick Castle), I said, ‘Oh, this is Hogwarts,” Harrison said. “I’ve seen this. It’s essentially walking into the courtyard where they do their flying lessons. It was very much like walking into a place I’d been before.” The four-week course Harrison designed, “Vikings,

LEFT: Dr. Harison's class enjoy a rainy excursion to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland (courtesy photo)

Wizards, and Vampires: Literature of Northern England,” had a broad appeal for students. For four weeks during the summer of 2023, Harrison’s ten students read (in the castle setting) the first Harry Potter book, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a Viking saga, and a murder mystery set in Whitby. The harbor town of Whitby provided Stoker with the perfect location and inspiration for his gothic novel, Dracula. There, he discovered the ruins of Whitby Abbey, its weathered graveyard, and salty tales of a shipwreck as told by Whitby seafarers. The experience of living in Alnwick Castle was beyond all expectations, according to Elizabeth Clingan, a junior English major from Hays. “Even now, it just feels like a dream,” she said. “Was I actually there? Did that actually happen? Anywhere I walked, England felt full of history. It awakened a travel bug in me. I’m ready to go see the rest of the world.” FHSU students settled in a wing of Alnwick Castle and met two hours a day, Mon.-Thurs., to discuss their course readings. “There were gardens outside the castle,” said Deanna Aniles, an English secondary teaching major from Garden City. “We could go out to the gardens and read our books with the wind blowing, hearing the leaves and nature. It was raining some days. The rain really set the mood.”

“In Dracula, they are living in a castle, so I really understood what Jonathan (Harker, protagonist in Dracula) was going through. The castle at night was kind of scary.” In addition to living in Alnwick Castle, the students visited Whitby, Yorvik Viking Center, with its recreated Viking settlement, York Minster Cathedral, and Edinburgh, where J.K. Rowling lived when she

Harrison said. “Several of my students did a lot of growing up and found out how capable they can be.” “I would use the term ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ very cautiously, but I can easily say that this was an opportunity of a lifetime. It’s cliché, but it’s also true.” Harrison said he was pleased with the FHSU support that the program received

"Vikings, Wizards, and Vampires" class at Alnwick Castle (courtesy photo)

wrote Harry Potter. Students were encouraged to explore areas and attend events on their own on the weekends during the program, with excursions to Bamburgh, Hadrian’s Wall, Edinburgh, and London. “To see my students from small towns in western Kansas manage the London metro system really made me proud,”

through scholarships from the English department, funds from a study abroad program, a Giving Day fundraiser, and graduate assistantships provided by the graduate school. Alnwick Castle is located in Northumberland, England. It came to be associated with St. Cloud State University in the early 1970s when a St.

Cloud professor encountered someone from Alnwick who ran educational programs. This chance meeting, which took place in a pub, led to St. Cloud State leasing space from the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. The Duke and Duchess continue to live in the castle, while the former servants’ quarters serve as classroom space occupied by St. Cloud State University. Another wing of the castle transformed into dorm rooms houses up to 65 students. The benefits of study abroad experiences are limitless, according to Lang, who began a lifelong passion for studying abroad as a high school student. “It is a total transformation for the students,” she said. “They come back with a worldly perspective. They gain so much insight into who they are and create bonds with other students.” The transformation that Harrison’s students experienced is unmistakable. Deanna said she found a new motivation for her secondary education studies and renewed her love for literature during the study abroad experience. “I want to emphasize the profound impact the trip had on me,” Deanna said. “I look up to Dr. Harrison and credit him for the revitalized love I have for literature. It gave me more motivation to carry on because now I want to give my future students these good experiences through literature and, maybe one day, help them get where they want to go. Help them see what they want to see.” FHSU.EDU

LEFT: Earl Legleiter at the Museo Galileo in Florence. RIGHT: Sydney Gleason

university faculty, staff, and FHSU alums. They believed an experience that focused on the Renaissance in two ancient European capitals, epicenters of intellectual and creative activity, would be a major incentive for such a diverse group. Most historians point to the re-emergence of classical Greek and Roman art and architecture forms and breakPHOTOS BY throughs LESLIE & EARL LEGLEITER AND SAVANNA BAUMGART in math, science, and astronomy as the foremost was an experienced world ACCORDING TO FIRST-TIME traveler, so Sydney knew Bonita contributions from this period. INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER would be there to help her navi- Janet and Kim decided to add SYDNEY GLEASON, a senior an often-overlooked piece of gate the chaos. special education major from Renaissance history to the The pairing of 21-year-old Topeka, Tuscany looks much like learning agenda. On this trip, Sydney and Bonita, an 80-yearWestern Kansas from 10,000 feet the group would explore the old FHSU alum (classes of ‘72 in the air. The rolling hills and widespread fascination of and ‘79), was but one of the fields laid out in excellent geoperiod societal elites with the things that made this studymetric grids reminded her of her occult sciences of alchemy, abroad trip unique. The prinfamily farm outside Topeka. But astrology, and natural magic. cipal planners of the trip, Dr. once on the ground in Florence, Rebecca Balzan, a graduJanet Stramel, the Edna Shutts Italy, she quickly realized she ate history major and FHSU Williams Endowed Chair in the wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Online student living in College of Education, and Dr. Florence’s narrow streets, California, was among the Kim Perez, an associate profescrazy drivers in tiny cars, and first to sign up for the trip. sor of history in the College of a general lack of sidewalks Rebecca currently serves as Arts, Humanities, and Social were nothing like she had ever a first lieutenant in the U.S. Sciences, thought there would experienced. But that was OK. Army. Rebecca decided to use be great value in expanding On the long flight, Sydney had some of her earned leave to the trip invitation to include gotten to know her soon-to-be on-campus and online students, join this trip. roommate, Bonita Oliva. Bonita

A Deep Dive into the Renaissance

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

The trip kicked off in Florence, where, despite the oppressive heat typical of a Tuscan summer, the group toured the hills, alleys, and the remarkable Renaissance architecture. With so much to do and see in the medieval city, the itinerary for each day in Florence was packed. Over the course of their three days in Florence, the group explored the art, architecture, and science of the Renaissance. They visited the Academia Galleria, the home of Michelangelo’s statue of David, architect Brunelleschi’s magnificent Duomo, and the Museo Galileo and its exhibits covering the life and works of this iconic Renaissance figure. One peculiar artifact is Galileo’s middle finger, preserved in a glass orb. While much of the tour itinerary was tightly scheduled, the FHSU contingent enjoyed several opportunities to explore Florence on their own. Several tour members spent the second day’s afternoon exploring the Tuscan culinary and viticulture scene. Earl Legleiter, an instructor in FHSU’s Science and Mathematics Institute, and his wife Leslie took a cooking class. Savanna Baumgart, a senior history major from Stockton and Rebeca Balzan’s roommate on the trip, found Tuscan cuisine a bit disappointing. “I don’t think a cutting board with meats and cheeses constitutes what I would call a meal,” Savanna said. She

would have to wait until the tour landed in Prague three days later to enjoy a homestyle chicken dinner. When the group landed in Prague on July 24, a very different experience awaited. Prague was the only major medieval European city to survive World War II largely intact, and the group soon discovered immense pride among the locals for their heritage and a deep appreciation for the freedom they have enjoyed since the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago. The party toured Old Town, the Prague Castle, believed to be the largest castle in Europe, and the Church of Our Lady before Týn, the burial place of the renowned astronomer, astrologer, and alchemist Tycho Brahe. This was where the tour began to take a mystical turn for many in the group. Some of history’s most renowned scientists, including Brahe, Galileo, and Johannes Kepler, were all believers in astrology. They believed that describing the world solely through the lens of scientific calculations and observations left too many major questions unanswered. These men all believed there was a divine purpose to the movements of planetary bodies and that those movements were divinely inspired to affect the lives of humans. Many of the days’ scientific luminaries dabbled in astrology and alchemy as both a

