SPRING 2020
TWO PATHS CONVERGED ON THE TRAIL APPALACHIAN TRAIL BRINGS VETERAN AND CIVILIAN STUDENTS TOGETHER IN SPIRIT OF SERVICE PAGE 6
CONTENTS UCM Alumni Travel with Chiefs to
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Chiefs
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COVER S TO RY
6 TWO PATHS CONVERGED ON THE TRAIL Appalachian Trail Brings Veteran and Civilian Students Together in Spirit of Service
DEPA RT M ENT S 1
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR/UCM NEWS
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PHILANTHROPY NEWS
20 MULENATION NEWS
FEATURE S
12 STUDENT STANDOUTS • International Student Sees More of the World Through Small-Town Lens • Food Insecurity Leads Nontraditional Student to Dietetics 14 NURTURING THE FUTURE UCM Provides Critical Talent for the Changing Face of Health Care 18 UCM GETS IN THE GAME Students Celebrate First Year of Competitive Esports
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22 ATHLETICS 25 CLASS NOTES 27 PLANNED GIVING 28 IN MEMORIAM 30 PARTING SHOTS 33 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
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On the cover: Like other veterans, Kenny Wall, ’19, struggled with the transition from military to college life. A service learning trip to the Appalachian Trail made all the difference.
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E
UCM MAGA Z INE
S PRIN G 2 0 2 0 , Vo l. 1 9 , No . 1
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kathy Strickland ART DIRECTOR Linda Harris, ’91 CONTRIBUTORS Kelsie Baldus Ruth Dickson Courtney Goddard Britni Hume, ’15, ’18 Jackie Jackson, ’09, ’12 Jamie Jennings, ’03, ’16 John Kennedy, ’92, ’13 Emily Kepley Fernando Munoz Jeff Murphy, ’80, ’95 An Quigley, ’94 Brittan Williams, ’15
© 2020 by University of Central Missouri. All rights reserved. Views and submitted content do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of UCM Magazine, the UCM Alumni Foundation or the University of Central Missouri. Find us online: ucmfoundation.org/magazine. Contact the editor at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu. Submit address updates at ucmfoundation.org/ update, by email at alumni@ucmo.edu or by phone at 660-543-8000. UCM Magazine is published biannually by the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Printed by Neal/Settle Printing, Inc., 14004 Norby Road, Grandview, MO 64030. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
UCM Magazine, Smiser Alumni Center, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093. To view the University of Central Missouri’s Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity Statement, visit ucmo.edu/nondiscrimination.
THANKS TO YOU, UCM IS STAYING STRONG
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ess than one year before celebrating our 150th anniversary, we found ourselves in the midst of a national health issue that required far-reaching efforts from the entire university community. To do our part we took significant actions such as moving all classes into an online format, canceling all events on campus, postponing commencement and effectively closing the university to all but essential personnel. As individuals, the circumstances we have faced are unprecedented, but when considering UCM’s rich history, they remind us of our institution’s continued resilience and our willingness to persevere. Since 1871, we have pushed forward amid obstacles that have included a Spanish flu outbreak, the Great Depression, numerous military conflicts including two World Wars, and the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. A key moment in our history and a prime example of our community’s spirit and resilience is the 1915 fire that destroyed Old Main along with the science annex, auditorium and training school. The fire happened on a Saturday night, and only Dockery Gymnasium and one other building were spared by the flames. Yet, thanks to an outpouring of community support, classes resumed on Monday in buildings across Warrensburg. I have no doubt that we will weather this current uncertainty because I know the talent, leadership skills, can-do spirit and tremendous work ethic of our faculty and staff. I’ve seen an incredible responsiveness and resilience by students who have adapted to change. And I’ve heard from alumni and friends who have expressed their support through kind messages and by making contributions to the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund.” While we may be exceptionally focused on the challenges of this moment, we are continuing to operate knowing that, in many ways, we’ll emerge stronger because of the efforts of so many. As you read through this issue of UCM Magazine, you will see many examples of alumni, students, faculty and staff who demonstrate the high quality of individuals who contribute to making UCM a great university. Thank you for reading. We hope these and future stories will continue to keep you informed, inspired, connected and engaged with UCM. As always, we are thinking of you. Be well, stay healthy and remain #MuleStrong.
Roger J. Best, Ph.D. UCM President University of Central Missouri Magazine
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Letter to the Editor Having a great deal of fondness and pride for UCM, I read with interest your article titled “A Century of Teaching and Learning: UCM’s College of Education Celebrates 100 Years” in the Spring 2019 UCM Magazine. As I read the content regarding the development and effectiveness of the Inner-City Teacher Education Program (ICTEP), I noticed the absence of acknowledgment afforded the person who developed this program, my father, the late Dr. Grant M. Clothier, former director of student teaching at CMSC (1959-1966). Although only 11 years old at the time this program was developed, implemented and recognized nationally, it was a testament to my father’s work and passion for innercity teacher education. An article written by Mr. John Egerton of the Southern Education Report in May 1967 chronicled the development, implementation and success achieved by these educators on behalf of CMSC. It was indeed a tribute to the forward-looking attitude of the UCM College of Education in the 1960s. I am fortunate and blessed as an alum of the College Elementary School to have been part of and a product of forward-thinking methods of instruction. Where innovative teaching methods were applied, life lessons learned and lasting friendships made.
—T im Clothier, Topeka, Kansas
Do you have feedback or ideas for UCM Magazine? Write to ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu. Letters will be shared at the editor’s discretion. 2
UCM NEWS
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Leigh Ann Blunt, ’99, chair of UCM’s School of Geoscience, Physics and Safety, earned the Outstanding Safety Educator Award from the American Society of Safety Professionals. Dawna Lisa Butterfield, professor of literacy, was awarded the 2020 Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest honor presented to a faculty member. This award was established to provide annual recognition for distinguished faculty performance, evidenced by teaching, scholarly or creative activity and service. Rachel Clements, ’09, ’11, office professional for the School of Professional Education and Leadership, competed in and won the UCM 3 Minute Thesis competition and would have represented UCM at the regional competition at the MAGS conference in Milwaukee before the April event’s cancellation. Clements just completed her Education Specialist degree. Amber CliffordNapoleone, ’97, ’01, professor of anthropology and director of the McClure Archives and University Museum, was one of only five Americans chosen among 24 people to attend the prestigious Fulbright Transatlantic Seminar for Museum Professionals. The seminar was held in November 2019 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Nicole Freeman, ’11, associate professor of communication studies and assistant director of forensics, earned the Eddie Myers Distinguished Service Award for exemplary service to the National Forensics Association. She is one of only 34 recipients in the nearly 50-year history of the association.
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Dan Jensen, associate professor of management, was the recipient of the 2020 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education. Jensen was recognized with this prestigious award based on his effective teaching, course innovation, effective advising, dedication to service, commitment to high standards of excellence and support of student achievement. Lee Liu, professor of geoscience, received the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Award to teach sustainability at Northeast Normal University in China during the 2019–2020 academic year. Julie Mollenkamp, professor of theater, was recognized in January 2020 with the Kennedy Center Gold Medal at the Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bonnie Slavych, assistant professor of communication disorders, received honors at the 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ResearcherAcademic Town Meeting in Orlando, Florida. She was one of 10 recipients of the annual Advancing Academic-Research Careers (AARC) awards. Jay Steinkruger, associate dean of the College of Health, Science and Technology, is an alumnus of the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Project Kaleidoscope STEM Leadership Institute and has been invited to participate in the AAC&U Knowledge Exchange. Sally Zellers, professor of geoscience, has been invited to join the International Ocean Discovery Program’s Expedition 386 as part of the “onshore science party” in Shimizu, Japan, Oct. 14 through Nov. 12.
P H I L A N T H RO P Y N E W S
Shawn Pelton Drums Up Support for UCM, Warrensburg High By Kathy Strickland One has been on stage with Bruce Willis, Lady Gaga, John Goodman, Jimmy Fallon, Katy Perry, Chris Pratt, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Jim Parsons, Seth Rogen, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton and Charlize Theron, to name a few. The other has shared the spotlight with Ryan Gosling, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell, Chadwick Boseman and Tina Fey, among other stars. Now they’ve both come to Warrensburg — to stay. These two drum sets have been generously donated to UCM and Warrensburg High School, respectively, by the man who played them on the set of “Saturday Night Live.” Shawn Pelton grew up in Warrensburg, Missouri, and first discovered jazz at the age
Pelton donated the above copper laquer drum set that he played on “Saturday Night Live” from 2017-2019. of 11 when he saw Duke Ellington perform in Hendricks Hall in 1974, just a few months before the legendary musician passed away. The concert had such a profound influence on Pelton that he purchased a silver-sparkle drum set from the local Ike Martin Music Company with money he had saved from his paper route for the Daily Star Journal. His mother, UCM professor emerita of physical education Elois Pelton, still has the receipt. “I grew up always banging on things,” Pelton says, noting Folgers cans were a favorite.
The first instrument he played was the cello at Central Elementary School, UCM’s former laboratory school, but he “bailed as soon as possible to the drums.” By age 14, Pelton was playing gigs in Warrensburg, Sedalia, Higginsville and Kansas City. He remembers a vibrant concert circuit featuring artists like the Nace Brothers, Diamond Jim and Brandy. “Warrensburg was such a great place to grow up,” he says. “I feel very fortunate to have had access to the music department at UCM.” During summer breaks, Pelton participated in UCM’s jazz and band camps and even traveled to Springfield, Missouri, for a Stan Kenton Band Clinic. In 1981, Pelton continued his musical studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, the site of the first Stan Kenton Band Clinic. He had the good fortune of spending summers in Boston with Alan Dawson, a music teacher at Berklee College of Music, a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and a teacher of Tony Williams, drummer for Miles Davis. While in Bloomington, Pelton took lessons with Kenny Aronoff, an Indiana University graduate who had also studied with Dawson. Pelton watched Aronoff make it big as John (Cougar) Mellencamp’s drummer when the single “Jack and Diane” soared to the top of the charts in 1982. When Pelton graduated in 1985, Aronoff recommended him for a gig that landed him in New York, where he has resided ever since. “When you’re freelancing in New York, you end up doing so many different things,” Pelton says of recording and touring with a broad range of famous musicians from a myriad of genres. “I pinch myself to think I’ve been a part of Grammy-winning records and able to record with artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow, another Missouri native.”
