Northwest Missouri State University Alumni Magazine

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

GUIDED BY

NATURE

Marcy McKay ’16 and Brett ’18 Lang I p. 8

COVID-19

KXCV-KRNW ANNIVERSARY

FOREVER GREEN

University combats virus | p. 7

Station reaches 50 years | p. 14

Campaign concluding | p. 15

PEOPLE JUST LIKE

YOU

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

“

The first time I set foot on campus was over 30 years ago, and my first impression was that of its stark beauty. Each time I return I think the same – with a feeling of returning home.

If asked to describe Northwest in one word it would be ‘family.’ The Bearcat family is like no other. It’s a special bond for those both near and far. I am thankful to reconnect, learn, volunteer and give back alongside such a wonderful group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends.

Being a Bearcat is an opportunity of a lifetime.

”

Paula Rector Davis, ’91 Northwest Alumni Association Board of Directors Past-President

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

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE Vol. 54 | Issue 2 Editor Mark Hornickel ’01, ’13 mhorn@nwmissouri.edu Designer Kim Ziegler ’16 kimz@nwmissouri.edu Design assistants Ashlee Mejia Hendrix ’08 Wes Rockwood ’14 Photographer Todd Weddle ’96 tweddle@nwmissouri.edu Photography assistant Brandon Bland ’15 Editorial assistants Jana White Hanson ’02 Edidiong Idong-Bassey DeAnn Huber Davison ’03, ’20 Laurie Drummond Long ’92 Sidney Lowry Dr. Bob Machovsky ’15 Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09 Sam Mason ’88 Colin McDonough ’98 Leah Newell ’21 Brandon Stanley ’01, ’16 Kourtnie Stenwall Lori McLemore Steiner ’85 Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09

8 GUIDED BY NATURE Marcy McKay ’16 and Brett ’18 Lang

Marcy and Brett Lang have taken their Northwest education to the National Park Service and share their love for the outdoors as park rangers.

The Northwest Alumni Magazine is published two 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 24

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TRADITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

DEFENDED

Bearcats win third men’s basketball national title

IN SERVICE

Tracy Thomson Hale ’92 leads youth program focused on helping others

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Dear Friends

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Northwest News

15 Advancing Northwest 20 Alumni Connections 24 Bearcat Sports 30 Class Notes 35 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 In Northwest’s Department of Natural Sciences we are committed to student success and enjoy keeping in contact with and hearing about students after they have graduated from the University. Our students are successful because of their hard work and dedication, but we believe that our curriculum provides the tools to make the path into their chosen profession easier on them.

In the biological sciences, our students are required to learn the suite of conceptual, taxonomical and skills-based knowledge they need to grow as researchers, wildlife managers, conservationists, and science and nature education specialists. Our faculty are committed to helping students meet these requirements by providing coursework that meets all three types of knowledge. Our mammalogy course, for example, provides students with conceptual knowledge like evolutionary theory specific to the conservation of mammals, taxonomic knowledge to identify mammal species in the field, and skills-based knowledge for capturing and monitoring mammals in their respective habitats.

Our students often go above and beyond this curriculum by participating in internships across the country, and sometimes internationally, to build on their knowledge. They engage in research with faculty outside of their traditional coursework, present at regional professional conferences and participate in professional societies, such as our Northwest student chapter of the Wildlife Society.

Students are really the ones who make a university succeed, and I am continually encouraged by and proud of our students, their excitement for learning, and their drive to succeed when they graduate and start contributing to their God-given calling in earnest.

NORTHWEST FOUNDATION INC. ’21–’22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Dr. Robert Burrell ’70, Denver, Colo.

Vice President Leisha Beckemeyer Barry ’84, Liberty, Mo..

Immediate Past President Jennifer Dawson Nicholson ’71, Kansas City, Mo.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

Gary Hultquist ’64, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Corey Strider ’96, Lathrop, Mo.

Dr. Marilou Joyner ’75, ’78, ’82, Kansas City, Mo.

Rich Tokheim ’82, Omaha, Neb.

Abe Kaoud ’09, St. Paul, Mo.

Susan Gladstone Tucker ’76, Worth, Mo.

Tondee Voortman Lutterman ’98, ’99, Kansas City, Mo.

Board Members Robert Barmann ’84, Platte City, Mo.

William Oellermann ’72, Mansfield,Texas

Rex Brod ’82, Maryville

Seann O’Riley ’93, St. Joseph, Mo.

John Cline ’75, Overland Park, Kan. Dell Epperson ’75, Columbia, Mo.

Daniel Peterson ’88, Neola, Iowa Brock Pfost, Maryville

Kelly Ferguson ’98, Urbandale, Iowa

Pat Pijanowski ’84, Greenwood, Mo.

Terry French ’75, Austin,Texas

Dr. Joyce Wake Piveral ’70, ’74, ’82, Pickering, Mo.

Eric Geis ’01, Prairie Village, Kan.

Ted Place ’99, Kansas City, Mo.

Derrick Griffin ’01, St. Paul, Minn.

Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Carol Blom Spradling ’88, Maryville

Lisa McDermott Miller ’93, Kansas City, Mo.

Emily Wormsley Greene ’71, Riverside, Mo.

Dr. Jay McGhee

Carl Hughes ’76, Kansas City, Mo.

Dr. David Holmes ’79, Prescott, Ariz.

Thomas Sanchez ’02, Washington, D.C. Dennis Sapp ’68, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Ken Scribner ’87, Kansas City, Mo. Tyler Seals ’13, Omaha, Neb. Gina Smith, Maryville

Dr. Gary Tunell ’67, Dallas,Texas

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

University Advancement Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director of the Northwest Foundation Inc. mitzi@nwmissouri.edu Lori McLemore Steiner ’85, Assistant Vice President of University Advancement and Chief Finance Officer of the Northwest Foundation Inc. steiner@nwmissouri.edu

Brooke Weldon Bowles ’02, Accounting Clerk and Scholarship Coordinator bbowles@nwmissouri.edu Jill Brown Director of Corporate Relations and Major Gift Officer jillb@nwmissouri.edu Kala Hughes Dixon ’19, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Specialist kalad@nwmissouri.edu Jana White Hanson ’02, Senior Major Gift Officer jhanson@nwmissouri.edu Carma Greene Kinman ’85, Constituent Relations Specialist ckinman@nwmissouri.edu Laurie Drummond Long ’92, Senior Gift Planning Officer laurie@nwmissouri.edu Dr. Bob Machovsky ’15, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving rmachov@nwmissouri.edu Sam Mason ’88, Major Gift Officer smason@nwmissouri.edu Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09, Advancement Database, Research and Communications Specialist brenda@nwmissouri.edu

NORTHWEST NEWS

NORTHWEST AWARDED $1.6 MILLION TO EXPAND EARLY CHILD CARE FOR LOCAL FAMILIES, LEARNING FOR STUDENTS

Northwest is adding valuable hands-on clinical experience for early childhood majors and shaping its Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families into a community hub for quality child care with expert, professional supervision and a mission of excellence – providing a win-win for future teachers and families in surrounding communities.

The Missouri Department of Social Services recently awarded more than $1.6 million to Northwest, designating it as one of five Missouri higher education institutions to receive Coronavirus Aid, Relief and

Economic Security (CARES) Act Child Care Plan funding for improving the quality and availability of child care and early education.

The grant, which is 100-percent funded with federal monies, is allowing the University to open a Leet Center classroom on July 1 for children from 6 weeks to 3 years of age.

The addition builds upon the foundation of Northwest’s Horace Mann Laboratory School, which serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and the Leet Center, which opened in 2012 and serves preschool children ages 3 to 5, while fulfilling a need for high-quality early childhood practicum placements within undergraduate and graduate programs. Northwest will offer the only licensed early child care center within a 45-mile radius.

“These funds will enable the Northwest School of Education to continue to innovate while dovetailing perfectly with our mission to prepare the next generation of excellent educators,” Dr. Tim Wall ’01, the dean of the School of Education, said. “This grant significantly expands the capacity of our early childhood program, providing remarkable, world-class preparation.”

RECORD GRADUATE ENROLLMENT IN SPRING

Fall-to-spring retention rate

Overall spring enrollment

Christina Short, a sophomore theater performance major from Omaha, Nebraska, became the first Northwest student to win the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition in January at the annual Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).

“Professional directors are familiar with this highly competitive national event and know that it is a good indicator not only of an actor’s talent but also their commitment to the theatre,” Assistant Professor of Theatre Katheryn Bilbo said.

Overall spring graduate enrollment

ACTRESS WINS REGIONAL ACTING COMPETITION

Northwest attained the highest graduate enrollment in its history in the spring while recording increases in overall enrollment and retention.

The spring semester enrollment counts follow a fall semester when Northwest reported a headcount of 7,267 students, making that total the highest overall enrollment in the institution’s 115-year history.

Traditionally, spring enrollment totals are lower than those recorded during the fall semester.

“Academic quality, adapting COVID-19 mitigations and protecting the Northwest experience to the greatest extent possible are just a few of the features we celebrate as we report our strength in enrollment and retention,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “This all comes through an incredibly dedicated and passionate team of faculty and staff who focus on 40.6% 6.9% 1.2% the student increase increase increase experience to 2,038 to 6,877 to 89.8% students students and overall student success.”

SPRING ’21 VS. SPRING ’20

VERTREESE IS STUDENT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Northwest in April honored Cayla Vertreese as its Student Employee of the Year and announced she also is the state of Missouri’s Student Employee of the Year, making her the 10th Northwest student since 1999 to receive the dual honors.

Vertreese, a senior human services major from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, joined the Office of Student Affairs as a student employee during her freshman year. While the office serves as a hub for the residential life, auxiliary services and student affairs units, she developed herself as versatile office assistant and honed her skills in office operations, customer service, critical thinking and creativity in approaching varied issues.

“She is actively role modeling to our students what it means to be the kind of leader this world needs if we are to solve the divide in our country,” Scott Shields, Northwest’s assistant director of auxiliary services and operations, wrote in his nomination of Vertreese. “We see her talking with faculty, staff and students about issues that are difficult and uncomfortable. She does it with grace, humility and an ability to listen and learn from opposing viewpoints.”

In addition to her work as a student employee, Vertreese founded Active Minds, a student organization dedicated to mental health awareness. She has served as a multicultural representative with Student Senate, as a peer advisor and as a student representative on multiple hiring committees.

This summer, she is beginning her career with Mindfulness First, a nonprofit organization that assists schools, businesses and communities with developing practices centered on trauma-informed, mindfulnessbased social and emotional learning.

Additionally, she will work as a program assistant with All Voices Consulting, which offers services to support equity and inclusion in society.

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NORTHWEST NEWS

STUDENTS GAINING LEADERSHIP SKILLS, BENEFITS THROUGH NORTHWEST GOLD PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOW LARGEST IN STATE Northwest’s Missouri Army National Guard Officer Leadership (GOLD) Program has enrolled 50 students since its 2016 launch, making it the largest of the state’s five GOLD programs.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Officer in Charge Joshua Capt. Joshua Wilmes, officer in charge of the Missouri Wilmes said. “I Army National Guard Officer Leadership program at think most of this Northwest, leads a course in small unit leadership and is because of the tactics. community and the University. They’ve been very supportive of the program, and we get a lot of referrals from faculty and staff members who think the program will be a great fit for a student. Then, of course, our own students bring their friends into the program. We’ve grown pretty fast, and I’m really impressed.”

The GOLD program allows students enrolled at Northwest and enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard to develop into commissioned officers. It provides benefits that include tuition assistance, monthly payments and leadership skills.

“I want them to develop into future leaders, not only for the Missouri Army National Guard but for their communities,” Wilmes said. “Most of our soldiers are part-time or for one weekend a month, so I want them to take the training from this program and apply it to their civilian careers.”

For Mary Weipert, a junior emergency and disaster management major from Easton, Missouri, the GOLD program was a job opportunity and a chance to continue her higher education. She discovered her major through the GOLD program and added a military science minor.

“The military science minor gives you an overview of military history, leadership tactics, tactical operations,” Weipert said. “It teaches you how to be a leader. Most of my classes line up with it because with the GOLD program you take the leadership practicum course, which is also a part of the military science minor. It was really beneficial for me to take the minor, and I also wanted that background and experience to take into my career field.”

For more information about the Show-Me GOLD Program at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/showmegold/.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

Veterans Commons features an exhibit developed by Northwest public history and museum studies students that details the military experiences of students, faculty and staff as well as University activities during times of military conflict.

The Wall of Honor, which had been housed in the Administration Building for decades and displays the names of more than 1,000 World War II veterans, also has been relocated for permanent display in Veterans Commons.

Northwest dedicates military space, continues legacy of supporting veterans State leaders joined Northwest on Veterans Day in November to pay tribute to service men and women and cut a ribbon dedicating the University’s new Veterans Commons.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson; Maj. Gen. Levon Cumpton, the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard; and Missouri Rep. Allen Andrews ’89 attended to help Northwest formally celebrate the opening of the remodeled top floor of Valk Center, which now offers veterans a place to gather.

“This project represents Northwest Missouri State University’s continued commitment to supporting our present and future service members,” Dr. Dawn Gilley, the chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, said. “In creating this space, our goal was to provide a space for veterans and Missouri GOLD members to socialize and to study and to connect our GOLD members with veterans transitioning back into civilian life so that the wisdom of those returning can be shared with the next generation. At the same time, this space can serve as a reminder to all of us that the cost of all that we hold dear is not free and democracy must be fought for.”

Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski noted Veterans Commons honors individuals who have served the nation while assisting and supporting student veterans who are furthering their education and careers, “and certainly others who might just find solace right here in these quarters, to take a moment to reflect on service and all those that came before us.”

MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL FOR 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Victory Media, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Northwest a Military Friendly School for 2021-2022 in recognition of the University’s commitment to embracing military service members, veterans and their family members and ensuring their success on campus. Northwest is one of 747 institutions to earn this year’s designation.

