Challenge Alumni Magazine
Serving today’s students
Fall 2009
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Summer service camp
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Alumni Awards
Steve Rasmussen
On the Cover: Students enter the Dugan Library and Campus Center, one of many recent building projects, programs and other initiatives designed to meet the needs of an increasingly varied student population.
Adorers of the Blood of Christ – United States Region Leadership Team Vicki Bergkamp, ASC ’72 Mary Catherine Clark, ASC Barb Hudock, ASC
Jan Renz, ASC, Region Leader Fran Schumer, ASC Barb Smith, ASC ’77
Newman University Board of Trustees Gerald Aaron Barbara Baer, CSJ Rose Therese Bahr, ASC ’59 Sheryl Baker Mary Catherine Clark, ASC Denise Ann Clifford, SL Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. Glenn Dugan ’85 Msgr. Robert Hemberger J.V. Johnston ’82, Chair Gerry Killeen ’69 Michael Ludlow ’78 Archie Macias ’74 Tony Madrigal
John Rapp ’00 Michalene Maringer Jan Renz, ASC Vera Robl Gabrielle Rowe, ASC Thomas M. Ruane, Sr. * Father Robert Schremmer Larry Schumacher Robert “Bob” Simpson ’83 Linda Snook ’77 Douglas L. Stanley, Vice Chair Elaine Vitello * Director Emeritus
Newman University Executive Officers
Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. President Michael Austin, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas E. Borrego, J.D. Vice President for Institutional Advancement
National Alumni Board Molly (Deering) Alvarez ’04 Brandi (Patak) Ayala ’03 Timothy Belsan ’05 Kevin Blick ’05 Ashley (Powers) Dalian ’01 Tad Druart ’87 Ann (Roder) Fox ’81, ’01 Lisa Marie Hammerschmidt ’97 Secretary Renee (Soukup) Hein, Ph.D. ’02 Faculty Representative Shana (Jarmer) Camblin, M.D.’00
Rhonda Cantrell Vice President for Human Resources John Clayton, M.Ed. Dean of Admissions Mark B. Dresselhaus, M.B.A. Vice President for Finance and Administration Victor Trilli Director of Athletics Ron O’Neal Johnson ’01 Margaret Knoeber, ASC ’61 Sheila (May) Maksimowicz ’77 John Rapp ’00 President John B. Ruder ’07 Michelle Ruder ’03 Christine Siefers ’91 Vice President Anthony B. Tamburro ’07 Brian Weber ’05 Michelle Wessling ’11 Student Representative
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Since coming to Newman University in 2007, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing many positive changes: The opening of new campus facilities such as the Dugan Library and Campus Center. The transition to NCAA Division II. The creation of a new Strategic Plan with collaboration across the Newman community. I have also concentrated efforts on other areas I believe are important to Newman’s wellbeing: Attracting and retaining quality students. Balancing our budget. Building mutually beneficial partnerships with people and organizations across Kansas. Through all of this, the constant that guides us is a focus on the student. Whether a new freshman, transfer, returning adult undergraduate or graduate, laid-off worker, or veteran eligible for the new GI Bill Yellow Ribbon program, we do everything we can to meet the needs of our students. Two years ago, for example, we began participating in a program to better assess and improve student learning. This program helps us measure students’ acquisition of objective knowledge, as well as their abilities to communicate, think critically, analyze information and make ethical judgments. Over the past year, we have developed and launched new academic programs to serve an ever-changing and diverse student population. We also began creating a long-term campus master plan that will cover everything from efficiently using old classrooms to building new learning and athletic facilities to expanding food service options. And during the next few years, we will focus our fundraising efforts on increasing scholarships, so more students can gain the benefits of a Newman education. I would appreciate your support in this endeavor. As anyone who has attended Newman knows, classrooms, technology and other external signs of the institution change. Yet the dedication of Newman’s faculty and staff to the students does not. I am proud of all they do for our students – and happy to say that students are appreciative of their work, too. In fact, we often hear back from graduates who tell us how a professor or experience at Newman changed their lives. In this issue of Challenge, you’ll read about former pre-med students who sent notes of thanks to their professors for fully preparing them for medical school. You’ll also hear an alumna describe how Newman helped her become a successful author. And of course, you’ll get a look at some current students and what they think of Newman, as well as some of the activities, methods and people working to meet their needs. I think as you read these and other stories, you’ll see that, indeed, everything we do at Newman – from providing microscopes and music classes to installing water fountains and WiFi – is for the student. And that’s exactly as it should be. Thank you for your interest and support. Sincerely,
Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. Cover photography by Charles Rasico
The Newman Code
As a member of the Newman community, I pledge to live in the spirit of critical consciousness by respecting the dignity of every person, honoring both personal and institutional integrity, and striving to embrace all humanity.
CHALLENGE NEWMAN UNIVERSITY
Darrel Voth
Scott Nuss
Challenge Alumni Magazine FALL 2009
President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. Vice President for Institutional Advancement Thomas E. Borrego, J.D.
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Director, Alumni Relations Ann (Roder) Fox, ’81, ’01 Director, Communications Kelly Snedden, M.A.
‘McCarthy Makeover’
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Director, Editorial Services Ken Arnold
The changing student population Joseph Dunn
PUBLICATIONS STAFF Editors Ken Arnold Kelly Snedden
Graphic Design Darrel Voth Printing Donlevy Lithograph, Inc.
Challenge is published by the Office of Institutional Advancement, University Relations Department for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university. Send address changes to foxa@newmanu.edu or Alumni Director, Newman University, 3100 McCormick, Wichita, KS, 67213-2097. Mailing lists are confidential and are not furnished to outside organizations. Newman University is a Catholic university named for John Henry Cardinal Newman and founded by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ for the purpose of empowering graduates to transform society. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 N. LaSalle St. Ste. 2400, Chicago, IL, 606022504, 312-263-0456. Newman University does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, creed, handicap, national or ethnic origin. ©2009 Newman University
2 NewmanNews
6 NUAthletics
13 NUPeople
14 NUPerspectives
17 NUGiving
18 AlumniNews
23 ClassNotes
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Educating Tibetan refugees
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Games in the classroom
Fr. Joseph Tatro
Contributing Writers Ken Arnold Thomas E. Borrego Ann (Roder) Fox ’81, ’01 Kelly McFall, Ph.D. Laurie Moffitt ’98 Scott Nuss
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Strengthening ties
Increasing scholarship support
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Alumni awards
It’s all about the story
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NewmanNews Newman appointed to national community service honor roll Fr. Joseph Tatro
Newman University is known throughout the Wichita area for its commitment to community service. Now, the university has been recognized on the national level for its efforts. Newman officials were recently notified that the university was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. Newman is one of only 11 colleges and universities in Kansas and the only four-year university in Wichita selected for inclusion on the honor roll. Nationwide, only 635 institutions of higher learning were singled out for this honor. Launched in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. The program recognizes colleges and universities that support innovative and effective community service
The Newman University Board of Trustees recently elected four new members. John Rapp ’00 also joined the board as Newman Alumni Association representative.
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Glenn Dugan is president and manager member of Dealer Management, Inc./Dugan Truck Line, LLC. He graduated from Kansas Newman College in 1985. He is a charter member of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Goddard, Kan., and a 10-year board member of the Bishop Carroll Catholic High School Junior Wrestling Club. He and his wife Kelly (Martin), also a 1985 Kansas Newman graduate, have five children: Kurtis; Kyle; Keaton; Konner, and Karson.
Pete Iseman
Gerald Aaron earned a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University, and a juris doctorate from Washburn University. He is a trustee of the Via Christi Health System, the Guadalupe Health Foundation and the Wichita Community Foundation, and a member of the WSU Foundation Investment Committee. He and his wife Janis live in Wichita.
Pete Iseman
Board of Trustees welcomes five new members
Pete Iseman
Newman students traveled to Mobile, Ala., in January 2009 to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. The work was part of a larger effort in Mobile to rebuild areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Michalene Maringer is president and CEO of the Via Christi Wichita Health Network. She earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a master of science degree from the Rush University College of Nursing, Chicago. She was also a fellow in the Wharton Fellows Program. Maringer is a member of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She is married to Ed Korosa, and resides in Andover.
NewmanNews
and service-learning programs. Institutions are selected based on the scope and innovation of service projects, the percentage of the total student enrollment engaged in community service activities, the extent to which the school offers academic servicelearning courses and service-related scholarships, and several other criteria. “We are thrilled to be named to this prestigious honor roll, and proud of our students, faculty and staff whose efforts have brought this national recognition,” said Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. “Service is one of the very foundations upon which this university – and our founders and sponsoring order the Adorers of the Blood of Christ – is based. Our mission is to empower our graduates to transform society, and what better way can they accomplish that than through service?” For several years, students have completed more than 16,000 hours of service per academic year – the equivalent of nearly eight years of full-time work. Among the many service projects Newman students and faculty have engaged in are holiday season toy and food drives for needy families in the area, constructing houses for Habitat for Humanity, and annual trips to Crownpoint, N.M., Guaymas, Mexico and Guatemala to perform work for underprivileged families.
Vera Robl is an accountant and co-owner of Robl Construction, Inc. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fort Hays State University. Robl is a member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Lord’s Diner, the Cathedral Renovation Commission for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, and St. Catherine’s of Sienna Parish. She is a former member of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Building Commission. She and her husband Steve reside in Wichita.
Darrel Voth
John Rapp is an attorney-partner at Hulnick, Stang & Rapp, P.A. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Newman University in 2000 and a juris doctorate from the University of Kansas. In addition to being president of the Newman National Alumni Board, Rapp is a member of the Wichita Bar Association Board of Governors and the Wichita Crime Commission. He and his wife Stacy live in Wichita.