passion and a way to generate revenue from wealthy patrons. Alchemy is the precursor of modern chemistry that involved exploring ways to turn base metals into gold, create a universal cure for disease, and prolong human life indefinitely. “Scientific minds like Kepler, Brahe, and Galileo began to research astronomical events and attempt to apply logical meanings to them, yet the allure of the occult persisted throughout this era,” Rebecca said. “I found this combination fascinating.” The Speculum Alchemiae is one of the city’s “13 Magical Lairs” and a UNESCO Heritage Site. The subterranean alchemy laboratory was discovered in 2002 after a major flood caused the collapse of the cobblestone street immediately above the long-forgotten site. Searchers found a series of tunnels that connected the space to the Old Prague Castle, proving the practicing alchemists of the day’s connection to Emperor Rudolf II. “There were little bottles and equipment in this museum that haven’t been touched for centuries,” Rebecca said. “It was like stepping back in time.” Janet believes that she and Kim created a unique and memorable study-abroad experience for their inter-generational group of lifetime learners. “At first, we thought we needed to open the tour to

more participants to make sure we could make it happen,” Janet said. “It didn’t take long for us to realize that the learning experiences and tour destinations we built the program around were a big draw and helped us create a very diverse group.” The success of Janet and Kim’s intergenerational college study-abroad program led to an invitation from World Strides Educational Travel & Experiences (the company that managed their travel planning and trip logistics) for the pair to share their Florence and Prague experiences at an upcoming international conference. Kim won’t be waiting until the conference to return to Europe. “When I got home, I immediately booked a trip back to Florence with my husband,” Kim said. “We’re going this January.”

ABOVE, FROM TOP: Bonita Oliva. Leslie Legleiter. BELOW: Savanna Baumgart and Rebecca Balzan

FHSU.EDU

LEFT: Morgan Barba teaching in Costa Rica

Family Dinners in Costa Rica PHOTOS BY CHRIS JOCHUM AND THE COSTA RICA LANGUAGE ACADEMY FHSU College of Education professors Dr. Elodie Jones and Dr. Betsy Crawford led a distinctly different study-abroad excursion to Costa Rica this past summer. Their program didn’t involve packed daily schedules and multiple stops on tourguide-led bus trips. Instead, this study abroad program places students with host families in settings that push them out of their comfort zones. The Costa Rica program is the brainchild of Dr. Chris Jochum, the chair of the De24

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

partment of Teacher Education. Chris, a fluent Spanish speaker, developed a relationship in 2014 with the Costa Rica Language Academy of Language as part of his effort to build an impactful international summer instructional and teaching experience for his students when he served at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Academy provides the formal Spanish education component of the program, and he brought this connection with him to FHSU in 2016

and led the first Teacher Education program study abroad group to Costa Rica in 2018. Students are paired with a Costa Rican host family for the first seven days of the 11-day trip. These families volunteered for the program as a source of income and a way to share their language, family traditions, and culture with visiting foreigners. There is no requirement that these families speak English, just that they open their homes and provide breakfast and dinner each day to the students. This “immersive” learning experience is designed to make students find their way with the support of a caring host family. “What we know about rich study abroad experiences is that homestay or immersion is the most effective way to embed students in the language, culture, and human connections,” Elodie said. “I’m not going to lie,” said Morgan Barba, a senior agriculture education major from Henderson, Colorado. “I didn’t know that my host family might be unable to speak English until I was on the bus after landing in Costa Rica.” The students weren’t totally left to fend for themselves once

they touched down in Costa Rica. Elodie and Betsy scheduled a service project for the students on the first full day of the trip at a wild animal refuge. During their day of service, Elodie, Betsy, and the students pitched in to prepare food for the animals and clean the animal’s enclosures. “In addition to using this as an opportunity for our students to do meaningful work,” Betsy said, “our plan was to use this experience as a way to check in with them and make sure they were acclimating to life in Costa Rica.” The daily routine for the students typically started and ended around a family table for breakfast and dinner. Each student pointed to this part of the experience as the most valuable. “I think I learned more with my host family than anywhere else on the trip,” said Laura Drylie, a spring 2023 graduate of FHSU. “My host mom loves being around students and teaching them about the country she loves. She’s probably the nicest lady on earth. She opened her home and still considers me and all of her students part of her family.” Morgan also remembers breakfast and dinner with her host family as the most impactful part of the experience. She said she and her hosts spent much time trying to understand each other.

LEFT: Study Abroad group in Costa Rica BELOW: Katie Lytle teaching in Costa Rica

“Sometimes I would say something wrong, and we would all laugh about it, including when I mistakenly used a word my host mom told me was a four-letter word in Spanish. She said, ‘No, no, no, you can’t say that!’” During their 11 days in Costa Rica, the students spent most of their afternoons exploring the area and gaining an appreciation for the local culture and cuisine. “We took a cooking class as part of the experience. We made smashed plantains with a bean dip topping, and it was pretty good,” said Katie Lytle, an education major from Junction City. “The produce there is amazing,” Morgan said. “I’ve always hated tomatoes, but I turned into a tomato-eating fool on this trip.”

Morgan identified one of her major takeaways as the value Costa Ricans place on family. “Generations of Costa Rican families live with or close to each other and take care of each other,” Morgan said. Katie and Laura believe that one of their biggest takeaways from the trip was what Americans could learn about living from Costa Ricans and what constitutes a meaningful life. “It seems like we live in a bubble in America,” Katie said. “We don’t know much about other cultures, and this makes us less open-minded to divergent ideas and perspectives.” “For Costa Ricans, it’s not about money, and it’s not about what you own,” Laura said. “It’s about who you have around you and how you live your life.”

President Ronald Reagan said in his farewell address to the nation in January 1989 that all great change in America begins at the dinner table. Morgan, Katie, and Laura would see things differently after their time in Costa Rica. They witnessed first-hand the power of family meal time as a setting to learn, bond, and solve problems in a setting far removed from the United States. FHSU.EDU

G L O BA L P E R S P E C T I V E S :

FHSU’s International Faculty

Teaching Resilience: An FHSU Professor’s Life in Israel BY DAWNE LEIKER

“INTERNATIONAL,” according to the Oxford Dictionary, means “existing,

occurring, or carried on between two or more nations.” At FHSU, “international”

means so much more. Dozens of faculty members from around the world

teach FHSU students on campus. Their ranks are joined by 38 cross-border

faculty members who teach at FHSU

partner institutions in eight countries. Additionally, with FHSU’s ever-

broadening online presence, professors teach FHSU students from remote locations worldwide.

One faculty member teaching

abroad is Dr. Patricia Levy, who lives and teaches in Ashdod, Israel. The

challenges of teaching FHSU students via Zoom have been exacerbated

during the fall 2023 semester due to the destruction and turmoil of the IsraelGaza conflict.

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

SHE TELLS HER ONLINE STUDENTS she must leave their Zoom conversation if a siren sounds. “I’ll go to a safe room. That’s just what you have to do.” Dr. Patricia Levy, FHSU professor of social work, lives in an eight-story apartment building in Ashdod, Israel, a city of 220,000 people less than 40 miles north of Gaza. “We (Dr. Levy and a friend) went shopping yesterday and got lucky that the siren didn’t happen until after we got home,” she said. I visited with Dr. Levy over a Zoom call less than two weeks after Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Fortunately, we made it through the entire conversation without hearing a siren. Dr. Levy grew up in Seattle, Wash., then moved to Israel in 1970. After completing her bachelor’s degree in social work from Bar Ilan University, she lived and worked in Israel for 18 years before moving back to the U.S., where she received her master’s degree in social work at the University of Washington and her Ph.D. in Human Services at Capella University. Although she has been a professor of social work on the campus of FHSU for 23 years, she returns to Israel nearly every summer to be near family and to experience the deep connections she feels for the country and

its people. Because she teaches online and has the flexibility to teach from any location, she decided to teach from Israel in the fall of 2022. “In Israel, everywhere you go, you have a tie to your own history,” Dr. Levy said. “You can’t step anywhere in Israel without stepping on history.” Dr. Levy’s family traces its Jewish roots back for generations. Family members on her father’s side experienced the devastation of the Holocaust. Dr. Levy assisted children and families throughout her years as a social worker. She has expertise in medical social work, including front-line, supervisory, and administrative practice, both in Israel and in the U.S. Working with culturally diverse groups has long been a passion for Dr. Levy, who has professional experience working with Native American, African American, and Middle Eastern and European populations. The war that began Oct. 7, 2023 is the third war that Dr. Levy has faced in Israel. She was a social worker during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Gulf War in 1991. Social workers were called up during each war to serve the civilian population. Maintaining a routine has helped Dr. Levy cope with the societal disruptions of war. Surprisingly, she has found some respite in watching Korean movies on Netflix during the last few weeks.