NORTHWEST NEWS

LAPTOP PROGRAM, TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES HELP STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF CONTINUE LEARNING, TEACHING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC When Northwest moved its courses online abruptly last spring as a result of the global pandemic, its embrace of online technology decades ago and its laptop rental program ensured teaching and connectivity among students, faculty and staff were not interrupted.

“When we went completely online, I saw my friends in other universities reaching out to communities to ask for spare laptops to lend to their students because they had students who didn’t have access to online learning and didn’t have access to laptops at home,” Dr. Joy Daggs, a professor of communication in the School of Communication and Mass Media, said. “It’s very helpful to know as an instructor that every student has access to the same software, and I don’t have to keep adjusting my course or figure out how I can make it different.”

As technology has advanced, so has Northwest. The University estimates the laptop program, bundled with its textbook rental program, saves students about $7,200 during the course of a fouryear academic career compared to their peers at other universities.

“I absolutely love the program,” Christian Dixon, a junior social science education major from Hamilton, Missouri, said. “When I came out of high school, I didn’t have a laptop, and I knew I’d have to spend $1,500 on a laptop if I didn’t attend Northwest.”

While Northwest’s laptop program places it ahead of many universities throughout the country, its Learning and Teaching Center also supports faculty by sharing pedagogical and content-

Left: University-issued laptops have enabled students to participate in a variety of class modes during the pandemic.

Right: Psychology instructor Cris Jacobson ’95 speaks with students on Zoom during a hybrid class session where some of her students also were inside the classroom.

A variety of technology resources helped faculty continue teaching through the pandemic.

specific knowledge as well as providing professional development.

As the pandemic continued through the academic year and some Northwest faculty taught hybrid courses that mixed online sessions with in-person classes, instructors found creative ways to engage students.

“Knowing that everyone has a laptop opens up what I can do in class and have students engaged even though they can’t be in person,” Dr. Ben Blackford ’99, ’01, the director of the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business, said.

Added Dr. Kurt Haberyan, a professor of biology, “We couldn’t be teaching without the laptops. It’s a tremendous asset to have the laptops provided by the University.”

COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINICS FURTHER FULFILL VISION FOR HUGHES FIELDHOUSE

Top: Community members await their COVID-19 vaccines during one of several clinics at the Hughes Fieldhouse. The weekly vaccination clinics have further proven the facility’s value as a University and community asset.

Bottom: Northwest alumnus Carl Hughes received his COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic at the Hughes Fieldhouse.

Inside the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse on a Thursday morning in February, students in a recreation class formed a circle on the field turf to begin an activity. A faculty member jogged the perimeter of the turf. And hundreds of people, coming from communities throughout the region, filed through an entrance of the spacious building to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

In fact, the Hughes Fieldhouse was the site of weekly vaccination clinics organized throughout the spring by Northwest and local health agencies, providing yet another example of the facility fulfilling the vision University and community partners had when planning for it began almost a decade ago.

Carl ’76 and Cheryl Deweerdt ’78 Hughes reside in Platte County, Missouri, and were eligible to receive the vaccine when it became available to individuals over the age of 65.

Coincidentally, the Hughes Fieldhouse was the only place they could secure appointments as registration lists in the region filled.

“It’s just fun to see the collaboration and coordination of this with all the different

groups,” said Carl, whose Hughes Family Foundation provided major support for the facility. “It’s an uplifting kind of event to see people respond like this. A year ago, we all were not certain about where we were going to be, and here we are.

There’s a solution and we’re part of it.”

Opened in the fall of 2018 as a centerpiece of Northwest’s Forever Green Campaign, the 137,250 square-foot, $21 million facility represents the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest’s history and one of the largest such projects in the region ever.

“We always had a vision that it would be for supporting our athletic programs, supporting our academic programs, supporting our student engagement activities, but also other community endeavors, and this is a beautiful way for us to continue to help the community,” Dr. Matt Baker, Northwest’s vice president of student affairs, said.

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“I have seen some of the most amazing things that I couldn’t even imagine.”

Brett Lang

Story by Mark Hornickel Design by Kim Ziegler Photography by Todd Weddle 8

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

GUIDED BY

NATURE Couple’s shared love for outdoors leads them to work with National Park Service

Hiking Redwood National and State Parks and the trails of southwest Oregon with Brett ’18 and Marcy McKay ’16 Lang is like participating in a master class about the geological and biological components that make up the complex ecosystem and breathtaking features of those landscapes.

After all, the Langs have to know their stuff as park rangers with the National Park Service. But it’s much more than a job to them. Their passion for the subject material – from the banana slugs living among the majestic redwood trees to the greentinted serpentine scattered across rock formations – becomes more evident with every step. Coming from rural homes in the Midwest, the Langs say their journey sometimes feels like a dream.

“I have seen some of the most amazing things that I couldn’t even imagine,” Brett said while hiking with Marcy through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park on one of their off days in mid-May. “It’s like being transported to a different world – and it’s not just going there. It’s being entrusted through my education and through my experience that I can go out and make sure everyone gets to experience these beautiful places.”

THE LANGS ARE A CONTRAST IN PERSONALITIES BOUND BY A SHARED PASSION FOR THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. Marcy grew up in rural Tekamah, Nebraska, a town of about 1,700 people near Nebraska’s eastern border, 45 miles north of Omaha.

Brett hails from the larger Sedalia, Missouri, in the center of the state and home to the Missouri State Fair.

Marcy, a self-described “super go-getter,” was valedictorian of her high school graduating class. She participated in academic decathlons and quiz bowls and enjoyed the challenge of her biology classes.

While her family didn’t travel much, she thought maybe she’d try to become a veterinarian. Brett, on the other hand, was the kid who accompanied his family to his older brother’s ballgames but found more enjoyment in wandering from the bleachers to throw stones in nearby creeks and explore the natural surroundings.

Yet their connection at Northwest was practically instantaneous. As incoming freshmen with shared interests in biology-related majors, they were placed in the same group during Summer Orientation Advisement and Registration, more commonly known as SOAR. They caught each other’s eyes over a couple rows of seats in the Mary Linn Auditorium and later exchanged contact information in the hallway. They began dating about a month later and were nearly inseparable as undergraduate students.

“She said she saw me and she knew that there was something special about me,” Brett recalled. “Whenever I saw her, being the awkward freshman that I was, I would throw out the cool facts about myself, like I had a pet tarantula and try to impress her – and somehow it worked.”

At Northwest, they took advantage of experiences that clubs and field trips provided, in addition to exploring the region’s natural NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

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offerings on their own. They enjoyed regular hikes along the 102 River, sometimes wading through the water for hours to collect rocks and fossils. Their travels with Universitysanctioned field trips took them to Arkansas for camping and canoeing on the Buffalo National River, to Michigan for a tour of an underground mine and multiple national parks.

“That was the thing that got me about geology was no other major went out for two weeks in a van and just toured the United States and checked out the geology,” Marcy said. “That was really my favorite thing.”

As she completed her bachelor’s degree in environmental geology, Marcy got into the National Park Service’s competitive job field through its Geoscientists in the Parks program, an immersive internship experience for young adults who aspire to work in national parks. She landed a spot at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve in Cave Junction, Oregon, interning for three months during the summer of 2016 and then was hired for an additional month.

“A lot of people in my life told me, ‘Are you sure you want to do this by yourself?’” she said, adding that she wasn’t yet 21 years old but persisted with Brett’s strong support.

“It’s a really special place. I don’t know a lot of other places where you can be up in the mountains, like an hour away, and then come straight to the ocean.”

That summer, Brett, on his way to completing a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and conservation, got his first taste of the West Coast while visiting Marcy and was convinced he wanted a career with the National Park Service, too. After marrying in Hawaii, both Brett and Marcy worked at Oregon Caves as park rangers for the 2017 and 2018 summer seasons. Marcy’s experience also allowed her to advance to a tour coordinator role and manage teams of park rangers at Oregon Caves.

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In 2019, the Langs were hired to work at Redwood National and State Parks, engaging with about 2,000 visitors a day in the southern district of the iconic 139,000acre park that cuts across the northern half of the California coast. The Langs staffed the beachside Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center, led guided hikes, campfire programs and roved the park to interact with visitors on trails.

While a percentage of park rangers work in law enforcement, the Langs specialize in interpretation. They credit Northwest for providing them with foundational knowledge in wildlife ecology, conservation and geology, but the people skills are learned on the job.

“You can keep learning and keep adding to your knowledge and your specialty, but really being a park ranger is being able to evaluate your crowd, evaluate who you’re talking to and take a really complex subject and pare it down enough for people to have something to take away from it,” Marcy said.

The couple teases that Marcy takes on a more polished, academic persona, while Brett is an unabashed storyteller. One weekend when the Langs were leading campfire programs during their season at Redwood, Brett presented “Taking a Gander at a Salamander,” and Marcy discussed “North Coast Beach Patterns: Tsunamis and Other Concerns.”

“Brett is like the quintessential park ranger,” Marcy said. “He has a good voice for it.

People love him. I’m more professorial with a more scientific approach.”

Often, it’s the conversations with visitors along park trails that make the most impactful connections.

“Sometimes all you need to do is just make them smile and help them remember that they’re out here in this wild place and they’re getting to experience it for themselves rather than watch it on a documentary,” Brett said.

“Whenever you put on the uniform and you

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

“It’s a really special place. I don’t know a lot of other places where you can be up in the mountains, like an hour away, and then come straight to the ocean.”

Marcy Lang

Marcy Lang issues permits and monitors rafting on the Rogue River as a visitor use park ranger with the Bureau of Land Management and the Rand Recreation Area in Merlin, Oregon. During a day off, she and her husband, Brett, hiked Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which features the region’s iconic redwood trees and where the couple spent a summer season educating visitors about the forest’s unique ecosystem.

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take that persona as a park ranger, you’re the person that people will seek out for information, so you feel that bit of duty and honor in doing it.”

EVERYONE HAS A STORY ABOUT THE WAYS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTED THEIR LIVES. For the Langs, it put an agonizing pause on their ambitions with the National Park

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Service.

The couple was readying to return to Oregon Caves in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic arrived in the United States.

Like most people and businesses, they held to hope that the virus would run its course and their lives would return to normalcy at some point during the summer. But their start dates continued to be delayed as the National Park Service implemented its own mitigation measures. The parks remained open in 2020 but operated at minimum capacity, which meant fewer park rangers were needed.

Oregon Caves halted its underground tours.

Brett was finishing the winter season at Redwood when the state of California began enforcing stay-at-home orders. With Marcy already back at their offseason home in Nebraska, he spent 37 days living alone in park service housing, leaving the park only for groceries and other necessities. When the season ended in April, he loaded his 2004 Mazda 6 and

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

drove the 27-hour, 1,800-mile trek nearly non-stop from Orick, California, to Omaha.

As the pandemic continued, he found comfort in hiking the Missouri River, fishing and practicing his photography. He worked a stint at Fontenelle Forest, south of Omaha, and then went to work at Target during the winter months.

Marcy had some luck securing a job with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and spent her offseason working as a naturalist at Schramm Education Center in Gretna. She did everything from handling snakes for education programs to caring for the aquarium fish. She also created a virtual geology program for schools, bagging fossils and dirt that she sent to students with handouts.

Although the couple have traveled to nearly every state in the western half of the country, their time away from northern California and southwest Oregon also gave them a renewed appreciation for the natural wonders they experience nearly every day as park rangers.

“Most people tell me it’s on their bucket list,” Marcy said as she reflected on

people’s fascination with Redwood. “I think when it really hit me was actually coming back this season and we drove through it, and I finally get it. I finally get the big trees after living in Nebraska. I had been exposed to them quite a bit, living in southwestern Oregon. I’ve seen them before, but then I came back and I’m like, ‘You know what?

This is a very special place. This is a big deal.’”

NOW THE LANGS ARE BACK WHERE THEY WANT TO BE IN SOUTHWEST OREGON. Marcy is a visitor use park ranger with the Bureau of Land Management and is stationed at Smullin Visitor Center at the Rand Recreation Area in Merlin, Oregon.

It’s a required stop to obtain permits for the Rogue River National Recreation Trail, a rugged 40-mile stretch offering plentiful hiking, rafting, fishing and wildlife viewing.

It’s also another advancement in her career that provides experience with issuing permits and visitor engagement as well as emergency response. “It’s true wilderness,” she said.

“It’s more dangerous than we think it is,

and that’s part of the importance of having rangers is making sure that there is as little injury as possible and that the land is being used appropriately, that we’re leaving as little impact on it as we can.”

Brett, meanwhile, returned to Oregon Caves, where he takes an effusive pride in leading visitors into the stunning formations shaped over a million years as rain seeped through the Siskiyou Mountains’ forest soil to create one of the world’s few marble caves.

“We will get people who come back after 30, 40 years,” Brett said. “They come back, walking through the cave they walked through with their parents to see the formations that inspired them. It’s one of those feelings that puts it in perspective that it isn’t just a job. It’s something that brings people to a calling. You’re inspiring other people.”

While some are content with the seasonal work, many park rangers like the Langs are trying to secure full-time, year-round employment through the provisions of the Land Management Workforce

Flexibility Act. Signed into law in 2015, the act provides a pathway for individuals working time-limited appointments in land management agencies to seek permanent positions. To be eligible, employees must accrue a cumulative 24 months of service in one or more time-limited appointments in a land management agency without a break lasting two or more years.

Marcy aspires to become a supervisory park ranger and will qualify for a permanent position by the end of the current season.

Brett is just behind her, and the couple hopes to soon secure full-time positions with the National Park Service or the Bureau of Land Management that allow them to live in the region year-round.