Pete Iseman
Pete Iseman
For more information, go to www.newmanu.edu/HonorRoll
Father Kapaun painting unveiled A 12-foot by 4 ½-foot mural of Father Emil Kapaun was unveiled Aug. 5 in St. John’s Chapel at a special ceremony that included remarks on the creation of and symbolism in the work by artist Wendy Lewis. The ceremony also included a blessing of the painting by the Most. Rev. Michael O. Jackels, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, who celebrated a Mass before the unveiling. The painting hangs opposite a mural of St. Maria De Mattias also painted by Lewis and installed in the chapel in 2005. Fr. Kapaun, who was ordained in St. John’s Chapel on June 9, 1940, served as an Army chaplain during World War II and the Korean War, and died in 1951 as a prisoner in North Korea. He is being considered for canonization as a martyr. To see a video featuring highlights of the unveiling ceremony visit www.youtube.com/newmanuniv. To read the transcript of the artist’s remarks go to www.newmanu.edu/lewis. www.newmanu.edu | 3
NewmanNews
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Newman graduates are accepted into medical schools at impressive rate Newman alumna Katie Grelinger had the academic training, excellent grades and high score on the Medical College Admission Test to be accepted into medical school last spring, and is now pursuing a long-held dream of becoming a physician. She’s not the only one. Over the past 10 years, 96 percent of Newman graduates who successfully completed the university’s pre-med program and received a positive recommendation from Newman’s Pre-medical Committee have been accepted into medical schools. Newman Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Shubert, Ph.D. attributes the high success rate to several factors. “The students come here very motivated to learn,” Shubert said. “Much of their success has to be attributed to their dedication and commitment. Complementing that is the faculty, who are very dedicated to student learning – with the mantra of: ‘We will do everything we can except lower the standards.’ May 2009 Newman University graduates now attending the University of Kansas School of Medicine include, There’s a synergy between our students and our fine faculty, l-r: Jacob Baalman, Nathan Norris, Katie Grelinger and Betsy Simison. who care about and work with their students both inside and outside of the classroom.” Shubert added that the Newman Pre-medical Committee attends the conference of pre-medical advisors at the University of A full 100 percent Kansas School of Medicine each year to stay abreast of current trends and developments in medical schools. The committee of Newman senior also invites KU’s assistant dean of admissions to Newman to students who applied meet with pre-med students. Shubert added that all Newman pre-med students “shadow” a physician or receive hands-on time for early admission to with a physician or hospital to get an accurate look at what the medical school this year profession entails. Grelinger, who is one of four members of the 2009 class now were accepted. The five attending the KU Medical School, and her classmate Betsy Simison recently contacted members of the Science Department students will begin their to say how well Newman had prepared them for the rigors of studies at KU Medical medical school. “I just wanted to thank you again for all your help in getting School next fall as early my friends and me here to medical school,” Grelinger wrote. admit students, an all“We are all enjoying ourselves here at KU. And yes, in case you’re wondering, truly all I do is study, but I’m amazed at how much I time record for Newman. don’t mind that. Thank you all again for everything. We wouldn’t be here without you!” “I want to express my gratitude for the good base of knowledge you taught me,” wrote Simison. “I have encountered concepts from Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Bioethics, Thermodynamics, and of course basic Biology. I feel extremely well prepared for the material. I did not think I would have to know how to prepare a sigma curve comparing binding affinities in protein-ligand interactions, but lo and behold, that was one of our first assignments! Please keep doing what you do, and if future pre-med students wonder why they have to learn such a broad range of concepts, assure them that every little bit of it is used in medical school!”
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NewmanNews
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Jabaras, Carr will receive honorary degrees at 2009 Fall Commencement
Geri and Fran Jabara
Troubadours garner standing ovation at Carnegie Hall The Newman University Troubadours received a standing ovation following their June 13 appearance at the most respected concert hall in the nation. Newman’s select vocal ensemble had been invited back to Carnegie Hall for the concert after their performance during the Thanksgiving 2007 break with other chorale groups from the United States and Canada. For this appearance, the group performed a new work, “Symphony of Songs,” by nationally renowned choral conductor, composer/arranger, and former Newman faculty member Dr. John Leavitt. “I want to give a big thank you to everyone who supported us with monetary gifts as well as prayers for a successful trip,” said Newman Director of Choral Music Deanne Zogleman. “It was such a thrill to stand on that stage and watch a standing ovation, and to know it was due to the passion and talent these students have for music.”
Monsignor William Carr
Fran and Geri Jabara and Monsignor William Carr will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa during the Fall 2009 Commencement ceremony Dec. 12. The university bestows the honorary degrees upon notable members of the extended Newman community based on exemplary dedication to one of the university’s four Core Values: Catholic Identity, Culture of Service, Academic Excellence, and Global Perspective. The Jabaras were selected for their commitment to Academic Excellence. Fran Jabara is a longtime businessman, philanthropist and Wichita State University accounting professor. He and Geri have created academic entrepreneurship and student scholarship programs at universities nationwide. Fran served on the Newman Board of Directors from 1972 to 1984, and in recent years on the School of Business Advisory Board. The Jabaras have been generous benefactors to Newman, and for many years have sponsored the Harvey J. and Leona J. Ablah Awards (named for Geri’s parents), which are presented annually to a male and female graduating senior who exemplify the spirit of Newman, demonstrate academic excellence, and show great promise to make positive contributions to society. Msgr. Carr, who was selected as a model of Catholic Identity, has served the Church and the Wichita Diocese for close to 50 years. He is respected for his scriptural and liturgical scholarship, writings, lectures, and study of Latin and Biblical Greek. Since 1966, he has written for several publications of Sunday Missal Service, a national publisher of periodical missals and background materials for the liturgy. Among his many appointments, he has been a teacher, chaplain and pastor in many parishes in Wichita and south-central Kansas, chairman of the Liturgy Commission, diocesan director for the Department of Religious Education, and rector at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He retired in 2002, but continues to write Instruction for Presiders, Lectors, and Commentators for Sunday Missal Service and columns for the diocese newspaper the Catholic Advance.
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www.newmanu.edu | 5
NUAthletics Student-athletes earn top Grade Point Average, service awards Charles Rasico
For the third consecutive year, Newman student-athletes achieved the highest combined Grade Point Average (GPA) among all Heartland Conference athletics programs. For the 2008-2009 academic year, student-athletes had a combined overall GPA of 3.30 – up slightly from the 3.22 score which brought Newman the top spot for both the 2007-2008 and 2006-2007 academic years. In addition, Newman claimed the top spot for the second consecutive year in the combined women’s program category with a 3.46 GPA. The university also took top honors in the combined men’s program category with a 3.15 GPA. Newman recorded the highest team GPA in women’s basketball (3.32) for the third consecutive year, while softball (3.48) and men’s tennis (3.69) programs also led the conference. “Newman University places a high priority on academic performance as well as athletic performance, and I am very proud to see that our student-athletes, faculty, and staff honor our commitment to excellence in the classroom,” said Athletics Director Vic Trilli. The Newman Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) also won the Fall 2008 Heartland Conference Award for Community Engagement. The award is a program of the NCAA Division II that selects one school from each conference that exhibits outstanding community engagement.
In early August, Newman University student-athletes joined with Athletic Department staff members to launch the “McCarthy Makeover,” a major effort to restore and improve facilities of McCarthy Field, home of the Newman baseball team. The makeover includes applying fresh coats of stain and paint to the entire facility, including the clubhouse, dugouts and both sides of the surrounding fence and 30-foot “Green Monster,” the centerfield wall which has become the signature of the ballpark. With dimensions of 330 feet down the left field line, 315 feet to the right field line, and 400 feet from home plate to the “Green Monster,” revamping the wall alone took more than 150 gallons of stain, primer and paint. By the time the Jets play their first game next spring, the facility will also have new metal bleachers placed on concrete pads to replace the stadium’s original wooden bleachers. 6 | N E W M A N
Scott Nuss
Sports teams and staff members combine forces for ‘McCarthy Makeover’
In addition, the department intends to build a new press box similar to one constructed for the softball field earlier this year. As of the time this magazine went to print, concrete sidewalks were being considered and negotiations were underway for a new scoreboard.
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The improvements are designed to complement work performed last year, which included the installation of a sprinkler system and a new infield playing surface. Athletics Director Vic Trilli said involving the entire department gave
student-athletes, coaches, and staff an opportunity to build positive relationships, as well as get many teams involved in the department before their seasons begin. “It’s cool to the studentathletes when they can take ownership of something, and this project gives them the chance to do just that,” Trilli said. “This whole project empowers our student-athletes to give something back to the Newman University community, and it will help build a sense of community and family among our programs.” McCarthy Field is surrounded by a shale warning track, which circles the entire inner fence line. The mound and plate are made of professional-style clay, with a shale/Turface mix for the infield surface. Nearby are four enclosed batting cages, an adjacent area for tee and soft-toss work, two portable mounds, and a bullpen that consists of three regulation length clay mounds.
Scott Nuss
NUAthletics Newman welcomes Nuss as SID
Scott Nuss
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The late Laurie (Champ) Bell A’46, ’49 was honored Aug. 10 when Newman officials announced the renaming of the Jet Open golf tournament to the Laurie Bell Memorial Jet Open Charity Golf Tournament, in recognition of the founder and longtime supporter of the annual Athletics Department fundraiser. A record-shattering 164 golfers took to the course at Rolling Hills Country Club for the 25th annual event, which raised almost $65,000 to support Newman student-athletes. The tournament, which typically takes place in April, was rescheduled to August because of heavy spring rains. This year’s winning foursome was, l-r: Paul Simon, Father Joe Eckberg, Frank Suellentrop, and Mike Suellentrop (not pictured).
Scott Nuss, Newman University’s new sports information director (SID) is originally from Hillsboro, Kan. He earned an associate’s degree in journalism from Pratt Community College in 2005, a bachelor’s degree in communication from Southwestern College in 2007, and a master’s of education in sport management degree from Wichita State University in 2009. Prior to coming to Newman in fall 2009, Nuss was a media relations graduate assistant at WSU, and previously served as sports information assistant at Southwestern. He enjoys sports and traveling, and during his spare time in the summers works as a high school and youth baseball umpire. His dream is to visit every major league baseball stadium. New staff members Several new staff members have also recently joined the Athletic Department. They are: Aubrey Balman, assistant volleyball coach Caitlin Demarest, assistant women’s basketball coach Jennifer Ermey, assistant women’s soccer coach Beau Hayden, assistant men’s soccer coach Terra Higgins, assistant athletic trainer Alex Umberger, assistant cross-country coach
Baseball The Jets finished the regular season with a 26-27 record, but many of the wins were notable, including an 11-9 victory over Emporia State University, which went on to finish second in the NCAA DII World Series. Newman also recorded two wins over nationally ranked Heartland Conference foe St. Mary’s University, and played an
exhibition game against the minor league Wichita Wingnuts, where they lost 5-1. Jeff Hutton was named to the All-Heartland Conference First Team after posting a .399 batting average, with nine home runs and 52 runs batted in for the season. Men’s Golf The men’s golf team became Newman’s first nationally
ranked NCAA Div. II team as it cruised through the 2008-09 season, appearing as high as 31st in the Golfstat National Ranking. As a team, Newman tied for third with Dallas Baptist University in the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament. Nick May had an outstanding season, earning him Second Team All-Heartland Conference accolades.
