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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Top10 Rated
Top 10 Public Regional University – U.S.News & World Report
INSIDE
Visit the Loper centerfold for a great way to reconnect! Record number of Lopers graduate
Upcoming Events
Anita Sue (Peterson) Clement and Willis Hunt learn how to show their Loper Pride by throwing their “Lopes UP” as they tour campus for the Class of 1963 Golden Anniversary.
August
8/23 UNK Campus, Move-in Day 8/23 UNK Campus, Blue and Gold Showcase 8/23 UNK Campus, Chancellor’s Community Picnic
September 9/5 9/6 9/16 9/24 9/27 9/28
UNK Campus, Carol Cope Day - UNK vs Washburn Football Game UNK Campus, All Sorority Recruitment, through Sept 8 UNK Campus, Homecoming Week, through Sept 22 UNK Campus, James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs, through Sept 25 Traveling Lopers in Kansas City Area, Alumni Gathering Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, MO, UNK vs. Northwest Missouri State Football Game & Tailgate
October
10/3 Traveling Lopers in Scottsbluff, NE, Alumni Social 10/5 UNK Campus, Loper Bring a Kid to the Game UNK vs Lindenwood Football Game 10/5 UNK Campus, Alpha Phi 50th Reunion 10/8 UNK Campus, UNK Career Fair in the Student Union 10/10 Traveling Lopers in Des Moines, IA, Alumni Social 10/12 Traveling Lopers in Minneapolis, MN, Alumni Social 10/12 UNK Campus, 3rd Annual Kearney HeartChase Adventure Race 10/15 UNK Campus, Industrial Distribution Career Fair, through Oct 16 10/17 Traveling Lopers in Grand Island, NE, Alumni Social 10/19 UNK Campus, Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Day Ease the Burden - Find a Cure, UNK vs Lincoln University Football Game
November
11/2 UNK Campus, UNK vs University of Central Missouri Football Game 11/8 UNK Campus, UNK Gold Torch Society Women’s Mentoring, through Nov 9 11/9 UNK Campus, UNK vs South Dakota School of Mines Football Game
December February
12/5 UNK Campus, BlueGold Brigade BGBG Operation Graduation 12/20 UNK Campus, Winter Commencement
2/15 Traveling Lopers in Arizona, Alumni Social, through Febr 16
Visit unkalumni.org for more UNK Alumni Association events and details and Lopers.com for more information on ALL sporting events.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Dear Alumni & Friends, As chancellor, I have the opportunity to experience first-hand the truly remarkable range of factors that must come together to make a university successful. From recruiting students to landscape management, every job is important, every decision affects the whole and every person makes a difference. Ms. Kelly Bartling, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Community Relations, is the newest “difference maker” on our executive team. A native of York, and previously the News Director in the Office of Communications at UNL, Kelly brings an understanding of the NU system in addition to a passion for UNK and central Nebraska. We are fortunate to have her aboard, and I hope you will soon have the opportunity to meet her. I am also very pleased to share the news that UNK is just five percent shy of reaching its $50 million “Campaign for Nebraska” goal. Wonderful, generous commitments have taken us to this point, including $25 million in commitments for need- and merit-based scholarship support. The campaign has positioned us to be more accessible to Nebraska students, many of whom are first generation, while also making UNK more attractive to high-achieving students who are aggressively recruited by other colleges and universities. There is, of course, still much to accomplish with private assistance, namely the Health Science Education Complex project, the Early Childhood Education initiative and scholarships across the spectrum. But with our campaign goal well within reach, I salute the thousands of donors who have invested in UNK. A recent thank you letter from elementary education major Heidi McManaman (after receiving the Clayton Adee Scholarship) says better than I can how important your investment is: “Because of you, I am able to continue on this journey of education. Because of you my son is going to see his mamma walk across UNK’s graduation stage in May! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!” Every person makes a difference. My grateful thanks and my best wishes to each of you. Go Lopers!
DOUGLAS A. KRISTENSEN, J.D. Chancellor
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ON THE COVER Spring 2013 graduates of the Communication Disorders Department with Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology. They are Jessica Olivarez, Stacie Evans, Autumn Dugan, Alyssa Kruse, Kiley Wrage, Sarah Bender, Kara McKeone and Katelyn Collard. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pete Kotsiopulos ‘70, A S S O C I AT E D I R E C T O R Lucas Dart ‘97, A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N Michelle (Thompson) Widger ‘90 A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R O F A LU M N I E N G A G E M E NT Brette (Covington) Ensz ‘06 A D M I N I S T R AT I V E A S S I S TA N T Toni (Winsor) Meyers ‘93 EDITOR, ART DIRECTOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michelle Widger ‘90, UNK Alumni Association Assistant Director Communication EDITOR EMERITUS Jim Rundstrom ‘64, UNK Alumni Association Director Emeritus MANAGING EDITOR Dorothy Endacott, NUFoundation Asst Vice President Dir Communications A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R Kelly Bartling, UNK Assistant Vice Chancellor Communications & Community Relations PHOTOGRAPHY UNK Alumni Association Corbey Dorsey/UNK Athletics UNK Creative Services B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S - O FFI C E R S Gary Reber ‘86 President, Lincoln Dennis Pool ‘70 President-Elect, Omaha Brett Kuhn, Ph.D. ‘86 Past President, Gretna Brenda (Snodgrass) Christensen ‘83 Ex-Officio Emeriti, Minden
PO S T M A S T E R : Please send address changes to: U N K To d a y University of Nebraska Kearney Campus Box 21 Kearney, Nebraska 68849 Phone 308.865.8474 Fax 308.865.8999 Web: unkalumni.org facebook.com/UNKAlumni twitter.com/UNKAlumni linkedin.com/interests/groups/ University of Nebraska at Kearney Lopers@unkalumni.org
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U N K A LU M N I A S S O C I AT I O N B O A R D O F D I R E C T OR S Carol (Green) Ballain ‘65, Fort Collins, Colo. Herman Baptiste ‘90, Olathe,Kan. David Bargen ‘96, Lincoln Lauren (Mollard) Brandt ‘09, Kearney Amy (Fagot) Cope ‘99, Kearney Jay Dostal ‘01, Kearney Mark Felker ‘86, Alliance Abby (Losey) Grenke ‘01, Aurora Gregg Grubaugh ‘79, Papillion Robin (Rubenthaler) Hines ‘88, MSE ‘91, North Platte Pat (Kelly) Hoehner ‘57 BAE ‘67 MSE ‘82, Kearney Leah (Bruns) Holmberg ‘94, Jordan, Minn. Todd Van Horn ‘93, Kearney Eileen (McDole) Jahn ‘96, Kearney Jack Kreman ‘04, Noblesville, Ind. Norman Lang ‘68, Mill Creek, Wash. Mary (Buchanan) Mach ‘85, Fairbury Barry McFarland ‘00, MAE ’05, ES ’12, Lexington Bill Peard ‘84, Waukee, Iowa Katherine Pollock-Peterson ‘79, Kearney Bethany Spilde ‘06, Kansas City, Mo. Carolyn Wagner-Snyder ‘64, Carbondale, Ill. Bret Walker ‘00, Brighton, Colo. Heidi Weber ‘07, Hastings Vicki (Vetter) Zikmund ‘74, Kearney UNK Today is published twice a year by the Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska Foundation and is the official alumni publication of the University of Nebraska Kearney.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
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Fall 2013
IN THIS ISSUE 4 From Bike Bowl to Career For Sean Weide ’89, passion for cycling began at age 12
5 Assistant Director Finds Job Engaging 6 Six Added to Hall of Fame Inductions part of Homecoming Celebration in September
8 Health Sciences Top-Ten Program From working in a “fish bowl,” to becoming a UNK big fish
©BMC/Tim De Waele.
Meet Brette (Covington) Ensz ‘06, assistant director of alumni engagement
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9 Distinguished Alumni Names Six alumni to be celebrated during UNK Homecoming festivities
12 Generous Heart Carol Cope’s giving has built a community
13 Don Briggs ‘Mr. B’ Remembered Long-time faculty member and sports legend died March 6 in Kearney
14 Honoring Dr. Doug Lund DNA Day celebrates the legacy of a professor and the lives touched
16 A Record 713 Graduate in the Spring NCAA sees something special in community event
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21 Ahtletic Director Retires Jon McBride steps down after 11 years because of health
24 Wrestlers Win Third National Title Bouncing back after injuries, the Lopers defend their 2012 title
28 Class Notes Alumni news & updates
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The University of Nebraska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. Individuals needing accommodation under ADA should contact the ADA Coordinator at UNK, 308.865.8655.
Feature
From Bike Bowl to Career
B y J im R undstrom
For Sean Weide ’89, passion for cycling began at age 12
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n 1979, when he was 12 years old, Sean Weide ’89 watched “Breaking Away,” a classic movie that follows a group of teenagers in Bloomington, Ind., who recently graduated from high school. The part about the Little 500, a bicycle race held annually at Indiana University, was especially meaningful. The next day, Weide went out and bought a 10-speed bike. Since then, cycling has been a big part of his life. He raced competitively from 1981 to 1993 before turning his attention to officiating races, working in local cycling clubs and helping organize teams and races. While a student at UNK, he captained the Men’s Hall team that became the first non-fraternity team to win the annual Bike Bowl competition. (The Bike Bowl, a popular spring event Sean Weide ’89 raced 10-speeds as on campus, was advertised as part of the Men’s Hall team that won the only bowl in Nebraska, and the Bike Bowl competition. patterned after the Little 500). “I also was part of the team that won the following year and again in 1991, as part of the first victorious alumni team.” So, it was only natural, he said, that he would eventually make cycling a full-time profession. Today, the Omaha resident is a press officer for the BMC Racing Team and he has his own company, Trailhead Marketing, which provides media services and public relations for another team, Champion System Pro Cycling Team and several other cycling-related clients. Weide said the job of being a cycling press officer is a bit of a rarity, particularly in the United States, which has only two teams on the highest professional level. “My colleagues are European, where cycling is more of a mainstream sport and there are many more pro teams.”
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His work frequently takes him to Europe where most cycling races take place. “The majority of them are about a week in duration, though there are three ‘grand tours’ that are three weeks in length. The Tour de France is one of those,” he said. That meant last year, Weide wrote more than 400 news releases, worked races in nine countries in Europe (and one in China) and flew more than 112,000 miles in 183 days. “If you’ve seen the movie, ‘Up in the Air,’ where George Clooney plays an executive who lives out of a suitcase, that’s a bit of a glimpse of my life,” he said. “Coincidentally, I landed the role of an extra in the flick when it was shooting in Omaha in 2009.” Technology makes it possible for Weide to do his job from about anywhere. “I only need a cell phone and my laptop.” Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are a huge part of his communications network. “By 2009, I realized that if I wasn’t using them, I wasn’t doing my job effectively. With people in Australia, Europe and in the United States, you are operating globally. You are catering to people in different time zones around the world.” “I feel like we are always trying to find new ways to connect with our fans, and social media is a great platform.” Before landing his dream job, Weide spent more than 20 years freelancing for a number of Nebraska newspapers, while working as a desktop publisher at Kinko’s Copies, publications coordinator for the Omaha Racers basketball team, public relations director at Bellevue University, news editor at a sports magazine, television news producer at KPTM and KMTV in Omaha and public relations executive at two Omaha advertising agencies.
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©BMC/Tim De Waele.
Weide said that rarely hired me to freelance for a day goes by when he is the sports department my not using some skill or freshman year.” knowledge that he learned When he is home while working toward in Omaha, Weide’s five his news-editorial and daughters, ages 7 to 16, broadcasting degree. dominate his life. “They’re “The late Don big sports fans, too,” he said. Briggs, Kearney’s longWeide said the sport time sports information of professional cycling is director, hired me as a living under a bit of a dark student assistant and cloud at the moment, but taught me the importance the image of the sport is of attention to detail, a bit different in Europe statistics, record-keeping than it is in the United and helping the media to States – where the success As press officer for the BMC racing team, Sean Weide ’89, flew more than 112,000 do its job. of Lance Armstrong was miles in 183 days last year. “My adviser and primarily responsible for journalism department its popularity. head, Jim Rundstrom, was instrumental in encouraging me to get “It’s a bit discouraging at times, but there are a number as much ‘real life’ experience as possible. of promising young Americans, several of them on the BMC “Antelope newspaper adviser, Liz Watts helped put me in Racing Team, who are trying to help turn things around. It’s my touch with Stu Osterthun at the Grand Island Independent, who job to help get their story out there.” n
Assistant Director Finds Job Engaging Meet Brette (Covington) Ensz ’06, assistant director of alumni engagement Brette (Covington) Ensz is our first assistant director of alumni engagement. Although Ensz is new to the Alumni Association, she is not new to UNK. Previously, she worked as an admissions counselor where she traveled to southern Nebraska and northern Kansas high schools recruiting students. Ensz studied Music Theatre Performance at UNK and earned her bachelor’s degree in 2006. She is active in the Kearney community and participates in several organizations including, Leadership Kearney and Kearney Community Theater where she has performed in many musicals. Although Ensz hit the ground running planning events such as Homecoming, attending New Student Enrollment, working on commencements and advising a student organization - she made time to answer a few questions.