“We’ve made it work, and everyone has struggles in their life,” Marcy said. “There’s been a lot of focus in life on what you should be doing for a career, where you should be, family structure, but there’s not a lot of focus that people put on being in the right place, and I do think that’s important.”

Use your mobile device to scan this QR code for access to more photos of the Langs and their work with the National Park Service.

Brett Lang, a park ranger at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve in Cave Junction, Oregon, stands in appreciation of a view of the Siskiyou Mountains. He leads daily tours inside the marble caves and takes pride in telling the stories of its formations.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

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ADVANCING NORTHWEST

lebrating e C

years 2 1 Fifty years ago this year – at 7 a.m. on Jan. 14, 1971 – Rollie Stadlman ’70 leaned into a microphone inside a new broadcasting studio on the Administration Building’s third floor and spoke the words “KXCV begins broadcasting.” Those words launched an enduring platform that has informed and entertained generations of radio listeners while preparing hundreds of Northwest students for their careers.

KXCV-KRNW has continued its celebration throughout the year and will broadcast live from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, from the parking lot of the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation. The location is the former site of the station’s signal tower, and the date marks the anniversary of the 1979 Administration Building fire, which destroyed the radio station’s original studio.

Alumni of the station will participate in the broadcast, which can be heard at 88.9 FM and 90.5 FM as well as online at www.kxcv.org.

KXCV was the first full-power public radio service in Missouri, providing in-depth news and information with an alternative music format. In 1993, KRNW went on the air in Chillicothe, extending programming across most of the northern 25 percent of Missouri. Additionally in 1999, KXCVKRNW and Northwest launched the Bearcat Radio Network, which broadcasts all Bearcat football and basketball games to listeners across the country through its regional affiliates and online. All of the 100,000-watt radio station’s programming emanates from the Northwest campus and its Wells Hall studio.

To read more about KXCV’s early years and its return in the wake of the Administration Building fire, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/ alumni/magazine/.

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4

3

6 5

8

7 1-4. Black and white photographs and other mementos from the radio station’s early days were displayed to the public in January as KXCV-KRNW celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first day of broadcasting.

5-6. Items saved from the wreckage of the July 24, 1979, Administration Building fire and displayed at the Warren Stucki Museum of Broadcasting in Wells Hall include vinyl records melted by the fire’s heat.

The fire destroyed 60 percent of the Administration

Building, including KXCV’s third-floor studios and equipment.

7. Today, KXCV studios are newly remodeled and located in Wells Hall. The studios feature stateof-the-art equipment to provide students with profession-based training that prepares them for broadcasting careers.

8. Maryville Mayor Ben Lipiec '07 presented Station Manager John Coffey '82 with a proclamation Jan. 14 in celebration of KXCV-KRNW’s 50th anniversary.

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT, NORTHWEST FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES STAFF CHANGES

NORTHWEST TO CELEBRATE OPENING OF AG LEARNING CENTER, COMPLETION OF CAMPAIGN Northwest will celebrate the opening of its Agricultural Learning Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 30 – a day that also will mark the end of the University’s successful Forever Green comprehensive campaign.

The public is invited to the Agricultural Learning Center ribboncutting at 9 a.m. July 30 at the R.T. Wright Farm, located north of the Northwest campus at 22893 U.S. Highway 71 in Maryville. The event will include a short program and tours of the facility.

“The grand opening of the Agricultural Learning Center is the perfect exclamation point as we conclude the Forever Green campaign,” Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, vice president of university advancement and executive director of the Northwest Foundation, said. “The ALC has been a dream for many years, and to see it come to fruition is truly something to celebrate.”

The $11.4 million, 29,000-squarefoot multipurpose facility will enhance the School of Agricultural Sciences, under the direction of Dr. Rod Barr ’87, ’95, ’09.

With laboratory, kitchen and exposition space as well as classrooms and offices, the new building will position the School to advance its curriculum while meeting the needs of enrollment and program growth.

The facility 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.

Launched in 2014, the Forever Green campaign is an initiative of the Northwest Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation responsible for developing and stewarding philanthropic resources for the benefit The University and students.

The campaign, which is just the second in the University’s history, sought to raise $45 million for academic excellence, scholarships, student life and other donor-directed gifts. Upon going public with the campaign in 2019, donors had already provided nearly $43 million. As the campaign ends this summer, donors have provided more than $54 million.

In addition to the Agricultural Learning Center, the Hughes Fieldhouse opened in October 2018 as another key component of the campaign and the single largest publicprivate partnership in Northwest’s history. The 137,250 square-foot facility features a 90-yard practice turf, 300-meter indoor competition track and meeting rooms. Further, the campaign is helping the Northwest Foundation dramatically increase scholarship awards to students. The Forever Green campaign aimed to raise $10.5 million for scholarships and, to date, has secured more than $13.1 million in scholarship support.

Additionally, it is adding support to University faculty with initiatives such as the Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professorship in Instrumental Music.

Northwest and the Northwest Mitzi Marchant Foundation announced in March the appointment of Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, to the position of vice president of university advancement and executive director of the Northwest Foundation.

Marchant joined Northwest in 1999 and has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and Jill Brown a master’s degree in higher education leadership. During her time at the institution she has filled the roles of vice president of university relations, chief public relations officer, director of advancement communication, director of information and marketing, and communication assistant. She also served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Communication and Mass Media, teaching courses in public relations. Most recently, she was Northwest’s director of donor engagement as well as director of corporate and foundation relations.

“The Foundation could not be happier to have Mitzi assume the VP position,” Dr. Bob Burrell ’70, the president of the Northwest Foundation, said. “The Forever Green campaign is experiencing great success, and Mitzi has been a driving force in our efforts. I know she has the full support of the Foundation and the University Advancement team as she takes on her new role. We look forward to great things ahead for the Foundation and for Northwest.”

Additionally, Jill Brown has joined the Office of University Advancement and the Northwest Foundation as director of corporate relations and major gift officer. She is responsible for strategically strengthening Northwest’s relationship with existing corporate partners and seeking financial support from new partners as well as working with alumni and friends who desire to financially support the University.

Brown joined Northwest in 2017 and most recently served as director of partnerships and placement, overseeing Career Services and playing an instrumental role in furthering profession-based learning opportunities. An alumna of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, she has more than 15 years of higher education and corporate relations experience.

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ADVANCING NORTHWEST

GIVING OF ALUMNI, CERNER EMPLOYEES RECOGNIZES LEGACIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH Opportunities Ken Scribner ’87 and Owen Straub ’86 had at Northwest paved the way for successful careers with Cerner Corporation, a leading supplier of health information technology services, devices and hardware. Now their families are giving back to the University in hopes of creating similar opportunities for future students.

Ken and his wife, Jeanette, gave $25,000 to establish the Ken and Jeanette Scribner Family Scholarship Fund and create a $1,000 annual scholarship. The fund will award scholarships to first-generation students with a technology-related major and pays tribute to the foundational experiences Northwest provided Ken, who is a member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors, as well as his son, Garrett Scribner ’18, and Garrett’s fiancé, Madison Olberding ’18.

Similarly, Owen, a former member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors, and his wife, Liz, established the Straub Family Foundation Scholarship Fund through a $25,000 gift. That scholarship also will be awarded to students with technology-related majors while paying tribute to a legacy of Straub family members who have benefitted from opportunities Northwest provided them. Both of Owen’s parents, Robert ’57 and Virginia Buzzard

’57 Straub, as well as his sister, Ilse Straub ’87, are Northwest alumni.

Ken completed his degree in computer science and began his Cerner career within a month of graduating. His work with Northwest’s computer science department and the University’s VAX operating system proved to be a boon in securing work with Cerner.

“It was hands-on training that I probably wouldn’t have gotten at other schools,” Ken said. “I came out with that experience and then my first job involved doing system administration on the same operating system.”

Owen also started his career with Cerner upon graduating from Northwest, seeing the company as a viable and intriguing innovator in the health care information industry. Learning the COBOL programming language at Northwest allowed him to jump into the work, and he quickly became a team leader.

Cerner has grown from just more than 100 employees when Ken, vice president and information technology executive, and Owen, a retired vice president for engineering, started working there to more than 30,000 today. Innovations in technology have enabled the company’s

Top: Owen Straub with his wife, Liz, and stepdaughter, Morgan Garrison Bottom: Ken and Jeanette Scribner with their son, Garrett, and his fiancé, Madison Olberding.

growth, providing opportunities for both men to grow with it and take on new roles.

“It turned out there was a lot of opportunity out there for the automation of healthcare,” Owen said. “I happened to be in a good place at a good time and have a good background at Northwest to be able to have those skills that allowed me to continue to build my skills and then learn other things along the way.”

Iowa couple provides support of Ag Learning Center, establishes scholarship for ag majors from rural high schools Don and Jody Athen did not earn their college degrees at Northwest, but their bond with the institution has inspired them to support the University’s focus on student success and help advance the careers of graduates interested in agriculture.

The couple has given $100,000 toward Northwest’s Agricultural Learning Center in addition to a $25,000 gift to establish the Don and Jody Athen Scholarship.

The Hamburg, Iowa, couple built a connection with Northwest through AgriVision Equipment Group, the agriculture supply company they formed in 2014 with four other family-owned dealerships. Athen Implement had been 16

supporting farmers in southwest Iowa since 1941.

“I’ve spent my whole life in the farm equipment business and working with farmers from Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas, and we feel that the Ag Learning Center – as technology has changed so drastically and it’s going to continue to grow exponentially over the next few years – is a good return on investment for our family staying in the business, and I think it’s mutually beneficial to us and the college,” Don said. “We’ve been really impressed with everybody at Northwest Missouri State, and they’re such great people. We feel a connection to them.”

The Don and Jody Athen Scholarship is

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

available to full-time Northwest students who are majoring in an agriculture field and hail from counties in southwest Iowa or northwest Missouri. Priority will be awarded to students who exhibit academic excellence and financial need in addition to education at a rural high school.

“It’s important that rural students don’t get left behind,” Don said. “We want them to remain on the farm and support farmers in various businesses. We also want to recruit high-quality students from the area that want to stay in rural areas because those counties are where we do the majority of our business. We want opportunities for kids from smaller schools and rural schools to advance.”

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

EXPERIENCES, FARM UPBRINGING INSPIRE COUPLE TO SUPPORT AG CENTER The upbringings of Dana and Sue Johnson ’72 Hockensmith on their family farms laid a foundation that has inspired them to support the Agricultural Learning Center at Northwest.

Although the Hockensmiths were not involved with the agriculture program as students at Northwest, their interest in the field stems from growing up and working on their family farms. When Dana and Sue learned of Northwest’s plans for the Agricultural Learning Center, they understood the need.

“It is so important for us to nurture our land for our students, to be able to respect what they learn through agriculture,” Sue said. “I think there are many farm values that are necessary in life. We learned through growing up on the farm, and we think that this will attract and retain students. I also believe that this is a way that we can enhance the stature of Northwest because this is going to give the University a competitive difference over so many universities around us.”

Having grown up on farms in northwest Missouri and southwest Iowa, Dana and Sue Hockensmith developed an appreciation for education and hard work. Sue was the oldest of five children on her family’s dairy farm in Lewis, Iowa, and Dana grew up on a farm near Pickering, Missouri. Dana attended Northwest for two years before transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia to finish his bachelor’s degree and attend law school, while Sue graduated from Northwest with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

After completing her degree, Sue dedicated herself to being a mother to her children – Philip, Angela and Laura – and volunteering in the schools and communities where the Hockensmith family lived.

She also enjoyed serving children with intellectual developmental disabilities. In 1977, the Hockensmiths founded Pony Bird Inc., a nonprofit organization in Jefferson

Construction of the Agricultural Learning Center at the R.T. Wright Farm is nearly complete, and a ribbon-cutting is scheduled for July 30.

CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE ADDS SUPPORT TO AG LEARNING CENTER, SPONSORS AGRONOMY LAB A widely recognized agriculture company committed to preserving food sources and helping agricultural communities thrive has added its support to Northwest’s Agricultural Learning Center, providing $250,000 toward the project.

Because of Corteva Agriscience’s support, the new facility opening this summer will feature The Corteva Agriscience Agronomy Laboratory, which will offer plant science-based teaching and research

County, Missouri, that provides homes and care for non-ambulatory individuals with severe mental and physical disabilities. In 1989, Sue and Dana became more deeply involved in childcare because of Sue’s interests in education, and they continue to own and operate Lakeside Children’s Academy, which was built in 1992 in St. Louis County.

activities to introduce students to new areas of plant science. The space will provide student researchers with opportunities to try climate-controlled plant growth experiments, plant tissue culture, metabolic assays, and genetic and transcriptomic analysis.

“The relationships we have built through the years with so many generous people at Corteva Agriscience have been incredibly rewarding – for both students as well as faculty,” said Mitzi Craft Marchant ’91, ’09, vice president of university advancement and executive director of the Northwest Foundation. “We are excited to continue that relationship, knowing our entire community will benefit from the Agricultural Learning Center. To have the Corteva Agriscience name associated with this facility is quite an honor.”

Corteva Agriscience provides farmers throughout the world with resources to maximize yield and profitability, including recognized agriculture brands and crop protection products such as Pioneer and Brevant brand seeds and Granular digital solutions. The company works with stakeholders throughout the food system to enrich the lives of those who produce and consume. Corteva Agriscience, which was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, became an independent public company in 2019.

“Innovation and education are essential to develop sustainable ag solutions, which meet the needs of farmers and society for the future,” Nikki Hall, an area sales leader for Corteva Agriscience, said.

“We are excited and honored to join with Northwest to create a learning laboratory that will inspire students today to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

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ADVANCING NORTHWEST

LASTING L E G A C I ES

The pull of the Northwest family rings true for Dell ’75 and Janet Kelley ’75 Epperson. Nineteen members of the Kelley family call themselves Bearcats, and that legacy has inspired the couple to support the University through their monetary gifts.

