® UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MAGAZINE
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CONTENTS This issue will entertain you with its mix of articles, especially our cover story reflecting on four decades of teaching interpersonal communication, ranging from its introduction to its heyday and now possible demise, the result of digital technology. Let us know what you think about our magazine. Simply email us at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu.
COVE R STORY
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ALL BODY NO BODY “ The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion it has taken place.” Two generations of communication professors, emeritus Deems Brooks and his daughter, Melissa Grant, reflect on these words by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw as they apply to teaching interpersonal communication over the past four decades, including the first class brought to campus in 1971.
S ECT I O N S
13 CLASS NOTES 14 AWARDS & HONORS 16 IN MEMORIAM
FIND US ONLINE AT FE AT URE S
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EMAIL US AT UCMMAGAZINE@UCMO.EDU
ALWAYS GETTING BETTER AT THE JUNCTION OF PHARMA AND TECHNOLOGY Potential seems to outweigh adversity for Faruk Capan, the 2016 Distinguished Marketing Executive of the Year. In his story, there are cows, rejections, persistence, risk and a big heart.
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PROFESSOR SHOWS VALUE OF INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP International scholar Andrzej Wilk wanted to visit campus to test his theories about American students, and a long-time friendship with 1951 alumnus Wayne Payne made it happen.
10 JAKE & SULLY MOUNTED POLICE
Kansas City Mounted Police officer Jake Emig and his partner, Sully, have a close bond, made even more special when the horse recently retired.
YOUR GENEROSITY
Many of you returned the envelope in our fall issue that asked for your support, such as John ’71 and Pat Pierce who wrote how our cover story about Beth Rutt and the Campus Cupboard inspired them to contribute. Your generosity is much appreciated.
P R ES I D ENT ’S M ES S AG E
MAGAZINE Vol. 16 No. 3, Winter 2017
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Dalene Abner ’09 DESIGNER
Julie Babcock PHOTOGRAPHER
Bryan Tebbenkamp ’15 ILLUSTRATORS
David Babcock John F. Malta
Published by UCM Alumni Foundation. © 2017 by University of Central Missouri. All rights reserved. Find us online: ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine Contact the editor at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4545. Submit your address updates online to http://tinyurl.com/j73dgxy, by email to alumni@ucmo.edu or telephone, 660-543-8000 or toll-free, 1-866-752-7257. UCM Magazine (USPS 019-888) is published quarterly by the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Printed by Lane Press, 87 Meadowland Drive, South Burlington, VT. Periodicals postage paid at Warrensburg, MO, and additional offices. POSTMASTER
Send address changes to: UCM Magazine PO Box 800 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO 64093
Financial Challenges Ahead
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new reality in Missouri higher education is appearing as legislators place more and more of the financial responsibility for supporting our state universities on the institutions themselves and their students. A significant drop in state revenue, compounded by decreases in our international enrollment, is creating financial challenges for us. If the General Assembly approves the governor’s proposed budget, it would mean that a $4.15 million withholding for UCM this fiscal year would become permanent. We could lose another $1.2 million in state revenue in fiscal year 2018, resulting in a nine percent year-to-year decrease. Many questions still remain about the future of higher education in terms of legislative priorities, but essentially the increases and incremental gains we received through performance funding or the appropriations during the past eight years will be gone. Currently, we are doing everything our state and nation say we should be doing in public higher education. We’re holding costs down and focusing on getting people across the finish line with degrees. We’re making progress in mitigating college student loan debt and increasing student graduation rates. Through such efforts, we are putting students in a position to be competitive, which contributes to a stronger economy and, ultimately, our financial strength. Although some tuition increases may be necessary in this changing higher education environment, our goal is to seek other sources of revenue so that we can keep the cost of a college diploma affordable and help reduce student debt load. We know that many of you have experienced the value of a UCM degree and have a strong appreciation for the faculty and staff members who influenced and helped you develop professionally. Now is a critical time for higher education. We hope more of you will pay it forward so that others can enjoy the same opportunities that contributed to your success and your ability to experience learning to a greater degree. Joining you in service,
Chuck Ambrose PR ESIDEN T
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I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
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took a three-quarter series of courses on IPC. With no printed textbook, the WO R D S B U T D I D YO U A L S O C ATC H course was based on American scientist T H E E Y E M OV E M E N T, H E A D N O D Elwood Murray’s pioneering interpersonal O R H A N D G E S T U R E S ? A N D BY T H E WAY, communication lab workbook, which H OW A B O U T T H E E M OT I C O N : - ) pulled from psychology, sociology and This well-known quote by American business management. writer Robert McCloskey provides some Next, as a faculty member at Florida insight into how people communicate. State from 1968–1971, Brooks was Additional insight comes from a father asked to develop a graduate seminar and daughter, two generations, who on teaching IPC in college. He used his have taught communication studies SIU studies, other readings and the early at the University of Central Missouri, release of a 1971 textbook, Basic Readings ranging from the early 1970s to today. in Interpersonal Communication, co-authored Decades’ old differences arise not only by former UCM President Bobby Patton from beginning awareness of how body and his mentor, language influences interpersonal dialogue University of but also from today’s digital technology Kansas professor requiring no physical interaction at all. Kim Giffin. Irish playwright George Barnard Shaw When noted, “The single biggest problem in Brooks came to communication is the illusion that it has Warrensburg to taken place.” Deems Brooks and Melissa interview, he had Grant would concur. already done When Brooks arrived in Warrensburg the preliminary in 1971, public speaking was the work to teach the new IPC course. He largest enrollment course in the speech says, “The courses I took at SIU and the curriculum. The area of interpersonal preparation I did to teach the course at communication “was just beginning to FSU were of particular interest to the blossom,” he says. “For that matter, the department.” Those experiences, as well whole area of speech communication as his three years serving as director of was still struggling to find its identity in speech education at FSU, helped get the academic pantheon.” him hired. As a student working on his master’s “I didn’t literally bring the course fully and doctorate degrees at Southern Illinois developed here from FSU,” he explains, University–Carbondale in 1966, Brooks “rather I brought my knowledge and N T H E C O M P L I C AT E D WO R L D O F
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O UR CO MMUN ICAT ION RE FLE C T S WH O WE ARE . T H E WH OLE IDE A OF H OW D OES ONE UN D E R STAN D T H E IN FLUE N C E T H E Y H AVE ON AN OT H E R, P OSIT IVE OR N E GATIVE, AND I S T H AT T H E WAY I WAN T TO COME ACROSS TO PE OPLE . – Deems Brooks
slant on what the course should be and built on what the department had already begun.” That first single-section course soon multiplied, quickly becoming required for several academic majors “where students work closely with people such as teachers, nurses and law enforcement.” Just as interest in the IPC course grew, so did Brooks’ career. Hired as an associate professor and director of speech education, in just over a year, he became chair of the Division of Language, Literature and Communication. Eighteen months later, he became assistant dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “In the 24 years I taught interpersonal communication, the interesting thing is so many other people taught it and brought different perspectives. It was very organic and just grew on its own.” He thinks at the high point, there were as many as 18 sections.