Pelton also has recorded with Billy Joel, Shawn Pelton Shawn Colvin, Natalie Merchant, Van Morrison, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles, Rosanne Cash, Carly Simon, Pink, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, George Michael, Chris Botti and Buddy Guy, among many others — not to mention those who have shared the stage with him on “Saturday Night Live.” Pelton’s stylistic versatility really comes into play in the SNL band. Having also served as a standin for David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra and Conan O’Brien’s house band, Pelton says his steady gig is different because it’s actually live. “The fact that it’s a live show means there’s really no safety net when things go wrong,” Pelton explains. “Actors can forget lines, and there have been times when pieces of the set have fallen over.” Unlike Pelton, who has been SNL’s drummer since 1992, a set of drums only lasts two seasons on the show. After amassing a sizeable collection from Drum Workshop, which regularly sends new sets for him to rotate out, Pelton generously decided to pass some equipment on to his hometown schools. In March, 57 boxes of drums, stands, cymbals, drumheads and music technology arrived in care of Michael Sekelsky, a former UCM percussion instructor, assistant director of bands and associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Sekelsky had previously arranged for Pelton to lead a drum clinic in Warrensburg in 2000, when his mother retired from the university, and again in 2014, when Pelton also performed in Hendricks Hall with UCM’s jazz ensemble. “Having access to all the music at UCM was really positive and motivating to be around,” Pelton recalls fondly. “It’s so great to be able to come full circle and give back to the place that inspired my career.”
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Couple Makes It Count for Student Veterans Dale and Megan Duncan honored their son by making a third annual gift to the university from the Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count Foundation. The couple
established the foundation after the death of their son, Spencer, in August 2011. Spencer was one of 30 U.S. service members who lost their lives when the Chinook
helicopter that transported them into duty was shot down during a mission in Afghanistan. The tragedy remains the largest single-day loss of American lives in that country. “We had a choice. We could just curl up into each other in grief … and that was tempting. Or, we could do something,” Dale Duncan says. “We knew that Spencer would want us to do something. We knew that if he came home he would be the first in line to try to help other veterans, so that’s what we decided to do.”
From left: President Roger Best and Kelly Murphy, UCM’s director of Military and Veterans Services, thank Dale and Megan Duncan for their latest gift in December.
and tuition. To date, they have given $27,500 to benefit six student veterans. “If you change one person’s life, you’re going to change another person’s life just from the trickle-down effect,” says Megan Duncan. “And to be part of this effort that really changes lives — not a moment, but forever — there’s no better way to honor our son.” Visit makeitcounttoday.org to learn more and ucmfoundation. org/give/military to contribute to causes for veterans at UCM.
The Duncans’ most recent gift of $7,500 will provide scholarships to help UCM student veterans offset the cost of their books
Alumni Generosity Creates Opportunities for Students Kathryn McKillip Celebrates Women in Agriculture
Omega Psi Phi Recognizes Community Service
Father Establishes CIS Scholarship to Honor Son
Couple’s Generosity Aids Future Leaders in any field
Sedalia Company Supports Networking Technology
The UCM Alumni Foundation and Kathryn McKillip Thrift, ’70, have established the Kathryn McKillip Thrift Scholarship in Agriculture to provide support for highachieving students pursuing a degree in the field of agriculture sciences. A candidate for this scholarship must be a junior or senior with a 3.0 or higher grade point average. Kathryn McKillip Thrift is celebrated as the first woman at UCM to graduate with a degree in agriculture.
The Robert A. Ford Jr. Community Service Undergraduate Scholarship is a newly endowed scholarship made possible by the generous donations of members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. The ideal student candidate will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, demonstrate financial need and be involved on campus, in their community or as a student athlete. Preference will be given to members, family members or mentees of Omega Psi Phi.
The Trevor Shoemaker CIS Memorial Scholarship is a newly endowed scholarship made possible by the generous donation of James R. Shoemaker, ’79, in memory of his son. This scholarship is available to a full-time undergraduate pursuing a degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS) who is at least a sophomore and has demonstrated financial need.
The Vicki R. Taylor, ’92, and Brian S. Taylor Future Leader Scholarship is now available for a graduate of Lee’s Summit High School, including current UCM students, with a 3.8 cumulative GPA. Applicants must be Missouri residents and must complete a 500-word essay describing their vision as a future leader in their selected field of study.
The first Midwest Computech Networking Technology Scholarship is being awarded to three UCM students in networking technology. Midwest Computech is a Sedalia-based company specializing in K-12 technology needs and operated by three UCM alumni: Greg Miller, ’90, Clint Miller, ’97, and David Nivens, ’98. In addition to the scholarship endowment, the company is offering internship opportunities.
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To learn about setting up your own scholarship, visit ucmfoundation.org/scholarships.
University of Central Missouri Magazine
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Alumnus Begins Labor of Love in Hendricks Hall Warrensburg resident Mike Quimby is honoring the memory of a beloved music professor by restoring the pipe organ she once played on campus. Quimby studied vocal music under Eleanor Shockey
company to build, rebuild and restore organs. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Quimby Pipe Organ Inc.
finished, it will boast the style and signature sound that distinguishes Quimby pipe organs.
The organ Quimby is restoring at his alma mater was built by the Austin Organ Company
This restoration project, scheduled for completion in three years, complements other donor-funded efforts to improve Hendricks Hall as a venue for music and theater events. A new carpet has been laid, and the next phase involves restoring the ornate ceiling and improving acoustics in the Often playing the pipe organ in Mike Quimby, a UCM alumnus and 2008 Distinguished auditorium. Hendricks Hall, Eleanor Shockey Alumni awardee, is taking on a three-year project to “Michael was a mentor to Quimby. renovate the historical organ in Hendricks Hall. Quimby’s generous gift marks an and purchased with private gifts while earning his bachelor’s important landmark in the at a cost of $11,000. It was degree from Central Missouri Hendricks Hall restoration,” presented as a memorial to State University in 1973 and says Michael Sawyer, dean soldiers who died in World his master’s in 1975. of the College of Arts, War I and officially dedicated Humanities and Social “She was a singer and a pianist in a Jan. 19, 1924, ceremony. Sciences. “The community who could sight-read anything,” Quimby plans to “refurbish the has been very supportive and he recalls. “She was an organist, organ, enlarging and changing generous, and we are honored and a great lady.” its character” and ultimately to have the opportunity to While attending college, making the instrument better return this historic venue Quimby started his own than it was brand new. When to its former splendor.”
Three-Time Alumnus Gifts Euphonium The late Rev. Dr. Henry D. Gower Jr., ’68, ’73, ’78, gifted to UCM’s School of Music a John Packer Mark II four-valve compensating euphonium, a quality British instrument not commonly known in the United States. Gower was a distinguished performer who had the honor of playing in front of former U.S. presidents and other world leaders. He taught music in Madison and Holden, Missouri, school districts, UCM music major served as Jacob French plays a vocalist/ the euphonium instrumental donated by Gower. trainer for U.S. Air Force Bands and provided performance clinics at various universities. Be part of the Hendricks Hall restoration project by making your contribution at ucmfoundation.org/ give/hendricks.
Waterway Carwash Funds Peer to Career Support Center Waterway Carwash, headquartered in St. Louis with sites in major cities throughout the Midwest, contributed $15,000 to create a new space in UCM’s Career Services office in Ward Edwards. The Peer to Career Support Center includes computer stations and movable desks
to be used for meetings between students and their peer advisors, job searching or simply studying close to advisors who can answer questions as they arise. It’s also a great place for individuals or small groups of students to connect with potential employers. Kevin Cantrell, recruiting and local marketing manager for
Waterway Carwash, said the space will be useful to them when they visit UCM to recruit interns and employees. “A few years back, we decided to look at which colleges our managers were consistently coming from,” Cantrell says. “In the end, the most impressive school of the group was definitely UCM.
The Career Services department is highly engaged with the students, and there are a number of ways for Waterway to get involved on campus each year.” Directly impact the student experience at UCM by volunteering your time and expertise at ucmfoundation.org/ engage/student-success.
