Northwest Missouri State University Fall Alumni Magazine

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

PATHFINDERS

Stories of diverse alumni leading in their fields Dr. Leslie Doyle ’97 | p. 8

2019 HOMECOMING

Bearcats Ever After I p. 20

ALUMNI AWARDS

7 to be honored I p. 24

SPRING SPORTS RECAP

Women’s tennis makes national tourney I p. 27

PEOPLE JUST LIKE

YOU

It’s because of the volunteer support of countless alumni and friends – spirited people like Micah Walker – that Northwest continues to thrive.

“I choose to volunteer because I believe in the statement ‘Once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.’ After moving to Arizona, I realized how much I missed being around the atmosphere campus had to offer and knew the next best thing to being at Northwest would be getting involved with the local alumni association. After searching Facebook, I realized the chapter here was dormant and decided I wanted to learn how to make it active and bring back that special feeling Northwest gives to other alumni in the area. I am looking forward to connecting with other Bearcats around me and building an alumni group that is so far west from the University.”

Micah Walker ’16, Arizona Alumni and Friends Chapter (with wife Jessica, daughter Harper and their dog, Yoda)

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at Northwest, contact the Office of University Advancement at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

NORTHWEST

ALUMNI

N O RT H W E S T M IS S O UR I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE Vol. 53 | Issue 1

Editor Mark Hornickel ’01, ’13 mhorn@nwmissouri.edu Designer Kim Ziegler ’16 kimz@nwmissouri.edu Design assistants Ashlee Mejia Hendrix ’08 Wes Rockwood ’14, ’19 Photographer Todd Weddle ’96 tweddle@nwmissouri.edu Photography assistants Brandon Bland ’15 Carly Hostetter ’19 Editorial assistants Jana White Hanson ’02 Joel Kosch Laurie Drummond Long ’92 Bob Machovsky ’15 Katie Machovsky ’16 Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09 Sam Mason ’88 Colin McDonough ’98 Grace Niemeyer Dr. Lonelle Rathje ’97 ’03 Brandon Stanley ’01 ’16 Lori McLemore Steiner ’85 Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09

8 CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE

Doyle’s connection to Kansas City, Missouri, runs deep, and her vision to help it become more inclusive drew her back to Rockhurst University last spring where she is its inaugural chief inclusion officer in a newly created Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Dr. Leslie Doyle ’97

The Northwest Alumni Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of University Marketing and Communication, the Office of University Advancement, Northwest Missouri State University and the Northwest Foundation Inc., 800 University Dr., Maryville, MO 64468-6001.

The mission of the Northwest Alumni Magazine is to foster connections between alumni, friends and Northwest Missouri State University. The University strives to inform readers of the accomplishments of Northwest’s alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students and to positively position the University in the hearts of its many constituents to increase public and private support.

contents TRADITIONS 30

ON THE

CUTTING EDGE

Joel ’91 and Tammy King ’90 Hughes operate the largest cookie cutter supplier west of the Mississippi River.

32

TAKING IT TO THE

HOUSE

Rasheedah Hasan ’15 is chief clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

4

Dear Friends

5

Northwest News

16 Alumni Connections 20 Advancing Northwest 26 Bearcat Sports 30 Class Notes 36 In Memoriam 39 Northwest Postcard

Northwest Missouri State University is an equal-opportunity, co-educational university and does not discriminate based on race, sex, disability, age, national origin or religion. Printed in the USA.

DEAR

FRIENDS Turn on the news or review any social media platform and you will spot coverage of issues impacting diversity, equity and inclusion. Demographic changes, along with the acceleration of a global society, requires all of us to have an understanding of others and cultures that differ from our own.

All benefit from a community that is rich in diversity and acceptance. Research has shown that racially diverse groups significantly outperform other groups in complex problem-solving tasks. They exchange more information, deliberate longer, ask harder questions and scrutinize information more thoroughly.

While there is still progress to be made, much has changed at Northwest as it relates to growing diversity, working toward equity and fostering an inclusive environment.

Northwest is embarking on being a gathering place for critical discussions about inclusivity. The latest discussions are focused on improving the academic performance of underrepresented students and the recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty and staff. Specifically, we are infusing the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the academic division of the University.

Northwest will continue to honor cultures and key dates through celebrations and educational experiences. In fact, Northwest will be purposeful about creating educational experiences for majority populations and conducting healing work with underrepresented populations.

Our featured alumna, Dr. Leslie Doyle ’97, has an extensive history of leading diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. During her time at Northwest, her fire for the work was sparked by her instructors and the cocurricular experiences.

Dr. Clarence Green ’94, ’10 Vice President of Culture

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NORTHWEST FOUNDATION INC. ’19–’20 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Jennifer Dawson Nicholson ’71, Kansas City, Mo. Vice President Dr. Robert Burrell ’70, Denver, Colo.

Immediate Past President Arnold Johnson ’77, Houston, Texas Board Members Robert Barmann ’84, Platte City, Mo. Leisha Beckemeyer Barry ’84, Liberty, Mo. Rex Brod ’82, Maryville John Cline ’75, Overland Park, Kan. Karen Daniel ’80, Overland Park, Kan. Ken DeBaene ’81, Long Branch, N.J. Dell Epperson ’75, Columbia, Mo. Myra Turner Evans ’77, Tarkio, Mo. Mike Faust ’74, Omaha, Neb. Kelly Ferguson ’98, Urbandale, Iowa Terry French ’75, Austin, Texas Eric Geis ’01, Prairie Village, Kan. Roger Hendren ’75, McKinney, Texas

Dr. Jacqueline Vincent Henningsen ’66, Omaha, Neb. Dr. David Holmes ’79, Prescott, Ariz.

Carl Hughes ’76, Kansas City, Mo. Gary Hultquist ’64, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Paul Jennings ’75, West Des Moines, Iowa Tondee Voortman Lutterman ’98, Kansas City, Mo. Marcus Mack ’77, Henderson, Nev. Angela Booth Moskow, Basking Ridge, N.J. William Oellermann ’72, Mansfield, Texas Seann O’Riley ’93, St. Joseph, Mo. Daniel Peterson ’88, Neola, Iowa Dr. Joyce Wake Piveral ’70, ’74, ’82, Pickering, Mo. Ted Place ’99, Kansas City, Mo. Mary Hamilton Purdy ’72, Davidsonville, Md. Thomas Sanchez ’02, Washington, D.C. Jayma Elmore Sandquist ’90, Indianola, Iowa Dennis Sapp ’68, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Ken Scribner ’87, Kansas City, Mo. Tyler Seals ’13, Omaha, Neb. Dr. Carol Blom Spradling ’88, Maryville Brad Stephens ’96, Butler, Mo. Susan Gladstone Tucker ’76, Worth, Mo. Dustin Wasson ’03, Perry, Mo. Stan Zeamer ’70, Huntingdon, Pa.

Ex-Officio Directors Dr. Dean L. Hubbard, President Emeritus, Kansas City, Mo. Dr. John Jasinski, University President Dr. B.D. Owens ’59, President Emeritus, West Des Moines, Iowa Dr. Lonelle Rathje ’97, ’03, Vice President of External Relations and Executive Director of the Northwest Foundation Inc. lonelle@nwmissouri.edu University Advancement Lori McLemore Steiner ’85, Executive Director of University Advancement and Chief Finance Officer of the Northwest Foundation Inc. steiner@nwmissouri.edu

Shelby Lavery Bottiger ’15, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Specialist shelbyl@nwmissouri.edu Brooke Weldon Bowles ’02, Accounting Clerk and Scholarship Coordinator bbowles@nwmissouri.edu Jana White Hanson ’02, Senior Major Gift Officer jhanson@nwmissouri.edu Carma Greene Kinman ’85, Constituent Relations Specialist ckinman@nwmissouri.edu Joel Kosch, Gift Officer joelk@nwmissouri.edu Laurie Drummond Long ’92, Senior Gift Planning Officer laurie@nwmissouri.edu Bob Machovsky ’15, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving rmachov@nwmissouri.edu Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, Director of Donor Engagement mitzi@nwmissouri.edu Sam Mason ’88, Development Officer smason@nwmissouri.edu Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09, Advancement Database, Research and Communications Specialist brenda@nwmissouri.edu

NORTHWEST NEWS

CEREMONY CELEBRATES REDDEN’S SERVICE, RENAMING OF POWER PLANT University, community and state leaders gathered June 11, with the family and friends of John C. Redden Jr. to reflect on his 45 years of work at Northwest and dedicate the Power Plant in his honor.

Redden, who retired from Northwest in 2014 as associate director of facilities and died last year, also spent 36 years with the Maryville Volunteer Fire Department and was a member of several community organizations.

“There are no words to convey our awe and respect for John and the footprint he

left on Northwest Missouri State University,” Stacy Lee Carrick ’88, the University’s vice president of finance, said. “His legacy lives on every day in some form or fashion across this campus.”

While Redden played an instrumental role in numerous building and renovation projects at Northwest, one of his key contributions was the planning and 1982 launch of its innovative alternative fuels program, which has saved the University nearly $16 million in energy costs. Northwest’s Power Plant has helped fuel the campus since its

The Redden family and University leaders surround Dr. Bob Bush ’57, who helped launch the University’s alternative energy program with John C. Redden Jr., as he cuts the ribbon to commemorate the renaming of the Power Plant in Redden’s honor.

1910 completion in conjunction with the Administration Building.

“John was dedicated, committed, proud of his accomplishments, focused on the end result, all while staying humble and scoffing at the praise that was shown to him,” Brad Sullivan ’98, who worked with Redden as a Maryville volunteer firefighter, said. “He was a true leader, albeit from behind the scenes, and it is only fitting to have the Power Plant – a behind-the-scenes driving force of this University – named after him to continue the legacy for decades to come.”

Northwest is Tree Campus for 6th year, grant funds aid maintenance For the sixth consecutive year, Arbor Day Foundation has named Northwest a Tree Campus USA for its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in conservation goals.

“It’s an honor to be designated a Tree Campus USA,” Pat Ward, director of the Missouri Arboretum, said. Last spring, with the assistance of a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) grant award of $23,860 from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Northwest took actions to improve the health and

sustainability of the Missouri Arboretum while improving pedestrian safety. As part of the work, arborists took steps to preserve Northwest’s 50-foot Northern Catalpa, a legacy tree on the campus, by adding limb support and lightning protection to the tree. Additionally, Northwest is enhancing the grounds near the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation with new trees, pollinator plants and prairies grasses.

“We thank the Missouri Department of Conservation and the TRIM grant for helping us remain a Tree Campus USA,” Ward said. “Without the grant to be able to take care of removing and protecting some of these trees, the survival of our heritage trees would be in question.”

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NORTHWEST NEWS

SPEAKING BEARCATS FINISH SEASON WITH NINE MORE NATIONAL TITLES

Northwest's chapter of Pi Omega Pi was named the top chapter in the nation at the National Business Education Association Convention. Left to right in the front row are Cari Cline, Melissa Potter, Allie Stanley and Dr. Nancy Zeliff. In the back row are Eddy Kraber and Trey Kothe.

BUSINESS ED HONOR SOCIETY EARNS FOURTH NATIONAL TITLE IN FIVE YEARS The Beta Chapter of Pi Omega Pi is the best in the country again, taking first place in its national competition for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in five years.

Competition results are based on chapter involvement in the national organization and local chapter activities throughout the 2018 calendar year. The Beta Chapter’s community service projects last year included school visits during which members presented computer science concepts to elementary and high school students in rural districts.

“You could just see the excitement and joy on the students’ faces,” Eddy Kraber, a senior business education major from Prole, Iowa, and Beta Chapter member, said. “When this is the case, the students are more likely to retain the information we are teaching.

Another impact it had on the students was it intrigued them.

We were successful in hooking 6

the students on computer programming. This is important because of today’s business’ desire for programming skills.”

Cari Cline ’04, ’09, ’11, and Dr. Nancy Zeliff ’81, who teach in Northwest’s School of Computer Science and Information Systems, serve as the Beta Chapter’s faculty sponsors. The organization creates a fellowship among teachers of business subjects while encouraging interest and promoting scholarship in business education.

“At a time when experienced teachers are seeking assistance in beginning computer science programs, Northwest is graduating Pi Omega Pi members who have professionbased learning experiences and are ready to hit the ground running,” Cline said.

Northwest’s Beta Chapter, now in its 95th year, is the oldest active Pi Omega Pi chapter in the nation.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

The Northwest forensics team, known as the Speaking Bearcats, completed its season by claiming nine national championship titles, including two team awards, in April during the Public Communication Speech and Debate League (PCSDL) National Tournament at Butler University in Indianapolis.

The Speaking The Speaking Bearcats earned 21 awards, including nine Bearcats brought national titles, at the Public Communication Speech and Debate League National Tournament. Left to right in home team the first row are Gillian Stanley, Hailey Vernon, Baylynd championships Porter and Rhiannon Hopkins. Pictured in back are Jesse in Debate Reed, Dylan Fuchs, Joshua Williams and Gavin Hopkins.

Sweepstakes and Combined Sweepstakes for all speech and debate events as well as a second place award in Speech Division I Sweepstakes.

Of the Speaking Bearcat’s seven individual national titles, Jesse Reed, a freshman cybersecurity major from Topeka, Kansas, accounted for three, winning the contests in Humorous Political Commentary and Pecha Kucha, a speaking event involving 20 PowerPoint slides that change every 20 seconds. Reed also earned the top prize in College Public Forum Debate with his partner Baylynd Porter, a junior communication major from Nixa, Missouri; they tied for the title with teammates Gavin Hopkins, a senior speech and theatre education major from Jamesport, Missouri, and Rhiannon Hopkins, a sophomore speech and theatre education major from St. Joseph, Missouri.

