UNK Today Spring 2017 Issue by UNKAlumni

Spring 2017

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Alumna Ann Teget '91 and husband, Steve, created Postcardjar.com as a creative outlet. The weblog features scenes and postcards from Nebraska.

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CAREER FAIR: UNK wrapped up a week of career and graduate school fair activities in February with more than 100 companies and graduate schools represented. The career fair is sponsored by Buckle, Kidwell and Nelnet. GIX Logistics had a great showing of UNK graduates with Bailee Schuster ’16, Daniel Boone Anderson ’16 and Nick Wiemers ’16, representing.

The alumnae representing Buckle at the UNK Career Fair were Addy Gonzalez, Georgie Brumbaugh '16 and Chelby Fegter '10.

Calendar of Events April

4/18 UNK Theatre Department Alumni Reception in Kearney 4/19 UNKAA Operation Graduation at the Alumni House, party for graduating seniors in Kearney 4/21 1967 Baseball Team 50th Anniversary Reunion in Kearney 4/21 Sigma Phi Epsilon reunion and Augie Nelson Golf Classic in Kearney through April 22 4/22 Pi Kappa Alpha reunion and Kent Estes Memorial Golf Tournament in Kearney 4/22 UNK Football Blue Gold Scrimmage in Kearney 4/22 Phi Gamma Delta Reunion in Kearney

May

Barbara (Larson) Barr '88, Carol Pelster and Stacey (Zauha) Dawkins '07 represented NebraskaLand National Bank at the career fair at UNK.

5/5 Spring Commencement 5/5 LEAD Council Spring Meeting

June

6/5 UNK Athletics Blue Gold Golf Tournament in Kearney 6/26 UNKAA Scrambling for Scholarships at Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha

July August

7/28 Summer Commencement

8/21 Total Solar Eclipse Festivities at UNK

Jared Berggren ‘04, represented Fastenal and attended three days of career fairs at UNK. Visit unkalumni.org for more UNK Alumni Association events and details and Lopers.com for more information on all sporting events.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Dear Loper Friends: Our Nebraskan mentality dictates that we keep our heads down, complete one step, then the next until a job is done. We seldom take the time to step back and gain an appreciation for what has been accomplished. It’s certainly this work ethic, humility and urge to do the right thing that has fueled our campus to grow, change and flourish. As we’ve matured, we have often done more with less, squeezing more out of a dollar than most campuses through exceptionally committed and resourceful people. Typical Nebraska. We are so proud to have spent the past 25 years in the University of Nebraska System. You’ve heard and read about the sequence of events, and frankly good fortune, that led to the “western normal school” being located in Kearney. If you have not, I encourage you to do so. Search “becoming UNK” on YouTube and you’ll find some great content. We’ve “done good.” And the value of our campus to our great state and the region only increases with time. Never has UNK been involved at a higher level: Partnering with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to educate rural Nebraska’s future healthcare providers. Working with the University of Nebraska’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute to develop the early childhood education workforce. Delivering engineering education to our state, in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All the while, continuing to lead our region in the production of new P-12 teachers, professionals and administrators … not to mention so many other fine programs. The people you will read about in this issue of UNK Today are a few of the many who’ve made our institution what it is today. We should all be proud to be UNK alumni. Your role is important. By reading this magazine, coming to events and visiting campus, you become an ambassador. Your voice makes a difference to future students and fellow alumni and friends. And your financial support creates opportunities for students who are in many ways like you were. Thank you for all the ways you support UNK. Wear your Loper Blue and Gold with pride! Go Lopers! Lucas Dart Vice President of Alumni Relations & Development University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association

HOMECOMING LOPER LUNCHEON:

(Top Left) UNK Athletic Director Paul Plinske and Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Amanda Kelly-Jamros '00 get lined up for the parade. (Top Left, Second Picture Down) Many football team members from the late 80s to early 90s helped Doug Banks ’90, MAE ’99 (third from the right) celebrate his Athletic Hall of Fame induction. VICE PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI RELATIONS & DEVELOPMENT Lucas Dart ‘97 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI COMMUNICATION Michelle (Thompson) Widger ‘90 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT Tricia (Sunderman) Danburg ‘94 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Toni (Winsor) Meyers ‘93 EDITOR, ART DIRECTOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michelle Widger ‘90 UNK Alumni Association Assistant Director Communication EDITOR EMERITUS Jim Rundstrom ‘64 UNK Alumni Association Director Emeritus MANAGING EDITOR Dorothy Endacott NU Foundation Vice President Marketing Communications ASSISTANT EDITOR Kelly Bartling UNK Assistant Vice Chancellor Communications & Community Relations PHOTOGRAPHY UNK Alumni Association Corbey Dorsey/UNK Athletics UNK Communications

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: U N K To d a y University of Nebraska at Kearney Campus Box 21 Kearney, Nebraska 68849 308.698.5271 unkalumni.org facebook.com/UNKAlumni twitter.com/UNKAlumni linkedin.com > work > groups > University of Nebraska at Kearney Lopers@unkalumni.org

UNK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LEAD COUNCIL Jack Kreman ‘04, President, Noblesville, Indiana Angela (Reynolds) Davidson ’09, MBA ‘10, Grand Island Jerry Fox ’72, Kearney Dusty Jura '08, MBA ‘15, Axtell Mary (Buchanan) Mach ‘85, Fairbury Dusty Newton, MSE ‘02, Kearney Curt Ott ‘07, Kearney Emily Owens, Student, Imperial UNK Today is published twice a year by the UNK Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska Foundation and is the official alumni publication of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

HOMECOMING FESTIVITIES:

(Left, Second Picture from the Bottom) Angela (Reynolds) Davidson '09, MBA ’10, Linda (Wotherspoon) Schroeder ’71, Regent Kent Schroeder, Tricia (Sunderman) Danburg ’94, Eric Kitzelman ’89, MSE ’09 and Dee Dee (Schutte) Kitzelman ’90 enjoyed the Loper Luncheon after the parade. Regent Kent Schroeder was the parade grand marshal this year. (Left, Bottom) Lainey Russell of Kearney and Luke Grossnicklaus of Aurora were crowned UNK Homecoming 2016 Royalty. Also pictured are court members Courtney Hayden, McKenzie Cuba and the star of game day, Louie the Loper.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Spring 2017

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Postcardjar.com 6

Pet Pain Management Important

8 Research Impacts Classroom, World 10

Building Relationships to Build Minds

UNK 25 Years; 25 Alumni

16 Sena ‘Mom’ Lang’s Legacy Lives on 17 Racing into Entrepreneurship 18 McElroy Finds Her Niche in Nursing 20 From the Action to the Sidelines

21 Rooms Named After Loper Greats 22 Altmaier ’77, Paints Word Pictures 25

One Room, One Teacher Awards Honor Educators

19 The University of Nebraska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. Individuals needing accommodation under ADA should contact the ADA Coordinator at UNK, 308.865.8655.

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B y M ichelle W idger UNK A lumni A ssociation

nn (Shrewsbury) Teget, ’91, was no stranger to writing. She had worked for The Antelope all four years in college as well as served as managing and sports editor. After college, Teget worked as a news reporter for the North Platte Telegraph, as a sports reporter for the Anderson South Carolina Independent-Mail and was a freelance sports writer for the Omaha World-Herald. In 1996, Teget joined Time Warner Cable and worked in public relations, programming and government relations for more than 18 years. She had worked her way up to vice president of government relations for Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. When suddenly, in the prime of her career, Teget became ill and wasn’t able to work full-time anymore. After months of doctor visits and testing, she was diagnosed with a rare inflammatory disease called cardiac sarcoidosis. The disease causes a heightened immunity. The immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and disease, overreacts and damages the body’s own tissues. Not working and recovering from several surgeries and treatments, Teget needed something to keep her mind occupied. Before she had gotten sick, Teget and husband, Steve, a middle school principal in Crete, had talked about starting a travel blog to document their travels and inspire others to travel more. “We both needed a creative outlet – one that