University of Central Missouri Magazine
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“ THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL JUST REALLY OPENS THAT DOOR FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT VOLUNTEERING IS, WHAT SERVICE IS … WE CHOSE TO SERVE, SO GETTING THE CIVILIANS WITH US, I THINK IT’S CONTAGIOUS.” — KENNY WALL, ’19
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TWO PATHS CONVERGED ON THE TRAIL
APPALACHIAN TRAIL BRINGS VETERAN AND CIVILIAN STUDENTS Watch the story at ucmfoundation.org/mag TOGETHER IN SPIRIT OF SERVICE By Kathy Strickland
W
hen Kenny Wall started at the University of Central Missouri after four years in the Marines, his daily routine was to go to class, then back to his truck to sit and wait for the next class. He had a tough time relating to classmates who enrolled fresh out of high school and had only seen in movies what he had experienced in Afghanistan. “I didn’t come to college wanting to make friends or get involved,” Wall says. “I just wanted to get my degree and get out.” A fellow veteran in one of Wall’s classes told him about the university’s Military and Veterans Success Center and finally persuaded him to visit. But it wasn’t until the next fall, when Wall heard other veterans talking about a service learning trip they had gone on over the summer, that he realized he really could use the camaraderie.
in a single student activity or athletics event during his time as an undergraduate. “Certain populations who are not in the majority, including veterans, need to see someone who looks like them on that flyer,” Stockdale explains. “They need to know that this program is for me, and I’m not going to be the one veteran in a group of civilians and feel like an outsider.” While completing his doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of South Dakota, Stockdale became the school’s director of service learning programming. He distinctly remembers when two veteran students
Mount Katahdin
Chris Stockdale introduced the trip to UCM in June 2015 when he was hired as department chair of academic Springer enrichment for The 2,200-mile Mountain the College of Appalachian Trail Education, where he later became associate dean. As an Army veteran who served in Bosnia and Kosovo, walked into his office and asked him what Stockdale knew firsthand about the struggle he was going to do for them. Although these to transition from military to civilian life. students were eligible to participate in any He also knew from experience that veteran of the numerous service trips the university students would most likely not sign up for offered, they did not identify with those any extracurricular activity that they did not opportunities. Stockdale asked the vets to see themselves reflected in. Like Wall and find something that interested them, and many others, Stockdale did not participate they came back with the Appalachian Trail.
The longest hiking-only trail in the world, the Appalachian Trail extends roughly 2,200 miles across 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests. Each year more than 3 million outdoor enthusiasts hike a portion of the trail, and a small fraction — about 20,000 to date, known as “2,000 milers” — complete the entire journey from Georgia’s Springer Mountain to Maine’s Mount Katahdin. The first person in recorded history to hike the whole trail was Earl Shaffer, a World War II veteran, who said when embarking on the 124-day journey in 1948, “I’m going to walk off the war.” Not only is the Appalachian Trail the longest in the world, but the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is the largest and longest-running volunteer conservation project in the world. For the past four years UCM has been a part of this effort, and students have logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours maintaining and rebuilding the trail. The first year there were eight participants, all of whom were veterans. But Stockdale says the goal for UCM’s trip was always to have a mix of military and civilian participants — a goal achieved last year with an even distribution among the 18 students. “You’re going to have to work with people in your careers who are different from you, and being able to accept different viewpoints, even if you don’t agree with them, is an important skill,” Stockdale says. “We wanted to have some intercultural dialogue between these populations to dispel stereotypes and break down some of the walls.”
BREAKING BARRIERS … AND BOULDERS By the time Wall felt ready to apply for the Appalachian Trail trip in the summer University of Central Missouri Magazine
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UCM students Andy Shaul, Cameron McWilliams and Jim Ferguson built trails and lasting friendships in summer 2019. 8
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of 2018, he had made a few good friends at the Military and Veterans Success Center and was eating lunch there instead of in his truck. But he still hadn’t broken out of this core group to talk with civilian students on campus. He had a hard time seeing his nonmilitary peers’ daily trials and tribulations as meaningful. “I had the mentality that nothing about this is stressful … you’re worried about a five-page paper, and I’ve been in firefights,” Wall recalls. On the flip side, Marissa Ginger felt she couldn’t relate to her veteran counterparts “because they’ve done, in my eyes, some things that are much harder than I could have ever done.” Ginger, a traditional student who graduated in May with a bachelor’s in biology, applied to go on the summer 2018 trip during her freshman year after hearing about the opportunity from a park naturalist at Knob Noster State Park. When Ginger set off on the overnight 13-hour van ride to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Konnarock base camp in southwest Virginia, she was the youngest person on board. It wasn’t long before Ginger’s perception of what she could do changed drastically. After learning the basic techniques of trail building from the Konnarock crew (and showering for what would be everyone’s last time that week), the two UCM teams,
UCM volunteers receive instruction from Sarah Ellsworth, assistant crew leader with the Appalachian Trail Conservatory, in turning rock into “crush.”
accompanied by Appalachian Trail Conservancy crew leaders, split off to their respective work sites in Georgia and Tennessee. With sledgehammers, axes and stone cutters in tow, they hiked three hours to their destination, then got started crushing rocks and cutting wood to make steps. To Ginger, it was literally moving mountains. “It was the first thing I’ve done in my life that was physically demanding, that demanded all of my attention,” she says. “I couldn’t just daydream and work at the same time because we had to move a 3-ton boulder, and there was no room for a lack of focus. … Hikers are going to be on the trail and actually take this tiny step that took seven people to build.” It was hard work for the entire team, and this common struggle brought different walks of life together, including Wall and Ginger. At the end of an eight-hour day of hard physical labor, after hiking three hours back to camp, they were ready to eat and relax. The day ended with a group reflection, where everyone was expected to share. The first few nights, reflection revolved around the day’s physical challenges. But then the conversation shifted from the toughest thing participants did on the trail to the most difficult thing they’d done in their lives. Wall, a man of few words, surprised himself and others by eventually opening up.
From left: Joseph Hawkins, Cameron McWilliams, Andrew Purchase, Paige Brandes, Kenny Wall, Andy Shaul, Jim Ferguson and Karlee Szympruch arrive at their work site. University of Central Missouri Magazine
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Student Veteran Paves a Future of Service Andy Shaul is a Marine veteran who served as a cryptologic linguist working in signals intelligence in Afghanistan and Iraq. Like Kenny Wall, he had a hard time transitioning from the military to a university environment, heading straight home after classes and avoiding contact with others. Shaul was on Wall’s team when he took his first Appalachian Trail trip in summer 2019.
“ [The trip] opened my eyes and got me to a place where I wanted to be more involved. I started participating in more things and caring about school after the trip. … I found out there are other people like me on campus.” – Andy Shaul Shaul says the trip also rekindled his interest in helping others. In particular, he aspires to treat wounded soldiers as a physical therapist once he earns his degree. The community service project Shaul committed to after his Appalachian Trail experience was replacing damaged bricks bearing the names of donors in UCM’s Alumni Park, near the Maastricht Friendship Tower.
From left: Kenny Wall, Chris Stockdale, Trent Davis and Andy Shaul (also above) replace bricks in UCM’s Alumni Park.
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Marissa Ginger, left, and Maggie (Kaiser) Dale cool off in the clear water near the trail.
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“You can hit your physical breaking point or your mental breaking point, and that’s what sparks conversation,” Wall says. “There is a lot of learning that occurs on a personal level out there that you would never get just here [in college] because you have to take your time to do it. … This trip has changed how I view people; I give them a second look and think a little bit more on why people are the way they are.”
BRINGING IT HOME Not only did the Appalachian Trail experience make a lasting impact for future hikers, but it also changed Wall’s life. When he returned from the trip, he became vice president and then president of UCM’s Student Veteran Organization (SVO). His goal in revitalizing the SVO was to help veterans avoid feeling isolated and alone. One way he strives to ease this common transition from military to college life is by involving civilian students in the SVO’s volunteer projects. “That way [veterans are] getting those one-on-one interactions with the students they really didn’t feel any connection to,” Wall says. “Through working on that common goal of helping other veterans in the community, they’re starting to build relationships and learn about each other and be able to communicate better because we’re a team out there.”
the SVO, inviting veterans and civilians alike to join together in service. “We don’t want to look like a stand-offish group,” says Ferguson, who is majoring in engineering. “We want people to come in to see and get to know us and find out what we’ve been through and bridge the gap.” At an August reunion after the 2019 Appalachian Trail trip, every individual vowed to undergo a service project in their community. Wall and Ferguson are working together with Camp Valor Outdoors, a nonprofit providing outdoor recreational opportunities for ill and injured veterans, to build a village of “tiny homes” for homeless vets in Holden, Missouri. It is estimated that 1 in 10 homeless people in America is a veteran, and there are more than 500 homeless vets in Missouri. The project is a smaller-scale version of the Veterans Community Project in Kansas City, and volunteers have built three 320-square-foot homes so far in Holden. “In the military, you have a clear mission,” says Stockdale. “A lot of research with veterans, especially the ones who struggle when they get out, shows that they lost their mission. … These are people who have already dedicated their lives to service, so service learning is a perfect bridge. We go out and get everyone supercharged to be servants of their community, and they bring all that home tenfold.”
Finding friends was the last thing on Wall’s mind when he enrolled at UCM, but he has made a true bond with Jim Ferguson, an Air Force veteran he met at the center who served six deployments over 14 years, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ferguson is nearly 20 years older than Wall and has three young children. But Wall says, “Our experience almost makes us the same age, because maturity level is very much different when you go through things like that.”
Stockdale also points out that volunteers are aging out, and research shows if you volunteer in college you will continue lifelong because you’re building a habit. Wall knows service will always be the driving force in his life. After earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice this past December, Wall is now pursuing a master’s in UCM’s College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) program so he can help other veterans the way the Military and Veterans Success Center helped him.
Now these two nontraditional students have gone through a life-changing experience together. Wall and Ginger both became leaders on the 2019 trip, and Wall led Ferguson’s team. Ferguson has since followed in Wall’s footsteps as the current president of
“To say that there has been a huge change because of that trip is really an understatement,” Wall reflects. “I am not the same person I was before I went on the Appalachian Trail trip. … I think that’s what really has helped me figure out where my passion is in life.”
Generous donations from alumni and friends have funded past Appalachian Trail service experiences. Help ensure UCM students have the opportunity to take this life-changing trip for years to come by donating to directly support a student’s transportation, supplies and food. Visit ucmfoundation.org/give/military and designate your monthly or one-time contribution to Appalachian Trail Service Learning. University of Central Missouri Magazine
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International Student Sees More of the World Through Small-Town Lens By Kelsie Baldus, Public Relations Undergraduate Student Salma Sahnoun came to UCM in 2018 as part of a single-year program at her business school in Tunisia, a country in North Africa. Coming from a busy, westernized city, Sahnoun had to adjust to the quiet character of Warrensburg. She found herself missing home the first month, but soon discovered a passion that would change her life: political science.
support. She got the choice to represent either a faith-based or environmental organization. Sahnoun opted to represent a faith-based NGO, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic institute. Being of Muslim faith, she wanted the opportunity to get out of her comfort zone and learn about a different religious culture.