In addition to her co-national title in College Public Forum Debate, Rhiannon Hopkins was the top finisher in the College Public Forum Speaker Awards, a contest that had Porter placing second and Reed placing third.

With Kevin Nguyen’s Top Superior award at the Pi Kappa Delta Biennial in March, the Speaking Bearcats earned 10 national titles during their 2018-19 season. The Speaking Bearcats are winners of 39 team and individual national titles since 2011.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the Speaking Bearcats,” Northwest Director of Forensics Brian Swafford said. “This team has demonstrated that they can excel in all kinds of speaking events.

These national awards speak to their hard work over the course of the season. Since most of the team is first and second-year competitors, the future looks especially bright.”

NORTHWEST NEWS

GRADUATES CELEBRATE CONNECTIONS WITH RECORD-BREAKING CLASS Northwest awarded a record number of degrees last spring, crossing the 1,000 mark for the first time in the institution’s history.

Dr. Michael Rogers, an associate professor of computer science and information system, offered words of wisdom to graduates of the School of Education and the Graduate School to begin Northwest’s

Shane Miller proposed to his girlfriend, Sierra Horan, during Northwest’s spring commencement ceremonies in May.

spring commencement weekend on Friday evening. Brian Weaver ’95, the chief executive officer of Torch.AI in Leawood, Kansas, addressed bachelor’s degree candidates during two ceremonies Saturday, challenging graduates to enjoy the journey, embrace process over outcome and have no fear.

But it was Shane Miller, of Omaha, Nebraska, who stole the hearts of Friday night’s crowd. After walking the commencement stage to receive his bachelor’s degree in criminology with an adult system emphasis, he turned to meet Sierra Horan, his girlfriend of eight years, crossing the stage behind him as she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

Northwest President Dr. Jasinski shook their hands and posed for photos with them – as he does with all of the graduates – and then handed a microphone to Miller. He took a knee on the stage and proposed to Horan.

Selena Owens Foreman ’11, an office manager in Northwest’s Auxiliary Services area, in May was named the Student Employment Supervisor of the Year for the state of Missouri as well as the Midwest region.

The state award is sponsored by the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA) and annually recognizes a faculty or staff student employment supervisor for their achievements in mentoring, professionalism and leadership. MASEA began recognizing student employment supervisors in 2015, and a Northwest staff member has won the Missouri award in each of the first five years.

Foreman, however, is the first student employment supervisor from Northwest to receive MASEA’s regional award, which is presented to one supervisor in a 14-state region.

Brian Weaver (above) addressed graduates and their families during two of Northwest’s spring commencement ceremonies. Dr. Michael Rogers, a faculty member in Northwest’s School of Computer Science, was the feature speaker in a third ceremony.

She said yes and Miller showed a thumbs-up to the Bearcat Arena crowd as the newly engaged couple embraced.

In all, the University recognized 1,062 students who completed degrees during the spring and summer terms. The total included 749 bachelor’s degree recipients, with business management being the most common major among those students.

Another 313 received master’s and educational specialist degrees, with education leadership in K-12 being the most common graduate degree. The graduates ranged in age from 20 years old to 58 and represented 36 different states and 10 countries.

Northwest student Debrielle Patee-Merrill was first runnerup and earned a $6,000 scholarship in June at the Miss Missouri Scholarship Pageant.

Patee-Merrill, a senior geography major from Maryville, will serve as executive treasurer with Northwest’s 2019-20 Student Senate. She also is a member of the Debrielle Patee-Merrill Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and the Bearcat Steppers. Her Miss Missouri platform, “It Can Wait,” focused on the dangers of texting while driving.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

7

CHANGING THE

LANDSCAPE

Leslie Doyle has returned home to guide changes in diversity, equity and inclusion

By Mark Hornickel Design by Kim Ziegler Photography by Todd Weddle

8

As a child, Dr. Leslie Doyle ’97 saw opportunity

campus’ footprint is bigger with newer facilities,

as she ran and played with her brother on the

and buildings that stood during her childhood

lush lawns of the Rockhurst University campus

look much different inside. The structure that

across the street from her home at 5340 Troost

houses Rockhurst’s public safety department

Ave. in Kansas City, Missouri.

today used to be the neighborhood grocery

“It was safe,” Doyle said. “To be a kid growing

store.

up on Troost, you wanted a place that felt like

Doyle’s connection to the community and a

a park. It was green and there were wide open

vision to help it become more inclusive drew her

spaces. You didn’t have to worry about cars, and

back to Rockhurst last spring when the university

you could ride your bike and have a good time

named her its inaugural chief inclusion officer in

without any trouble.”

its newly created Office of Diversity, Equity and

A lot has changed in the neighborhood, and

Inclusion (DEI). Doyle transitioned to Rockhurst

socially, since Doyle’s family moved from the

in April from Fontbonne University in St. Louis,

neighborhood 34 years ago. The Troost Avenue

where she had worked since 2005 and became

property where she lived her elementary school

its director of service, diversity and social

years is a grassy field now. The Rockhurst

justice in 2008.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

“Diversity, equity and inclusion is an important business strategy, a moral imperative, and it’s our humanity. We are inexplicably connected to one another, so what happens to one of us, happens to all of us, and higher education is responsible for training leaders. We must prepare them to be citizens in a global economy.”

Leslie Doyle

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

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Leslie Doyle meets with Kirk Skoglund ’12, the director of the Learning Center at Rockhurst University, to discuss initiatives for the upcoming academic year. As she settles into her new role at Rockhurst, Doyle has been eager to learn and listen to others’ perspectives while seeking ways to connect with the community.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion matters as our world becomes more diverse, and it is imperative for us to harness the power of diversity to reach our highest potential,” Doyle said. “Diversity, equity and inclusion is an important business strategy, a moral imperative, and it’s our humanity. We are inexplicably connected to one another, so what happens to one of us, happens to all of us, and higher education is responsible for training leaders. We must prepare them to be citizens in a global economy.”

The daughter of postal workers, a product of the Kansas City public school system and a devout Christian, Doyle’s range of experiences inform her perception of diversity and inclusion. Although her connection to Rockhurst is rooted in her childhood memories, Northwest is where she began to realize the ways she could be a guiding presence to others like her.

“Hindsight being what it is, now I understand God intended me to be there all along,” she said. “I found a home in mass communication, but I really found my passion for working with students at Northwest.”

Doyle admired the African American broadcasters appearing on Kansas City news stations at that time and wanted to study broadcasting at a St. Louis university. With 10

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Leslie Doyle speaks to a group of high school counselors about diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Rockhurst University. “Institutions have a responsibility to be responsive to students and to support students’ learning, growth and development, and diversity is an important part of that,” Doyle said.

a nudge from her aunt, Karen Daniel ’80, and cousin, Angela Guess Hammons ’85, she enrolled at Northwest and completed a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and broadcast journalism.

“I aspired to be Oprah, and I laugh at that now,” Doyle said. “I think there was a class near my senior year where I had that crisis that students have. I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if this is for me.’ But at the time it seemed like a beautiful aspiration.”

At Northwest, Doyle had worked as a resident assistant for two years in Hudson, Perrin and Roberta halls and then as a desk assistant in Hudson Hall during her senior year. That work kindled her interest in higher education and student services.

“She was a fierce advocate from day one,” Wendy Steinberg, who supervised Doyle as the Hudson hall director and now works as an academic advisor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, said. “We were a staff of 12 women, and sometimes we were not as inclusive or appropriate as a staff as you would hope.

Leslie, in her kind and generous manner, would bring a teachable moment to our staff meetings, and we only walked away stronger as a team and more educated individually.”

With encouragement from Steinberg and

Pat Foster, who was then the director of multicultural affairs at Northwest, Doyle educated herself about careers in higher ed and began to view university employees with fresh eyes.

“It really opened some paths for me that I hadn’t considered, but I’m so happy that it did,” Doyle said. “I have been studying higher education for the last 22 years. It caused me to think about the impact that I could have in higher education for people who look like me and also how I could have an influence on systems and structures to make higher education more equitable.”

She landed a job as a hall director at the University of Kansas after graduating from Northwest. As she earned a master’s degree in higher education at KU, her experiences inside a highly diverse residence hall where she still felt marginalized further instilled her interest in diversity and inclusion work.

She embraced a challenge to be a change agent and solidified her path.

“It was amazing to know that you could build relationships with students and get to know them and be of assistance along their path,” she said. “It was something that really helped me crystalize that idea that I could work in higher education.”

After a stint at University of Missouri-

“Inevitably, we will become more diverse.

That’s just the way it is, and we can choose to embrace that or we can choose to fight against it. My ideas are to embrace it and harness the power of diversity to make us better.”

Leslie Doyle

Kansas City, Doyle spent six years at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska, where her role focused on the student experience. At Fontbonne, she took on more responsibilities and developed as a leader in thinking not just about student services but faculty and staff, too, and educating them about diversity and inclusion issues. She earned a second master’s degree in business and leadership at Fontbonne and completed her Doctor of Education in higher education leadership at Maryville University in St. Louis.

But it was the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager,

by a white Ferguson, Missouri, police officer that may have had the biggest impact on Doyle and her work as a higher education leader. Doyle saw firsthand the protests that engulfed the St. Louis suburb after the incident and how its effects rippled across the higher education sector and the country.

Doyle’s personal vision of diversity, equity and inclusion evolved from focusing on the student experience to focusing on systems and structures that limit inclusion and guiding university communities to act as conduits for change in the larger communities they support. She believes education is a critical pathway to helping

people of all identities reach their full potential.

“I think students are calling for more accountability on the part of higher education institutions to meet their needs,” Doyle said. “Institutions have a responsibility to be responsive to students and to support students’ learning, growth and development, and diversity is an important part of that. Creating inclusive communities helps us to create a better learning environment for students, and that’s what we’re hoping to do.”

Like Doyle, colleges and universities throughout the country are altering the NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

11

“We want to celebrate diversity, we not only invite you to the party, we not only ask you to dance, but we play your favorite songs to pump you up. That’s how life should be."

Leslie Doyle ways they approach diversity, equity and inclusion amid shifting demographics and continued calls for change. According to the Pew Research Center, America is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever, and no single race or ethnicity will have a majority in the U.S. by 2055. Rockhurst, with an enrollment of about 3,000 students, hired Doyle after a campus climate survey and evaluation process with faculty, staff and students that lasted for more than a year.

“Inevitably, we will become more diverse,” Doyle said. “That’s just the way it is, and we can choose to embrace that or we can choose to fight against it. My ideas are to embrace it and harness the power of diversity to make us better.”

Doyle’s charge at Rockhurst is to work collaboratively with students, faculty and staff to develop offerings for the campus community that facilitate growth in self-awareness and the understanding of others.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

With the university uniquely positioned on the so-called Troost divide – a perceived boundary separating poor and black families from those who are wealthy and white – Doyle hopes to establish the institution as a regional leader in diversity, equity and inclusion but knows it will take the entire Rockhurst community for that to become a reality. She explains her excitement about the possibilities by taking the words of diversity advocate Verna Myers – “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” – a step further.

“We want to celebrate diversity,” Doyle said. “We not only invite you to the party, we not only ask you to dance, but we play your favorite songs to pump you up. That’s how life should be. That’s how diversity should be, where people can be themselves, be celebrated and reach their full potential. Unfortunately, this is the work of a lifetime and I’m going to try my best to engage in that work, to deputize people to join me and work alongside others.”

NORTHWEST ALIGNS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION WORK WITH PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS Since founding its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in 2016, Northwest is actively working to create a more inclusive environment that supports students and employees of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities.

It takes a collaborative effort, and Northwest has advanced its efforts to a level of focusing on “inclusive excellence,” Dr. Justin Mallett, Northwest’s director of diversity and inclusion, says.

“We want all of our students to leave Northwest with a foundational understanding of what it’s like to live and interact in an inclusive environment,” Mallett said. “It’s very critical at Northwest to provide those educational opportunities for our students, so they can learn to interact in the everchanging world.”

Northwest believes a supportive, inclusive environment is critical to its long-term viability and students’ ability to be careerready in an increasingly global society.

Diversity, equity and inclusion is woven into

all of Northwest’s strategic objectives, and the University is expanding its emphasis on those themes in the Maryville community through workshops with school districts and local businesses.

“It’s imperative that we help students understand who they are,” Adam Gonzales, Northwest’s coordinator of diversity and inclusion, said. “We want to give them learning opportunities to really understand who they are, what they bring to the table, how their personal lived experiences enrich our community and will enrich wherever they land.”

Northwest launched its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the unanimous approval of its Board of Regents. The move was an outcome of research, analyzing data and conversations with students, faculty, staff and community members. Northwest had provided diversity-focused programming for years, but diversity, equity and inclusion was not embedded in the University’s structure.

Dr. Juanita Simmons served as Northwest’s

first vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion and helped broaden those efforts across the campus before departing the University in February. Now the University is poised to strengthen and align DEI initiatives with academic programs, allowing for enhancements to curriculum, policies and processes that impact underrepresented or marginalized students, faculty and staff.

In place of the role Simmons held, Northwest is seeking an associate provost of diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Clarence Green ’94, ’10 is serving as interim director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We know diversity, equity and inclusion is changing across the education sector,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said.

“Institutions are under increased scrutiny for having a lack of clear metrics and academic accountability for actions. We also know Northwest’s retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students are significantly less than majority students. Our new alignment and reallocation for an associate provost of DEI will focus on academic support for underrepresented students with metrics for the unit centered on retention and graduation.”