In addition to a recent gift that made the Eppersons members of Northwest’s Homesteader Society, a group of more than 50 public and private donors providing gifts of $25,000 or greater toward the Agricultural Learning Center, the Eppersons have named the University as the beneficiary in their wills.

“My wife and I are strong supporters of Northwest Missouri State and, in particular, the agricultural programs, which are applicable to every walk of life,” Dell said, noting Jan’s mother, Shirley Alden Kelley ’52 still owns 240 acres north of Maryville, which Jan’s late father, Bobby Kelley ’53, purchased after retiring from a career in education. Today the farm is managed by Jan’s brother, Keith Kelley ’84, and nephew, Sam Kelley ’16. “We have a vested interest in continuing to support everything related to agriculture with Northwest. It’s a family affair.”

Dell graduated with a degree in speech with a broadcasting emphasis but made his career with the U.S. Navy. After 30 years, he retired in 2012 as a captain in the Surface Warfare Office.

Janet graduated with a degree in elementary education and sustained her teaching career while moving with Dell throughout his military career, which included living in eight states. She retired in 2015 as a sixth-grade instructor after Dell’s final tour in Hawaii.

Today, they reside in Columbia, Missouri, and Dell is a member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors.

“We believe our formative years at Northwest shaped our personal and professional lives. Jan majored in education. I was first a radio announcer and then served in the military. Giving back to where we met and began our lives together was the logical choice, providing opportunities for the next generation of Bearcats.”

Dell Epperson ’75

One of easiest planned gifts to create and implement is a bequest in your will or living trust. It allows you to give any percentage of your estate as a charitable gift when a current gift of real estate or cash might not otherwise be feasible.

CONSIDER THESE ADVANTAGES: n

It’s simple to set up.

n

It provides an estate tax deduction.

n

You maintain control of your assets.

n

It provides for a cause you deem worthy at Northwest.

n

It provides a gift to Northwest in an amount you believe is appropriate, and you can still provide for your loved ones.

n

It includes membership in the Northwest Foundation’s James H. Lemon Heritage Society.

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 providing an estate provision.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS

SCHOLARSHIP HONORS MEMORY OF EDUCATION STUDENT’S HARD WORK, FUN-LOVING PERSONALITY The mother of a Northwest student killed in 2018 has established a scholarship in her daughter’s memory to assist future students pursuing degrees in the field she loved.

Brenda McCoy recently established the Morgan McCoy Memorial Scholarship in memory of her daughter with monetary gifts she received after Morgan’s passing.

Morgan was a 19-year-old sophomore elementary education major at Northwest when she died Jan. 7, 2018, as a result of injuries she suffered when a vehicle crashed into a Maryville bar that she was inside.

The scholarship will assist students demonstrating a love for teaching and potential success as an elementary classroom teacher. Recipients of the scholarship will be full-time Northwest students with a declared major in elementary education or early childhood education, must maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and demonstrate financial need.

“Morgan was a tremendous person and student, and this scholarship reflects her in memory and spirit,” Dr. Tim Wall ’01, the dean of Northwest’s School of Education, said. “We are appreciative of the generous support for education majors like Morgan, knowing that these resources will spark the flame of learning for those students who match Morgan’s love of teaching.”

The $750 scholarship is awarded annually, with Sarah Wilson, a senior early childhood education major from St. Joseph, Missouri, becoming its first recipient last fall.

“This scholarship has helped me tremendously to continue in my early education degree at Northwest,” Wilson said. “I am so grateful that I was chosen to receive it. Morgan had a huge impact on so many people, and I think it is amazing to see her legacy carried on through this scholarship.”

A single parent, Brenda recognized the important role financial assistance played in Morgan’s ability to pursue a college degree. As a high school student, Morgan

Morgan McCoy

began working as soon as she could. Once at Northwest, she quickly landed a student employment role in Everett W. Brown Education Hall while maintaining her parttime jobs in Kansas City and her hometown of Liberty, Missouri.

“I think, in anything, if you don’t work for it, you don’t truly value it,” Brenda said.

“I think that’s why she valued her time (at Northwest). She had to work for it.”

As a student employee in the School of Education’s field experience office, Morgan assisted professional staff with student teacher placements, communication and other needs. In addition to being an active member of Sigma Kappa sorority, McCoy was excited for her career prospects as she gained experience through her elementary education major and early childhood minor.

As a tribute to family heritage and their mother’s emphasis on education, three sisters have created a scholarship for Northwest women aspiring to work in the business field.

The Doris Walker Appleman Endowed Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship, will be awarded for the first time for the 2021-22 academic year to an entering freshman female.

Mary Ann Andersen, Shirley Kohlwes and Jan Corriston were inspired to establish the scholarship because of the Walker family’s deep connection to the University and the passion their mother, Doris Walker Appleman, had for learning.

“She couldn’t go to college because of finances,” Corriston said. “She was certainly capable of attending college, so if there is a woman who wants to go on to school in business, particularly if she’s the first person in her family to go, that would be fabulous because that would really honor Mother.”

When finances during the Great Depression prevented her from receiving an education at Northwest she enhanced her business interest by working as a secretary at Nodaway Valley Bank in Maryville. After rearing a family and a move in 1947 to Colorado Springs, Colorado, she developed her clerical and administrative skills and learned about investing with the help of friends. Appleman built a reputation as a hard worker, finding employment with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

“She was very efficient and accurate and proud of her work,” Corriston said. “But she always was sorry that she didn’t have a college degree. She never stopped learning, however, and could be found reading business journals up to the time of her death at age 93.”

To read more of these stories, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/ alumni/magazine/

Pictured left to right in 1988 are Doris Walker Appleman and her daughters Mary Ann Andersen, Jan Corriston and Shirley Kohlwes.

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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-four alumni chapters comprise the Alumni Association, and more are being formed.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ADDS CHAPTERS IN CAROLINAS, ATLANTA The Northwest Alumni Association this spring added its 23rd chapter, representing the Carolinas, and 24th chapter, representing the Atlanta metropolitan area.

ORTHWEST Godwin Mordi ’11 is leading the Carolinas Alumni and Friends Chapter. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a fitness coach.

“It is essential to foster friendships and network with other Bearcats after graduation to build a thriving alumni community for the benefit of the members as well as the University,” Mordi said, noting he enjoys staying connected with other alumni through social media.

TisSian Butler ’18 has taken charge of the Atlanta Alumni and Friends Chapter. She resides in Kennesaw, Georgia, and is a sales consultant with AT&T. “I love my Bearcat family and want a huge network everywhere,” she said.

Dr. Bob Machovsky ’15, director of alumni relations and annual giving at Northwest, praised the new chapters’ members for their commitment and pride toward the University.

“The Northwest Alumni Association is thrilled to add two more alumni and friends chapters,” Machovsky said. “The chapters provide an opportunity for alumni and friends who are not able to make it back to Northwest to connect with Bearcats in their area and with the University.”

Additional Northwest Alumni Association chapters are chartered in regions covering Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa as well as in the states and cities of Arizona, California, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Washington, D.C. The Alumni Association boasts one international chapter in Japan, as well as four specialty groups for Black Alumni and Friends, Band Alumni, a Gridiron chapter for alumni of the Bearcat football program and Theatre Alumni and Friends.

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Students signed a banner to thank donors during Northwest’s annual Thank a Donor Day in April.

STUDENTS SPEND DAY THANKING ALUMNI, DONORS Northwest celebrated alumni and friends who contribute generously to the University in support of scholarships, campus facilities and student success during its seventh annual Thank a Donor Day on April 13.

Sponsored by the Northwest Alumni Association in collaboration with the Student Activities Council (SAC), the day’s activities encouraged students to share their gratitude by submitting virtual thank-you notes, signing a thank-you banner, recording video messages for donors and taking pictures at a photo booth.

Yard signs were placed throughout the campus to educate students about the positive impacts private support has had on students and the Northwest community. Students also had the opportunity to hitch a ride on a golf cart and answer trivia questions related to private support for chances at winning prizes.

On its social media channels, Northwest shared videos of its community expressing gratitude to donors, along with thank you messages submitted online.

“As a freshman, I was not aware of this community or the impact donations and scholarships had on not just the University but also on my college career and ability to attend college,” said Brady Netzel, SAC’s president and a senior graphic design major from Omaha, Nebraska. “I am a scholarship recipient and, thanks to the financial burden being lifted, I am able to pursue my passions and develop a skill set that will allow me to be career ready when I graduate.”

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Save the Date Friday, Sept. 24, 2021

2021

Alumni Awards Banquet The Northwest Alumni Association annually honors individuals who have given their time, talent and service to Northwest and will recognize its 2020 and 2021 award recipients this fall.

More information is available at the Northwest Alumni Association website at nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events/.

AT THE AGRICULTURAL LEARNING CENTER 6 P.M. SOCIAL 6:30 P.M. DINNER 8 P.M. AWARDS PRESENTATION

THE 2020 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS ARE: • Distinguished Alumni Award: Jerry Moyer ’76, ’78 • Distinguished Faculty Award: Dr. Tyler Tapps ’04, ’06 • Distinguished Faculty Emeritus Award: Dr. Thomas Carneal • Public Service Award: Jason McDowell ’03, ’10, ’18 • Turret Service Award: Gary Thompson ’76 (posthumously) • Young Alumni Award: Bilal Clarence ’05, • Honorary Alumni Award: John Richmond THE 2021 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS ARE: • Distinguished Alumni Award: The Honorable Anne-Marie Clark ’70 • Distinguished Faculty Award: Dr. Gretchen Thornsberry • Distinguished Faculty Emeritus Award: Laura Widmer ’79 • Public Service Award: Sharon Bonnett ’65 • Turret Service Award: Linda Place ’72, ’09 • Young Alumni Award: JR Kurz ’04 • Honorary Alumni Award: Faith Spark

2020-2021 NORTHWEST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Northwest Alumni Association Board of Directors includes (front row, from left) Matt Gaarder ’97; Kurt Jackson ’88; Dave Teeter ’86; Allison Kahre Kreifels ’06, ’11; Randy Cody ’99; Martin Curley, ’09; Dr. Bob Machovsky ’15; Zerryn Gines; D’Vante Mosby ’18; (back row, from left) Sean Gundersen ’10, ’13; Sue Johnson Hockensmith ’72; Mellissa Moody Mincy ’06; Carma Greene Kinman ’85; Dr. Joyce Wake Piveral ’70, ’74, ’82; Paula Rector Davis ’91; Kala Hughes Dixon ’19; Janice Erickson Corley ’70 and Dustin Wasson ’03. Not pictured are Damion Valline Bridges ’84; Michelle Mattson Drake ’98; Kimberly Massey Heslop ’93 and Terrance Logan ’07, ’10.

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N O RT H W E S T MIS S O U R I S TAT E U N IVE RSITY

ALUMNI CHAPTERS For more information about a chapter or to get involved, contact the Northwest Alumni Association at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

ARIZONA CHAPTER ATLANTA CHAPTER N e w BAND ALUMNI CHAPTER BLACK ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CHAPTER CAROLINAS CHAPTER N e w CENTRAL IOWA CHAPTER CHICAGO CHAPTER COLORADO CHAPTER DALLAS CHAPTER EASTERN IOWA CHAPTER GRIDIRON CHAPTER JAPAN CHAPTER

KANSAS CITY CHAPTER MARYVILLE CHAPTER MID-MISSOURI CHAPTER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER SOUTHERN IOWA CHAPTER SPRINGFIELD CHAPTER ST. JOSEPH CHAPTER ST. LOUIS CHAPTER TWIN CITIES CHAPTER WASHINGTON, D.C. CHAPTER WESTERN IOWA/EASTERN NEBRASKA CHAPTER

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

GOLDEN YEARS SOCIETY REUNION OCT. 29-30

Homecoming Weekend

HONORING THE

CLASSES OF 1970 AND 1971

SAVE THESE DATES AND JOIN US FOR YOUR 50-YEAR REUNION CELEBRATION DURING HOMECOMING WEEKEND. The Northwest Alumni Association will commemorate your milestone and welcome you into the Golden Years Society with a luncheon, class photo, campus tour, VIP seating for the Homecoming parade and football game and more. Hotel and registration information will be distributed later this summer.

The Alumni Association is seeking volunteers to serve on the Class of 1970 and Class of 1971 reunion committees and help make phone calls to members of the classes. If you are interested in volunteering or have questions regarding the reunion, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

HOMECOMING OCTOBER 24-30 N

WHE TS REMEMBER 2021 | BEARCA

VARIETY SHOW • Friday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

• Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts • Tickets are $5; purchase at www.nwmissouri.edu/ getinvolved/homecoming/ FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m.

• Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza M-CLUB HALL OF FAME BANQUET AND INDUCTION CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.

• J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom • COST: $35, tickets may be purchased online or by calling Kiersten Orton at 660.562.1977 HOMECOMING WELCOME • Saturday, Oct. 30, 8 a.m.

• Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends • Free refreshments

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• Homecoming buttons and reunion ribbons will be available to graduates from 1970, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016.

HOMECOMING PARADE • Saturday, Oct. 30, 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.

BEARCAT ZONE PREGAME FESTIVITIES • Saturday, Oct. 30, at the conclusion of the parade • Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion • COST: Admission to College Park and pregame activities is free. A tailgate meal is $12 and includes a main entree with two sides, a dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. Indoor seating with TVs and full bar available inside Pavilion.

FOOTBALL VS. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY • Saturday, Oct. 30, 2 p.m.

• Bearcat Stadium • COST: $25 reserved, $14 adult general admission (standing room only), $10 K-12 standing room only or visiting students

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

Homecoming football tickets are available to the general public beginning Tuesday, Oct. 12, and may be purchased online at https://nwmissouri. universitytickets.com.