It was Akis Kalaitzidis’ World Politics class that made Sahnoun “fall in love” with the field of study. She graduated in May with a double major in political science and international studies. Sahnoun credits Gregory Streich, chair of UCM’s School of Social Sciences and Languages, with being “the best mentor ever,” although he says he simply helped “point her in the right direction.”
The sisters put her in contact with their U.N. representative for her class research. For months before the conference, Sahnoun and the representative communicated via email. Sahnoun went to the conference in Boston feeling prepared and left feeling confident.
Sahnoun also has a special place in her heart for political science and international studies professor Darlene Budd and the Model U.N. class that opened amazing opportunities for her. In her first semester of Budd’s class, Sahnoun got the opportunity to travel to Chicago to a national Model U.N. conference. When Sahnoun found out the next session of
Budd’s class was attending the Harvard National Model U.N., she knew she had to be there. This time, her coursework involved selecting a nongovernmental organization (NGO) to research and
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“I wanted to represent them as if we were talking to the actual U.N.,” she says.
travel abroad on a two-week service learning trip to Tanzania, sponsored by an anonymous donor’s Global Vision Endowment through the UCM Alumni Foundation. Besides being a full-time student, Sahnoun served as an alumni ambassador through the UCM Alumni Foundation and was a Duane R. Sterling Rotary Scholar recipient. Even though English is not her native language, and at first she found it difficult to keep pace with peers, she was soon tutoring American students through the Writing Center in UCM’s Learning Commons. UCM has offered the opportunity of a lifetime for Sahnoun — from meeting new friends to finding her passion, she has embraced the experience. Hoping to make the world a better place as a human rights lawyer, Sahnoun can’t wait to start law school.
Soon after her return from the conference, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur offered Sahnoun an internship to work for them at the U.N. headquarters in NYC during the summer of 2019. This led to Sahnoun being selected to serve on a panel of 10 students in front of 700 people gathered in New York City at the U.N. headquarters Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. When Sahnoun came to the small town of Warrensburg, she did not expect to travel to major cities across the U.S. In the summer of 2019, she also had the opportunity to
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Salma Sahnoun did an internship at the U.N. last summer, right, and came to UCM from her home country of Tunisia, left.
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Food Insecurity Leads Nontraditional Student to Dietetics Watch the story at ucmfoundation.org/mag
By Fernando Munoz, Psychology Graduate Student Traycie Williams grew up in conditions of extreme poverty, frequently moving from one place to another and struggling to acquire one of the basic necessities for survival: food. His family subsisted on substandard food and survival-based eating habits throughout his childhood.
computer science and mathematics programs — not to mention students.
“Cultural competence is a goal of the dietetics program,” she says, “and what better way to become culturally aware than to travel and experience different cultures for yourself?”
“We ate solely for the purpose of survival without thinking about the implications of our food or our eating habits,” Williams explains. Poor eating habits continued to be a point of struggle later in life for Williams, although from a different angle. As an adult he lacked an understanding of what comprises a healthy diet and sometimes overcompensated by overconsuming. Williams was introduced to the study of nutrition in an online exercise science program, which sparked a passion for this field of study and led him to enroll in the dietetics program at UCM in 2017. As the father of two children, Williams is a nontraditional student and a McNair Scholar. He is also an honors student and earned the Regina Myers McClain Distinguished Scholarship for two consecutive years, as well as the university’s Learning to a Greater Degree Award in fall 2019. One of the most impactful aspects of Williams’ academic experience at UCM has been his research assistantship with Meera Penumetcha, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics. In Penumetcha’s laboratory, Williams is involved in a project to validate a mathematical tool to determine the oxidizing potential of polyunsaturated fatty acids in common foods. This research is part of a wider effort in the scientific community to better understand the health effects of fried and processed foods containing oxidized lipids, which could potentially help prevent and combat illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Williams presented the results of a pilot study at the Missouri Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference in 2019. Penumetcha’s research is a collaborative effort with faculty from biology, chemistry,
where students gain practical experience in cooking and catering. Funds acquired from catering events have been allocated for learning trips abroad, giving students a worldly perspective of the culinary arts.
His education at UCM has allowed Williams to overcome the challenges of his past. He says these experiences have been invaluable to his education.
Penumetcha’s dedication to students as research associates earned her the 2019 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year award. “They take it further because they are interested or they’ve learned something along the way,” she says of students like Williams. “It’s always inspiring to be able to have that connection and that opportunity to work with them.” In addition to his experience in the research lab, Williams has acquired firsthand experience in the university’s lab kitchen, which was renovated with a gift from the Regina Myers McClain estate in 2014. During the 2018 academic year, Williams served as a lab assistant for Karen Breshears, aka Chef Karen, ’02. Among other courses, Breshears teaches Quantity Food Preparation,
“The hardships that I experienced growing up, I don’t for a second wish them away because they are largely responsible for my drive, the person that I am today and for my educational path,” he says. Williams has already complemented his education at UCM through a research experience for undergraduate students at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He aims to continue his research on the prevention and treatment of diet-related diseases.
Chef Karen Breshears, left, and Traycie Williams (also pictured above) worked together in the UCM lab kitchen.
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NURTURING THE FUTURE UCM PROVIDES CRITICAL TALENT FOR THE CHANGING FACE OF HEALTH CARE By Ruth Dickson
“ We are preparing our majors to change communities, cultures and environments to reflect healthier lifestyles.” — Karen Doyle program coordinator of UCM’s health studies
These days it’s hard to open a magazine, website or Instagram feed without being exposed to a new strategy, product or lifestyle recommendation geared toward making you feel healthier, stronger and more in control of your physical and emotional well-being. From apps that measure and treat your mental health to workplace fitness programs, people have never been more conscious of their own wellness. With such a spotlight on wellness, many employers are relying on institutions like UCM to help answer the looming question of how to produce fresh workforce talent geared toward these new industries. A catalyst for this change can be traced back to the recession that many businesses faced in the late 2000s. As businesses struggled with poor profits, and looked for ways to streamline operations, many sought to lower health insurance costs for employee plans. A solution to this problem was to improve the physical and mental health of their employees, thereby reducing the amount the company had to pay for health-related procedures and premiums. Employers started to offer wellness benefits, including gym memberships, fitness challenges and — in recent years — free wearable technology to assist with self-motivation. But this societal shift toward wellness is not owed purely to a corporate bottom line. Another contributing factor is that the mindset of younger generations entering the workforce is different from that of generations preceding them. “They don’t want the same workplaces that their parents and grandparents had,” explains Karen Doyle, ’92, program coordinator of health studies at UCM. “They don’t want the same health problems either.” Indeed, many Millennial and Generation Z professionals have witnessed family members experience stress-related health problems and are keen to avoid treading this same path. This expectation for increased awareness and focus on health can be credited for evolving workforce and personal wellness initiatives in the past decade.
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Corporate Fitness and Wellness One increasingly common professional initiative is corporate fitness and wellness. Employers seeking to help their employees stay active during the workday may hire full-time professionals to develop customized dietary or fitness programs and advise executives on easy-to-implement strategies to ensure that wellness is a priority in the workplace. The appeal of corporate fitness as a career is that it provides these professionals with a fixed clientele for a sustained period, meaning they can see real results and make a tangible difference in a specific community — something that appeals to the altruistic spirit of Generation Z. At UCM, corporate fitness is an area of study under the popular kinesiology discipline, which provides many different career paths focused on wellness and healing through movement. Matthew Garver, program coordinator for the university’s Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, says the demand for the program is high, which shouldn’t be surprising. “Wellness is about trying to change behaviors proactively, so that we don’t have to intervene reactively,” Garver says. Many young professionals grew up amid the epidemic of obesity in the youth demographic and witnessed their childhood peers facing chronic diseases. A 2001 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Surgeon General’s report presented data from 1999 indicating that the percentage of adolescents who were overweight had nearly tripled (from 5 to 14 percent) in two decades. Doyle
Kinesiology graduate students Danielle Wilcoxson and Shayne Allan conduct cardiovascular testing.
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and Garver agree that this and other changes impacting the infrastructure of community health have created a real need for evolved programs to combat the crisis. “We are preparing our majors to change communities, cultures and environments to reflect healthier lifestyles,” Doyle says of the rapidly growing health studies program at UCM. “Our students are studying behaviors, policies, infrastructures and systems that need to be designed or improved to create healthier communities. As a profession, we are changing more than individuals, but also populations. We are about prevention of disease, illness and injury through changing lifestyle behaviors.”
Mental and Behavioral Health As national and international awareness grows in regard to physical wellness, a similar spotlight is being cast on mental and behavioral health. UCM is
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adjusting the instructional design of some of its most tenured programs to meet the demand. Psychology, a well-established program at the university since the 1960s, is well versed in adapting its demanding curriculum to produce the qualifications most sought after in the industry. One growing career path for psychology graduates is behavior analysis and therapy, a profession that serves children with autism in both the education and medical fields, and one that often has more job openings than qualified candidates. Recognizing the importance of career readiness, David Kreiner, chair of the School of Nutrition, Kinesiology and Psychological Sciences, made sure when including behavior analysis in the psychology curriculum that students would be ready to take competitive certifications as soon as they graduate. “Students can become Registered Behavioral Technicians when they are still in school,” Kreiner explains. “But we offer courses in behavior analysis so that students who complete all the requirements will be eligible to sit for the Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analyst exam, and graduate students who complete our Master
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of Science in Behavior Analysis will be qualified to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst after passing the BCBA exam.” By getting these credentials during college or soon after earning their degree, UCM graduates are able to be even more competitive against other job seekers in the health, wellness and medical fields. The need to ensure new graduates are fully versed in emerging qualifications is also important in social work, another well-established field of study at UCM. With a long history of serving the mental and behavioral health communities, UCM’s social work faculty was keen to provide Mental Health First Aid — a national training program that teaches participants about mental health and substance abuse — as part of the undergraduate program. With the support of an Opportunity Grant provided through the UCM Alumni Foundation’s Central Annual Fund, two faculty members received the necessary training. A secondyear grant then provided funding for student books and learning materials. “Without the assistance of the foundation, this really wouldn’t have been a reality for us,” says Jean Nuernberger, chair of the School of Human Services. The impact of this gift is that every undergraduate student will now be able to receive this training in their junior year — something that really makes a difference for job seekers.
