UCM Magazine - Fall 2021 by University of Central Missouri

FALL 2021

FASHION FORWARD

Students at the Forefront of Sustainable Styles

I N S I D E : 2 0 2 1 A N N UA L R E P O RT

CONTENTS Fashion FORWARD … and a Look Back

at Trends Over Time

2021 AN NUAL RE P OR T

13 FOUNDING PHILANTHROPISTS 16 STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS 18 FUEL

OPPORTUNITY

20 BY THE NUMBERS FEATU RE S TO RI ES

22 MEET UCM’S 2021 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI This year we honor Judge Joseph Dandurand and NFL Executive Russ Ball.

PAGE 4

DEPA RT M ENT S 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PHILANTHROPY NEWS

28 ATHLETICS 30 MULENATION NEWS 32 UCM NEWS 34 CLASS NOTES 36 PLANNED GIVING 37 IN MEMORIAM 40 PARTING SHOTS

24 CELEBRATING CENTRAL’S ANNIVERSARIES See what was happening in the nation and on campus at each 50-year milestone.

FIND US ONLINE AT WWW.UCMFOUNDATION.ORG/MAGAZINE

1871 1921 1971 2021 On the cover: Cydni Stanford, a UCM Fashion and Apparel Merchandising student, walks the runway at KC Fashion Week with models wearing the sustainably based clothing she designed. Photo by Jason Atherton/KC Fashion Week

EMAIL US AT ALUMNI@UCMO.EDU

@UCMALUMNIFOUNDATION

@UCM_ALUM @UCM_ALUM

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E

UCM

ALUMNI HELP MAKE UCM ‘MULE STRONG’

tradition on university campuses each fall is for the president to deliver the State of the University address. As the University of Central Missouri’s president, I was honored to provide this address recently to our faculty, staff and students, which gave me an opportunity to reflect upon the past 12–24 months and highlight what is ahead for UCM.

MAGA Z INE FA L L 2 0 2 1 , Vo l. 2 0 , No . 2

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kathy Strickland ART DIRECTOR Linda Harris, ’91 CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Chamberlin, ’97, ’16 Tiffany Cochran, ’05 R. Tyler Habiger Britni Hume, ’15, ’18 Jackie Jackson, ’09, ’12 John Kennedy, ’92, ’13 Emily Kepley Jeff Murphy, ’80, ’95 Peggy Shaul, ’91 Alexandra Stella, ’21 An Quigley, ’94

©2021 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.

Although we were challenged in many ways last year, the commitment and hard work of our faculty and staff were a source of strength and optimism. As a result of their strong efforts, an increase in appropriations from the Missouri Legislature and support from our many alumni and donors, UCM today is “Mule Strong.” First Lady Robin and President Roger Best celebrate UCM’s 150th birthday at a picnic on the quad April 27, 2021.

In an unusually turbulent environment, we experienced tremendous gains in enrollment this fall. Compared with fall 2020, our enrollment increased by 5.7%, driven by a firstyear class that is more than 6% larger, a class of new transfer students that is up 7% over last year and a 27% increase in graduate students, largely due to a net increase of more than 800 international students. These students have come to us this fall with much energy and a renewed sense of purpose, eager to experience the community that is the University of Central Missouri. There is much more that signifies the strength of your university, and you will discover more reasons as you read UCM Magazine. In this issue, you will find the UCM Alumni Foundation’s Fiscal Year 2021 report, which features students who have benefited from alumni-funded scholarships and the 15 Fuel Opportunity projects that are being made possible through fundraising during UCM’s 150th anniversary year. You’ll also read about our fashion program’s focus on sustainability and see the 150th historical clothing exhibit. Also in this issue, we are pleased to recognize our 2021 Distinguished Alumni: Russ Ball, an executive with the Green Bay Packers, and the Honorable Judge Joseph Dandurand. Thank you for staying connected with UCM and for the continued contributions you and other alumni make to a campus that for 150 years has remained “Mule Strong.”

Council for Advancement and Support of Education District VI 2020–21 Bronze Award in Magazine

Roger J. Best, Ph.D. UCM President

University of Central Missouri Magazine

P H I L A N T H RO P Y N E W S

Alumnus From 100 Years Ago Leaves $20M Legacy

Alumnus Entrepreneur Establishes Endowments Scholarship and Bench Dedicated to Shing Seung So

UCM Alumni Foundation Executive Director Courtney Goddard and Faruk Capan, founder and CEO of Intouch Group and 2020 recipient of the UCM Distinguished International Alumni Award.

John Spillman Jones The largest documented planned gift in the history of the University of Central Missouri — a commitment currently valued at $20 million — is being made possible by an alumnus whose affiliation with UCM began more than 100 years ago. The UCM Alumni Foundation was recently informed of this commitment, which involves a trust agreement made possible by John Spillman Jones, a former Warrensburg resident who passed away in Clayton, Missouri, in 1968. Jones was born in Warrensburg and graduated from State Normal School No. 2, now UCM, in 1912. He went on to attend the University of Chicago, where he earned a Juris Doctorate. He practiced law and had a lengthy career in management, working as a sales director for Ralston Purina. He and his wife, Kathleen Kerr Jones, lived on a farm in Warrensburg with their two children.

Faruk Capan, ’92, has established two new endowments through the UCM Alumni Foundation. The Innovative Public Relations Fund Endowment will support the public relations firm, managed and operated by UCM

PR students. The International Student Hardship Scholarship Endowment is designed to provide scholarship support for international students facing financial hardship during their time at UCM.

Scholarship Honors Math Professor

Shing Seung So

Family and friends of Professor Emeritus Shing Seung So, who passed away in April 2020, have committed to establish a scholarship endowment in his memory. He taught mathematics at the university for more than 30 years and founded the Warrensburg Wing Chun school of martial arts. The scholarship will provide financial support for students majoring in mathematics and mathematics education with a priority for assisting first-generation students.

Asked about her memories of Jones, one of the couple’s grandchildren shared fond recollections of traveling to Warrensburg to spend time on her grandparents’ farm. She also noted Jones’ generosity, stating, “His grandchildren and great-grandchildren are extremely proud of his decision to leave a legacy gift to the University of Central Missouri.” Learn more about the many ways to leave your legacy for future generations of UCM students at ucmo.giftlegacy.com. 2

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A bench on the east side of the Wilson C. Morris Science Building memorializes Professor Emeritus Shing Seung So.

P H I L A N T H RO P Y N E W S

UCM Theatre The New Theatre Scholarship Guild granted UCM Theatre and Dance five $3,000 scholarships. The nonprofit organization “extends and promotes the dynamics of live theatre in the community” with the goal of enhancing the theatrical experience in the Greater Kansas City area by supporting future actors.

UCM Gigabit Lab

Richard and Wilma Van Zandt

The T-Mobile Foundation has granted $50,000 to support educational opportunities and technology needs at UCM’s Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The Gigabit Lab is an example of one such space where students use cutting-edge technologies.

Tim Van Zandt, ’85, is honoring the memory of his parents (pictured) through the establishment of the Wilma and Richard Van Zandt Memorial Scholarship Endowment to support Lexington High School graduates who are pursuing higher education at UCM.

UCM Sigma Kappa alumni presented the Sigma Kappa–Delta Eta Chapter Alumni Scholarship during the chapter’s family weekend in April 2021. Pictured from left are Andrea Luebbert, ’76, Susie Ruth, ’74, ’77, scholarship recipient Nevada Loescher, Renee Moloznik, ’76, scholarship recipient Katelyn Harmon and Diane Whitworth, ’77.

In April 2021, Mattaline “Piper” Killingsworth, pictured at right, was awarded the John Hess Health Professional Scholarship by Steven Lacey, ‘76, left. Steven and Ann Lacey created the scholarship in honor of their friend and colleague Biology Professor Emeritus John Hess (shown on screen).

Alumni Generosity Creates Opportunities for Students Marvin Goodman, ’50, and Barbara CartellaGoodman made provisions for their estate to support the greatest need at UCM via a trust, which was received in spring 2021. After serving in the U.S. Army, Marvin earned an Education degree from Central Missouri State College with special preparation in mathematics, preparing him for a successful career at the Shale H. Goodman Company.

Donald and Donna McAdams made provisions, received in fall 2021, for their estate to support KMOS-TV PBS. Owned and operated by UCM for more than 40 years, KMOS-TV provides high-quality programming to 38 counties in central Missouri and real-world learning opportunities to students at UCM.

Gary Tompkins, ’67, made a significant contribution to the principal of the Anna R. Tompkins Scholarship in Music Endowment to honor his mother, who loved playing and teaching others to play the piano. This investment will increase the earning power of the endowment, providing more annual scholarship support for undergraduate students pursuing a degree in Music or Music Education.

Elaine, ’53, and Mike Bellofatto made provisions for their estate to support UCM via a trust, which was received in summer 2021. Elaine earned an Education degree from CMSC in Child and Family Development.

Robert D. and Betty L. Longwith, longtime Sedalia, Missouri, residents, made provisions for their estate to provide scholarships for students from Pettis or Saline counties pursuing a degree in Education.

Interested in setting up an endowed scholarship? Visit www.ucmfoundation.org/scholarships. University of Central Missouri Magazine

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“I’ve always been a sustainable designer at heart.”

Photo by Jason Atherton/KC Fashion Week

— Cydni Stanford, UCM Fashion and Apparel Merchandising Student

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Fashion

décalage Origin: French Definition: the act of shifting

FORWARD

UCM Students at the Forefront of Sustainable Styles By Emily Kepley, Marketing Undergraduate Student

Diversity Woven in Common Threads When Stanford was growing up in Kansas City, she enjoyed watching models on TV and going thrifting with her family. Her parents — Tasha Martin-Stanford, ’95, ’97, and Richard Stanford, ’94 — both graduated from UCM and met on campus. Her mother is a speech pathologist, and her father owns Priority1, a business that connects older adults and individuals needing medical care with in-home health

professionals. Since both of her parents are successful UCM alumni, Stanford considered UCM when looking into universities where she could pursue a career in fashion. Unlike programs that focus solely on design, the FAME program at UCM is business oriented with creative aspects such as design and presentation intertwined. Stanford received the Alumni Legacy Scholarship, a competitive scholarship which is available to incoming freshmen who are children or grandchildren of UCM alumni. She has also received the Maurine Poage Achauer Scholarship, the Katzentine/ Carswell/Cheatham Scholarship and the

Photo by Jason Atherton/KC Fashion Week

“I picked Décalage for my brand name because my overall objective is to aid in moving fashion to a sustainable and eco-friendly space,” Stanford says, “while also shifting people’s ideas about what sustainable fashion can be.”

Sustainability and diversity are two common threads in Stanford’s work and the FAME program at UCM.

Photo by Jason Atherton/KC Fashion Week

hen Cydni Stanford took the runway at KC Fashion Week this spring, it was the culmination of her childhood dream. As a junior in the University of Central Missouri’s Fashion and Apparel Merchandising (FAME) program, she showcased her own clothing line called Décalage.

Kalinda Dixon, Adrianna Gould and Morgan Warren Embry modeled Cydni Stanford’s Décalage line in the Spring/ Summer 2021 KC Fashion Week. University of Central Missouri Magazine

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Tolivar H. Franklin Scholarship through the UCM Alumni Foundation. After just a year and a half in the program, Stanford was in a position to achieve her goal of becoming a KC Fashion Week designer. She had modeled in the show for four seasons after first taking to the runway at age 14 in the Kansas City Natural Hair and Wellness Expo. It was a dream come true when she found out the clothing she designed would be featured in KC Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2021 show. Stanford’s Décalage collection consists of five designs inspired by the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, when as many as 300 African Americans were killed in the span of about 16 hours starting on Memorial Day. She learned about this event when the Black Lives Matter movement brought to light a century-old history that was not widely known. In 1913, Booker T. Washington coined Greenwood, a 35-block district in north Tulsa, “the Negro Wall Street of America,” a name soon shortened to “Black Wall Street.” It was a self-contained community of approximately 10,000 African Americans, including successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs who took pride in the way they dressed. Stanford took inspiration from the strength of this community, which was burned to the ground by a mob of neighboring white residents who felt threatened by its presence. Stanford brought this lost history to life through the colors and materials in her clothing line. Red represents the blood that was shed in the massacre, green represents the wealth of Greenwood, and cowry shells symbolize preservation of prosperity, as these shells are rare and have been used as currency in many African countries.

“I wanted to include the shells as a reminder to anyone wearing my designs that they should be proud of their skin and where they come from,” Stanford says. “We have the power to continue to innovate and prosper for generations to come.”