Women’s Golf The women’s golf team had four top-10 team finishes for the season, with a third place finish at the Heartland Conference Championships. Other season highlights were Hadley Freeman’s hole in one at the Tanglewood Resort, Pottsboro, Texas, and First Team All-Heartland Conference honors for sophomore Louise Sjoberg. www.newmanu.edu | 7
New programs, initiatives designed to address changing student population
Meeting the needs of today’s students College students have always come from a variety of backgrounds, with an assortment of reasons why they chose a particular institution and disparate aspirations and goals for their future. That’s never been more true than today, as the needs, desires and diversity of students change more rapidly than ever before. College campuses today – including Newman’s – increasingly reflect changes in our society brought on by economic necessity, advanced technology, and simple demographics. While many students today still arrive on campuses straight out of high school, increasing numbers come from other sources and have needs and goals that differ from traditional students. Some are adults who have been in the workforce for several years and return to school to complete a degree or get a different degree. Many are transfer students from two-year institutions who took advantage of lower tuition and other costs to acquire their general education credits. Others are veterans and active duty military personnel who wish to further their education through the GI Bill or other benefit programs. “Nationally, enrollments went up in 2009,” said NU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Austin, Ph.D. “But while private and public institutions showed gains of only 2 or 3 percent, community colleges reported a 20 to 25 percent rise in enrollment. Surveys also show many high school students are considering less prestigious colleges for affordability reasons, or are changing their focus to a two-year college.”
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Austin said in order to remain competitive, increase enrollment, and better meet the needs of today’s students, the university has made a concerted effort to attract students from all population groups, by making Newman more accessible and creating more programs students and community members want and need. These efforts have taken a variety of forms: Articulation agreements with area community colleges to identify courses that meet Newman requirements. Better-targeted financial aid, such as a $3,000 scholarship (disbursed over two years) for any student who earns an associate degree at a community college in Kansas and surrounding states. Reduced tuition programs for those hard-hit by the economic downturn (see story, opposite). And new academic programs such as the interdisciplinary bachelor of arts, where students can transfer credits from any accredited institutions they’ve attended in the past, and then create a plan of study that best meets their needs and interests. Newman also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, part of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Under this program, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) matches dollar-for-dollar the contributions Newman makes to help cover an eligible student’s tuition*. Through these and other initiatives, Newman is striving to meet the needs of today’s students. On the next page, we look at three students who represent some of the varied populations on campus today, and what led them to choose Newman University.
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Cooper Wolf
Tyler Nordman
Michael Marler
Age: 18
Age: 20
Age: 23
Class: Freshman
Class: Junior
Class: Freshman
Major: Biology and psychology
Major: Communication
Major: Accounting/Business
Hometown: Wichita, Kan.
Hometown: Augusta, Kan.
Hometown: Wichita, Kan.
Schools attended before Newman: Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, Wichita, three years; Trinity Academy, Wichita, one year
Schools attended before Newman: Advanced standing college classes while in high school from Butler Community College, El Dorado, Kan.; Highland Community College, Highland, Kan.
Schools attended before Newman: Goddard High School, Goddard, Kan.; Derby High School, Derby, Kan.
Interests/Activities: Chorale, piano, guitar, reading Residence: New Hall on campus with roommate Occupation: Part-time nanny Plans/Goals after Newman: Earn a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.; work as an OT in Wichita or elsewhere in Kansas Why she chose Newman: “Part of it was because I liked Dr. Singh (Professor of Biology Surendra Singh, Ph.D.). The Occupational Therapy program was also a good part of it. And, I wanted to stay in Wichita, and the fact that Newman is a Catholic college was important.” Experience at Newman so far: “It’s getting better every day.”
Interests/Activities: Men’s basketball team, Vantage photographer, hunting, fishing Residence: Off-campus apartment with basketball teammate Occupation: Construction in summer months Plans/Goals after Newman: Work as freelance and/or commercial photographer Why he chose Newman: “The basketball coach recruited me. I came for a visit and liked what I saw. I liked the size of the school and I talked to some of the people and faculty members and they seemed real nice. Plus I have some friends here and it’s close to my family, so that drew me.” Experience at Newman so far: “I like the small classes, and the faculty really work with you. Especially with me being in sports and gone from classes, they work with me on making up any missed homework or tests.”
Interests/Activities: Amateur stand-up comedy; writing Residence: Off-campus apartment Occupation: Computer software repair, Computer Doctor, Wichita. Formerly sergeant, U.S. Army, infantry; enlisted in high school; served 4-month and 15-month tour of duty in Iraq; honorably discharged March 2009 Plans/Goals after Newman: Find a job in accounting; pursue business career Why he chose Newman: “I heard it was a great school. In my opinion, a private college is better than a public one. I like smaller classes, and I like that one-on-one with teachers. I can learn things technically from reading a textbook, but I prefer to have the expert actually talking to me. And, when I learned about the Yellow Ribbon Program from talking to people at Newman, I said I definitely want to pursue this.”
In an effort to help more people who have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn, Newman has extended the Laid-off Workers Program introduced this spring to include the Master of Social Work, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Education graduate programs. With the reduced tuition rate, eligible students can now save up to 50 percent per credit hour. Other than Respiratory Care, the reduced tuition rate does not apply to Nursing and Allied Health courses, although it can be used to finish pre-requisite courses for these degrees. For more information, visit www.newmanu.edu/ laid-offworkers.aspx.
Experience at Newman so far: “I really enjoy it. The teachers are great here.”
* For more information on the Yellow Ribbon program, visit www.newmanu.edu/veterans.aspx. Photography, Darrel Voth
Reduced tuition now extended to include most grad programs
www.newmanu.edu | 9
Trip takes students from empires to totalitarian regimes and back
L-r: Students Meghan Jost, Adelita Aldava, Randyn Wertz, Megan Lowe and Jacob Somes at the Schonbrun Palace in Vienna.
This summer five Newman students learned about the elegance and breadth of what was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as the oppression and horror of former Nazi and communist regimes, as participants in “Europe by Rail,” a three-week tour of western and eastern Europe led by Associate Professor of History Kelly McFall, Ph.D. The trip began in Vienna, Austria, and progressed through Hungary, the Czech Republic, eastern Germany, and the Netherlands before concluding in London. In addition to helping students understand the history and culture of Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries, McFall said the trip was designed to show students the ways different cultures interact. “The route I chose was very intentional,” he said. “I wanted to hit cities on both sides of what had been the Iron Curtain to show students the contrasts, as well as the similarities.” McFall noted how the long-term influence of the Habsburgs could be seen in the art and architecture of Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The students noticed it too, although they were equally struck by the evidence of communism and the fight for freedom of people in eastern Europe, as documented in Prague’s Museum of Communism. “I think it has helped my understanding of the countries that we have visited and why they are the way they are,” wrote Meghan Jost, who along with McFall and fellow student Megan Lowe kept a blog during the trip. “I also found it interesting to look at footage of the riots that happened in the late eighties right before the fall of Communism. It made it all more real to me to be able to see pictures of events that happened around the time I was born and made me realize that for countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary democracy is a fairly new concept.” McFall said students were also moved by the Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar, Germany, and the Jewish Museum in Prague. At a lunch stop following the museum visit, the students were full of questions. “I had planned several things to do after lunch, but the students kept asking me about Jewish history,” he said. “That happens a lot – the students drive the learning. I just have a conversation with them.” McFall, who lived in Vienna and has traveled extensively in Europe, noted that while many things about the continent will always be the same, some aspects have changed since his last visit in 2000. “The differences between eastern and western Europe are going away,” he said. “In a subway station in Budapest, there is a large map of the city that shows the location of 25 McDonald’s. You would not have seen that 10 years ago. London and Amsterdam didn’t change, but the east did.” The students did as well. McFall said one of his goals was to show students that they can learn how to manage a different culture on their own. “It’s a real personal growth experience learning that you can navigate an unfamiliar city by yourself,” he said. “To me those kinds of things are what Newman is about – helping people understand their world so they can transform it. Traveling overseas makes the students different people.” The students agree. “One of the things I learned from this trip was simply how big this world really is,” Lowe said. “Billions of people inhabit this earth and have lives so different from our American ones. I don’t believe you have truly lived until you have been to a different continent.” For more on Europe by Rail, visit http://EuropeByRail.blogs.newmanu.edu. Photos courtesy of Meghan Jost and Megan Lowe
Newman group works to improve education for Tibetan children exiled in India It isn’t every day you have an opportunity to help the Dalai Lama, not to mention thousands of Tibetan children living as refugees in India. Yet that’s exactly what two professors and one recent graduate from the Newman University School of Education did this June, when they traveled to Dharamsala, India, to implement educational enhancements at Tibetan Children’s Villages (TCV), an internationally recognized organization founded by the Dalai Lama that operates schools for more than 16,000 exiled Tibetan children. The initiative is part of an effort by the Dalai Lama to enhance teacher training and academic standards, in order to develop Tibetan student leaders who will become professionals and specialists. The group that came from
Wichita to help in this effort included Ted Anders, Ph.D., assistant professor for graduate education and coordinator of special projects, Steven Dunn, Ed.D., associate professor of education and director of the School of Education, and Dunn’s son Joseph, a 2007 Newman graduate who now teaches social studies at Marshall Middle School. The group became involved with the school in March after Anders was invited by TCV officials to help evaluate and recommend ways to improve school services. During the June trip, the group presented a weeklong conference for about 30 teachers and 50 administrators to introduce several education best practices and train administrators how to better support and communicate with teachers. Anders and the Dunns were impressed by the enthusiasm the Tibetans showed for learning new skills. One group of teachers and administrators from the Kashmir/Nepal border rode in a bus across the Himalayas for three days just to attend the conference “They have incredible dedication,” Anders said. “They were so engaged, and so intent on getting the concepts.” While there, the group also experienced Tibetan culture through several activities, including meditating in a temple with Buddhist monks and learning folk dances. The group also got a look at
traditional nomadic Tibetan life when they hiked up a mountain to a camp that included colorful tents, yaks, donkeys, campfires, large pots with simmering broth and other signs of Tibetan traditional culture. Before returning to America, Anders and Steven Dunn agreed to help develop an education plan for a special academy recently created for gifted, talented and spiritually sensitive students, who will be trained to serve as ambassadors of peace, love and compassion throughout the world. Anders and Dunn said they and other School of Education faculty plan to travel to India over the next few years to help the schools produce these kinds of scholars. As part of their training, the students will study in various colleges and universities around the world. Anders said plans are being made to bring several top math and science Tibetan students to Newman in the near future. “The ongoing success of this relationship professionally and personally is a huge blessing of life for all of us,” Anders said.