You advise a student organization called “BGBG.” What is it? “BGBG” stands for Blue Gold Brigade, which is our newly reformed student alumni group. The primary focus of this group is to connect current students with our alumni, but also to focus on traditions. We want to focus on traditions like singing the alma mater and re-inforce Brette Covington new ones like wearing school colors or Ensz ’06 “throwing your Lopes”. One goal we really hope to achieve this year is bringing back the Bike Bowl to campus. This group is all about building Loper pride with current students and carrying that through with them as alumni!
What is your favorite thing about the UNK Alumni Association? Working with various ages and types of people. In admissions, I mostly dealt with high school students and their parents, but now with the alumni, I get to work with graduates of all ages as well as current students, administration and faculty. I enjoy hearing their stories, dreams and goals about where they have come from and where they hope to go.
What is your best memory of all time at UNK? This is a tough question to answer ... probably working as a New Student Enrollment Leader. I was fortunate to work with seven other fantastic student leaders for an entire summer! The summer was full of so many wonderful memories and it was also where I met my husband, so I guess I can say it was a pretty darn good time. n 5
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Six Added to Hall of Fame Inductions part of Homecoming Celebration in September
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ix will be inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies at Homecoming September 20-21. The inductions will take place at the 34th annual Homecoming Awards Banquet on Friday, September 20, in the Nebraskan Student Union. The six are Justin Coleman ’02 of Omaha, athlete; Laura (Espenmiller) North ’00 of Oskaloosa, Iowa, athlete; Terry Renner ’63, MA ’67 of Kearney, athlete/coach; Diane (Davidson) Rouzee ’83 of Grand Island, athlete/coach; Jim Rundstrom ’64 of Kearney, meritorious service and Nick Svehla ’04 of Omaha, athlete. Justin Coleman set 11 NCAA Division II national passing records during his career as a quarterback for the Lopers. Among those were yards passing (11,213), yards per attempt (9.4), yards per completion (15.8) Justin Coleman games of 200 yards or more (32), games of 300 yards or more (16). He also set a NCAA record for touchdown passes by a freshman (29). As a senior, Coleman was runner-up in the balloting for the Harlan Hill Award, the Division II Heisman trophy. Coleman started every game for the Lopers during his career. He was All-RMAC first team in 1997 and 1999, second team in 1998 and 2000. As a senior, he was second team D2 Football.com All-American and third team Football Gazette. He holds UNK records for career yards (11,213), TDs (99), pass attempts (1,193), completions (706) and passing yards per game (273.49). Laura Espenmiller North was an infielder on the softball team from 1996 to 1999. She was two-time RMAC Player of the Year and was named to the RMAC All-Time Centennial Team. She also was a three-time RMAC All-Academic selection and NCAA Academic All-American. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1997, RMAC Student Athlete of the Year in 1997 and UNK Female Scholar Athlete
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of the Year in 1999. She played on some of the most successful teams in Loper history. During her career, UNK teams were 96-9 in the RMAC, Laura (Espenmiller) winning the conference title all North four years. The Lopers qualified for four NCAA Tournaments. The 1999 team was national runner-up and the 1996 team reached the Final Four. Among North’s hitting records was a .425 batting average in 1998, third best in history. Other Top Five school records were runs, doubles, home runs, extra base hits, total bases and runs scored for a season. Terry Renner was an outstanding football player and long-time assistant coach. After transferring from Norfolk Junior College, Renner was a two-year letter winner as a defensive back where he led the team in interceptions. He was all-NCC both years. Renner played on the 1963 team that was the first to play in the NAIA national playoff when only four teams were selected. Terry Renner Renner also lettered in baseball in 1963. Renner was a successful high school coach before joining UNK in 1970. He coached at Bertrand, Oberlin, Kan., and Hastings. During that time, he was Nebraska Shrine Bowl coach in 1969.
Feature Renner was defensive coordinator for the Lopers from 1970 until he retired in 1998. During that time, he coached 17 AllAmericans and UNK compiled a 175-108-6 record and played in four national playoff games. Diane Davidson Rouzee was a two-sport star from 1979 to 1983 and has compiled a stellar record as a high school coach. In volleyball, she was a member of teams that won the CSIC all four years. The well-known Rosella Meier coached teams qualified for nationals three times and the 1982 team was fourth in the NAIA. Rouzee was a threeyear starter, team captain, all-conference, alldistrict and NAIA Academic All-American. In softball, Rouzee was a three-year starter at first base and in the outfield. As a junior, she hit .404. The Lopers qualified for Diane (Davidson) nationals three years Rouzee in a row and were national runnersup in 1983. She was an all-conference and all-district selection. Rouzee has been a business teacher and successful volleyball coach at Grand Island Northwest High School. She has been a teacher at Northwest for 30 years and head volleyball coach for 25. She has coached three state championship teams and seven teams that were runner-up. Eighteen of her teams have qualified for the state tournament. Her career record is 604-159. She has won numerous coaching awards including national coach of the year runner-up in 2012.
Jim Rundstrom has been chairman of the Athletic Hall of Fame committee since its inception in 1980. As chairman and the long-time alumni director who retired in 2010, Rundstrom has coordinated the development of guidelines for induction, researched nominee histories, organized the Hall of Fame ceremonies and orchestrated Jim Rundstrom the Hall of Fame weekend events. Rundstrom also developed the athletic department’s Teams of Distinction program that honors teams that have compiled outstanding achievements. Rundstrom has provided other services to the athletic department serving on development programs for several sports. He was a charter member and officer of Lopers Supporters, the first athletic booster club. In the 1970s and 1980s, he filmed for the football teams. As alumni director, he also coordinated numerous activities in support of athletic teams and events. Nick Svehla was a four-year basketball letter winner who led the 2003 team to the RMAC title, NCAA regional title, a school best 30-3 record and a spot in the NCAA Elite Eight tournament. He was a two-time RMAC Player of the Year. He was a first-team NCAA Division II All-American. As a senior, Svehla averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. As a junior, he was the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 and leading rebounder at 7.1. Svehla was a second team All-American. The Lopers posted a 24-6 record that year. When he graduated, Svehla was fourth in all-time scoring with 2,983 points and Nick Svehla fifth among career rebounders with 894. He also was an Academic All-American. n
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Feature
Health Sciences Top-Ten Program
B y C olleen F leischer
From working in a “fish bowl,” to becoming a UNK big fish
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he home of Health Sciences used to be a single, small room in Bruner Hall that was maybe 12 feet by 12 feet. One of its walls was solid glass, so people walking by would stare at the department’s three workers crammed inside like sardines – the intern, the secretary and Peggy Abels, the director. “We called it the ‘fish bowl,’ ” Abels says, smiling, as she recalls those days in the late ’90s. “It was kind of embarrassing.” The department’s home now takes up prime real estate on the first floor of the renovated Bruner Hall. Abels has her own office. It’s beige and sage and spacious, with Peggy Abels ‘93, MSE ‘95 plenty of room for her to visit with students at the table and talk about their futures in health care, something she loves to do. Most of one long wall is a window that looks to the center of campus, the bell tower and the flow of students walking by. They wave from the other side of the glass. She waves back. Many of those students are hers – students lured to UNK by her department’s quality and rising reputation. Health Sciences is now a big fish on campus. Maybe the big fish. Health Sciences is the biggest area of study on campus. It has more than 700 students, up from 320 students in 2000 and 250 when Abels started as director in 1996. And, as the number
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of students has risen, so has the quality of those students. People credit Abels ’93, MSE ’95, for much of the growth. “She’s been a huge asset,” says Dr. Terry Becker ’93 who has a family practice in Kearney. “Just the whole vibe, the whole experience is so much different and so much better than when I went through 20 years ago. And Peggy’s really headed a lot of those things.” Health Sciences consists of 15 pre-professional programs such as pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, prepharmacy and pre-physical therapy. It has four degree programs: radiology, respiratory therapy, medical technology and – through UNMC – nursing. One-tenth of all the students on campus now want careers in health care. Many of those students grew up in small towns in central and western Nebraska. (Abels grew up on a farm south of Ewing.) Many would rather do their undergraduate work closer to home. Many of those students want to live and work in rural Nebraska – young people like Andy Craig ’07 who’s completing his residency at UNMC. “I think what she’s doing is benefiting the whole state, not just Kearney itself,” Craig says. “A lot of students going to UNK who want to go to medical school end up coming back to rural Nebraska towns following residency.”
Feature Craig grew up in Minden. He worked for Abels as a graduate assistant. 2010 was a great year for her department. Besides moving into its larger home in Bruner Hall, it also saw the start of the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP), a cooperative program between UNK and UNMC that recruits and educates students from rural Nebraska – like Andy Craig – who are committed to returning to rural Nebraska to work. Abels says the success of that joint program with UNMC, as well as other collaborations in recent years between the two schools, set the stage for the “Building a Healthier Nebraska Initiative.” The initiative, funded by the state and private donations, will address the critical shortage of healthcare providers in the state. It includes a new $19 million, 40,000-square-foot Health Science Education Complex to be built on the UNK campus.
The new facility will allow UNK and UNMC to enroll twice as many nursing students and would add training in Allied Health professional programs in Kearney, such as physical therapy, physician assistant, clinical lab science and radiography. Health Sciences also is the fastest-growing area at UNK. The department is expected to grow 20 percent through 2015. The Building a Healthier Nebraska Initiative will likely increase enrollment in Health Sciences at UNK about 10 percent beyond that. Andy Craig, the former Loper who’s now studying to be a rural doctor, isn’t surprised Health Sciences has grown so much. “I just think that a lot of my positive experience at UNK was due to Peggy Abels, and due to the Health Science Programs Office,” he says. “I’ve got two sons, and I will encourage them to go to UNK some day, especially if they want to pursue a degree in the health sciences. “I don’t think you can get better undergraduate training anywhere in the state.” n
B y C olleen F leischer
Wellness Center, Entryway Progress Two projects that will change the look of campus
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wo construction projects this spring began that will improve student life, scholarship and campus research. The Wellness Center is a new 19,000-square-foot facility ready for construction east of Cushing Coliseum. The center includes program and research space for UNK’s nationally known Exercise Science education and research program, in addition to a large new fitness center for students. This new recreation and exercise facility gives students nearly 10,000 more square feet in space for machines, weights, exercise and fitness classes and group activities. The new Wellness Center will also include programming for employee health and wellness, community outreach and public health research. The Physical Activity and Wellness Lab, currently called the Human Performance Lab, conducts research and promotes physical activity in greater Nebraska through school- and community-based programs in health promotion, obesity prevention and treatment. Recent programs include Building Healthy Families, Healthy Families School, Nebraska BMI Screening and Reporting System, Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day and UNKids, a study with the American Heart
B y K elly B artling
Association that is following 180 children annually. The project will also include the renovation of some 4,000 net square feet of student recreation and classroom space in Cushing. The project is partially funded by donations through the University of Nebraska Foundation, and student fees, authorized through a student vote in 2005. The project will be complete in May 2014 and will cost $6.5 million. Beyond the campus community, the Wellness Center will augment a variety of programs supported by community partners including Good Samaritan Hospital and Buffalo County Community Partners, through community promotions like Activate Buffalo County, PATH (Kearney Public Schools) and Walk Out on Your Job. The new entrance to renovated Randall and Mantor Halls will provide students a public lobby, control desk, mailboxes and elevator access. The project also improves heating and cooling equipment, replaces entry doors and develops an accessible entry. Mantor was renovated in 2009 and Randall in 2011. This project costs $1.3 million and will be complete by January 2014. n 9
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Distinguished Alumni Named Six alumni to be celebrated during UNK Homecoming festivities in September
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ix alumni will be recognized by the UNK Alumni Association during Homecoming activities the weekend of September 20-21. The awards will be presented at the 34th annual Homecoming Awards Banquet on September 20. Dr. Suzanne (Flack) Bloomfield ’68, MAE ’79 of Walsenburg, Colo.; Dr. Harold Deselms ’64, MSE ’68 of Pueblo, Colo.; Terry Heimes ’86 of Lincoln and John Leehy ’80, of Fisherville, Ky. will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards. John and JoDell (Peterson) Payne ’62 of Kearney will receive the Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Service Award and Dr. Harold Deselms is a career educator who has been widely recognized for his contributions to education. He was a high school teacher and principal, a staff member of the Nebraska Department of Education and a college administrator. Deselms held positions such as president of Trinidad State Junior College and Morgan Community College in Colorado and McCook Community College in Nebraska. He also served as administrative vice president at Peru State College. Deselms served as president of the Colorado Association of Community and Junior College Presidents. He was Citizen of the Year for Morgan County, Colo., Man of the Year by the Colorado State Student Advisory Council which represented more than one hundred thousand community college students twice. Deselms also was named to the Trinidad State Junior College Hall of Fame. He has written a number of articles and handbooks. In addition, he spent 20 years consulting for comprehensive school facility survey and long-range development and school districts
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in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and South Dakota. His community service includes leadership roles in Peru City Council, Fort Morgan Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Trinidad economic development board and Pueblo county Historical Society. Dr. Susanne Bloomfield is a UNK English professor who has been widely recognized for her teaching, research and service. Her service at UNK spans more than 35 years. She has been the Martin Distinguished Professor, recipient of the prestigious Pratt-Heins Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Research, the Pratt-Heins Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Distinguished Faculty Award for Superior Teaching, Research and Service, the UNK Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award, the Mari Sandoz Award by the Nebraska Library Association and the Delbert and Edith Wylder Award for Exceptional Service to the Western Literature Association. A prolific writer, Bloomfield is working on her 11th publication. She was a winner of the Nebraska Book Awards for Nonfiction, a winner of the Willa Literary Award for Nonfiction, a winner of the Susan Koppelman Award along with being a finalist for a number of others including the New Mexico Book Awards for Adventures in the West. Bloomfield literally grew up on campus. A Kearney High graduate, her father was the director of the UNK Print Shop where she served as a work-study student.