Innovative Medical Training It is this commitment to postgraduate success that drives academic leaders at UCM to continue to develop pathways for students seeking careers in the thriving health, wellness and medical industries. Students can choose from an array of health- and wellness-related programs, as well as certificate programs and workforce development initiatives. They graduate ready to make real change, without incurring the high costs and lengthy time commitments of medical school. As such, streamlining the program while simultaneously delivering a competitive degree that readies students for immediate career success remains top of mind for academic leaders. Scott Lankford, chair of UCM’s School of Natural Sciences, says the radiologic technology degree was developed as a four-year program so students were not limited by only receiving an associate degree or certificate. “They’re graduating with a four-year degree in biology with clinical experience,” he explains. “They can work immediately or apply to medical school; it really means they can pursue any career they want in the health care field.” UCM’s commitment to serving the health, wellness and medical communities extends through all four colleges with evolving technologies and areas of study. In fact, UCM’s computer science graduates are likely to be highly employable within the medical field in the near future, thanks to a new focus on artificial intelligence. Having partnered with biology to create the first bioinformatics bachelor’s degree at a Missouri public institution, UCM’s computer science program recently welcomed Zhiguo Zhou,
UCM students Sarah Clark, left, a health studies major, and Karly Hoskins, a radiologic technology major, examine models of risk factors and interventions of coronary heart disease.
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who has experience working closely with artificial intelligence in health care, or medical AI. “All new graduates should have an understanding of the AI and coding thinking,” Zhou says. “They will need this in the future.” To help facilitate this, Zhou has integrated artificial intelligence into the Computer Science Master of Science curriculum. Graduate students must complete a health care-based project in their first semester. This project, focused on identifying and then solving a problem in the health care industry using computer science, sets UCM graduates apart when they are seeking employment. It also means that they are equipped not just for the industry as it is when they graduate, but also for the industry as it will be in the future. With an institution-wide commitment to providing future-focused programming and meeting new employer demands, the university is already producing graduates who are making a difference in the wellness industry. For students, the important thing is being able to help other people and make an impact quickly. “I love that UCM has this program,” says Mitch Lawson, who is studying athletic training. “It allows me to get great experience with helping people as a personal trainer while I’m getting the skills I need to enter a medical-related field. I thought about med school, but by choosing UCM I can go on to become a physician assistant only a year after I get my graduate degree. So I’ll have less debt, and I’ll be able to help people sooner.”
“ I love that UCM has this program. It allows me to get great experience with helping people as a personal trainer while I'm getting the skills I need to enter a medical-related field.” — Mitch Lawson UCM athletic training student Mitch Lawson works with Ruth Dickson on the rowing machine during a personal training session. University of Central Missouri Magazine
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UCM GETS IN
Watch the story at ucmfoundation.org/mag
THE GAME
on the team receives a $500 semester scholarship for playing. After an immense show of interest by the student body, the UCM Esports team added two more games for spring 2020. Eight returning members and 19 new students were selected from hundreds of applications.
Students Celebrate First Year of Competitive Esports By Emily Kepley Marketing Undergraduate Student
When Assistant Professor of Mathematics Steven Shattuck, ’94, announced his plans to start an esports team, there was an influx of interest from students and prospective students. Shattuck reviewed more than 100 applications within the first week. “It just spread like wildfire,” Shattuck says. “I realized right then and there that the students want this.” In 2016, when the first-ever Collegiate Esports Summit was held in Kansas City, Missouri, there were only seven colleges and universities with a varsity esports team, according to the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). Today there are more than 5,000 students at more than 170 institutions getting into the game. In fall 2019, UCM became the second public institution in Missouri to establish an esports program. Led by Head Coach Shattuck, the UCM Esports team competes against opposing universities in tournaments and scrimmages of multiplayer video games. Each student
Ninety percent of the team is made up of students in the STEM fields of math, actuarial science, cybersecurity and software engineering. The rest have diverse majors ranging from aviation to biology to physical education to music performance. In addition to gaining knowledge that could help in careers like game design or development, players are building important skills like communication, teamwork, leadership and problem solving. “Esports has provided me ample opportunity to engage in critical thinking skills, as both strategy and decision making evolves as the game is played,” says secondary biology education major Bradley Kenney, who just completed his junior year at UCM. The program is designed to be a supplement to academics, and players are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. As with all UCM sports, academics is a priority. Coach Shattuck emphasizes that he wants his team members to be “the students who excel and graduate.” Each student on the team has dedication and a competitive spirit. Teams spend three hours a day,
UCM Esports started in fall 2019, competing in one game: Overwatch. In spring 2020 the team added two more games: League of Legends and Rocket League. 18
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four days a week practicing as a unit. During each practice they spend up to two hours playing and a minimum of one hour strategizing and studying the game. Players also practice several hours on their own time. The esports team is a community where students are able to come together and play games that would normally be an isolated activity. Austin Loucke, a software engineering major who just completed his sophomore year, has been playing Rocket League for half a decade. “That’s my game,” he says, “so I was really excited for the opportunity to play with other students.” UCM Esports allows students to get involved with campus life in a nonathletic setting by creating a community and sense of university pride. “Being with this team means a lot considering that I am more involved with the university,” says Rachel Homewood, an interior design major who plays on the Rocket League team and just finished her first year at UCM. The esports program has impacted other areas of the university in addition to the select group of students on the team. Digital Media Production students have been assisting in streaming the esports scrimmages and tournaments as part of the sports broadcasting course. Streaming esports is a rapidly expanding industry, and students are able to practice diverse camera work and various director roles in a nontraditional sports competition.
OVERWATCH LEAGUE This team-based shooter game features a variety of hero characters who travel the world and compete in combat objectives. The spring 2020 team included eight students who represented UCM in various scrimmages and tournaments.
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS Two teams compete in headto-head battles in various game modes and battlefields based on strategy and skill level. Twelve UCM students joined the esports team in spring 2020 to participate in multiple collegiate League of Legends tournaments.
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Digital Media Production is providing support to the esports team by “trying to facilitate their needs and trying to bring it to a bigger audience,” according to video production instructor Scott Hofsommer, ’14. Giving students the opportunity to play and broadcast esports has opened up a whole new realm of recruitment for future Mules. Based on data from the BeRecruited dashboard, which recently added esports to its cadre of traditional sports, there have been more than 150 prospective students considering UCM because the university is offering this distinctive program. Inquiries have come from Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, New York and California. UCM Assistant Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid Drew Griffin says he is only expecting the program to grow from here. “I’ve seen what esports has done for other schools, and I can see the potential here,” Griffin says. “Just like an athletic team, it can also draw in students.” While there is a limit on how many players can play each game, there is no limit to the number of games that can be played. UCM Esports is an exciting opportunity for students in every field of study to get in the game.
Watch these players compete on the streaming network Twitch @ucmesports. Support the team at ucmfoundation.org/give/esports. ROCKET LEAGUE Seven students competed on UCM’s Rocket League team for the spring 2020 semester. Rocket League is a game of arcade-style soccer with a variety of vehicles as the players. This game is filled with physics-driven competition.
Jared Clapp is a software engineering major who plays on the Overwatch team. He just completed his junior year at UCM.
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NEWS 50-Year Reunion UCM welcomed the class of 1969 back to campus Oct. 3-4 to reconnect with classmates during a fun-filled two days of tours, socials, meals, shopping, a musical, a Jennies game and an induction ceremony welcoming them to the university’s 50-Year Society.
Holiday Open House UCM hosted its annual holiday open house Dec. 7 at the historical Achauer House during Warrensburg Main Street’s Dickens Christmas festival.
50 Years of Aviation Excellence Alumni gathered the weekend of Oct. 25-26 to celebrate 50 years of UCM’s School of Aviation with an open house at TR Gaines, social at Fitters Pub, pancake breakfast, Fly-In Drive-In Show, Mules Football game and fundraising banquet.
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Mule Mixer UCM alumni gathered in Irving, Texas, on Jan. 30 for a MuleNation Mixer at Our Glass Restaurant and Bar.
First Pitch Banquet Mules past and present came together Jan. 18 for the fourth annual First Pitch Banquet. Attendees reflected on the program’s success, celebrated the start of a new baseball season and inducted the legendary 1994 team into the Mules Diamond Club.
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MLK Scholarship Dinner UCM’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Scholarship Dinner on Jan. 21 welcomed former student Toriano Porter, at right, an author and a Kansas City Star opinion writer, as the keynote speaker. Five students earned the Freedom Scholarship: pictured, from left, are Adonis Knight, Rocio Rodriguez and Sergio Del Toro Jr. Not pictured are Allison Ratliff and Dominic Tiglao.
MuleNation in Capital City Alumni and friends gathered in Jefferson City on Dec. 11 for a VIP tour of the Missouri Capitol led by state legislators Sen. Denny Hoskins and Rep. Dan Houx. They then enjoyed wine and appetizers at BarVino downtown.