PLACES TO STAY MARYVILLE America’s Best Value Inn, 660.562.3111 Bearcat Inn & Suites, 660.562.2002 Cobblestone Inn & Suites, 660.224.2222 Holiday Inn Express, 660.562.9949 ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI 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 CLARINDA, IOWA Cobblestone Inn & Suites, 712.850.1471 Super 8, 712.542.6333 Events are subject to change or cancellation.Visit www.nwmissouri. edu/getinvolved/homecoming/ for more information.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

STUDENT CALLERS CONTINUE SUCCESS, EARN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT Four Northwest student callers raised $10,000 or more during the 2020-2021 academic year, earning them induction into the Presidential Club and a meeting with University President Dr. John Jasinski for coffee and conversation.

The callers are student employees who work in the Office of University Advancement to secure pledges and funding for the Northwest Foundation through phone calls to alumni and friends. For the 2020-21 academic year, they raised nearly $109,000 for the University — which is $5,000 more than last year.

“In a time when many call centers at other universities are struggling, Northwest callers continue to perform above our peers when looking at fundraising performance,” Dr. Bob Machovsky ’15, the University’s director of alumni relations and annual giving, said.

“Our callers really do a good job connecting with our alumni and friends over the phone, and our results show that.”

Hannah Cline, Bailey Frederick, Ashley Stout and Katie York earned the special recognition and coffee with Jasinski during the spring semester.

Frederick, a freshman human services and psychology major from Murray, Iowa, said being a caller gave her an opportunity to become more engrained in the Northwest community and connect with other Bearcats.

Left to right, Ashlyn Stout, Katie York, Bailey Frederick and Hannah Cline led the way for Northwest’s student callers during the 2020-21 academic year.

“Being on the phones a few nights a week and speaking with friends and alumni of the University really grounded me,” Frederick said. “It gave me an opportunity to gain knowledge about Northwest’s history as well as an opportunity for me to gather advice from people who have been in my shoes.”

Stout, a senior elementary education major from Unionville, Missouri, said she enjoyed being a student caller because of the impact she could have on the University.

“It is very humbling knowing the amount I helped raise for the University,” she said. “It is also wonderful to think about how this can help our University and all of the students we have here.”

In addition to connecting with alumni, York, a senior elementary and special education major from Atlantic, Iowa, liked knowing the money she raised for the

University will support initiatives to help students.

“I enjoyed hearing about how Northwest impacted alumni’s lives and where they are now,” York said. “I also enjoyed getting to hear from alumni about their transition from college into the workforce and where their path took them.

Cline, a junior fine arts major from Smithville, Missouri, applied to be the student supervisor after only one semester as a caller because she wanted to challenge herself.

“As soon as I joined the team, I knew I would enjoy the job,” Cline said. “Being able to reach out to alumni and hear their stories as well as knowing my job helps the University tremendously is an experience I will forever be grateful for.”

FIND NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE AT THE

IOWA AND MISSOURI STATE FAIRS Northwest and the Northwest Alumni Association will again partner to share and promote our Bearcat pride at the Missouri State Fair and the Iowa State Fair, where the booth will have a new

look!

AUGUST 12-22 Iowa State Fair (Des Moines) Missouri State Fair (Sedalia) Sign up to win a free Bearcat weekend giveaway. Sign up when you visit the booth at both fairs for a chance to win a free night stay in Maryville. The package includes football tickets, hotel accommodations, chamber bucks and tailgate tickets.

Are you an educator? Stop by our booth to register for a chance to win a scholarship to give to a student from your school who is attending Northwest.

Want to help? The Northwest Alumni Association is looking for alumni and friends interested in volunteering to staff the booths. In appreciation for your time, receive free admission to the fair and a parking pass.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 660.562.1248 or alumni @nwmissouri.edu.

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BEARCAT SPORTS

CHAMPIONSHIP

DEFENDED

Bearcats continue to reign supreme over NCAA Division II men’s basketball The Bearcats left no doubt they are the premier men’s basketball program at the NCAA Division II level by running roughshod through the Elite Eight and capturing their third national title in four postseasons.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

BEARCAT SPORTS

Northwest captured the 2021 NCAA Division II men’s basketball national championship March 27 with an 80-54 thrashing of West Texas A&M University at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The 26-point victory margin in the title game ranks as the second-largest in championship game history, trailing only North Carolina Central’s 27-point victory in the 1989 national title game.

Northwest won its three games in the Elite Eight by a combined margin of 78 points, breaking the Elite Eight record of 75 points set by Jefferson in the 1970 tournament.

The triumph capped a season that saw the Bearcats capture 28 wins, the most in Division II. Northwest also continued its dominance of the MIAA by securing its eighth straight regular season crown. In doing so, it set the conference record for most wins in a single-season with 21 MIAA victories.

“We were blessed to get a chance to play this season,” head coach Ben McCollum ’03, ’05, said. “When we lost the opportunity to play the NCAA Tournament last season because of COVID-19 it was devasting to our players and to myself.

Back in August when we started to really gear up for the season, we just didn’t know what to expect. Then we did not play for 26 days in December, and we weren’t sure where it would take us. I give our guys all the credit in the world for sticking through it and being able to win it all again.”

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BEARCAT SPORTS

Senior Ryan Hawkins (left) took home the Most Outstanding Player award at the Elite Eight.

Hawkins poured in a championship game-high 31 points and 18 rebounds.

He buried 10-of-16 shots from the field and was 9-of-10 at the free throw line.

Hawkins’ dominance was felt throughout the Elite Eight as he scored 32 points in a 98-77 victory over West Liberty in the quarterfinals and followed that

with a 20-point, 11-rebound effort in a 77-46 semifinal triumph over Flagler College.

Junior Trevor Hudgins (above) earned National Player of the Year from the National Association of

Basketball Coaches and from the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. He has started every game in three seasons at Northwest, which has a 97-3 record since he arrived. He earned MIAA Player of the Year for the second straight season, averaging 19.8 points per game with 139 assists and 39 steals while hitting 54.2 percent of his field goal attempts, 50.8 percent of his threepoint attempts and 90.1 percent of his free throws.

’CATS CUT IT CLOSE IN CENTRAL REGION FINAL As dominant as Northwest was at the Elite Eight, it almost did not occur as the Bearcats faced an 11-point deficit with three minutes to play in the Central Region final at Northern State University.

McCollum admitted it did not look bright for the Bearcats at that point.

“There’s some thought of losing that creeped in there,” McCollum said. “When you are down that much, it was a pretty low chance at that point. But with our group and our heart they’ve proven there’s a chance. They just believed. I don’t know if I’ve seen many comebacks like that in any game.”

Ryan Hawkins cut Northern State’s lead to nine with a bucket, only to see the Wolves hit one of two free throws on the other end to push their lead back to 10 with 2:19 left.

Trevor Hudgins put the Bearcats on his back as he produced eight points in a 23-second span to slice the Northern State lead to 78-75 with 1:38 to play. On Northwest’s next possession, Hawkins drove for a shot but was tied up, and the jump ball went to Northern State. However, Hawkins tallied a steal on the ensuing Wolves possession that led to Diego Bernard making one of two at the line.

Northwest played defense without fouling, but Northern State got a team rebound out of bounds with 14.9 seconds left. Northwest freshman Isaiah Jackson fouled Northern State’s Mason Stark with 12 seconds left and Stark could make only one of two free throws.

Hudgins took the ball down the floor and calmly sank a step-back three-pointer with five seconds left in regulation to knot the game at 79-79.

McCollum said the key to the comeback was the leadership displayed by Hudgins.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

“His cool head, his incredible humility,” McCollum said.

“There is zero arrogance to him. He has a genuine, extreme confidence. Very few have that confidence. He is so humble.

He believes in himself, and his teammates believe in him.”

Sophomore Luke Waters put Northwest back on top with a layup on an assist from Hawkins with 1:43 to play in the overtime period. Hudgins buried two more free throws with 1:21 left to put Northwest up three, 87-84. Northern State’s Jaylen Robinson sank two free throws with 42.3 seconds to cut the Bearcat lead to one,

but Hawkins broke free for a layup with 26.2 seconds left to push the lead back to three. After Northern State missed a gametying three-pointer, Jackson clinched the victory by draining two free throws with nine seconds left, giving Northwest the 9186 triumph.

The overtime win over Northern State was by far the closest contest of Northwest’s five postseason victories. Northwest produced its largest margin of victory in a postseason game in school history in a 41-point

crushing of Washburn in the Central Region Tournament’s second round game.

Northwest used a 24-0 run in the first half and a 28-3 run to begin the second half and led by as many as 54 in the 85-44 victory.

That victory, however, was in stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting only eight days earlier in Bearcat Arena when Washburn’s Tyler Geiman sank a 55-foot shot at the buzzer to give the Ichabods the MIAA Tournament title, 69-68. Both of Northwest’s 2020-21 losses came at the

hands of Washburn as the two teams split their regular season matchups with each winning a game in overtime.

“As you look back, you can say that refocused our attention heading into the NCAA Tournament,” McCollum said. “We were 23-2 at that point after the loss to Washburn, but it reset the season.”

POSTSEASON ACCOLADES Head Coach Ben McCollum (top right) captured the NABC’s National Coach of the Year award for the fourth time in his career, becoming the first Division II coach to claim the award four times. McCollum was also named the MIAA Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his coaching career. He has posted a mark of 300-78, and his winning percentage of .794 ranks No. 4 among NCAA Division II coaches and No. 6 among all NCAA Division coaches with a minimum of 10 years of head coaching experience.

Junior Diego Bernard (bottom right) collected the MIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also moved up to second-team

all-MIAA status and tallied his third straight appearance on the MIAA’s all-Defensive squad. Bernard averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks.

He had 17 double-figure scoring games, including a pair of 20-point performances.

He shot 54.3 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range.

The Bearcats success did not go unnoticed as the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution commending them on their 2021 NCAA Division II national championship.

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley introduced the resolution celebrating the team’s season.

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BEARCAT SPORTS

WINTER

SPORTS RECAP INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD The indoor track and field teams concluded their seasons at the NCAA Division II Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, after having the 2020 meet canceled by COVID-19.

The men produced 11 first-team All-America performers – tied for third most in the nation. Northwest men earning All-America honors were Omar Austin, Caelon Harkey, Abdelrahim Mahgoub, Gavyn Monday, Blake Morgan, Jake Norris, Reece Smith and R.J. Williams.The women also secured two first-team All-America performances (Delanie Dykes, Jada Shanklin) and one second-team effort (Bailey Blake).

Austin was one of eight Division II student-athletes to earn three or more first-team All-America accolades at the championships in Birmingham, tallying All-America status in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 4x400 meter relay. He also captured MIAA championships in the 200m and 400m while teaming up with Harkey, Williams and Federico Crisci to win the 4x400 crown.

Caroline Cunningham took home the MIAA title in the indoor mile.

The Bearcats had 30 student-athletes honored by the MIAA for academic achievement, including a trio with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Keely Danielsen, Lisette Perez and Dakota Schmidt.

SPRING

Hiba Mahgoub

28

Hiba Mahgoub became Northwest’s first women’s outdoor track national champion, winning the 200m dash and breaking her own school record, running it in 23.25 seconds.

Mahgoub also placed third in the

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The Bearcats dealt with a trio of season-ending ACL injuries to Paityn Rau, Emma Atwood and Kylie Coleman but produced the program’s highest MIAA win total in seven seasons.

Third-year head coach Austin Meyer ’06, ’08, guided the Bearcats to seven league victories, including a season sweep of rival Missouri Western for the first time since 2010-11.

Molly Hartnett earned MIAA Freshman of the Year honors, while Mallory McConkey secured honorable mention all-MIAA status for the second straight year. Hartnett led the team in scoring with 14 points per game and handed out a team-best 59 assists.

McConkey averaged 7.3 points and 5.6 rebound per contest.

The Bearcats also ranked No. 4 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 10.6.

The Bearcat women had 10 student-athletes honored by the MIAA for academic achievement, including Ellie Horn and Caitlyn Jordon with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

400m dash, running it in 54:02 seconds.

At the MIAA Championships May 7-8 in Pittsburg, Kansas, Mahgoub claimed individual crowns in the 200m and 400m. Quincy McSweeney won the 800m, and Delanie Dykes won the 1,500m with a school record time of 4:34.97.

For the men, Reece Smith captured the 3,000m steeplechase and the 5,000m. Caelon Harkey earned the MIAA title in the 400m.

The men’s 4x400 relay team of Harkey, Prince Griffin, Jevaughn Stanley and Federico Crisci also finished first.

Northwest added a trio of Drake Relays champions in Des Moines April 23-24.

Mahgoub earned the 400m title with a time of 54.97 seconds. McSweeney took the 800m championship with a time of 2:12.74. Smith won the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 8:51.83.

SPORTS RECAP OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Molly Hartnett

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

TENNIS The men reached the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals for the third time in school history, capturing the Central Region title, but lost to No. 2-ranked Barry University to finish with a record of 16-5.

It marked the 21st NCAA tournament appearance for the Bearcats as head coach Mark Rosewell posted his 40th combined NCAA tournament appearance in men’s and women’s tennis.

Andrea Zamurri captured both MIAA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He was ranked No. 3 in the nation and won his first 18 singles matches.

He earned first-team all-MIAA honors in singles and doubles with junior Franco Oliva, an honorable mention all-MIAA in singles.

Agustin Velasco captured first-team allMIAA status in singles and second-team all-MIAA honors in doubles with Fabien Calloud, an honorable mention all-MIAA in singles. Martin Sanchez notched second-

BEARCAT SPORTS

team all-league honors in singles, and freshman Fillippo Piranomonte earned honorable mention all-MIAA status in singles. Eight men’s tennis players earned MIAA/GAC academic recognition.