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Communication is easy between Deems Brooks and daughter, Melissa. BOT TO M:
The new Martin Building, complete with a new theater and state-of-the-art speech and hearing clinic, helped attract emeriti communication professor Deems Brooks from Florida State University to Warrensburg in 1971. “There was nothing equivalent to that clinic at FSU and made coming here quite appealing.”
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Flash forward four decades to a second generation. Brooks’ daughter, Melissa Grant, now teaches the course at UCM. She shares a love for communications with her father, as well as his red hair, which just may have started it all. As a boy in grammar school, Brooks remembers crying to his stepmother after other students teased him, saying, “‘I’d rather be dead than red on the head.’” Her suggested response to him was to tell them the classic, “‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.’ “There’s a real truth to that,” Brooks says. “We get fearful about what’s coming toward us and allow events to control our responses when, in fact, we do have a choice. Our natural instinct, though, is to respond before we stop, think, evaluate and then respond.” Grant was in eighth grade when her family came to Warrensburg. In 1980, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English, speech and theatre from UCM, after which she became a high school teacher, returning for a master’s degree in 1997. Interpersonal communication was her first course assignment when she became an adjunct faculty member at UCM in fall 2014. While the curriculum still covers many basic theories, Grant says, other aspects have changed, influenced by such factors as gender, culture and technology. “When I started teaching, gender communication wasn’t in the textbooks; we rarely even talked about it,” Brooks says. “When John Gray’s book, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus came out in 1992, people really began to notice gender communication differences.” “And the way people express those feelings and thoughts are distinctive,” Grant interjects. “With women, we use rapport talk, which is all about connecting and community. Men tend to use report talk, which is task and fact based. Women talk to connect; men engage in activities to connect.” “Our communication reflects who we are,” Brooks notes. “The whole idea of how does one understand the influence they have on each other, positive or negative, and is that the way I want to come across to people.”
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The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
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— G E O R G E B E R N A R D S H A W, I R I S H P L AY W R I G H T
K N OW N F O R P Y G M A L I O N ( T H I N K M Y FA I R L A DY )
Grant says that in her current classes, “We cover verbal, nonverbal and relationships with family and coworkers and touch upon how the Internet and texting changed how we communicate and connect.” Facebook is studied briefly, she adds. “We look at a lot of the topics and then relate it to sometimes social media, especially with verbal communication and how that has changed, as well as the nonverbal with emoji and emoticons.” One of her favorite assignments for today’s students is to have them watch a TED Talk. Started in 1994, these online videos feature experts in business, science, technology and creativity who make speeches that encourage thinking with “ideas worth spreading.” Another project she assigns at the beginning of the semester requires students to identify a personal behavior they want to change. Working individually or together, they next must answer a set of questions, put together a proposal and action plan, maintain a daily journal and log their progress to modify their behavior. “A typical topic may be listening or nonverbal skills. Today’s students want to work on particular facial expressions. They don’t feel they are expressing what they are feeling. They may ask, ‘Are you mad?’
and can’t tell. It’s really interesting.” One of Brooks’ favorite teaching methods was using group processes. He says arranging students in small groups and giving them specific discussion questions on assigned readings helped them understand the content better. He explained that as the students shared ideas and experiences, it also helped them understand how to apply the information to their own relationships. Grant observes that international students, such as the two she has this semester from South Korea, also enrich the class, bringing their cultural perspectives to the discussion. Technology is yet another factor with current students; there’s no escape from texting and cell phones. “I know as soon as they come into the classroom and wait for class to start, they are on their phones,” she says. Her father describes his recent visit to a chiropractor, “fighting for my posture and to keep my shoulders back.” The doctor said he was doing well, “better than the college students I’m seeing who are slumped over. They already have curvature of the spine and wait until they are your age.” Brooks says the doctor attributed this to constant use of cell phones and iPads. Interpersonal communication has run the gamut since Brooks taught the first course on
I DON ’T T E XT. I REF USE TO DO IT BE C AUSE I F EEL WE ARE LOSIN G SO MUCH IN OUR FACETO-FAC E COMMUNICATION T H AT WE DO N’T KNOW HOW TO DO IT ANYMORE. SOME KIDS LIT E RALLY HAVE TROUB L E COMMUN ICATING WITH AN OT H E R P ER SON, FACE TO FACE , AN D I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH SOCIAL ME DIA AN D TEX TING.
– Melissa Grant
campus in 1972. Both father and daughter believe the course’s value, though declining in enrollment, is more important than ever. “I think everyone can benefit from taking interpersonal communication,” Grant says. “It’s my favorite course to teach. I really love that class. And it’s wonderful to get the interaction because kids see how they better their relationships through the course.” Brooks gets in the last word, observing that change is the one constant. “Those of us who want to hold onto something would do well not to get too sentimental.” n
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I BELIEVE I TEND TO THINK D I F F E R E N T LY THAN EVERYONE ELSE. I LOOK AT A P R O B L E M AND FIND SOLUTIONS.