MuleNation in Naples On Feb. 20, UCM alumni Mike and Patti Davidson, both class of ’72, hosted a MuleNation gathering at the Hampton Social in Naples, Florida.
Houston Winter Invitational Alumni came out en force for the annual Houston Winter Invitational, launching the Mules Baseball season Feb. 1 with a 10-0 win over Millersville.
Party With a Purpose The MuleNation Home Chapter gathered to celebrate the season with President Roger Best and First Lady Robin Best at an event that raised awareness and funds for UCM’s Campus Cupboard.
Alum From Day One The UCM Alumni Foundation welcomed winter graduates as the newest alumni in MuleNation with a Dec. 5 pizza party at Fitters Pub.
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UCM Alumni Travel with Chiefs to
Story by Emily Kepley Marketing Undergraduate Student Photos by Andrew Mather Kansas City Chiefs
On the Sideline UCM alumnus Andrew Mather, ’12 and ’15, was one of three photographers to join the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami to capture images of Super Bowl 2020. It was a full week of photo assignments prior to the big game, including charity events and press conferences. One day was spent with the Chiefs cheerleaders as they participated in the Baskets of Hope community service project and the Special Olympics Flag Football Championship game. “Once game day arrived, it was just a whirlwind of excitement,” Mather says. “The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.”
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Andrew Mather is a photographer for the Kansas City Chiefs. Photo by Steve Sanders
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On the Drumline “It was surreal,” Ian and Kelsey McClaflin recall of their experience at Super Bowl 2020. This UCM alumni couple had the adventure of a lifetime traveling to Miami with Chiefs Rumble, the drumline for the Kansas City team. Ian, ’12, and Kelsey, ’15, met while studying music and playing in UCM’s Marching Mules. Today, Kelsey teaches elementary music, and Ian is assistant coordinator of UCM Marching Percussion. “It’s cool for me to continue and help build something that I was a part of initially,” he says. Established 11 seasons ago, Chiefs Rumble is a key part of the fan experience at Arrowhead Stadium. Since Ian has played for 10 seasons and Kelsey for nine, they were among the five veteran musicians selected to travel with the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Prior to game time, the drumline participated in a collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders at the friends and family tailgate. Percussionists were able to “bring the next level of excitement as people were coming in,” Ian says. This led into several more pregame performances at Hard Rock Stadium before they were able to sit and enjoy the game. “We got to experience the game as fans with other fans,” Kelsey says of this unusual experience. The drumline typically plays the halftime show and doesn’t get to sit in the stands. “Watching the reaction of the fans and the players was probably my favorite part.” After the game, the drumline attended the Chiefs after-party. Ian and Kelsey recall the level of excitement and raw emotion from all of the players and individuals closely involved with the team. The entire trip gave them an opportunity not only to do what they do best but also to interact with both players and fans on a whole new level.
Did you know? Chiefs fans have proved themselves the loudest outdoor crowd in the world? In a 2014 home game against the Patriots, fans achieved the loudest crowd roar at 142.2 decibels. That’s louder than a NASCAR race (avg. 100 db), a rock concert (120 db) and even a jet engine (120–140 db). — Guinness World Records
Ian and Kelsey McClaflin play in Chiefs Rumble, the drumline for the Chiefs.
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On the Beat BJ Kissel grew up attending Chiefs games at Arrowhead Stadium with his dad. “We took the same route every morning, we stopped at the same McDonald’s, we parked in the same parking lot; it was our routine pretty much my entire childhood.” The tradition continued into Kissel’s college years when he enrolled at Central Missouri State University in fall 2001. Even though he played for the national title-winning 2003 Mules Baseball team, he had always enjoyed watching football and wanted to get closer to the action. “From the day I first stepped on campus, I knew I wanted to get into sports broadcasting,” Kissel says. Fast forward to 2010, when Kissel was living in California and writing for the blog Arrowhead Pride. When he and his wife moved back to Missouri four years later, Kissel pursued the opportunity to transition from part-time blogging to full-time reporting. He took the initiative to travel to the Senior Bowl to gain experience in front of athletes. A heartfelt story he wrote about a player he met during that experience ultimately landed him a position with the Kansas City Chiefs.
On the Field After six seasons with the Chiefs, he found himself en route to the Super Bowl with the team he has followed his entire life. “It was awesome to see all those Chiefs fans and just know I was part of a team that gave that experience to all those fans,” Kissel says. The week leading up to the Super Bowl was filled with media engagements. During the game, Kissel was on the sideline relaying information to the radio broadcast, as well as experiencing the game as a fan. He could be seen in several clips yelling and celebrating in the background — and says he lost his voice completely. When he returned to Kansas City, Kissel saw right away how widespread the excitement was among fans who were lining the highway from the airport to the Chiefs headquarters, hoping to catch a glimpse of the buses as they passed. “That’s when it hit that this was something special,” Kissel says. “I think the coolest part of the whole experience, to me, was the parade because it changed the city. … The whole experience was just surreal.”
Little did we know when we met up with Delanie Walker in October that it would come down to the Chiefs vs. the Titans to determine who would play in Super Bowl 2020. Or that the game ultimately would come down to the Chiefs vs. the 49ers, Walker’s former team. Delanie Walker transferred to CMSU from California in 2003. After two successful years on the Mules Football team, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Walker is the only UCM alumnus currently playing in the NFL, and is no stranger to the Super Bowl. Walker played in Super Bowl 2013 with the 49ers before signing with the Tennessee Titans.
Photo courtesy of Delanie Walker
Unfortunately, that Super Bowl ended tragically for Walker when his aunt and uncle were killed by a drunk driver hours after watching him play in the game. After that, Walker committed to working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to keep impaired drivers off the road. Walker also dedicates his time to community outreach programs for students in low-income schools through the Delanie Walker Gives Back Foundation, Delanie’s Imagination Stations, Back to School COOL, and College Bound. Having grown up in a tough neighborhood, Walker knows firsthand how difficult it is to overcome obstacles. His advice to student athletes is: “Keep your grades up and have education to fall back on because football doesn’t last forever.” Former UCM Coach Willie Fritz counts Walker as one of many success stories to come out of Mules Football. Fritz currently has five former NFL players and coaches working with him at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he has led the team in back-to-back winning seasons the past two years and back-to-back bowl wins for the first time in Tulane’s history. Still, having raised his family in Warrensburg, his heart remains in Central Missouri, and he beams about his former Mule.
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“I’m really so proud of Delanie,” Fritz says. “Both on and off the field.”
CLASS NOTES Ken Weymuth, ’78, was appointed by Governor Mike Parson to UCM’s Board of Governors, replacing longtime board member Walt Hicklin. Weymuth owns successful car dealerships in Sedalia and Boonville and previously served in leadership positions with professional organizations, including as president of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association.
understanding of the UCM mission and has been a longtime supporter. We look forward to serving with him as we continue the advancement of our university.”
“We are grateful to have someone of Mr. Weymuth’s caliber appointed to our board by Governor Parson,” says UCM President Roger Best. “As an alumnus and parent of an alumnus, Mr. Weymuth has a deep Ken Weymuth and UCM President Roger Best Larry Jennings, ’81, and his sons, Ken and Joe, ’19, were recognized in December for their combined 75 years of service to the Johnson County Fire Protection District. Ken was also recently promoted to battalion chief in the Warrensburg Fire Department. Larry is the 2019 recipient of UCM’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Service.
Ken, Larry and Joe Jennings Carolyn True, ’82, performed a solo piano recital on campus March 2. True is currently a professor of music at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Mark Seifried, ’82, is currently serving as an airbus 330 captain based in Atlanta. He flies to Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East. Peter Schuessler, ’83, retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4, MH-60 Helicopter Pilot. Schuessler earned his bachelor’s degree in aviation technology at UCM.
Brig. Gen. David Turner, ’84, has joined Dawson & Associates as a senior advisor. In 2018 the Brigadier General C. David Turner Park, located in his hometown of Rock Hill in St. Louis County, was named after him. Turner earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in military science. Kim Carr, ’86, an agriculture tech/animal science major, was featured in a story in Missouri Life Magazine in December 2019. The story focused on her passion for animal photography, which originated with childhood visits to her Kim Carr at work grandparents’ farm. Carr uses her photography to bring attention to heritage breeds and the farmers caring for them. Melvin Amick, ’87, retired from the Missouri Army National Guard after 37 years of service. He is now a registered nurse employed by Northrop Grumman in Italy. Amick earned his bachelor’s degree in aviation technology.
Andy Kohl, ’88, has been named Warrensburg R-VI School District’s new superintendent, effective July 1, 2020. Kohl previously served as the district’s assistant superintendent for support services. Mike Sutherland, ’88, was named the Missouri State Parks director by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Sutherland previously served as a deputy division director with MDNR. He earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast media. Donna Maize, ’92, has been named fire chief for the Kansas City Fire Department. She is the city’s first female fire chief and is honored to be a role model for young women pioneering a male-dominated field. This has been a longtime goal for Maize, whose father and brother also took the path of fire safety. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in graphic arts. LaTonia Collins Smith, ’95, was elected as the chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission of Missouri in October 2019. She is currently the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University. Smith earned her bachelor’s degree in social work. Brian Wishard, ’03, has been named assistant superintendent for student services in the Warrensburg R-VI School District. Wishard earned his master’s degree in elementary school administration.
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C L A S S N OT E S
held the role of director of special education and student services at Citizens of the World Charter School in Kansas City. Lugrand earned her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology.