Network

AFTER ONLY FOUR YEARS of teaching

in the criminal justice program at FHSU, Dr. Ziwei Qi has earned a reputation

throughout campus as an innovative, encouraging, and approachable

professor. As a teacher-scholar, she

instructs a variety of undergraduate

courses and collaborates with community members to give her students

opportunities for service learning. Along with Dr. Hsin-Yen Yang,

communications studies associate Aerial view of Ashdad, Israel

professor, Dr. Qi’s interdisciplinary

research led to the establishment of

the Center for Empowering Victims of

Qi received the Pilot Award for

campus. The center provides critical

of 2023, Dr. Qi was awarded the John

Gender-Based Violence on the FHSU

information and long-term support to

survivors of gender-based violence in rural Kansas.

“People have their own ways of coping with stress,” she said. “I’m up in the middle of the night since the war started. I have a glass of milk and a granola bar. Watch a little TV, then go back to bed. These are stressful times. But I try to stay positive.” The ability to find humor in even the darkest situations is an attribute of the Israeli people that resonates with Dr. Levy. She has found that keeping a sense of humor has helped her cope with many challenges in her day-to-day life. Even during her days teaching on the campus of Fort Hays State, she didn’t hesitate to incorporate a few laughs into her lectures. “I used to tell students on the first day that I was going to tell jokes,” she said with a smile. “And if you don’t know if it’s a joke, I will tell you it’s a joke. Welcome to the world. That was my style of teaching.” Dr. Levy has researched and worked in several challenging specialty areas, including terrorism, spirituality, cross-cultural health models of intervention, gerontology, disability, and chronic illness. But it is personal connections that have truly influenced her life’s work. “I was really blessed to be drawn to social work because I love people’s stories,” she said. “I just love people.”

In the spring of 2023, Dr.

outstanding faculty member. In the fall Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor in 2023 for her extensive research into gender-based violence.

From international student to FHSU faculty member BY ZIWEI QI AS A FORMER INTERNATIONAL STUDENT and a current international faculty engaged in comparative legal studies and inspired by legal work and research in criminal justice, my cross-cultural experiences have undeniably impacted my academic and career trajectory. These experiences have provided me with great opportunities to conduct research and teaching on comparative justice, offering me a unique perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of various legal systems, which now inform my teaching and research. Collaborating with scholars worldwide has allowed me to explore and engage in diverse research methods and approaches, encouraging me to adopt a culturally specific and adaptable approach. These cross-cultural experiences have also impacted my teaching style and communication skills and created a transformative and inclusive learning environment. Dr. Qi lectures her criminal justice class in Fall of 2023

FHSU.EDU

BICKLE-SCHMIDT ATHLETIC COMPLEX

With the expansion growth of our of our athletic athletic programs, programs, we’ve we’ve outgrown outgrown current current training training facilities. facilities. Fort Fort Hays Hays State State University University hashas unveiled unveiled plans for an exciting athletic nearly 20,000 square feet in thefeet south end of end Lewis Field. plans for annew exciting newcomplex athletic spanning complex spanning nearly 20,000 square near thezone south zone of Lewis Field.

The Bickle-Schmidt Athletic Complex will be well-utilized by our football team but will enhance training capabilities for all student-athletes. The two-story complex will offer position-specific meeting rooms, coaching offices, a team meeting room large enough to facilitate 130 athletes, and a locker room fit for 130 as well. Through the generosity of supporters who have already stepped forward to help make this dream facility a reality, we are well on our way. However, additional fundraising is needed. There are several opportunities available to those interested in being a part of this exciting addition to Fort Hays State.

Keep Keepin inmind mindthat thatany anygift giftor ornaming namingcan canbe bemade madein inhonor honorof ofaaloved lovedone, one,on on behalf behalfof ofyour yourbusiness, business,or orin inmemory memoryof ofaafamily familymember memberor orfriend. friend. Visit Visitfoundation.fhsu.edu/athletic-complex foundation.fhsu.edu/athletic-complexto tomake makeaagift giftor orlearn learnmore. more.

Contact Thomas or Curtis to visit further about the opportunities available: Thomas Zimmerman Director of Development, FHSU Foundation 785-628-4129 | tazimmerman@fhsu.edu

Curtis Hammeke Director of Athletics, FHSU Athletics 785-628-4050 | chammeke@fhsu.edu

How You Can Help: Make a gift to the Bickle-Schmidt Athletic Complex – large or small. Name a football locker at $3,000. You can pay $3,000 in full or make an initial $1,000 payment and be billed annually for the remainder. Name a space within the athletic complex ranging from $50,000 - $500,000.

E M P O W E R I N G

global citizen-

FHSU’s Global Ambassadors FHSU’s Global Ambassadors represent a multitude of scenic homelands, unique cultures, and deeply held traditions. Each student brings to the FHSU campus their own life experiences and dreams for the future. Ayooluwa (Ay) Animashaun, a native of Oyo, Nigeria, along with Luciana Mendoza of Paraguay, South America, Diminga Safietou (Safie) Salene Senghor of Senegal, West Africa, and Xinrui (Crystal) Wang of Luoyang, China, have all found a sense of community and opportunities to impact the lives of others on the FHSU campus. 30

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

-leaders BY DAWNE LEIKER

Haley Williams and FHSU’s impact The idea that she could experience the world and work alongside people from the far reaches of the globe seemed a long shot for Haley Williams, who grew up on a farm in south-central Kansas. In fact, the first time Williams, whose farm was 15 miles away from the nearest town, had a neighbor was when she moved into Fort Hays State’s McMindes Hall as a freshman in 2005. Williams met international students as soon as she arrived at FHSU. Through living on campus and getting involved in various organizations, Williams immediately started connecting with students worldwide, especially from China. Many students from Sias, one of FHSU’s China partner schools, lived in McMindes Hall, where Williams would take the opportunity to visit with them during meals or while walking to classes. She graduated from FHSU in 2009 with a degree in sociology and then began teaching ESL at Garden City Community College. In 2018, a temporary job at FHSU coordinating training for instructors preparing to live and teach in China partner schools, Sias and Shenyang Normal University, opened. Williams seized this opportunity to join the

staff of FHSU and has become an invaluable member of the Global Affairs team. She attained her Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership from FHSU in 2021 and now works as FHSU’s Global Affairs Operations Director. Critical to the work of Global Affairs and International Student Services is FHSU’s mission to provide accessible quality education to Kansas, the nation, and the world through an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals to develop engaged global citizen-leaders. These leaders include 4,000 international students learning in locations worldwide. “Through the development of Global Affairs and International Student Services, I have had the amazing opportunity to raise my family in Hays but work, engage, develop, and learn from people all around the world,” Williams said. “Global Affairs and International Student Services fulfill the mission at FHSU by bringing the world to FHSU and taking FHSU to the world.” Williams found an answer to her passion for engaging global citizen-leaders by supporting the operations of all FHSU’s global partners. In addition, Williams and her colleague Jadyn Snyder have also enriched their international experiences by co-developing the FHSU Global Ambassador Program. FHSU.EDU

The Global Ambassador Program Employing 14 FHSU students, ten international and four American, the Global Ambassador program students advise Global Affairs and other FHSU organizations on how to stay relevant in marketing FHSU to the world. The Ambassadors also provide input on creating internationally friendly classrooms and curricula. Ambassadors are fluent in 12 languages. This adds invaluable multilingual capabilities to the Global Affairs team. “The Global Ambassador program is where students truly put the FHSU mission into action by living out what it means to be an engaged global citizen-leader right here on the main campus in Hays, Kansas,” Williams said.

yooluwa (Ay) Animashaun was

admitted to FHSU as a graduate student in 2022. During his first year on campus, Ay was elected president of the International Student Union. “As the union president, my team and I organized cultural exchange events and support groups to foster a sense of community,” he said. “During the FHSU Homecoming Parade 2022, I collaboratively organized the international students’ parade entry alongside the International Students Services staff.” His tenure as the International Student Union president ended after the spring of 2023, and Ay was then elected to the Student Government Association as senator representing international students. This new position has allowed him to advocate for international students’ interests and concerns. Ay said his leadership skills have vastly improved while at FHSU. “I plan to build my career in an inclusive and multicultural environment, and FHSU is already preparing me for this with the diverse student populace we have,” he said. “Fort Hays State University is also developing me to be a leader, and I really appreciate this.”