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LEAVING KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FARUK CAPAN WAS EXCITED TO SEE SKYSCRAPERS.
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hen he left his native Turkey to pursue a master of business administration degree in the United States, Faruk Capan wanted an urban environment. He was used to Istanbul with its 15 million people. What he didn’t expect to see as he made his way to Warrensburg were cows. “It was Aug. 2 and 100 degrees plus out there. I didn’t have a place to stay. I found a hotel room on Highway 13 and used a pay phone to call my mother, crying, saying this is not the America I signed up for and that I want to come home,” he says. “I got lucky, though, and UCM turned out to be the best experience that has happened to me.” He was sharing his college and career life lessons with students in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies as part of being honored as the American Marketing Association Distinguished Marketing Executive of the Year. Since earning his MBA degree in 1992, he has founded and now operates the health care marketing agency, InTouch Solutions, which employs some 650 people at offices in Kansas City, Chicago, New York and London. For Capan, potential seems to outweigh adversity. Take the story of how he founded his company. After graduating,
he was working for Marion Labs in the IT department and knew the Internet was going to be big. His boss, however, disagreed and wanted him to focus on his job. He persisted and got seed money to build a portal for multiple sclerosis patients. He quickly became frustrated by corporate red tape. At opposites with his boss and the company’s attorneys, he left to start his own business. “I had a 6-month-old baby when I quit my job, and my mom told me I’m crazy. This is very risky. But I thought it was well worth the risk to try it,” Capan says. At the top of his mind was his dad’s advice: “Do only what you know and what you love.” He did just that, creating a health care marketing agency that combines pharma and technology. As new technologies roll out, he’s constantly thinking about how to incorporate them into the pharma world and introduce new tools for doctors and patients. “I would love to say we invented something to help patients live a better life,” he says. “The ultimate goal is to not just be a marketing agency, but to go beyond and do something good for humanity. That would be a really great thing to leave behind. We are trying.” He still views his company as a startup although a mature one. InTouch, he says, must remain nimble and ready to adapt to changes in the industry. “I don’t want to be a fat cat because we can never be happy sitting and not making continuous improvements. You can always get better.” n
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4,9 MILES
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EARLY 5,000 MILES SEPARATE POLAND FROM WARRENSBURG YET A DECADES-OLD FRIENDSHIP EASILY CLOSED THE DISTANCE THIS FALL, BRINGING A RENOWNED
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SCHOLAR AND JOURNALIST TO CAMPUS.
Andrzej Wilk, Ph.D., a professor of management and international relations from Warsaw, Poland, satisfied his curiosity about American higher education during a weeklong visit with students and faculty. He shared his research and experiences in democracy and nationalism in central Europe and learned about the cooperative partnerships between the university and businesses.
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“I wanted to test my theories about and get feedback from American students,” he said. “I’ve been pleased by the level of preparation provided to American students. They are very competent and businesslike.” Wilk noted that American students showed a strong interest in studying in Poland although other countries such as France and Great Britain might provide more diverse and interesting opportunities. “Poland is still transferring from a central government to a market economy, and there have been some problems with that transformation,” he said. “There is a strong interest in Poland to host American students and the development of cooperative projects. The Polish government is interested in the American business models.” He added that Poland is pro-American with many Polish residents having relatives in America. “Higher education is the most powerful tool that the U.S. has,” he said. “Students from all over the world come to the U.S. for higher education. The U.S. campuses are more technologically advanced than those in Eastern Europe, and many of our campuses are fairly new, having been developed in
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Professor Shows Value of International Friendship
C LO S E R
A Unique Perspective Knowledge, perspective and forgiveness came together with campus visits from professor Andrzej Wilk, Poland, and Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor. Her one-day visit left an impact on hundreds of students, faculty and staff who heard her speak about her childhood experiences in Auschwitz during World War II as well as her belief in the power of forgiveness. Their experiences offered a unique opportunity for UCM students to gain a worldly perspective on the effects of history on current events.
just the last few decades. We encourage Polish students to learn English – it’s a useful tool for business and education and the acquisition of knowledge.” Wilk referenced his longtime friendship with UCM alumnus and educator Wayne Payne ’51, who made Wilk’s recent trip to UCM possible. Payne’s gift to the UCM Alumni Foundation created an endowment, the Payne Fund for International Understanding, to bring such experts to campus. The two became acquainted during Payne’s 30-year career with Arthur Andersen & Co. Wilk noted his friendship with Payne also made possible his first trip to UCM 21 years ago. “Wayne told me during that trip that this campus would be changed when I returned, and it is,” Wilk said. “The Friendship Tower and the many new buildings, along with the overall beauty of the campus and the expansion around it, are impressive.” Throughout his varied careers as professor of management and freelance journalist, Wilk has had the opportunity to work for the Polish government and the United Nations. His study of international
relations has led to his interest in the impact of technology on communication. “Before, the ambassadors were important to the development of relationships between countries and their governments,” he said. “They conveyed important information between their leaders. Now political leaders simply communicate between themselves with technology, making the role of the ambassador seem less important.” He added that research on these changes in how information is exchanged between governments is important and students should be fully aware of what tools are needed to facilitate those relationships. “I’ve learned on this trip that American students are internationally oriented and willing to travel abroad, even to Poland,” he said. “I’ve also noticed that 21 years after my first visit, the university seems to be closer ideologically than we were then. We are having similar conversations, reading the same books and talking about similar problems.” n
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“ The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” – Jake Emig
JAKE & SULLY MOUNTED POLICE THEY SHARE A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP MADE EVEN MORE SPECIAL WHEN SULLY RECENTLY RETIRED.