Grant Curtis, ’97, showed UCM’s Vice President of Advancement Courtney Goddard around Marvel Studios, where he is an executive director, during a visit in November. Among his many film credits are movies he produced with director Sam Raimi, including the “Spider-Man” films, “The Gift,” “Drag Me to Hell” and “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Curtis earned his master’s degree in mass communication. Amber Jayanth, ’05, has joined WXIX-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an anchor for the 5-6:30 p.m. newscasts. Jayanth first started with WXIX-TV as a reporter and fill-in anchor in 2016. She earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast media. Kristina Koch, ’05, ’10, announced the birth of her son, Michael James Sullivan Jr., on June 25, 2019. Matthew Lue, ’06, became the new director of finance for the City of Columbia, Missouri, on Nov. 4, 2019. He previously served as the finance director for Warrensburg since 2015. Lue earned his bachelor’s degree in finance. Miah Lugrand, ’06, was selected as the new principal of Pinckney Elementary in Lawrence, Kansas, effective July 1, 2020. She previously 26
Megan (Wellborn) Freese, ’07, and her husband, Michael, welcomed their son, Austin, to the world June 4, 2018. Timothy Roling, ’10, has been named Moberly School District superintendent effective July 1, 2020. Roling earned his Specialist of Education Administration at UCM. Ashley (Gardner) Yazbec, ’10, ’12, ’17, married Ian Yazbec on Nov. 2, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. Ashley Strohmier, who studied criminal justice at UCM from 2008 to 2011, has signed to Fox News Channel as an overnight anchor and correspondent in New York City. Since 2013, Strohmier had anchored at KMIZ-TV in Columbia, Missouri, reporting on state and local politics as well as crime. She earned a 2019 Missouri Broadcasters Association award for “Best News Anchor” in the Class 3 television division. Capt. Jessica Kestyus, ’12, Battalion Intelligence Officer with the 1-135th Assault Helicopter Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, spoke at a Zonta International Meeting in Jefferson City, Missouri, where a proclamation was presented marking Jan. 21 as Amelia Earhart Day.
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Brett Ginn, ’12, a member of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors, won the Five Star Professional’s Wealth Manager Award in the state of Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. Clayton Lewis, ’15, transferred to St. Francois County from Madison County as a conservation agent for the Missouri Department of Conservation in October 2019. He first got involved with MDC in 2014 when he became a protection volunteer. Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Jamie DeBacker, ’16, has joined the Warrensburg Main Street team as event coordinator. DeBacker earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from UCM. Travis Able, ’18, graduated from the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia. He now advances to Naval Air Station Pensacola for his Military Occupational Specialty, where he will be a Naval Student Aviator. Robert Zey, a former chemistry professor at UCM, and Janet Zey, a former student, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 19, 2020.
Calling all UCM alumni … this is
your place to shine! Share news of a job change or promotion, professional or personal achievement or other life event within the past year to alumni@ucmo.edu or visit ucmfoundation.org/update/mag.
PLANNED GIVING
Alumnus Honors Influential Professor, Coach With Planned Gift When Frank (Chip) Deel, ’73, enrolled at Central Missouri State College, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study. That all changed when he stepped into World War II veteran Joseph Dolecki’s Economics 101 class. “It just made sense to me,” Frank (Chip) Deel Deel recalls. “Once I got into the business school, I just couldn’t get to Dockery Hall fast enough.” His schooling paid off over a successful career and especially when he started his own business, Superior Trailer Sales, 35 years ago. He credits his professors for teaching him how to run the successful company, which he sold in spring 2018, about a month before Dolecki passed away at the age of 100.
gifts to UCM, and what better place to give, he thought, than to the university where he “grew up.” “Central Missouri State was just a real positive experience,” Deel says. “Student government, sports, everything I did. I had a ball there; it’s just a wonderful school with wonderful kids.” Back when Deel was one of those “kids,” he found a father figure in diving coach Tom Hairabedian, a Master Diving Champion and contemporary of Olympian Sammy Lee, Greg Louganis’ first coach. Deel remembers how Hairabedian, also known as “Dr. Dive,” took student athletes under his wing and looked after them to make sure they were succeeding academically. He says the diving coach took his Diving Mules to the library and assigned each one a table where he expected to see them studying from 1 to 3 p.m. each day, before swim practice.
After the sale, Deel made a $10,000 contribution to his alma mater through the Central Annual Fund, an unrestricted fund that meets the most pressing needs of the university. He also supported the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund” to help UCM students facing financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to these immediate gifts, Deel has established a charitable remainder The 1973 CMSU swim team with Coach Tom Hairabedian, front row left, trust for UCM. After seated next to Frank Deel. splitting as much as possible of his estate “He would check on everyone,” Deel says among his five children, he needed an of his former coach, still diving at the age entity where he could contribute some of of 95. “He was the greatest influence I’ll the remainder of his fortune tax-free. He ever have in my life.” knew classmates who had made planned
Choose the Perfect Mix With Blended Giving Frank Deel chose to make a blended gift to the university with immediate donations to the Central Annual Fund and the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund” and a long-term planned gift in the form of a charitable remainder trust. When deciding on a philanthropic contribution, people often think they need to choose between making a sizable gift today and planning a gift for the future. When you make a contribution now, you receive up-front tax benefits and see firsthand the impact of your gift. However, when you hold off on making your intended gift, you will still have access to those funds should unforeseen circumstances arise. With blended giving, it is not necessary to choose one option over the other. You can make a starting gift with cash, securities or real estate, then find the planned giving method that works best for your situation. Planned gifts include a bequest, retained life estate, charitable gift annuity, charitable lead trust or charitable remainder trust. Your gift of any kind touches virtually every area of the university and is pivotal to students’ success. If you would like more information on planning a gift that is best for you, your family and UCM students, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at 660-543-8000 or email giving@ucmo.edu. If you have already included the university as part of your estate plan, please let us know so we can honor you as a member of the Heritage Society in recognition of your generosity and thoughtful action.
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IN MEMORIAM Morris Lynn Collins Morris Lynn Collins, age 72, was born May 28, 1947, in Kansas City, Kansas, and raised north of Warrensburg, Missouri, in the Mt. Olive Community. Collins graduated from Warrensburg High School in 1965, and later CMSU in 1969 and 1973. His 50-year career as an educator began in 1969, when he was hired as the first African American teacher in Warrensburg following the integration of schools in 1954. After retirement in 2002, he became an adjunct professor for UCM, teaching in the department of Art and Design. He also served as a supervisor for student teachers. Collins received numerous awards and accolades throughout his tenure, including the UCM Legacy Alumni Award this past October. He served as a 15-year member of the Warrensburg R-VI Board of Education and was a co-founder of the local Diversity and Dialogue Group, along with the Diversity and Inclusion Commission. He also served as senior pastor of Jesus Saves Pentecostal Church in Warrensburg.
Omer Virgil Frank Omer Virgil Frank, age 76, was born April 8, 1943, in Elma, Iowa. He attended Iowa State University on a wrestling scholarship and graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. In 1967 he completed a master’s degree in physical education from Central Missouri State University. He went on to earn a doctorate in transportation safety from the University of Utah. After earning his doctorate, he returned to Warrensburg where he began his professional career as an assistant professor in the College of Safety Science and Technology. By the time he retired in 2010, Frank had devoted 42 years to the university and its students, including time spent teaching and serving as an assistant coach and briefly as a head coach of the Mules wrestling team. 28
Albert James (Jim) Hoisington II Albert James (Jim) Hoisington II, age 89, was born Feb. 7, 1930, in Abilene, Kansas. He attended college at Kansas Wesleyan before serving in the Army during the Korean War. After his service in the Army, he returned to Kansas and earned a degree from Pittsburg State University. Following in his family’s footsteps, he was a fourth-generation printer. They ran the Hope Dispatch newspaper from 1960-1964 before moving to Warrensburg to work at the Central Missouri State College print shop that December. Hoisington earned his master’s and began teaching Graphic Arts at the university until his retirement in 1995. He was actively involved with his students, for many years serving as the faculty sponsor for the Graphic Arts Craftsmen’s Club.
Alma L. Hooker Alma Lee Fore Hooker, age 82, was born Oct. 22, 1936, in Gig Harbor, Washington. She graduated from Maysville Missouri High School in 1954 and from Central Missouri State College in 1958. After graduating from college, she taught in the North Kansas City school system. Contributions can be made to the Jim and Alma Lee Hooker Scholarship Endowment, which helps recruit students from Maysville R-I High School.
Frank Patterson Frank Patterson, age 87, was born Oct. 26, 1931, in New Jersey. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Park College and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea and taught as a professor of English at the University of Central Missouri for more than 20 years. He also served as department chair and received many awards, including Distinguished Lecturer, Distinguished Faculty and
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Byler Distinguished Faculty. Patterson was an accomplished and sought-after lecturer and author on subjects ranging from Shakespeare to law enforcement report writing. He served on many boards and was active with Habitat for Humanity, Warrensburg Senior Center and the Survival House.
James R. Pullen James R. Pullen, age 83, was born Feb. 16, 1936, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Pullen earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of Missouri and his doctorate in education in counseling and school psychology from the University of South Dakota. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, taught at the University of Central Missouri for 22 years and was a licensed psychologist. He joined the psychology department as an associate professor in 1971 and retired as the department chair of psychology and counselor education in 1993. Prior to his tenure at UCM, Pullen had been a high school teacher, counselor and school psychologist at high schools in Missouri, Germany, Puerto Rico, Wyoming and Iowa.
Robert George Schwartz Jr. Robert George Schwartz Jr., age 83, was born May 2, 1936, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He came to UCM in 1969 and climbed the faculty ranks to become a professor in 1982. The courses he taught included 18th century literature and freshman composition. His commitment to academic excellence was noticed by university leadership, and that led to his appointment as dean of the former College of Arts and Sciences in 1990, a role he served in for 11 years.