The women earned the program’s 19th NCAA tournament appearance en route to a 12-8 season. Vera Alenicheva led the way in singles with a season mark of 16-2. She earned second-team all-MIAA honors in both singles and doubles and secured MIAA Scholar-Athlete team status with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Julia Aliseda captured second-team allMIAA status in singles and doubles. She posted a singles mark of 15-4 and paired with Alenicheva to go 11-7 in doubles.

Aliseda earned MIAA Scholar-Athlete honors with a 3.67 GPA. The women started the year 2-3 before winning eight of nine dual matches. They scored a 4-1 victory over Harding in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma, before falling to topseeded Central Oklahoma in the regional semifinal.

VOLLEYBALL Bearcat volleyball played a spring season after its fall was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, earning a record of 14-3 and a national ranking of No. 14.

In the MIAA Spring Tournament championship against Nebraska-Kearney, the Lopers won the opening two sets, but the Bearcats forced a fifth. Northwest held an 11-9 lead in the decisive set, but UNK rallied for a 15-13 triumph to take the title.

Earlier in the season, Northwest recorded a 3-0 sweep of UNK, marking the first Bearcat victory over the Lopers since 1990.

Jaden Ferguson, Hannah Koechl, Alyssa Rezac and Morgan Lewis earned MIAA All-Tournament team honors. Nine studentathletes earned MIAA all-academic status.

SOCCER The Bearcats moved their season from fall to spring and tallied a winning mark of 4-3-1, culminating with a three-match win streak. The highlight of the season featured the program’s first-ever win in Warrensburg against Central Missouri, 5-4. Northwest had produced only three previous victories over UCM, but all occurred in Maryville.

Letycia Bonifacio earned first-team all-MIAA honors, and sophomore Kaylie Rock secured second-team all-MIAA status. Northwest had 16 student-athletes earn MIAA all-academic status.

GOLF The Bearcats wrapped the spring season with a seventh-place finish at the 2021 MIAA Golf Championship at Hillcrest Country Club in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Mady Acers posted a team-best stroke average of 80.50 in six rounds, and Morgan Thiele scored 11 rounds with a stroke average of 81.

Freshman Elly Speece recorded a hole-inone in the opening round of the 2021 MIAA Golf Championship on the 138-yard, par-3 fourth hole. Five golfers earned MIAA allacademic status.

SOFTBALL The Bearcats reached the MIAA Tournament and narrowly missed knocking off top-seeded and No. 15-ranked University of Central Oklahoma. Northwest finished with a mark of 18-22 overall and 12-14 in MIAA play.

Catcher Madison Friest was named MIAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year with 133 putouts, 13 assists and one error in 147 chances. She also threw out nine would-be base stealers. She earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors with 27 hits, seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Outfielder Olivia Daugherty secured firstteam All-MIAA status as she batted .351, scored a team-high 34 runs and recorded a team-best 12 doubles. She hit 11 home runs and posted a slugging percentage of .701.

Kaitlyn Weis wrapped up her career by earning second-team All-MIAA accolades at third base. She is Northwest’s all-time leader in home runs (56), RBIs (191), slugging percentage (.741) and saves (11). In 2021, she batted .419, the sixth-best total in school history, with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Madison Friest

Kaylie Rock

Andrea Zamurri

Peter Carlson

Her .863 slugging percentage is the highest single-season mark by a Bearcat softball player. She tallied a Bearcat single-season mark for saves with seven in 2021.

The Bearcat softball team had nine members earn spots on the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll. The season also marked the end for Ryan Anderson, who steps away after 15 years as Northwest’s winningest softball coach with 345 career victories.

BASEBALL The Bearcats completed their season with a mark of 13-26 overall and 11-22 in MIAA. Second baseman Peter Carlson earned second-team all-MIAA honors, leading the Bearcats in slugging percentage (.500), runs (29), home runs (10) and RBIs (33). First baseman Connor Quick secured third-team all-MIAA status, batting .276 with 42 hits and 28 RBIs. He played in 107 career games at Northwest and possesses a .348 career average and .507 career slugging percentage.

He had 10 multi-hit games this spring and 44 in his Bearcat career.

Pitchers Alex Slocum and Spencer Hanson and outfielder Ryan Koski garnered honorable mention all-MIAA accolades.

Northwest had 23 student-athletes earn MIAA Academic Honor Roll recognition.

Darin Loe completed his 22nd season as head coach of the program and holds the most wins in school history (539).

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES HOME MAKER

Ewing creating neighborhoods for retirees Jeff Ewing ’89 has built successful living communities for people “55 and better” in central and eastern Iowa, and now his real estate company is developing similar neighborhoods that will provide more vibrant opportunities for Missourians.

The Estates of Liberty is in development now by Ewing Properties, a company he established in 2003. The 24-home community located in the Kansas City suburb will feature single-family-style homes ranging from 1,400 to 2,000 square feet in a variety of floor plans.

The development also will include a clubhouse with a pickleball court, fitness center, great room, full kitchen and an outdoor pool.

“I started doing properties with the intent to develop real estate with a focus on senior living because my grandfather was paralyzed from the neck down when he was 38 years old and lived in a nursing home,” Ewing said. “For many years, I always thought there had to be a better place to live.”

Ewing graduated from Northwest with his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and figured he would return home to work the family farm his ancestors homesteaded in 1865. Instead, the finance and accounting experience he gained at Northwest led him to banking.

“I just assumed that I was going back to the farm and that led me into a different career that has provided a great living for my family,”

STAY CONNECTED

said Ewing, who still manages the family farm where grew up near Corydon, Iowa.

He worked in the banking industry in Corydon and in Pella, Iowa.

He advanced to become a branch manager and was working in loans when he took an interest in real estate development.

“That 12-year-stint in banking is kind of when I learned how developers work and how the real estate market worked,” Ewing said. “That’s when I took a leap of faith to start my own company and started doing real estate.”

Ewing started developing housing communities that offered independent living, assisted living and memory care on a single campus. In 2012, he sold that portfolio of rental properties and established Vintage Cooperatives using a model that provides residents with an ownership stake in the properties. Since 2010, Ewing Properties has opened nine cooperatives with three more set to open this year and five under development, including the Liberty project, which is set to open in fall 2022.

“It’s member-owned and member-controlled, and it’s all about lifestyle and people,” said Ewing, who lives in a Pella cooperative with his wife of 33 years, Tina Street Ewing ’90. “It’s just a very social environment with a lot of activities. (Residents) continue to have ownership like they would their home, but it’s maintenance-free living inside and outside.”

For more information, visit vintagecooperatives.com.

DISCOVER THE MANY BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.

Contact the Alumni Relations Office at Northwest Missouri State University for more information.

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NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

Jeff Ewing posed for a photo with his wife, Tina, at Vintage Cooperatives’ Pella, Iowa development,.

660.562.1248 alumni@nwmissouri.edu

CLASS NOTES

1960s

other programs designed to inspire a love of books in children.

Joe Bell ’63 and his wife, Judy, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in January. They have two sons, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Jon Jensen ’86 was promoted last year to lieutenant general in the U.S. Army and director of the Army National Guard, giving him oversight of all programs and policies for roughly 350,000 soldiers in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.

He has served in the Guard for 38 years and was deployed to Kuwait, Bosnia and twice to Iraq. He previously was the Guard’s top officer in Minnesota.

Kenneth Keith ’67 is an author of a dozen books, including his most recent, “Letters from Japan: Four Seasons in the Land of the Rising Sun.” He is retired from University of San Diego as professor emeritus, a former president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and a recipient of numerous teaching and public service awards.

1970s

Leo Kloewer ’72, ’79, retired last spring from a 47year education career that included teaching K-12 physical education and math classes in Humphrey, Deshler and York, Nebraska, as well as some advanced math classes for York College.

Nancy Castle Gross ’74 resides in Bella Vista, Arkansas, where she is active with the United Lutheran Church, serving on the Council Board.

She serves on the board of Audrey’s Resale Boutique and teaches classes in creating handmade greeting cards and scrapbooking.

Nancy Hawkins-Irvine ’74 retired last fall after a 43-year career, including the last 14 at Mutual of Omaha as a supervisor in individual customer service and life claims. Previously, she worked in management positions with Iowa Telecom and Nebraska Public Power District.

Kathy Kahler Kirkpatrick ’74 relocated to Windham, Maine, last year after her husband’s retirement. She retired in the fall of 2017 after 16 years at the University of Missouri and 23 years of work in administration at IBM Corporation.

1980s

James Solheim ’81 is the author of “Grandmas are Greater than Great,” a children’s book published

by HarperCollins in February. The 250-year-long story depicts 12 generations of grandmotherly love and the ways caring gestures grow and spread exponentially through time. His books have appeared in Scholastic Book Clubs, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, HMH’s Into Reading and

Brian Hesse is president and chief executive officer at Rusal America Corporation in Rye Brook, N.Y., and is responsible for $775 million in annual revenue for the company, which is the largest aluminum producer in the world outside of China.

Rhonda Osborn ’86 received the 2020 Iowa Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award presented by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation.

She has taught fourth grade at Des Moines Christian School for 16 years.

Rick Sandquist ’86 retired last year after more than 30 years of coaching in Fort Dodge, Iowa. After five years as head baseball coach at Fort Dodge Community School, he moved to Iowa Central where he was head baseball coach prior to two stints as head softball coach. He also was the college’s athletic director from 2010 to 2018. During his head coaching career, he totaled 930 wins, including 425 with Iowa Central softball and 390 with the baseball program.

Dennis Nowatzke ’87 retired last year as a captain after nearly 32 years with the Ottawa (Kansas) Fire Department. His service also included time as public fire education coordinator and a juvenile fire setter interventionist. His wife, Jo Ann Sullivan ’88 Nowatzke, works in human resources and payroll for the Ottawa school district.

1990s

John Kelly ’90 is the supervisor of enrollment services at Blackboard and resides in Greer, South Carolina.

Tom Hankins ’93 in January was named head coach of the Fort Wayne Mat Ants, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. Previously, he was an assistant high school coach in Tulsa, Oklahoma; an

Karen Daniel has joined the Kansas City Royals ownership group and received the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 ATHENA Leadership Award for professional excellence, community service and actively assisting women in attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. She is actively involved in her community, having served as a member of the Chamber board and as board chair in 2017. She also has held board positions with the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Kansas City Missouri Parks Board, KU Advancement Board, Northwest Foundation, and Women’s Employment, among others. She retired in 2018 as executive director, chief financial officer and president of the Global Finance and Technology Solutions division for Black & Veatch.

Dr. Lacey Morris Adams, completed a doctorate in leadership from William Woods University in December. She is in her 21st year with the St. Joseph School District as principal at Carden Park Elementary. She is a two-time nominee for Missouri Distinguished Principal and in 2012 visited the White House as a panel member with the National Association of Elementary School Principals for a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss No Child Left Behind for Title I schools. assistant coach at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa; associate head coach at Southern Illinois University; and head coach at the University of Central Oklahoma before being hired by the Pacers in 2019 as assistant player development coach.

Kristin McKenzie ’94 was promoted to operational manager at Expanse Wealth Management in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kenneth Oliver ’95 is vice president of advancement, admissions and marketing at Kansas Wesleyan University, where he recently led a capital campaign for a new nursing education center that raised more than $5.5 million.

Gene Cassell ’97 completed his master’s degree in communication in leadership in December at Washburn University, where he is assistant athletic director for athletic communications. His wife, Regina Bruntmeyer ’96 Cassell, is director of student media and a mass media senior lecturer at Washburn.

Rick Reeve ’97 recently began work as the county executive director for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Farm Services Agency in Lyon and Osceola counties in Iowa. Before joining the USDA last year, he worked for Halliburton Energy Services in El Reno and Duncan, Oklahoma, and prior to that he worked in numerous roles with the Boy Scouts of America between 1997 and 2017.

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CLASS NOTES

Tracy Hale is the chief executive officer of Youth Volunteer Corps, a Kansas City-based organization that supports nearly 40 affiliates to provide service learning opportunities for youth.

(Photo by Brad Austin)

IN SERVICE

Hale leads youth in developing appreciation for helping others The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all businesses, schools and organizations, and Youth Volunteer Corps – the organization Tracy Thomson Hale ’92 oversees as chief executive officer – had to adjust, too.

“What we realized is we can’t stop serving,” Hale said, “because not only do the people that we’re serving still need to be served, but our youth – we’re robbing them of something. They need that sense of belonging and purpose and that emotional lift they get from volunteering more than anything.”

Founded in 1987 in Kansas City, Missouri, Youth Volunteer Corps has a network of nearly 40 affiliates throughout the United States and Canada that are dedicated to creating meaningful service learning opportunities for youth. Hale joined the organization in 2011 and oversees its operations, including growth strategy, training, affiliate support and fundraising.

It brings together youth of all ages and backgrounds – from youth who are ordered by courts to participate in service projects to teens who are fulfilling service requirements for college admission. As one example, Hale described a boy who volunteers at a food bank while his single mother visits the location to pick up food for their family.

“It’s really helping our youth understand who they’re serving, what 32

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

kinds of challenges those people that they’re serving are facing, and how to solve the community problems that are there,” Hale said.

They participate in an assortment of service projects and activities that emanate from the youth themselves – such as painting murals with local artists to cover graffiti, reading to children, helping older adults learn how to use technology and removing invasive species from parks. Trash Olympics incentivizes trash pickup projects with contests to find the grossest, largest or most unusual items.

During the pandemic, groups met by Zoom to share ideas for creating homemade items such as dog treats or dog toys with old T-shirts, or constructing bird houses. Then, program directors picked up the items at participants’ front doors and delivered them.

“The sky’s the limit,” Hale said. “It’s really whatever they want to do, and even during COVID they didn’t let that stop them.”

Hale’s work with Youth Volunteer Corps fulfills an appetite for leadership and service she developed after earning her bachelor’s degree in international business.