Sustainable Practice for the Fabric of the Future Stanford’s clothing line incorporates sustainably sourced fabric, a concept emphasized in the FAME program. Thrifting with her family and upcycling once-loved clothes is where Stanford found her calling to become a sustainable designer. She put her passion into practice with her Décalage designs, utilizing material from old pillowcases and used clothing items. “I even looked at curtains at one point, and rugs, and anything that my mom was going to try to throw away,” Stanford says. “I’ve always been a sustainable designer at heart.” When she was developing her fashions this spring, Stanford was taking the Sustainability for Consumer Products course with associate professor and program coordinator Melissa Abner, ’08. In this class, Abner teaches ways to make what is reportedly one of the most polluting industries in the world

more environmentally friendly. She covers topics such as global sourcing, labor issues, sustainable resources, the environmental effects of microplastics and manufacturing, waste products, how to keep donated clothes out of landfills and ethical wardrobe care. Overall, Abner encourages students to buy better, source better and make better. According to a 2019 report published by United Nations News, the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of global wastewater. The same report stated that producing a pair of jeans requires about 2,000 gallons of water, which is equivalent to the amount an average person drinks in seven years. Statistics like these have prompted UCM students to think creatively about the future of fashion. One example of this is the Recycle, Restyle and Revamp fashion show, an annual community event highlighting clothing and accessories created using thrifted or trashed materials. A FAME student who participated in the show this past spring is Marlowe Welch, a sophomore who created two designer bags from upcycled denim. “We learn about ways to prevent so much harm to the Earth from the fashion industry,” says Welch, who also took Abner’s sustainability class. “Everybody has to wear

Students Isabella Jacobi, ’20, and Mabrey Wathen, ’19, make a display out of the dress constructed by Wathen for the Recycle, Restyle and Revamp fashion show in fall 2019. 6

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clothes, and a lot of people don’t think about the harm that fashion is doing to the Earth.”

Professor Melissa Abner teaches the Sustainability for Consumer Products course. Her students have designed clothes from upcycled materials ranging from plastic bags to used CDs and solar eclipse glasses.

Not only do students get the experience of designing and creating, but they also help run the fashion show. Welch gained experience with lighting as part of the production process, and several other students learned about event management. FAME students get to go behind the scenes and gain real-world experience through partnerships with KC Fashion Week and other organizations, preparing them for multiple facets of the industry. “Fashion is so experience based, and you have to kind of work your way up and make those connections,” Abner says. “But a lot of our students work while they’re in school. So, they advance faster in their careers.”

Faculty, Alumni Help Move Fashion Forward Erica Spurgeon, ’09, ’17, is a forward thinker who has helped develop the program to be up to date with industry trends and technology. As a certified MakerBot 3D printer curriculum creator and operator, Spurgeon helps students utilize 3D printing, as well as vinyl cutting and sublimation printing on fabric.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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appreciative for all the life lessons I’ve endured along the way.” Cochran now interacts with students in a new way, teaching her first class, Textile Science, as an adjunct professor in the FAME program. As senior director of events and alumni engagement with the UCM Alumni Foundation, she also helps connect alumni to the current program. One way to get involved is by serving on the UCM Fashion Advisory Board, as Cochran has done, to provide feedback and ensure that the curriculum is keeping up with the industry.

Professor Erica Spurgeon, a certified curriculum creator and operator through the MakerBot 3D-printing company, helps student Charlene Khondker, ’21, set up a 3D print. Students are able to learn the industry standard for graphic design with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and use industry forecaster WGSN to keep up on fashion trends. They also use Chief Architect software for 3D store design in Abner’s Visual Merchandising class. FAME students have access to the Fashion Business Association, where they can make connections and learn from companies like Buckle, Rally House, Nordstrom, Dillard’s and more. Tiffany Cochran, ’05, is a FAME alumna who has worked with Buckle for 15 years. She has recruited and hired many UCM

students for internships and jobs. According to Cochran, UCM students have an edge among other graduates, with industry-ready skills and an outstanding work ethic. One student Cochran hired was Brianna Durand, ’17, who worked part time at the Lee’s Summit Buckle location while earning a FAME degree with minors in Business and Marketing. “I worked my way up completing leadership training and my internship,” says Durand, who now manages the Buckle in Augusta, Georgia. “I’ve made lifelong friends, and I couldn’t be more

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

“It’s great to see how much the program has advanced … just with the feedback the students and industry workers give,” says board member Quinn Ahrens, ’19, who recently started working at Hey Dude Shoes. This career opportunity came from his connections within the FAME alumni network. Jessica Williams, ’15, serves on the board and also gives back to the program through class visits. Williams has worked her way up at Walmart to become an associate Omni merchant for women’s footwear companywide. “One of the best aspects of UCM’s fashion program is that they allow industry professionals to visit and speak in the seminar class,” she says. “I love that I am able to answer some of the same questions I had as a student.”

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Calli Green, ’11, is an alumna volunteer who wrote a fashion column for The Muleskinner at UCM and now publishes her own magazine, Local Fashion Link. The magazine is part of her business of the same name, connecting the Kansas City community to the local fashion scene through shows, education and philanthropy.

Students Makayla Hawkins, ’19, Mason McClain, a senior, and Raquel Smith-Collier, ’20, work on the FAME line of clothing and accessories, which generate funds for the program.

“I don’t think that we have had a show yet that didn’t involve a model that is a UCM alum, an intern from UCM or a fashion student,” Green says, adding that UCM is always represented at Local Runway, a biannual fashion show featuring KC-based designers and boutiques. With a career focus, industry connections and so many opportunities to gain experience, students are able to grow their network both on and off the runway. For Stanford, the runway was only one step toward her goal of becoming a successful fashion designer. When brainstorming ideas for her first clothing brand, Stanford explored various words and phrases in different languages. “French stuck out to me because Paris is one of the birthplaces of fashion, and one of my biggest career goals is to present a line at Paris Fashion Week.” Now with her Décalage brand on its way to being established, Paris doesn’t seem so far away.

Help move fashion forward at UCM! Purchase student-designed UCM apparel at www.ucmo.edu/buyfashion, volunteer at www.ucmfoundation.org/ volunteer or donate to the program at www.ucmfoundation.org/give/fame.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

w o N g … and Then Trendin

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By Emily Kepley, Marketing Undergraduate Student

ringing history back to life is nothing new for alumna Rachel Mifflin, ’12, who founded her wedding dress business on a passion for vintage clothing.

In 2013, Mifflin began collecting vintage wedding dresses with her mother-in-law and repairing them with her mother. After a year of building the collection, she opened Ivory & Lace in downtown Warrensburg. “There is new and innovative fashion all the time, but a lot of times it references things that have already happened,” says Mifflin, who earned a bachelor’s from UCM in Textile and Apparel Merchandising. Mifflin has returned to UCM to complete her master’s degree in Career and Technology Education with a focus in Family and Consumer Sciences and an emphasis in Fashion and Textiles. As a special project for her degree, she decided to commemorate UCM’s sesquicentennial with a historical fashion exhibit. She took on the task of gathering photographs of UCM students from various decades with the help of the McClure Archives and University Museum — and matching the photos with clothing items exemplifying fashion trends. Most of these items came from the fashion program’s Helen Ball Historical Clothing Collection. UCM Professor Emerita Helen Ball established this collection in the 1980s when she acquired numerous articles of designer clothing from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Some of the gowns were valued at $2,000–$3,000.

“They would make their own clothes,” Mifflin says about this outfit designed for UCM’s Gypsy Day in the 1920s. “This one is really heavy. You can see that they hand-stitched all of these little discs to make it jingle.” TURN OF THE CENTURY

1 In the late 1890s and early 1900s, knickerbockers were the popular men’s breeches. 2 In the 1880s and 1890s, shoes did not have left and right feet; they were the exact same. 3 This 1880s bustle dress outfit was put together with a dress donation from the McMeekin family of Warrensburg, a UCM legacy alumni family, and a bustle donation from Madeline Osborn, ’20, and the Osborn family of Bethany, Missouri. 10

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THE WAR YEARS

4 This World War II era outfit featured the staple fashion for the time and was completed with a coat donated by the Swindler family and shoes from the estate of UCM alumna Evelyn Louise Sims, ’36, an art instructor for 33 years with an eye for trendy, high-quality apparel and accessories. 5 In the 1920s, men’s shirts were not made with collars already attached. Men would have a set of detachable collars that they would choose from based on the occasion. This shirt and collars were donated by Margaret Brown of Warrensburg. 6 This dress was made and worn by Elizabeth Smiser Schwenson of Warrensburg at the annual Gypsy Day university event in the 1920s.

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A Look Back at UCM Fashion Ball retired in 1990 and bequeathed the collection to then-professor Lynn Alkire, ’81, ’88, so students could learn hands-on couture techniques and recognize authentic period styles. As an individual who is knowledgeable about fashion design and history, Mifflin points out time-period nuances that might go unnoticed. “This one was made with the L-85 fabric regulations,” she says about the World War II era outfit on display. “It had a narrower hem circumference and smaller pockets.” The collection, which was on exhibit Aug. 16–Sept. 17, 2021, featured 13 different looks. “It was interesting to see how the fashion has gone from formal to more casual,” Mifflin says. “Wearing leggings and tight-fitting clothing all the way down to where people had to wear bustles ... even just wearing tennis shoes to class versus always having to wear high heels.” Mifflin gives back to UCM by speaking to students about the business of fashion design and retail. In addition to cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit in students, Mifflin works with Warrensburg Main Street to support small businesses like her own.

Graduate student Rachel Mifflin gathered photos of UCM students from decades past, including this group in a residence hall in the late 1990s, to pair with clothing donated by alumni and friends. MID-20TH CENTURY

CASUAL TIMES

7 This 1960s dress and shoes were donations from the Sims estate. 8 This sweater and shirt combination from the 1940s/50s was provided from the estate of Evelyn Louise Sims, bestowed to the UCM Fashion program in 2003 by First Community Bank and valued at $16,000. 9 This two-piece 1970s silk peasant blouse is accompanied by a mini skirt donated by UCM Alumni Foundation Board Member Meryl Lin McKean, ’80. Paired with tall, chunky-heel suede boots, it’s a style replicated in today’s trends.

10 This hat was a menswear staple in the 1970s, donated by Robert Simmons, a Warrensburg native. 11 Highlighting the leisure fashion from the 2000s to present day, this outfit includes items from MKT Clothing Co. in downtown Warrensburg, owned by Rachel Mifflin, and the FAME clothing line created by UCM fashion students. 12 Fashion in the 1990s was displayed with a complete outfit from professor Melissa Abner. 13 This 1980s outfit was put together with a shirt and shoes from the Sims estate and pants from former UCM Associate Dean and Professor Emerita Lynn Alkire.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

20 21 A N N UA L R E P O RT

and Friends! true to its Happy 150th, Alumni ntral Missouri remained Ce of ty rsi ive Un the , to expect a toric challenges and our peers warned us rs de In a year marked by his lea ry ust ind e hil Together, for Service.” W uleNation stepped up. M i, mn mission of “Education alu r ou m fro ort ement and giving al year 2021 annual rep lackluster year of engag excited to share the fisc are d an r yea ry na rdi we achieved an extrao with you. with $42,426,842 in r students and programs ou d st rte po sup u yo e lik nthropy marks the mo Last year, donors This outpouring of phila ts. en tions. itm en int mm t co gif d ed an nn ts pledges and pla , philanthropic gif ing giv le tab ari ch for invest your M’s history in our institution, as we productive year in UC st tru ur yo to s ult res attering the next 150 years. We credit these record-sh enges while preparing for all ch s ay’ tod et me to y donations wisel nors provide 30, 2021) saw 6,751 do e Jun gh ou thr , 20 20 ly 1, ’s history, currently This most recent year (Ju t planned gifts in UCM ges lar o tw the ed ord rec also new scholarships, which philanthropic gifts. We y. Donors endowed 20 vel cti pe res n, llio mi 5 d $1 vide nearly $200,000 valued at $20 million an o saw donors like you pro als e W . me co to rs yea for opportunities. will support our students port our most pressing sup to nd Fu al nu An al to the Centr nd to be involved with o went above and beyo wh u yo of se tho to ul e as members of our We are especially gratef alumni engagement rat .9% 15 ord rec a ed iev de donations and UCM last year. We ach lunteered on campus, ma vo , nts eve d de en att 100,000-strong network t special difference! ank you for making tha Th us. th wi ted ica un jects comm ng important capital pro nues to thrive as we bri nti co ious var ign pa in d cam an y d nit de now fully fun are Our Fuel Opportu lf ha y arl ne , ing rsu ts we are pu d new spaces with you to fruition. Of the projec share these refreshed an to d ite exc are e W n. stages of constructio s visit. during your next campu g in our s, thank you for believin tor rec Di of ard Bo n tio ni Founda for them beyond On behalf of the Alum creating opportunities by nts de stu M UC of the lives meaningful vision of transforming transforming UCM in are we u, yo of se cau urn ssible. Be gift via the enclosed ret what they imagined po e support by making a ibl red ur fellow inc yo th ur wi yo e ch nu tou nti in and staying ways. Please co nt eve n tio Na ule M al ur next loc envelope, attending yo s! nie Mules and Jen

Scott Taylor, ’89 Directors ni Foundation Board of President, UCM Alum

J.D. Courtney E. Goddard, ty Advancement rsi ive Un t, en Vice Presid ni Foundation Executive Director, Alum

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

The first Normal School No. 2 classes took place in the Foster School, named for the Foster family.