For more on this story and photos from the trip, visit http://tglp.blogs.newmanu.edu. Videos of the trip are also available at www.tedanders.com. Photos courtesy of Joseph Dunn
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Students assume the roles of Chinese bureaucrats giving memorial speeches to a Ming Dynasty emperor.
Why I play games in my classroom By Kelly McFall, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History
Photography, Darrel Voth
What do you say when a student calls from the delivery room, where his wife is in labor, and wants you to put him on speakerphone so he can participate in class? For 10 years, I lectured or led discussions in World Civilizations classes. Why not? When I was a student, I loved lectures. I sat in class attentively (well, most of the time) and took notes eagerly. After 50 minutes of class, my notebook was full, my hands cramped and my brain happy. So that’s the way I taught. But today’s students are different. There are many ways to characterize the so-called “millennials.” But one thing is sure. They want and need a greater variety of activities and more hands-on involvement than I would have been comfortable with. So now we play games. Specifically, we play lengthy role-playing games in which students assume the role of historical figures at critical moments in history. This semester, they are playing Chinese bureaucrats trying to reverse the slide of the Ming Empire, citizens of New York in 177476 debating their relationship with Britain, and Indian 12 | N E W M A N
politicians pleading with the British to quit India. During the games they make speeches and debate other students. But they also parade, stage demonstrations, plot behind the scenes and even attempt to “kill” other characters. During the games, the students control the classroom. I’m extraordinarily active behind the scenes, giving advice, reading rough drafts and suggesting background readings. But in class they run the show and I just take notes. We talk a lot in academia about teaching leadership. In my classes, students practice it daily. Ninety percent of the students love it. They get to laugh, move around and even shout at each other in class. One of my favorite memories is of a student playing a patriot in New York in 1775 getting out of her chair and walking across the tables to mob a loyalist. As one student put it (recounting a date spent talking exclusively about the game), it can take over your life.
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I’m glad they’re having fun. I am as well. But much more important is how much they’re learning. The core of the games, for all of the yelling and plotting and competing, is an attempt to win other students to a particular vision of the future. Each game revolves around a critically important issue. How do you balance the desire to respect majority rule with the need to protect minority rights? How do you respect traditional ways while allowing innovation and experimentation? How do you allow passionate protest while prohibiting violence? To inform their solutions, each game includes a significant amount of reading (the Analects of Confucius in the game about China). By explaining and challenging
these ideas themselves, students learn far more effectively. And they get to engage issues critical to the modern world. To be sure, there’s a cost. Focusing in depth on a few case studies, my students miss the broad narrative of World History. But I think the deeper understanding more than makes up for that. There’s still a place for lectures. Students haven’t changed that much in a certain number of years I won’t reveal here. Tell them a good story and they’ll hang on your every word. And, just as students have learning styles, teachers’ preferences and strengths differ significantly. But for me, encouraging my students to inhabit the history they’re learning has enormously improved learning and engagement.
Oh, by the way. I told the almost new parent I didn’t want to be responsible for his divorce and so would not put him on speakerphone. Forty minutes later, his classmate told me she had been texting him updates and he had a proposal to make. I finally gave up and let him participate. India exploded and he lost the game. But, so far as I know, he’s still married.
NUPeople Jamey Findling likes to think about the “big ideas.” Ideas like the nature of existence. Or how the process of interpretation affects our understanding. Or the role presuppositions play in acquiring knowledge. It was that kind of thinking that led Findling away from a career in engineering to one in philosophy and education, where he could not only explore such ideas, he could make a living at it. “I’ve always been interested in ideas, and I like bringing people together to discuss them,” said Findling, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies. “I think there’s a real need for that in society.” Findling was born in Louisville, Ky., and raised in neighboring Floyds Knobs, Ind. He made good grades in high school math and science, and went to Rice University with the idea of doing “something” in engineering. He soon learned that, “college math and science are hard. And, I never liked doing lab work.” What he did like was a philosophy class – so much so that he stayed up nights with classmates discussing course topics. During his sophomore and junior years he took more philosophy courses, and spent his senior year studying the discipline in Germany. After
receiving his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Rice, he earned a master’s and doctorate in philosophy, both from Villanova University. From Socrates to Gadamer Findling came to Wichita and Newman in 2003 with his wife Jenny. The Findlings now have two sons, Charley, 4, and Emerson, 7 months. Findling’s areas of specialization are ancient philosophy – the works of Socrates, Plato and others – and modern hermeneutics – the exploration of how our interpretation of everything from a blade of grass to our concept of God is affected by presuppositions, cultural beliefs, personal experience, and many other things. Findling has done extensive research on German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer, a proponent of this view, and has published many papers, including his dissertation, related to Gadamer’s work, Since coming to Newman, Findling and his colleague, Associate Professor of Philosophy Christopher Fox, Ph.D., co-established a philosophy major (it was previously offered only as a minor). Findling has also played a key role in several university initiatives, including chairing a task force that created the Newman Code,* and leading a committee to define Newman’s Core Values, a two-year
For more information, visit www.gerberinstitute.org.
Darrel Voth
For Professor Jamey Findling, it’s all about the ‘big ideas’
process that involved people from across the university. Catholic thought and practice In 2007, Findling was also part of a group asked to examine how the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies might be revitalized. The institute, founded in 1995, had sponsored an endowed chair for visiting professors, and hosted lectures and other public discourse on Catholic thought and practice. It recent years, however, it had become inactive. To re-establish the institute in keeping with its original mission, the group decided to present visiting speakers, conferences and other activities for the community that focused on an annual theme. Again, Findling was asked to lead the project, and was later named the institute’s director. For 2009, the institute has explored the theme of “reconciliation,” beginning in March
with a lecture by theology professor and peacebuilding expert Father Robert Schreiter. A Nov. 5 reading by award-winning writer Ron Hansen is also scheduled. Although Findling feels the Gerber Institute is just getting underway, he has big aspirations for its future. But then, what would you expect from a man who likes the big ideas? “I’d like for the institute to be recognized within Wichita, the diocese and the region as the place where great speakers bring insights into Catholic principles and ideas that go beyond the standard, expected rhetoric,” he said. “I’d like this to be a place where creative things happen, where we see glimpses of new solutions to old problems.” * For more information about the Newman Code, visit www.newmanu.edu and go to About NU.
Named for the Most Rev. Eugene J. Gerber, Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, The Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies furthers the Mission of Newman University by promoting interdisciplinary dialogue exploring Catholic thought and practice in the diverse realms of educational, philosophical, political, social, and cultural life. w w w . n e w m a n u . e d u | 13
NUPerspectives
Fr. Joseph Tatro
Newman, Dodge City Diocese strengthen ties with summer camp
One goal of the Newman University Strategic Plan 2009-2014 is to build partnerships across the region that strengthen our role as an intellectual, cultural and spiritual center, and benefit our partner organizations as well as the people within them. In recent months the university has begun building these ties with Wichita area businesses, public schools and community colleges, as well as the Wichita and other area dioceses. One happy result of these efforts came in early summer this year, when nine high school students from the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City visited Newman for a six-day service camp. The idea for the camp grew out of discussions among 14 | N E W M A N
Father Robert Schremmer, Vicar of the Dodge City Diocese and NU Board member, several diocesan priests, and Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. Newman agreed to host the camp and provide housing for the students and any necessary equipment and supplies. “We’ve been looking for ways to be of service to the Dodge City and Salina dioceses in particular, because they’re primarily rural and we wanted to see what we could offer them,” said Father Joseph Tatro, university chaplain and assistant professor of theology, who served as camp director. “This is also something the sisters have strongly promoted – the Catholic principles of service to others and giving back to the community.”
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Themes and reflections Tatro said each day’s activities revolved around a theme. For example, on “Diversity Awareness” day, students listened to a speaker from Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services, watched a video called “Shadows of Hate,” and did service work at Catholic Charities Adult Day Services and Holy Savior Catholic Church and Academy. For “Homelessness, Poverty and Hunger Awareness” day, students did service work at the St. Anthony Family Shelter, the Catholic Charities Help Center and the Lord’s Diner, while on “Violence Awareness” day they worked at Stepstone, an organization that provides long-term assistance and housing for victims of domestic violence.
To further drive home the themes, Tatro provided statistics on crime, homelessness, poverty and other issues from the students’ hometowns. Tatro said the daily schedule also included games and other fun activities, as well as Mass, prayers, and a theological reflection period with journaling and small group sharing. “The spiritual components were very important, including the reflections, where students would think through the day’s activity and write down their thoughts,” he said. “Our attempt was really to educate them on a topic, have them experience it, and then reflect on it. And it worked extremely well.” To assist the visiting students, who were all females from Great Bend and Hoisington high schools, Tatro enlisted the help of 12 Newman students. Although it wasn’t part of the original plan, he said the experience benefitted the Newman students as much as their high school guests. “They loved being their mentors and teaching them different things,” Tatro said. “And the high school students loved them. They worked with them, learned from them, played with them, prayed with them. By the end of the week, the high school kids didn’t want to leave their Newman friends. The Newman students really made this camp happen, I didn’t.” “The bond the girls formed among themselves, and that I formed with them, was just awesome,” said Kaity Leivian, a Newman senior who worked with the high schoolers. “I
NUPerspectives focused on service thought as a camp counselor I would teach them a lot, but they really taught me.” “It was a very good experience for both counselors and students,” added Newman junior Julie Schmeidler, also a camp counselor. “They had very positive feedback about some of the issues we covered. And the girls were fantastic. It was inspiring for us to see their commitment to helping others.”
Each year, Newman faculty members publish and present a variety of literary and scholarly works. Here is a sample of recent activity and other achievements. Bryan Dietrich, Ph.D., Professor of English: The Assumption, La Porte, Ind.: WordFarm Press, 2009. Carla A. Lee, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Nursing and Nurse Anesthesia: “Chronic Pelvic Pain and Associated Disorders,” lead author with Gaylene Altman, Ph.D., in Kansas Nurse, 84(4), l2-l5 May-June, 2009. “Bylaws and Their Usage,” presentation to Neighborhood University 2008, sponsored by Wichita Independent Neighborhoods (WIN), Building Community Pride: One Neighborhood at a Time, Wichita, Kan., Oct. 25, 2008. “Life’s Journey,” poem presented at 10th Annual Newman University Literary Festival, April 5, 2009.
