Campus News

FHSU welcomes new medical director

In January 2022, Dr. Jeffery “Jeff” Curtis, MD, joined the Health and Wellness Services team at Fort Hays State University as its new medical director. He replaced Dr. Dallas Richards, who served as medical director for 30 years. As the medical director, Curtis oversees medical clinic operations and works closely with campus academic and student affairs partners to support student wellness, health, and safety.

“We are honored that Dr. Curtis chose to come home to FHSU and continue his remarkable career in medicine at his alma mater,” FHSU President Tisa Mason said. “He is the epitome of the engaged global citizen that is the hallmark of so many of our graduates. For more than 20 years, he has provided invaluable leadership, generosity, and service as a FHSU Foundation executive board member.”

Curtis’ ties to Fort Hays State are deep and span decades and generations in his family. His father and mother attended FHSU and were married on the same day they graduated in 1950. As a boy, Curtis grew up a block from the FHSU campus and spent many days playing football and basketball on the Tiger football practice field and in Sheridan Coliseum.

After graduating from Fort Hays State in 1977, Curtis went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Very early in his medical career, Curtis was a 1987 recipient of the FHSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award.

In 1988, he and his wife, Connie, decided to return to Kansas.

“We wanted to come home to a place we are comfortable, a place where family comes first,” Curtis said. At the time, there was no opportunity for Curtis to practice cardiology in Hays, so the family settled in Topeka, where they spent the next 14 years.

When an opportunity opened at Hays Medical Center in 2002, Curtis was able to bring his family to Hays. He worked as a cardiologist and director of cardiology services at HaysMed for the next 19 years and retired in August 2021.

“It’s been a privilege to practice medicine for two decades in the town where I grew up,” he said. “I’ve never needed to attend any high school or homecoming events, because my job kept me connected to lifelong friends.”

FHSU Medical Director Dr. Jeffery Curtis (center) and family

As he began to look for his next professional challenge after retirement, Curtis found FHSU’s new integrated Health and Wellness Services model particularly appealing. He plans to draw on the experience of nurse practitioners, nurses, and other clinical professionals as he learns more about the new approach to wellness. He also looks forward to sharing his extensive medical knowledge as a teacher in the clinic and the university’s nursing program.

A long-serving member of the FHSU Foundation’s executive committee, Curtis currently serves as the nominating committee chair for the Foundation. He is also a Wooster Society member, a 20-year donor, and a Leadership Circle member.

Jeff and Connie Curtis are the parents of three, including son Christian, a graduate student at FHSU; and daughter Cathryn, a graduate of the FHSU BSN nursing program and a graduate in the first class of BSN to DNP doctorate of nursing practice program. She currently serves as a nurse practitioner at HaysMed’s Family Medicine Clinic. Son Carter passed away in 2020. Cathryn and her husband, A.J. Preisner, are the parents of Jeff’s and Connie’s four grandchildren.

Students and alumni honored with Kansas Horizon Education Award

Thirty-two first-year educators from Kansas were recognized for their outstanding teaching skills through the 2022 Kansas Horizon Award program. Six of those are either current Fort Hays State University students or recent graduates of FHSU.

The Kansas Horizon Award program is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). All school districts across the state have the opportunity to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher for the award.

The program, in its 20th year, is divided into four regions corresponding to the state’s U.S. congressional districts. Four elementary and four secondary classroom teachers are selected from each region.

FHSU was well represented in Region 1, with half of the winners having ties to Fort Hays State. That is especially impressive since that region corresponds with Kansas’ Big First District, which encompasses all or part of 63 counties in western and northern Kansas – more than half of the state.

2022 Horizon Award winners with FHSU connections:

From Region 1: Lindsey Kepka, Hutchinson Virtual School; Christine Pianalto, McPherson High School; Katelyn Stoss, Plum Creek Elementary School; Jazzman Tolbert, Graber Elementary School

From Region 2: Mellisa Wilson, Central Heights Elementary School

From Region 4: Kassie Campidilli, Goddard High School

FHSU Online among the best in the nation

Fort Hays State University is celebrating its 111th anniversary of distance learning as one of the best online programs in the nation.

FHSU Online continues as a national leader in providing highquality and affordable online education to students in Kansas and across the globe. Distance education at FHSU began in 1911 when the university delivered correspondence coursework to rural teachers through the mail.

In their most recent rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized FHSU as among the best in the nation in six different online education categories. Fort Hays State’s online programs were among more than 1,700 programs reviewed by U.S. News.