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Luciana Mendoza

uciana Mendoza has

always dreamed of studying in the United States. She was accepted to several universities but found that financial concerns made those institutions inaccessible to her. “At that time, I did not know what to do,” Luciana said. Then she discovered the Paraguay-Kansas Committee, which has an agreement between Paraguay and Kansas ensuring that students from Paraguay can choose any university in Kansas and pay in-state tuition. “I heard this voice inside me saying, ‘This is it.’ I ran my university choice by my parents, and we made a plan to make sure it would be possible to keep me in school for four years,” Luciana said. “Once that was done, I applied to Fort Hays and became a Tiger. Coming here was the best decision I could have ever made.” To students considering a path as an international student, Luciana has some guidance: “I advise international students to come and try it for themselves. This has been the best experience of my life, and I was presented with many incredible opportunities through it. Moving to another country for your education is not easy, but it is worth it. If I had to make this choice again, I would choose Fort Hays State University.”

Ay Animashaun

Safie Salane Senghor

iminga Safietou (Safie) Salane Senghor is an international student majoring in

tourism and hospitality from Senegal, West Africa. Her experiences as a global ambassador have influenced her significantly. “I have had the chance to connect with people from diverse cultures and ethnicities,” Safie said. “I even traveled to my home country and Ivory Coast with a part of the team for recruitment.” She pointed out that FHSU provides various projects and academic opportunities. One project, the EPIC challenge focusing on sustainability, was a highlight for her. “The EPIC challenge was a great experience because I had never worked under such pressure before, especially with a bunch of friends with whom I had never worked before,” she said. She is quick to recommend FHSU to anyone considering furthering their post-secondary education. “FHSU is an ideal place to start, offering various opportunities and tools that will benefit you throughout and after your academic years,” Safie said. “Hays is a safe and welcoming town without distractions that would interfere with your studies.”

inrui (Crystal) Wang, pursuing an MBA with a finance concentration, came to FHSU from Luoyang, China, where the climate is similar to Hays. Crystal, who started her bachelor’s degree at the Kansas International College of Sias University in Zhengzhou, China, completed ten courses taught by FHSU faculty when she was a sophomore. Persistence paid off for Crystal as she applied for a graduate assistantship at Fort Hays State and overcame many hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon coming to Hays, she continued to face challenges. “At first, I struggled and was anxious about everything, like admission, document preparation, visa application, packing items, vaccination, and so on,” Crystal said. “Since this was all on my own, I had to be independent to deal with small details to make sure the timeline and process were all correct.” Crystal found the people at FHSU to be friendly and welcoming, which helped eliminate much of the anxiety of moving across the world for her studies. “English was a struggle for me when I first got here, but people were so patient and encouraged me to speak out, which helped me build my confidence and make huge progress,” she said. During the summer of 2023, Crystal worked as a global ambassador. The highlight of that experience was assisting in planning an online student engagement activity for international students. Through that involvement, she could share her personal experiences at FHSU and connect with new students before they arrived. Crystal encourages students who are interested in studying abroad to consider FHSU. She has wise words of advice for those students who choose an international path for furthering their education: “Manage your time, socialize with others, keep your calendar full, and make your short learning abroad experience meaningful,” she said. According to Crystal, she has gained both practical and theoretical knowledge of her chosen field, finance, at FHSU. Finance competitions, clubs, and a graduate informatics assistantship have given her the tools she needs to carve out a career path. “The work experiences at FHSU gave me responsibilities and molded me from an all-round perspective,” she said. “I really appreciate all that FHSU has given me.”

Crystal Wang

FHSU.EDU

Dr. Gerald W. Tomanek served as the 7th president of Fort Hays State University from 1975-1987.

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023

A HISTORICAL VIEW:

TOMANEK’S RE SEARCH ABROAD IN ARGENTINA

STORY BY SARAH N KEISS

he legacy of Fort Hays State students and staff is not limited to Kansas, the Midwest, or even the United States. Many individuals associated with Fort Hays have conducted research and taught outside of the country. As early as the 1920s, George F. Sternberg led paleontological expeditions in Canada and Argentina. In the late 1950s, Dr. Fred Albertson studied grasslands in India, and Dr. Katherine Nutt lectured in India as a Fulbright Scholar. Since then, many other faculty have spent time abroad. This is the story of the travels of Dr. Gerald W. Tomanek, who went from growing up in a small western Kansas town to becoming an internationally known grasslands scholar. A man with strong Western Kansas roots, Dr. Tomanek was born and raised in Collyer, about forty-five minutes west of Hays. Both of his parents attended school at Fort Hays State. His father, John, took the first Short Course for Farmers in 1912 which focused on blacksmithing, steam engines, and gas engines. His mother, Hazel, started attending school at the university to get her teaching certificate in 1918. She continued taking summer and Saturday classes while teaching until she graduated in 1961 at the age of 64. Following in his parents’ footsteps, young Tomanek also attended Fort Hays and received his bachelor’s and master’s in botany before earning his doctorate at the University of Nebraska. Tomanek then served a four-year tour of duty from March 1942 to January 1946. He rose to the rank of marine captain in the Pacific Theatre of World War

II. After returning home, he married Ruth Ardis Morell, and they had three children. Fort Hays Kansas State College hired Tomanek in 1947 to teach biology. While he worked for the college, he held many positions, including chairman of Biological Sciences and chairman of the Division of Natural Science and Mathematics. He became the vice president for Academic Affairs in 1972 and then president in 1975, serving in that role until his retirement in 1987. By the time he became president, he had more than forty publications on grasslands as an internationally known grasslands scholar. Tomanek’s research brought him to Argentina twice to help with the reintroduction of grasslands. Before his first trip, Tomanek conducted thorough research on the grasslands of the region and how to get around Argentina, noting the country’s transportation system, lodging options, and learning important Spanish terms. The first six-week trip to Argentina began in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires, on January 14, 1961. Tomanek mainly worked in the province called La Pampa and the surrounding areas with several Argentinian researchers, including Guillermo Covas, Dr. Osvaldo Boelcke, and Roberto Souto. The Pampas grasslands stretch across fertile plains and estancias (cattle ranches). This area of Argentina and Kansas have similar climates and face the same agricultural challenges. Tomanek worked with local ranchers and residents to implement best practices for managing and preserving grasslands for the cattle industry. To effectively work with the locals, he had to use a translator. FHSU.EDU

A second trip began on November 23, 1961, and lasted until December 22, 1961. Tomanek’s experiences abroad allowed him to not only learn about grasslands but to interact with the locals. Tomanek took avid research notes on grasslands and biology while also taking notes on his experiences and interactions with Argentinians. Research notes detail the variety of South American foods the researchers ate, including arroz con leche (rice pudding), asado (grilled meats), yerba mate (caffeinated herbal drink), and lechon (suckling pig). Research notes explain how the Western Kansan felt in the big city of Buenos Aires, which was the largest city in Argentina with just under 7 million people at the time. Tomanek described what he saw. He noted a strong European influence on the city’s architecture, food, and customs. He attributed the difference in daily routines to an Italian influence on the city, with most peoples’ days starting in the late morning or early afternoon and dinner being eaten at nine at night. Dr. Tomanek’s notes also show that he felt a bit intimidated by the bustling city. His notes state that “the traffic is out of this world – many narrow streets, and cars, buses, street cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, horse-drawn carts, and pedestrians.” When getting around the city, “you come to a blind intersection, honk your horn, and plunge on thru hoping for the best.” There were many close calls in Buenos Aires, and because of this, he was too scared to drive in the busy city. Although he was still nervous, he drove in the smaller town of Santa Rosa “with bated breath.” Even the foot traffic was different than what he was used to, stating that “the people are like cars – they come straight at you without any thought of getting out of their way.” Working on this project with his fellow researchers, Tomanek established friendships that continued after he returned home. He and his new friends continued to communicate for years, inviting each other to conferences, sharing publications, and sending gifts. One 1971 letter that Tomanek sent to his fellow researcher, Guillermo

RIGHT: A map with notations by Tomanek showing

the areas of light, moderate, severe, and extreme

wind and water erosion damage across Argentina. Most of the damaged area is in La Pampa region, where Tomanek focused his research and educa-

tional efforts to reintroduce grasslands.