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oget to do exactly what I loved as a kid,” says Jake Emig, a 2006 University of Central Missouri alumnus and member of the Kansas City Mounted Patrol. After earning a degree in crisis and disaster emergency management, he went to work for the City of Kansas City in code enforcement and then was assigned to a task force “dealing primarily with houses involved in narcotics.” He next was hired by the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department and eventually made his way to the mounted patrol section, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016. Emig was partnered with O’Sullivan or Sully for short, a sorrel paint quarter horse that stands at 16.2 hands that formerly competed in extreme cowboy competitions. Sully is named after fallen officer John J.
O’Sullivan, who was killed in the line of duty Dec. 12, 1978. “It means a lot to be part of this unit from the officers assigned there to the horses we ride,” Emig says. “It’s such an outstanding group to work with. Nearly everyone is excited to see a horse coming down the street. Many of them have never seen a horse and now they’re petting one right outside their house or their shopping district. It’s great to be a part of that.” Each officer works with the same horse for continuity and is responsible for its care, including grooming, mucking stalls, feeding and other tasks. A farrier comes every six weeks to replace horseshoes. The horses eat approximately 1,000 bales of hay annually. The department pays for the hay, seed and bedding. Other expenses are defrayed by a (501(c)3) nonprofit organization called Friends of the KC Mounted Patrol. Unless weather is excessively hot or cold, or road conditions are unsafe, the patrol operates full time on a year-round basis to police the community and provide crowd control. Emig notes the intent of the mounted patrol is not intimidation but rather engagement as they serve the community.
Since becoming a member of the Kansas City Mounted Police in 2015, UCM alumnus Jake Emig partnered with Sully, who recently retired after eight years of service. Like Sully, his new horse, McGinnis, is named for a fallen officer. L E FT:
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He adds that given the heightened tension between police departments and the public in some areas of the nation, positive interaction on horseback is a powerful tool to build and reinforce trust. Weighing between 1,100 to 2,300 pounds, the horses are a formidable presence. It can be dangerous, Emig says. “Like any police situation, there’s the potential but we train ourselves and our horses to be able to handle most situations when they arise.” The horses undergo training for sensitivity to aggravation and noise. “They’re already broken and ready to ride when they arrive,” says Emig. “We expose them to anything and everything noise-wise – jackhammers, sirens, firecrackers – to desensitize them.” The horses also learn to ride single-file, in two columns and in wheel formation. They are trained for vehicle extraction and how to safely push back crowds. Jake and Sully share a tight-knit bond that is especially noticeable in their Instagram account @sullykcpd, that seems more like a family album. Sully has developed a bit of fame through the photos depicting his adventures and patrols throughout the city. “Sully likes to keep his followers up to date,” says Emig. “We encounter a lot of people that didn’t know Kansas City had a mounted patrol unit.” Emig acknowledges that “there are challenging days when the horses don’t behave, but we get them squared away.” Despite those off days, he loves to spend time with the horses. Emig chats with Sully as if they are best friends. His favorite moments are “taking Sully around Kansas City and seeing all the sites with him and meeting all the people we come in contact with.” n
A B OV E: Jake Emig and recently retired partner, O’Sullivan or Sully for short, are officers in the Kansas City Mounted Police, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016.
Photos provided by Jake Emig
KANSAS CITY MOUNTED POLICE It’s all in a day to make new friends, share close moments or pose for celebrations.
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C L AS S NO T E S
1970–1979 Kent Van Landuyt ’71 co-authored a recently released book entitled, A People’s History of the Lake of the Ozarks. The book covers the transition of the Lake Ozark counties from rural into a functioning urban area. The book is tied into his 1971 master’s thesis in sociology. Kenneth Walton ’71 has researched, written, illustrated and self-published a history book and shop manual, Offy, America’s Greatest Racing Engine. The book focuses on the physical evolution of the all-American internal combustion racing engine from the 1912 Charlatan Peugeot through 1980. Walton notes that five series of Offys were designed and built in the Los Angela area. From 1930–1980, these engines dominated oval track racing throughout the U.S. and made their mark overseas.
Mike Callaway ’83, stagecraft teacher at Topeka (KS) West High since 1983, directed his 100th production in the fall, choosing the Tony Awardnominated Michael Frayn farce, Noises Off. Callaway became interested in stage production when he took a course as a freshman at UCM and realized he was a better technician than actor. Over the years, he has directed main stage productions, as well as traveling children’s shows, talent shows and Topeka West Players productions. He also served as designer and technical director for Ballet Midwest, designing scenery
Gregory Jourdan ’79 has been a college professor at Wenatchee Valley College in the state of Washington for the past 32 years. He teaches in the environmental systems and refrigeration department. Prior to teaching at the community college level, he worked for Honeywell and Siemens corporations in Kansas City and Seattle.
1980–1989 Julie Conner ’80 ’91 ’09 is a TED speaker, educator and collaborative leadership consultant who prepares youth to be leaders and adults to be mentors and role models. She is the author of an award-winning goal-setting book, Dreams to Action Trailblazer’s Guide. Connor was a featured speaker at TEDxYouth@Louisburg. She motivates and inspires youth and adult audiences throughout the country.
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productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and La Fille Mal Gardée. Chris Stocklin ’86 is the new chief financial officer for Central Christian College and is responsible for the school’s business, financial aid, human resources and cafeteria services. Before joining Central Christian in McPherson, KS, he was senior pastor of the 160-year-old Hermann (MO) Christian Church. He also has served as president of Brookes Bible College, where he helped with degree expansion, ABHE accreditation, online learning implementation, raising
THE HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE
SPIDERMAN MOVIE PRODUCER and alumnus Grant Curtis recently brought a taste of Hollywood to Warrensburg, addressing students in the American film history course. Students benefited not only from Curtis’ experience, but also the experiences of his peers in the film industry, who participated as guest speakers. He taught the class via Skype from California and made two campus visits at the beginning and end of the semester. “When they asked me if I wanted to teach a class, I jumped at the chance,” Curtis recalled. “This is where I grew up.” His father, Dan Curtis, is chair emeritus of the Department of Communication. “I wanted to teach them to understand the advantages they have growing up in the technology age,” he said. “I also wanted to take away some of the ‘myth of Hollywood’ and teach them they can practice skills right here at UCM that will serve them throughout their careers.” Curtis, who received his master’s degree from UCM in 1997, was honored in 2002 as the Outstanding Recent Alumnus. In addition to three Spider-Man films, his work with director Sam Raimi includes Oz the Great and Powerful as well as the television series Hercules, Xena Warrior Princess and Briscoe County.