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

RETHINKING LEADERSHIP HUGHES LENDING EXPERIENCES, SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Chris Hughes ’83 likes to say that growing up in Red Oak, Iowa, enabled him to pursue his dream of attending college.

Northwest allowed him to realize that dream, and the U.S. Army helped him attain his dream of becoming a college graduate. The Army also gave him a career that culminated with him retiring in 2018 as a major general after 35 years of military service.

Last year, Hughes, a recognized thought leader on organizational effectiveness and leadership, began lending his expertise to Northwest.

“I’ve always felt it was important to come back in multiple capacities and tell our current students, ‘You are competitive in the big world. Pursue your dream and don’t be intimidated by the negative expectations of others,’” Hughes said. “‘You can take your Northwest education and do anything with it. This educational opportunity is being presented to you, hold yourself accountable and use it.’ I know firsthand that you can get a good start and push that opportunity to its extreme.”

As an executive in residence at Northwest, Hughes collaborates closely with the University’s Office of Student Affairs to provide leadership-infused programming and help prepare Northwest’s career-ready graduates. He works closely with Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski, the Northwest Leadership Team and other University offices to assist with leadership development and organizational design. He also supports University groups to help them better understand the emotional intelligence and leadership potential of their teams.

Hughes is using his insight and national connections to help Northwest establish partnerships, and strengthen its existing ones, to create more avenues for students to secure internships and practicum 14

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

experiences that lead to full-time work.

Recognizing the resource-constrained environment of higher education – where people, funding and time are limited – Hughes is helping Northwest teams find time by assisting with systems and process refinement. By doing so, the Northwest Leadership Team can reallocate new time to priorities impacting strategic objectives.

“Everything you do must have multiplicity of effect,” Hughes said. “When you commit limited resources to a project or solution, you must consider the multiple effects it can have. Does it solve more than just one problem? When organizations hold themselves to this kind of mindset, it’s surprising how much can get done and the positive impact it has on the workforce.”

Having spent time with Hughes in recent years and shared discussions with him about leadership strategies, Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Matt Baker said Hughes provides valuable insight to University students and staff.

“President Jasinski has challenged us to disrupt from a position of strength, and I think that is the right mindset,” Baker said.

“When I think of the reality that higher education is rapidly shifting, Northwest has to continue to develop and explore new models for providing leadership experiences, supporting organizational development and moving the institution soundly through the change maze.”

After graduating from Northwest with his bachelor’s degree in political science, Hughes was commissioned to the Army through Northwest’s ROTC program.

He also has a master’s degree in business management from Webster University, and he is a distinguished graduate of the National War College in Washington, D.C., where he earned a master’s in national strategic studies.

Hughes retired as commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he governed the development and education of more than 32,000 college students across more than 1,000 colleges and universities. He founded the Army University in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and served as its first provost from 2013 to 2015.

Hughes’ numerous military assignments included service as a war planner for the U.S. Army Pacific Command, as the executive officer to the secretary of the Army and as the Army's chief liaison

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

“My loyalty to Northwest is probably my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. It’s burned into my soul. What I learned, the opportunities I was given, the way I was treated here, set me on a very successful path. So in a world of everybody telling you what you can’t do, Northwest was a place telling me, ‘you can.’”

Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes, who retired last year as a major general in the U.S. Army, delivered Northwest’s spring commencement address in 2011.

He received the Northwest Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014.

to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. He participated in military operations in Haiti, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; counter drug operations in Central America and Columbia; and humanitarian assistance operations in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Honduras. Hughes also served as the lead terrorism investigator on the USS Cole Commission after the 2000 bombing of the ship in Yemen.

Hughes is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for his Army service, including two Distinguished Service

Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legions of Merit and two Bronze Star Medals, among others.

As an undergraduate student at Northwest, he participated in, theatre and the Bearcat Marching Band, and he was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He met his wife, Marguerite, at Northwest; their oldest son, Capt. Jonathan Hughes ’11, and his wife, Diana Guerrero Hughes ’10, are Northwest alumni.

As a Northwest alumnus, Hughes had been a frequent visitor to Maryville prior to his current assignment with the University.

In 2014, he received the Northwest Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

He also delivered the commencement address at the University’s spring 2011 ceremonies, where Northwest awarded him with an honorary doctor of laws degree.

“My loyalty to Northwest is probably my greatest strength and my greatest weakness,” Hughes said. “It’s burned into my soul. What I learned, the opportunities I was given, the way I was treated here, set me on a very successful path. So in a world of everybody telling you what you can’t do, Northwest was a place telling me, ‘you can.’”

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

ALUMNI CHAPTER

NEWS

Get involved today! For more information about getting involved in a Northwest Alumni Association chapter, call 660.562.1248 or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu. Twenty-two alumni chapters comprise the Alumni Association, and more are being formed.

ST. LOUIS ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

The St. Louis Alumni chapter hosted watch par ties in March to see the Bearcat men’s basketball team complete their perfect season. The chapter also hosted its annual anniversary party May 23 at Chili’s in Chesterfield. During the event, alumni and friends enjoyed writing postcards to incoming Northwest freshmen from the St. Louis area. They also enjoyed watching a Northwest video and receiving door prizes. Details for the chapter’s fall events are being finalized.

Alumni and friends of Northwest’s theatre program gathered July 13 to celebrate the founding of the Northwest Alumni Association’s Theatre Alumni and Friends Chapter. Pictured left to right are Professor of Theatre Dr. Joe Kreizinger, retired faculty member Dr. David Oehler, Jenny Kenyon Baker ’00, Tina Campbell ’93, Jerry Nevins ’99, Anne Einig ’95, Allison Hanks Mizerski ’98, Kate Jorgensen McLellan ’05, Elizabeth Bettendorf Bowman ’12 and Shawn Murphy ’18.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES ADDITION OF THEATRE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER The Northwest Alumni Association on July 13 commemorated the addition of its 22nd chapter, the Theatre Alumni and Friends Chapter, with a social gathering at Northwest– Kansas City in Gladstone, Missouri.

Ten Northwest alumni and friends attended the event where Bob Machovsky ’15, Northwest’s director of alumni relations and annual giving, presented the group with a chapter banner. Dr. Joe Kreizinger, a professor of theatre at Northwest, and Dr. David Oehler, a retired theatre faculty member, also joined the gathering.

Jerry Nevins ’99 serves as the chapter’s president, and Alison Hanks Mizerski ’98 serves as vice president.

Nevin’s and Mizerski’s goal is to engage with more Northwest alumni who were involved in the theatre program at Northwest. The group’s initial goals include finding ways to mentor current Northwest theatre students and begin fundraising for a chapter theatre scholarship. The group also is organizing a social this fall.

Machovsky praised the new chapter’s members for their commitment to Northwest.

“This group of alumni will make a great addition to the Alumni Association’s engagement efforts, and we look forward to seeing how they will carry on our mission of connecting, mentoring and promoting all things Northwest into the future,” he said.

For more information about getting involved with the Theatre Alumni and Friends Chapter, contact the Northwest Alumni Association at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

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Members of the St. Louis chapter gathered for a watch party to cheer the Bearcat men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II National Championship. Pictured left to right are Ada Pelham holding Kavev and Jovan, Chris Pelham ’06, Myron Pelham, Abdul Kaba Abdulah ’02, Andy Luckner, Heather Herweck Luckner ’97 with Christopher; Mark Cromley ’94, Meena Ewing Correll ’00 with daughter Ainsley, Ann Summa and Brad Summa ’91.

Aaron Bunch ’04, Dana Hockensmith, Sue Johnson Hockensmith ’72 and Mark Cromley ’94 attended the St. Louis chapter’s anniversary party.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

The Central Iowa chapter watched the Bearcat men’s basketball team win its national semifinal game.

BAND ALUMNI, FRIENDS ENJOY REGULAR REUNION

CENTRAL IOWA ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

The Central Iowa chapter meets the first Thursday of every month at Rookies Spor ts Bar and Grill in Clive. The group hosted watch par ties for both football and basketball games last season, including the national championship game in March. They also hosted a volunteer event for Meals from the Hear tland in May and attended an Iowa Barnstormers football game in June. The group’s raffle events raise money for the Central Iowa Alumni and Friends Scholarship that will be awarded for the first time for the 2019-2020 academic year.

For more information, contact iowabearcats@gmail.com and follow the chapter on Facebook at Northwest Missouri State University Central Iowa Alumni and Friends Chapter.

Central Iowa Bearcats attended a winning Barnstormers football game in June.

A group of Bearcat Marching Band alumni gathered this summer for their biennial celebration and reminiscing. Pictured from the bottom of the staircase, left to right, are Elaine Hamilton ‘78, JoEllyn Juel ’78 and Gene Anderson ’77, Kathy and Eldon Cross ’79, Lynda Helms ’79 and Dale Stewart ’77, Jane Mellon ’79 and Tim Mings ’79, Cheryl Ayers ’78 and Steve Gross, Candy Clark ’79 and Clark Montgomery ’79, and Rhonda Prewitt ’79 and Mike Rosenthal ’78. The Rosenthal and Anderson families hosted the gathering in Omaha, Nebraska.

Central Iowa Bearcats packaged meals at Meals from the Heartland in March. Left to right are Debbie Dawson Herring ’78, Faith Spark, Mike Herring, Dennis Bunch ’69, Dennis Spark ’73, Melissa Moody Mincy '03, Betty Meyn ’71 and Judy Bunch.

ST. JOSEPH ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

The St. Joseph chapter hosted a watch party in March to cheer for the Bearcat men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II National Championship. The chapter hosts its annual barn party Friday, Sept. 13.

Follow the chapter on Facebook at Northwest Alumni Association - St. Joseph Alumni & Friends Chapter.

KANSAS CITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

The Kansas City chapter hosted its annual Bearcat Day at the Kansas City Zoo June 1. Alumni and friends received discounted admission by wearing Bearcat apparel, and more than 300 alumni and friends of all ages attended the event. The Northwest Alumni Association handed out Bearcat water bottles and tattoos.

NORTHWEST

M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

ALUMNI A S S O C I A T I O N

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

WASHINGTON, D.C., ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

The D.C. chapter hosted a watch par ty and enthusiastically cheered on the Bearcat men’s basketball team to the NCAA Division II National Championship in March. In April, the chapter had another opportunity to suppor t a service project by preparing food for Washington, D.C., homeless and partnering with the Salvation Army’s Grate Patrol.

D.C. Bearcats spent an early May day in Annapolis. A tour of the United States Naval Academy grounds was arranged and led by Mary Purdy ’72 and her husband, Jim, who had been stationed at the Academy. Attendees were enlightened by stories of Academy life while visiting the football stadium, chapel, the Crypt of John Paul Jones and a room in the barracks. The day also included a walking tour of the historic downtown Annapolis and a picnic at the Purdy home with a silent auction to contribute to the Adopt-aBearcat Scholarship Program.

(Photo courtesy of Nick Ingram/Peterson Lake Designs)

NORTHWEST NIGHT AT THE ST. JOSEPH MUSTANGS

D.C. chapter members and their families joined Midshipman Connor Schellenbach in front of Bancroft Hall, the largest set of dormitories in the U.S., at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The D.C. chapter hosted a watch party to support the Bearcat men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II National Championship. Pictured left to right in front (holding banner) are Mariah Jones ’18 and Jim Purdy. Behind them are Matt McCune ’10, Mark Johnston, Scott Meier ’84, Cretia Rowlette Meier ’84, George Stoll, Mary B. King Stoll ’77, Doug Winters ’87, Monica Generous and Kayt Wahlert ’02.

More than 250 Bearcats gathered June 8 at Phil Welch Stadium for the ninth annual Northwest Night at the St. Joseph Mustangs. In addition to giveaways at the Northwest Alumni Association tent outside the gate, the night included a performance by the Bearcat Steppers and a ceremonial first pitch by St. Joseph Alumni and Friends Chapter co-presidents Martin and Gretchen Curley. Mustangs players wore special Northwest jerseys and a spectacular fireworks show capped the Mustangs’ 3-2 win against the Nevada Griffons.

COLORADO ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

MID-MISSOURI ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER

Members of the Mid-Missouri chapter hosted a pregame luncheon prior to the Bearcat basketball games at Lincoln University last winter. In August, the chapter hosted a new student send-off in Macon. The alumni chapter continues to host socials at Mid-Missouri restaurants throughout the year and encourages alumni and friends to come and meet fellow Bearcats.

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The Colorado chapter gathered June 25 for food and drinks at School House Kitchen and Libations in Arvada, Colorado. Pictured in the front row, left to right, are Suzie Schuckman ’06, Dee Polsley Warnecke ’61, Barbara Fox Hannon ’55, Jean Stuck ’57 and Liz Pfost ’12. Pictured in back are Keith Adams ’52, Rex Stuck ’59, Pat Boydston Richardson ’58 and Frank Padilla ’75.

Get involved with the Colorado Alumni and Friends Chapter by contacting Chapter President Suzie Schuman at suzie.schuckman@gmail.com.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

HOW TO STAY INVOLVED WITH

YOUR NORTHWEST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CONNECT

MENTOR

PROMOTE

• Read the Northwest Alumni Magazine and join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups

• Hire or provide internships for recent graduates and current students

• Nominate a Bearcat for one of our seven Alumni Awards

• Visit campus and interact with students who are interested in a similar career path

• Help recruit future Northwest students by telling your Northwest story

• Attend of one our 22 Alumni and Friends Chapters

• Attend one of our many scheduled events like Homecoming or the Alumni Awards banquet

• Serve on one of our many University academic advisory boards

• Show your spirit by wearing Northwest gear everywhere you go

“The Northwest Alumni Association is Bearcats’ direct link to staying involved and informed with all things Northwest. Our Alumni Association has endless opportunities for those interested in staying connected with friends, engaging with current students and recent graduates and promoting a special place we call Northwest.”