2021 A N N UA L R E P O RT

Built on the Foundation of Philanthropy Founding Philanthropists Honored for Groundbreaking Contributions

In celebration of the university’s sesquicentennial, the UCM Alumni Foundation has established the Founding Philanthropist Award. Four inaugural awards were presented April 24, 2021, at an Evening of Appreciation during UCM’s Founders Week celebration. This was an invitation-only event for members of the Founders Society, formerly the Cornerstone Society. The society recognizes donors who have contributed $25,000 or more cumulatively in their lifetime, through outright gifts or documented planned gift intentions. The Founding Philanthropist Award honors select members who have contributed above and beyond the minimum requirement. By means of their generosity, these individuals have enabled opportunities that transform the lives of UCM students.

Founding Philanthropist Melville U. Foster The history behind UCM can be traced back to 1834, when leaders pushed for state-provided education for public school teachers. In 1869, Warrensburg native Sen. Wells H. Blodgett introduced the Normal School Bill, which was passed and amended in 1870 to create two Normal Districts for the state. Counties and cities bid for the location of the two schools with money, land and buildings. Earning the bid would mean community improvements and revenue, along with intellectual distinction. The State Normal School for District No. 1, north of the Mississippi, was awarded to Kirksville in Adair County. The next school was to be awarded south of the river.

The city of Sedalia in Pettis County, which already had a private teaching school, was awarded District No. 2 on Dec. 1, 1870. However, two more bids were received via telegraph that very night from Franklin and Johnson counties. The latter bid included significant city and county bonds as well as 20 acres of land donated by local resident Capt. Melville U. Foster for a future campus. The next morning, the board of seven regents met and put the offer to Sedalia on hold. When the new year began, the board convened with many new members. It was decided on April 26, 1871, that the original decision would be reversed and the State Normal School for District No. 2 would be awarded to Warrensburg. When news reached the town late that evening, church bells rang, bands played, and hundreds of people beat pots and pans all through the night. The papers were signed the next day, April 27, making the decision official. According to the 1914 “Normal Bulletin,” Warrensburg Normal opened for classes on May 10, 1871. There were 30 students

and three faculty members, including George Petrie Beard, recruited from the private school in Sedalia. Classes took place in two rented rooms of the Foster School, built in fall of 1870 to house Warrensburg’s K–12 public school. The building was named for the family of Foster, who fought in the American Civil War in Company C, 27th Missouri Infantry (mounted) Union, mustering out as a captain in 1865. After the war, Foster became an advocate for educational accessibility. He served on the Warrensburg School Board, helping to open the first public schools in 1866. From the original 20 acres, the campus has expanded to 1,561 acres in Warrensburg and the state-of-the-art Missouri Innovation Campus building in Lee’s Summit. The university’s enrollment has grown to more than 10,000 students representing 47 states and 36 countries. Even after 150 years of change, some things remain the same. It is through the generous support of alumni and friends like Foster that this institution has continued its century-old legacy of “Education for Service.”

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Founding Philanthropist Jim Crane Jim Crane, a St. Louis native, was a standout pitcher for Central Missouri and holds pitching records to this day, enshrined in both the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Crane earned his bachelor’s in Industrial Safety in 1976 and founded Eagle Global Logistics (EGL) in 1984 with $10,000 borrowed from his sister. He transformed EGL from a domestic freight forwarder with two employees to a leading provider of global end-to-end supply chain solutions and logistics with

10,000 employees. In 2007, he sold EGL and formed Crane Capital Group, an investment management company, where he currently serves as CEO. He also heads Crane Worldwide Logistics, Crane Freight and Shipping, two restaurants, a golf club and a winery. In 2011, Major League Baseball unanimously approved Crane’s acquisition of the Houston Astros, and in 2017, the team won its first World Series. It was a dream come true for a standout pitcher from Missouri, Astros fans and the city of Houston.

Crane has given back a hundredfold to his alma mater. In 1998, he was the primary underwriter of a $1.2 million renovation of the old Mules Baseball field at UCM. The facility was renamed the James R. Crane Stadium/Robert N. Tompkins Field in honor of Crane and his beloved coach. He has continued his generous support of numerous Mules Baseball projects and provided annual athletic scholarships since that time. This year, his gift of $1.5 million for the Crane Stadium Expansion Project was realized with upgrades to seating and facilities for an improved experience for student-athletes and fans alike.

Founding Philanthropists Robert G. and Sandra A. Russell The Honorable Robert “Bob” G. Russell is a longtime supporter of UCM and a past member of the university’s Board of Governors. In 2004, Russell received the university’s Distinguished Service Award, and in 2005 he was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame for Service. An avid club sport volleyball player during his college days, Russell also provides generous support to the Jennies Volleyball program. In 2013, the team dedicated the Robert G. “Bob” Russell Sand Volleyball Courts in his honor.

Russell honored his wife of nearly 50 years by establishing the Sandy Russell Memorial Scholarship to support UCM students pursuing a degree in Agriculture. The fund has provided significant support to 17 students since its inception. Bob Russell’s daughter, Beth Russell Neuhoff, and son, Rob Russell, attended

An Evening of Appreciation, where the family announced they had established the Bob Russell Acts of Service Scholarship Endowment. This will provide an annual scholarship to a UCM student who embodies and demonstrates fine character and performs selfless acts of service to others — not randomly, but as part of their normal way of living.

Russell has had a successful career, serving as circuit judge for the Missouri 17th Judicial Circuit from 1970 to 1986 (presiding judge in 1982) and as a partner at Kempton and Russell Trial Lawyers of Sedalia. His late wife, Sandra, taught in public schools before becoming a successful real estate agent and developer. Her dedication to the university and local community included service on many boards, including the UCM Foundation Board of Directors. Before she passed away in 2013, she set her sights on a lifelong dream of owning cattle and created the Bucket List Cattle Company.

Bob Russell with Charlotte Lloyd, an Agriculture Science student and recipient of the Sandy Russell Memorial Scholarship.

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Jim Crane

UCM Alumni Foundation Executive Director Courtney Goddard, Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, Founding Philanthropist Jim Crane, Alumni Foundation Board of Directors President Scott Taylor and UCM President Roger Best break ground on the Crane Stadium expansion April 24, 2021.

Founding Philanthropists Sandra and Stanley Wright Sandra Wright hails from the small town of Nevada, Missouri. A college degree seemed out of reach when she graduated high school, as she had two sisters and limited financial resources. However, through the generosity of a local car dealership owner, Wright was able to attend UCM. Wright’s decision to pursue art as a major was inspired by another UCM alumna, her high school art teacher, Myrle (Rich) Fraser, ’47. In college Wright gained real-world experience as the 1962 Rhetor yearbook art editor and learned printmaking, which became a base for much of her later artwork. Upon earning her degree, Wright moved to Miami, where she worked as a graphic artist and advertising director. She then returned to her home state of Missouri and began working for Southwestern Bell, where she met her husband of 30 years, Stanley. Prior to Stanley’s passing in 2003, the couple discussed what they would do with the money they had saved up as mortgage lenders and home remodelers. They had always wanted to create a scholarship, so they made provisions to establish the Stanley and Sandra Wright Scholarship in Art. This scholarship will support students who, like Sandra, through determination and the kindness of others, have been able to pursue an art degree. She hopes it will give recipients the opportunity to focus less on jobs and more on learning and expressing themselves through the arts. “Art is the soul of people,” Wright says. “You may make a living doing something else, but you always have art.”

Sandra Wright with UCM Art and Design Chair Rahila Weed.

Learn more about UCM Giving Societies at www.ucmfoundation.org/giving-societies.

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Service

Triplets Developed a Passion for Service at UCM By Emily Kepley, Marketing Undergraduate Student The sentiment was shared by her sisters. Grace says the campus “felt like home,” and Hannah, who had started her education at a different school, quickly joined her two sisters at UCM. The triplets explored all of what the university had to offer during their time in Warrensburg.

Grace, Hannah and Olivia Waddell

he university has a proud tradition of “Education for Service,” evidenced in the foundation of the institution and carried through the decades not only by its faculty and administration but also by every student. An example of this strong characteristic is seen in a set of triplets who have set their sights on careers in service. Grace, ’21, Olivia, ’21, and Hannah Waddell were raised to give to others when they can.

“It was natural for all three of us to step into something where that continued,” says Olivia, who graduated in spring with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and International Studies. Olivia Waddell She was the female recipient of the Charno Award, the highest honor presented to UCM graduating seniors, and is now attending the University of Missouri School of Law. The sisters’ journey started when they visited UCM’s campus together in the process of choosing a university. “We all fell in love with [UCM] so fast,” Olivia says. “I think it’s just such a welcoming campus. ... It was such an easy decision.” 16

“I really enjoyed all the opportunities that UCM has provided for us to get involved with service,” Hannah says. As a Nursing major, she has a passion for helping people and got to experience learning through clinical practicum. Getting involved with community service events and projects enhanced all three sisters’ campus experience. Giving back made sense since the triplets were supported during their academic careers with scholarships from those who paid it forward. Hannah received the Edwin V. and Louise Perdue Scholarship. Olivia was awarded the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies Scholarship. Grace benefited from the Mary E., Clara and Mabel Falke Memorial Scholarship; the Mildred Fyrne Leaton Scholarship; the Harriet Quick Little Family Scholarship; the E. L. Crayton and Margaret B. Crayton Memorial Scholarship; and the Oliver and Ruth G. Seaton Memorial Scholarship. “[Scholarships] have helped me tremendously to access my dreams,” says Grace, who earned her bachelor’s in Elementary Education and is now a third grade teacher at Southwood Elementary School in Raytown, Missouri. “With three of us in college at once, it was a lot to pay for, and we knew that it would be up to us to fund that.” Hannah, who is set to graduate in December, looks forward to staying connected to her alma mater as an alumna. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what UCM does moving forward because it’s been a really special place,” she says, “and it will always be close to my heart.”

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Zachary Racy, ’21, was the male recipient of the Charno Award alongside Olivia Waddell this spring. After earning his bachelor’s in Business Administration, he is pursuing a master’s degree in Finance made possible by the Adrian and Margaret Harmon Business Graduate Scholarship. “It means the world to me that I have the opportunity to continue my education as a result of this scholarship,” Zachary says. “Giving back is at the center of ‘Education for Service,’ which is what we live by at UCM.” As an undergraduate, Zachary was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma and served as a senator, floor leader and member of the Student Government Association’s University Issues Committee. He was also the student representative on UCM’s Board of Governors. Working on the board with UCM President Roger Best inspired him to pursue a career in higher education. When he graduates in fall 2022, he plans to attend law school and someday become a university president.

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Scholarships Make Dreams Reality for UCM Students

By Alexandra Stella, ’21

Dominique Hampton, ’21, graduated this spring with a bachelor’s in Digital Media Production and is pursuing an MBA in Management and Organizational Leadership, made possible by the ARAMARK Facilities Services MBA Scholarship. “Earning scholarships truly lifts the financial burden and allows us to fully immerse ourselves in our college education and extracurriculars with less worry and more joy,” he says. Dominique was on the Mules Wrestling team and served as team captain in his senior season. He also served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and president of Omega Psi Phi. He is a model student-athlete, achieving a 4.0 GPA as an undergraduate. One way he gives back to other students is through an annual advising event called Major Keys to Collegiate Success. A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Dominique founded the Risen Multicultural Ministry. He is now a graduate assistant for UCM’s Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity. His ultimate goal is to start a faith-based nonprofit to uplift communities in need.

Emma Hill is a junior in UCM’s College of Education, focusing on middle school math. She is a student who has fully immersed herself in the university culture through involvement in the Student Government Association, the Baptist Student Union and UCM Theatre and Dance performances. Emma is a recipient of the Province Family Christian Scholarship and the Susan and Steven Beebe Debate Scholarship. “All of my scholarships go to tuition, which means I am able to focus more on being involved,” she says. “There are so many people who help us along the way, so why wouldn’t we want to help the students who come after us? Our time here is so important, and so is theirs.” After graduation, Emma plans to become a teacher and earn her master’s degree in social work or counseling.

“Better men for a better world” is a saying that Payton McQueen knows well. As president of Tau Kappa Epsilon, he works hard to live by this motto every day. One of the biggest ways Payton represents the TKE motto is through his volunteer efforts, including his involvement with Big Pink, a student-led fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and research. He received the Joseph E. Kallenbach Scholarship and the James D. Stroth Tau Kappa Epsilon Scholarship. “I hope UCM continues to be a beacon for those seeking not only a great education but also endless opportunities to serve those around them and pay it forward,” Payton says. After graduating in spring 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he plans to attend law school or graduate school for public administration.

Cade Tremain is a Political Science major who received the Katzentine/Carswell/ Cheatham Scholarship. He currently serves as president of the Student Government Association and as a UCM Student Ambassador. “If I didn’t receive scholarships, I would have to work so much I wouldn’t be able to make as much of an impact on campus,” he says. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help lead my peers and offer a helping hand to anyone that I may be able to reach.” Cade loves that UCM is such a close-knit school and that there is a great sense of community and fellowship. He is set to graduate in spring 2022 and plans to attend law school.