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Covas, states, “every time I see something on weeping lovegrass I think of you … I hope everything is going well for you and your family. Please give my warm regards to all of my friends.” Tomanek and the Argentinian researchers also exchanged birthday and holiday cards throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Neither Tomanek nor his fellow researchers forgot the relationships they made with each other. Since Kansas and Argentina faced similar agricultural challenges, continued communication after the trip allowed them to exchange ideas, work through problems, and learn from one another. Following the trip, Argentinian researchers came to the Fort Hays experiment station to learn and conduct research of their own. In honor of Dr. Tomanek and his achievements in the sciences and the university community, the physical science building built in 1995 was named after him.

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FHSU Global Learning Partnership Efforts Expanding in Southeast Asia B Y S C OT T C A S O N

Photo courtesy of the American University of Phnom Penh

R. VANDETH CHEA is a Cambodian educator, entrepreneur, and statesman. He is also a survivor of the Pol Pot’s murderous Khmer Rouge Communist regime that was responsible for the deaths of up to 24% of the nation’s population in the late 1970s. Chea is a visionary leader who has dedicated his life to rebuilding his nation. The Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror led to the decimation of the educated class of Cambodians, and rebuilding education was where Chea chose to focus his efforts.

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Chea made it his personal mission to create an institution of higher learning that would one day bring the world to Cambodia and Cambodia to the world. After years of planning and preparation, the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP) opened its doors to its first incoming class in September 2013. But to create the world-class educational experience he had long envisioned, Chea knew he would need to find a partner with the expertise and resources necessary to see his vision fulfilled.

This is where serendipity stepped in. Chea’s wife, Sok Ly, grew up in Shenyang, China, and was familiar with FHSU’s partnership with Shenyang Normal University. On a trip to Ly’s hometown in 2016, the couple decided to visit the campus, where they met FHSU political science professor Christopher Pappas. FHSU’s model in China is based on the delivery of an American-style college education on a Chinese college campus, which instantly appealed to Chea. Pappas introduced Chea to Dr. Mark Bannister, the former dean of FHSU’s W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of

CLASS OF 2022 Students from AUPP in Cambodia and their families traveled to FHSU to participate in the Fall 2022 graduation ceremony.

Business and Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Phil Wittkorn, director of FHSU’s Global Affairs Academic Partnerships. The shared mission and values of the two institutions would become the foundation upon which the FHSU/AUPP partnership would take shape. “We recognized quickly that our two institutions shared the commitment to establish an innovative community of teacher-scholars and professionals focused on the development of the next generations of engaged global citizenleaders,” Wittkorn said. In less than a year, Chea, Bannister, and Wittkorn created an academic partnership rooted in the shared values of scholarship, innovation, and global engagement. In 2017, seven Cambodian students enrolled in the first FHSU tourism and hospitality management courses offered at AUPP. Fast-forward to 2023 and the continuing maturation of this rapidly expanding global partnership. AUPP today provides a rigorous, principled, American-style educational opportunity for the youth of Cambodia. “The Cambodian people are special, their history is special, and the young people of their society are so focused on building a new future,” said Dr. Jeni McRay, FHSU’s assistant provost of internationalization and strategic initiatives. “This partnership is a powerful expression of the core values of this university and everything we are trying to achieve through our global engagement efforts.” AUPP remains the first and only American-styled university in the country. The addition of new graduate programs in business, computer science, and professional studies aligns with workforce development needs in Cambodia.

Robbins College professor Dr. Ed Vengrouskie is leading the effort to expand the partnership on the ground in Cambodia, working closely with many of the students, faculty, and administrators on campus to establish protocols for increased virtual engagements, on-site instruction, support for student recruitment, and establishing student-led co-curricular activities that mirror the opportunities enjoyed by students at FHSU. The new academic year at AUPP is slated to begin in January 2024. This temporary adjustment to the traditional academic year is a byproduct of the lingering effects of the global pandemic. Wittkorn expects this new academic year will see partnership program enrollment double at AUPP. FHSU and AUPP faculty and administrators are also working to expand and strengthen the partnership by recruiting faculty and staff to live and work on campus in Cambodia. The establishment of a cadre of FHSU faculty who live and work at AUPP is the ultimate goal. This transition will take place over the next couple of years and will evolve through the gradual inclusion of more faculty and staff. One goal is to provide opportunities for FHSU

faculty and staff to experience teaching and working on the AUPP campus through a short-term faculty exchange program. Not one to rest on his laurels, Dr. Chea recently shifted his focus to the modernization of the country’s digital and information technology infrastructure. He now serves as the Cambodian Minister of Post and Telecommunications, representing his nation on the world stage. Chea remains closely connected to the university he founded, and his wife, Sok Ly, also serves as a university trustee. Now in a new role outside of higher education, Chea’s connections to FHSU remain strong. The deans of the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics actively support the minister’s efforts, providing ready access to FHSU faculty experts in the fields of telecommunications and information technology.

FHSU.EDU

What Whatififwe wetold toldyou youthat thatevery everydollar dollaryou youdonated donatedtotoFort FortHays HaysState StateUniversity University would wouldbe bematched? matched? It’s It’strue! true!Make Makea agift gifttotoFHSU FHSUand andyour yourgift giftwill willbebematched matcheddollar dollarfor fordollar dollarbybya aprogram programcalled calledthe the

“Kansas “KansasComprehensive ComprehensiveGrant GrantMatch” Match”through throughthe thestate stateofofKansas. Kansas.Your Yourgift giftwill willsupport support students studentsatatFort FortHays HaysState Statewho whoare areKansas Kansasresidents, residents,enrolled enrolledfull-time, full-time,and anddemonstrate demonstratefinancial financial need. need.This Thisneed-based need-basedgrant grantimpacts impactsFHSU FHSUstudents studentswho whorequire requirefinancial financialsupport supportthe themost most– –students students who whodream dreamofofcompleting completinga abachelor’s bachelor’sdegree degreebut butmay maynot notmake makeitittotograduation graduationwithout withoutothers others lending lendinga ahand. hand.Your Yourgift giftcould couldchange changethe thetrajectory trajectoryofofa astudent’s student’slife. life.

Having Havingyour yourgift giftdoubled doubledisiseasy: easy: Visit Visitfoundation.fhsu.edu/kcg foundation.fhsu.edu/kcgtotomake makeyour yourgift giftonline. online. Send Senda acheck checkmade madepayable payabletotothe theFHSU FHSUFoundation Foundationtotothe the following followingaddress addressand andwrite write“Kansas “KansasComprehensive ComprehensiveGrant” Grant”ininthe thememo memoline. line.