Cheryl Golden, Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor of History was interviewed recently by an independent filmmaker preparing a documentary in the United Kingdom about notorious women in history for the History Channel. Golden responded to questions concerning the suicide of Cleopatra, who clutched an asp to her breast until it bit her, and the use of poisons in that era. Darrel Voth
Darrel Voth
“Coaching and Mentoring,” presentation with Loretta Forlaw, Ph.D., at Kansas State Nurses Association Convention, Wichita, Kan., Oct. 2, 2008
Marguerite Regan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English received the 2009 Newman University Teaching Excellence Award. The award is bestowed each spring on a full-time faculty member who has demonstrated an innovative or dynamic approach to courses, course revisions, and teaching techniques. The award recipient has the honor of speaking at the following fall and spring commencement ceremonies. Darrel Voth
Building a community Tatro said the week was successful on other levels as well. Officials at the agencies where students performed the service work expressed much gratitude, he said. In addition, several of the Great Bend and Hoisington students said they would come to Newman when it was time for college. “This is a really good way to introduce Newman to high school students,” he said. “It’s smart to be doing summer programming like this, and I think we have the ability to do it in many other ways.” Tatro said the camp will become an annual event, and he and Dodge City Diocese officials hope to bring 30 students to Newman next year. If things go anything like they did this summer, Tatro feels certain everyone will gain from the experience. “The greatest gift for me was the change I saw in Newman students,” he said. “By the end of the week they were personally invested in those high school kids. Building those kind of relationships is what really strengthens a community.”
Faculty activity and achievements
David Shubert, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and John Leyba, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry were notified that their textbook Chemistry and Physics for Nurse Anesthesia: A Student Centered Approach went into its second printing after just three months of publication. The book is currently being used in a number of nurse anesthesia programs at universities around the country, including Duke University, the Medical University of South Carolina and Newman University. It is the first textbook that specifically focuses on the needs of nursing anesthesia students.
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NUPerspectives New masters in theology programs draw widespread interest For the fall 2009 semester, 42 students have enrolled – 25 in the MTS program and 17 in the MAT program. Rev. Joseph Gile, Newman assistant professor of theology and director of the new program, said students are attracted to the program for different reasons. “Most students in the program are involved in catechetical ministry at the parish level, but some are enrolled for personal growth and enrichment,” Gile said. “We have probably 12 students who have different reasons for being in the program, and they come from all walks of life.” Pete Iseman
Courtesy Photo
Darrel Voth
Darrel Voth
Newman University’s new graduate program in theology is drawing interest from a wide range of people from across the Wichita metropolitan community. The program, which began this fall, offers two degrees. One is a master of theological studies (MTS), which is primarily designed for people who wish to teach classes in Parish Schools in Religion (PSR), Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and other topics in their local parishes. The other is a master of arts in theology (MAT), for students who plan to pursue a doctorate in theology.
Renee Allerheiligen Wichita Diocese Stewardship Committee
Pat Hanrahan President, United Way of the Plains
Rev. Pat York Pastor, Church of the Magdalen
‘I will apply it in whatever
‘This is a way to
‘Don’t settle,
Rev. Joseph Gile Assistant Professor of Theology and Director of Theology Studies
way God calls me.’
deepen my faith.’
don’t stop learning.’
Renee Allerheiligen, who serves on the Diocese of Wichita Stewardship Committee and helps the diocese with leadership development education, said she “enjoys the study of God for what it is.” She adds that she will also likely use what she learns to teach others. Allerheiligen is one of many MTS students who enrolled with the help of a scholarship from the Wichita Diocese. “I will apply it in whatever way God calls me,” said Allerheiligen, who is also pursuing a masters degree in organizational leadership online from Gonzaga University. “This is not something that is just for me. It’s to be shared with many other people.”
Wichita family physician David Wall, M.D. said he entered the program in part because of an established friendship with Gile, but also to gain more knowledge to teach others. “I already do some catechism at the parish level, and I’ve taught several courses at the Spiritual Life Center,” he said. “But the vast majority of my expertise is self-taught, so I’d like something a little more formal.” “This is a way to deepen my faith,” said MTS student Pat Hanrahan, president of United Way of the Plains. He added that he may also teach after he retires. Hanrahan noted that he likes the online format of the program, which
is delivered to students almost entirely through modules, discussion boards and short essay questions over the Internet. “I would not have done this the traditional way – I wouldn’t have the time,” he said. “With this, if you don’t get a module done one night because you have a meeting you can do it the next day.” Those seeking the MAT degree also have a range of reasons for joining the program. Donovan Bailey, who graduated from Newman in May with a theology degree, said he plans to ultimately earn a doctoral degree. Paul Saas, owner of a computer consulting business, is not Catholic, but said he enrolled
in the program for his own enjoyment and enrichment. Pastor of Church of the Magdalen Rev. Patrick York said his interest in the MAT program is both personal and academic. “It’s a personal enrichment,” he said. “I have a master’s in divinity from going through seminary school, but I always wanted to get a masters in theology academic degree. And, I have the privilege to be pastor to a group of young men and women, and I’ve always told them, ‘Don’t settle, don’t stop learning.’ So this was an opportunity for me to do the same.”
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For more on this story, visit www.newmanu.edu/MATpeople.
NUGiving De Mattias Society membership grows during NU’s 75th Anniversary year Funds raised through the De Mattias Society help underwrite student scholarships, as well as support programs identified by society members. Please consider becoming a member to benefit Newman University and students today. ‘I feel honored to be
File photo
Changes in membership qualifications for the De Mattias Society have resulted in significant growth in membership for 2009-2010. The De Mattias Society is a giving club named in honor of St. Maria De Mattias to support the annual unrestricted needs of the university as well as the annual restricted needs of the university. Originally, the qualification for membership was set at a $1,000 unrestricted gift only, but input from donors led Newman to broaden membership to include gifts of $3,000 or more for restricted gifts. “Opening the membership to include restricted gifts was a positive change for our donors who support specific needs year in and year out,” said Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tom Borrego. “By creating the new criteria, we have allowed recognition of our loyal donors who prefer to make restricted gifts.” In 2008-2009, the membership of the De Mattias Society was 67, Borrego said. For 2009-2010, the De Mattias Society grew to 91 members, an increase of 36 percent. The De Mattias Society membership drive for 2010-2011 is July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Membership eligibility is determined by giving in the previous academic year.
given the opportunity to have an education at Newman. I really appreciate the efforts people have made that have allowed aspiring students like me the chance to make a difference. I will not take my education opportunity for granted.’ Scholarship recipient Sarah Hughes Junior, Information Technology and Management Information Systems major
For more information on the De Mattias Society, please visit our website at www.newmanu.edu/GivetoNU.aspx and click on De Mattias Society.
Newman focuses efforts on more scholarship support to help more students Each fall semester, prospective students and their parents make an appointment with the Financial Aid Department to determine what scholarship aid may be available as they contemplate attending Newman University. Through the generosity of many alumni, students are currently able to receive merit scholarships, need-based scholarships and assorted supplemental scholarship to offset their tuition costs. But the need far outweighs the scholarships available. As we end our 75th Anniversary, the university plans to focus
on creating new scholarships to help make a Newman education possible to all who wish to attend. Our plan is to create new endowed and non-endowed scholarships that help underwrite our merit-based scholarships, such as the Cardinal Newman, Board of Trustees and similar scholarship programs. We also look to increase support for current endowments, and create scholarships to support minority and first generation students as well as students participating in various programs, such as athletics or fine arts.
This effort will also include new opportunities for alumni to create scholarship programs through their estate plans. This will be a critical source of giving that will help to increase our endowment fund in the future. Creating a personal scholarship at your alma mater is the highest form of appreciation an alumnus can bestow on his or her university. If you are interested in starting your personal scholarship or a scholarship in honor/memory of a loved one, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 316-942-4291, ext. 2163.
Steve Rasmussen
By Thomas E. Borrego, J.D., Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Thomas E. Borrego, J.D.
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AlumniNews Four to be honored with alumni awards at February banquet Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
Ann Fox
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Dugan-Gorges Conference Center
Sacred Heart Junior College graduate Elaine (Doll/Aaron) Hemmen ’51 will receive the Beata Netemeyer Service Award for her lifelong efforts to enhance liturgy for others. As the mother of a deaf daughter (who also began having visual problems), Hemmen realized the need to enhance the liturgy for persons with special needs. Long before the Catholic Diocese of Wichita launched its ministry for persons with disabilities, Hemmen championed the cause of the hearing impaired. As a result of her efforts, Masses at several Wichita parishes have included sign language interpreters since 1970. A church organist for more than 40 years and a piano teacher for 56 years, Hemmen said the addition of interpreters has allowed the “music” of the words of the Gospel to be accessible to people who have special needs.
Leon McNeill Distinguished Alumni in Education award recipient C. Matt Seimears, Ph.D. ’02 says being a “teacher of teachers” is his passion. For that, he credits two of his most influential teachers, Associate Professor of Education Karen Rogers, Ph.D., and Professor of Education Don Hufford. Ph.D., who were instrumental as he defined his own pedagogy. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Newman, Seimears taught at Pleasant Valley Middle School, then earned his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Kansas State University. Currently assistant professor of early childhood and elementary teacher education at Emporia State University, Seimears has published four textbooks supporting teacher education, and is a wellknown speaker, most notably as one of only 34 invited to present at the Oxford Round table in Oxford, England.
Although this year’s St. Maria De Mattias Award recipient James Macias, Ph.D. ’81 left Wichita after graduation, he has been exemplary in finding ways to remain active in the Alumni Association. He currently lives in Houston, Texas, where he supports Newman’s recruitment efforts by representing the university at Catholic high school career fairs and making personal contacts with prospective students’ families. He was instrumental in launching and fostering a Texas alumni chapter, was a member of the alumni association Board of Directors, and served as vice president in 2007 and president in 2008. Macias also works to support Houston underprivileged youth, and has had a very successful career in development and technical support of chemical and petroleum products in the Royal/Dutch Shell Group, particularly in the area of lubricants and fuels technology.
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and Awards Ceremony
The National Alumni Association will honor four alumni for their achievements and service at the Cardinal Newman Banquet and Awards Ceremony, Feb. 27, 2010. According to Awards Committee member Margaret Knoeber, ASC ’61, this year’s selection process was a challenge. “When we instituted the alumni awards in 1982, we were told by our consultant that there should be a field of at least five candidates for each award,” Knoeber said. “With 29 excellent nominees this year, we certainly see that our alumni are empowered by their education and are making a difference in our society through their personal and professional lives.” Courtesy Photo
Cardinal Newman Banquet
Spirit of Acuto Transformational Leadership Award recipient Kevin Suzette (Biltz/Danler) Ruegg ’94 attended Kansas Newman College in 1972-73, but as a single mother with seven children was unable to complete degrees in business and theology until 1994. Ruegg is a living example of personal transformation from poverty to empowerment, which she credits largely to influence by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. She will be honored for her service and leadership within non-profit agencies. Ruegg began as a direct service provider to the homeless and victims of domestic abuse, and is now CEO of the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education in Phoenix, which under her leadership has tripled its financial support to schools, legal aid for persons of modest means, and projects undertaken by several agencies.