Help UCM students achieve their dreams by establishing an endowed scholarship reflecting your values. Learn how at www.ucmfoundation.org/scholarships. University of Central Missouri Magazine

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UCM Fuels Opportunity for Students Across Colleges In fiscal year 2021, the UCM Alumni Foundation launched the Fuel Opportunity campaign to bring 15 capital projects to fruition during the university’s 150-year anniversary. Fuel Opportunity is a bold, university-wide campaign to raise philanthropic support to create new spaces and renovate outdated spaces affecting student services and each of the university’s four academic colleges. This campaign is a collaboration utilizing state and federal support, university support and crucial private philanthropic gifts. To date, $9,666,383 in gifts and commitments has been invested to Fuel Opportunity at UCM.

Projects Fueled for the Future The following Fuel Opportunity projects have been fully funded by alumni, donors, private foundations, federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act resources and appropriations from the state of Missouri. Thank you to all of our supporters! W.C. Morris Science Building Renovation

development of creative, engaging, professional-quality video sessions for today’s flipped classrooms as well as valuable self-evaluation footage for teachers honing their craft. This $71,000 project is fully funded by CARES Act support. James C. Kirkpatrick Library Modernization

Named in tribute to Chemistry and Physics Professor Emeritus Wilson C. Morris, the Science Building was constructed in 1968. After some improvements were made in 2016, UCM is now completing the renovation of the building’s four floors, including classroom and laboratory space for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, Cybersecurity and Computer Science programs. (Two of these spaces were originally separate Fuel Opportunity projects.) Additional investments will include upgrades to all technology components along with refreshed aesthetics. This $5,000,000 project is fully funded by appropriations from the state of Missouri. College of Education Recording Studio

Civic Engagement Experiential Learning Classroom The James C. Kirkpatrick Library modernization project includes a complete renovation of the first floor and partial renovation of the second floor by removing empty stacks and providing more student study spaces. Many of the wooden chairs throughout the facility will be replaced with ergonomically designed chairs suited for lengthy study sessions. Special Collections will gain space, and the library’s Center for Teaching and Learning will receive an upgraded video studio. This $925,000 project is fully funded by a generous estate gift and CARES Act support. Digital Media Production Mobilization

The College of Education has been developing new ways to reach diverse learners across a variety of platforms. The new recording studio will serve as a teaching and learning space for faculty and students to use as they integrate mixed media and discover innovative ways to deliver content. The studio will also enable the independent 18

athletic and cultural events. However, they were reliant on a UCM employee’s truck to move the trailer to each location. The purchase of a dedicated truck enables handson experience running cameras, directing action, building graphics, running replays, employing the video shader and operating a professional audio board. This $30,000 project is fully funded by a combination of university support and gifts from generous donors, including UCM Board of Governors member Ken Weymuth, ’78.

In 2018 the Digital Media Production program purchased a 24-foot industrystandard broadcast trailer to livestream

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UCM’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will benefit from the transformation of an existing classroom in the Wood Building into a state-of-the-art space for the Mock Trial, Model United Nations and Talking Mules teams. By creating professional arrangements modeled after today’s settings and equipped with cutting-edge technology, UCM is better suited to prepare the 100–120 students participating in these academic teams for regional and national competitions. The new space will also enable UCM to host competitions and hold demonstrations, increasing the university’s visibility and assisting in recruitment. This $230,000 project is fully funded by a combination of CARES Act support and a generous gift from Warrensburg attorneys Andrew Gelbach, ’74, and Sam Garza-Gonzalez, ’13.

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Mules Wrestling Practice Facility With lead commitments from former wrestlers Dan Power, ’73, ’74, and Gary Ervin, UCM will develop a home for Mules Wrestling, which is currently a “wandering” program. While matches are held in the Multipurpose Building, it is often not

available for practices. UCM’s hardworking athletes are frequently hauling mats to available space around campus. A dedicated facility will include two full-size mats to accommodate a growing roster, designated offices for the coaching staff and equipment storage space. This $1.25 million project is fully funded by generous alumni.

Remaining Projects Need Your Support UCM is still in need of philanthropic support to fully fund the remaining Fuel Opportunity projects. Which one speaks to you? Transformation of T.R. Gaines Building The T.R. Gaines Building, constructed in 1981, is a four-story building housing specialized laboratories, classrooms and operational shop facilities. As the Construction Management, Engineering Technology and Occupational Safety programs continue to grow, the College of Health, Science, and Technology aims to update the T.R. Gaines Building to prepare for the next generation of industry professionals. Establishment of College of Education Collaboration Zone This Fuel Opportunity project will transform a dated classroom in the Lovinger Education Building into an open concept space that encourages meaningful engagement among students, faculty, staff and educational partners. Restoration of Hendricks Hall For nearly 100 years, UCM’s Hendricks Hall, the largest theater in Johnson County, has served both the university and regional communities. In addition to being a popular performance space, the theater has become an active classroom serving hundreds of students each week. UCM is seeking philanthropic investments to restore the original 1920s ceiling to architectural and aesthetic accuracy, restore the original 1923 Austin pipe organ, improve acoustics and install state-of-the-art audiovisual technology. Creation of Art Center Studio Classroom UCM seeks to create an Art Center Studio Classroom by combining two

small classrooms into one, creating a larger and more versatile space for a variety of art and design disciplines. The renovation will allow students the freedom to express their creativity without space constrictions.

technology, particularly looking ahead to Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/ EXtended Reality (VR/AR/XR) environments. UCM will outfit Wood 003A and Hart Recital Hall with immersive 3D audio systems.

Individual, Couple and Family Therapy Clinic Expansion

Noland Football Office Complex Renovation Renovation of the Terry Noland Football Office Complex will provide the Mules Football program with an impactful first impression for prospective athletes and a place that feels like home to current Mules. UCM will update and refresh the 6,000-square-foot office complex to better serve coaching staff and the football program’s 130+ studentathletes. A group of former Mules Football players and their spouses — Paul, ’97, and Melissa Kaiser; Scott, ’85, and Kerri, ’92, ’95, Loveland; Rick, ’03, and Ashley Moyer; and Scott, ’89, and Christine Taylor — are challenging other former players and fans to bring this project to fruition by matching up to $210,000 in gifts and commitments.

This Fuel Opportunity project seeks to establish a dedicated work space on the first floor of the UCM Health Center for a clinic that serves a dual role as a place where the local community can receive free or low-cost services and where students are trained for careers in social work, counseling and rehabilitation. New rooms would allow student therapists to conduct confidential sessions in soundproof rooms. Reimagined Welch-Schmidt Center for Communication Disorders Clinic Speech Pathology students learn through providing supervised free or low-cost services to the surrounding community. Services include voice and cognitive therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, addressing speech and language disorders in preschool children and utilizing endoscopy to address voice and swallowing issues in stroke patients. When the center opened 50 years ago, it was recognized as one of the premiere facilities in the nation. This project aims to reimagine the clinic as a state-of-theart facility. Immersive 3D Audio Experience for Music Technology Immersive 3D Audio is the next major growth sector for audio and music

Can we count on your support in 2021? In addition to our Fuel Opportunity projects, there are numerous CARES Act-funded improvements in progress that will significantly impact the learning environment for UCM students. There’s still time to make your gift during UCM’s 150th anniversary year and receive CARES tax benefits. Learn more and contribute at www.ucmfoundation.org/fuel-opportunity.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE The fiscal year FY21 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021) was incredibly challenging for communities across the globe. But in times of difficulty, donors like you rose to the occasion. You made it possible for the UCM Alumni Foundation to achieve a phenomenal level of support for the University of Central Missouri. As we celebrate our sesquicentennial and prepare for the next 150 years of “Education for Service,” our commitment to managing alumni and donor contributions is evident through the incredible results we are able to share with you. Among the highlights of this successful year, we are excited to report:

MOST STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS EVER FY19 1,002 FY20 975 FY21 1,037

NOW 16%

• The most gifts and pledges ever received in a fiscal year • The highest number of gifts processed in a fiscal year • The most student scholarships awarded in UCM history • The highest endowment payout to UCM in recent history

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

WHERE DONOR DOLLARS WENT IN FY21 Capital Projects

15% Scholarships

42%

Academic Programs 12%

• The largest return on investments in the Alumni Foundation’s history Every gift we receive makes a difference in transforming the lives of our students, faculty, programs and facilities. This record level of generosity demonstrates your trust and faith in UCM’s mission, and the Alumni Foundation’s ability to manage your contributions to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.

Athletics

WE PROCESSED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF GIFTS EVER RECEIVED FROM DONORS LIKE YOU! 20

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23% KMOS-TV

FY18 12,622

FY19 13,996

FY20 14,678

FY21 15,733

2021 A N N UA L RFEEPAT O RT URE

6,751 DONORS TYPES OF GIFTS RECEIVED Of the $42.4 million the UCM Alumni Foundation received in gifts and pledges this fiscal year, less than 6% can be used without restrictions. Unrestricted dollars enable us to address our greatest opportunities. Challenges eased by unrestricted dollars include the ongoing pandemic, need-based student scholarships and upgrading teaching technology. Gifts to the 2% 0.4% .8% 41.8% jects 1 ents 4 d o cted 5 Central Annual Fund i r e m t r P t c i l w s r a e o t t r n End Res Capi make the greatest impact U for our shared community, and to scholarships or academic programs we encourage donors to contribute at UCM. Donors often choose to invest to this fund while also supporting their major gifts as endowments for longHIGHEST ENDOWMENT programs and scholarships. term support, or contribute to facility PAYOUT improvements through capital projects. Donors can restrict their contributions

566 ENDOWED FUNDS

SUPPORT UCM’S GREATEST NEEDS THROUGH THE UNRESTRICTED CENTRAL ANNUAL FUND AT

WWW.UCMFOUNDATION.ORG/GIVE/MAGAZINE $1,565,820

TOTAL ASSETS IN MILLIONS

$1,464,585 $1,424,522

ANNUAL INCREASE FY19 2% FY20 3% FY21 7%

FY18 $58.8

FY19 $63.9

FY20 $67.1

FY21 $82.2

LARGEST INCREASE IN TOTAL ASSETS

23%GROWTH OVER PRIOR YEAR

An endowment is a permanent fund in which the principal remains intact and invested into perpetuity. Varying amounts are dispensed from the income earned on the principal investment. The UCM Alumni Foundation manages and invests these funds to ensure they continue to support UCM for the next 150 years and beyond.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

D I S T I N G U I S H E D A LU M N I

“

I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGES THAT EVERY SEASON BRINGS.

RUS S BAL L , ’8 1 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award

Russ Ball, ’81, has done it all during his 32year career in the National Football League. His diverse experience has brought him to the pinnacle of the sport as executive vice president and director of football operations for the Green Bay Packers. Born in Moberly, Missouri, Ball moved when he was an infant to Columbia. He was a star football player at Hickman High School and a member of the Division 4A state championship team during his sophomore year. Ball enrolled at Central Missouri State University on a football scholarship and played his first three seasons for Coach Walt Hicklin before Al Molde took over the program in 1980. He remembers his time at CMSU fondly, crediting coaches Hicklin and Molde as well as the late Coach Bob Tompkins for their mentorship and support in physical education and coaching. Ball’s favorite class was History, and his hangout was Old Barney’s. While in college, he returned to Columbia for the summer and trained under the University of Missouri’s strength coach, Dave Redding. After Ball graduated from CMSU with a Physical Education degree in 1981, Redding 22

hired him as a graduate assistant strength coach at Mizzou, where he also assisted with filming practice. When Redding left Columbia to accept a job with the Cleveland Browns in 1982, Ball was promoted to head strength coach at just 22 years old, serving for seven years while earning his master’s in Human Performance. Redding and Ball reunited in 1989 as strength and conditioning coaches on Marty Schottenheimer’s inaugural staff with the Kansas City Chiefs. During his 10 seasons spanning the Chiefs’ “renaissance,” Ball did everything from operating the second end-zone camera during home games to charting offensive personnel and signaling in defensive coverages. After Schottenheimer moved on, Ball joined the Minnesota Vikings in 1999 as a senior football administrator. He learned the nuances of the salary cap and player contracts from Director of Football Administration Rob Brzezinski. He then honed those skills for a season in Washington before moving south to join the New Orleans Saints in 2002. While serving as the Saints’ vice president of football administration, Ball was introduced

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“

to Packers General Manager Ted Thompson through scout John Schneider and Head Coach Mike McCarthy, both of whom Ball worked with in Kansas City. “I loved my time in New Orleans,” Ball says of his six seasons there, “but I’m from Columbia, Missouri. So when I was putting up Christmas lights and sweating, I kind of figured I was not in quite the right place for me.” Ball was hired in 2008 as the Packers’ vice president of football administration/player finance. Three years later, the Packers captured their fourth Lombardi Trophy with a 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. “The great thing about the NFL is that when a Super Bowl is over, everybody’s zero and zero as we go into the next season,” Ball says. “Everybody starts fresh and new every year.” Now in his 14th season with the Packers, Ball is responsible for negotiating player contracts, managing the salary cap and supervising numerous departments. He and his wife, Diana, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in February 2022. Away from football, the couple enjoys spending time with their two adult children, Andrea and Joe, and daughter-in-law, Ellie.