financial resources and day-today operations. Prior to Brookes, he worked for 10 years with the United Parcel Service where he managed 15 auditors and had a revenue recovery of over $1 million per week. Stocklin earned a master of divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctoral degree in ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, he is the founder of a faith-based ministry called “Turning the Tide Financial Ministries,” where he travels the country teaching a biblical approach to personal financial management. Todd R. Wood ’86 spoke on Veteran’s Day at his alma mater, Indianola High School in Iowa. He said all veterans share a common path and belief. “Every one of them has raised their right hand and they’ve taken an oath. And that oath they all take when they enter the service is very basic and simple and held dearly to all of them. I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They’re not pledging an allegiance to a man or a woman, they’re pledging allegiance to an idea. To a country.” Wood’s active military career began in February 2003 when he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and served as a deputy division chief of staff, and then took command of the 2nd Battalion 7th Infantry in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. He deployed to Iraq again with the battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, and served in Tikrit, Iraq. In July 2006, he was selected to work in the Pentagon as a strategic planner for the war on terrorism until July 2008. In 2011, Wood deployed to the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in Operation Enduring Freedom with the 125th Striker Brigade Combat Team. Col. Wood was
CLAS S NOT ES
then assigned to the U.S. Army Pacific until 2013, when he became chief of staff of the 25th Infantry Division. From October 2014 to July 2015, he was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan. He retired from 20 years active duty in June 2016 and is now assistant professor at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS. Mark Schollmeyer ’89 is a senior support engineering specialist for Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies in Kansas City, MO. His wife, Patricia ’84 ’87 is a kindergarten teacher at St. John LaLande Catholic School in Blue Springs, MO. They have two children. Zachary is attending the University of Missouri in Columbia, majoring in business with a finance background. Maria is attending William Jewell College in Liberty, studying as a nurse practitioner.
1990–1999 Jamie P. Melchert ’92 retired from military service with the Army National Guard in December. He served 17 years including two combat tours. His military career highlights include deployment to Iraq in 2005, deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, overseas training in Germany and multiple state emergency duty missions. His awards include the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal. He is a 1988 graduate of Sacred Heart High School in Sedalia, MO. He earned a bachelor’s in science in journalism from UCM in 1992 and an applied associate degree in business from Columbia College in 1996. He is married to Brenda (Hatfield) Melchert and has two children, Haley, 17, and Nicholas, 15. Jamie Lucero ’99, director of alumni relations for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech
University, is serving a twoyear term as president of the National Agricutural Alumni and Development Association. Her connection to agriculture began at a young age as her family raised purebred Simmental cattle on a small farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. She has been active in NAADA for several years, including serving as vice president, when she designed a more robust profile and search tool for member organizations. She holds a master’s degree in animal science—reproductive physiology from Kansas State University.
2000–2009 Joel Burzinski ’08 ’12 married Leah Spare June 24 at the Douglas County Courthouse in Lawrence, KS. He works for the National Record Center in Lee’s Summit.
2010–2019 Andrew Nicola ’12 has been named wrestling coach at Concordia University in Seward, NE. He previously coached at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA, where he helped the Lancers win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and finish sixth at the NCAA D-II championships. Amanda (Sasek) Jaeger ’13 is anchor of the THV11 noon broadcast for KTHV, a CBS affiliate in Little Rock, AR. She also is a reporter for the station’s evening broadcasts. Previously, she anchored and reported for KWCH in Wichita, KS. Jaeger was named Miss Kansas in 2014. In addition to her work in television, she has volunteered over the years for Children’s Miracle Network and advocated for suicide prevention and awareness through the Miss America Organization.
Awards & Honors
1970–1979 Bill Percy ’75 was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2017. The induction ceremony was held during the Hall of Fame Banquet at the 2017 ABCA Annual Convention in Anaheim, CA in early January. Percy recently finished his 10th season as head baseball coach at St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs. With more than 38 years of coaching experience, he has served as director of clinics for the Colorado High School Baseball Coaches Association since 1996. In 2010, he was inducted into the Colorado Dugout Club’s inaugural Hall of Fame class. Along with coaching and his MLB Envoy work, Percy is active as a clinician, author and organizer of baseball coaching seminars throughout Colorado, the United States and Europe.
1980–1989 Mike Hagerty ’80 ’83 ’87 is an inductee in the 2017 National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK. Mike received the Meritorious Official award which recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge or pairing official. He has 25 years of experience as an NCAA Division I official and has worked the NCAA Division I Championships from 2003 to present, including 11 finals matches. He has officiated 14 NCAA Division II Championships and has served as the head official four times. He has refereed 16 Big 12 Championships and seven Pac12 Championships while also officiating two National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star matches. He has also worked two NAIA Championships and has officiated NCAA Division III
Championships. Hagerty founded the Inter-Collegiate Wrestling Officials Association in 2015 and continues to serve as executive director. He was president of the NCAA National Wrestling Coaches Association in 1989 and was a member of the Board of Directors from 1996-2001. He works as a coach for USA Wrestling and was an Olympic Team Camp coach in 2012 and 2016. He has been a USA World Team coach six times. He recently coached the U.S. World University Team, which won the first USA University World Championships in 2015. Hagerty has been named USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year twice and was chair of Missouri USA Wrestling from 1983–89. He coached Central Missouri for seven seasons and had two national champions, 10 All-Americans and 25 national qualifiers while being named Midwest Regional Coach of the Year twice. Hagerty has been coaching at Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, MO for the past 24 years. He has coached the team to three state championships and seven other Top Three finishes while being named Missouri Coach of the Year five times. He wrestled at Higginsville High School in Higginsville, MO where he was 87-6-1 and was a Scholastic Wrestling News Honorable Mention All-American. Hagerty qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships at UCM where he was an MIAA champion as well as team captain and Outstanding Wrestler. Hagerty is also a member of the Missouri Wrestling Association Hall of Fame and the Missouri USA Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015 and is also a member of the Central Missouri Hall of Legends.