FHSU FHSUFoundation, Foundation,P.O. P.O.Box Box1060, 1060,Hays, Hays,KS KS67601 67601 785-628-5620 785-628-5620| |foundation@fhsu.edu foundation@fhsu.edu| |foundation.fhsu.edu foundation.fhsu.edu

FAC U LT Y S P OT LI G H T

L A N G U A G E C O N N E C T S P E O P L E BY DR. ROBERT LLOYD

INCE FORT HAYS’ ORIGINS

as a military outpost set on the border of an unexplored expanse of the Western Plains, we have always been uniquely positioned to engage new parts of the world. The university’s sustained and unprecedented buildout into China 25 years ago echoes a lingering commitment to the same ideal. Today, the Global Affairs office remains intensely focused on expanding the international reach of Fort Hays, underwritten by our institutional value of global engagement. We operate by the axiom of “bringing Fort Hays to the world, and the world to Fort Hays.” The manifold, budding partnerships developed in recent years in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia afford us exposure to unique cultures. As we invest in this new portfolio of partnerships, I believe the moderating factor and great connector is language. There is no shortage of bilingual staff and students in the Global Affairs team. The assortment of languages in this office includes fluent speakers of Chinese, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, local African languages, Guarani, and Hindi. An inventory of the broader

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2022 2023

FHSU campus would demonstrate even wider breadth. When I was asked to join the Global Affairs team, I became intensely eager to use and expand the various languages I have pursued. At the age of five, I became fascinated with the idea of mastering another language. Living in West Germany during the Cold War exposed me to the multi-lingual milieu of Europe (hearing neighborhood kids speaking German, and the occasional weekend vacations in France, and Switzerland). My early childhood left me incredulous that someone could go their entire lifetime without speaking a single word of English. I wanted to understand and interconnect, and have spent the last 35 years pursuing this captivation. In my role in Global Affairs, opportunities abound to utilize language skills. On a recent trip to our Bolivian partner, I was able to speak with parents in their native Spanish. This is the language I have studied longer than any other (and speak every day at home with my Colombian wife and children). I was completely comfortable answering their questions and engaging in meaningful conversations about their children’s

educational aspirations. Being able to do so in Spanish gave them additional comfort as they considered sending their children to another part of the world. I was hired as the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship international coordinator during the pandemic. And knowing that 1) I couldn’t use funds to attend conferences, and 2) FHSU was pursuing partners in West Africa, I leveraged two years of my professional development funds to study French intensely – private lessons, software, and subscriptions. While my French in that time has developed to a lower intermediate level, I voyaged to Africa this year equipped with enough to talk conversationally with students, parents, and partner administrators.

I HAVE FOUND THAT LANGUAGE CONNECTS PEOPLE. SPEAKING TO SOMEONE IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE INSTANTLY ALLOWS FOR DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS AND RAPPORT. IT ALLOWS FOR SHORT MOMENTS OF HUMOR OR HUMAN CONNECTION. FHSU’S INTERNATIONALIZATION EFFORTS WILL EXPOSE US INCREASINGLY TO NEW LANGUAGES AND CULTURES.

I encourage my students who express interest in mastering a foreign language to approach this learning goal with serious conviction. “Practice” and “courage” are the distinct strategies I suggest as means to propel them into the next level of proficiency. Practice comes by restlessly chasing every opportunity to engage with native speakers and content - switching their phones and computers from English, starting a conversation with someone on an airplane, watching movies they know by heart dubbed in the target language, or taking a spring break trip to a foreign country instead of skiing in Colorado. My colleague Phil accuses me of “drifting” towards people having conversations in German or French while we wait in air-

ports or boarding planes so that I might listen or even get a comment in. The second recommendation is much more challenging, which is to have the courage to be embarrassed. When you make a mistake in a foreign language, your brain instantly marks that moment as a noteworthy event, improving the chances of remembering and speaking correctly the next time. I’ve stumbled through poor pronunciations, misused or misapplied idioms, and have told punchlines to jokes that make no sense in a translated language. On a recent trip to Ivory Coast, I told a parent at a recruiting brunch that I was a professor of “gestational science,” which resembles the French word for “management” (gestation vs. gestion). Doing this also means putting yourself in situations that require focus because English is not an option. At a conference I attend each year in Germany, scholars have a choice of presenting in either German or English. In the spirit of self-challenge and hoping to improve an upper intermediate command of German, I presented a manuscript in German with the help of a co-presenter (my German tutor). I came away from that experience with a deeper command of German academic vocabulary, despite the multitude of mistakes I made interacting with the scholarly audience. A week later, I did the same at a conference in Champagne, France – with the aid of Dr. Nahid Anaraki, an FHSU colleague in the Finance Department.

I have found that language connects people. Speaking to someone in their native tongue instantly allows for deeper relationships and rapport. It allows for short moments of humor or human connection. FHSU’s internationalization efforts will expose us increasingly to new languages and cultures. I believe fervently that making an effort to engage our stakeholders on their terms shows respect and advances relationships. Fortunately, my story and love of language is not unique at Fort Hays State. The collection of faculty and staff who are natives or learners of foreign languages is impressive, and we should leverage that advantage in order to live out our global engagement ideals.

BIO:

Dr. Robert Lloyd is a tenured professor

in the Department of Management and the Robbins College of Business and

Entrepreneurship Director of Strategic Partnerships. In addition to teaching

management courses, he has led study abroad experiences to the Caribbean,

South America, and Europe. He serves as the lead consultant for the Management Development Center and regularly

provides guest lectures at universities around the world.

FHSU.EDU

ALUMNI NEWS

Tiger family reunites during FHSU Homecoming

Homecoming weekend at Fort Hays State University drew hundreds of alums, friends, and community members back to campus. Graduates nationwide traveled to Hays to celebrate and reunite with classmates. The festivities kicked off Thursday with more than 40 teams of FHSU alumni and friends playing in a sold-out golf tournament at Smoky Hill Country Club. That evening, high winds made it necessary to cancel the annual bonfire and move the celebration to Lewis Field Stadium. The “Party at Lewis” event featured a pep rally, food trucks, and music. Friday opened with a ribbon cutting for the newly constructed Wilmer and Lorena Kellogg Training Center at the Hays City Sportsmen’s Club, north of Hays. The facility was completed earlier this year and is home to FHSU’s 11-time national champion Shotgun Team. That same morning, this year’s Alumni Award winners joined other Homecoming attendees in Forsyth Library for a meet and greet reception. The six distinguished award winners were again recognized at the annual Alumni and Friends Awards and Recognition Banquet later that evening. In addition, Friday was a day to recognize the classes of 1963 and 1973, who returned to campus for their 50- and 60-year reunions. Members of the class of 1973 were inducted into FHSU’s Half Century Club at a luncheon event in the Memorial Union. They gathered again on Saturday morning to enjoy breakfast together before joining

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71-3

President Mason for the annual parade in downtown Hays. Special gatherings for finance graduates and former football FORT HAYS STATE team members also brought DEFEATS LINCOLN alums together for reunions and DURING HOMECOMING open houses. GAME 2023 Saturday evening, Tiger football fans headed to Lewis Field Stadium to tailgate with the FHSU Alumni Office and classmates before kickoff at the big game. The crowd went wild as Fort Hays State defeated Lincoln by a whopping final score of 71- 3, perfectly concluding Homecoming 2023. Mark your calendars for Homecoming 2024 from October 3-5!

Meet Two Distinguished Alums of FHSU ESTHER READY Esther Ready, who grew up in Oberlin, never imagined that an education from Fort Hays State University would lead her to work on national TV shows like Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow. As a young woman in the 1970s, a career in television was the farthest thing from her mind, so she pursued a degree in education. Ready graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in music in 1974 and a master’s in special education – learning disabilities in 1977. After teaching for several years, Ready found a position with PBS in Kansas City and shifted her focus to children’s television/media. An urge to further her career in a larger city prompted Ready to apply for jobs nationwide in the mid-1980s. When she received an offer from WNET, New York City’s PBS station, she moved to the Big Apple to pursue her dream. Over the years, Ready has worked in children’s media worldwide with companies like Scholastic and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Now retired, Ready consults for independent TV productions and fuels her love of music through church choir, harmony groups, and as a backup singer in a rock band. She lives in New York City with her husband, David Chomowicz, an Emmy award-winning TV art director, and their son, Nick, a music producer and composer. Ready encourages students to explore the opportunities available at Fort Hays State and to “find their fire.” That passion, paired with an education from FHSU, can change lives.