Feature Terry Heimes has been chief financial officer, executive vice president and executive director in charge of corporate finance and legal services of Nelnet Inc. since 2001. In that position, he is responsible for the coordination of all financial and accounting functions. Nelnet (National Education Loan Network) provides a full range of federal and private education loans and valuable resources for students and graduates. Heimes served as a director for Nelnet from March 2001 until August 2003. In October 1998, in connection with the conversion and acquisition of NEBHELP, Heimes became the vice president of finance of National Education Network, Inc., a subsidiary of Nelnet. Prior to joining NEBHELP, Heimes worked for the public accounting firm of KGMG LLP in Lincoln as manager in the audit department. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. John Leehy is president and chief executive officer of Payment Alliance International Inc., a payments processor and North America’s largest operator of ATMs. Leehy has been a leader in the field of payment processing for almost three decades. Prior to co-founding Payment Alliance International (PAI) in 2005, Leehy served as CEO of Confluent Technologies. He also was a founder and managing director of Resource Alliance Partners (RAP), an early-stage venture firm focused on building shareholder value for e-commerce and highgrowth technology companies. Leehy served as chairman and CEO of Financial Alliance Processing Services. From its inception in late 1991, he guided Financial Alliance through its sale in 1995 to Deluxe Corporation, a Fortune 200 company. Two years later, Leehy and
his management team repurchased the company in a leveraged buyout, which ultimately resulted in a successful sale in 1998 to National Processing Company (NPC). Following the sale, Leehy served as head of all transaction procession business and head of NPC’s combined transaction processing group. Prior to Financial Alliance, Leehy directed the formation of First Data Resources (FDC) Merchant Services Group and led that unit, as well as FDC’s Security Services Compay, throughout the late 1980s. Leehy serves on the ATMIA International Board of Directors and the board of directors for Green Technologies Environment Coatings, Inc. John and JoDell Payne have played key roles in many facets of UNK and the UNK Alumni Association. Both are past presidents of the Alumni Association. JoDell was president and chaired the campaign to purchase the Alumni House in 1980. She also steered the renovation of the private home to convert it into a facility for use by alumni, the campus and the Kearney community. From 1980 to 1998, John served years on the NU Board of Regents and was a leading proponent of the effort to make Kearney State College part of the NU system. During his years on the board, he served as board president four times. John was founder and president of Kearney State College Athletic Association. He has been a member of the Nebraska Art Collection Foundation, Museum of Nebraska Art Board of Directors and the NU Foundation. He also received the UNK Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award. JoDell has a long history of involvement with the Museum of Nebraska Art and well as many community activities. n
UNK Homecoming 2013 - Schedule of Events Monday, September 16 3:00 p.m. Lawn Display Competition at Residence Halls & Greek Houses Tuesday, September 17 7:00 p.m. UNK Volleyball vs Fort Hays State at Health & Sports Center Thursday, September 19 11:00-12:15 p.m. Presentation by JoAn Scott, Director of National Governing Bodies for NIKE. “Go Global or be left in the Dust: Think Globally, Act Locally” at Ockinga Auditorium 6:00-8:00 p.m. Don Fox Lecture and Chemistry Dept. Banquet at TBD 7:00 p.m. Lip Sync Competition at Health & Sports Center 9:00 p.m. Homecoming Royalty Crowning at Health & Sports Center Friday, September 20 12:00 p.m. Gary Thomas Distinguished Alumni Luncheon at Nebraskan Student Union Cedar Room 5:00 p.m. One Room One Teacher Wall of Honor Dedication at COE 6:30 p.m. Alumni Cocktail Hour/Banquet $30 per person at Ponderosa Room in the Nebraska Student Union 7:00 p.m. UNK Volleyball vs Pittsburgh State University at Health & Sports Center
Saturday, September 21 8:30 a.m. Parade Prep/BBQ Prep and Breakfast at Alumni House 10:00 a.m. Band Day, Family Day, & Homecoming Parade throughout Kearney 11:30 a.m. Loper Luncheon Alumni BBQ $5 per person at Alumni House 3:00 p.m. UNK Football vs Missouri Western State at Foster Field & Cope Stadium
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A Portrait in Philanthropy
Generous Heart Carol Cope’s giving has built a community
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he coach and his wife were driving through the streets of Kearney one day, taking their dear friend, Carol Cope, to dinner. This was about seven years ago when Cope was 96. The music playing in the car was U2. “Carol asked what band this was,” recalled UNK Football Coach Darrell Morris. “She and I then proceeded to discuss how the band’s lead singer, Bono, did a lot of work with debt relief to Third World countries with the G7 countries – Carol had such a strong interest in that sort of thing. “Next time we saw her, she had purchased the CD and had become a U2 fan at the age of 96.” Cope died a year ago at the age of 103, leaving Kearney changed for the better. “She was like the matriarch of Kearney,” according to Coach Morris, his wife and others who loved her. “You don’t have to drive far around town to see something she and her husband helped to build.” Says Sherry Morrow, trustee of the Cope Charitable Fund who was like a daughter to Carol, “Several things at the university would not be what they are today, like Cope Stadium. We have a child development center at the Y that would not be there. Kearney Catholic High School probably would not have its activity center because she paid for that. Yanney Park would be missing an amphitheater. You can go right down the list.
“Without her, it would be like you took a map of Kearney and just started erasing things off it.” For decades, people walked the streets of Kearney in shoes from the shoe store she and her husband, Ron, owned downtown. Ron died in 1992. The Copes owned several shoe Carol Cope stores in the state. Ron served as a state senator. They made most of their fortune by investing in farmland and early Berkshire-Hathaway stock. Coach Morris said, “Carol always expressed how blessed she and Ron were to be able to help others. When they were in business, they always were appreciative of Kearney supporting them, and they wanted to be supportive of Kearney and the state of Nebraska.” Just a few days before she died, Carol asked her caregiver to drive to the Good Samaritan Hospital to see the new Cope Heart Center. “Oh, that looks good,” she said. Then the caregiver drove her back home through the streets of Kearney. n
Celebrate Carol Cop e’s legacy and support fo r UNK
Carol Cop e Day Sept. 5
Join the Foun dation, Athlet ics and Chance Kristensen fo llor Doug r this special first home fo event on the otball game day vs. W Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Foster ashburn. Field.
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Feature B y J im R undstrom
Don Briggs ‘Mr. B’ Remembered Long-time faculty member and sports legend died March 6 in Kearney
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Lifetime Achievement Award. ong-time faculty Among the many member and sports awards he received were the legend Don Briggs UNK Distinguished Alumni ’51, MAE ’57, died March 6 in Award, the Kearney Hub Kearney. He was 86. Freedom Award for Service “Mr. B,” as he was known and induction into the UNK to the UNK and Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame. community, served on the staff Briggs once said that from 1957 after he received his the best part of his years at master’s degree at what was Kearney was his association then Kearney State Teachers with students. “My door was College until his retirement always open every day of the in 1991. That master’s degree week, evenings and weekends. was the first given by the People were always stopping institution. by to give me a hard time, or During his career, vice versa.” he served in a variety of Former basketball coach capacities. He taught English Jerry Hueser said Briggs was and journalism and advised a one man show. Long-time the yearbook, newspaper football coach and athletic and Student Senate until director Al Zikmund said the mid-1960s. He was the “He’s just a tremendously hard college publicity director, worker who did whatever was alumni director, college necessary to get the job done. publications director and I was lucky to have someone sports information director like Don in an administrative from 1959 until 1975. In role. When I would ask him 1975, he became the full-time about a certain situation or sports information director, a duty, he would say, ‘That’s position he held until retiring. Don Briggs at his Kearney Commencement. Don often reminisced already been taken care of.’ ” A pioneer in the collegiate about the fact that he was the first to obtain a masters at Kearney. His collection of Kearney sports information field, Briggs and university memorabilia was deeply involved in NAIA is legendary. Former athletic activities. For more than 20 director Dick Beeckner said years, he was “Mr. NAIA” that Briggs pictorial collection numbers in the thousands and has for serving as the press room coordinator for the NAIA track provided an invaluable historical resource for the campus. and field championships and for the NAIA national basketball “Nobody cared more about UNK and Loper athletics tournament in Kansas City, Mo. He was inducted into the NAIA than Don Briggs. His lifetime dedication to the university is Hall of Fame for meritorious service in 1971 and twice received legendary. For more than 60 years, this place was his life,” said the NAIA Award of Merit. In 1980, he was named the NAIA Jim Rundstrom, alumni director emeritus. n Sports Information Director of the Year. Briggs was also adviser to the Phi Tau Gamma and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity from 1957 until 2003. He not only earned the ATO’s National Adviser of the Year but received the ATO 13
College of Natural & Social Science
Honoring Dr. Doug Lund DNA Day celebrates the legacy of a professor and the lives touched
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n April, professor emeritus Dr. Doug Lund attended what he thought was a seminar on new genetics research with Dr. Warren Sanger, the director of the Human Genetics Laboratories and international director of Clinical Genetics at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at UNMC. Sanger gave a brief history of genetics and then spoke about prominent figures in genetics research. “There was this very young, enthusiastic geneticist and I had to take his course,” Sanger said. “I thought, ‘This is very exciting,’ so it’s his fault I ended up in genetics.” Sanger was referring to his college professor, Lund. Little did Lund know that in addition to the presentation by Sanger, people were gathered to honor him for, among other things, his contribution to science scholarship and research at UNK. As part of the celebration, Dr. Charles Bicak, senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, announced the establishment of Dr. Doug Lund Day, the first of which will be held April 25, 2014. It will feature Nobel Prize Laureate Mario Capecchi, a pioneer in Lund’s field of DNA sequencing and gene targeting, as a speaker. Bicak also announced the “Doug E. Lund Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory” in the Bruner Hall of Science.
Lund joined the staff in 1962, retiring in 1999 after teaching biology, genetics, human genetics and human ecology for 37 years. During that time he received many awards, including the Pratt-Heins Outstanding Teaching Award. Bicak said, “You know, Doug, all the people gathered here today are really a tribute to you. College professors, physicians, dentists, laboratory scientists, therapists, physician assistants and high school teachers. They are your legacy.” Lund said he was more than overwhelmed. “I don’t feel deserving of this. It’s my students that made me look good.” “I have always loved UNK. I liked the camaraderie of the faculty, and the students were down to earth and from the same kind of background as me, a farm background. They were good kids.” Lund, who did extensive research using fruit flies, inspired students such as Dr. Kim Smith Carlson ’92 MSE ’94, now a biology professor at UNK who discovered a new gene that appeared to be connected to a better understanding of HIV. Carlson, who helped organize the event for Lund, now researches genes using fruit flies. n
Dr. Brad Ericson ‘78 announced the honor of a Lab named after Dr. Lund. Stan Mills ‘84 even kept his book from Lund’s class. He honored him by getting his signature. Retired faculty wives Lila Williams, Penny True, Lisa Poorman, Betty Lund and Anita Hertner enjoyed reminiscing at Lund’s Banquet.