BOB MACHOVSKY ’15 Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

Interested in getting involved with the Northwest Alumni Association, contact us at 660.562.1248 or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu for more information.

NORTHWEST

ALUMNI

NO RT H WE S T MI S S O U R I S TAT E UN IVERSITY

MISSION: The Northwest Alumni Association fosters lifelong relationships through initiatives and opportunities that advance the University and its alumni, future alumni and friends.

2019-2020 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Dustin Wasson ’03, Perry, Mo.

The Northwest Alumni Association, in partnership with its regional alumni chapters and volunteers, hosted eight “New Student Send-Off” events throughout the region this summer in Albany, Missouri; Chillicothe, Missouri (pictured); Kansas City, Missouri; Des Moines, Iowa; Macon, Missouri; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Joseph, Missouri; and St. Louis. The send-offs provided an opportunity for the Bearcat family to welcome Northwest’s newest students and for alumni, students and parents to connect with others in their communities.

Northwest alumni and friends interested in hosting a send-off event during the summer of 2020 should contact the Alumni Office at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

VICE PRESIDENT Allison Kahre Kreifels ’06, ’11, St. Joseph, Mo. PAST PRESIDENT Paula Rector Davis ’91, Lee’s Summit, Mo. MEMBERS Damian Valline Bridges ’84, Kansas City, Mo. Randy Cody ’99, Carson, Iowa Janice Erickson Corley ’70, Maryville Martin Curley ’09, St. Joseph, Mo. Michelle Mattson Drake ’98, Maryville Abby Stephens Elliott ’06, ’08, Mount Ayr, Iowa Matt Gaarder ’97, Maryville Zerryn Gines, Kansas City, Mo. Sean Gundersen ’10, ’13, Glenwood, Iowa Sue Johnson Hockensmith ’72, Manchester, Mo.

Marsha Alsbury Leopard ’71, ’76, Chillicothe, Mo. Terrance Logan ’07, ’10, Blue Springs, Mo. Melissa Moody Mincy ’06, West Des Moines, Iowa Curtis Seabolt ’10, ’14, Mason City, Iowa Bob Stalder ’88, Kansas City, Mo. Dave Teeter ’86, Montgomery City, Mo. EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Lonelle Rathje ’97, ’03, Vice President of External Relations Carma Greene Kinman ’85, Constituent Relations Specialist Jennifer Dawson Nicholson ’71, President, Northwest Foundation, Kansas City Lori McLemore Steiner ’85, Executive Director of University Advancement and Chief Finance Officer of the Northwest Foundation, Inc. Bob Machovsky ’15, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Shelby Lavery Bottiger ’15, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Specialist

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

HOMECOMING OCTOBER 21-26

3:30 p.m. with remarks at 4 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 24 Memorial Bell Tower

2019 | BEARCATS EV ER AFTER

VARIETY SHOW • Thursday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

• Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts • Tickets are $5, call 660.562.1212 to reserve a ticket or purchase the night of the performance as seats are available

HOMECOMING PARADE • Saturday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m.

• The parade begins at the corner of Ray and College Avenue. It will proceed east to Northwest’s main entrance at Fourth Street and conclude at Fourth and Main streets.

FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m.

• Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza

BEARCAT ZONE PREGAME FESTIVITIES • Saturday, Oct. 26, at the conclusion of the parade • Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion • COST: Admission is free. A tailgate meal is $12 for adults or $5 for kids 7 and under; menu includes a main entree with two sides, a dessert and nonalcoholic beverage. Indoor seating with TVs and full bar available inside Pavilion.

M-CLUB HALL OF FAME BANQUET AND INDUCTION CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m.

• J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom • COST: $25, tickets may be purchased by calling 660.562.1977 HOMECOMING WELCOME • Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 a.m.

• Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends • Free refreshments • Homecoming buttons and reunion ribbons will be available to graduates from 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

GOLDEN YEARS

SOCIETY REUNION

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Celebrate the kickoff of the Forever Green Campaign for Northwest

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

“BEARCATS EVER AFTER” or in person at the cashiering office in the Administration Building.

PLACES TO STAY MARYVILLE America’s Best Value Inn 660.562.3111 Coubblestone Inn & Suites 660.224.2222 Country Hearth Inn 660.582.8088 Holiday Inn Express 660.562.9949 Red Roof Inn 660.562.2002 ST. JOSEPH America’s Best Value Inn 816.279.1671 Drury Inn & Suites 816.364.4700 Hampton Inn 816.390.9300 Holiday Inn Express & Suites 816.232.2500 Stoney Creek Inn 816.901.9600

FOOTBALL VS. LINCOLN • Saturday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m.

• Bearcat Stadium • COST: $25 reserved, $14 adult general admission (standing room only), $10 K-12 standing room only or visiting students; Homecoming football tickets are available to the general public beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1, and can be purchased online via bearcatsports.com, by calling 660.562.1212

CLARINDA, IOWA Cobblestone Inn & Suites 712.850.1471 Super 8 712.542.6333

Events are subject to change/cancellation

The Golden Years Society Reunion welcomes all classmates from 1969 and before to attend homecoming. Mark your calendars for Oct. 25-26 and make plans to return to campus. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 660.562.1248 or at alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

FRIDAY, OCT. 25 9 a.m.

Welcome Reception, Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends 10 a.m. Campus bus tour 11 a.m. Reunion photo 11:30 a.m. Luncheon, J.W. Jones Student Union 2 p.m.

Flag-raising ceremony, Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza 5 p.m.

Golden Years Social, Faust Center for Alumni and Friends 6:30 p.m. M-Club Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Student Union Ballroom*

SATURDAY, OCT. 26 8 a.m.

Homecoming welcome, Faust Center for Alumni and Friends 9 a.m.

Parade with VIP Seating 11:30 a.m. Bearcat Zone pre-game tailgate, College Park* 2 p.m.

Bearcat football vs. Lincoln University, Bearcat Stadium*

COST: $50 PER PERSON *Optional activity, additional cost Schedule is subject to change

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

LASTING LE GACI ES

Don ’78 and Dr. Joyce Wake ’70, ’74, 82, Piveral recently pledged a gift to the Northwest Foundation, totaling at least $33,000 to establish the Piveral Wake Mitchell Scholarship, which represents the legacy and impact Northwest has had on their family. It pays tribute to both sides of the family, including Joyce’s mother Hazel Eileen Mitchell Wake.

The family’s legacy at Northwest began with Joyce’s grandmother, Verta Ball Mitchell, who attended what was then known as the Fifth District Normal School in 1910 to become a teacher.

Don and Joyce reconnected after Don returned to Northwest from the Vietnam War and finished his teaching degree. Today, Don has a farming operation outside of Pickering, Missouri.

Joyce retired from Northwest in 2016 as dean of the College of Education and Human Services and previously served as director of teacher education at the University. Additionally, she was a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and assistant director of teacher education. Through her leadership, Northwest was one of two universities across the nation in 2006 to receive the Christa McAuliffe Award and be recognized as an outstanding teacher preparation institution.

She served as a teacher and administrator for more than 10 years for the Fillmore C-I School District and was an administrator at Central High School in the St. Joseph School District for 20 years.

“Seeing my students receive their diploma always felt like a success for me, too,” she said. “The students were always inspirational and uplifting, even when challenges were ahead.”

“I’ve always focused on teacher development and how we can make sure students are getting a good education, because I do feel that’s the way out of the situation some students are in. Using their talents, we need to give them that good basis to use their talents and education to benefit all of us.”

Dr. Joyce Wake Piveral

Making a gift through an IRA rollover can provide significant and immediate tax advantages.

CONSIDER THE VARIETY OF WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LEGACY OR HONOR A LOVED ONE THROUGH AN IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER. n

Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to our organization. n Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year. n Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions.

n

Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts. n It provides for a cause you deem worthy at Northwest. n It leaves a lasting legacy at Northwest.

Contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or advance@nwmissouri.edu to learn about the many advantages of IRA charitable rollover gifts and other ways to give.

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ADVANCING NORTHWEST

ALUMNI GIFT ENDOWS SCHOLARSHIP FOR FUTURE ACCOUNTING MAJORS Beginning with the 2020-21 academic year, one Northwest accounting major will receive an annual scholarship acknowledging a couple’s loyalty to the University and an alumnus’ long accounting career.

Ken ’69 and Marilyn Hollensbe ’68 Griggs recently established the KPMG/Kenneth D. Griggs Scholarship with a required minimum distribution from Ken’s individual retirement account and a matching gift program offered to retired partners of KPMG, an international accounting firm that employed Ken for 33 years. The endowed funds donated by the couple and matched by KPMG are expected to generate about $1,500 annually to assist Northwest accounting majors.

The Griggs, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year, say they have spent more time reflecting on their past and reshaping their future in recent years as Ken deals with the effects of Alzheimer’s. Their thoughts often take them back to their time at Northwest, and Ken asked Marilyn to establish a tribute to assist high-achieving students who need economic assistance to attend Northwest.

“As we reminisced, we recalled what a significant role Northwest played in shaping our lives,” Marilyn said. “We were blessed

to have received such a solid, affordable education. With the rising cost of tuition and student debt, we wanted to help others have a similar opportunity.”

Both of their mothers were raised in Maryville, while their dads came from the small northwest Missouri farming towns of Pickering and Guilford. They were well aware of Northwest, and its affordable tuition made the college a logical place for them to further their education.

Ken launched his career at the accounting firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co., which eventually became KPMG. He worked nine years in its Kansas City office, before transferring to its Wichita, Kansas, office, where he was admitted to the partnership.

Ken retired from KPMG in 2002 as partner in charge of audit in the Wichita office.

Marilyn spent four years teaching business education in high schools in Fillmore and Kansas City, Missouri, before taking advantage of an opportunity to stay home and raise the Griggs’ two children.

The Griggs encourage others to consider making a gift to Northwest by taking advantage of the option to contribute from an IRA and checking to see if their employers have a matching gift program. The Griggs

maximized their gift by using their IRA tax savings and by partnering with a generous matching gift from KPMG. “Through our part-time jobs, help from supportive families, reasonable tuition rates and hard work, we were able to graduate without the student debt that can be such a burden to new graduates,” Marilyn said. “We wanted to give future generations, who have the academic ability to succeed but need some financial assistance, the opportunity to benefit from an education at Northwest.”

FORMER REGISTRAR SHOWS APPRECIATION WITH GIFT TO HUGHES FIELDHOUSE Linda Girard ’64,’76, who dedicated 36 years of her career to Northwest, continues to support the University in other ways since her retirement in 2010.

Most recently, she pledged $50,000 toward the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse to show her appreciation for her years as a Northwest employee. A passionate supporter of Bearcat athletics teams, Girard also is an active member of the Bearcat Booster Club.

“I wanted to give back to the University because I worked there 36 years, including 28 as registrar,” she said. “It’s a way to give back to the University and express the fact that I’m a Bearcat follower.”

The 137,250 square-foot Hughes 22

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

Fieldhouse opened on the Northwest campus in October and serves a multitude of social, recreational and economic needs for the University and region.

It is the single largest public-private partnership in the University’s 113-year history and one of the largest such projects in the region ever. Donors committed nearly $14 million to the project through donations and pledges secured by the Northwest Foundation.

The University and its students contributed to the project along with hundreds of alumni and friends who made gifts of all sizes. Leading support for the project was provided by the Founding 50 – a group of donors

contributing $50,000 or more to the project. Girard’s gift to the Hughes Fieldhouse makes her the 75th member of the Founding 50.

Girard began her employment at Northwest in 1974, and became the University’s registrar in 1982. By the time she retired in the spring of 2010, she had verified an estimated 35,500 graduates.

A Maryville native, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education in business.

After graduation, she spent nine years in Chicago before returning to Missouri, joining the Northwest staff and earning a master’s degree in business administration.

“It’s a wonderful place to work,” she said.

“I spent a lot of years there, and I wanted to contribute to its continued success.”

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

ANONYMOUS TRUST PROVIDES FUNDS FOR AG LEARNING CENTER

Pictured left to right are Mitzi Marchant, the director of donor engagement for the Northwest Foundation and Office of University Advancement; Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski; Rex Brod, market president for U.S. Bank; and Shannon Moore, wealth management regional manager for U.S. Bank.

The Northwest Foundation recently received an additional $75,000 from an anonymous charitable trust to benefit Northwest and its planned Agricultural Learning Center.

Representatives of U.S. Bank, which operates two branches within the city of Maryville, presented a check to University President Dr. John Jasinski and Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, the director of donor engagement for the Northwest Foundation and Office of University Advancement.

“We are extremely appreciative of the continued support provided by this anonymous trust as well as the support shown by U.S. Bank, which presented the Agricultural Learning Center concept to the trust,” Marchant said. “A facility such as this – which will benefit students as well as the broader community – requires substantial buy-in from individuals, corporations and foundations, and this is a great example of the impact of strong partnerships.”

The gift is an addition to $50,000 Northwest and the Northwest Foundation received from the same anonymous charitable trust last year in support of the agriculture project.

“We are excited that Northwest Missouri State is a second-year recipient of those funds,” Shannon Moore, wealth management regional manager for U.S. Bank, said. “The donor is very committed to education and continuing education at Northwest Missouri State University.”