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1930–1939 Jeanelle Tackett Patterson ’39
1950–1959 Charles Greene ’51 Samuel Sherer ’53 Sarah Shively Dyer ’56 Robert Monsees ’56, ’64 Richard Petre ’56, ’60 Karla Roberts ’58 Robert Martin ’59
1960–1969 Richard McFarlane ’60 James Smith ’60 Freda Klingensmith ’62 Thelma Dague Leham ’62 Judy Hallowell Moore ’64, ’81 John Weber ’64 Nita Brockmeier Hertzog ’65
Gene Painter ’67 Donna Costigan ’67, ’69 Nancy Perkins Dowdy ’67 Madeline Johnson Taylor ’68 Barbara Domann Davis ’69 Joanne Gadt ’69 Barbara Lynch ’69 Larry Wittenberger ’69
1970–1979 John Clevenger ’70 Helen Kittle Slaymaker ’71 Edgar Trotter ’71 James Keiter ’72 Sandra Spainhour Patterson ’72, ’77 Clifford Stebe ’72 David Summers ’72 Bertnard Bakker ’73 Dean Pettyjohn ’74 Jack Purnell ’74 John Walker ’74
Richard Waite ’75 Polly Hart Brouthton ’77 Martha Himber ’77, ’78 Richard Moses ’78
1980–1989 Sue Cochran ’81 Crystal Kuhlman Ferrell ’81 Stephen Coffelt ’85 Elizabeth Heckler Aton ’86
2010-2019 Carrie Clinton ’10 Kimberly Wilborn ’14
Former Students Anna Scrivner Helmer
Jill Gromer Ladas ’91 Connie Spader Dille ’92 Matt French ’92 Ciamak Noorbakhsh ’93
Friends
Carol Eves Bowley
Fred Andrews, 62, a 1975 Central Missouri alumnus honored by KC Magazine as one of “100 People Who Have Changed Life in KC Forever,” died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, from cancer. Kansas City Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James declared February 24 as Fred Andrews Day in honor of the man who worked over the past two decades to advance local film production and exhibition. The night was a preview of Andrews’ last work, a documentary, Kansas City Crossroads – A Tale of BBQ and the Blues, showcasing Kansas City’s history of jazz, blues and barbecue. James narrates the short film. Andrews collaborated with many entities, including Avila University, the University of Missouri—Kansas City, the Film Society of Greater Kansas City and others to form the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee in 1996. He served as its executive director for 15 years and played a distinct role in growing the fest into an international festival. His career included numerous nonprofit agencies, especially for grant writing. He also served on the Cinema KC Advisory Board, the Kansas City Film Commission, KC Consensus and the African American Film Society. Memorials are suggested to the Beta Sigma Psi-Pi Chapter Alumni Scholarship with the UCM Alumni Foundation. Gifts may be made online at ucmfoundation.org/give or by mail to UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Carol Eves Bowley, who received the Charno Award in 1959 as that graduating class’ top female senior, died May 13, 2015, of ovarian cancer. She was born in 1937 in St. Louis to Max and Arline Eves. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCM before teaching high school in Liberty, at Simpson College in Iowa and St. Norbert and Lakeland colleges in Wisconsin. She was a civilian director with Army Special Services in recreation centers in La Rochelle and Orleans, France. In Green Bay, WI, she served as president of the Early Childhood Organization and the Northeastern, WI, Talented and Gifted Organization. She was committed to her work at the Green Bay YMCA, where among her many roles, she served as downtown executive, director of program development and lifeguard.
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Patrick Fricke ’01 Stacie Bachtel Reynolds ’01 Kelly Weber ’06
1990–1999
Fred G. Andrews
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2000–2009
Dianna Lynn Bush Dianna Lynn Bush, 59, of Independence, MO, a UCM alumna with degrees from 1999 and 2000, died Tuesday, July 25, 2016. She earned degrees in aviation psychology and aviation safety and worked for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis. She was married to aviation emeriti faculty member Michael E. Bush, who preceded her in death in 2000. In his memory, she started a scholarship for aviation students. A patriot who served his country for 26 years, he loved aviation and the opportunity to touch the lives of young people as a leader in the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
Wilbur Brown Becky Speck Martin Herbert Onstot Carol and Melvin Twaddle Stella Belcher Vance
Their sons, Michael Bush Jr. and Stephen Kelley, are also UCM alumni. Memorials are suggested in support of the Michael E. Bush Aviation Scholarship Endowment, UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Geral Culp Geral Edward Culp, 86, of Kansas City, died Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Culp earned degrees in biology from UCM in 1955 and 1957. He served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War, earning the National Defense Medal. He later served as an associate professor and acting registrar at UCM. After retiring as associate registrar at the University of Missouri—Kansas City, he went into business with partner, Jerry Witherspoon. He was the son of David R. and Martha Culp who preceded him in death as did four siblings David, Vernon, Dorothy Marshall and Carrol, his infant twin brother as well as his stepson, Michael Wright. His wife, Dorothy, survives.