Robert P. “Bob” Showers Robert P. “Bob” Showers, age 68, was born Aug. 7, 1951, in Lake City, Iowa. When he first came to Warrensburg in 1993 he worked for the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration
and taught courses in accounting. He left his administrative role to devote to teaching full time several years prior to his retirement in 2013. As a professor emeritus, Showers continued to teach part time at UCM while running his own business, Showers Financial/ Showers and Associates, a financial investment and accounting firm in Warrensburg. He served as a fraternity sponsor for Sigma Phi Epsilon while working at the university. His passion for business also included working as a financial consultant at Ameritas Investment Corporation in Kansas City, and serving early in his career as chief financial officer at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Charles “Chuck” Edward Slattery Charles “Chuck” Edward Slattery, age 87, was born Oct. 3, 1932. A former U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean Conflict, he earned a doctoral degree from the University of Iowa and spent 17 years teaching German language and literature at Northwest Missouri State University. Dr. Slattery made a career change at age 50 and enrolled at the University of Illinois with a goal to obtain the education he needed to become a librarian. Slattery accomplished his goal in 1983 when he joined the faculty at UCM as an instructor in library services. In a career that lasted through 1999, he taught cataloging courses and served in a humanities library role while moving up the faculty ranks to become a full professor.
Bill J. Turnage Bill J. Turnage, age 72, was born Feb. 17, 1947, in Murphysboro, Illinois. Turnage was a 1965 graduate of Murphysboro Township High School and earned a bachelor’s in radio/television from Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale in 1969. Turnage worked as sports director for
IN MEMORIAM
KOKO Radio (1969-1981), as sports information director for the University of Central Missouri (1981-2002), and at Florida Southern College (2002-2012). After retirement, Turnage continued to lend his voice to UCM Athletics as emcee for the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony and through appearances on local radio. He was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, received the College Sports Information Directors of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and earned the Lifetime Mules Baseball Achievement Award in 2019.
Jonell Marie VanDam Jonell Marie VanDam, age 79, was born Sept. 17, 1940, in Madison, Indiana. She married Ronald VanDam on May 30, 1964, in Milton, Kentucky. The couple enjoyed 50 years together, many in Warrensburg where Jonell had a long career as an office professional in the University of Central Missouri music department. Ron, affectionately called “Doc” at UCM, served as a professor and head athletic trainer. In the early 1990s, several UCM Athletic Training alumni got together to create the Dr. Ronald “Doc” VanDam Student Athletic Training Scholarship. The couple was able to see the impact of the scholarship on many future athletic trainers before Ron’s death in 2014.
1940-1949 Anna L. Zambacca, ’46 Ruth Akers, ’49
1950-1959 Peggy A. Freeman, ’50 Joseph M. Vandepopuliere, ’51 Louise E. Beck, ’52 Robert “Bob” E. Diehl, ’53 Edwin J. Marlowe, ’53 Wayne L. Pounds, ’53 Robert “Jack” J. Schnieders, ’53, ’57 Robert Lee Solomon, ’54 Kenneth L. Craven, ’55 James “Jim” E. Jennings, ’56 William “Bill” S. Harlan, ’57 Mollie L. Brant, ’58 Robert “Bob” W. Browning, ’59 James “Jim” E. Norris, ’59 Martin “Lee” L. Scofield, ’59
1960-1969 Berlene M. Herrick, ’60 Don D. Schlup, ’60, ’64 Glen Allan Brenner, ’61 Larch Farrill, ’62 Dorothy I. Tullis, ’62 Marilyn Sue (Norris) Yocum, ’62 Judith Ann Chaney Colhour, ’63 Alden H. Elsea, ’64 Martha A. Pollard, ’64, ’72 Kathryn L. Stoke, ’64 Wilbur Barth, ’65 Donald R. Hayob, ’65 Clarence L. Roeder, ’65 Marilyn E. Selinger, ’65 Lois F. Coulter, ’66 Wanda Maxine Kirlin, ’66, ’67
Stephen P. Harvey, ’67 Stephen R. Sharp, ’67 Marilyn Sue (Norris) Yocum, ’67 Robert “Bob” F. Garten, ’69 Cynthia F. Henke, ’69 Luther H. Jenkins, ’69 Michael B. Klaus, ’69 Rosemary McIntosh, ’69
1990-1999
1970-1979
2010-2019
ImaGene L. Dieckmann, ’70 David M. Grunspan, ’70 Penny M. Bowerman, ’71, ’82 Franklin J. Burcham, ’71 James “Jim” G. Simmons, ’71 Issam B. Amary, ’74 Frederic “Fritz” M. Bock, ’74, ’77 John K. Gibbs, ’74 Gary A. McCready, ’74 Frank A. Oswitz, ’75 Edward D. Felps, ’76 Pamela S. Fisher, ’76, ’93 Deborah J. Hale, ’76, ’01 Reginald A. Murray, ’76 Earl Harley “Sonny” Anderson, ’77, ’78 David P. Bruce, ’78 Jacklin “Jackie” M. Butler, ’78 Nathan L. Mize, ’78 Donette I. Thomas, ’78, ’90 Jeffrey A. Campbell, ’79 Lee Teater, ’79 Sidney “John” J. Warner, ’79
Jarid Fitzgerald, ’10
1980-1989
Friends
Delores “Dee Dee” L. Bilyeu, ’81, ’83 Robert J. Rapp, ’86
Georgia J. Snoble Cheryl L. Stover Harriett A. Wagner
Jeffrey L. Walker, ’91 Mark A. Knipp, ’94 Paul L. Martin, ’96 Kristina L. Hastings, ’97
2000-2009 Janice T. Mills, ’05
Former Students Stephon W. Abron Doris R. Bradley Dorothy A. Cox Patricia Ann Fullerton Mary A. Hannaman Julia A. Hawkins Rosemary S. Hickman Norma Jeane Honer Betty “Jeanne” J. Livengood Thomas F. Scherer Timothy S. Tarry Zdenka Uridil David B. Warman John Wilson III Randy Delmar Winburn
Faculty/Staff Mary A. Agueros Jay Friedlander Gerald “Jerry” Lee Karr Robert Miller Hentz
THANK YOU
On behalf of the University of Central Missouri, the UCM Alumni Foundation would like to express its gratitude to all alumni, emeriti and friends who have honored the university’s mission through scholarships and planned gifts. To learn more about making a gift in a loved one’s memory, visit ucmfoundation.org/give/in-memory.
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PARTING At the beginning of spring semester, students in UCM assistant professor Keira Solon’s Advanced Events Management course partnered with Warrensburg Main Street for a photo contest called “Snapshots of the Burg.” Student and community organizers asked amateur photographers to capture aspects of Warrensburg life in categories including Burg Buildings, Trip Down Memory Lane and College Life.
MEMORY LANE: Hunter Hawbaker, UCM student
Submissions were voted on via Facebook likes, and UCM Magazine has the privilege of sharing some of the top photographs in this issue. Are you a photographer? Show us your best work for consideration in UCM Magazine’s Parting Shots. Email photos to ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu.
MEMORY LANE: Klint Braun, ’18
COLLEGE LIFE: Gabriella (Petra) Gay, UCM student
COLLEGE LIFE: Gabriella (Petra) Gay, UCM student 30
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COLLEGE LIFE: Davin Gumabon, UCM student
COLLEGE LIFE: Sherry Williams
1
s WINN t ER
BURG BUILDINGS: Ashley Holmberg
BURG BUILDINGS: Bruce Uhler, ’77
BURG BUILDINGS: Stacy Kirchhoff, ’10
BURG BUILDINGS: Jody Durbin University of Central Missouri Magazine
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W E A RE STRO NGER TO GETHE R
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many UCM students found themselves facing job loss, food insecurity and a variety of other challenges. We were not surprised when alumni and friends immediately started asking what they could do to help. The University of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation and campus partners responded quickly to establish the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund.” A group of generous alumni stepped up to match $16,000 in gifts to this emergency fund — a testament to the power of our MuleNation community. If you are able, please consider joining them to ensure students in need can continue to pursue their academic dreams. Donate today at ucmfoundation.org/give/mag. Meeting our students’ emerging needs is our top priority. Thank you for your support!
More than ever, additional donations are also needed to the Central Annual Fund and the Campus Cupboard. Visit ucmfoundation.org to learn more.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Across MuleNation June 13
MuleNation Gives Back Day of Service and Giving Online and in Your Community
Sept. Construction Management Golf Tournament Columbia Country Club 21 Columbia
July 27
President’s Lawn Concert UCM Alumni Park Warrensburg
Sept. Family Weekend UCM Campus 27 Warrensburg
Aug. 7
UCM Athletics Auction & Dinner UCM Multipurpose Building Warrensburg
Oct. Homecoming 2020 24-25 UCM Campus Warrensburg
Sept. Get the Red Out UCM Campus 3 Warrensburg Sept. 3-4
50-Year UCM Reunion Various Locations Warrensburg
Nov. 9
UCM President’s Gala Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Kansas City
Events may be delayed or canceled due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Please check the web and social media for updates.
Visit ucmfoundation.org/events for details. Get involved in your MuleNation chapter! The UCM Alumni Foundation is building a strong volunteer leadership team to connect alumni living near one another and roll out the welcome mat for new UCM graduates moving to your region. We are looking for bold leaders to become active members of the MuleNation community. Interested? Contact the executive director of alumni relations at 660-543-8000 or alumni@ucmo.edu today! Learn more at ucmfoundation.org/mulenation-chapters.
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P.O. B OX 800 WA R R E N SBURG, M O 6 40 93- 5038
June 13, 2020 MuleNation Gives Back is the University of Central Missouri’s motto, “Education for Service,” in action! Join us in giving back on June 13, 2020, by volunteering in your community or donating to support UCM students. Learn more and register at ucmfoundation.org/ mulenation-gives-back, call 660-543-8000 or email alumni@ucmo.edu. Thank you, MuleNation!
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