Heading that list in 2022 was FHSU’s online master’s in nursing program, which was ranked in the top 30 – 29th among the top 179 schools ranked. The latest U.S. News ranking also placed Fort Hays State 31st for its online master’s in education programs for veterans.

FHSU’s online bachelor’s in business program ranked 61st among 228 programs. Three other online programs were also mentioned among the nation’s best: master’s in education, bachelor’s programs for veterans, and online bachelor’s programs.

Sky Sprayers business plan soars

The Faulkner Challenge is an annual competition in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship for developing innovative business plans. One of this year’s competitors, Tyler Preisser, is the driving force behind the Sky Sprayers, a breakthrough agricultural drone concept that he hopes will revolutionize the crop-spraying process. Preisser leveraged his idea to recruit four other students to join him in preparing the business plan for competition.

Preisser, along with teammates Chance Fuhrman, John Gamez- Ramos, Wyatt Cyr, and Kole West, earned second-place honors and a check for $3,000 in this year’s contest, but the team was not content to rest on it’s laurels. In April, the team entered the Sky Sprayers plan in the University of Missouri-Kansas City-sponsored Regnier Venture Creation Challenge. They took home the Outstanding Undergraduate Venture award and $2,500.

Preisser, now the sole proprietor behind the initiative, has never stopped hustling. His Sky Sprayers plan recently won first place and $1,500 in the 2022 “Hot Pitches” competition. This competition was sponsored by Sigma Tau Nu, a national entrepreneurship honor society with 45 chapters on university campuses all across the United States, including Fort Hays State University. As part of the winner’s package, Sigma Nu Tau will also provide Preisser with a professional mentor.

FHSU recognized again as Military Friendly School

Fort Hays State University was recently recognized for its investment in programs that improve the educational experience of its militaryconnected student community, earning the 2022-23 Military Friendly School designation from militaryfriendly.com. FHSU earned “Silver” recognition in this year’s survey, a significant advancement over last year’s survey placement on the 2021-22 list of 747 Military Friendly Schools.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School Award designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,800 schools participated in the 2022- 23 survey, and 665 schools earned awards level designations in Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Erica Fisher, director of FHSU’s Transfer & Military Center, points to the university’s expanded investment in recent years to improve transition and academic experiences for service members, veterans, and their families.

“In 2020, FHSU strengthened our commitment to supporting militaryconnected students and established the Transfer & Military Center,” Fisher said. “Since then, we’ve launched several initiatives aimed at improving the college experience for our military student populations, such as increasing military credit articulation and creating new scholarship opportunities. We are proud of this recognition and will continue our work to support our military-connected students.”

Military-connected students at FHSU have access to a variety of benefits and resources to improve their student experience. These include unofficial transcript evaluations, transfer and military credit policies, and the ability to utilize their military tuition benefits at an accredited institution.

Student organization 3-peats as national champs

Fort Hays State University’s chapter of the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) continued its dominance in national competition this spring.

At the annual International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA) conference in Orlando, Fla. in May, FHSU won three of the five nationally recognized individual events to claim co-championship all-around honors with Purdue University. With that performance, Fort Hays State became the ITEEA’s first three-peat national champion.

Tiger Nation has placed in the top three in the all-around category every year (including four firsts) since the category was added to the competition in 2017. Fort Hays State has won 36 individual events in its 37 years of attending the national event.

Student Organization 3-peats as nation champs

Fort Hays State placed first in live manufacturing, communications team video, teaching lesson, and STEM showcase this year. FHSU also placed third in the robotics competition but did not field a team in the problemsolving category.

FHSU was also chosen for the Outstanding Chapter Award, and two Tigers were recognized with individual honors.

President of Fort Hays State’s TEECA chapter, Micah Nuss, was chosen for the Don Maley Spirit of Excellence Outstanding Undergraduate Student Citation. Eric Deneault, associate professor of applied technology, was honored as the Distinguished Technology and Engineering Professional.

FHSU announces rural teaching licensure grant

The FHSU College of Education’s grant submission, “Science Teachers for Rural America - A Post-Baccalaureate STEM Teacher Licensure Project,” was awarded $1.2 million because of its innovative approach to creating a new and accelerated pathway to a teaching license for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree, and want to answer the call to serve as a teacher.

“It is my view that the future of western Kansas – the future of much of rural Kansas – is determined by what happens at Fort Hays State University,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, who joined FHSU for an April news conference about the new grant. “This is one more example of this university stepping forward and making a difference across our region of Kansas.”

Dr. Paul Adams, dean of the College of Education, described the FHSU STEM licensure project as one that would focus on addressing the shortage of science teachers in rural Kansas by partnering with rural schools to respond to their unique needs.