Paula Jean Elfrink Paula Elfrink, the wife of emeriti accounting professor Jack Elfrink, died Tuesday, July 25, 2016. She was born Dec. 12, 1954, to George Diller and Jean Doyle-Miller. She taught sixth grade language arts and social studies at Crest Ridge Middle School. She and her husband funded a scholarship at UCM in honor of their mothers, Jean
I N M EM OR I AM
Goolsby and Cecilia Martin Elfrink. As children of the Depression and the wives of World War II veterans, they became teachers in the 1950s and 1960s. Jean returned to college in the 1960s, obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary education and special education, eventually working as a reading specialist. Cecilia taught after World War II before becoming a fulltime mother. Both women instilled in their children a lasting appreciation for the value of education and quality educators. Memorials are suggested to the Jean Goolsby Doyle & Cecilia Martin Elfrink Education Scholarship through the mail at UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Edwin L. Johnson Edwin L. Johnson, former commercial art professor, died Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. He was born Sept. 23, 1932, and earned art degrees from UCM in 1957 and 1971. Following his teaching career, the renowned watercolor artist also worked many years at Spangler Printing in Kansas City. He was among the professional artists of the Missouri Watercolor Society who served as jurors of the Watercolor Missouri International held annually at the National Churchill Museum in Fulton.
Betty Rita Gómez Lance Betty Rita Gómez Lance, 93, professor emerita of Romance languages and literatures, died Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. She was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and came to the U.S. in 1942 to study science. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical sciences in 1944. She then earned a master’s degree in agricultural chemistry at the University of Missouri Columbia. Literature was her great love, though, and she pursued a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. She taught at Washington and the University of Illinois before starting her 27-year teaching career at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. She retired in 1988. She was fluent in Spanish and English and proficient in French, Italian, Portuguese and German. She was a prolific scholar, whose works include a book on Spanish novelist Juan Antonio de Zunzunegui. She authored books on Peruvian writer Enrique Lopez Albujar and El Salvador poet Claudia Lars and published a work of literary criticism on the picaresque tradition in the 20th-century literature of Spain. She was a short story writer and poet, whose poems were published in many Spanish-English literary journals.
Memorials are suggested to the Elizabeth Callaway Scholarship, created by Lance through a gift to honor the teacher who helped her to succeed as the first foreign student at UCM. “Without her help and guidance, I would not have been able to fulfill my professional dreams in this country. She was my ears, my voice, my adviser and my surrogate mother.” Memorials to the Elizabeth Callaway Scholarship may be mailed to the UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Dorothy Lovinger Dorothy B. Lovinger, 99, of Columbia, MO, wife of UCM’s 10th president Warren Lovinger, died Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. She was born Aug. 29, 1917, in Denver, the daughter of Eddo B. and Lula McCracken Blackburn. She met Warren Lovinger at Western Montana State College, Dillon, Montana, where both were students. They married in Hot Springs in 1937 and became team teachers at the Monarch, Montana, school. Both of their daughters were born in Montana. World War II led to many moves for Dorothy and the girls as they followed Lovinger to his different Navy home ports on the Atlantic Coast. Post-war, she helped support the family as a typist while he completed his doctorate at Columbia University of New York City. In 1951, the family settled in Aberdeen, SD, where Lovinger became president of Northern State College. While there, Dorothy completed her master’s degree and had their son. In 1956, the family moved to Warrensburg where Lovinger served as UCM president from 1956–1979. She was an active first lady, hosting countless events and serving as president of several university and community organizations. In 1979, the couple retired to their farm near Stover, serving the next 25 years as farmers, volunteers and leaders in their church and community. After Lovinger’s death in 2006, she lived in Columbia. Memorials are suggested to the Lovinger Graduate Student Scholarship, UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Tom Massia Victor Thomas “Tom” Massia, 60, of Centerview, MO, computer specialist at the university, died Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. He was born in Memphis in 1956, the first of four children to Deanora Heiman Massia.
He joined the Air Force in 1974 and served 20 years as an air traffic controller. He retired in 1994 at the rank of tech sergeant. Two years later, he joined UCM’s information technology staff. Among survivors are his wife, Karla, UCM acquisitions librarian and associate professor.
William Rich, Jr. William Baker Rich, Jr., 92, died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016, in Smithville, TX. He grew up in Warrensburg and enlisted at age 18. He learned to fly a Piper Cub and worked that summer building airstrips at Whiteman Air Force Base. He attended Central Missouri until he was called to serve in 1942. He served in the Pacific Theatre with the Army Air Corps and flew as a radio operator in B-25 bombers to various islands, including Okinawa. He received the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Victory Ribbon & Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He was in the first American troops to land in Japan as USAAF technicians to take control of “Radio Tokyo” transmitters in 1945, a week before Japan signed the unconditional surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1951 and as a second lieutenant through ROTC. He was discharged from the Air Force Reserves in 1957 after serving in the Korean War. After 10 years working as an electrical engineer for Mobil Oil, he went to work as a senior project coordinator for Aramco in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Upon retirement, he returned to Warrensburg and started another career with Whiteman AFB as a civilian engineer. He retired three weeks before his 80th birthday. In 2013, he was flown to Washington D.C. by the Honor Flight group for a tour of all the war memorials. Memorial gifts are suggested to Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity through the UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Jack Sigler Jack Exline Sigler, 90, of Blue Springs, MO, former assistant to the dean of the Graduate School, died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. He was born in 1926 to Kessler “Tip” and Gladys “Sussie” Exline Sigler. He married Norma Jean High in 1950 in Kansas City, MO; she survives. He was a World War II Army veteran, having received an honorable discharge from
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Army Company A 51st signal operation BN in 1946. He graduated from Blue Springs High School in 1943 and earned degrees from the University of Kansas City, including a bachelor’s in 1949 and a master’s in 1961. He spent his working career in sociological research and retired from UCM in 1992.
Horace Toevs Horace Reed Toevs, 91, a member of the university’s Navy V-12 unit, died Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. He was born in 1925 to Henry and Elizabeth Chappel Toevs. He was raised in Newton, KS, where he attended public schools and met his wife-to-be, Ione Conner. He joined the Navy in 1943 and was trained to be a signalman on the Wingéd Arrow—a troop transport in the Pacific. He and his father owned and operated Toevs Men’s Wear in Newton. Upon his father’s death, he continued the store’s operation for the next 40 years. In 2000, the Toevses moved to the Kansas Christian Home where they lived for 16 years. His civic and church-related service included the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks, Masons and Shriners.