FAMILY CONNECTION, NORTHWEST MISSION INSPIRES MOSKOWS TO GIVE TO UNIVERSITY, AGRICULTURAL LEARNING CENTER With admiration for the quality education Northwest provided her parents and the advancement she sees as a member of the Northwest Foundation’s Board of Directors, Angela Moskow and her husband, Rob, have added their support to Northwest’s planned Agricultural Learning Center.

Angela, the daughter of Melvin and Valorie Booth, and Rob recently pledged $25,000 toward the project. With their pledge, the Moskows added their names to the Homesteader Plat Map, which identifies donors providing gifts of $25,000 or more toward the Agricultural Learning Center.

“One of the ideals that was instilled in me as I grew up was the importance of helping others and giving back,” Moskow said. “I was able to witness this within our family as my parents provided an endowment for the business school and set up a scholarship to allow someone from their hometown who may not otherwise have been able to afford University to have this experience. My husband and I believe the Ag Learning Center is an important part of that future, and we want to be part of making it a reality.”

The Agricultural Learning Center, for which the University and Northwest Foundation are actively raising funds, will be built at Northwest’s 448-acre R.T. Wright Farm and serve as a multipurpose facility, providing classrooms and laboratory resources to supplement and enhance the academic curriculum.

The estimated $8.5 million, 29,000square-foot center also will allow for research and scholarly activities centered on crop, soil and livestock resources as well as space for processing agricultural products. It will include space for public and private functions such as producer and agricultural industry meetings, workshops, shows and career development events, and the promotion of agricultural literacy.

Angela, who resides in Basking Ridge, N.J.,

has worked in the healthcare field for nearly three decades. In 2017, she founded Equity After Investment LLC, a brand marketing strategic consulting firm focused on building and preserving brand and corporate equity across the health community. Rob earned his law degree in 1996 and works in the wine industry.

In 2015, Angela accepted an invitation to join the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors. Shortly after that, the Moskows joined The 1905 Society, which recognizes supporters who make annual unrestricted gifts to Northwest of $1,000 or more. They gained further appreciation for the University as they observed the enthusiasm surrounding the campaign to complete the Hughes Fieldhouse on the Northwest campus.

By giving of their time and financial support, the Moskows help uphold Northwest’s mission and strengthen the institution for future generations.

“From my first Board meeting, I have been able to experience what many call the ‘special sauce’ at Northwest,” Angela said. “It really is a special place that not only respects the past but is rapidly embracing changes needed to be a top University in the future.”

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ADVANCING NORTHWEST

Alumni AWARDS RECIPIENTS 2019

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD

Randell Moore

Dr. Michael Rogers

Moore ’75 was executive editor of Blue Chip Economic Indicators and Blue Chip Financial Forecasts from 1986 to 2019. His professional career, beginning in 1975, also included work with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in Kansas City; covering the Federal Reserve and the departments of Labor, Commerce, Treasury, Congress and the White House as an economics reporter for Knight-Ridder’s business wire in Washington, D.C.; and a government debt market analyst and Fed watcher with Evans Economics. He co-founded the Roanoke Park Conservancy in Kansas City, Missouri, and is an avid supporter of LiteracyKC.

Dr. Richard Fulton Fulton came to Northwest in 1973 as the chair of the political science department. While teaching was his focus, Fulton co-authored two books, edited a third and contributed several articles to academic periodicals. He chaired several committees and became the first faculty member to serve as president of the Faculty Senate twice. He also produced academic papers and about 85 book reviews. For 35 years, he has written a regular opinion column for the Maryville Forum and remained an ardent Bearcat fan and community volunteer.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

TURRET SERVICE AWARD

Rodney Edge

Dr. Ashley Leger

Allison Strong Hoffmann

Edge ’84 is president and chief executive officer of Materiel Solutions, LLC, a global logistics firm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, that specializes in business development in federal government, commercial and international sectors. From 2014 to 2018, he served as executive vice president for Automation Precision Technology LLC, a U.S. government logistics firm. Previously, Edge enjoyed a U.S. Army career that spanned more than 20 years and culminated as chief executive officer at Fort Lee, Virginia. His roles included serving as diplomatic advisor to senior Saudi Arabian officials and as deputy division chief at the Pentagon.

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Rogers, an associate professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, is respected for his innovation, teaching methodologies, work ethic and investment of time with students. He is a recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education, the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business’ Dean’s Faculty Award for Exemplary Service and its Dean’s Faculty Award for Exemplary Research.

Rogers also is involved with the Angel Flight Program, a volunteer non-profit group of pilots that provides transportations to patients in the Midwest region. In 2017, he was named Angel Flight Pilot of the Year.

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY EMERITUS AWARD

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

Leger ’09 is the paleontological field director and assistant safety director for Cogstone Resource Management Inc., which specializes in paleontological, archaeological, historical and cultural resource mitigation in California. She is overseeing excavations related to the construction on a subway tunnel in Los Angeles and supervises a team of nine paleontological monitors actively looking for fossils. Leger has made multiple television appearances on programs such as CBS “This Morning,” ABC News and on the Weather Channel News, making her the public face of Los Angeles paleontology.

Previously, she worked at the Mammoth Site and Museum in Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Hoffmann ’01, ’03 serves as the director of academic success and retention at Northwest. She previously was a senior instructor in the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business, director of the University Seminar program and as a provost fellow. Hoffmann was an advisor or coadvisor to multiple student organizations, resulting in her twice receiving the Booth School’s Dean’s Faculty Award for Student Support. Hoffmann received the 2012 Outstanding Advising Award for Faculty Academic Advising from the National Academic Advising Association and the 2012 Teaching Excellence Award from the Midwestern Council of Business Schools and Programs.

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

EARN YOUR NEXT NORTHWEST DEGREE ONLINE

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD

Brad Jackson

Jackson is the executive chef for Northwest Campus Dining and has elevated the dining program to new heights, using his 20plus years of culinary experience. “Chef Brad” is an ambassador for Northwest, executing in-house catering menus with great excitement from guests and creating experiences that are carried through the Maryville community. He also takes an active role in mentorship programs with Horace Mann Laboratory School and allows students interested in the culinary arts to shadow him.

He is the recipient of the Aramark Culinary Excellence Award, recognizing talents and creativity of culinary teams across all regions in the United States.

2020 ALUMNI AWARDS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Northwest Alumni Association is now collecting nominations for its 2020 Alumni Association Awards. The Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni, faculty, faculty emeritus and friends who have brought distinction upon themselves, their profession and Northwest Missouri State University. Your nominations are essential to the process. Individuals nominated should personify the University’s tradition of excellence through their service and achievements.

Northwest Online is an extension of Northwest Missouri State University and offers 10 master-level degrees, three bachelor-level degrees and one certificate program.

• 100% online • 100% of classes taught by professionals, not graduate assistants • More than 20 years of experience in online learning and teaching • Variety of start dates depending on degree • Standard or expedited course plans available

The Alumni Association Board of Directors will make the selections at their 2020 spring meeting. Nominations must be submitted on forms provided by the Alumni Association and will not be considered unless the entire nomination form is complete.

Contact the Northwest Alumni Association for a nomination form at 660.562.1248, email alumni@nwmissouri.edu or complete the appropriate form located on the alumni website at www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events/awards/nominations.htm.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD Recognizes Northwest alumni for their exceptional professional and personal achievement and extraordinary distinction in their chosen field.

DISTINGUISHED EMERITUS FACULTY AWARD Recognizes a former faculty member for their outstanding teaching, service or research contributions at Northwest.

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD Recognizes a present faculty member for their outstanding teaching, service or research contributions at Northwest.

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD Honors Northwest friends who have served, promoted and loved the University in the tradition of a loyal graduate.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD Recognizes outstanding service-minded alumni or friends of Northwest who have devoted their time and energy to public service or the advancement of higher education.

NORTHWEST TURRET SERVICE AWARD Acknowledges a graduate, former student, current or retired staff member for his or her significant contributions of time and talents on behalf of the University and the Alumni Association.

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD Honors a graduate, 40 or younger, for exceptional Award achievements in career, public service nomination or volunteerism that deadline: bring honor to the March 1, 2020 University.

Programs

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

B.S. in Business Management B.S. in Marketing B.S. in Nursing (RN to BSN) M.B.A. General Management M.B.A. Human Resource Management M.B.A. Marketing M.S. Geographic Information Science Geographic Information Science (Graduate Certificate) M.S.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction M.S.Ed. Educational Leadership K-12 M.S.Ed. Health and Physical Education M.S.Ed. Reading M.S.Ed. Special Education M.S. Recreation

For more information, visit nwmissouri.edu/online.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

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BEARCAT SPORTS

NORTHWEST ANNOUNCES 2019 M-CLUB HALL OF FAME CLASS

M-CLUB 2019 M-Club Hall of Fame Induction Banquet

Friday, Oct. 25 – J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom 6:30 p.m. buffet dinner – program to follow

DALE KISKER ’82, BASEBALL

First-team all-MIAA (1982); second-team all-MIAA (1981), owns Northwest career records for ERA (2.64) and shutouts (6), tied for first in school history in season complete games (9) and season shutouts (3), won 20 career games and posted 17 complete games (both No. 2 in school history)

VENUS HARRIS ’89, TRACK & FIELD

School-record holder in 100m, 200m, 400m, 3-time All-American (1987, 400m indoor and 400m outdoor; 1988, 4x800 relay indoor)

MALCOLM HARRISON (attnd.), TENNIS

Two-time MIAA Player of the Year, no. 1 and no. 5 in single-season wins totals by an individual, 57-6 career record 26

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

DANAE WAGNER ITES ’92, BASKETBALL,

Second all-time in scoring at Northwest (1,538 points), ranks No. 5 on Northwest rebounding list (706), First-team all-MIAA (1992); second-team all-MIAA (1991); honorable mention all-MIAA (1990), one of 10 Bearcats to score 500 or more points in single season (523 in 19901991), one of 18 Bearcats to score 1,000 points and post 500 rebounds in career

TYLER SHAW ’15, TRACK & FIELD AND FOOTBALL

Six-time all-America honoree in track and field; two-time MIAA champion (110 hurdles), holds school records in 60m hurdles (7.97 in 2011) and 110m hurdles (14.03 in 2009). In football, earned secondteam all-MIAA in 2012; honorable mention all-MIAA in 2011, 3,021 receiving yards; 166 receptions; 4,598 all-purpose yards; 32 receiving touchdowns in Bearcat football career

JAKE SOY ’11, FOOTBALL

Northwest alltime touchdown receptions leaders (45), No. 3 in school history in yards (3,687), led nation and set MIAA marks for receiving yards (1,559) and touchdown receptions (27) in 2009, First-team All-America in 2009 (Daktronics, D2Football.com), two-time first-team all-MIAA pick (2009, 2010)

DAVID CROZIER ’40, ADMINISTRATOR, FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE

Served as Northwest’s NCAA faculty athletics representative from 1966 to 1981, handled all NCAA eligibility and participation for Northwest, taught industrial arts for 42 years at Horace Mann High School and Northwest, nominated Robert “Chip” Gregory for the NCAA postgraduate scholarship (first winner in school history)

Tickets are $25 each and may be purchased by contacting Kiersten Orton in the athletics office at 660.562.1977 or korton@nwmissouri.edu. Seating for the event is limited and the deadline to reserve seats is Friday, Oct. 18, or until tickets are sold out.

Jaedra Moses

Julia Aliseda Anton

jump standard (40-4¾). The Northwest women also set marks in the 4x100 relay (46.50) and the 4x400 relay (3:44.76).

Golf

Omar Austin

2018 SPRING

SPORTS RECAP Tennis Head coach Mark Rosewell guided the Bearcat women’s tennis team to the program’s 18th NCAA Division II Tournament appearance and third national quarterfinal appearance. The women recorded their eighth 20-win season. The men placed second in the MIAA regular season and tallied 10 dual victories.

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association named sophomores Irene Recuenco and Franco Oliva as Division II All-Americans.

Recuenco became the second women’s All-America selection in school history with a final ranking of No. 15 and a singles mark of 22-10 while leading the Bearcats in doubles wins with 22. Oliva is the ninth All-America pick on the men’s side and first since 1976.

Earning a No. 18 national ranking, his 25 wins in singles tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history. He was named MIAA Player of the Year.

Track and Field

The Bearcats earned four All-America honors at the NCAA Championship in Kingsville, Texas. Senior Kevin Schultz placed second in the high jump and tied for the highest height cleared (72½). Junior Jordan Hammond placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.24 in the final. Junior transfer Marcus Klein and freshman Omar Austin notched second-team All-America honors.

The men set school records with Klein in the long jump (25-5¼) and Schultz in the decathlon (7,145 points). The Bearcat women set four school records as Hammond set the mark in the 100-meter hurdles (13.99), and Mercedes Isaacson-Cover secured the triple

Sophomore Morgan Thiele became the fourth Bearcat to earn a top-10 finish at the conference championship when she placed second overall at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas.

Northwest finished fifth in the team race and broke 300 for the first time in program history, shooting 298 in the final round.

Thiele earned all-tournament team honors at the MIAA meet and an MIAA Honorable Mention for the season as she set the Northwest single-season scoring mark at 78.85 strokes per round.

The Bearcats set the team scoring record by more than 12 shots with a 319.15 average, besting the previous mark of 331.09 set in 2017-18.

Softball

The Bearcats closed the season with 11 victories, including six MIAA wins. Seniors Jaclyn Weydert, Kiana Baderdeen, Jaedra Moses and Kenzi Sutton led the program to 104 wins during the past four seasons as Moses completed her Northwest career ranked No. 7 in hits (190) and No. 8 in at-bats (610).

Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Weis was named to the All-MIAA Honorable Mention softball team. She led the MIAA in slugging percentage (.776) and set the Northwest single-season record for the second straight season. She also topped the Bearcats in batting average (.383), doubles (10), home runs (10), total bases (83), walks (14), on-base percentage (.455) and assists (59).

Baseball

Northwest finished above .500 in MIAA play for the third consecutive season with a league mark of 18-15.

Junior first baseman Connor Quick led the Bearcats with a .371 batting average to go with a .577 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. He had an OPS of 1.054 and 72 hits, tying him for the fifth-most in a season in program history. Quick, who secured first-team all-MIAA honors and second-team D2CCA all-region status, had a 32-game on-base streak and an 18-game hitting streak.

Senior Derek Hussey notched third-team all-MIAA honors. He led the squad in runs (44) and stolen bases (9). He also posted 20 multi-hit games and had seven multi-RBI contests. Hussey set the Northwest all-time record for walks in a career (100).

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

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BEARCAT SPORTS

Sundell inducted into MIAA Hall of Fame Bob Sundell ’89 became the 17th individual with ties to Northwest to be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame June 3 during the MIAA Awards Ceremony at the Kansas City Public Library–Plaza Branch.

As a member of the Bearcat men’s basketball team, Sundell was a three-time All-MIAA selection with first-team honors in 1989. He scored 1,082 points and grabbed 574 rebounds during his career, and he is tied for seventh in program history in total rebounds, blocks (43) and blocks per game

(0.5). For season rankings, Sundell is third in field goal percentage (60.3) and tied for eighth in blocking average (0.9 blocks per game).

During his track and field career, he ranks first in the outdoor high jump with a mark of 7-5¼ and is tied for fifth in the indoor high jump at 6-10¼. Sundell was a threetime outdoor All-American, an indoor AllAmerican in 1987 and a first team Academic All-American in 1989. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he owned seven of the top 10 high jump marks in Northwest history. He also competed in the 1988 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

Sundell practices law in Northwest Missouri at Anderson, Sundell and Skinner PC.

BEARCATS WILL VISIT DUKE OCT. 26 For the second time in three years, the Bearcat men’s basketball team will open its schedule with an exhibition contest against the Duke University Blue Devils.

Northwest will meet the NCAA Division I powerhouse Saturday, Oct. 26, at the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

Duke has annually invited the defending Division II champion to play on its home court since 2009. The game does not count toward either team’s record.

“Obviously, we have a great respect and admiration for Coach Krzyzewski and their program,” Director of Athletics Andy Peterson ’07, ’08, ’10, said. “This game is a testament to who he is as an ambassador for the game to invite the Division II national champion to Cameron Indoor Stadium every year. We are fortunate to be able to visit again and look forward to the opportunity to play the Blue Devils on their home court.”

In 2018-19, Northwest completed a perfect 38-0 season that saw the program capture its second national championship. Under the direction of head coach Ben McCollum ’03, ’05, the Bearcats have compiled a mark of 100-5 during the past three seasons.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

ALL BEARCAT SPORTS POST 3.0 GPA OR HIGHER The Bearcats not only succeeded in athletic competition during 2018-19.

Northwest student-athletes put in work in the classroom, too.

The overall cumulative grade-point average for Northwest student-athletes was 3.34, and the spring GPA of 3.34 was the highest during the past 10 semesters dating back to spring 2016.

The average GPA for all Northwest degree-seeking undergraduates is 3.12.

All 16 of the Bearcats’ NCAA athletic programs compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher last spring. It was the third straight semester that all 16 intercollegiate athletic programs reached the mark.

“What a phenomenal accomplishment from our student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Andy Peterson said. “We had a great year competitively-speaking in 2018-2019. We won a national championship in men’s basketball.

We won two MIAA regular season titles, made some great runs in national tournaments, and we had 20 individual All-Americans honored this past year. But on top of that to have the performance we had in the classroom is absolutely awesome. Ultimately, this is what we want – champions in the classroom as well as success on the competitive platform.”

TEAM GPAs

The Bearcats took on the Blue Devils after Northwest won its first NCAA Division II national championship at the end of the 2016-17 campaign. Duke posted a 93-60 victory over Northwest in that nationallytelevised matchup.

The game time and broadcast information will be determined at a later date. Northwest is not selling tickets to the general public, so fans who want to attend the game are encouraged to seek other avenues for securing tickets. Visit bearcatsports.com for more information.

Cross Country (M): 3.22 Cross Country (W): 3.72 Football: 3.01 Soccer (W): 3.48 Volleyball: 3.75 Basketball (M): 3.20 Basketball (W): 3.37 Indoor Track & Field (M): 3.14 Indoor Track & Field (W): 3.49 Baseball: 3.14 Golf: 3.28 Softball: 3.34 Tennis (M): 3.45 Tennis (W): 3.50 Outdoor Track & Field (M): 3.14 Outdoor Track & Field (W): 3.49

BEARCAT SPORTS

Whether you’re in Omaha, Dallas, Kansas City, Phoenix or beyond...

Tune in to the Bearcat Radio Network Don’t miss a single play!

Listen on the radio n n n

KXCV 90.5 FM, the 100,000-watt FM public radio station that broadcasts from the Northwest campus, is entering its 21st season as the flagship station for Bearcat sports broadcasts.

n n

Listen on the web

KXCV, 90.5 FM Maryville KRNW, 88.9 FM Chillicothe KKWK, 100.1 FM Cameron KCWJ 1030 AM Independence KMA, 960 AM Shenandoah

An anchor of Bearcat athletics broadcasts since 1985, John Coffey ’82 returns as the “Voice of the Bearcats” with Matt Tritten ’11, who is entering his fourth year with the broadcast.

n n

www.kxcv.org www.bearcatsports.com

Listen on your phone or tablet Go to KXCV.org, click on listen live. Now available on all browsers and all mobile devices.

BEARCATS RENEWING RIVALRY WITH GORILLAS AT ARROWHEAD Fans will get another chance to watch the Bearcat football team play at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, this fall when Northwest meets the Pittsburg State Gorillas.

Kickoff is set for noon Saturday, Oct. 12, at the home of the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs, with Northwest playing as the home team.

The Bearcats last played at Arrowhead in 2017 when they rallied for a thrilling 2420 win against Central Missouri, defeating the Mules for the second consecutive season at Arrowhead.

Previously, the venue

played host to 12 annual meetings between the Bearcats and Gorillas. Northwest is 11-3 all time at Arrowhead, where the Bearcats have averaged more than 30 points per game and contests have attracted seven crowds of more than 20,000.

“We want our student-athletes to have the best experience possible and the opportunity to play in Arrowhead Stadium is tough to top,” Bearcat head football coach Rich Wright ’96 said. “Not only is it a highlight for our players and staff, but it is a showcase for our Bearcat fans and Division II football.

There is a lot of excitement when you know you are playing in an NFL stadium and our fans help immensely when they fill it up.”

Tickets for the game may be ordered by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Arrowhead Stadium Ticket Office located between the Founder's Plaza and the HyVee Gate.

2019 BEARCAT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Thursday, Sept. 5 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 14 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 28 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 Noon

Missouri Western Washburn Missouri Southern Central Oklahoma (Family Weekend) Emporia State Pittsburg State (Arrowhead Stadium)

Saturday, Oct. 19 2 p.m. Nebraska-Kearney Saturday, Oct. 26 2 p.m.

Lincoln

(Homecoming) Saturday, Nov. 2 1:30 p.m. Northeastern

(Military Day) Saturday, Nov. 9 2 p.m.

Fort Hays State Saturday, Nov. 16 1:30 p.m. Central Missouri

(Senior Day/Ag Day) Home games in green

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES ON THE CUTTING EDGE Couple grows cookie cutter manufacturing operation The mail-order business Joel ’91 and Tammy King ’90 Hughes started 26 years ago to maximize their family time now makes hundreds of cookie cutters a day and holds the title as the largest cookie cutter supplier west of the Mississippi River.

They founded and operate cookiecutter. com, which makes 1,300 unique cookie cutters in their Pleasant Valley, Missouri, warehouse. In recent years, Woman’s Day, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart and “Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond have featured the Hughes family’s cookie cutters.

Joel and Tammy started their careers as teachers but wanted to own a business. So Joel’s mother, who sold H.O. Foose cookie cutters in her Iowa country store, suggested they give it a try. After attending a few craft shows and taking some orders for the cookie cutters, the business took off.

“When we started, it was strictly mail order, the days before computers with 30

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

internet,” Tammy said. “Then the internet came and we just jumped on cookiecutter.com, which was very good timing for us.”

In 2016, H.O. Foose Tinsmithing Co., through a strong relationship established with the Hughes family, made Joel and Tammy an offer they couldn’t refuse. The couple purchased the Pennsylvania operation and moved its An employee at the Hughes family’s cookie cutter business inspects a plastic equipment to their Pleasant cutter created with a 3-D printer.

Valley, Missouri, warehouse.

The deal allowed the family constructing plastic cookie cutters. Joel and to manufacture the tin cookie Tammy started making the plastic shapes cutters on their own and further enhanced a few years ago after they noticed a drop their ability to provide one-of-a-kind in their sales and saw the plastic cutters shapes. popping up on crafting websites.

In addition to designing and making the tin cookie cutters, a room of 3-D “We bought one printer, we ran it at printers hums with the sound of machines home, and I would have to get up in the

CLASS NOTES

middle of the night and restart it,” Joel said. “Then we went to two printers and then three printers, and now we’ve got 15 printers.”

Tammy added, “Everybody wants the new trendy shape, so that’s where the competition is.”

With most shapes selling for a $1 or $1.50, coockiecutter.com offers items for all sizes, shapes and occasions. They have animal shapes – from cows to rats – and shapes representing myriad occupations – from teachers to nurses to police officers. Their biggest seller during last year’s holiday season depicted a fur tree pointing from the back of a truck.

In addition to the shelves of finished cookie cutters, their warehouse holds a library of metal plates with levers and hammer-like pieces arranged in specific patterns. The company has a mold for every shape it produces.

Each cookie cutter begins as part of a coiled strip of steel large enough to produce between 5,000 and 6,000 cookie cutters.

The steel is cut into smaller 6 to 12-inch

strips, which are then placed, one at a time, on a mold plate. Operated either by hand or with a hydraulic machine, the mold produces a cookie cutter in seconds.

“A lot of people don’t realize that every single shape you find in the store has its own pattern,” Tammy said.

While Joel and Tammy employ a staff of about eight people at their manufacturing warehouse, their son, Ty, and daughter, Kala, who is a Northwest student, also have Hydraulic machines at the Hughes family’s manufacturing plant shape spent time working at the company. strips of steel into cookie cutters of all shapes and sizes. Above, a machine creates a cookie cutter in the shape of a moose.

The family also enjoys traveling to Maryville on Saturdays during the fall “The strategies that we learned through to see Kala perform as a member of our classes, the problem-solving – that’s the Bearcat Marching Band. why we feel a college degree is beneficial,” The family holds fond memories of their Tammy said. “It teaches you how to think, years at Northwest and the lessons they which is necessary in life.” learned there. Tammy ran with the Bearcat In addition to cookiecutter.com, the family cross country and track and field teams, sells their cookie cutters online through and Joel also was a member of the Bearcat Amazon, eBay and Walmart.

Marching Band. The couple says they learned the value of hard work through For more of this story, visit nwmissouri.edu/ those activities. alumni/magazine.

1960s

Carol Miller ’79 received the 2019 Missouri State University Board of Governors’ Public Affairs Award for her environmental research, activism and student mentoring. She is a distinguished professor in the finance and general business department at Missouri State University.

Richard Fleming ’60 has written and published two historical novels, “Wetzel” and “Spartanburg.”

He retired in 2007 after a 42-year career as a mathematics instructor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Memphis and Central Michigan University. He resides in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

Dr. Theodore “Ted” Jamison ’64 is a retired history professor and resides with his wife, Judy, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Judy was employed at Northwest as secretary to the dean of men while Ted was completing his bachelor’s degree.

1970s Judy Beth Clevenger ’72 retired this year after serving 41 years as director of Scott Sebastian Regional Library in Greenwood, Arkansas.

Paul Mills ’77 works part-time, working with student teachers through the University of Northern Iowa. He retired from full-time education work in 2017 after 11 years as a teacher and 25 years as a middle school, elementary school and central office administrator.

Mary Ernst ’79 retired after 30 years of coaching and teaching language arts for grades 7-12 at AdairCasey Community Schools in Adair, Iowa.

1980s

Chuck Prow ’82 president and chief executive officer of Vectrus, received his fifth Wash100 Award from Executive Mosaic in April in recognition of securing major contracts and expanding Vectrus’s position with several federal agencies. He joined Vectrus in 2016 and has more than 30 years of experience in federal services and information technology.

Martin Amen ’84 was appointed vice president of strategy and business development for Nuvotronics at Cubic Corporation, a provider of integrated solutions to decrease urban congestion and improve military effectiveness and operational readiness. He has more than 25 years of experience in profit and loss roles, global growth strategies and securing new business opportunities.

Robert ’86 and Donna Perrino ’87 Burgess recently relocated to Phoenix after 11 years in the Denver area. Bob is chief operating officer at Everybody Matters, a non-profit that assists elementary and secondary school students with the

development of social and emotional coping skills.

Donna is semi-retired and a substitute teacher.

Kelley Clem Phipps ’86 was recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Lifetime Achiever for her outstanding contributions to the pharmacology field as a senior instructional designer at Optum, an information and technology-enabled health services business. She has more than 30 years as a training, instructional design and performance improvement professional.