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P hotography
by
G ene H inrich ’ s P hotography
College of Fine Arts & Humanities
World Experience UNK Students perform internationally
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hirty members of the UNK choral music department toured and performed on a 13day tour of the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. Faculty, alumni and community members were among the group traveling portions of Europe. The group, under the direction of Dr. David Bauer, was invited to perform with a variety of choir groups through the TRC Performance Tours Series. “The acoustics and majestic buildings and churches the students got to perform in were amazing. This was an opportunity of a lifetime,” Gene Hinrichs, a photographer who toured with the group, said. The students attended a choral workshop in Leipzig and performed many informal and formal concerts throughout Desden, Munich, Berlin, Rothenburg and Dachau where they also took in the sites and enjoyed local food, scenic and historic tours. n
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Campus News
Fond Farewells Celebrating 100s of years of combined service
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Dr. Ron Crocker retired after 47 years of teaching music.
wenty-seven employees were honored in April at the annual retirement and service award luncheon. They are Kate Benzel, Department of English, 26 years; Ray Bickford, facilities, 28 years; Jeanne Butler, assessment, nine years; Audrey Caldwell, library, 16 years; Curt Carlson, university relations, seven years; Jeanne Chamberlain, computer sciences, 22 years; Linda Clark, human resources, 27 years; Dick Collins, athletics, 37 years; Herbert Craig, modern languages, 23 years; Ron Crocker, music, 47 years; Pat Cruzeiro, education administration, nine years; Karen Gant, custodial, two years; Julie Gunderson, educational administration, 13 years; John Lakey, vice chancellor, business and finance, 36 years; Joan Lewis, teacher education, 15 years; Mary Losey, KASE, 41 years; Ken Messersmith, teacher education, 26 years; Glennis Nagel, university relations, 40 years; Gary Schaaf, music, 30 years; Sheila Scott, police and parking, 25 years; Linda Shaw, counseling and health care, two years; Linda SpessardSchueth, biology, 37 years; KrisAnn Sullivan, Frank House, five years; Betty Teter, math, 20 years; Gloria Travis, human resources, 12 years; Gene Wubbels, chemistry, 18 years; and Diane Wysocki, sociology, 17 years. n
A Record 713 Graduated in the Spring
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ore than 700 graduate and undergraduate degrees were conferred at spring commencement exercises on May 3. This is the most graduates ever in the history of the institution. Nebraska State Senator and UNK Professor Emeritus Galen D. Hadley addressed the graduates. In all, there were 713 candidates for degrees – 525 undergraduates and 188 graduate degrees. The all-time record number of graduates was 648 in 1992. Dr. Hadley, of Kearney, represents District 37 and was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2009. He earned his Ph.D. in accounting and was a professor and dean
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Graduate Dani Donovan ’13 and parents, John and Lisa Donovan, celebrate her visual communication and design degree.
of the College of Business and Technology and senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at UNK. He was a member of the Kearney City Council and former Mayor of Kearney. Chancellor Doug Kristensen presided over the ceremonies. The university Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Duane Bierman, opened and closed the ceremonies. Master’s degree candidate Elizabeth Peters of North Platte performed the National Anthem, accompanied by bachelor’s degree candidate Jami Scott of Belgrade. Abbie Davis of Wood River delivered the senior class reflection. n
Campus News
Bill Beavers
Honored with the Cope Cornerstone
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ongtime UNK supporter Bill Beavers ’58 of Omaha is the 2013 recipient of the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award. Chancellor Doug Kristensen presented the honor at spring commencement. Bill Beavers ’58 The award was established in 2003 and is presented to individuals who have provided significant service, support and promotion of UNK, the greater Kearney area, the state of Nebraska and the objectives of higher education. Like the Copes, the recipient must be a true ‘cornerstone’ of the university. It is UNK’s highest campus honor. Beavers is a Kearney native who was a four-year letter winner in basketball and track, a member of Phi Tau Gamma fraternity and Student Council president. He taught in Sutherland following graduation, then served in the U.S. Army before continuing his
teaching career in Omaha. Later he joined Chiles and Company in Omaha and stayed as it evolved over the years to Ameritas Investment Corp. where he is currently is a senior vice president. Chancellor Kristensen said, in bestowing the award, “personally and professionally, Bill Beavers is both a generous and visible supporter of the University of Nebraska and a dedicated public servant.” Beavers is in the NU President’s Club, the UNK and UNL Chancellor’s Circles, UNO Chancellor’s Club and the Burnett Society. He has served as an NU Foundation Trustee since 1992 and as a member of UNK’s Campaign for Nebraska since 2005. He created the Bill and Mary Ann Beavers Excellence Fund for the benefit of all NU Campuses and the Bill and Mary Ann Beavers Basketball Fund for the benefit of UNK student athletes. He received the UNK Alumni Association Distinguished Award in 1987 and also served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Among his civic engagements is service with the Nebraska Diplomats, including two terms as president. He is currently secretary/ treasurer of the Alegent Creighton Health Foundation Board. n
UNK Online Earns Top Ranking U.S. News & World Report ranked the UNK online graduate education programs eighth in the nation. This marks the second consecutive year that U.S. News & World Report has ranked online education programs, and the second consecutive year that UNK College of Education online graduate programs have earned top rankings. “It is a tremendous honor, and a testament to our faculty members, to be recognized as one of the very best universities in the nation at providing a high-quality online educational experience for our graduate students,” said Dr. Ed Scantling, dean of the College of Education. UNK stands eighth out of 143 ranked colleges and universities. In all, U.S. News & World Report collected data on 208 institutions that offer online master’s in education degree programs. Only 143 met the rigorous criteria to be included in the rankings. Rankings were based on four categories: faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student engagement
and admissions selectivity. At 98 percent, UNK ranked the highest in faculty credentials and training, making UNK one of the top-two campuses in the nation. “To again be ranked among the Top Ten in online graduate education programs underscores the quality of our online graduate programs,” said Dr. Kenya Taylor, dean of Graduate Studies. “The College of Education has led the way in online education on the UNK campus, being among the first to move instruction from face-to-face to online to meet the needs of educators, not only in Nebraska but across the nation.” UNK has offered online graduate programs in education for more than a decade. “What truly makes our online graduate education degree programs outstanding is the high quality of our professors and the training and assistance they receive from our eCampus colleagues here at UNK,” Scantling said. “Further, we use our full-time faculty to teach and develop our online graduate courses and degree programs.” n 17 17
College of Business & Technologies
B y K elly B artling
Xpanxion hires many Lopers. Some at the Kearney site are: Standing: Brian Vavra ’08, Tim Nelms ’09, A.J. Landon ’05, Ryan Levell ’12,Tim Hanley ’04, Brian Smith ’03, Damien Todd ’03, Merrill Latta ’04 and Kiffany Spradlin ’02, MSE ’09, Kneeling: Abbie (Davis) Wecker ’13, Tony Lopez ’13, Tim Criffield ’91, Caprice (Miner) Meis ’09 and Brian Spradlin ’00. Not pictured: Chris Wilson ’89 and Lindsey (Perlinger) Bash ’07.
Rural Sourcing Building Nebraska jobs connections
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ou’ve heard of outsourcing. But have you heard of rural sourcing? For the Nebraska Alumni Association, UNK’s Center for Rural Research and Development, and Nebraska-based software company Xpanxion, rural sourcing means making Nebraska a destination for careers and connecting businesses worldwide with Nebraska businesses. Why Nebraska? “There are lots of Nebraskans who have left the state to pursue careers in technology,” said Paul Eurek, president and founder of Xpanxion. “Some may be ready to come back and stay.” Xpanxion’s goal is to help find those former Nebraskans and get them to come home with career-growth opportunities. A new project expands on Xpanxion’s successful “cross-sourcing” model and leverages it to recruit University of Nebraska alumni back to rural Nebraska in professional service occupations such as technology, legal, health care and other high-growth sectors. “They have the right degrees and practical experience. They’re probably at an age where some want to bring their families back to places like Kearney,” Eurek said. How does this work? The first year of the two-year project is building on existing research, exploring the lifestyle expectations and career preferences of alumni who have moved out of Nebraska. Additional research will examine motivations for alumni who have moved back to rural Nebraska and are employed in these occupations.
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Xpanxion is writing a software program to extract data from the Nebraska Alumni Association database: looking for out-ofstate University of Nebraska graduates with degrees in technology and engineering, law or healthcare who may be ready to make moves from their early and mid-careers back into the Heartland. After the first phase of the program, companies in Nebraska will be introduced by the UNK center to the “rural sourcing” approach. The concept relates to existing and start-up companies strategically locating operations in rural areas to offer products or services to companies located in states where labor costs are much higher. Outsourcing to Nebraska – rural sourcing. Data collected from phase one will help the University of Nebraska consortium with communication and education strategies for participating alumni who will receive information on job openings or help starting or buying a business in rural areas, Eurek said. Shawn Kaskie, director of UNK’s Center for Rural Research and Development, is the principal investigator on the project that began in January. “This project aims to reverse the rural brain drain in our region,” Kaskie said. “In the pilot phase, we will offer alumni a variety of options to return their families and expertise back to rural Nebraska.” Funding for this project is through a seed grant from the University of Nebraska-based Rural Futures Institute and in-kind technology services from Xpanxion. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Xpanxion also has Nebraska offices in Kearney, Loup City and Ames, Iowa. They are a leading rural provider of outsourced software, services and consulting. Nebraska native Eurek is president and founder of Xpanxion, LLC, and is Board Chairman for Invest Nebraska Inc., another possible future recipient of the rural-sourced talent.
Campus News Eurek knows well the motivations to leave Nebraska – and to come back. “The day I left Nebraska was the day I wanted to come back, said Eurek, “but once my career took off it seemed like the near term prospects of ever getting back to my home state moved further and further away.” Finding people with the talent and motivation to return and connecting them to Nebraska-based businesses is highly realistic, Eurek said. At first it may be just a few select individuals. But those people telling others, bringing talent with them, bringing their families, buying houses, investing in their own businesses … that’s building Nebraska as a destination for work. “We regularly hear from alumni who would like to move back to their home state if only the right jobs were available,” said Shelley
Dr. Welch’s bronze likeness stands outside of A.O Thomas and the Calvin T. Ryan Library.
Zaborowski, senior associate executive director of the Nebraska Alumni Association. “The Rural Sourcing project provides a channel for alumni to learn about such opportunities, and for many additional opportunities to be created.” Says Eurek: “Former Nebraskans know and love our midwestern culture and are familiar with it because many grew up in rural communities. This familiarity helps them move back to a rural area where their standard of life can be the same, but their quality of life is much better.” For more about the Rural Futures Institute and this project, visit ruralfutures.nebraska.edu/research-engagement-grants-awarded/ n
Welch Retires After 50 Years Prize-winning professor says goodbye to a lifetime of service to UNK
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r. Don Welch ’54 finished teaching at UNK in May as the Reynolds Chair of Poetry. His last year marked his 50th year of teaching in the English and philosophy departments. Counting his four years as an undergraduate, he spent 54 years being a student of great books at his alma mater. His time away from UNK consisted of two years teaching and coaching in high schools and being in counterintelligence in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His awards include being named Outstanding Professor in the Nebraska State College system; the Pratt-Heins Award for Teaching Excellence, and being named one of the country’s outstanding poets in the public schools by Design magazine,
a subsidiary of the Saturday Evening Post. He spent 25 years as a poet-in-residence in Nebraska’s public schools. He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UNK Alumni Association. Other awards include the Knights of Ak-sar-ben Award for teaching excellence and the Sower Dr. Don Welch ’54 Award given by the Nebraska Humanities Council as a lifelong contributor to the arts and humanities. He was recently inducted into the Nebraska English Arts Educator Hall of Fame. Listed in International Writers and Authors (Cambridge, England), he is the author of 14 books of poetry, including the following two published in the summer of 2013: In times of Considerable Wars (All Along Press, St. Louis) and Gnomes (Stephen Austin University Press, Texas). Among his national prizes is the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry, a competition open to poets in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia. Welch’s wife, Marcia (Zorn) ’52, and his five children are all graduates of UNK. Welch oftens reminisces about his days as a student. One memory being of Bill Lynn, professor of music, making him sing UNK’s alma mater until he knew it by heart. This, at a time when he was playing basketball in the cramped gym on the second floor of old Copeland Hall. n 19
A Portrait in Philanthropy
Harvey and Betty Henning
B y NU F oundation
Tom Henning reflected on his parent’s legacy
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veryone is my dad’s friend. I don’t think the guy has an enemy in the world. He has a big heart. And my mom’s a neat lady. She’s a former piano teacher with perfect pitch. She can play anything she hears. She taught music for a number of years and taught my brothers and me how to play. They have always been great givers of their time. They always believed in giving back, and I guess that just became the basic philosophy of our family. They grew up in tough times. My dad was just a boy when his dad died. They farmed but didn’t own the land. One day, my dad went to town with just 11 cents to buy meat for the family. They were poor, but they always seemed to work it out. My dad was still just a boy when he started working for CashWa Distributing. During World War II, he’d ride his bicycle out to the Army air base and refill the vending machines Harvey and Betty Henning with candy. In 1957, he and a partner bought Cash-Wa, and my family eventually became its sole owner. After my dad retired, he’d send people my way – hardship cases he met at church or wherever, people down on their luck – and he’d say, “This guy’s coming down to see you.” I knew that was my cue to hire him. My parents went to college for a couple of years, but they never got degrees. They wish they had graduated. They’ve always valued education. They’re so proud that most of their kids and grandkids have graduated from the University of Nebraska.