Event tickets will be available beginning Jan. 1, 2010 on the web at www.cardinalnewman.eventbrite.com or by phone, 316-942-4291, ext. 2228.
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Darrel Voth
Michelle Ruder ’03
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Anthony Tamburro ’03, ’07
Ann Fox
Timothy Belsan ’05
Kevin Blick ’05 Ann Fox
John E. Rapp ’00 President, Newman University National Alumni Association
As I begin my term as Alumni Board president, I want to tell you what an honor and a pleasure it is for me to serve in this capacity. It is also my pleasure to welcome six alumni who began three-year terms on the Alumni Association Board of Directors July 1, 2009, and share with you some of their activities. Get to know them, and most of all, respond when they contact you to get involved with the university or to reconnect with other alums at an event. You’ll find biographical information and contact information for new and returning board members on the alumni Web page, www.newmanu.edu/alumni.aspx. New board members Michelle Ruder ’03 and Anthony Tamburro ’03, ’07 are working to identify the interests and needs of our MBA and undergraduate business program alumni. They’ll be hosting “before” and “after” work events for their constituencies in Wichita on Nov. 19 in the Tarcisia Roths, ASC Alumni Lounge. In an era where it truly is not what you know but who you know that counts, they hope to create some positive opportunities for networking and mentoring relationships between current students and our alumni active in the business world in Wichita and around the world. Two other new board members, Timothy Belsan ’05 and Kevin Blick ’05, teamed up to organize two socials for Newman alums in northeast Kansas and the Kansas City metro area on Oct. 2 and 3. Admissions recruiters Jessica Shinstock and Jeff Van Dorn joined alums to talk about their efforts in this, our fastest growing source of new students. They will follow the model already well established by alumni in Texas and Oklahoma for assisting area recruiters and territory managers with recruitment fairs and follow-ups with interested students. Recently elected board members Ashley Powers Dalian ’99, ’01 and Shana Jarmer Camblin, M.D. ’00 worked to get folks excited about the Oct. 23 alumni volleyball reunion and Family Weekend activities, as well as the Nov. 20 basketball alumni games and class reunions. Watch the Web for more details on alumni games, reunions, and other upcoming events. Elected to serve on the executive committee with me for 20092010 are Vice-President Christine Siefers ’91 and Secretary Lisa Hammerschmidt ’97. I owe a debt of gratitude to Immediate Past President Sheila May Maksimowicz ’77, who did an admirable job serving the university through its 75th Anniversary year. We had a great time surprising her with a thank you reception on the final Saturday of her service. For my part as president, I pledge to keep our Alumni Association visible and viable as a development arm to support the record number of students on campus. Your financial support of the university really matters. The percentage of alumni who give something each year is used as a barometer of alumni satisfaction and support. I challenge you to make that percentage grow. You’ll be hearing more from me on this matter in the very near future. So please watch your mail, open it, read what I have to say and most important, respond. You are Newman’s future. Go Jets!
Ashley Powers Dalian ’99, ’01 Ann Fox
Pete Iseman
From the National Alumni Board President
Darrel Voth
AlumniNews
Shana Jarmer Camblin, M.D. ’00
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Clare Vanderpool Home and family have a special meaning for Clare (Sander) Vanderpool. The 1987 graduate of Kansas Newman College grew up in the College Hill area of Wichita, the neighborhood she lives in now. While growing up she attended Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, the church she and her family attend today. And as a girl she went to Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, the school she and her husband Mark chose to send all the Vanderpool children: Luke, age 15; Paul, 13; Grace, 11; and Lucy 9. So perhaps it is not surprising that home and family play important roles in her novel, Moon Over Manifest, the story of the only daughter of a drifter who is searching for her own meaning of home. “The book looks at what ‘home’ is from a perspective of the girl, who is always on the move with her father,” Vanderpool said. “I’m very rooted in the idea of ‘home,’ and so the character is completely opposite of me. That made it interesting for me in many ways.”
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‘It was the fun’ Although Vanderpool had thought about being a writer since she was a young girl, she came to Newman in 1983 with the intention of being a teacher. She said she chose Newman in part because other campuses she visited didn’t appeal to her. “There was just a very nice feeling here,” she said, “very welcoming, with an active, vibrant campus life.” Staying in Wichita also allowed Vanderpool to work as a secretary in the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, a job she held through much of college. At Newman, she lived on campus and was involved with student government and the teachers club. And while she values the high academic standards and spiritual grounding that characterized her education, she said another aspect of her college experience stands out in her memory. “My classes and the teachers were great, but really it was the fun – the crazy college things you do,” she said. “And I made a lot of friends with students and faculty. Some have been very long-lasting.”
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Vanderpool earned a bachelor’s degree in English and elementary education, but instead of teaching in a school she was hired as program director for the Diocesan Youth Office. Her teaching skills served her well in that role, as she planned and operated retreats, weekend leadership camps, leadership training sessions and similar projects for high school students and young adults. Vanderpool said she loved the experience. “I like high school kids,” she said. “I like their humor and enthusiasm. And I felt I was doing something important, providing them with opportunities to share their faith and get involved in the church. Now that I have kids that age, the experience has really been helpful. I’m still using the things I learned then.” Building her craft Vanderpool stopped working for the diocese when her first child, Luke, was born, and began writing while he was still an infant. She continued writing – and having children – over the next five years. From the beginning, her interest was children’s literature. All of
her work has been written for middle school readers. Vanderpool said the most significant experience she had building her craft as a writer came from the former Milton Center at Newman, which held a weekly Friday afternoon writers workshop. “I was invited to come and read from my work and discuss it with other writers,” she said. “That was invaluable. I was struck with how, for me coming in as a novice, the group would treat my work with the same care and hold it to the same standards as the more experienced writers. That was very helpful.” Within a few years, Vanderpool produced her first book, a time travel story about a young girl who is transported from present-day America to World War II-era Ireland. Vanderpool hopes to do some further editing on the book and submit it for publication as well. Vanderpool said she began thinking of a second book based on “a little idea that had percolated in my head.” She had come across a book about old maps, which had a quotation in the forward from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick:
Courtesy photo
e, Clare, and Paul Vander
“It is not down on any map. True places never are.” Vanderpool was intrigued by the idea, and when her next opportunity to read for the Milton Center came up she produced 20 pages of what would ultimately become Moon Over Manifest. Vanderpool said those 20 pages are still in the book, in pretty much the same form as her original draft. Moon Over Manifest is the story of 11-year-old Abilene Tucker who, thanks to her father, finds herself in Manifest, Kan., during the Great Depression. The setting for the fictional town of Manifest is based on Frontenac, Kan., located in the southeast corner of the state, that was home to members of her maternal grandparents’ family. As Vanderpool delved into the region’s history, she found that it increasingly steered the direction of the story. “I found out that people from more than 20 foreign countries lived in Frontenac,” she said. “They worked in the mines. At one time that part of Kansas, Cherokee and Crawford Counties, were considered the bootleg capital of Kansas. So, all that
pool on a recent Colorado
research kind of filtered into the story.” One element of her family history that played a large part in the plot was the Spanish Influenza epidemic that swept through the Frontenac area. Several of Vanderpool’s family members contracted it. Her grandmother was the only one from her immediate family who survived. Historical fiction Moon Over Manifest is being published by Random House, and will be in bookstores across the nation in fall 2010. Vanderpool said she is pleased with the book. “I try not to start off a book with too much of an agenda,” she said. “I just want it to be a good story.” Last year, she began working on a third novel, although she has temporarily set it aside because of the proofing, revisions and other work associated with publishing Moon Over Manifest. Like her other works, the new book will entail research – an activity Vanderpool said she enjoys so much that she often has to force herself to actually start writing. Her love of research was the topic of a presentation she
vacation.
made at a Children’s Literature Workshop sponsored by Newman last June, which was designed to help educators, writers and other interested parties learn from professionals in the children’s literature publishing industry. Vanderpool said she thoroughly enjoyed describing to others how she used newspapers, yearbooks, and historical records to develop Moon Over Manifest. But then, she pretty much enjoys everything about historical fiction. “Given the choice between writing about contemporary times or historical times I’ll choose historical every time,” she said. “It just seems richer to me in terms of setting, and it conjures up more in my imagination of what was happening, and what can happen. Some writers say they love words, or the themes that come out during the writing process. For me, it’s all about the story. I love a good story.” Even better, a story about home and family. Annmarie Algya
L-r: Mark, Grace, Lucy, Luk
Clare (Sander) Vanderpool ’87
‘It is not down on any map. True places never are.’ Herman Melville - Moby Dick
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AlumniNews African-American alumni offer ideas on recruitment, retention of black students
do YOU ? remember…
This past summer, several African-American alumni and representatives of the Wichita African-American community joined Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., Dean of Admissions John Clayton, Director of Communications Kelly Snedden, and Director of Alumni Relations Ann Fox for a focus group session in the Tarcisia Roths, ASC Alumni Center. Ann Fox
If you can identify the two ladies in this picture and the event where the picture was taken, we’ll enter your name in a drawing from among all the people who send us the correct answer. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Newman Bookstore, and have his or her name included in the next issue of Challenge magazine. Answers must be received by midnight, Jan. 31, 2010 to be entered into the drawing. Send your answer to: Ann Fox, Newman University, 3100 McCormick, Wichita, KS 67213-2097, or alumni@newmanu.edu. Answers can also be posted online at http://newmanu.wufoo.com/forms/alumni-quiz.
Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D. addresses the June 26 focus group.
The session was held at Carrocci’s request after meeting with members of the local Pan-Hellenic Council and exchanging ideas on ways to better partner with Wichita’s black community. “This session allowed us to get to know several of the AfricanAmerican alumni in the community better, and to ask their help in reaching out to prospective students,” Carrocci said. The select group of participants worked individually and in small groups to generate ideas and recommendations that would help improve recruitment and retention of black students. The group also explored ways to better engage and involve AfricanAmerican alumni in the university’s growth and development. “The items generated by this group were very actionable,” Fox said, referring to the list of more than 150 suggestions that came out of the luncheon session. “We received names, addresses and phone numbers of potential speakers, event coordinators and contacts within local churches and organizations with whom we can begin to connect and develop relationships.” Alumni in attendance were also asked to complete and return personal profiles, which can be used to feature successful alumni in future university publications and on the Newman Web site. The alumni participants included: Wilma Black ’92; David Chiles ’01; Gloria Christian ’02; Gregory Cole ’95; Vanessa Galbreath ’02; Bernadine Henderson ’99; Tiffanie (Henderson) Shook ’04; Ramona Kee-Adams ’98; Latonia Kennedy ’91; Frank Martinez ’02, ’04; Charles Murray ’04, ’06; James Normore ’96; Elizabeth Shanklin-Reed ’07; Gloria Wallace ’02; Greg White ’05, and DeShaun Willingham ’05. University Archives
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C H A L L E N G E
Future activities are planned to further build the presence and involvement of African-American alumni on campus. Alumni interested in participating should contact the Alumni Office, alumni@newmanu.edu, or 316-942-4291, ext. 2166.