D I S T I N G U I S H E D A LU M N I

“

DON’T USE THAT BIG HAMMER JUST BECAUSE YOU H A V E I T; U S E IT FOR WHAT’S R I G H T, N O T FOR WHAT’S POWERFUL.

“

On the advice of his father, Joseph Dandurand, ’77, majored in Accounting to get a well-paying job, but he was inspired to become a lawyer by his Central Missouri State University business law professor, Rick Pinne. “He was so impressive — the way he carried himself, the way he spoke of the law, the passion he had for it,” Dandurand recalls. He told himself if he didn’t get a job as an accountant that paid at least $1,000 a month after graduation, he would go to law school. The best offer he got was for $970, and that $30 has made all the difference. Born in a Chicago suburb, Dandurand and his six siblings moved to the small town of Holden, Missouri, the summer before his seventh grade year. Sports was something Dandurand had in common with his classmates, and he became a valuable asset to Holden’s baseball and basketball teams. After the family moved to Warrensburg in 1970, Dandurand enrolled in St. John’s Diocesan Seminary School in Kansas City. Meeting his future wife, Mary Bauer, during his senior year made him question whether the priesthood was right for him. He ultimately decided to pursue a degree at

JOSEPH DANDURAND, ’77 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award

CMSU, and Mary followed suit a year later. In 1977 Dandurand, along with his sister, Deni (Dandurand) Oas, became the first in their family to graduate from college. He minored in Military Science and was honored as a Distinguished Military Graduate, having served in the ROTC alongside now-retired Brigadier General Arnold Gordon-Bray, ’78, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. Mary graduated with a business degree in Textiles and Clothing in 1978. They married while Dandurand was earning his Juris Doctorate from the UMKC School of Law. Upon graduation, he was hired by Kirk Rahm, a lawyer in Warrensburg who mentored him until he was recruited to run for a circuit judge seat serving Cass and Johnson counties. The minimum age for the position was 30, and Dandurand was only 29 when he ran. He turned 30 in time to take office, becoming the youngest circuit judge in Missouri history, and was re-elected in 1992, 1998 and 2004. Dandurand presided over many tough cases during this time period, including that of serial killer John Robinson and approximately 50 death penalty cases — all but one of which

he helped resolve by guilty plea without a death sentence. In 2007 he was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District, where he also chaired the Supreme Court Judicial Education Committee. After two years as an appellate judge, Dandurand became chief deputy to Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, the job he found “by far the most fascinating.” Dandurand retired this year as executive director of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, a nonprofit providing free civil law services to underprivileged clients. He now devotes his time to mediations and arbitrations with the Jay Daugherty Mediation Firm in Kansas City. He and Mary reside in Warrensburg and stay involved in the university community, with Mary currently serving on the UCM Board of Governors. Their oldest son, Michael, is a Professional Civil Engineer, and their youngest son, Mark, is executive chef at Canary restaurant in Midtown Kansas City. Their middle son, Christopher, followed in his father’s footsteps as an attorney and partner with the Gorny Law Firm.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

F E AT U R E S TO RY

UCM at 150 T

By Kathy Strickland

To celebrate its first 50 years in 1921, the university held its first homecoming parade.

In honor of the centennial in 1971, a commemorative book was published, and students made a time capsule, which they buried in a cement vault, to be opened May 23, 2071.

This year the university has published a sesquicentennial book and hosted a variety of historical events and exhibits. Learn more in the following pages about what was happening around each of UCM’s 50-year milestones.

1871 on Campus The same year the Great Chicago Fire destroyed about 2,000 acres of the city, displacing more than 100,000 residents, State Normal School No. 2 was just beginning to build its campus on 20 acres of land donated by Civil War veteran Capt. Melville U. Foster.

1871

he year 2021 marks the 150th anniversary of the University of Central Missouri.

The cornerstone was laid August 16, 1871, for the first campus building, to be known as Old Main. Although the bottom floor was ready for use the next fall, with four classrooms and an unfinished assembly area, it took until 1882 to complete the four-story building. Old Main would serve as the hub of Normal until the campus suffered its own devastating fire in 1915, which only Dockery and the Industrial Arts Building survived. Historical Snapshot As the United States reunited after the Civil War, a period of industrialization and exploration began. Railroad track mileage tripled between 1860 and 1880, with Warrensburg — and a side trip to Pertle Springs Resort — being a central stop for travelers and those migrating west. The first Transcontinental Railroad had opened two years earlier, expanding the West to ranching and coal mining, as well as geological surveys of areas like Yellowstone National Park, which opened in 1872. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1870, prohibited states and the federal government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on “race, color or previous condition of servitude.”

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

President George P. Beard (1871-72)

Campus site, 1867

Old Main, completed 1882

Plate donated by Janet Sloan from the estate of her grandmother, Edith Donath, ’50

F E AT U R E S TO RY

Every 50 Years Marks Progress, Potential

1921 1921 on Campus After the university was renamed Central Missouri State Teachers College in 1919, the name “Normals” no longer seemed appropriate for a school mascot. A naming contest was held in February 1922, and the mule won over other nominations, including the hippo, skunk and bobcat.

Academics was progressing beyond teacher preparation, with bachelor’s degrees becoming available in science and art in 1920. The following year, Noel B. Grinstead, a 1921 alumnus and eponym of the Grinstead Building, became head of the Industrial Arts Department. A parade was held to celebrate 50 years of the university. Although the parade would not become an annual event until 1935, the 1921 celebration is considered UCM’s first homecoming.

Historical Snapshot The beginning of the 20th century’s second decade was a tumultuous time. World War I had ended in November 1918, but the world was in its second wave of the Spanish flu pandemic, which would take a final death toll of about 675,000 nationally and 50 million worldwide. The U.S. saw its largest labor uprising in history in the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, when union coal miners in West Virginia fought against mine operators, law enforcement and ultimately the U.S. Army. Prohibition started in January 1920, affecting businesses across the country. Racial violence continued as African Americans were establishing themselves out West, including in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where an entire district of Black-owned businesses and more than 1,000 homes were burned to the ground in 1921. The long-fought national women’s suffrage movement finally succeeded in 1920 when the 19th Amendment filled in the criteria the 15th Amendment had omitted by stating that “the right of citizens in the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” The League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union were both founded in 1920.

President Eldo L. Hendricks (1915-1937)

Homecoming 1921

Mule Mascot

Science Labs Established

Industrial Arts Program

Women’s Suffrage

Natural Science Program

University of Central Missouri Magazine

F E AT U R E S TO RY

1971

1971 on Campus The early 1970s marked another time of change and expansion for the nation and the university. There were now 44 buildings on campus, compared with 12 when President Warren C. Lovinger took office. The venue that would later be named Highlander Theatre opened its doors in 1971, built between the newly erected Martin Building and the structure formerly called Martin-Wood. In addition, the university was growing its Aviation program and aircraft fleet at Max B. Swisher Skyhaven Airport, west of Warrensburg on Highway 50, and the Missouri Safety Center, south of the main campus.

The faculty had also increased, from 84 in 1956 to approximately 550. The Army ROTC program graduated its first class in 1971, and the Central Missouri Police Academy was established. Mules Baseball won the MIAA Championship under Coach Robert Tompkins, and Mules Football, coached by Howard Mahanes, played in the first NCAA-sanctioned Playoff Bowl Game, the Pecan Bowl, in Arlington, Texas. The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971, the same year Coach Millie Barnes took the helm of the fledgling women’s basketball team. In 1972, Title IX was enacted, prohibiting gender discrimination in public schools.

President Warren C. Lovinger (1956-79)

Name Change to CMSU

Max B. Swisher Skyhaven Airport

1971 Women’s Basketball Team

Marching Mules

Also in 1972, the institution changed its name from Central Missouri State College to Central Missouri State University, and The Student newspaper became the Muleskinner.

Historical Snapshot After Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, the fight for civil rights continued. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld busing as a means of achieving racial desegregation.

The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, empowering a significant portion of the student body at CMSU including young men who, until then, could be drafted into the Vietnam War at 18 but couldn’t vote until they turned 21.

ROTC

Roscoe the Mule

Pecan Bowl

Both NPR and PBS made their debut in 1971, and technological advances were paving the way for household computers. Space exploration was booming, with the U.S. Mariner 9 becoming the first satellite to orbit Mars and two crewed Apollo missions landing on the moon.

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

Driving Simulator

Missouri Safety Center Driving Range

F E AT U R E S TO RY

2021

UCM at 150 Years One hundred years after the Spanish flu ended, another pandemic threatened the University of Central Missouri. Students, staff and faculty left for spring break March 13, 2020, and did not return to in-person classes the rest of the semester due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

Courses moved online, prompting innovative methods of teaching, virtual travel and technologyaided collaborations. The university’s PBS station, KMOS-TV, broadcast standards-based lessons designed and delivered by College of Education student teachers for K-5 students who were separated from their schools and from reliable broadband.

President Roger J. Best (2018 to present)

The university community demonstrated strength and resilience in the face of adversity, returning to in-person classes in fall 2020. On Founders Day, April 27, 2021, UCM celebrated its sesquicentennial with a picnic on the quad, complete with birthday cake and performances by the Marching Mules, Mulekickers and UCM Cheerleaders. It was literally a breath of fresh air and a great way to end the academic year.

Missouri Innovation Campus

Get the Red Out

150th Birthday Bash

Welcome Walk

The McClure Archives and University Museum published a commemorative book, hosted a historical campus tour and put on display in the Paul R. Utt Building the prized Essig collection of more than 300 rare and unusual musical instruments. The collection was left to the university in 1944 by UCM Bands founder Don Essig.

To celebrate Missouri’s bicentennial in 2021, students and faculty in UCM’s History program created “Historic Missouri,” a free app providing interpretive and curated tours. UCM also hosted two traveling exhibits: the Bicentennial Quilt in the University Museum and “Struggle for Statehood” at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee’s Summit, which celebrated its 10-year milestone in 2021.

May 2021 Commencement

International Flags

Photo by Megan White

This year also marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even students who were not yet born in 2001 were able to empathize, having been through a generational trauma of their own with the pandemic. They started the school year “Mule Strong” and ready for whatever the future brings.

9/11 Memorial Service

Essig Rare Music Collection

University of Central Missouri Magazine

MULES & AT H L E T I C S

HIGHLIGHTS Jennies Basketball made it to their second Final 4 in the past four years, finishing Mules Baseball earned the title of NCAA Division II Central Region Champion at second in the MIAA and winning their eighth NCAA Division II Central Region a tournament hosted in Warrensburg. The team made it all the way to the NCAA Championship. For the Mules, Cameron Hunter earned All-MIAA honorable Division II National Championships, finishing in second place. mention, and six of his teammates were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

Jennies Golf won two tournaments this spring and advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament for the fifth straight year. Rosie Klausner qualified for the National Championship Tournament as an individual.

Jennies Soccer did not compete in a formal fall season but faced MIAA competition in a nontraditional spring season. Caroline Cole and Kassie Newsom were selected for the All-MIAA spring team. 28

Jennies Bowling finished the year ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II/III by the National Tenpin Coaches Association. They made the inaugural Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament finals and placed four Jennies on the All-Conference team: Paytynn Kuhns, Tatum Ruffalo, Cayla Bortz and Sydney Miller.

While the Jennies Volleyball team did not compete in the fall season, they did play in the spring, advancing to the spring tournament’s semifinals. Two student-athletes made the All-Tournament team: Audrey Fisher and Kersti Nix. Hannah Engelken and Ally Offerdahl were selected for the All-MIAA Team.

Mules Golf won the MIAA Championship for the 23rd time in the team’s history and finished the season as NCAA Region Champions, a first since 2017. Matt Hoemann was crowned the individual NCAA Central Region Championship.

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

JENNIES AT H L E T I C S

In a trying year that saw Mules Football canceled, Jennies Soccer and Volleyball postponed until spring and a number of spring games called off, the Mules and Jennies kept their competitive edge. For the fourth time in five years and the second consecutive year, UCM Athletics took home the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup as the top overall athletic department in the conference. Here are some highlights from UCM’s spring comeback, when fans had much to celebrate!

Jennies Softball made their furthest run in the NCAA Central Region since 2015, finishing the season as MIAA Tournament Champions. Mules Football did not compete in a formal season due to the pandemic but saw the program’s 12th player, Zach Davidson, drafted into the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. He is the 67th Mule to sign a professional contract. The 2021 season, which started Sept. 2, is in full swing.