Margret Whitehead Margret Whitehead, 77, a former university employee and wife of union director emeritus John Whitehead, died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. He survives. She was born in Waldik, Germany and came to the United States in 1966. She served as an interpreter for the U.S. Army after World War II. She moved to Brevard County, FL, in 1991, where she worked for Parrish Medical Center Admissions and the Chamber of Commerce of Merritt Island. She was a foster parent to 72 children.
Jim Whitfield James Seymour “Jim” Whitfield, 90, of Warrensburg, a 1950 Central Missouri alumnus known as “Mr. American Legion,” died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. He was born on Jan. 12, 1926, to William Henry “Dub” and Mary Virginia Asbury Whitfield. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served 33 months aboard the USS General George Squier off the coast of Africa, transported troops into southern France in 1944 and served in the Pacific Theater. Following his discharge in 1947, he became a student at UCM, graduating with a business
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NEW SCHOLARSHIP HONORS NICKI ALEXOPOULOUS SHE WAS KNOWN
as “Mrs. A” by her students who struggled to pronounce her last name. She left such an impression that when high school English teacher and UCM 1974 alumna Nicki Lee Alexopoulous died Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, her college classmates, friends and former students made gifts to the UCM Alumni Foundation to start a scholarship in her memory. That scholarship will benefit English education majors, a fitting tribute to a teacher described by one student as, “In a word, fierce. I was scared of her, but oh, I admired her, I wanted to be just like her. Her actions and her demeanor showed me how to take a stand.” Nicki Lee Alexopoulous, 64, of Kansas City, was born March 19, 1952, to Nick and Lee Alexopoulous. Following graduation from Raytown High School and UCM, she pursued a degree from the University of Missouri
degree in 1950 and honored as the top male graduating senior with the George Charno Citizenship Award. Whitfield’s 57-year service to Boys State is unsurpassed. He was a life member of the American Legion in Warrensburg and served Boys State of Missouri in many capacities at the post, district, department and national levels, including serving on the committee that moved the annual event to campus in 1953. He served as senior commander of Post 131 and in 2000 was an honorary department commander. He was elected to the Missouri Boys State Hall of Fame in 1988 and was appointed the representative to the National World War I Centennial Commission. In 2000, he received the title Honorary Lifetime Commander of the Missouri American Legion, an honor given to only three other men, including U.S. President Harry Truman. He received the UCM Distinguished Alumni Award in 1982. Whitfield was the first Boy States leader to have a Boys State City named in his honor outside of the four founding members. In 2001, the Missouri Boys State Board of
Columbia before starting a career as one of the most admired English and creative writing teachers at Boonville (MO) High School. Following her career at Boonville, she moved back to Kansas City to take care of her parents and taught at Fort Osage High School. Before retiring in 2001, she was an adjunct professor at Avila University. She was preceded in death by her mother, Lee, and son, Patrick. Survivors include her father, Nick; daughter, Kristen (Keith) Oehlert and two grandsons. A former student, Sarah Beahan, wrote in a blog, “When I was a teenager I thought she was a fearless woman. Now, I know better. She wasn’t unafraid. She let her fear stand beside her as she stood strong, told her story, let her words empower her. She was an example of a woman who had plenty to be afraid of and was, but she stood up anyway. This lesson is her legacy and I will hold it close.” Memorial donations to the scholarship can be made online at ucmfoundation.org/give or by mailing your gift to UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Directors and Executive Committee voted in favor of renaming Smith City to Whitfield City. His life included 10 years of service on the Missouri Veterans Commission. During his tenure as chair, the Missouri State Veterans Home and State Veterans Cemetery systems were established. Memorials are suggested to the Fund for Excellence, UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
Mary Lu Winters Mary Lu Winters, 83, of Kansas City, MO, died Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. She was born in 1933, to Donald and Margery Robinson Valk. She graduated the top of her class from Maryville High School and studied music and business education at the University of Kansas. She married Joe Junior Winters in 1958; he survives. She worked at Hallmark for several years, retiring when she started a family. Memorials are suggested to the Joe and Mary Lu Winters Scholarship in Strings, UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.
L U M N I F O U N D AT I O N B E Q U E ST S UCM A
e
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way Voncile Huffman died in 2002 but her teaching legacy survives. Through a will bequest she made to the UCM Alumni Foundation, she found a way to continue her love of teaching through an endowed scholarship that has helped hundreds of students follow in her footsteps.
Now is an excellent time to create or review your will.
Have you considered including a charitable bequest that will create a lasting legacy and directly benefit UCM students? Contact Joy Mistele at 660-543-8000 or mistele@ucmo.edu to discuss this and other estate giving options that can benefit both you and UCM.
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P.O. BOX 8 0 0 WA RRE N SB U R G , M O 6 4093- 5 038
Stay connected with us through your favorite social media platform at ucmo.edu/social
Q&A with
Caitlin Ehlert RECIPIENT OF THE COLEMAN F A M I LY A N D P R O V I N C E F A M I LY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIPS
“Support from UCM donors has meant the world to me. Their generosity is just above and beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of.” — CAITLIN EHLERT
What is your passion in life?
What do you love most about UCM?
My family and friends are so special to me; they give the most meaning to my life. I also am quite passionate about accounting.
I come from a small town in Missouri so UCM is just the perfect blend of small hometown feel with big city diversity and uniqueness. I have met so many new and different people but everyone always feels so connected. It’s just such a great and positive atmosphere.
How have scholarships helped you?
Scholarships have made it possible for me to take part in so many great organizations and participate in the activities and trips that go on. I don’t think I would have had so many opportunities if I had not received these scholarships.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan on working for an accounting firm in Kansas City after I graduate. I already have a couple of potential internships lined up. My real dream is to be an accountant for the KC Royals!
SE E T HE IM PAC T. B E T H E I M PACT. Make a gift toward scholarships at ucmfoundation.org