FHSU announces rural teaching licensure grant

Candidates for the program are individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a science content area (biology, geoscience, chemistry, or physics) who are looking to make a career change and enter the teaching profession. Candidates who enroll in the program will receive a stipend of approximately $23,000. The stipend covers the cost of completing the program band and offsets the financial burden for participants who may be relocating to the rural communities for field experiences.

Program coursework will prepare future teachers for dealing with the unique circumstances of teaching math and science in rural schools. Many rural STEM teachers must teach multiple STEM disciplines and multiple grade levels. Courses within the program will also emphasize place-based teaching strategies to prepare participants to use their local environment and community as a resource in teaching across the STEM spectrum.

University icon honored with naming of registrar’s suite

The registrar’s suite at Fort Hays State University now has a new name. Late this past semester, those offices on the third floor of Picken Hall were named the Standlee V. Dalton Registrar’s Suite after the university’s legendary first registrar.

The late Standlee V. Dalton was an icon of Fort Hays State. He joined the university faculty in 1935 as a biology instructor, teaching botany, biology, and bacteriology. As the university grew, there became a need for a fulltime registrar. Dalton was named the first registrar of FHSU in 1937, and he served in that capacity until his retirement in 1971.

Dalton served Fort Hays State as registrar through four presidents and made friends with faculty, staff, administration, and students along the way. While in the biology department, Dalton shared an office with Lyman Wooster and stood as his best man at his wedding. Wooster went on to become the fourth president of FHSU in 1941.

University icon honored with naming of registrar's suite

Dalton was also friends with Dr. Morton Albertson and was considered a regular when it came to attending fossil digs with George Sternberg or helping in the apple orchard and faculty garden behind Custer Hall.

Dalton was among the group that traveled to Gove County with Sternberg 70 years ago to successfully collect and bring the world-famous fish-within-a-fish fossil back to campus. The fossil now hangs in a prominent place in the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in northeast Hays.

Dalton passed away in 2004 at the age of 103. His love for Fort Hays State was immense and will live on through those who knew him and in the naming of the Standlee V. Dalton Registrar’s Suite.

Updating the Memorial Union memorial plaque

Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union was built in 1958. A dedication service was held in October of that year, where the building was named in honor of former students who lost their lives in the defense of their country.

In commemoration of the event, a plaque bearing the names of those brave Americans was installed. Twenty-five years later, the memorial was updated to include former students who lost their lives in conflicts up to – and including – the Vietnam War.

The time has come for yet another update. If you or someone you know is aware of any former FHSU students who died while serving their country since the Vietnam War and would like their name to appear on the memorial, contact Kelsi Broadway, assistant director of FHSU’s Transfer & Military Center, at knbroadway@fhsu.edu.

Memorial Union memorial plaque

FHSU faculty make news

Dr. Grady Dixon, dean of the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, was quoted in a December New York Times article titled, “Examining the role of climate change in a week of wild weather.” Dixon is an expert in meteorology and climatology, and tornado climatology is one of his key research areas.

Dr. Amber Nickell, associate professor of history, was featured in a KWCH TV story and a Hays Daily News interview about the conflict in Ukraine. Nickell has extensive scholarly and personal experience living and working in Ukraine. Her research focuses on migration, diaspora, deportation, ethnic cleansing, the Holocaust and genocide, human rights, and internationalism.

Dr. Andrew Feldstein, assistant provost for Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT), was recognized as an “Icon In Education” by Ingram’s Magazine. Feldstein was recognized for shaping and maintaining the teaching and learning ecosystem at FHSU during the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Tamara Lynn, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, was quoted in a Washington Post article titled, “Officers fatally shoot man holding box cutter in standoff on Nashville highway, police say.” Lynn is the co-director and regional director of the Regional De-escalation Training Center at Fort Hays State University. She is an expert on the use of de-escalation strategies as a means of lessening potential violence in law enforcement operations.

Dr. Todd Moore, chair of the Department of Geosciences, was quoted in a New Orleans Times- Picayune article titled, “New Orleans-area tornadoes are not unusual, but warnings are improving, experts say.” Moore is an expert in severe weather, climate change, and variability.

Dr. April Terry, associate professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Ziwei Qi, assistant professor of criminal justice, were quoted in a Kansas News Service story titled, “Isolation in places like rural Kansas can leave women more vulnerable to violence.” Terry’s research focuses on juvenile corrections, gender and crime, rural criminology, and gender-based violence. Qi’s research examines migration, crime, leftbehind children, and their associated problems through a cross-cultural perspective.