Mandee Berg Holeyfield, ’97, Eric Czerniewski, ’10, and Scott Loveland, ’85, are the latest UCM athletes to be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Czerniewski, a star Mules Football quarterback, was inducted with the Class of 2020. He won the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II, the only player in UCM history and from the state of Missouri to win the award. Holeyfield, a famed Jennies Softball pitcher, was inducted with the Class of 2021. When she graduated, she held 10 records. Loveland, inducted in October 2021, was the first Mule quarterback to throw for 5,000 career passing yards, still holds UCM’s record for all-time attempts and is among the Top 5 for his 32 touchdown passes. Holeyfield, Czerniewski and Loveland join a dozen past Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductees from UCM: Kim Anderson, Kathy Anderson, Mildred Barnes, Jerry Hughes, Lynn Nance, Emmitt Thomas, Jim Crane, Kip Janvrin, Kirk Pederson and Tom Smith, as well as the Sandbothe family. Jennies Track and Field won the indoor MIAA Championship, and the outdoor team took second. The Mules finished fourth in the outdoor conference. In Mules and Jennies Track and Field, 10 student-athletes earned All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship meet: Ashlan Burton, Cassie Jennings, Destiney Nash, Hope Thiel, Kayla Goodwin, Laia Gonzalez, Rachael Molloy, Alisha Straws, Madi Wulfekotter and Garret Francis.

Mules Golf’s Ian Barnes and Jennies Basketball’s Gigi McAtee earned the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the highest GPA in their NCAA Championships.

Support all of the Mules and Jennies in UCM Athletics at www.ucmfoundation.org/give/muletrain. University of Central Missouri Magazine

M U L E N AT I O N N E W S

TEXAS ROAD TRIP MuleNation kicked off the summer in style. First stop was The Butler House in Spring, Texas, on May 13 (pictured at far right) followed by a tailgate in Frisco for the RoughRiders game May 15 (at right).

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

UCM ATHLETICS AUCTION

Alumni from all around the region gathered at Redhead Lakeside Grill and Yacht Club for food, drinks and fun at the lake June 24.

Mules and Jennies showed their university spirit at the annual UCM Athletics Auction on Aug. 13. Other alumni and friends participated in the silent auction online to raise funds for UCM’s sports teams.

Tiffany Cochran, ’05, Shirley, ’67, and Barry Whitworth, ’84, Tim Poe, Steve Kleppe, and Karolyn Dreiling. ’87, Casey Cochran, ’06, Kendall Weymuth, Ken Weymuth, ’78, and Leo Kostas.

Mark Wehrle, ’71, ’72, and David Sheehan.

Linda, ’70, ’80, and Larry, ’70, ’81, Wade.

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

Matt Lotspeich ’05; Mules Basketball Coach Doug Karleskint; Casey, ’06, and Tiffany, ’05, Cochran; Chad Edwards; Jake, ’01, and Amanda, ’07, Lotspeich; Ryan, ’01, and Karen, ’01, Smarr; Kevin, ’06, and Sarah Smarr; Levi and Erica, ’09, ’17, Spurgeon; Ashley Lotspeich, ’07; and Gina Carlyle.

M U L E N AT I O N N E W S

Brian McBryde, ’10, Gina Carlyle, Dean Burden, ’90, Pat Cavanaugh, ’70, Jane, ’79, and Jim Funke, Carlotta Franklin-Harding, Mike Harding, ’73, and Tiffany Cochran, ’05.

LAKEWOOD LOCAL

MISSOURI STATE FAIR

The MuleNation Kansas City Chapter hosted a gathering July 14 at Lakewood Local in Lee’s Summit. This was a MuleNation Signature Event to celebrate UCM’s sesquicentennial.

Alumni celebrated Missouri’s bicentennial and homegrown wineries with a special event Aug. 17 in the Missouri Wines Tent at the State Fair.

Donna, ’87, and Russ, ’85, Gordon, Jeff Marsh, ’85, and Pat Smithson.

Rose Davenport, ’81, Joan McFarland, ’72, Rhonda Mitchell, ’89, Robin Falk, ’87, Adriana Vivas, ’21, Jacob, ’19, and Nickey, ’18, Clark, and Melinda Horn, ’78.

Zac Racy, ’21, and Carter Cramsey, ’21.

University Farms Director Travis Hume, ’15, ’18, Mike and Karen Crouch and Brent Ross, ’89, ’91.

Emily Westermier, ’14, ’18, and Kristi, ’86, and Doug, ’85, Craig.

Interim UCM Agriculture Chair Kyle Lovercamp, ’02; Tiffani, ’16, and Trent, ’16, Scott; Dean Thompson; and Will, ’16, and Jenna, ’17, Soendker.

Kathy Marriott, ’78; Sue Witte, ’76, ’89, ’90; Beth, ’97, and Kenny, ’80, Dale; Larry Witte, ’71; and Bill Marriott, ’74.

Mike Crouch and Joe Horacek, ’73.

Get involved in a MuleNation chapter near you! Visit www.ucmfoundation.org/mulenation. University of Central Missouri Magazine

UCM NEWS

Harmon College PIECES Core Value Awards

Basinger

Carmack

Collins

Gasaway

Schwepker

Slavych

Stewart

The Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies presented the following PIECES Core Value Awards at the start of the 2021–22 academic year. Gwena Basinger, administrative assistant to Dean Jose Mercado, and Benicia Carmack, associate professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, were awarded the Professionalism and Integrity Award in recognition of their outstanding service exemplifying trust, respect and integrity. Angela Collins and Tony Gasaway, both assistant professors of Criminal Justice and Criminology, received the Student Focus Award in recognition of outstanding teaching. Charlie Schwepker, professor of Marketing, received the Engagement Award in recognition of outstanding scholarship by a faculty member. Bonnie Slavych, assistant professor of Communication Disorders, was presented with the Excellence Award for substantial contributions in the areas of teaching, scholarly activity and professional services. Kim Stewart, assistant instructor of Communication Disorders, received the Community Award for exemplary professional cooperation and service above self.

Echo, a male German Shepherd who had served the UCM Department of Public Safety K-9 Unit for eight years, has officially retired. Ahmet Aksoy, assistant professor of Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Software Engineering, has earned the designation of Certified Network Forensic Analyst. Shari Bax, vice president of Student Experience and Engagement, was honored with the James C. Kirkpatrick Excellence in Governance Award by UCM’s Student Government Association for more than 20 years of service to the university. Jessica Cannon, associate professor of History, was a fellow at the National Endowment for the Humanities’ summer institute on “The Visual Culture of the American Civil War and Its Aftermath.” Jacqueline Carter, ’18, an academic success advisor, and Matthew Garver, associate professor and chair of the UCM School of Nutrition, Kinesiology, and Psychological Science, were recognized with UCM’s Outstanding Academic Advisor Awards for 2021. Garver went on to win the Missouri Academic Advising Association Outstanding Academic Advising Award for Faculty Academic Advising.

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

Joyce Chang, professor of Child and Family Development, was elected to serve on the Election Council for the National Council on Family Relations. Darlena Ciraulo, professor of English, was named Advisor of the Year (Region II) by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Paige Crain, ’20, assistant instructor of Mathematics, was awarded a 2021 Missouri Section NExT Fellowship from the Mathematical Association of America. Angela Danley, ’09, associate professor of Elementary Education, received UCM’s spring 2021 Learning to a Greater Degree Award for faculty. Nikki Freeman, ’11, associate professor of Communication and Digital Media, received the Wayne Brown Outstanding Teacher Award from the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri. Aaron Geheber, associate professor of Biology, was recognized with the Best Paper Young Scholar Award in the Ichthyology category by the journal Ichthyology and Herpetology.

UCM NEWS

Krystle Gremaud, ’09, ’19, assistant professor and program coordinator for Career and Technical Education in the School of Professional Education and Leadership, has been recognized nationally. She received the 2021 National Academic Advising Association’s Outstanding Advising Award for Faculty Advising. Taiabul Haque, associate professor of Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Software Engineering, along with UCM alumnus Rajesh Setty, ’17, received the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction Honorable Mention Award. Julie Hentges, professor of Education, a Master of Science in Education program coordinator and faculty advisor to the Kappa Delta Pi honor society, was awarded the 2021 Governor’s Excellence in Education Award. She also received the College of Education Excellence in Service Award and was named Faculty Advisor of the Year by UCM Student Leaders. Laurel Hogue, ’98, ’00, vice provost of online and learning engagement, was named to the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council Board of Directors. Julie Lewis, assistant instructor of Communication and Digital Media, was named the Missouri College Media Association Adviser of the Year and Honor Roll Adviser of the Year by the national CMA. She was also nominated for the Frank LoMonte Ethics in Journalism Award.

Tony Lubbers, director of Financial Aid, earned the designation of Certified Financial Aid Administrator from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Michael Makara, associate professor of Political Science and International Studies, was awarded the 2021 Faculty Scholar Award in the Pedagogy category. Ashley Miller-Scully, professor of Dance, was named a Meridith Harmon Sauer Distinguished Professor of Theatre and elected to the American College Dance Association Central Region Board of Directors for a three-year term. Jenny Molberg, associate professor of English, was selected as the overall university winner in the 2021 Faculty Scholar Awards. Julie Rae Mollenkamp, professor emeritus of Theatre and Dance, was awarded the 2021 Faculty Scholar Award in the Creative Works category. Darin Plummer, ’19, broadcast systems engineer for Communication and Digital Media, was presented with the 2021 J.P. Mees Award for Outstanding Professional Staff by 2019 recipient Michelle Taylor, ’95, ’03, ’11, ’14. Fran Reddington, emeriti and adjunct professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, received the 2021 Byler Distinguished Faculty Award.

Aaron Scully, ’12, ’14, assistant instructor of Theatre and Dance, became the new Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region V National Playwriting Program Chair in June 2021. Karrie Snider, associate professor of Early Childhood Education, has been elected president of the Missouri Association for the Education of Young Children. In 2019 she and associate professor Natalie Tye in the Early Childhood program at UCM established the Early Childhood Young Professionals organization, a chapter of MOAEYC. Claudia Welhoff, ’81, left, operations coordinator for Technology Operations, was presented with the 2021 Outstanding Staff Award by 2019 recipient Kristie Brinkley, ’95. Chris Young, ’87, UCM’s assistant director for web and digital marketing, was presented with the 2021 Foster-Inglish Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service in Public Relations by Kelly Waldram Cramer, ’99, ’03, UCM’s director for marketing and promotions. Zhiguo Zhou, assistant professor of Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Software Engineering, was awarded the 2021 Faculty Scholar Award in the Discovery category. University of Central Missouri Magazine

C L A S S N OT E S

Marv Williams, ’74, was inducted into the St. Louis Metropolitan Coaches Association Hall of Fame on May 23. Williams taught physical education and coached at the high school level for 40 years. He also officiated 17 seasons for men’s basketball in the MIAA Conference games. Paul Hsu, ’78, founder and chairman of HSU Educational Foundation, has been appointed to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. Peggy Richardson, ’80, has been named as the new chief of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Kathy (Wilson) Humphrey, ’84, has been promoted to president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shahid Hussain, ’84, has been hired as assistant professor of Accounting at East Central University in Oklahoma. Debbie (Joiner) Childress, ’88, was inducted into the Winnetonka High School Alumni Hall of Fame in Kansas City. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Smithville Area Fire Protection District and founded Valor Ranch, transitional housing for homeless veterans.

Melanie (Monk) Popejoy, ’80, ’90, has been named the recipient of the Educator of the Year award by the North Dakota Music Educators Association.

Mike Sutherland, ’88, has been named Missouri Department of Natural Resources deputy director after serving as director of Missouri State Parks since January 2020. Toni Alexander, ’89, has been named the new public information officer for the City of Raytown, Missouri. Perri Johnson, ’89, a retired St. Louis Metropolitan police captain, has been named dean of students and admissions at Loyola Academy.

Paul Wagner, ’90, has been awarded the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Scott Ervin, ’88, the South for his skill, professionalism and expertise over 50+ years as a Hamilton Record-News Master Pilot. editor, won three awards at the Iowa Newspaper Col. Edward E. Black, ’92, has Association awards transitioned from command ceremony. of the 139th Airlift Wing at

Baby Corner Are you the proud parent or grandparent of a new baby? Get a free UCM bib and a chance to be featured in UCM Magazine when you share your big news at www.ucmfoundation.org/new-baby and email a photo to alumni@ucmo.edu.

Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph to a new duty assignment with the United States Space Force.

Jeff Hurley, ’93, has been appointed director of campus safety at Park University. Jamie Moreno, ’94, ’01, was named cross country head coach at Northern Illinois University.

Holly, ’06 and Travis ’07, Megan, ’13, and Brad Cook Terresa McKinney, ’06, ’11, Pyatt welcomed Kennedy welcomed Kaylee Martha and welcomed Jack Robert in Adelaide in December 2020. Hannah Lea in January 2021. May 2021.

Ashley, and Karl, ’01, Grindel welcomed Tanner Anthony in May 2021. 34

Blake, ’18, and Kylie Carlin welcomed Bennett in June 2021.