She launched her career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City but, after 11 years there, wanted something offering more intrinsic value. She next went to work for Miller Management, a public accounting firm dedicated to assisting churches and nonprofit organizations, before transitioning to Youth Volunteer Corps.

“It was teaching leadership practices to them, which I learned at the Federal Reserve,” Hale said of her time with Miller Management. “I did that for seven years and then felt like, ‘You know, I love doing what I’m doing, but I want to do something

CLASS NOTES

that’s even bigger.’”

She says her Northwest education was impactful because it pushed her to find solutions to problems on her own, and she learned there’s not always one answer to every issue. She also developed an appreciation for diversity and learning from others who came from varied backgrounds.

Those lessons, she says, helped her become a better person and a stronger leader.

“Northwest was more than just a college to me,” Hale said. “It was a pathway to discover how I could contribute to the world. I feel like the professors at Northwest didn’t teach me what to think, but they taught me how to think, which has been really critical in what I have done in all three of my career choices.”

These days, Hale is passionate about the mission of Youth Volunteer Corps and driven to ensure its affiliates maintain impactful programs and sustained growth.

Earlier this year it received funding from 15 and the Mahomies, the foundation established by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Major grant awards such as that are cause for celebration, but Hale says her proudest moments happen when she witnesses the perspectives of youth participants evolve from a state of self-involvement to giving of themselves and showing empathy.

“It’s when I see the light bulb, the perspective change, the valuing of other students and other people,” Hale said.

“When I see, for instance, a wealthy youth

go to a homeless shelter and judge when they walk in the door and then turn it into empathy by the end.”

No matter their story, Hale hopes the youth she works with are inspired, empowered and developing a lifetime commitment to service while learning to value other people.

“So often when you’re being served, you feel hopeless,” Hale said. “You don’t understand that you have value yourself, and when you can serve others – because you don’t have to have anything to serve – you just have to show up.”

For more information, visit www.yvc.org.

To read more of this story, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/ magazine/

’98 ’98 Amanda Speichert was one of the 30 Nebraska lawyers selected by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation to its 2020 Class of Fellows for her dedication to improving the administration of justice, leadership in the legal profession, civic service and integrity, and support of the Foundation. She is an associate at the Lindemeier Law Office and an attorney in the Lincoln County Public Defender’s Office.

Jay Kaiser ’98 was named in February as director of college personnel and NFL liaison for the football program at the University of Illinois. After stints at the University of Northern Iowa and The University of Toledo, he was assistant athletic director and director of recruiting operations at Kansas State University from 2002 to 2008. He then served as an assistant to the head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and most recently with the Miami Dolphins.

’99 Mike and Michelle Zimmerschied Ehlers in January received the Iowa Pork Producers Association’s Environmental Steward Award, which annually recognizes positive contributions in the pork industry to the natural environment. They reside in Marathon, Iowa, where they own and operate a wean-to-finish site and grow corn and soybeans.

2000s Dr. Marshall Swafford ’00 was named the 2020 Western Region Outstanding Early Career Member of the American Association for Agricultural Education. He is an associate professor of agricultural education and chair of the Department of Agriculture, Food Science and Kinesiology at Eastern New Mexico University.

’00 Leviticus Maurice Huff was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army last summer and is a military police officer with Mission Command Training Program, Operations Group Charlie in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Since joining the Army in 2003, he has completed four combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Shannon Nolte ’02, ’14, became director of secondary education for the St. Joseph (Missouri) School District last year. Previously, he had served as superintendent of the West Nodaway R-I School District since 2013.

Dr. Precious Porras ’02 recently became chief diversity officer at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. She spent the last 15 years at the University of Kansas, where she began as assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and most recently was assistant vice provost for student affairs.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

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CLASS NOTES

’18

Katy Knapp was selected by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals Distinguished Principals Program as Outstanding Assistant Principal for the Springfield, Missouri, region. She is an assistant principal at Delaware Elementary School in Springfield.

Dlo DuVall ’08 was named last year as assistant director of special programs in the St. Joseph (Missouri) School District. Her education career spans 25 years, most recently as principal at Edison Elementary School in St. Joseph.

2010s

Nate DeJong ’12 is owner of Highest Health Chiropractic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he provides adult and pediatric chiropractic care.

Dr. Virginia Fleer Schweiss ’12 is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hawaii West Oahu and teaches at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Lab during the summer months. She also volunteers with the Callie Mae Sea Foundation in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, as chief operating officer and lead scientist.

Adam and Cassidy Phillips Purdy returned Maryville to join the staff of The Navigators campus ministry at Northwest. They also welcomed their first son, Judah, on Dec. 15, 2020.

Alex Westhues joined Central Methodist University in January as assistant coordinator for student life. He resides in central Missouri.

Jacqueline Long ’14 Gallagher and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Weston Wayne, Dec. 8, 2020. She is employed with the St. Joseph Metropolitan Planning Organization as transportation planning manager.

Tarin Clausen ’15 was named veterinarian at Seaton Vet Clinic in Denison, Iowa. She began work there as a high school senior.

Cameron ’16 and Kaity Williams ’16 Cotten welcomed a daughter, Colden Trickey Cotten, on Nov. 11, 2020, named after Colden Hall, where they met. Cameron is a realtor in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Kaity is a sales assistant with Learfield IMG College.

Kailey Salmon ’19 has joined King Fresh Produce as a sales and marketing representative and works in its Trenton, Missouri, office.

Ashley Stanbridge ’19 is a software developer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Kemper Kellerstrass ’13, ’15, is director of athletics and activities for the Clinton County R-III School District in Plattsburg, Missouri. The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association recognized him in February as a certified athletic administrator, placing him among an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain the level of professionalism. His wife, Hailey Kenkel ’13, ’15, Kellerstrass, is employed with Liberty Parks and Recreation as community services manager.

Tucker Peve (right) and Andrew Wright were on the field at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium in January when the Kansas City Chiefs met the Cleveland Browns in an NFL divisional playoff game. Peve is an equipment department assistant with the Chiefs, and Wright works in the equipment department with the Browns.

Northwest Alumni Association S O C I A L

M E D I A

/nwmissourialumni

N E T W O R K @NorthwestAlumni

For a complete listing of all Northwest social media networks, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/media/social.htm.

WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU? New job? New child? New spouse? New address? Send your 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 SUMMER 2021

CLASS NOTES

INSPIRING SCIENTIST Eyo empowers Black students in research field There was a time when Dr. Ukpong Eyo ’06 wasn’t sure he would have the opportunity to earn a college degree.

Today, nearly two decades after arriving at Northwest from Nigeria, he is an assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine and recently was named to Cell Mentor’s list of 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America.

“College is such a formative time,” Eyo said. “It shifts the trajectory of your future.”

Within three years of finishing his post-doctorate work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and establishing his own research lab, Eyo has received scores in the top 11 percent and 12 percent for his National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant submissions. Earning one of those grant scores is a feat; earning two of them at such an early stage in one’s career is rare. The awards could provide about $5 million for his research during the next five years.

His research focuses on neuroscience and its interface with the immune system – a growing field called neuroimmunology. With funding support from the American Epilepsy Society and the NIH, his research group is working to understand a single cell that is known to travel to the brain and the cell’s relation to blood vessel function, seizures and epilepsy.

But Eyo is driven to make an impact beyond his research field. As a graduate student at the University of Iowa, he noticed a lack of Black faculty and was perplexed when Black students he taught weren’t as successful as he believed they should be. When he approached a white colleague about his concerns, the colleague expressed indifference.

“I went through my whole graduate experience kind of hiding that aspect of my race,” Eyo said. “It’s not healthy to hide an aspect of you.”

After beginning his post-doc work in 2013 at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Eyo attended a conference where, for the first time, he saw a Black researcher give a talk. Through ongoing intentional conversations with peers and Black students, Eyo realized he was not the only person grappling with the lack of Black representation in scientific fields.

“I thought that I was an anomaly, looking for and wanting to see a Black professor, not knowing that all Black students want to see that,” said Eyo, who is the only Black faculty member in his area at the University of Virginia. “I’m not only carrying the weight of my own responsibilities on my shoulders but the weight of

Dr. Ukpong Eyo gives a poster presentation about his research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Conference on Glia in Health and Disease in New York. He recently was named to a list of 1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America. (Photo by Constance Brukin)

representing Black students well.

That’s why being on that (Cell Mentor) list is so critical and it is so important that I was recognized, and these students can also aspire to one day be there.”

In the midst of the reaction to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, Eyo organized a Juneteenth seminar series celebrating the work of Black neuroscientists. Juneteenth commemorates June 19 as the date that freed slaves in Texas received the news of their emancipation.

“We see Juneteenth more as a day of celebration,” Eyo said. “I took that and I said, ‘What if we start a lecture series where we celebrate Black scientists, especially neuroscientists?’ My university was very gracious and they accepted that.

I gave my word to my students, the Black students, that I will invite Black scientists to empower them.”

As his career advances, Eyo says he keeps the lessons he gained at Northwest close. He enrolled at the University at age 21 and completed his bachelor’s degree in three years after initially struggling to gain admission to any college. As an international student in Maryville,

he overcame early feelings of loneliness and isolation to bond with other international students with whom he could relate.

“I make it a point to remember my humble beginnings,” he said.

“I came to Northwest, got picked up from Kansas City, knowing absolutely nobody, and it was a scary thing.”

Though Eyo arrived at Northwest with aspirations of continuing to medical school, he earned his degree in pre-professional zoology and found his niche in research.

He worked in Residential Life and was a campus diversity assistant in addition to staying active with the International Student Organization.

Eyo’s twin sister, Affie Eyo-Idahor ’08, also earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, and is finishing a Ph.D. program in sociology at Portland State University.

“One of the things that was really great about my experience at Northwest was that I felt that it was a very well-rounded experience,” Eyo said. “That is, I felt I was sociably stable. I had these deep friendships that were there to stabilize me as a human person.”

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

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IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM

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

Charles Adair ’57, age 84, of Kissimmee, Florida, died April 29, 2020. He taught in the West Harrison School District in Mondamin, Iowa, for 35 years in addition to serving as its athletic director and refereeing high school athletics for 50 years. He was a member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame.

Kathy Callahan Blackney ’78, age 64, of Maryville, died Oct. 4, 2020. She taught business and keyboarding in addition to coaching girls basketball, track and field, and softball at Maryville High School.

Joseph Bosse ’72, age 71, of St. Louis, died Jan. 27. He had been the president and owner of NEC Insurance since 1977. He served on Northwest’s Board of Regents from 2010 to 2016, including service as its Finance Committee chair.

Dr. Lawrence Albright ’64, age 75, of Webb City, Missouri, died Feb. 4, 2018. He was a professor of chemistry at Missouri Southern State University for 47 years and retired in 2006.

Leland Aley ’73, age 76, of Soldotna, Alaska, died Dec. 15, 2020. He made his career as a loan officer with the Federal Housing Administration, first in Iowa and then transferring to Alaska in 1980 and retiring in 1994.

Ronald E. Anderson ’68, ’70, age 74, of Kansas City, Missouri, died Dec. 31, 2020. After service in the U.S. Army, he was a high school counselor and teacher for two years in Savannah and then a high school counselor in Grandview for 28 years.

Ronald M. Anderson ’71, age 74, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, died Oct. 12, 2020. He was a Vietnam veteran, serving in the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile. He worked for the IRS for 12 years before operating an accounting practice in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, and retired from Anderson & Schlautman P.C. after 26 years.

Jim Bartelt ’73, age 79, of Aledo, Illinois, died Jan. 18. He began his career in law enforcement in Rock Island (Illinois) Circuit Court Services and was later appointed director of court services in Mercer County where he enhanced and promoted the County Probation Department before retiring in 1999.

Eddie Bishop ’75, age 67, of Maryville, died Dec. 4, 2020. He was retired from the Department of Defense.

Dorotha Adams Bixler ’49, age 93, of Twin Falls, Idaho, died Nov. 25, 2020. She worked as a school librarian in New Hope, Minnesota; Madison, Wisconsin; and Boise, Idaho; where she retired in 1995 after 23 years in the Boise School District.

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Steven Bredensteiner ’71, age 72, of Tarkio, Missouri, died June 17, 2020. He worked in the automotive industry before transitioning to a teaching career and taught in southwest Iowa for 25 years.

Marilyn Lathrop Brown ’61, age 81, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, died Nov. 20, 2020.

She was one of the first 100 members of the Peace Corps and served from 1962 to 1964 in the Philippines as an elementary teacher. She returned to Missouri and continued teaching, including her last 10 years at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City as a classroom and bedside teacher, retiring in 2004.

Jon Burnette ’87, age 55, of Parkville, Missouri, died March 27, 2020. He worked as a manager, overseeing production and shipping at Honey Baked Ham Co. and Strawberry Hill Povitica Bread Co. Clara “Patti” Wilson Burri ’57, age 84, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Sept. 23, 2020. She taught at the elementary level and was a parent-teacher coordinator.

Jacqueline Cockrill Clevenger ’63, age 79, of Parkville, Missouri, died Feb. 20. She taught in

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

the Park Hill School District and continued to substitute teach in the district after retiring.

Sara Lin Keever Cibrian ’00, age 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, died Jan. 25. She began in retail banking and advanced to investing and wealth management.

Ann Clark, age 76, of Maryville, died Nov. 13, 2020. She was employed at Northwest from 1993 until her retirement in 2015 as a department secretary in marketing and management and later for agriculture.

Jo Wagner Coleman ’68, age 74, of Gladstone, Missouri, died Feb. 6. She taught art at Pleasant Hill High School and retired from American Century of Kansas City, Missouri.

Dr. Jon Denton ’63, age 79, of College Station, Texas, died Feb. 19. After teaching chemistry and physics for seven years in Richmond, Missouri, he joined the faculty in the College of Education at Texas A&M University in 1972, continuing his career there for 35 years.

