In Memoriam

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.”

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. 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. 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.” 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.

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.

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.

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. FAMILY HONORS SCHAAF WITH MEMORIAL TREE PLANTING