NICK CAPO Nick Capo’s path to working with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Padres, and the Miami Dolphins began at Fort Hays State University. An All-American track and field athlete, Capo pursued his dream of working in professional sports by earning a sports management degree in 2002. A few years after graduating from Fort Hays State, Capo took a full-time position with the Miami Dolphins and Pro Player Stadium, now Hard Rock Stadium. Initially, he was responsible for event management, security, and game-day programming. He worked his way up to higher-ranked positions with the Dolphins over his ten-year tenure before transitioning to Major League Baseball in 2014. Capo spent four years with the San Diego Padres and oversaw multiple departments, including security, event operations, and guest services. However, his heart pulled him back to football, and he accepted a role with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. In 2021, Capo was promoted to Vice President of Event Operations and is now in his sixth season with the Chiefs. He oversees and plans Kansas City Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium event operations, including football games, concerts, and other special events. Over his professional career, Capo has worked several notable events, including 12 Super Bowls, the MLB All-Star Game, WrestleMania, and numerous major stadium concert tours. Yes, even Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour! His success working in professional sports exemplifies the endless possibilities available to FHSU graduates. Capo and his wife, Kollisa, reside in Kansas City and have three children: Chloe, Cole, and Cash. FHSU.EDU

TIGER NOTES

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CLASS NOTES 1960s

Mickey (Howard) Bogart ’65, Overland Park, was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame. Marion Dreher ’69, Hays, was honored at the state level as the Kansas Kiwanian of the Year.

1970s

Gloria (Baus) Blackwell ’75, ’03, Hays, was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame. Neal Schmeidler ’70, Wichita, was recently hired as a Managing Consultant with Guidehouse, Inc. after retiring from the USDA.

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1980s

David Anderson ’88, WaKeeney, was recently reappointed to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board by Governor Laura Kelly. Sandra (Hathaway) Benoit ’82, Damar, was seated as one of 12 directors for Sunflower Electric Power Corporation. Marcy (Andrews) Beougher ’88, ’93, Quinter, received the Outstanding Faculty Service Award for FHSU’s College of Health and Behavioral Science. Julie (Hutchinson) Deterding ’82, ’83, Wichita, was recently added as a member to the FHSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

Lori (Broetzmann) Hertel ’82, ’89, Hays, was acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Healthcare Professional in the field of Psychology by The Inner Circle. Jayne (Costigan) Inlow ’88, Hays, was awarded the James W Putnam Award during Kiwanis 70th Year Anniversary Banquet. Melissa (Scheetz) Romme ’89, Hays, was awarded the James W Putnam Award during Kiwanis 70th Year Anniversary Banquet. Kimberly (Flegler) Stoppel ’89, Russell, was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame.

Mari Tucker ’86, ’87, became a board member at the Heartland Community Foundation. Robert “Bob” Wilson ’81, Parker, Colo., became the newly-elected 73rd Grand Consul with Sigma Chi Fraternity.

1990s

John Befort ’90, ’99, ’04, Ellis, recently became part of the Board of Directors with the National Association of Elementary School Principals. David Gray ’95, ’97, Lawrence, was announced as outstanding faculty member for the Department of Informatics at FHSU.

Mary (Johansen) Martin ’91, Hays, was announced as outstanding faculty member for the Department of Applied Business Studies at FHSU. Debra (Reed) Portschy ’90, Herndon, retired in June after teaching 14 years at Herndon and 19 years at Rawlins County High School for a teaching career of 33 total years. Brandon Prough ’93, Hays, was recently added as a member to the FHSU Foundation Board of Trustees. Jeremy Rabe ’99, ’10, Dodge City, was recently hired as the Chief Executive Officer with Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital. Ryan Ruda ’97, ’99, Holcomb, was recently announced to serve as president of two state organizations. Duane Shepherd ’94, Victoria, retired as the Head Coach for the FHSU Shotgun Team after 18 years. Terry Siek ’91, ’02, Hays, was presented with the Norman W. Jeter Humanitarian Award during Hospital Week Celebration. Tamara “Tammy” (Brooks) Wellbrock ’94, ’02, Hays, was recently hired as a Creative Service Representative with Nex-Tech Wireless.

2000s

Regina “Gina Lee” (Cox) Anderson ’06, Hays, was awarded the Sue and Dennis Budd Exemplary Life Award during the Kansas Recovery Conference. LeAnn (Dreher) Brown ’02, WaKeeney, was announced as outstanding faculty member for the Department of Management at FHSU. Christie (Patterson) Brungardt ’01, Council Grove, is one of the new advisory board members for the Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence. Matthew “Matt” Dunn ’07, Portland, Ore., was recently promoted to Associate Head Coach for Men’s Basketball with Portland State. Seth Kastle ’05, WaKeeney, has been named one of 34 scholars who will form the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. Matthew Norsworthy ’05, Midway, Ga., was recently hired as the Director of Integrated Solutions and Business Development with UPCEA. Ryan Prickett ’03, ’05, Hays, received Photography Portfolio of the Year from College Sports Communicators.

Toni Williams ’09, Greenwood, Ind., was recently announced as Martin University’s new Provost/ Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Noelle Husmann ’15, Lawrence, was recently hired as the Marketing Communications Strategist with the KU Alumni Association.

2010s

Talia Kahrs ’12, ’15, Hays, was hired as the new Women’s Head Basketball Coach For FHSU.

Thatcher Brown ’18, Lincoln, started a new role as Vice President of Operations at Vista Business Group. Schuyler Coates ’10, Hays, is one of the new advisory board members for the Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence.

Kevin Klug ’16, Salina, recently completed residency training at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and has entered into its Wichita Sports Medicine Fellowship.

Lindsey Dinkel ’11, Larned, was recently hired as the Superintendent of Larned State Hospital.

Jerrod Lies ’19, Hays, was recently promoted to Head Coach for the FHSU Shotgun Team.

Carrie (Hofstetter) Eighmey ’13, Moscow, Idaho, was named the 10th Head Women’s Basketball Coach in the history of the University of Idaho.

Carmen Morales-Hernandez ’11, ’22, Hays, was recently hired as an Outpatient Bilingual Therapist with High Plains Mental Health Center.

Scott Goodheart ’15, Pratt, was selected by the KSHSAA as the new Director of Officials. Madison Holub ’13, Huntington, W. Va., was recently named Softball Pitching Coach with Marshall University. Heather (Kyburz) Hosford ’14, Hesston, was recently hired as an Assistant Professor of Nursing with Bethel College.

Jeffrey “Jeff” Sekavec ’13, Monument, Colo., was recently inducted into Marquis Who’s Who.

2020s

Anniston Weber ’21, Hays, is one of the new advisory board members for the Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence. Marcus Willey ’21, ’23 Abilene, was recently hired as the new Head Coach for Men and Women’s Golf with Southwestern College.

FHSU.EDU

TIGER NOTES DEATHS 1940s

Dorothy “Dottie” (Harris) Kraus ’47, Omaha, Neb., May 20, 2023

1950s

Wauneta (Cunningham) Benton ’59, Spring Hill, Tenn., Aug. 2023 Quentin Bogart ’55 ’56, Mesa, Ariz., Dec. 17, 2022 Harriet (Keplinger) Brin ’50, Ogden, Utah, June 24, 2023 Doris (Thompson) Chipman ’55, ’58, Denton, Texas, Jan. 15, 2023 Luanne (Lebsack) French ’51, Wichita, July 20, 2023 Mary “Joan” (Johnson) Gallion ’53, Grinnell, April 29, 2023 Richard Kidwell ‘56, Fullerton, Calif., March 12, 2023 Ray Newton ’57, Prescott, Ariz., April 10, 2023 LaFaun “Fauny” (Foreman) Nuchols ’54, Torrance, Calif., Feb. 24, 2023 Lawrence Parsons ’56 ’59, Westminster, Colo., April 17, 2022

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Robert “Bob” Sandmeyer ’56, Fayetteville, Ark., Aug. 31, 2023

Ronald “Ron” Hilgers ‘62, San Diego, Calif., March 13, 2020

Ralph Shrauner ’51, Edmond, Okla., Aug. 13, 2023

Delbert Kidwell ’64 ’68, Hutchinson, Sept. 2, 2023

Jerry Sutton ‘59, Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 16, 2022

William “Carlos” Lopez ’63, Clarkesville, Ga., April 12, 2023

John Tomlinson ’52, ’53, Joplin, Mo., Sept. 3, 2023 Dwight York ’52, Oakley, June 20, 2023