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They know how much the university has done over the years to help the state’s quality of life and its economy. My brothers and I established the Henning Family Scholarship Fund at UNK in their honor. We’re glad we did it while they’re still alive. They were real tickled when we told them. They lit up like lights. When you look around at Kearney – a community that didn’t used to have a lot of wealth – you see that so many people have been generous. If you look at all that’s been created here in the last 15 or 18 years, you see many real successes – whether it’s the city parks, the museums or the scholarships at the university. A lot of people here want to improve life for their fellow man. It seems to be a part of our fiber. The Lord’s been good to our family. The more we give, the more it seems that we receive. Not that you do it for that reason. If you’ve got something, I think the Good Lord expects that you give a certain percentage of that for the benefit of mankind. That’s what our parents taught us. They always taught us that, at the end of the day, people remember what you did for others more than the fact that you made “X” amount of dollars or achieved any recognition or notoriety in life. Tom Henning ’68, of Kearney, is president and CEO of Cash-Wa Distributing Co. and a longtime Loper supporter. n
LOPER ATHLETICS lopers.com
Athletic Director Retires
B y K elly B artling
Jon McBride steps down after 11 years because of health
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In the classroom, Loper studentthletic director Jon McBride will athletes have routinely earned grade point step down after 11 years directing averages over 3.0 with the women’s cross Loper athletics for health reasons. country, wrestling and women’s basketball He will continue as a special assistant to the teams leading nationally with team GPA new athletic director working on athleticmultiple times. related initiatives and projects. Other accomplishments include: Chancellor Doug Kristensen cited • Expanding and improving athletics McBride’s vision and leadership guiding facilities, most notably renovations to UNK athletics to regional and national Ron and Carol Cope Stadium at Foster prominence, and acknowledged the Field and Memorial Field and the importance of McBride’s attention to his Academy at Awarii Dunes Golf Club. personal health and his “courageous” battle • Leading the transition to the Midwith Parkinson’s Disease. America Intercollegiate Athletics “Jon’s decision to step down at this time Association in 2012. was a particularly difficult one for him as • Hosting the NCAA Volleyball Elite he weighed his passion for UNK athletics, Eight in 2005, the NCA Women’s coaches and student athletes against the Basketball Elite Eight in 2007 and 2008, need to give increasing attention to his Jon McBride will step down after 11 the NCAA Wrestling Championships own health,” Kristensen said. “In his new years of directing Loper athletics. in 2008 and 2012 as well as numerous role as special assistant he will help ease the NCAA regional events and conference transition for a new athletic director.” tournaments. That search is under way with a goal of • Adding women’s soccer in 2009. having a new athletic director on board in August. • Winning the Division II Community Engagement Award of McBride said at a news conference on May 13, “It has indeed Excellence in 2011-12 for “Lopers Under the Lights.” been a honor and privilege of serving as UNK’s athletic director • The Lopers also rank high for the NCAA Division II alland I am proud of the positive changes, growth and successes sports trophy, ranking in the top 30 in the nation in nine of that our student-athletes, coaches and administrative team have the last 10 seasons. accomplished.” • The late Myles Brand, NCAA president, visited UNK in McBride, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from 2004, at which time he said, “This campus (UNK) is a poster Ohio University, was assistant athletics director for external child for how to do it right. This campus has success on the affairs at the University of Florida from 1990 to 2002. He also field and in the classroom. I wish I could bottle it and take it held administrative positions at Saint Louis University and with me and distribute it elsewhere. Louisiana State University. “UNK’s athletic and academic performance is absolutely After more than 30 years in intercollegiate athletics noteworthy. Not only are you very successful athletically, having leadership positions, McBride now shifts his focus to living with won the conference highest award the past nine years, but the Parkinson’s Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2009. overall athletic GPA is over 3.0. That is remarkable.” “Doctors have advised me that my symptoms are very Kristensen lauded McBride’s accomplishments. “I could not manageable with medicine, reduction in stress levels, regular be more proud of Jon and all he has accomplished. His legacy is exercise and physical therapy,” McBride said. “So, it’s time for me, one of success, building a program centered on student welfare and my family, to focus more on quality of life moving forward.” and unprecedented success in attracting regional and national During the McBride era, UNK captured seven Rocky athletic events to UNK. He has moved UNK to a new level as a Mountain Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophies, three Division recognized leader in Division II athletics. Although his stepping II Wrestling Championships, a national runner-up finish in down is a short-term setback for the athletic department, Jon volleyball, and an Elite Eight appearance in men’s basketball. UNK leaves the program poised for future success.” n also fashioned seven NACDA Director’s Cup Top 25 rankings. 21
LOPER ATHLETICS lopers.com
Multi-sport athlete Dillon Schrodt clears hurdle.
Spring Sports in the MIAA
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he men’s and women’s golf teams each had a successful 2013 season as a freshman women’s player qualified for NCAA regionals while the Loper men’s team qualified for NCAA Super Regionals. The Loper women, with four freshmen, got better as the year went along and finished with four top-three finishes. In late March, they won the Wayne State Invite with a 36-hole total of 668. True freshman Ana Summers from Bellevue, Colo., ranked first in season stroke average of 82.78 and qualified for regionals in St. Joseph, Mo. The team’s lone veteran, junior lefty Stephanie Moorberg from Keller, Texas, averaged an 86.33 to rank second in stroke average. On the men’s side, UNK fired one of its lowest 54-hole scores in program history of 888 at the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional in Kenosha, Wis. The Lopers finished 9th out of 20 teams with the top five advancing to the NCAA Championships in Pennsylvania. During the regular season, Kearney won two tourneys and had three other top-three finishes. Eleven underclassmen included freshmen Michael Colgate from Sarasota, Fla., Konnor Oltman from Firth and Max Rudder from Lincoln. Each played well at regionals with Colgate leading UNK in season stroke average with 75.06. Kris Koelzer from Wood River the team’s only senior, ended his tenure by carding a hole in one on the final day of regionals.
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TENNIS
The Loper tennis teams combined for 36 dual wins and had several players named to the 2013 All-MIAA squads. The UNK women posted an impressive 19-7 mark, including a 6-4 record against MIAA competition. Junior Vanessa Gunawan from Indonesia continues to rack up wins and honors as she was one of the league’s top players. At No. 1 singles, Gunawan went 22-2 to earn secondteam All-MIAA honors. She was joined on the squad by junior Heather Connolly from Highland Village, Texas, and Kearney natives Tealyn Trimble and Kelly Messbarger. Like the women, the Loper men just missed out on qualifying for NCAA regionals. Going 17-10 (2-4 MIAA), senior Arine Enge from Olathe, Kan., and sophomore Jack Nicholson of England were named second-team All-MIAA in doubles. Senior Revel Yehezkia and junior Yeswanth Nadella both from India as well as true freshman Fletcher Sheridan from Georgetown, Texas, were named MIAA honorable mention. SOFTBALL
Playing just 14 games at home, the Loper softball team posted a 13-29 (8-18 in the MIAA) record in 2013. Several injuries knocked out some key players, namely senior pitcher Becky Dunn from Papillion and junior outfielders Whitney Frederick of Blair and Mackenzie Tomlin of Grand Island.
LOPER ATHLETICS lopers.com
UNK finished with three straight wins, including a 14-13 decision over 11th-ranked and MIAA champion Fort Hays State. Two freshmen Erin Dwyer from Elmwood and Katie Ruwe from Blair ranked first and second on the team in batting average. A designated player, Dwyer came in at .320 with two home runs and 11 RBIs with Ruwe, a first baseman, at .302 with six home runs and 28 RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Mallory Noakes of Lincoln had another good year starting all 41 games and earned batting average of .297 with 97 assists in the field.
of Kearney sophomore shortstop Dillon Schroeder of Kearney and redshirt freshman closer Joe Smidt of North Platte. TRACK
Brian Wuest
BASEBALL
The Lopers baseball team had an interesting 2013 season, travelling over 8,000 miles due to weather issues and a tough first-year schedule in the MIAA. Ending Central Missouri’s 31game conference-winning streak in mid-March, a young Loper squad was hurt by injuries and ran out of gas at the end of the spring to finish at 22-23 (19-20 in the MIAA). Going 10-7 at home, UNK was led by senior first baseman/ outfielder Brian Wuest of Prosper, Texas. A 2012 All-American, he was among the most-feared hitters in the MIAA, batting .397 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs and 64 RBIs. He made three different AllAmerican teams to become the first Loper in the Division II era to earn multiple AllAmerican honors in a career. Having a league-best .821 slugging percentage, Wuest likely will be selected in the Major League draft. He would be the 11th player with Loper ties to be chosen by a Major League Baseball club. Kearney native Anthony Pacheco, the team’s starting right fielder, was tabbed MIAA Freshman of the Year as he batted .333 with nine doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs. Other Lopers to play well were junior pitcher Dalton Cowen of Gillette, Wyo., sophomore outfielders Max Ayoub of Grand Island and Brandon Landanger
Rafeon Stots
Anthony Pacheco
The UNK track team worked around some tough weather to send eight men and two women to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo., over Memorial Day Weekend. Marissa Bongers from Brainard came in third in the 800 to be the Lopers lone AllAmerican. She ran a 2:09.54 to follow up her third place showing in this same event at the NCAA indoor meet in March. She joins Michelle Dill as the only Loper women distance runners to earn All-American honors at the Division Two level. Bongers, who is on the cross country team in the fall, has two years of outdoor eligibility left and one for indoors. Also making it to the national meet were these Nebraska natives junior thrower Andrea Howe of Beatrice, seniors Tanner Fruit of Ogallala, Kyle Glidden of Benkelman and Marty Molina of Kearney, juniors Paul Pape from Lincoln, and Michael Thalken from Ogallala and sophomores Dillon Schrodt of Lincoln and Mark Seeba of Bellevue. Fruit in the 5,000 meters, Molina in the triple jump and Schrodt in the decathlon set new school records in May as the men placed fourth at the MIAA outdoor meet with the women coming in ninth. n
Marissa Bongers 23
LOPER ATHLETICS lopers.com
Wrestlers Win Third National Title Bouncing back after injuries, the Lopers defend their 2012 title
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hen UNK was ranked 13th in the nation in midseason, a national title seemed a long way away. But the Lopers got healthy. Coach Marc Bauer’s squad then won the MIAA conference title, the NCAA regional and their second consecutive national title and their third since 2008. With only three national qualifiers returning, including two All-Americans, defending their national title seemed a long shot, especially when they dropped to 13th in the national rankings at midseason. “At that time we had a lot of guys hurt. At National Duals, we only had half of our starting lineup. We knew at the end of the year we were going to be one of the top teams,” said redshirt freshman Daniel DeShazer. With DeShazer weighing in at 133 of Wichita, Kan., a transfer from Oklahoma, and Rafeon Stots weighing in at 149 of Houston, Texas, a transfer from Labette Community College in Kansas winning their weight classes, two others in the finals and seven All-Americans, the Lopers edged St. Cloud State for the national championship. Stots defended his title and joins Brett Allgood, Ali Elias and Tervel Dlagnev as Lopers with two national titles.