Vernon Dravenstott ’88 recently was promoted to customer service supervisor at Signature Flight Support, which handles private air travel at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kevin Fullerton ’88 was recognized last spring as American Advertising Federation-Kansas City Advertising Professional of the Year and the recipient of the Pat Martin Excellence in District Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to an AAF district. He is the owner and creative director of Springboard Creative in Mission, Kansas.

1990s

Tommy Thompson ’90 joined Iowa Central Community College as a program tutor and education specialist in its TRIO and Student Support Services office.

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CLASS NOTES

NATURAL FIT

Wilkerson draws on Native American heritage for drug research By focusing her research on discovering drugs for new and innovative treatments for chronic pain and drug addiction, Dr. Jenny Scott Wilkerson ’04 also is applying the knowledge she developed at Northwest and incorporating her perspectives as a scientist of Native American descent.

Wilkerson is a research assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacodynamics at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy. Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Wilkerson and her colleagues two grants totaling about $7 million to study kratom, which comes from the leaves of a tropical tree from Southeast Asia and could be remedy for drug addiction and chronic pain.

“A lot of this has come through natural product research,” Wilkerson said. “It’s leveraging the background in general biology that I’ve had in botany, chemistry and the immune system from Northwest Missouri State into cutting-edge therapeutic treatments for chronic pain and drug addiction. Northwest laid a foundation of science knowledge to prepare me for my next steps in my career.”

A descendant of the Muscogee Creek

tribe, which was forced to move from the southeast to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears, Wilkerson’s father moved to Belton, Missouri, when he was young.

There, Wilkerson’s family remained deeply connected to their heritage and regularly took her to Haskell Indian Nations University in nearby Lawrence, Kansas, for activities to immerse her in their roots.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology, with a minor in chemistry from Northwest, Wilkerson headed to the University of New Mexico for its minority-centered focus on developing scientists. She felt a deep connection with the Native American community there while earning a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.

Her dissertation advisor, Dr. Erin Milligan, also was of a minority descent and instilled in Wilkerson a need to learn more about people living with chronic pain.

“Working with Dr. Milligan made me realize how marginalized of a community chronic pain patients are,” Wilkerson said. “Coming from a minority background, that really resonated in me because these patients are a vulnerable population, and they get treated as such by the medical community.”

’92

Lt. Chris Johnson retired after 25 years of service in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. He also served as the department chair for aerospace studies at the University of Illinois. He and his family have relocated from Champaign, Illinois, to Wyoming.

’95

Brian Hesse was named president and chief executive officer of Rusal America Corporation, the world’s largest producer of aluminum outside of China, on May 1. He and his wife, Holly Stewart Hesse (attended), relocated from New York to Kansas City, Missouri, with their two children.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

Kari Rhoades ’91 was selected to give a “Teacher Talk” about teaching with depression for the CMS Foundation, an organization supporting CharlotteMecklenburg (North Carolina) Schools, in March. She resides in Stallings, North Carolina.

Eric Green ’92 is the head men’s and women’s cross country and track coach at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield, Michigan. His wife, Julia Witt Green ’92, is a senior business analyst for Oakland (Mich.)

Schools. They reside in Pontiac, Michigan.

Allison Jones-Olson ’92 was named head volleyball coach at Columbia (Missouri) College.

She spent the last six years as head women's volleyball coach at Central Methodist University

While at the University of New Mexico, Wilkerson was involved in the Society of Advancing Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, or SACNAS, a leading community of Native American and minority scientists in the United States that focuses on nurturing scientists from underprivileged minority backgrounds to help diversify the field. Last year, SACNAS selected her for its LintonPoodry Leadership Institute, allowing her to engage in a week-long intensive training session at the Academy of Advancement of American Science in Washington, D.C. In 2013, Wilkerson moved to Virginia Commonwealth University to work as a post-doctoral fellow in its Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She worked with Dr. Aron Lichtman, one of the world’s leading scientists on cannabinoid systems, and received the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein F32 Individual National Research Service Award.

When she arrived at VCU, Wilkerson had begun exploring the cannabinoid type 2 receptor, which – unlike the receptor that causes highs from certain drugs – is predominant in immune cells and can be activated without causing a high. Her research was timely because the nation’s opioid crisis had started to become mainstream news.

“It really made me realize that this picture is

in Fayette, Missouri, and was senior women's administrator there for the last three years.

Toni Hanks ’93 was named manager for the Intensive Care Unit at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. She has worked at Allen Hospital in a variety of roles since 2003.

Doug Morrison ’93 recently joined the engineering firm HDR Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, as freight technology leader. He has more than 25 years of experience in transportation technology and is president of the American Railway Development Association.

Dr. Tony Robinson ’95 began work in July as superintendent of the Sikeston (Missouri) School District. He had served as deputy superintendent in the Cape Girardeau School District since 2017 and previously served in several administrative roles in St. Louis-area school districts.

Sam Anselm ’98 has been named city administrator of Wildwood, in St. Louis County. He was city manager in Joplin, Missouri, for five years after serving for three years as its assistant city manager.

CLASS NOTES

Dr. Jenny Wilkerson is continuously applying for grants to attain funding for her research while she works to define new therapies for people with chronic pain and therapeutic options for people struggling with addiction. This fall, she also is teaching first-year pharmacy students at the University of Florida.

(Photo credit, Donovan Baltich/University of Florida College of Pharmacy)

a lot bigger than just chronic pain,” she said.

“There’s a population of people in chronic pain who use opioids as prescribed, but then they become addicted. They’re different patient populations, but they’re all vulnerable patient populations, and the stigma’s there.”

As Wilkerson furthers her research at the

University of Florida, she is applying the plant biology and other knowledge she gained at Northwest.

“Native American people are very much in tune to natural products, to trying to keep things as close to natural as possible, so it’s very interesting that my career trajectory has

’97

Marc Vasquez received a KnowBe4 Sharky award in May for Best Phishing Template. The awards recognize organizations and cybersecurity professionals in the area of security awareness training and simulated phishing.

He is assistant vice president and security awareness program manager for UMB Financial Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri.

2000s Lori Peterson Mitchell ’00 was named program coordinator for the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for Montgomery County in Red Oak, Iowa. Previously, she taught in the Stanton and Orient school districts.

Dr. James E. Smith ’00 was honored in May with the J.G. Elliott Award for outstanding contributions to medicine and health programs

gone to that level of mostly being interested in natural products,” she said. “My upbringing has led me full circle to my current career path.”

For more of this story, visit nwmissouri.edu/ alumni/magazine.

for the state of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He has served as emergency services medical director at Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska, since 2006.

Mike Still ’00 was named superintendent of the Lenox (Iowa) School District. Still had been secondary principal of Lenox Community School for eight years and previously worked in the Mount Ayr School District for nine years.

Melanie Mirati Mitchell ’02 began work in May as associate district manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Lakeview District in Lakeview, Oregon. She began her career with the bureau as a seasonal wildlife technician and has worked for the Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. She also has served as a wild horse and burro specialist in Wyoming and Nevada.

’03

Cassia Kite recently received the Paul J. Smith Award for Excellence in Fibers for her soundstitching installation, “Kaneko.” She is a studio art instructor in the fine art program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, while continuing her soundstitching work, which combines textile craft skills with musical compositions.

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CLASS NOTES

communications, public relations and marketing. She and her husband, Derek Garrett ’08, also own and operate Heartland Handcrafted, which offers custom wood products and remodeling services in Adel, Iowa.

Dr. Anne Cafer ’09 is the recipient of the prestigious Andrew Carnegie Fellowship from the Carnegie Foundation, which supports individual research, writing and scholarship in humanities and social sciences. As an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi, her research focuses on how social change affects food procurement, agricultural systems, environmental sustainability, and health and nutrition in communities from the Mississippi Delta to sub-Saharan Africa.

’14 Andi Pearson Schuetz is a wildlife management biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation in Macon, Missouri. She manages a three-county district, providing habitat for wildlife and opportunities for public use.

Mindy Chesnut Scadden ’03 is an accountant for the Maryville R-II School District and was named Support Staff Member of the Year by the Missouri Association of School Business Officials. She has worked in a variety of roles in the district during the last 13 years.

Sara Lipira Goble ’04, ’05, and her husband, Bryan, welcomed a daughter, Addison, on June 25.

Jacob Kimble ’04, ’13 was named head coach of the varsity basketball program at Central High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. He has taught at the school since 2006 and previously coached the freshman and junior varsity teams.

Luke Cox ’08, ’16 was named high school principal at Northeast Nodaway. He has worked in the education field for 11 years, most recently as education director, athletic director and varsity boys basketball coach at Clarinda Academy in Clarinda, Iowa.

Megan Tilk Garrett ’08 recently joined Trilix Group in Des Moines, Iowa, as a senior communications specialist and works with global clients to better the business through strategic

’15 Dannen Merrill recently became a partner of the Marsh, Espey and Merrill, accounting firm in Maryville.

Drew Engle ’09 recently graduated from the Creighton University School of Law School with his juris doctorate degree.

2010s

Trevor Conner ’10, ’13 recently authored and published a book, “Just Ace It – Controlling Life’s Uncontrollables.” He is a mental conditioning coach at Giammalva Elite Tennis Academy in Spring, Texas, and operates Hearts and Minds LLC, an applied sport psychology company.

Ryan Davis ’10, ’17 was named assistant principal at North Platte (Missouri) junior high and high school. Previously, he taught at Lexington and Savannah, and coached girls basketball.

Dr. Joseph Saffold ’10 is in his first year of residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Wesley Medical Center.

Taylor ’12 and Ashley Spalding ’11 Jones welcomed Oliver Grey on May 13, 2018. The couple were married in October 2012 and reside in Austin, Texas. Taylor is a senior engineer at IBM. Michael Duntz ’13 completed an 18-month term in April as a production artist with Herff Jones. He resides in Olathe, Kansas.

Tye Lydon ’13, ’15 began work in May as director of the Fenton (Missouri) Parks and Recreation Department. He previously served as parks director for Salem, Missouri.

worked at Northwest as assistant athletic director for marketing, promoting and licensing.

Hannah Compton Olson ’15 graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in May. She is a resident in diagnostic radiology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Christian Phelps ’16, ’18 was named head varsity boys basketball coach at Marshall (Missouri) High School. He was an assistant coach at Marshfield (Missouri) High School last season. He was a manager, student assistant and graduate assistant during six seasons with the Bearcat men’s basketball program.

Korbin Jones ’18 is the author of two recently published books, a translation of Pablo Luque Pinilla’s “SFO: Photos and Poems about San Francisco” and his debut collection of poetry, “Songs for the Long Night.” He is a graduate teaching assistant and pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the University of Kansas.

Tiara Ward ’18 was named the additive brand manager at BioZyme Inc., in St. Joseph, Missouri.

She works to grow additive brand awareness and support through marketing efforts domestically and globally.

Logan Wood ’18 began work in June as athletic trainer at Clarinda Regional Health Center. He spent the last year as an intern for the women’s varsity and novice rowing programs at the University of Kansas.

MacKenzie Magwire ’15 began work last spring as athletics director of marketing and promotions at the University of Central Arkansas. She previously

WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU? New job? New child? New spouse? New address? Send your latest news to the Northwest Alumni Association at alumni@nwmissouri.edu, use the enclosed envelope or complete the online class notes form at www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/magazine/classnotes.htm.

You may also submit a photograph. Please include a self-addressed envelope for the photo to be returned, or email it, in high resolution, to alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

CLASS NOTES

HASAN FINDING NICHE IN POLITICS, EXTENDING BEARCAT NETWORK IN CAPITAL Rasheedah Hasan ’15 never envisioned working in the political arena, but a legislative internship while she was a Northwest student steered her toward starting her career in the nation’s capital.

She has served in varied roles in the U.S. Congress since 2016, and she was promoted in January to chief clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. In that role, she coordinates hearings and witnesses in collaboration with full committees and subcommittees. She oversees legislative procedures and records and reports information to the House.

“Northwest prepared me for building the mental willpower and the fortitude to persevere in the face of adversity,” Hasan said. “I don’t know that I would have gotten the same experience had I attended any other institution.”

A friend suggested she apply for the Missouri legislative internship, which annually sends Northwest students to Jefferson City to gain experience with the legislative process and an understanding of how Missouri is governed. After a visit with Missouri Rep. Noel Torpey, who represented the state’s 29th district at the time, Hasan was accepted into the program and placed in his office at the Missouri capitol during the spring of 2014. The internship put her on the floor of the Missouri statehouse and provided Hasan with real-world experience – as well as a renewed sense of purpose.

When she finished her psychology degree at Northwest, she was eager to launch her career in Washington, D.C. She didn’t get a White House internship for which she interviewed but secured an internship opportunity with the public defenders service for the District of Columbia.

Hasan persevered and continued to share the résumé she crafted at Northwest with prospective employers. In the spring of 2016, the D.C. Office of Human Rights accepted her as a judicial fellow.

Months later, that led to her first role on Capitol Hill as an intern

YO U R P L A C E T O

Rasheedah Hasan, a St. Louis native, has launched her career on Capitol Hill, where she is chief clerk for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, serving with the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Soon after, Hasan took her seat with the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

As a staffer with the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Hasan quickly found herself organizing a retreat for committee members to strategize and set goals for the Congress.

“You don’t realize while in the moment what you have the capacity to achieve until it’s done,” Hasan said. “Northwest pushes you to develop that kind of grit. Of course, situations are challenging, especially when you’re in a new place, but Northwest gave me the confidence to say, ‘You can move anywhere you want, accomplish the unexpected, and positively affect change.”