1960s

David Bond ‘69, ‘70, Abilene, Aug. 1, 2023 D Leonard Brown ’65, Russell, Sept. 6, 2023 Constance “Connie” (Shean) Burkhart ‘68, Spearville, Aug. 23, 2023 Kenneth “Ken” Folsom ’69, Colorado Springs, Colo., April 25, 2023 Norman “Norm” Gentzler ’60, Overland Park, July 4, 2023 Estella (Carper) Harold ’68, ’73, Norton, July 11, 2023 Betty (Veverka) Harper ‘65, Eau Claire, Wis., June 8, 2023 Jeanette (Zechmeister) Hilgers ‘62, San Diego, Calif., Aug. 14, 2023

1970s

Ann Maria “Trena” (Abrams) Ansell ’75, ’78, Topeka, July 11, 2023 George Dresie ‘79, Salina, June 18, 2023 Mary (Lampe) Gleason ’74, Ulysses, June 25, 2023

Eleanor (Jeffus) Matal ’64, Woodland, Calif. Oct. 31, 2022

Dale Hill ’76, Lawton, Okla., July 27, 2020

Dixie (Taddiken) Mauch ‘66, Franklin, Neb., Sept. 6, 2023

Linda Hiser ’70, Guymon, Okla., Nov. 3, 2020

Wanda (Meier) Miller ‘69, ‘73, Hays, Aug. 17, 2023

Christine (Folmnsbee) Hudson ’71, McPherson, May 17, 2023

John Murray ’64, Garland, Texas, Aug. 9, 2022 Kenneth Price ’67, Arkansas City, July 16, 2022 Lawrence “Mac” Reed ’64, Hays, June 2, 2023 Gerald Riley ’61, Dighton, July 22, 2023 Gary Romeiser ‘62, ‘69, Hartford, July 24, 2023 Terry Schonlaw ‘65, Topeka, April 12, 2023 Roy Thornburg ’61, Utica, June 7, 2023 Patty (Keeley) Vratil ’66, Great Bend, Aug. 31, 2023 Larry Zavesky ‘67, Huron, S.D., Aug. 3, 2022

David Kearney ’73, Larned, Sept. 1, 2023 Thomas “Tom” Kearney, ’77, ’90, McPherson, Aug. 15, 2022 Roberta (Gilliland) Lane ‘70, Larned, Sept. 7, 2023 Betty (Dutton) Lull ’70, Prairie Village, March 22, 2023 Arlene (Wellbrock) Pfeifer ‘74, Victoria, May 3, 2023 Delores (Honas) Schmeidler ’78, ’81, Hays, Sept. 4, 2023 Galen “Igor” Schmidt ‘70, LaCrosse, July 14, 2023 Ellen “Ellen May” (Durr) Stanley ’72, ’84, Dighton, Aug. 28, 2022

Phyllis Struble ‘71, Glasco, Aug. 19, 2023 Donna (Horn) Studley ‘76, Speed, July 6, 2023 Norma (Souther) Ward ‘75, Shawnee, July 9, 2020 Charles “Chuck” Waymaster ‘79, Lawrence, July 1, 2023

1980s

Joshua “Josh” Brown ’20, and Iva Foster ’19, Nov. 13, 2021 Josh Brungardt, and Elle Stein ’17, ’22, Dec. 31, 2022

Nicholas “Nick” Meis ’20, and Katrina “Kat” McMahon ’21, Sept. 24, 2022

Uriel Campos ’18, and Madison Klusman ’17, Nov. 5, 2022

Mason Runyan ’22, and Jillian Harper ’21, July 4, 2021

Jason Foster ’17, and Jensen Scheele ’17, April 15, 2023

Sheldon Weber ’22, and Madeline “Maddie” Lohmeyer ’23, June 3, 2023

Teri (Rohla) Hart ’89, Hays, Sept. 15, 2023

Easton Gilliland ’18, ’20, and Jade Artzer ’20, ’21, ’23, June 10, 2023

Gregory “Greg” Salisbury ’85, Bennington, April 14, 2023

Benjamin “Ben” Lampe ’16, and Ashten Hall ’22, July 19, 2021

1990s

Nicholas “Nick” Lehmkuhl ’19, and Alexis Schamberger, June 3, 2023

Michael “Mike” Muench ’91, Hays, Aug. 14, 2023

MARRIAGES 2000s

Brandon Geist ’08, and Megan Leis ’05, May 27, 2023 Ross Russell ’08, and Simone Dockers ’16, ’19, ’22, May 25, 2019

2010s Tyler Broeckelman ’19, and Kaylor Gottschalk ’19, June 24, 2023

Tyler Kaus, and Kirsten Burger ’21, ’23, July 25, 2022

Reed Tevault ’16, and Hope Portenier, Sept. 8, 2023

2020s

Layne Bieberle ’20, and Kaycee Steiner ’20, ’23, April 30, 2022 Clay Feik, and Kyrsten Frickey ’21, Aug. 5, 2023 Connor Graham ’21, and Emily Collins, May 20, 2023 Isaiah Grover ’20, and Alexcia Deutscher ’20, Sept. 17, 2022 Tanner Hallagin ’21, and Natalie Oren ’21, July 1, 2023

BIRTHS 1990s

John ’95 and Claire (Bohm) Ludes ’15, Salina, a boy, Boe John Ludes, April 2, 2022

2000s

Joshua “Josh” ’09 and Jaclynn (Ward) Dreher, Hays, a boy, James Dreher, May 10, 2022

2010s

Bader ’19, and Katie (McCabe) Abukhodiar ’21, Bazine, a girl, Najmah Bader Abukhodiar, Feb. 28, 2023 Elliot ’18, and Selam (Ball) Carlson ’18, San Antonio, TX, a boy, Tate Michael Carlson, Feb. 9, 2023 Matthew “Matt” ’11, ’13, and Kathleen (Dougherty) Cook, Hays, a girl, Thea Jane Cook, May 27, 2023

Taylor and Jessica “Jessie” (Havice) Hess ’14, ’16, Wichita, a girl, Ava Jane Hess, April 5, 2022 Trevor ’18, and Allison “Allie” (Murphy) Hickman, Lenexa, a boy, Griffin Hickman, April 2023 Brenden ’19, and Alexis “Lexi” (Summers) Ibarra ’19, Hays, a girl, Ellie Kay Ibarra, July 11, 2023 Chandler and Katelyn (Hecker) Schmidt ’16, ’21, Hays, a boy, Kohen James Schmidt, March 17, 2022 Zachary “Zach” ’16 and Elizabeth “Liz” (McDowell) Walker ’15, Tecumseh, a girl, Amelia Lynn Walker, May 3, 2023 Braiden ’19, and Mindy (Gower) Werth ’18, ’19, Hays, a girl, Kinley Lauren Werth, July 2023 Zachery “Zach” ’13, and Aubrey (McGinnis) Woolf ’16, Hays, a girl, Leighton June Woolf, Aug. 21, 2023

2020s

Brian and Frances (Swint) Eck ’21, Manhattan, a girl, Sophie Elaine Eck, Feb. 22, 2023 Brady and Shelby Mattke ’22, Ogallah, a girl, Delaney Jaye Mattke, Jan. 25, 2023

FHSU.EDU

Office of University Communications 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601

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TIGER PRIDE Show your Tiger pride on the road by purchasing an official state of Kansas Tiger Tag!

Visit www.FHSUalumni.com/drive or contact the 50 ROAR FALL/WINTER 2023FHSU Alumni Office at 785-628-4430 to learn more.

Roar Magazine Vol. 8 / Issue 1 / Fall-Winter 2023

Articles inside

FHSU Student's Adventures Abroad

Global Learning Partnership

Robert Lloyd's Faculty Spotlight

Tomanek's Research

Empowering Global Citizen-Leaders

Not Just a Team, a family

FHSU’s International Faculty