In winning his second national championship, Stots said “it feels great. It’s just as good as the first one. I did what I came up to do and we came in and we did what we accomplished.” DeShazer said winning a national championship was one reason he transferred to UNK. “Coming here, I didn’t expect anything less than a national championship for myself and my team.” Those two won head-to-head matches with national runnerup St. Cloud State. “If we lose those two matches, St. Cloud wins, Bauer said. “We came out on top in both of them.” Two other Lopers finished second, senior Chase Nelson (165), a transfer from Oklahoma and redshirt freshman Romero Cotton (197) a transfer from Hutchinson Community College. Although every performance was crucial, Bauer said the biggest surprise may have been 141-pounder Brock Coutu, one of seven All-Americans. He came back from an injury earlier this season to finish third at regionals and nationals. “That motivated his teammates.” Other All-Americans were redshirt freshman Chase White weighing in at 157 of Lincoln and junior Patrick Martinez weighing in at 174 of Hemet, Calif., a transfer from Wyoming. n PICTURES CLOCKWISE: Coach Marc Bauer ‘99 has led the Lopers to three national wrestling titles Rafean Stots stand atop the medal podium after winning the national title at 149 lbs and prepares for the title wrestling match.
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the We love it when UNK Alumni show their pride in ct workplace! As one of the top-three dedicated contra g workin i alumn many has r Werne carriers in the nation, Goetz for them pictured above are Ben Rinehart ’03, Ben ’03, ’05, Chris Polenz ’92, Tom Clements ’92, Alison Cox ives Micah Wheat ’04 and Chris Nevious ’97. UNK Execut vice ate associ , Polenz Chris are on the Werner team senior president of human resources; Marty Nordlund ’84 Steve and s service lized specia of ent executive vice presid Phillips ’88, senior vice president of operations.
What’s Happening Locally & Nationally
Beach, June (Nama) Murty ’55 and Jean Nama ’53 of Seal nia Chapter Calif., have been involved in the Southern Califor for over 20 years.
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Brian Maher ‘88 (right) is an Assistant Vice Pre sident of Networking and Indust rial Development for Uni on Pacific. He spent the day at UNK visiting with stu dents, faculty and Dean Tim Bur kink in the College of Bus iness and Technology about his great experience as a stu dent and about the vast opportu nities at Union Pacific.
Arment ’84, Jeff Stenslokken ’82 and Pat OMAHA CHEERS CLUB: Mike McGlade ’80, Ken Cheers Club weekly meetings successful. Crow ’83 all play an active role in making the Omaha
legends Mary Lou (Martin) Kristensen ’52, MSE ’62 One room. One teacher.
One September morning in 1947, a dark-haired girl opened the door of a country school in Kearney County and looked around: One desk for her at the front, facing the smaller desks for her students – little kids in front, big kids in back. One dictionary. One flag. One pendulum clock on the wall that she’d need to wind. One pot-bellied stove in the middle of the room that she’d need to feed in the winter to keep the kids from freezing. One room. One teacher. Miss Mary Lou Martin. It was the girl’s first day as teacher in District 54 – about 10 miles east of Minden and the first day of a long career as a teacher for that girl, who’s now Mary Lou Kristensen. “I was 17 years old that first year, just three years older than my eighth-grader. But I was confident. I knew exactly what I was supposed to do.” She laughs. “Or at least I thought I did.” Mary Lou (mother of UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen) taught in rural schools for two years, saved her money and earned a teaching degree from Nebraska Teachers College, now UNK. She’s 83 now, and one of a dwindling number of one-room teachers who remember the days when those schools dotted the Nebraska countryside, when oneroom teachers worked hard – and overcame many hardships – to educate generations of Nebraskans. n 25
Celebrate Golden Class of 1963 celebrate its 50th anniversary Members of the Class of 1963 celebrated their 50th anniversary with a variety of activities during spring graduation week in May. The first of the two-day event included a reception, tour and lunch at the Museum of Nebraska Art with greetings from Chancellor Doug Krisensen, an informative talk on studying abroad, a tour of campus and a barbecue social at the Alumni House for many class members, members of the surrounding classes, emeriti faculty, Alumni staff and friends. On the second day, class members were acknowledged at spring commencement and were guests of the chancellor at a luncheon. The festivities closed with a planetarium show in the newly renovated Bruner Hall of Science complex. The Alumni Association presented those who attended and those who completed biographical forms with a Golden Anniversary booklet and a bag of UNK gifts. See a list and picture of who attended on the top right of this page. The Class of 1964 reunion is scheduled for May 3 and 4, 2014.n
ary and made it into the of 1963 Golden Annivers ss Cla the d de n Pelt) Lindner from en att o Classmates wh from Hastings, Nora (Va nt Hu illis e W es: lud inc picture from Kearney, Anita Su commencement 2013 rbank, Calif., Gary Mason Bu m m fro r fro oh al Sp Em ler nt ge ng ux City, Ke Central City, Judith He Touney from South Sio m Grand Island, Richard (Peterson) Clement fro s from Kearney. Kearney, and Jerry Billing
Loper Happenings Alumni Events Near and Far
the Nebraska Capitol for capitol staff who have The Lincoln alumni day started with a packed luncheon at gathering. Molly (Lungrin) Kuhl ’03, ES ’08, social Loper a ties to UNK. The day ended at Talent Plus with Ryan Downing ’06 and Chip Shield ’03 en, Kristens Doug llor Chance ’03, MSE ’95, Laure (Smith) Ragoss area. are enjoying reconnecting with alumni in the Lincoln
Gary Mason ’63
s Operation Graduation, the largest one to date, Over 150 UNK spring 2013 graduates attended BlueGold Brigade Kellar ’13, Kassie Johnson ’13, Abbie (Davis) where they received their first Loper Alumni T-shirt. Colleen ips they made and discussing future plans. friendsh the ting celebra are Wecker ’13 and Brad Rediger ’12
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Northwest Alumni Association luncheon at the McMenamin’s Kennedy School in Portland, Ore., where Carolyn and Vance Boelts ’67, Ann Gishwiller ’72, Erin (Kochenderfer) ’05 and Brigham Lambley ’06 enjoyed talking to fellow Lopers.
ll Brett ’87 and Marnie Wa Point, Calif., hosted by na Da in g l, rin pp Ne the e ga i im mn and Ja Southern California alu the ocean including Tom tching the sunset over wa ed joy . en ’87 n ny lse ma Nie ere ch) wh Lee (Ko r and Bob ’63 and Carol UNK’s Dr. Neal Schnoo
legends
Carolyn Wagner Snyder
Kristensen cut the ribbon on April 5 to celebrate the Junior Bryce Dolcan from Minden helped Chancellor Doug The station KLPR 91.1 FM in Central Nebraska was campus radio station power increase and new equipment. power increase from 1,000 to 3,800 watts. Also, a a for approved by the Federal Communications Commission for station improvement and new equipment. KLPR $110,000 grant from the NU Foundation provided resources airs Loper sports and student-produced programs.
ni from other MIAA schools ., area alumni gathered with alum Mo , City sas Kan g win follo The were Michael ’76 and Carmen e in June. Lopers among them at the Kansas City T-Bones gam ’87 and Gordon Wolfgang. Baptiste, and Susan (Grimes) Schutte, Herman ’90 and Tricia 27
Carolyn Wagner Snyder ’64 spent 40 years as a university library administrator at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Indiana University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her positions included dean and professor of library affairs at Southern Illinois University, interim dean and associate dean of university libraries at Indiana University and assistant director for public services at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She was also involved in major fundraising activities at Indiana University including the establishment of the Bob Knight Library Endowment and at Southern Illinois University as director of Foundation relations. Snyder’s professional experience included international activities such as a two-year appointment as a civilian librarian for the U.S. Army in Germany, team leader for a two-year library development project at the University of Indonesia and library development at the Institute of Teknologi Mara in Malaysia. She served as president of Library Administration and management Association of the American Library Association. She has authored a number of articles about library technology, administration, resource sharing, distance education and international development. She co-authored the landmark book about libraries and their support for distance learning. n
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Class Notes Class Notes
1941 Ora Lindau and his wife, Zelma, of Kearney celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary July 22. Dr. Lindau was a long-time industrial arts faculty member who contributed much to the renovation of the Alumni House. Gerald Miller of Arcadia, California, has selfpublished a compilation of his poems entitled, Looking Skyward. Information is available by contacting his children at mmiler.family@ verizon.net. 1954 Don and Marcia Zorn Welch ’52 of Kearney celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 14. Dr. Welch is a UNK professor emeritus. 1955 Michael Yanney and his wife, Dr. Gail Walling Yanney, of Omaha received the Regents Medal, the University of Nebraska’s highest award for their support of NU and other civic causes. The Yanneys have been co-chairs of an effort to raise $500 million on behalf of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, including funds to establish the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, a comprehensive cancer research center now under construction. The Yanneys also were among the principal donors for the new Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health at the Medical Center. They have a legacy of support to community projects and projects for young people in the state. 1957 Fred and Betty Tomsen Kempf ’60, MSE ’64, EDS ’77 of Kearney celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 6. 1962 Jerry Mangels MSE ’69 and his wife, Bette Abrahamson, of Lincoln celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 7. 1964 Don Hather was posthumously inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in February. He was a wrestler and football player at UNK as well as coached and officiated in Alaska for more than 37 years. He has been inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame, Alaska Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, Alaska Coaches and Alaska Officials Hall of Fame. He died in 2011. Terry and Susan Baumgartner Sutherland ’64 of Green Valley, Arizona, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 2. 1965 Larry Johnson ’65, ME ’73, EDS ’81 and his wife Vickie of Pleasanton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 8. Glenn and Judy Walters Falk ’62 of Kearney celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary July 14.
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1970 Trudy Martin Else retired after teaching for 37 years in Nebraska and Colorado. She had been at Cozad Middle School the past 24 years teaching art and language arts. Lori Kahler Klone MSE’99 retired after a career in education. Since 1994, she has been a counselor at Wilcox Hildreth where she also taught English. Captain Steve Petersen retired from Delta Airlines aft a 30-year career. He and his wife, Lorena, live in Las Vegas, Nev. 1972 Jim Miller was inducted into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Before he retired, Miller was a three-time state championship basketball coach at Omaha Marian and was the school’s athletic director. As golf coach, Marian won six consecutive state titles from 2005 to 2010. Rich Stickney, Alliance tennis coach, was awarded the Coach of Year for the third consecutive year by the Scottsbluff Star Herald. Judy Johnson Wisdom of Lexington retired in May. She worked for ESU #9, Hastings, from 1972-74 and ESU #10, Kearney, from 19752013. She worked in the Cozad schools for 26 of those years. 1973 Dr. Ramona Nielsen Graves was named the first dean of the newly formed College of Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. Gene Steinmeyer coached women’s basketball at Doane College and Northwest Missouri for 28 years, retiring in 2012. Last summer, he self-published a book called When the Nets Came Down for Brenda. This summer, another book will be released called 27 – Two Tales of Perfection. Both books are based with high school basketball as the subject. Information on the first book is available at www.whenthenetscamedownforbrenda.com. 1974 Susan Spracklen Knights MSE ’74 is assistant dean of science and math at College of Western Idaho. CWI has grown from 1,200 students to 9,600 in four years. Susan supervises the departments of math, life science and physical science. 1975 Paul Younes was inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame in February. Younes, of Kearney, owns nine hotels in Nebraska. 1978 Darrell Barnes MSE ’85 retired in June after a career in education that included 25 years as a teacher and wrestling coach at Arapahoe, two years at Stanton as a teacher, elementary principal, coach and athletic director and eight
years as high school principal at Boone Central and junior high wrestling coach. Steve Spongberg is baseball coach at Hastings College. Since 1985 he has taught and coached at Sutton High School. He coached the Kearney American Legion baseball team from 1978 to 2010. 1979 Kevin O’Connor MAE’90 was named Omaha World-Herald Midlands Men’s Coach of the Year. His North Platte Community College team won 30 games, a school’s first, and advanced to the national junior college tournament, winning a first round game. His career record at NPCC is 567-318. 1980 Dan Hoesing is superintendent of schools at Schuyler. He had been superintendent at Alliance since 2009. John Nootz is market president of Exchange Bank in Kearney. 1983 Jeff Beckman is senior vice president of resource development for the United Way of the Midlands in Omaha. He had been executive director of the NET Foundation for Television and Radio. Michael Kirkwood is captain for the Kearney Police Department. He has been with the KPD since 1985. 1984 Dean Franzen is business department chair at North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit. 1985 Judy Litz Altmaier MBA ’06 has been named vice president and general manager of Exmark Manufacturing in Beatrice. Altmaier joined The Toro Company in 2009 from Eaton Corporation including positions as vice president and general manager of the company’s Global Engine Valve Division in Turin, Italy, and vice president of operations and quality management. Dana Falter has been elected to the combined board of the NET Foundation for Radio and Foundation for Television. He is executive vice president-lending at Union Bank and Trust Co. in Lincoln. 1989 Nina Rosenfeld Swanson MSE ’97 is a mental health professional with Crouch & Smith Counseling in Kearney. 1990 Herman Baptiste has started his own business, Mortgage Shield LLC, in Overland Park, Kan. It focuses on life, disability and health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses.