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Lisa (Nicholson) Qualls, ’94, was a Technology Sales Finalist in the 2020 Women in Sales Awards for North America. Yolonda Yancie, ’94, was elected as the Honorable 18th Ward committeewoman of the City of St. Louis as a first-time candidate.

C L A S S N OT E S

LaTonia Collins Smith, ’95, has been appointed to serve as interim president at HarrisStowe State University. Brad Hagedorn, ’95, has been hired as head track coach at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Hopey (Lipscomb) Gardner, ’98, has joined Plunkett and Cooney’s law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana, practicing Torts and Litigation law. Jennifer (Kincaid) LaNier, ’98, has been promoted to payroll manager at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. First Lt. Jared Welch, ’98, right, and Maj. Gen. Danielle Crowder, ’07, completed the Advocate Staff Officers Course at the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Leslie Brown, ’99, ’07, ’18, has been named principal at Knob Noster High School. Chrissy Symes, ’00, was named director of the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation. Crystal (Simmons) Anderson, ’01, was promoted to vice president of financial services at H&R Block in Kansas City. Leddy Glenn, ’01, has launched Fresh Thinking Special Education Advisors for students with special needs. Pat Devero, ’04, has been promoted to vice president of national safety at McCarthy Holdings.

Melpo Makin, ’04, has been appointed presidentelect of the Greater Nashville Real Estate Staging Association. Athena Owen Nagel, ’04, earned the 2021 University Professional and Continuing Education Association’s national Excellence in Teaching Award. Timothy Hanrahan, ’05, has been appointed dean of Park University’s College of Education and Health Professions in Parkville, Missouri. Alyson Pope, ’05, started a Goosehead Insurance brokerage in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Amanda R. FischerPenner, ’06, ’14, and Jonathan Haile, ’13, ’15, volunteered to take part in the UCM KC International Association of Business Communicators Roadshow. Both professionals earned a bachelor’s in Public Relations and a master’s in Communications and shared strategic career insights with current students. Kris Schondelmeyer, ’06, has completed his doctorate in contextual leadership through the Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University. Sydney Everhart, ’07, has been appointed head of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

Brett Bruner, ’08, has been hired as the new assistant vice president for student affairs and enrollment management/ dean of students at Missouri Western State University. Sheena Self, ’09, has been named the new director of technology for the Camdenton School District in Camdenton, Missouri. Adrian Singletary, ’09, has received the Exemplary New Principal Award from the Greater Kansas City Missouri Principals Association. Kenny Beck, ’10, ’12, has been hired as a senior associate at Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law LLC.

Leigh Oleszczak, ’13, accepted a position as associate sports editor for FanSided.

Darick Anderson Jr., ’20, has created an investment management business called Forever a Millionaire. Alicia (Crosley) Breeden, ’20, accepted a position as a kindergarten teacher for the Center School District in Kansas City.

Have news to share that happened in the past year? Tell us at www.ucmfoundation.org/classnotes. University of Central Missouri Magazine

PLANNED GIVING

Couple Ties the Knot and Renews Ties with Alma Mater

lot has happened in Cory and Cassie Bittner’s lives over the past two years. They got married in October 2019 at the Carriage Club in Kansas City, honeymooned in Costa Rica just before the pandemic halted travel and purchased their first home. Cory counts one other event as equal to these major life changes: becoming a member of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors in April 2019. Since then he has joined the leadership team for MuleNation’s Kansas City chapter, reconnected with professors and connected with current students. He has also interviewed alumni across the country for a YouTube series he created called Central Missouri Alumni Stories. “I felt such a connection to the university when I was there and was afforded all kinds of opportunities I don’t think I would have had anywhere else,” he says. “Upon graduating I felt like I was ready to move on to the next chapter in my life, but I did not feel like I was ready to just let my college experience fade.” Cory and Cassie (Rauscher) both graduated from UCM in the 2010-2011 academic year — Cassie, ’10, with a degree in Child and Family Development and Cory, ’11, with a Public Relations degree. Although they sat next to each other in Robert Fernquist’s sociology class, they didn’t start dating until a few years after graduation when they met again at a social gathering in Kansas City. Cory was able to track his old classmate down

using the phone number she had given him to ensure she didn’t miss one of Fernquist’s famous pop quizzes. Cassie got a job as a preschool teacher after graduation. Her desire to help the children who learned differently compelled her to earn a Master of Applied Science and Assessment in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She now works at the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training as an autism trainer and interventionist. Cory completed an internship in college with Jake Falcon, who is now his business partner at Falcon Wealth Advisors, a wealth management firm they co-founded in Mission Woods, Kansas. The partners have earned recognition from Ingram’s Magazine and appeared on Forbes’ list of America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors. As chief operating officer, Cory uses the skills he learned in UCM’s PR program to produce content marketing through a weekly video, podcast and blog on financial planning. His PR background also helps him communicate complex financial and tax-related subject matter to clients in plain English. It’s no wonder he has thought more than a little about his own wealth management and the legacy he and Cassie want to leave. Joining the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors opened Cory’s eyes to the possibilities for giving back to the university where he and his wife met and spent transformative years of their lives. He saw that a good chunk of the money

Fall 2021 | www.ucmfoundation.org/magazine

Cory and Cassie Bittner with their dog, Otis donated to the foundation is allocated to specific areas and wanted to make a planned gift that the university could use wherever it’s needed most. He decided to make UCM a partial beneficiary of a life insurance policy, with an approximate 40/60 split benefiting the PR program and the unrestricted Central Annual Fund, which helps meet the university’s greatest needs. “It was a way for us to give back to the institution that we both feel afforded us the foundations for our careers,” Cory says. “It’s

where we met, where we learned, where we grew up … it paved the foundation for the rest of our lives.” Cory and Cassie encourage other young professionals to start thinking about what is most important to them now rather than waiting until late in life. “At a young age it’s important to have a plan,” Cassie says. “Giving back to UCM through this avenue will not have a financial impact on our lives but allows us to support the university we both love. We never would have met if it wasn’t for UCM.”

IN MEMORIAM

Walter Neal Burnette

Along with Cory and Cassie Bittner, these generous alumni and friends were recently inducted into the Heritage Society by documenting, or updating their documentation of, a planned gift to the University of Central Missouri: Gary, ’75, and DeAnn Abram have established an unrestricted planned gift by including the UCM Alumni Foundation as a beneficiary in their last will and testament. Chuck, ’80, and Diane, ’81, Dudley have updated their planned gift intention, increasing their final contribution to $750,000 to establish an endowed scholarship that will provide support to students attending UCM from Lafayette County C-1 School District. Courtney Goddard has updated the provisions in her estate planning to create a new $440,000 endowment that will provide scholarship support for students enrolled in the UCM to Mizzou Law School 3+3 program. Alice Griffin, ’85, has designated the UCM Alumni Foundation as a beneficiary of her IRA to assist students who are facing financial hardship while pursuing higher education at UCM. Jackie, ’09, ’12, and Aaron Jackson have committed to supporting the Central Annual Fund by naming the UCM Alumni Foundation as a beneficiary of their IRA. David and Teresa, ’84, ’90, Pearce have made provisions for their planned gift to increase the principal of two endowed scholarships, the Loneta Pearce Scholarship Endowment for Theatre Arts and the Clarence Pearce Agriculture Scholarship Endowment, as well as to provide unrestricted support for the greatest needs at the university by designating the UCM Alumni Foundation as a beneficiary on their life insurance.

There are many ways to leave your legacy! To learn more, contact the UCM Alumni Foundation’s Office of Planned Giving at 660-543-8000, giving@ucmo.edu or ucmo.giftlegacy.com.

Walter Neal Burnette, age 101, was born Sept. 4, 1919, in West Helena, Arkansas. After graduating from Helena High School, he attended the University of Arkansas before attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Upon graduation in 1943 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Assigned to the 47th Bomb Group in Italy, he flew 75 missions, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross. Burnette flew 17 missions in the Korean War and retired from the Air Force in 1965 as a lieutenant colonel. He began teaching Earth Sciences at Central Missouri State University that same year, earning a degree in 1968 and retiring in 1984.

Jack Carmichael

Jack Carmichael, age 93, graduated from seminary in 1952 and was called to active duty as a U.S. Army Chaplain, serving a combat tour of duty in Korea. He was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he earned his “Master Wings.” After earning his Ph.D. from Ohio University in guidance counseling and psychology, he moved with his family to Cameroon, Africa, in 1962, serving two years as a supervisor in the Peace Corps. Upon his return, he became assistant to the president at Central Missouri State University for 15 years, followed by director of development for the Alumni Foundation from 1981 to 1984. Carmichael was also a pastor and chaplain until he retired in 2010.

Ronald B. Geenens

Ronald B. “Ron” Geenens, age 88, was born Jan. 26, 1933, and attended Shawnee Mission (North) High School. After enrolling at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines in the mid-1950s. He returned to Baker thereafter to finish his undergraduate degree and continue playing football. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Arkansas. Geenens then embarked on a decades-long career in higher education, including serving as a professor at Central Missouri State University from 1986 to 1995.

Dolores Vernice Mansur Kitterman

Dolores “Dee” Vernice Mansur Kitterman, age 91, was born Feb. 10, 1930, in Ray County, Missouri. Kitterman graduated from Central Missouri State College in 1951 with a degree in History. After a brief career with Mid-Continent Airlines and Skelly Oil Company, she returned to the university in December 1952. Kitterman initially served as secretary to the president and assistant secretary to the Board of Regents (now Governors). She went on to work with four different university presidents, serving as administrative assistant, assistant to the president and a member of the president’s council. A room in the student union was named after her upon her retirement in 1995 after 43 years of service.

Jo Anna Marr

Jo Anna (McNeece) Marr, age 94, was born April 12, 1927, in Johnson County, Missouri. Marr was a 1945 graduate of the university’s laboratory school. In the early 1950s, she worked at the Lake City Ammunition plant in Independence, Missouri, before returning to Warrensburg. After inspecting uniforms at the local Unifemme factory for several years, she took a job in the university’s cataloging department at Ward Edwards Library. She served as the online catalog maintenance clerk for Library Services, retiring from the university in 1992. University of Central Missouri Magazine

IN MEMORIAM

Perry G. McCandless

Perry G. McCandless, age 103, was born Dec. 9, 1917, in Lincoln, Missouri. He graduated from Central Missouri State Teachers College in 1941. After earning a master’s degree, McCandless served as a professor of History at CMSU from 1948 to 1982. He had a passion for writing, which he continued after retirement in addition to serving as a consultant in his field. One of his works won the Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History, and the State Historical Society of Missouri honored McCandless in 2001 with its Distinguished Service Award.

Donald Miller

Donald Miller, age 83, was born Jan. 7, 1938. He began teaching at Central Missouri State College in August 1968. He served for 41 years in the Chemistry and Physics Department, where his experiences included a temporary assignment as interim chair. He taught engineering prerequisites and helped coordinate the transfer program for engineering students with Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri-Rolla) and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Miller also served on the Faculty Senate and was a former president of that group.

Jerry Miller

Jerry Miller, age 82, was born Nov. 1, 1938. Miller came to Central Missouri State College in 1969 as an art teacher at the laboratory school, and earned a degree in School Supervision in 1972. During his 30-year tenure he served as chair of the Department of Art from 1988 to 1999. He led the department to become accredited with the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), a prestigious designation for art schools, and served as president of the Missouri Art Education Association (MAEA), of which he was an active member for many years. Miller was an accomplished sculptor, and some of his works, including “Squares and Movement,” can be found on the UCM campus.

Sue Smiser

Sue Smiser, age 97, was born Oct. 16, 1922, in Malone, Texas. Smiser’s secretarial skills led her to a position at the Army base in Harlingen, Texas, where she met and married her husband, Sam Smiser, a 1938 Central Missouri State Teachers College graduate. After Sam’s military commitment, they resettled in Bakersfield, California, where they raised three daughters and managed their family trucking business. As the business expanded, they relocated in 1970 to the Pasadena area. The Smisers donated $750,000 to Central Missouri State University in 1991, and 38

the funds were used to build the Smiser Alumni Center. Another of the couple’s charitable gifts funded Warrensburg’s Mary Miller Smiser Heritage Library, named for Sam’s mother.

Alvin Roy Tinsley

Alvin Roy Tinsley, age 79, was born Aug. 21, 1941, in Humansville, Missouri. He attended Southwest Missouri State College to become a secondary school mathematics teacher and taught junior high mathematics. He went on to teach higher education and came to Central Missouri State College in 1969. He retired in 2004 as a Math and Computer Science professor. Tinsley was a lifelong wood carver and loved to travel.