Geraldine Dickinson ’60, age 93, of Longview, Texas, died Jan. 15, 2020. She taught in Nodaway County, Missouri, schools as well as in Iowa and Colorado, retiring after 25 years.

Kevin Fichter ’80, age 62, of Sidney, Iowa, died Sept. 9, 2020. He was manager of Jim’s Food Mart and then purchased Kevin’s Grocery Barn in Sidney.

He later worked for Earl May Seed and Nursery Center and the Green Goods Distribution Center.

Sena Frame ’09, age 35, of Florissant, Missouri, died Dec. 29, 2020. She was a licensed clinical social worker and worked as a family therapist.

Ronald Frantz ’60, age 84, of Mount Vernon, Iowa, died Nov. 29, 2020. For 15 years he taught industrial arts and drivers education in Sheffield and then at Mount Vernon High School. Later, he taught classes at the Anamosa Correctional Facility and directed a state program to help homeless families find work and housing before joining Job Service of Iowa, where he worked with businesses to seek employment for the unemployed, retiring from that role after two decades.

IN MEMORIAM

Don Frazier ’62, age 82, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Sept. 4, 2020. He served for six years in the Missouri Air National Guard as master sergeant during the Vietnam conflict. He then lived in Dallas for 38 years where he was owner and president of Implantable Technology.

Dr. Virgil Freeman ’73, ’91, age 73, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Dec. 4, 2020. He taught at East Buchanan High School in Gower, Missouri, for 21 years and then moved into educational leadership and served as principal and superintendent at McDonald County, Appleton City and Wright City schools before retiring in 2002. In 2003, he joined the Northwest faculty as an assistant professor of educational leadership until retiring in 2018. He also was a basketball official for 40 years.

Susan Wardrip Friday ’73, age 69, of Newell, Iowa, died Nov. 2, 2020. She worked as a guidance counselor in the Newell-Fonda Community School District, retiring in 2008.

Dr. James Gates Jr., age 88, died Feb. 3, in Sun City, Arizona. He served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1955 in Korea and was a faculty member at Northwest, teaching elementary education from 1969 until his retirement in 1991.

Anna Cottrell Gervais ’74, age 68, of Phoenix, Arizona, died Feb. 8, 2020. She was an elementary school teacher for 25 years in Missouri and Phoenix.

Dr. George Gille, age 78, of Maryville, died Sept. 30, 2020. He was a faculty member at Northwest, teaching agronomy from 1970 until his retirement in 2003.

Russell Gillespie ’79, age 94, of Albany, Missouri, died Oct. 31, 2020. He served in World War II as a medic in Germany and farmed.

Alecia Glenn ’57, age 86, of Liberty, Missouri, died Sept. 26, 2020. She taught 37 years in Liberty Public Schools.

Dr. James “J.D.” Hammond ’55, age 87, of State College, Pennsylvania, died Nov. 23, 2020. He taught at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University before accepting a faculty role at The Pennsylvania State University. There, he became a professor of business administration, the first endowed faculty chair at the university, chairman of the Department of Insurance and Real Estate, and dean of the Smeal College of Business Administration. He retired in 1999 as a dean emeritus and William Elliott Professor Emeritus.

Hamilton Henderson ’69, age 74, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died March 2. He taught at Central High School in St. Joseph for 40 years.

Carolyn Boner Higginbotham ’61, age 82, of Albany, Missouri, died March 8. She taught physical education at Albany R-III High School and later worked at a local drug store.

Ralph Hill ’58, age 86, of Navarre, Florida, died Jan. 26. He spent 42 years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 1994. He also was a teacher of math, science and history as well as physical education in St. Joseph, Missouri, schools.

He officiated high school and college sports in northwest Missouri for 25 years.

Alice Louise Inman ’43, age 96, of Maryville, died Nov. 21, 2020. She taught school in Clearmont, Missouri, and riveted airplanes for one summer in San Diego during World War II. She then became a homemaker, raising her family in Los Angeles for 40 years until retiring to Clinton, Missouri, with her husband in 1986.

Ronald Kauzlarich ’70, age 76, of Knoxville, Iowa, died Oct. 16, 2020. He served in the Army reserves for six years. He taught driver education and coached football and wrestling in Le Mars, Iowa.

Later, he was a correctional officer at the Plymouth County Sheriff ’s Office.

Kim Koski ’92, age 50, of Fremont, Missouri, died Jan. 2. She was the director of parks and recreation for the city of Fremont, where she had worked for 25 years.

Vernelle Linch ’52, age 101, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Feb. 17. She was a teacher, spending most of her career as an elementary teacher in the St. Joseph School District. She retired in 1987, but continued to volunteer as a teacher until 2011.

James “Mickey” Mallen ’57, age 86, of Kanawha, Iowa, died Feb. 5. He taught before serving in the U.S. Army and then had a long career in banking, including as president of Farmers State Bank.

David March ’61, age 85, of Hale, Missouri, died Nov. 20, 2020. He served in the U.S. Army for two years and worked at the IRS office in Chillicothe, Missouri, for more than 30 years.

George Martin ’51, age 93, of Austin, Texas, died June 28, 2020. He taught junior high school for more than 30 years, mainly industrial arts and drafting. He also taught an aerospace class, flying students on a three-leg flight over St. Louis. After retiring from the Lindbergh School District in St.

Louis County in 1981, he designed and oversaw the completion of solar furnaces in new homes and owned rental properties.

Dr. James Mathisen ’93, age 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, died Nov. 26, 2020. He was a clinical psychologist.

Bette Townsend Maughmer ’44, age 97, of Savannah, Missouri, died Sept. 3, 2020. She worked for TWA in Kansas City during World War II, coordinating troop movement in the U.S. She later taught in the North Kansas City School District for nearly 20 years.

Joseph Mazur ’65, age 83, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died March 6. He served eight years as a member of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves.

He became a purchasing agent at Shamrad Metal Fabricators in 1973 and a co-owner of the company in 1985, retiring in 2004.

Dr. Luke McCoy ’98, age 46, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died March 26. He began his career as a high school chemistry teacher in St. Joseph and then served as assistant principal at Bode Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year and at Benton High School for the last 13 years.

The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals named him Northwest Assistant Principal of the Year in 2011.

Catherine Miller Palmer ’80, ’01, age 61, of Maryville, died Dec. 10, 2020. She was an archivist at Northwest from 1989 to 2012 and most recently a collections coordinator with the Nodaway County Historical Society Museum in Maryville.

Mizella Pearson ’55, age 87, of Weston, Missouri, died Dec. 6, 2020. She worked as a high school business education teacher at West Platte R-II School District for nearly 20 years and later for the Weston Development Company.

Linda Landis Perry ’67,’90, age 80, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Dec. 6, 2020. She taught for 30 years in the St. Joseph School District.

Lloyd “Herb” Petty ’69, age 73, of Gentry, Missouri, died Sept. 14, 2020. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines, and was given a Presidential Unit Citation Medal for Operation Hastings during the Vietnam War. He was an organic farmer and sheep farmer in addition to working as a mason.

Mary Plymell ’49, age 94, of Marshall, Missouri, died Sept. 29, 2020. She taught math in Trenton and then moved to Marshall in 1962, serving as the high school librarian until retiring in 1990.

Larry Powell ’58, age 83, of West Hills, California, died Oct. 3, 2020. During Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Air Force with the 108th Tactical Fighter

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IN MEMORIAM

Squardron in Chaumont, France. He taught in Iowa and Missouri before 33 years in Los Angeles Unified Schools, retiring in 1997 after a total of 39 years.

Ella Augusta O’Banion ’58, age 87 of Grand Junction, Colorado, died Feb. 19. She was an elementary school teacher and then became a homemaker.

Donald Ransom ’67, age 75, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Oct. 18, 2020. He taught in the St. Joseph School District for 33 years.

Mary McKim Ray ’66, age 94, of Raymore, Missouri, died Dec. 13, 2020. She taught in Trenton before moving to Columbia. An avid genealogist, she was president of the Missouri State Genealogical Association from 1992 to 1994.

Catherine Reynolds ’77, age 65, of Overland Park, Kansas, died March 26. She enjoyed a long career with the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City, Missouri, retiring in 2013.

Donna Richmond ’71, age 70, of Tampa, Florida, died March 29, 2020. She had retired as director of career services at Concorde Career Institute.

Dr. Dan Roe ’72, ’76, age 71, of DeWitt, Iowa, died Dec. 14, 2020. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1972 to 1974, he was a high school teacher in Afton, Iowa, for five years and then moved to Union Star, Missouri, where he served as superintendent.

He continued his career in superintendent roles in Murray and Bloomfield, Iowa; Lebanon, Missouri; and Pittsburg, Kansas; before retiring in 2004 as superintendent in DeWitt.

Vincent Schieber ’88, age 62, of Maryville, died March 14, 2020. He worked at Energizer for 35 years, Michael’s Foods in Iowa and Federal-Mogul Motor Parts in Maryville.

Mary Taul Shultz ’46, age 95, of Elizabethton, Tennessee, died Aug. 14, 2020. She taught physical education at Chillicothe (Missouri) High School and Elizabethton High School, as well as sixth grade in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, before retiring as a Title I reading and fifth grade teacher in Elizabethton.

Mona Sickman ’75, age 68, of Tarkio, Missouri, died Sept. 27, 2020. She was employed by a sports advertising company before moving to Tarkio in 1991 and worked as a florist at The Flower Mill for 20 years, retiring in 2017.

Ronald Siever ’62, age 80, of Springfield, Missouri, died Oct. 11, 2020. He worked as a district sales manager for General Motors’ Chevrolet Motor Division for 32 years.

Harold Slaight ‘55, age 92, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died Dec. 10, 2020. He taught at Lincoln High School and retired in 1990.

James Snead ’74, ’83, age 68, of Albany, Missouri, died Sept. 13, 2020. He taught and coached at Worth County High School and Albany High School.

Mark Spack ’73, age 68, of Omaha, Nebraska, died March 18, 2020. He was retired after a career in the insurance industry.

Bruce Stadlman ’72, age 71, of Paris, France, died Dec. 27, 2020. He taught art in Kansas City before moving to San Francisco and retired after 30 years as fine arts chair at the Parsons School of Art and Design in Paris. He exhibited his artwork in the U.S., Japan and France.

John “Ted” Stevenson ’51, age 89, of New Hampton, Missouri, died Oct. 26, 2020. He served in the Korean War and later grew his family’s hardware business into a propane dealership. He also farmed with a calf-cow operation.

Dorothy Walker, age 93, of Maryville, died Dec. 4, 2020. She was a faculty member in Northwest’s physical education department from 1958 until her retirement in 1987. She started the women’s basketball team in 1962 and the volleyball team, which she coached for five years, in 1967. A recipient of the Missouri Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Honor Service Award, she was a member of the national seeding committee for the national volleyball tournament and authored an archery book that is used by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

She received the Northwest Alumni Association’s 2011 Distinguished Faculty Emeritus Award.

Elizabeth Frazier West ’76, age 71, of Paola, Kansas, died Feb. 26. She taught in Weston and Smithville, Missouri, before becoming an assistant to State Sen. Truman Wilson and then resumed teaching in Jefferson City and spent three years as assistant principal at Jefferson City High School. She next worked for The Kansas City Star as director of Newspapers in Education and founded NewsRelief Inc., authoring and publishing curriculum guides for newspapers throughout the country. She retired in 2013 after 17 years as director of student teaching at Avila University.

Ronda Wiederholt, age 60, of Clyde, Missouri, died Jan. 24. She had worked in Northwest Campus Dining since 1990, most recently as retail manager.

Robert Williamson ’59, age 84, of Dawson, Nebraska, died Feb. 10. He taught vocal music for more than 25 years at Auburn, Dawson-Verdon and Humboldt high schools in Nebraska. In 1981, he took over the family farming operation and continued the family’s piano and organ business.

Clinton Wisdom ’67, age 74, of Gladstone, Missouri, died Oct. 1, 2020. He worked for Farmland Industries, Intercollegiate Press, Missouri Poster and retired from Park University in 2013.

Dr. Leon Walker ’61, age 81 of Mt. Blanchard, Ohio, died Oct. 16, 2020. He was a sergeant in the Army Reserves from 1960 to 1964, and taught a combined 37 years, including as professor of science at the University of Findlay from 1989 to 2005.

Clyde Weeks ’60, age 82, of Gower, Missouri, died March 6. He taught at elementary schools in the St. Joseph (Missouri) School District for 30 years. In retirement, he wrote two books about local history, “Lake Contrary: Days of Glory 1880-1964” and “Krug Park: St. Joseph’s Crown Jewel.”

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, fax to 660.562.1990 or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.

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Lyle Welch ’60, age 84, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, died Aug. 25, 2019. He taught at Earlham High School and Urbandale High School, both in Iowa, retiring after 37 years.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

FAMILY HONORS SCHAAF WITH MEMORIAL TREE PLANTING Mark Schaaf ’80, age 61, of Farragut, Iowa, died June 9, 2019. He was a farmer and co-founder of the Fremont County Cattlemen’s Association.

Brandon ’03 and Megan Whitten ’04 Schaaf, with children Blake and Madelynn, honored him in August 2020 with the planting of a pond cypress memorial tree in the Missouri Arboretum on the Northwest campus.

NORTHWEST

POSTCARD The Kissing Bridge and the rest of the Northwest campus were blanketed with an unseasonable morning snow on April 20.

Although this snowfall was the last of the academic year, and the spring semester concluded May 7, Northwest lore suggests a freshman should be kissed on the Kissing Bridge by the first snowfall to be considered an official coed student. The small rustic wood bridge located between Colden Hall and Colden Pond has enjoyed a charmed history as a destination for first dates, engagement proposals and an occasional wedding.

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I SUMMER 2021

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

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