2012 UNK HOMECOMING AND FAMILY DAY
unkalumni.org
Class Class Notes Notes
1991 Gayleen Jensen Moeller is an early childhood special education teacher with the Aurora Public Schools. She received her special education endorsement in 2011. She is studying to be a visual impaired educator at UNL. Kevin Rash, vice president of operations at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, received the American College of Healthcare Executives Early Career Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award. Brian Reetz is marketing and public relations coordinator for the UNL School of Music. 1993 Lt. Col. William Prusia MAE ’00, who serves with the Nebraska National Guard, received the Bronze Star and several other medals in recognition of his service in Afghanistan. He is the guard’s deputy state personnel officer. 1994 Heather Ehrenberg Swanson is national account manager at Baldwin Filters in Kearney. 1995 Robert ‘Bud’ Synhorst is executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party. He is past executive director of the Mary Lanning Healthcare Foundation and formerly was executive director for Metropolitan Community College Foundation in Omaha. 1997 Jason Davis was promoted to associate dean of students at Central Community College Hastings campus. Walter Duda is assistant vice president of the direct marketing group at Physicians Mutual in Omaha. He has been with the company since 1999. 1999 Todd Karr is assistant director for Online Worldwide with NU Central Administration in Lincoln. Kim Smith has been promoted to senior account manager, OE Sales, at Baldwin Filters in Kearney. He has been with Baldwin Filters since 1990. 2000 Kara Graham, girls basketball coach at Lincoln Southeast High School, led her team to the Class A State Championship. They posted a 24-3 record for the year. Jane Rosland Schuster lives in Omaha and has been involved with the national Lung Cancer Partnership. She organizes the annual Free to Breathe Omaha 5k run/walk in memory of her mother, who died from lung cancer five years ago – just 18 months after losing her dad to complications from lung disease. “Our event is in our fourth year, and we’ve raised more than $130,000. Last year, we had 665 participants and raised $64,466. All proceeds go to the NLCP
to fund research grants, public awareness and patient education programs. Eighty-two cents of every dollar funs these three areas. The next event is in October. For information, contact Jane at jschuster@cquencehealth.com. Jane is a marketing specialist at CQuence Health Group. Mitch Stine is activities director at Kearney High School. Stine had been at Waverly High School. 2004 Kara Ritterbush Faber is director of development for the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney. Melinda Engler Pelster is an elementary teacher with Holdrege Public Schools. Allison Spicer Sambol is an environmental scientist with Kiewit Corporation in Omaha. 2005 Ryan Rodehorst is telecommunications sourcing specialist with the office of business services at UNK. Ryan and his wife, Rutheah, have three children, William 4, Anna 2 and Leo 1. Ryan also serves in the Nebraska Army National Guard. Theresa Stroumbos Reid married Nic Reid in 2012 and recently had a baby girl, Rogue Doriann, on April 21. They are living in Bend, Ore., with two awesome Labradors. Theresa is employed as a FPM Technical Consultant specializing in IBM’s Analytics suite including TM1 and SPSS. 2006 Alicia Myers Chavez works for the city of Olathe, Kan., as a creative media technician. Most of her work will be focused on creating videos about the community for their website and cable channel. Jeremy Unger completed his MBA degree specializing in environmental management from Ashford University in February. 2009 Tervel Dlagnev won the U.S. World Team Trials in June and will compete in the World Championships in September. This is his third World Team Trials title. He represented the U.S. in the 2012 London Olympics at 120kg/264.5 lbs, finishing fourth. Penny Parker is marketing coordinator at the Kearney Hub. Anthony ’11 and Brittany Davidson McPhillips ’09, MAE ’13 live in Central City where Anthony teaches fifth grade and Brittany is a business teacher for Central City Public Schools. 2010 Holden Armstrong is marketing coordinator of Buffalo County Community Partners in Kearney. Dr. Tyler Kowalski has opened a chiropractic office in Kearney. He earned his chiropractic degree, along with a master’s degree in sports science and rehabilitation from Logan Chiropractic in St. Louis, Mo.
unkalumni.org
Adam J. Dea, MBA ‘10 of San Diego, Cali., is a civilian lead meteorologist for the Department of the Navy at Fleet Weather Center in San Diego, Cali. 2011 Mardi Engels is director of marketing for UNK dining services. Emmylou Obrien is a student at Creighton University pursuing a doctorate in occupational therapy. Matthew Young is a police officer with the City of Kearney. Matt Tomjack works for the University of Missouri athletic department. Brittany Weinandt is an academic adviser for at-risk students at the University of South Dakota. 2012 Benjamin “BJ” Blasé is an elementary teacher with the Holdrege Public Schools. Former cornerback Arthur Hobbs has made the roster of the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Last summer, he spent the entire preseason with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers. As a senior for the Lopers in 2011, Hobbs had 54 tackles along with six interceptions for 295 return yards and two TDs. Marriages Molly Albrecht ’06 and David Barari February 14 in Rapid City, S.D. Cole Archer ’08 and Tara Dodds April 20 in Kearney. They live in Cypress, Texas. Jeff Babl ’12 and Aleesha Rutan July 6 in Kearney. Rebecca Bay ’05 and Jonathan Reiter ’06 July 29 in Gering. Tyson Bloomberg ’03 and Stephanie Swanson July 20 in Omaha. Dr. Nick Branting ’04 and Abby Bruning May 11 near Bruning. They live in Portland, Ore. Erica Burson ’10 and Cole Brockmoller June 2, 2012. They live in Lexington. Megan Carr’09 and Kevin Beres April 27 in Kansas City, Mo. Amy Copper MA ’11 and Adam Sabatka June 29 in North Platte. Amy is a teacher and coach with Loup County Public Schools. Adam is a sales representative for Verizon Wireless. Abbie Davis ’13 and Matthew Wecker June 1 in Kearney. Callie Erickson ’09 and Brady Metz ’09 May 18 in Omaha. Laura Goracke ’10 and Zach Anderson October 13. Laura is a traveling occupational therapist. They live in Carson City, Nev. Megan Heathers ’10 and Tyler White June 1 in Kearney. Danielle Hoffmann ’12 and Eric Ihle May 18 in Minden. 29
Class Notes Class Notes
Kami Jorgenson ’11 and Nick Lee February 23. Kami is a Spanish teacher at Richard Warren Middle School in Leavenworth, Kan. Morgan Kellog ’09 and Chris Williams March 23 in Papillion. Morgan works for Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha. Tony Kulhanek ’08 and Jessa Burcham September 8 in Lincoln. Kelley Lehmer ’11 and Ryan Bristol June 1 in Aurora. Melissa Long ’08 and Logan Pearse ’09 April 27 in Kearney. Sarah Miller ’10 and Ryan Burkhardt ’11 June 1 in Kearney. Allie Nightingale ’11 and John Matson June 22 in Kearney. Sarah Nordhues ’11 and Blake Cover ’12 July 5 in Kearney. Natalie Regenos ’12 and Jake Spitzlberger ’11 June 1 in Kearney. They live in Chesapeake, Va. Whitney Roush ’09 and Collin Martin ’08 June 15 in Grand Island. Ben Rowe ‘03 and Elizabeth Bacon July 13 in Kearney. Kayla Story ’05 and Ted Pfister ’07 December 1 in Kearney.
Amber Tiefenthaler ’05 and Brigham Becker July 20 in Lincoln. Joshua Zarasvand ’05 and Ashley Sklenar March 13 in Maui, Hawaii. They live in Omaha.
Brian and Sarah Gibbs Birkby ’08 of Ravenna are parents of a son, Blake Eugene, born April 11. Josey and Zach Blessin ’10 of Cozad are parents of a daughter, Georgia Jean, born June 18. Adam ’00 and Jill Balk Bolling ’01 of Kansas City, Mo., are parents of a son, Aaden Jesse, born July 11, 2012. They have four other sons, Kellen, Cooper, Willie and Wyatt. Aaron ’05 and Laura Cole Brooker ’07 of Omaha are parents of a son, Jonas Lee, born March 12. Evan and Amber Thompson Brown MAE ’06 of Bertrand are parents of a daughter, Paisley Dawn, born April 11. Tyson ’07 and Heather Hansen Bruntz ’08 of Papillion are parents of a son, Briggen Andrew, born May 17. Jesse ’98 and Abby Bostock Carman MBA ’05 of Shelton are parents of a son, Colby Jon, born March 4. Chassity and Tanner Cavenee ’02, MAE ’06 of Elm Creek are parents of a son, Cole Jeffrey, born May 28. James and Jenny Cook Chan ’00 of Wheat Ridge, Colo., are parents of a daughter, Claire Louise, born January 7.
Births Wendy and Danny Ahrens ’99 of Corning, Iowa, are parents of a son, Keelo Lee, born February 14. Danny is a technology coordinator at Orient-Macksburg Schools in Orient, Iowa. Charles and Ashley Larsen Baron ’04 of Cambridge are parents of a daughter, Alice Josephine, born April 2. Randal and Kelli Bussey Bauer ’06 of Kearney are parents of a son, Isaac Joseph, born March 24. Laura and Dustin Beerman ’08 of Kearney are parents of a son, Colten Jay, born April 3. Shane ’04 and Jodi Svoboda Bendfeldt ’05 of Gibbon are parents of a daughter, Calli Jo, born June 25. Wes ’07 and Bobby Kosch Bernt ’06 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Camryn Carlea, born March 20. Wes coaches men’s golf at UNK and Bobby teaches first grade at Bryant Elementary School. She will receive her master’s degree in instructional technology in July.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY Amount Raised Toward $50 Million Campaign Goal
2005
$47,398,443
T
C IMPA
71%
Purpose Capital/Equipment Faculty Academic Programs Research Students Multi-Purpose UNK Total:
2014 Amount Raised $4,421,619 $3,492,166 $9,979,152 $46,550 $25,094,177 $4,364,778 $47,398,443
of UNK campaign givers are from Nebraska households/organizations.
8,348
individuals have made donations to UNK during the campaign.
61%
of new funds to the UNK campaign support student scholarships.
5,100
UNK students receive some form of financial aid.
All statistics as of June 30, 2013. The Campaign for Nebraska began in July, 2005 and will conclude December, 2014.
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Class ClassNotes Notes
Mike ’04 and Jessica Christo Cole ’03, EDS ’07 of Blair are parents of a son, Declan Christo, born April 3. Michael and Alisha Loseke Cudaback ’04 of Riverdale are parents of a daughter, Mia Lucy, born May 20. Michael and Stacy Baxa Dahlgren ’07 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Lyla Kristine, born March 22. Russell ’04 and Lindsay Kinyoun Davis ’05 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Skylar Jo, born June 13. Rich and Amy Kwiatkowski Eber ’03 of Seward are parents of a son, Nicholas John, born June 24. Celestian James ‘02 and Jennifer Rutar DeLaet ’01 of Herndon, Va., are parents of a son, Celestian Jayson, born April 25. Josh ’98 and Nikki Henry Erickson ’98 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Ivey Joy, born July 8. She joins sisters Cali, Nina, Emry and brother, Chaz. Scott ’06 and Bridget Martin Fitzke ’09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Beau Martin, born June 22. Katherine and Wade Goodwin ’06, MSE ’08 of Atwood, Kan., are parents of a son, Titus Barrett Wallace, born June 30. Adam ’06 and Beth Weides Greenquist ’04 of Seward are parents of a daughter, Finnley Kay, born December 26. Eric and Michelle Kruse Heilig ’03 of Omaha are parents of a daughter, Charlotte Anne, born June 18, 2012. Michelle is an admissions coordinator at Clarkson College and Eric is a manager at Cabela’s in La Vista. Jarrod ’08 and Maggie Younes Holz ’08, MBA ’09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Parker Daniel, born May 28. Russell and Diane Rostvit Horky ’02 of Elm Creek are parents of a daughter, Elise Lillie, born July 6. Melissa and Jason Jacobs ’06 of Kearney are parents of a son, Benjamin Isaac, born July 6. Emily and Aaron Jameson ’04 of Kearney are parents of a son, Zachary Ross, born March 20. Ryan ’07 and Megan Killion ’09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Theodore Dean, born September 26. Brett ’09 and Sara Dewyke Kluever ’10 of Gibbon are parents of a daughter, Julie Rachel, born March 25. Jack ’04 and Lorissa Mohling Kreman ’05 of Noblesville, Ind., are parents of a son, Henry Anthony, born February 10. Heather and Dr. Kole Kugler DDS ’07 of Kearney are parents of a son, Kruz August, born April 8. Samantha and John Laux ’04 of Alma are parents of a son, Lane William, born April 23.