1940-1949 Velma Josephine “Jo” (Mallman) Wiegers, ’40 Marie (Miller) Hartzler, ’41 Roberta E. (Eberting) Dickson, ’47 Betty Lucille “Betty Lu” (Urban) Wallick, ’47 Eva Josephine (Cooper) Kitten, ’49

1950-1959 Marvin Wilbur Goodman, ’50 Lucy Elizabeth Wagner, ’50 Charles Leon Feagan, ’51 Barbara A. (Wiegers) Harris, ’51 Aida (Cordero) Dyer, ’52 James F. Martin, ’52 John R. Dowler, ’53 David Leo Donelson, ’54 Galen M. Ford, ’54 Ruth Elizabeth (Harlan) Lamb, ’54, ’75 Cathleen Avice (Garvey) O’Neil, ’54 Raymond R. “Ray” Ruben, ’54 Marilyn (Evans) Houston, ’55 Gerald Loyd Knutson, ’55, ’66 Agnes C. (Burnfin) Logan, ’55, ’58 Ronald R. Eiman, ’56 JoAnn “Jo” Lansford, ’56, ’77 Joyce Elaine (Jaekel) Potts, ’56 John L. Cipolla, ’57 Norman Calvin Higgins, ’58 Maurice Earl Johnson, ’58 Robert LaVern Johnson, ’58 Joyce M. (Bergmeier) Birk, ’59 Arthur Samuel Emanuel, ’59 Anthony Jackson “Tony” Menefee, ’59

1960-1969 Walter Eugene Crain, ’61 William R. “Dick” Thomson, ’61 Arleen D. Ferguson, ’62 Harold D. Hollis, ’62 Albert “Vaughn” Oetting, ’62, ’69 Kathryn Elaine “Lanie” (Lowrey) Pate, ’62 Virginia Louise “Ginny” (Wright) Phillips, ’62

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Marianna Belle (Tate) Maudlin, ’63 Virgil Edward Sellers, ’63, ’66 Joyce (Hunt) Debeaubien, ’64 Janet M. “Jan” (Jones) Dunning, ’64 Virginia Lee (Brady) Hoare, ’64 Reece Olney Sparks, ’64 Gerald Lyle Dicus, ’65 Jerald Menz “Jerry” Gooch, ’65 Phillip Loyd Denney, ’66, ’78 Terri Ann (Pointer) Covey, ’67 Robert Edward Dedeke, ’67 Roger Eugene Dixon, ’67 Merrillyn Deane Hartman, ’67 Karen Louise (Sanderman) McCrea, ’67 William J. McGowen, ’67 Lucia Minerva (Moore) Orr, ’67, ’74 Donald Roy “Don” Richardson, ’67, ’84 Kenneth W. Watley, ’67 Christina Lane (Roose) Bloom, ’68 Dennis D. Miller, ’68 Jim Lee “Jimmie” Quinn, ’68 Margie Ann (Ghosen) Wagenknecht, ’68 Lynn A. Butler, ’69 Linda Kay Koleiny Streeter, ’69 Norma J. Linville, ’69 Glen E. McMillian, ’69 Eldon Ward Rawlins, ’69

1970-1979 Donald Lee “Don” Downing, ’70 Marianne K. (Turner) Eshelman, ’70 Leo Michael “Mike” Welsh, ’70 Ralph Glenn Willig, ’70 Arthur T. “Art” Anthony, ’71 John M. Castrignano, ’71 Michael C. Curry, ’71 Michael S. Dalen, ’71 Michael T. “Mike” Donegan, ’71 Chrilla Peters (Whitebread) McKenzie, ’71 Daniel Roy “Dan” Milliard, ’71 Francis K. “Frank” Schultz, ’71 Beverly A. (Cook) Shine, ’71 Tommy Paul Thompson, ’71 Ronald L. Huddleston, ’72 James Phillip Hull, ’72, ’75 Gerald Wayne “Jerry” Littell, ’72 James W. McBride, ’72 Billy Joe Riddle, ’72 Jacque Eilene Pritchard-Redmond,’73 Kathy S. (Ruhl) Stenson, ’73 Deborah “Jeannie” (Matchette) Wilson, ’73 Janice E. (Hagan) Wood, ’73, ’77 Mary “Carmen” Harwood, ’74, ’85 Kathryn “Pauline” (Billingsley) Thomas, ’74 Robert H. “Bob” Hippensteel, ’75 Richard John Parmeter, ’75 Ronald Gene White, ’75 Mary (Bowes) Buchanan, ’76, ’84 Daniel Eugene “Dan” Caffrey, ’76 Ruth Ellen (Butler) Coulson, ’76

IN MEMORIAM

Michael Lloyd Curtis, ’76, ’85 Donald Eugene Donehue, ’76 Lindon Michael Riechman, ’76 Alan L. Weatherford, ’76 Dennis Eugene Campbell, ’77 Robert Q. “Bob” Farwell, ’77 David B. McKinney, ’77, ’78 Loretta Lynne (Summers) Rennison, ’77 Paul Richard Barbarick, ’78 Daniel Morris Fancler, ’78 Connie L. Gray, ’78 Dick Daryl Moore, ’78 Eric L. Richardson, ’78 Wilma Fern Upton, ’78 Jean Marie Wurtz-Gerleman, ’78 James R. Burns, ’79, ’81 Richard James “Rick” Komer, ’79 Stephen Dale “Steve” Smith, ’79

1980-1989 Donalda T. (Aubin) MacMillan,’80, ’81 Jody Bret Baker, ’81 Bradly S. “Brad” Bolz, ’81 Mary (Iffrig) Cooper, ’81 Richard T. Eyler, ’81 Diane K. Greene, ’81 David Anthony Weston, ’81 Steve L. Empson, ’82 Michael H. “Mike” Lewark, ’82 Jerry Lewis Parker, ’82 Beverly A. Sumter, ’82 Karen Louise Graham, ’83 Gay Lynn (Anderson) Holman, ’84 Joseph Wayne Isgriggs, ’84 Carl L. Matthews, ’84 Christina Jean (Craft) Obenshain, ’84 Donna G. (Raffarty) Osborne, ’84 Judith Anne (Armstrong) Standley, ’84 Susan Lynn (Hall) Thompson, ’84 Randy Blaine Hrovat, ’85 James Lawrence “Jim” Nipko, ’85 Pamela A. “Pam” (Morgan) Newsome, ’86 Sherri L. (Breedlove) Meeks, ’87 Thomas Buckley “Buck” Sommerkamp, ’87 Randi Joan Carey, ’88 Michael Edward Roos, ’89 Marvin Marteen, ’89, ’90

1990-1999 Rose Lee (Rupp) Davis, ’90 Dirk J. Duchscherer, ’90 Wesley I. Mattonen, ’91 Christopher Todd “Chris” Ferrell, ’92, ’96 Jon Michael Robinett, ’92 Mark Alan Berrey, ’93 Kimberly S. (Elias) McDonald, ’93, ’96 Tim Andrew Taylor, ’93 Michael Aaron “Mike” Bayless, ’94 Stephen Harrelson, ’95 Nelson “Sporty” Thomas-Davis III, ’95

Darren Mitchel Garrison, ’96 Robert C. Polk, ’96 Christopher Michael Day, ’97 Mary Jean (Collins) Roberson, ’98 Robert E. Turner, ’98 Danielle Elam-Jobe, ’99

2000-2009 Joseph M. Henry, ’00 John Martin Walker, ’00 Norma Jane (Huxman) Whiting, ’00 Maria Theresa Berry, ’01 Ami Jo (Crafton) Green, ’01 Kody Alan Jones, ’02, ’10 Robert Ray Bickel, ’05 Seth Andrew Valet, ’05 Molly Lorane Atkins, ’06 Lacey Danielle (Neidel) Bartlett, ’08, ’11 Joshua Wayne Kolden, ’08

2010-2019 Chandra Deann (Helm) Ebbing, ’11 Ramona Lynn (Reimler) Miller, ’13, ’17 Ashley Miranda (Mertz) Neal, ’14 Dakota A. Ioanis, ’19

Former Students Edna Mae (Kroeger) Abney Marilyn Dee (Rayburn) Anderson Nancy (Wescott) Balsbaugh Marcia Ann (Bryant) Christian Wayne Church Donna Sue Clemons Janet E. (Lotspeich) Coffman Mary Ruth (Hays) Cook Katherine C. (Truninger) Corkran Lillie Ann (Laird) Cottrell Nicholas Marion Couch Mark Dankenbring Fay Eugene Dodds Karen Jo (McCullough) DuBois Vernita Lena (Stucker) Fischer-Garber Kerri Lynn Franklin Bruce Wayne Gates Jody Jayne (Wiese) Gear Jody Goddard Mary Margaret Haldiman Polly Fay (Eastwood) Hostetter Teresa Re’nay (Ballou) Howard-Sawyer Geneva Elizabeth (Yates) Jones Alice Mae Klee-Peck Marquiez D. Lawrence Ivan Franklin Lynch David K. Lyon III Charles L. “Charlie” Mason James Roger “Jim” Mayden James Robert “Bob” McKenzie Lloyd Osborne “Mac” McMillan Fred Lee McMullen

John Milton McNeley Ethel June Miller Neis Mary Wilhelmina (Hammond) Rackers Dorothy M. (Busby) Parker James Olin Parks Mary Carolyn (Lehman) Shoemaker Michelle Kay (Lenz) Smith Richard Sylvester “Ricky” Smith Joshua Glenn Stockdale Amy J. Stone Marjorie Jean (Lyons) Swaim Drew William Toennies Dorothy Ann (Wilcoxon) Wilkinson Erma Lee (Carson) Williams Thomas John “Tom” Williams Diana Joyce (Craig) Wright

Faculty/Staff Robert Jewell “Jewell” Crabtree Delores Elaine (Canny) Edgerton Michael F. Kelly Linda A. (Brockman) Lockard Howard Alexander McKenzie Clark M. Payne

Friends Lee Anthony DeFelice Sharon Jo (Ludden) Hochsprung C. L. Holdren Shane Preston Hutchinson Benonie Augusta “Ben” Kisner Mary Ruth (Schuh) Stauffer Patricia Katherine “Patty” Struchtemeyer Wilma Marie (Rutherford) Van Zandt

College High Alumni Loretta Jean (Sibert) Bird Robert Edward Dedeke Freddie L. “Fred” Hunter Jo Anna (McNeece) Marr Brenda Joyce (Richardson) Shipley

Make a gift to UCM in a loved one’s memory at www.ucmfoundation.org/give/in-memory.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

PARTING

“Snouts Out” with Molly the Mule

Photo by John Kennedy, ’92, ’13 Arkiah Collins, a UCM freshman majoring in Theatre Performance, shares the “snouts-out” sign with Molly the Mule at Get the Red Out on Sept. 2, 2021. This annual street fair is a collaboration between the university and the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce kicking off the Mules Football season before the first home game.

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Want to show off your photos? Submit your UCM-related photography to ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu for consideration in a future publication.

MULENATION NEEDS YOU! In fiscal year 2021, 16% of our network of more than 100,000 alumni engaged with the University of Central Missouri by attending an event, donating, communicating with us or volunteering. It may not sound like a large percentage, but it’s a growing number. By engaging, each person makes a big difference in the lives of UCM students. Volunteering is a great way to give back, or “pay it forward.” Any contribution of time and talent is welcome. Discover the volunteering opportunities that mean the most to you!

ACADEMIC VOLUNTEER Academic volunteers work closely with faculty to provide mentorship for students, give classroom presentations or serve on a program-specific advisory board.

FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEER Fundraising volunteers raise money for the university by championing crowdfunding campaigns, creating social media fundraisers and simply asking friends and family to make a tax-deductible donation to UCM.

CAREER SERVICES VOLUNTEER Career Services volunteers help prepare UCM students for the workforce through internships, job shadowing, resume reviews, mock interviews, networking and virtual or in-person career guidance.

EVENT VOLUNTEER Alumni event volunteers lend their expertise by planning, promoting, hosting or simply being on hand at a MuleNation gathering to greet guests or help out as needed.

SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUNTEER

STUDENT RECRUITMENT VOLUNTEER

Social-savvy alumni can help grow the MuleNation network by tagging fellow graduates, using specific hashtags and sharing posts to encourage involvement.

Student recruitment volunteers work with Admissions to help find the next generation of Mules and Jennies through outreach at high school fairs, community events or various mentoring and networking opportunities.

Not seeing the right opportunity for you? Create your own! The possibilities for volunteering are limited only by your imagination. Learn more about volunteering at www.ucmfoundation.org/volunteer.

NOTES FROM OUR STOMPING GROUND Alumni can make a difference from anywhere across MuleNation by writing notes of congratulations to admitted students. Learn more at www.ucmfoundation.org/stompingground. University of Central Missouri Magazine

P.O. BOX 800 WA R RE NS BURG, M O 6 4093- 5 038

We’ve Saved

YOU a Seat at the Party!

It’s not too late to make your end-of-year gift for the University of Central Missouri’s 150th birthday! Your gift is still eligible for CARES Act tax benefits if received by Dec. 31, 2021. Don’t miss out on being part of our sesquicentennial celebration. A gift of any size helps ensure a bright future for our students as we move into the next 150 years!

Return the enclosed envelope or visit www.ucmfoundation.org/give/mag

UCM Magazine - Fall 2021

Articles inside

UCM at 150: Every 50 Years Brings Progress, Potential

UCM Moves Fashion Forward

UCM ATHLETICS

PLANNED GIVING