ClassNotes Ann Fox
SHA Class of 1959 members celebrate 50-year reunion
Members of the Sacred Heart Academy Class of 1959 attending the May 2, 2009 reunion were: Left to right, Front row: Karen (Girrens) Gilbert; Julia (Werth) Weber; Susie (Schreiner) Smith; Carolyn (Moore) Preston, Betty Jean “BJ” (Nunnemaker) Patterson. Middle row: Cathy (Geier) Mies; Judy (Luckman) Lingg; Helen (Spexarth) Breitenbach; Marilyn (May) Spohr; Lu Ann (Skach) Logback, Anita (Hall) Exline. Back row: Florence (Miller) Gorges; Dian (Upton) Quatrochi; Rose Mary Donnelly, CSJ; Shirley Mallot; Mary (Cleary) Meyer; Carolyn (Schulte) Williams; Marilyn (Schulte) Jordan; Norma (Landwehr) Vardeman; Sandy (Howe) Gleeson; Vernie (Flanigan) Bloch, Margaret (Lentz) Wetter. Not pictured: Mimie (Mack) McGuire. For more photos from this event, visit www.newmanu.edu/alumni.aspx, and go to Reunions.
Marriages ’90 Patricia Wagley and Robert Kinkade on June 6, 2009. Patricia is an administrative assistant for Heart Rate, Inc., Costa Mesa, Calif., and lives in Lakewood. ’02 (Robert) Paddy Nelson and Kelly Eddy on March 17, 2009. ’04 Heather Ackerman and Robert Hempel in March 2009. Heather is a surgical nurse at KU MedWest, Shawnee, Kan. ’04 Melissa Phillips and Matthew Weigant on June 6, 2009. Melissa completed her master’s degree in education at Wichita State University in 2008, and is a third grade teacher at McLean Elementary School, Wichita. ’04 Rachel Vogel and Jeremiah Babcock on Nov. 28, 2008. ’05 Sara Pajor and Matthew Koochel on June 6, 2009. Sara is an accountant at Value Place Property Management. ’06 Maggie Hays and Josh Ward on Feb. 24, 2009. Maggie earned her oncology certification and is a clinical research nurse with the Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program. ’06 Elizabeth Marie Lewis and Troy Mayhew on June 20, 2009 in Liberal, Kan. Elizabeth is a kindergarten teacher at Plains Elementary School. ’06 Emily Brook Wells and Shane Burns on July 11, 2009. Emily completed her master’s degree in special education through Ft. Hays State University and is employed by USD 457 as a second- through fourth-grade resource special education teacher.
’09 Brandy Jo Orth and Jesse Zogleman on July 17, 2009. Brandy is a sales representative for Endo Pharmaceuticals. ’09 Lisa Slavens and Christopher Anderson on July 25, 2009.
Baby Jets Born to ’98 Rory and ’03 Allison (Barse) Hamilton, a girl, Avery, on July 13, 2009. Brother Maddox helped welcome the baby home. Rory is a math teacher and head girls basketball coach at Mount St. Mary High School, Norman, Okla. Born to ’02 Kim and ’05 Evette Fuerniss, a girl, Isabellah Janssen Fuerniss, on Dec. 26, 2008. The baby is welcomed by siblings Allecia, Elizabeth, Kim Jr. and Rebekah. Evette earned a master of science in nursing education from the University of Phoenix Dec. 22, 2008. Born to ’05 Michael and Katie Gordon a boy, Joseph Peter, on Sept. 25, 2008. Joseph is the first grandchild for ’75 Kirk and ’76 Maribeth (Lauer) Lester. Born to ’05 ’08 Ryan and Kami Smith, a boy, Cooper Ryan, on March 12, 2009. He was welcomed home by sister Brynlyn, 3. Ryan is the Newman wrestling coach. Born to ’08 Ryan and Katie Brennan, a boy, James, on Jan. 5, 2009. Ryan is an estimator for Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita. The family lives in Mulvane. Born to ’08 Jacob and Betty Johnston, a girl, Isabella Josephine, on July 17, 2009. Grandparents are Newman University Board of Trustees Chair ’82 J.V. and ’82 Veronica (Armendariz) Johnston.
Class Notes A ’57, ’66 Joan (Wessel) and Robert Thimesch celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary April 4, 2009. Joan retired from teaching in USD 331 in 2006. The Thimesches have six children, 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A ’58 Phyllis Berens retired Sept. 18, 2009 after more than 42 years of service as a nurse at Via-Christi St. Francis Hospital, Wichita. A ’58 Carol (Menges) and John Henderson celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary at a private dinner with family June 6, 2009 in Pratt, Kan., and with a cruise to Alaska in August. ’64 Ruth (Haen) Menzer has retired from a teaching career, during which she was twice named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and received the 2004 Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics and Science. ’67 Barbara (Ohmes) Gilbaugh reports that her son Rev. Eric Gilbaugh is pastor of two parishes with a home base in Belgrade, Mont. Fr. Gilbaugh will celebrate his fourth anniversary of ordination on Dec. 9, 2009. Barbara’s mother still lives on her own. ’72 Paul B. Carney, Ph.D. has been named vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Webster University. Webster offers undergraduate and graduate programs to 20,000-plus students through a global network of more than 100 campuses. ’72 Gail Gettman was honored for 25 years of service to Newman University at a faculty/staff luncheon Aug. 18, 2009. Gail served as a cashier in Accounts Payable prior to her current role with Student Accounts.
’72 Jim Schwarzenberger joined the Newton Chamber of Commerce as executive director on July 15, 2009. ’73 Michael Bayer, M.D. was appointed director of medical services for Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. on March 5, 2009. Bayer will develop pre-clinicial and clinical trial protocols for research centers that use adult stem cells produced by Stemedica in their research projects. ’73 Larry Dostert was inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2009 on June 20, 2009. Larry coached two state championship cross country teams at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School where he currently serves as athletic director. ’77 Dennis Newell was one of 20 U.S. teachers chosen from a pool of 400 applicants as Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows. He will serve 11 months in Washington, D.C., as part of the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education. The coalition brings members of business, education, science and technology societies together to work toward improved methods for science, mathematics and technology education. Newell teaches explorations in technology at Emporia Middle School. ’78 Kimberly Bright is dean of students at Chadron State College, Chadron, Neb. She and her husband Don have three children, Christi, Andrew and Marianna, who have all earned master’s degrees. ’79 Kathleen (Wille) Webb has been named development director for Inter-Faith Ministries in Wichita. ’80 Ed Leis, M.D. is deputy chief medical examiner for the State of Utah. He and his wife ’81 Ellen (McFarren) live with their sons Evan and Eric in Holladay, Utah. w w w . n e w m a n u . e d u | 23
ClassNotes ’80 Linda (Dix) Keiser was at the 113th Boston Marathon to cheer on husband Fred who completed the event despite a bad cold and stiff headwinds. Fred has now completed 39 marathons in 27 states over the past 5 ½ years. The Keisers, who homeschool their children, used the opportunity to visit historic sites in the Boston area before returning home. ’81 Susan (Carney) Pool received the Willam Booth Award at the Salvation Army Annual Civic Event held in Wichita April 23, 2009. The award, named for the organization’s founder, recognizes outstanding service to the community. ’81 Barbara (Neuharth) Thiergart earned her master’s of education in instruction and curriculum degree from the University of Phoenix in May 2009. ’83 Kevin Kilmer is a photojournalist living in Vincennes, Ind. ’88 Jennifer Green was named special events coordinator for Starkey Development Corp. on May 7, 2009. ’88 Rahul Singh, M.D. joined Labette Health in Parsons, Kan., where he serves three days a week as an emergency room physician. ’90 Lisa Marie Humphries is a physician’s assistant with Partners in Family Care, Moundridge, Kan. She will provide weekend Emergency Room coverage at Mercy Hospital in addition to outpatient clinic coverage. ’92 Lawrence Cowan of Pueblo, Colo., is administrator of Hildebrand Care Center, an 80-bed skilled nursing facility in Cañon City, Colo., and is working on his master’s degree in health care administration while enjoying his first grandchild and namesake, Lawrence Edward Cowan, born Feb. 8, 2009. ’92 Corrie Nevil, M.D. joined St. Mary’s Health Center as an associate physician and will see patients in St. Mary’s, Onaga and Holton in northeast Kansas. Nevil completed a combined internal medicine and pediatric residency and had previously practiced as a hospitalist at Wesley Medical Center. ’93 Monte Slaven was guest artist at a recital held March 9, 2009 at Haviland Friends’ Church. He performed classical numbers on the piano.
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’96 Kevin Miney enjoyed a summer visit with Tarcisia Roths, ASC, at his home in Dublin, Ireland. Miney completed a master of business studies degree in marketing from Dublin City University, where he met his wife Hazel. The two have a son, Sean, and daughter, Maria. ’96 Tracy Robinson was named vice president, quality at Cessna Aircraft, a Textron Company, on Aug. 4, 2009. She has served in a variety of senior production and quality assurance roles during an 18-year career with Cessna, and is a certified Six Sigma black belt, a certified quality auditor and a member of the American Society for Quality. ’97 Lisa Hammerschmidt was one of the stars in the “Sisters of Habit” benefit concert Aug. 22, 2009 at Kingman High School. Lisa and her family raised $5,300 for the fight against ovarian cancer in honor of her mother Thelma, who died of the disease 13 years ago. ’97 Saul Souza is a senior business analyst for Intellego Consulting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He lives in Tlalnepantla, Mexico. ’98 Julia Emming-Thomas is an optometrist practicing in the St. Louis area. ’98, ’00 Janie Perkins has been reappointed to the Kansas Board of Regents as an at large member by Gov. Mark Parkinson. The nine-member board governs six state universities, 19 community colleges and several technical schools. ’99 Emily (Downen) Arnegard moved to Mandan, N.D., to be closer to family. She is currently a stay-at-home mom for her two daughters Alexandra, 3 ½, and Taylor, 14 mos. ’99 Carmen (Mendoza) Macias is a classroom teacher for the Brownsville Independent School District in Texas. She and her husband Andres have a 3-year-old son, Diego. ’01 David Borho received the Boyd Davies Executive in Residence Award for 2008-2009 from Pratt Community College. He will serve PCC accounting and business students as a resource and model of outstanding achievements in business. Borho is president and coowner of Kincheloe’s, Inc., an implement dealership in Pratt.