Jonathan ’04 and Kristina Jungman Leymaster ’04 of Omaha are parents of a son, Harrison Allen, born July 14. Kasey and Jennifer Ziegler Loschen ’04 of Franklin are parents of a daughter, Amelia Sue, born March 30. Brant and Erin Johnson Maas ’07 of Milbourne, Fla., are parents of a son, Brayden Lee, born May 26.
Brock and Rheanna Schneider Mallam ’05 of Kearney are parents of a son, Gentry James, born July 2. Ryan ’06 and Bobbi Florence Martin ’06 of Loveland, Colo., are parents of son, Reagan Lee born January 27. Tari and Brett McCracken ’03 of Kearney are parents of a son, Jase Anthony, born April 16. Joshua and Lisa Javins Miller ’97 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Hynlee Marie, born March 17.
Notes of Gratitude Often, the people we are today is due to the connections we made at UNK. We want to give you the opportunity to show your gratitude to those special people. Your letters are welcome! Whether it is to express gratitude to a past instructor, alumni or friend or to comment and/or add to a published story - we want to hear from you. Write us at UNK Today magazine, UNK Alumni Association 2222 9th Ave., Kearney, NE 688456120. Include your name, class year (if applicable), email, city, state and daytime phone number - or send an email letters to Lopers@unkalumni.org. Letters/Emails may be edited for length and clarity.
Coach Charlie Foster “I will always remember the impact that Coach Charlie Foster had in the life lessons that he taught on the ‘oval classroom’ as our track coach. Coming out of retirement to pioneer women’s athletics with his expertise. He fought for our (female) equal rights. His personal attention to show me life lessons toward my own success made me realize my potential much more long after graduation at KSC!” •
Phyllis Roberts “She was truly unforgettable. Anyone who met her was always able to recall her wit, humor and amusing stories she called true. She was involved with this group (UNK Southern California Alumni Group) from its initiation until her passing - many, many years coming from Nebraska to our alumni reunions.” •
Dr. Bauer “I’ll always remember Dr. Bauer giving me the opportunity to perform in NYC at Carnegie Hall. Once in a lifetime experience!” • unkalumni.org
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Class Notes Class Notes
Doug Linz and Annette Moser ’00 of Kearney are parents of a son, Andrik James, born April 17. Natalie and Shannon Muhlbach ’03 of Bennington are parents of a son, William Anderson, born May 4. Kyle ’08 and Julie Polk Myers ’11 of Bellevue are parents of a son, Noah Robert, born January 2. Christina and Timothy Nelms ’09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Lucas Aaron, born March 20. Scott and Shana Guthries Nitchie ’10, MS’12 of Holdrege are parents of a son, Emmett Scott, born March 19. Diana and Clay Nolte ’94 of Omaha are parents of a son, Christian Benjamin, born December 18. Crystal and Tom Oberg ’93 of Farnam are parents of a daughter, Kara Grace, born May 3. Megan and Nathaniel Porter ’12 of Minden are parents of a son, Blake Elliott, born June 14. Matthew ’07 and Melanie Spilinek Rauert ’07 of Lincoln are parents of a son, Benedict Gilbert Keith, born May 7. Lori and Andy Romatzke ’01 of Grand Island are parents of a son, Benjamin William, born April 8. Matt’04 and Kate Hoskinson Rude ’05 of Omaha are parents of a son, Fletcher Matthew, born April 2. Todd and Arika Klingelhoefer Russell MA ’13 of Cozad are parents of triplets, Elizabeth Marie, Ivy Kathleen and Chloe Ann, born April 17. Bill and Jami Knox Schaffnitt ’01, MA ’12 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Avery Faith, born June 10. Jeremy ’99 and Dara Wisnieski Schroeder ’99 of Wahoo are parents of a daughter, Makenna Marie, born July 6, 2012. They also have two boys, Carson 5 and Jackson 3. Jeremy is a systems engineer for U.S. Cellular in Omaha. Dara is a physician assistant (PA-C) at Kid Care and Urgent Care of Fremont. Luke ’07 and Lillian Younes Simpson ’07 of Kearney are parents of a son, Eli Harvey, born June 18. Justin ’03 and Tracie Bankson Solomon ’05, MSE ’07 of Omaha are parents of a son, Gavin Cole, born March 4. J. J. and Kim Seier Stover ’01, MSE ’03 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Emma Sue, born March 22. Jade and Michelle Boyce Stunkel ’01 of Ord are parents of a daughter, Brynley Dawn, born May 1. Tom ’11 and Chelsea Karr Swarm ’05 of Gibbon are the proud parents of a son, Jaxton Edward, born July 9. Jaxton is welcomed home by an older brother, Graeson. Curtis and Amber Abood Taylor ’01 of Minden are parents of a daughter, Penelope Grace, born March 24.
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Megan and Matt Uphoff ’05 of Kearney are parents of a son, Pierce Michael, born May 15. Shane and Jennifer Anderson Warren ’03, MSE ’07 of Lincoln are parents of a daughter, Brecklynn Ray, born May 18, 2012. Barb and Jon Wegner ’05 of Kearney are parents of a son, Erik Lindell, born July 14. Tyson ’08 and Katie Weber Wiegel ’05 of Loveland, Colorado, are parents of a son, Tate Vincent, born September 4, 2011. Tyson is employed for Enerpac as a territory manager. Jake ’06 and Nicolle Plambeck Williams ’04, MA ’09 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Halle Capri, born March 19. Peter ’12 and Kimberly Halley Younger ’12 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Aileah Nicole, born May 7. Deaths Harriett Marpel Ackerman ’62 of Lincoln died February 19. She was 72. Maurine Elaine Bailey Adams ’50 of Yuba City, Calif., died February 6. She was 85. Dr. David Anderson of Kearney died May 19. He was UNK emeritus professor of English and former assistant senior vice chancellor of academic affairs and former chair of English. He was 74. Brandy Bond ’03 of Cozad died February 25. She was 38. Ann Walker Burton MAE ’82 of Reeds Springs, Arkansas, died June 8. She was 52. Earl Cummings ’65 of McAllen, Texas, died June 15. He was 95. Donald Dowhower ’55 of Marlow, Okla., died January 17. He was a career teacher and administrator. He was 83. Lyle Elliott of Kearney died July 23. He farmed west of Kearney. He was 82. Craig Allen Evert ’89 of Spirit Lake, Iowa, died February 16. He was a faculty member at Iowa Lakes Community College in Esterville. He was 47. Tom Fulcher ’67 of Boulder, Colo., died May 15. He was 70. Myron Haines MSE’71 of Kearney died January 17. He was 84. Nancy Carranza Hermanson ’89, MAE ’92 of Lincoln died of injuries from a motorcycle accident June 25, 2012. M. Jean Hill ’48 of Kearney died June 4. A career educator, she taught at Kearney Junior High from 1961 until her retirement 1985. She was 86. Leland Holdt ’71 of Lincoln died May 10. He earned his degree by correspondence after leaving Kearney to join the U.S. Air Force as a pilot during the Korean War in 1951. He became the first and only field agent to be named president and CEO of Security Mutual Life. He
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was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the university and the Distinguished Alumni Award. He was 83. Gerald “Jake” Jacobsen of Sioux City, Iowa, died December 3. He was 63. James E. “Jim” Jones ’68 of Eagle died May 23. He was farm service director with ASCS. He was 69. Lt. Col. (Ret) Edwin Keuter ‘61 of Papillion died February 9. He served 22 years in the USAF. He was 74. Steve Leach ’78 of Aurora died May 20. He had been an insurance agent with Leach Insurance Center since 1992. He was 57. Christopher Lenz ’03 of Grand Island died August 30, 2012. He was 32. Jack Little ’50, MSE ’69 of Lincoln died April 12. He was 85. Jeremy Markussen MSE ’02 of Kearney died February 4. He was 39. David Marymee ’40 of Fremont, Calif., died July 26. He was a career educator in the Hayward Unified School District from 1958 until his retirement in 1985. He was 93. Gary Monter ’83, EDS’98 of Cairo died May 19. A career educator, he was principal/ superintendent at Palmer Public Schools. He was 53. Wayne Rhoades ’49, MAE ’59 of Union City, Calif., died July 7. He taught in California from 1964 until his retirement. He was 87. Judith Dell Cook Rother ’64 of Alamogordo, Ariz., died April 13, 2010. She was 67. Clifford Sall ’53 of Kearney died May 6. He owned Cliff’s Men’s Wear in downtown Kearney for 32 years. He was 84. Londa Harless Sanburg ’82 of Lincoln died July 26. She had taught elementary education for 31 years, the last 29 in Lincoln. She was 53. Michelle Royle Stephens ’92 of Elm Creek died July 8. She was 43. Karl Thelen ’32 of Salem, Oregon, died February 2. He was 103. Robin Croissant Thorell ’56 of Waterford, Mich., died April 18. She was 77. Deanna Showwalter-Tiller ’06 of San Antonio, Texas, died February 16. She was 50. Lucile Daily Whitney ’35 of Broken Bow died February 1. She was 96.
UNK Connections Class Notes POST A POSITION with us! Loper alumni are in high demand. Interested in posting a position with UNK Alumni Association Here are THREE WAYS to POST:
UNK Alumni Association and Academic and Career Services are excited to offer experiential learning opportunities to UNK students. The program will enhance the students’ professional development in addition to allowing students opportunities to explore interests, majors and careers.
• LinkedIn “Group” University of Nebraska at Kearney (over 2,000 members) http://www.linkedin.com/ groups?gid=106817&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr Join the group and then simply add your position in the “Discussion” or “Jobs” tab or both! We are “University of Nebraska at Kearney” in the “Groups” section of Linked In.
Alumni interaction plays a vital role in students abilities to gain hands-on career knowledge. We are seeking alumni who are willing to participate in the Career Connections Networking Program. Complete the form and indicate any activities in which you would be willing to participate.
• http://unkalumni.org/employment - if you join www.unkalumni.org and have an account – you can post your position(s) in our UNKAlumni.org/careers.
Please let us know where you are and what you are doing. Mail or email the completed form to UNK Alumni. You can also update your information at unkalumni.org/member.
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• www.facebook.com/unkalumni - you are welcome to post it to our wall or message us and we can do it for you!
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Stay Connected! Follow US!
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Campus Box 21 Kearney, Nebraska 68849 Phone 308.865.8474 Fax 308.865.8999 Lopers@unkalumni.org unkalumni.org
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_______________________________________________________________ OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT:
facebook.com/UNKAlumni twitter.com/UNKAlumni linkedin.com/group/ university-of-nebraska-atkearney lopers@unkalumni.org
o Campus Visit, (Let us know when you will be on campus so we can plan a tour!) o Homecoming Ideas: _____________________________________________________ o Serving on the UNK Alumni Board, (New board members are elected in the Spring of each year.) o Informational Interviews, (I would talk to students about my professional journey.) o Job Shadowing, (Providing UNK students the opportunity to see your career in action.) o Ongoing Career Mentoring, (Gold Torch Society - women’s mentoring, conversation tables, etc.) o Company Tours/Presentations, (Contact: _________________________________ to schedule.) o Networking Events/Career Fairs, (I am interested in learning more.) o Ongoing Field Experience, (I would like to learn more about providing work-place experience.) *Participation will vary depending on your commitment level and program’s needs. The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
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Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14 University of Nebraska at Kearney
The Rural, Revisited Like windmills, we were no spinning pansies. We were clock-faces arguing with the wind. Some of our women still wear heads like summer bonnets. Some of our men have hands of tin. All geared to winds, not one of us produced an ohm or amp of worth. We blew hot and cold. We worked alone. We drew on air and earth. Poem: Dr. Don Welch Photograph: Ruth Behlmann
Kearney, Nebraska 68849-6120
Campus Box 21
University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association
UNK Department of English