In addition to her work on Capitol Hill, Hasan is active in the Northwest Alumni Association’s Washington, D.C., chapter.

“I love my Bearcat family, specifically the extended family I have in D.C.,” she said. “The strength of the alumni network helped me to feel supported, especially when I moved to a new place. They are there building you up, making sure you are OK, inviting you out, just so you can have fellowship and friendship. It is the Bearcat family we always speak of, and to see it in action in a new place is so lifechanging.”

Connect Northwest alumni and friends – help Northwest connect with future Bearcats by sharing the contact information of students who would look great in GREEN and want to earn a quality education at an affordable price! Show your pride by sharing with others that Northwest is YOUR PLACE to connect!

Help us grow the Bearcat family nwmissouri.edu/admissions

Complete the online form at www.nwmissouri.edu/admissions/leads/refer.htm

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

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IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM

Northwest extends its condolences to the families and friends of these individuals.

Donald Anderson ’60, age 80, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died Aug. 5, 2018. He enjoyed a successful business career that included service as president of Chief Construction and later as president of the buildings division of Chief Industries Inc. From 1996 to 2004, he was president and chief executive officer of MFS/York/ Stormor in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Charles Booth ’60, age 82, of Gladstone, Missouri, died Jan. 8. He taught industrial arts and was a football coach at Eddyville High School in Iowa, Westport High School, North Kansas City High School, Winnetonka High School and Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He also was a contractor and later owned his own company. He was a member of the Air National Guard.

Byron Bailey ’55, age 88, of Superior, Montana, died Sept. 2, 2018. He served in the U.S. Air Force for seven years, including three in active duty during the Korean War. He taught high school mathematics in Coin, Iowa, for three years and later spent 25 years as an IBM account executive for the U.S. Army worldwide. After retiring from IBM, he was employed by Boeing and later Kairos and Associates Inc.

Charlotte Meyer Carrico ’42, age 98, of Sun City, Arizona, died April 20. She was a teacher.

John Cauveren ’71, age 69, of Independence, Missouri, died May 13.

He spent most of his career as a history and social studies teacher at Winnetonka High School in the North Kansas City School District. He retired from teaching in 1997.

Ruth Siegrist Collins ’45, age 97, of Columbia, Missouri, died June 1. She started her 28-year teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in rural

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Missouri and continued teaching in Linn County for several years. She later moved to Chicago and taught business education at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois.

Ronnie Cornett ’70, age 71, of Pattonsburg, Missouri, died June 16. He was a farmer and banker, retiring from BTC Bank as president in 2013.

David Cox ’75, age 65, of Hamilton, Missouri, died April 11. He was employed by Missouri Ruralist, FHA in Daviess and Ray counties, and at American National Bank as vice president of agri correspondent business. He retired in 2016 as vice president branch manager at Farm Credit Services in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Paul Cummings ’62, age 79, of Smithville, Missouri, died May 14. He taught and coached in the Kearney, Smithville and Raymore-Peculiar school districts before farming full time. During his coaching career, he won more than 300 games, including a girls basketball state championship.

Shirley Mathes Deatsch ’69, age 72, of Spring Valley, Minnesota, died Dec. 20, 2018. She taught middle school English for one year in King City, Missouri. She and her husband also lived in Anchorage, Alaska; Fairfield, Iowa; Owatonna and Dodge Center, Minnesota.

IN MEMORIAM

Cheryl Crowley Delmont ’69, age 72 of Gladstone, Missouri, died Feb. 23. She was a teacher in the North Kansas City School District, retiring in 1999.

Lauri Franks Eid ’69, age 71, of Spencer, Iowa, died June 14. She was employed with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Tharen Erickson Ensign ’45, 93, died April 17, in Boise, Idaho. She taught public school in Colorado, New York and Idaho before retiring to Wenatchee, Washington, in 1990.

Paul Evans ’96, age 99, died April 16, in Cameron, Missouri. He was a member of the U.S. Army, serving in World War II as a staff sergeant assigned to a medical battalion. He owned and operated the Hotel Mt. Ayr (Iowa) before spending the rest of his 30-year career as a supervising cook at the St. Joseph (Missouri) State Hospital. He farmed near Agency, Missouri, during retirement.

James Exceen ’60, age 81, of Maryville, died Sept.

7, 2018. He taught high school and at Northwest.

He also owned and operated Exceen Signs for more than 40 years.

Marian Pfannenstiel Furst ’76, age 64, of Dubuque, Iowa, died March 8. She was an elementary music teacher for more than 20 years and was active with the Dubuque Symphony.

Edith Cooper George ’67, ’71, age 98, of Maryville, died April 16. She taught at Eugene Field Elementary School in Maryville.

Bonnie Lane German ’69, age 89, died July 31, 2019, in Elkhorn, Nebraska. She taught English at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri, and later became a librarian at the school.

Chuck Goff ’60, ’70, age 81, died June 26. He taught and coached in Mound City, Odessa, Moberly and Maryville, Missouri. He served more than 20 years as the athletic director of both Washington Middle School and Maryville High School. After retiring in 1997, he became a salesman for Nill Bros. Sports in Kansas City, Kansas.

Mark Gragg ’87, age 56, of Maryville, died April 20. He was the owner and office manager of D.M.R. Plastics in Bolckow, Missouri, for more than 20 years.

Rodney Harris ’78, age 63, of Albany, Missouri, died June 22.

He had served as station manager of Northwest’s National Public Radio affiliate, KXCV-KRNW, since 2008 and had spent 40 years in the radio industry. He was previously employed at KAAN AM-FM in Bethany, Missouri, and KMRN-AM and KKWKFM in Cameron, Missouri.

Florence Hopkins Harris, age 92, of Sedalia, Missouri, died June 23. She was an assistant registrar at Northwest, manager of Fresh & Rich Dairy Store and retired as a clerk for Goodhart Jewelry Store in Sedalia.

Susan Oberhelman Hill ’65, age 75, of Arlington, Washington, died May 3. She was a teacher and coach in Lancaster, Wisconsin; Menahga, Minnesota; and Tallahassee, Florida. She retired as a caregiver for developmentally delayed individuals.

Carolyn Houts ’64, age 77, died April 12. She served as a missionary of music in Ghana for 33 years until her retirement in 2010 and established the Carolyn Houts International Student Scholarship at Northwest.

Kayli Hrdlicka ’11, age 29, died Dec. 16, 2018, in Tallahassee, Florida. She had worked as director of sports nutrition at Florida State University since 2016. Previously, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania, Gatorade, the University of Kansas and IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Lillian Jacks, age 19, died June 13, in Columbia, Missouri. She was a freshman agriculture education major at Northwest.

Karole Knapp ’66, age 74, of Muscatine, Iowa, died Aug. 12, 2018. She taught second grade her entire career, starting in Michigan and then in the Davenport (Iowa) Community School District.

William Larmer ’72, age 68, of Stilwell, died June 27. He worked for the multinational pharmaceutical

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IN MEMORIAM

company Roche Labs and was an independent registered investment advisor.

Sister Mary Owen Leutloff ’73, age 100, of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, died June 6.

She worked as a parish secretary and sacristan in Kankakee, Illinois, and then as a bookkeeper in Hanover, Kansas. She entered the Benedictine community in 1946 and taught at parish schools in Defiance, Iowa; Atkinson, Nebraska; and throughout Kansas for more than 40 years.

Mary Manring McConkey ’74, ’88, age 67, died July 24. She taught home economics at South Harrison in Bethany, Missouri, for 16 years and later was guidance counselor at Albany High School, retiring in 2007.

James Mooney Jr. ’74, age 80, of New Palestine, Indiana, died June 20. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea and Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant colonel after nearly 22 years of service. After his military career, he worked for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration for more than 19 years and received the Distinguished Hoosier Award. He then worked for Sequoia Consulting for 14 years until 2018.

Leon Muff ’69, age 71, died Sept. 15, 2018, in Zion, Illinois. He enjoyed a teaching and coaching career at Zion-Benton Township High School that spanned nearly 40 years. He is a member of the Zion-Benton Athletic Wall of Achievement, the Crete (Nebraska) High School Hall of Fame and the Lake County (Illinois) High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Dr. Bruce Parmelee, age 80, of Maryville, died July 25. He was an associate professor in the Department of Technology and taught electricity and electronics at Northwest from 1969 to 1992. He then taught five years for the Des Moines (Iowa) School District at the Central campus.

Ralph Pierce ’57, age 89, of Stanberry, Missouri, died June 8. He taught high school shop class and was a coach and athletic director for 35 years in southwest Iowa and Stanberry.

Richard Pistole ’56, age 84, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died May 2. He served in the Army National Guard from 1953 and retired in 1976 as master sergeant. He worked as a teacher and then as a public accountant for Gasper & Taylor. He owned and operated Narrow Way Christian Book Store and retired as an industrial arts teacher with the Buchanan County R-4 School District. In retirement, he owned and operated New Horizon Cabinet Refinishing.

Michael Rhodes, age 64, of Maryville, died, April 27. He had a 30-year teaching career and had worked as a part-time employee at Northwest since 2016.

Steven Searcy ’77, ’79, age 65, of Liberty, Missouri, died July 15. He spent 31 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most recently working as an export claims manager until retiring in March. His career also included teaching vocational agriculture at the Northwest Missouri Technical School in Maryville and seven years as a district sales manager for Ralston Purina Company.

Barb Brown Shedden (attended), age 71, died March 22 in Gilbert, Arizona. She began her career at Hallmark in Kansas City and later served as a technical expert at the U.S. Social Security Administration in Missouri and Arizona from 1973 until her retirement in 2010.

Dr. Orlo Gene Shroyer ’65, ’69, age 76, of Jefferson, City, Missouri, died Jan. 8. He had a 42year career in public education that included service as school superintendent in Montgomery City and Chillicothe, Missouri. He retired as deputy commissioner of education with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and received

an honorary doctorate in pedagogy from Northwest in 2003.

Britton Small ’72, age 72, of Skidmore, Missouri, died June 21. He served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper during Vietnam. He was an entertainer and musician with the Festival Family. He was inducted into music halls of fame in Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota.

Karen Gregory Smith ’90, ’96, age 68, of Stanberry, Missouri, died July 4. She taught second grade and kindergarten at North Andrew (Missouri) for 22 years, retiring in 2013.

Billy Joe Stevicks ’86, age 57, died May 16, in Storm Lake, Iowa. He was a teacher and coach for many years at Alta-Aurelia Community School in Alta, Iowa.

Diana Sheets Taylor ’79, age 63, of Maryville, died July 24. She was a homemaker.

Gary Thompson ’76, age 64, of Princeton, Missouri, died June 3. He enjoyed a 38year career with The Hartford Insurance Group, beginning as an underwriter and retiring in 2013 as executive vice president. At the time of his death, he was serving a second six-year term on the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors and was its vice president.

Michael Thompson ’67, ’72, age 73, of Exira, Iowa, died Dec. 26, 2018. He was an industrial arts teacher in Exira for nine years before becoming a car dealer for 30 years, retiring in 2005.

Nancy Rea Trujillo ’61, age, 79, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died April 13, 2019. She had retired as an elementary school in Colorado Springs.

Louis Watkins ’48, age 91, of Maryville, died Dec. 26, 2018. He operated Watkins True Value Hardware and owned the Mary Mart Shopping Center in Maryville.

LET US KNOW If you learn of the death of a Northwest graduate, please submit in writing or via news clipping the name of the deceased (and maiden name, if appropriate), year(s) of graduation from Northwest, date of death, age, city of death, city of residence and a brief listing of career accomplishments. In addition, submit your relationship to the deceased and your daytime telephone number to the Office of University Advancement, 800 University Dr., Maryville, MO 64468-6001, or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

NORTHWEST

POSTCARD The Northwest Bee Club celebrated its founding with a ribbon cutting on April 22 to commemorate Earth Day and welcomed four boxes of bees, totaling about 24,000, to their new home at the campus orchard.

Eventually, two of the hives will be relocated to the Northwest’s R.T. Wright Farm north of the campus on Highway 71.

Since arriving on the campus in April, the bees have adjusted well to their new environment, and members of the Bee Club take turns checking them and feeding them once a week.

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Maryville, MO Permit No. 215

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2019

Northwest Missouri State University Office of University Advancement 800 University Drive Maryville, MO 64468-6001

Stay in touch with us: www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni 660.562.1248 alumni@nwmissouri.edu

Join the Tourin’ Bearcats on their upcoming trip Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls & New York City Aug. 21-29, 2020 $2,999 per person* $500 deposit due at time of reservation.

Deposit due Feb. 14, 2020.

Insurance $275 per person (limited space available)

Highlights: • Learn about the magic of glass at the Corning Museum of Glass.

• Visit the White House Visitor Center to retrace the story of the historic residence.

• Embark on a narrated tour of Arlington National Cemetery.

• Reflect at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

• Step back in time for lunch at a historic tavern dating back to the 1700s.

• Enjoy dinner overlooking Niagara Falls at nighttime.

Final payment due June 22, 2020.

Includes:

• Attractions

*Prices based on double occupancy and departure from Kansas City International Airport and taxes, fees and hotel transfers.

Cancellation waiver and insurance available for purchase. All rates are per person and subject to change, based on air inclusive package from Kansas City International Airport.

Make your reservation today Limited availability

For more information, contact the Northwest Alumni Association at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

• Roundtrip airfare from Kansas City, air taxes, hotel transfers • 11 meals (seven breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners)

NORTHWEST

M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

ALUMNI A S S O C I A T I O N

For more information about this trip, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/travel or to book, call the Tourin’ Bearcats Help Desk at 800.869.6806.