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’01 Regina Srajer is a customer service representative for American President Lines, LTD, an international shipping and logistics company. She is based in Englewood, Colo., and lives in Denver. ’01 Barbara Youmans joined PrairieStar HealthCenter in Hutchinson, Kan., March 30, 2009 as a community liaison. ’02 Angela (Macias) Ricke graduated May 16, 2009 with a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Kansas. She has been accepted to a pharmacy internship with Wesley Medical Center. ’02, ’04 Kimberly (Pitts) Nance is a school social worker for USD 259. She and her husband ’02 Matthew have two children, Maddox and Sydney. ’02 Marlon Sears is assistant men’s basketball coach at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. Sears will also assist in recruiting for the Fighting Camels, the most improved team in the NCAA Div. I Atlantic Sun Conference in 2008-2009. ’02, ’08 Angela Watson was featured in an April 25, 2009 Wichita Eagle story about her work as a play therapist. Watson visits youngsters weekly at the Opportunity Project Learning Centers in Wichita through a partnership between the centers and the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas. ’03 Toni Casados is a recruitment support coordinator for the University of Kansas, serving the Latino population of southwestern Kansas. Casados is based at the KU Medical Center’s Area Health Education Center in Garden City. ’03 Pat Edwards is vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson, Kan. ’04 Rebeca Sandoval-Kennedy teaches part-time in the Social Work program at Bethany College, works as an outpatient child and family therapist for St. Francis Community Services, and maintains private practice offices in Wichita and Hutchinson, Kan. Her husband ’07 Joel Kennedy is a therapist at Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson.
’05 Tim Belsan graduated first in his class of 137 students from Washburn Law School in May. He is in his second year as law clerk with Judge Deanell Tacha in Lawrence, Kan. ’05 Tyson Denton has been appointed treasurer of Kansas Sen. Derek Schmidt’s campaign for secretary of state. Denton is the manager of First Neodesha Bank. ’05, ’07 Yelando Wilcoxson is an instructor in the Social Work program at Wichita State University. She has presented at several conferences on the medically uninsured, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and mentors a group of African-American high school girls from the local area. ’06 Marie Villacis serves the U.S. Army as an S1 officer in charge-adjutant generals corps and is based in Ft. Leavenworth. ’07 Heather Brannon is a secondgrade teacher at Harper Elementary School. She and her husband Joe have one daughter, Michaela. ’07 Heather Park is marketing director for Mommy’s Helper, Wichita. ’07 Karla Smokorowski was named executive director of Hope Street Youth Development on July 10, 2009. The non-profit agency provides leadership development opportunities for northeast Wichita youth ages 10-18. ’08 Michael W. Ludlow works for Profit Builders Inc., an outsourcing accounting firm that is tripling the size of its west Wichita offices to accommodate a growing customer base. The company was featured in the Aug. 28, 2009 edition of the Wichita Business Journal. ’08 Holly Pham received the 2009 “New to Nursing” recognition award during Nurse Appreciation Week events at Via Christi Regional Medical Center, Wichita, where she works as an RN. ’09 Nancy Aratea joined Koch Business Solutions as a staff accountant in August. ’09 Justin Atkins is a legislative correspondent for U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, Fourth Congressional District of Kansas. ’09 Shane Chrisman has joined Touchstone Venture Management, LLC, Wichita, as writing and operations coordinator.
ClassNotes
Obituaries
File photo
’36 Scholastica Moeder, ASC, a graduate of St. John’s Academy and professed Adorer of the Blood of Christ for 75 years, on April 21, 2009. She served as an anesthetist and surgical room supervisor at hospitals in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Illinois. A ’38, ’45 Geraldine Hotze, ASC, on June 5, 2009. Sister Geraldine served as professor of theology at Sacred Heart College from 1966 to 1970 ’39 Mildred (Smith) Scott, on June 5, 2009.
Ivalue Dawson Boewe, mother of ’69 Robert Boewe, on May 27, 2009. Phillip G. Herrman, father of ’69 Bernadine (Herrman) Bachman, on March 30, 2009. Marcella Meyer, mother of ’71 Carol (Meyer) Hicks, on May 16, 2009. Michael Patrick Hund, son of ’73 Helen (Bergkamp) and Jeff Hund, on June 26, 2009. Ann M. Minko, mother of ’74 Belinda Minko-Thomas, on July 3, 2009. Lois Irene (Smith) Legge-Simpson, mother of ’79 Michael Hogan and ’81 Angela (Simpson) Gegen, on July 22, 2009. Ben Neuharth, husband of Clara (Simon) Neuharth and father of ’81 Barbara (Neuharth), the wife of ’80 Ralph Thiergart, on April 2, 2009. ’88 Emily Diane (De Broeck) Porter, on Feb. 20, 2009. Timothy Tucker, husband of ’93 Darla (Baumann) Tucker, on Aug. 6, 2009. Michael Leo Dixon, father of ’97 Sr. Gemma (Michelle Marie) and ’99 Rhonda Dixon, on July 8, 2009. Kay Burgess, mother of ’98 Paige (Burgess) and mother-in-law of ’99 Steve Crum, on June 19, 2009. ’00 Ella Mae Yeadon, on Feb. 20, 2009.
’41 Rita (Schneider) Stoll, mother of ’82 Pete Stoll and ’83 Veronica (Stoll) Janvrin, on May 17, 2009. Rita is also survived by her husband Fred, a long-time supporter of Newman University and the Jets. A ’47, ’59 Delphine Schmidt, ASC, on Aug. 2, 2009. Sister Delphine taught philosophy at Newman University. William “Bill” D. Gorges, Sr., on June 29, 2009. He is the brother of ’48 Jean (Gorges) Pauly and HON Marilyn (Gorges) Dugan, and the father of ’81 Mary (Gorges) Kohls, Matt Gorges and his wife ’85 Diane (Girrens) Gorges, and Fr. Bernard Gorges. Alice Spexarth, daughter of A ’57 Marcella “Sally” (Linnebur) and Leo Spexarth, and sister of ’96 Donna (Spexarth) Bergkamp, on June 21, 2009. Eugene Rohrbach, brother of ’62 Charlotte Rohrbach, ASC, on June 21, 2009. David L. Kessler, brother of A ’63 Kay (Kessler) Goodnight and A ’66 Karla (Kessler) Davison, on June 20, 2009. A ’65 Sheila (Simon) Gorges, on Aug. 11, 2009. Dorothy Ambler, mother of A ’66 Kathy (Ambler) Reid, on Sept. 1, 2009. A ’66 Kathleen (Becker) McDonald, on June 20, 2009.
A ’46, ’49 Laurestine “Laurie” (Champ) Bell passed away on March 20, 2009. Bell was the 1987 recipient of the Alumni Association Maria De Mattias Award and the 1996 Cardinal Newman Medal, and was inducted into the Newman Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. With husband Johnny, she was a longtime supporter of Newman, a charter member of the De Mattias Society, and helped to launch the Jet Open Golf Tournament in 1984. In honor of her longstanding support of the event, the Jet Open was renamed in her honor at the 25th anniversary tournament on Aug. 10, 2009.
Steve Rasmussen
’09 Adam Clerici has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Angels and is assigned to the Orem Owlz of Orem, Utah, one of three rookie league affiliates in the Angels organization. Clerici was a Newman Jets pitcher during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. ’09 Rebecca Koochel is employed by Via Christi-St. Francis Radiology as a sonographer. ’09 Trevor Murphy works in the Client Relations Department for the San Francisco Giants, and lives in Ramon, Calif. Honorary alumnus Surendra Singh, Ph.D., professor of biology, was recognized for 40 years of service to Newman University at a faculty/staff luncheon Aug. 18, 2009.
Friends of the University Baby Jets Born to Jamey and Jenny Findling, a boy, Emerson James Findling, on March 9, 2009. A brother Charley welcomes him home. Findling is associate professor of philosophy and director of the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies at Newman. Born to Christopher Fox and Sheaukang Hew, a boy, Eli Hew Fox, on July 21, 2009. Fox is associate professor of philosophy at Newman.
Obituaries Edward “Pete” Armstrong, business and community leader and friend of the university, on June 8, 2009. Bobby E. Gile, father of Rev. Joseph Gile, assistant professor of theology at Newman, on June 16, 2009. Wey Dennis Kenny, former Newman University trustee, on July 6, 2006. June Flores, mother of Shella Augspurger, on June 8, 2009. Augspurger is director of tennis at Newman.
A ’67, ’70 Colleen (Dullea) Gillen, daughter of former secretary to the president Mary Jane Dullea and sister of ’67 Karen Dullea, ’73 Anne (Dullea) Wolf and ’74 Denise (Dullea) Godinez, died April 4, 2009. Gillen was assistant director of Alumni Relations from 1991 to 1996, alumni director from 1996 to 2001 and assistant director of Admissions from 2001 to 2006. She received the St. Maria De Mattias Alumni Award in 2002 and the Cardinal Newman Medal in 2009. A victim of ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, she died peacefully in her sleep two months shy of her 61st birthday.
For more Class Notes, visit www.newmanu.edu/alumni.aspx w w w . n e w m a n u . e d u | 25
NON–PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID WICHITA KS PERMIT NO. 458
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
C ardinal ewmanWeek Join us as we celebrate
NF
Sunday, Feb. 21
7 p.m. 8 p.m.
Sunday Mass Student Social
Tuesday, Feb. 23 11 a.m. Cardinal Newman Mass Wednesday, Feb. 24 2 - 4 p.m. High Tea
ebruary 21-27, 2010 St. John’s Chapel Heritage Room, Sacred Heart Hall St. John’s Chapel Gorges Atrium
Thursday, Feb. 25 7 p.m.
Featured Speaker: Dugan-Gorges Conference Center Father Drew Morgan, Oratorian of Pittsburgh Oratory
Saturday, Feb. 27 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m.
Sunday Vigil Mass St. John’s Chapel Wine and Cheese Social Entrance to Dugan Library Cardinal Newman Banquet Dugan-Gorges Conference Center and Presentation of Awards