would feed our need for travel even when our schedules, or my health, didn’t allow us to leave our home,” Teget said. “When we were both working lots of hours, travel was our escape.” One weekend in 2014 between visits at the Mayo Clinic, Ann and Steve Teget sat down and wrote their first blog post together. The Postcard Jar was born. “I loved getting back into writing and having an opportunity to share our travel experiences and some of my photography with others,” Teget said. “It had been a long time since I’d written anything other than a press release.” How did the Tegets come up with the name Postcard Jar? Ann read a home decorating article several years ago about saving postcards from places you visit and displaying them in a glass vase in the home. “I loved the idea. When Steve and I started traveling together, we’d send a postcard back home,” Teget explained. “Eventually, we got a big jar to display the postcards and in our first five years together, we’ve collected more than 100. The jar sits on a table in the entryway of our home and is a constant reminder of where we’ve been and the things we’ve experienced together. We couldn’t think of a more fitting name for our blog.” When Ann is able, the Tegets travel as much as they can and write about their experiences at www.postcardjar.com. They’ve shared stories about their travels in the U.S., including trips to Chicago, Illinois; Key West, Florida and Mason City, Iowa. As well as their travel abroad to places like

Feature Rome, Barcelona and Costa Rica. Lately, the Tegets enjoy writing more about destinations in their home state and their road trips around Nebraska. Teget explained, “Our hope has always been that our blog can serve as a resource for extraordinary travel for everyday people like us and inspire people to get out of their comfort zones and explore our great state and the world.” It was the blog posts about the Tegets’ Nebraska adventures that attracted local news outlets last year. Postcard Jar has been featured on 10/11’s First News Nebraska and included in the Omaha World-Herald. The Postcard Jar blog posts are also regularly featured in Buy Local Buy Nebraska magazine. This winter, Southeast Community College in Lincoln asked the Tegets to teach a class on Nebraska travel. They recently taught their first “Postcards from Nebraska” class and plan to do more. The Tegets are also looking into the possibility of leading tours around Nebraska and have started to sell postcards. When you visit Postcard Jar you’ll find useful information for regular people who want to plan extraordinary Steve a nd Ann vacations and travel experiences. Teget '9 1 The Tegets write about places they’ve visited and experiences while traveling. The Tegets try to offer tips and tricks to make travel easier for everyone. They also share postcards sent to them by their readers from all over the world. “For me, it’s not always about where we go, but more about the things we experience when we travel,” Teget recalls. “I can tell you that

some of the most incredible travel experiences we’ve had, anywhere, include watching the Sandhill Cranes descend on the Platte River at dusk near Kearney; hiking at Toadstool Geologic Park and eating homemade pie at the High Plains Homestead Drifter Cookshack near Crawford; watching budding archeologists discover new fossils at Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal; and sharing a cold drink and conversation with the locals at the bar at the Olde Main Street Inn in Chadron.” In addition to Nebraska, other travel memories include watching the humpback whales in Alaska; drinking wine and eating tapas in the town square in Salamanca, Spain; walking through the halls of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; and spending Christmas with children in Sri Lanka. Postcard Jar has attracted followers from 44 different countries and can be followed on social media, @postcardjar on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. The Tegets invite you to share in the fun by sending them a postcard of your travels to Postcard Jar, P.O. Box 334, Crete, NE 68333. “I have wonderful memories of my time studying journalism in Thomas Hall and late nights in The Antelope newsroom,” Teget said. “I’ll always be grateful for the writing and photography skills I acquired at UNK and almost 30 years later, I’m using many of those skills to share my love of travel with people all over the world.” n 5

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B y M ichelle W idger UNK A lumni A ssociation

Pet Pain Management Important Raised on the steps of Bruner Hall, Dr. Brenda Cederberg ’93 specializes in canine rehabilitation

r. Brenda Cederberg ’93 grew up playing on the stairwell in UNK’s Bruner Hall of Science. “My dad was a chemistry professor and I knew all of the professors in that department,” said Cederberg. “Bruner Hall was my home away from home.” Both Cederberg’s parents were teachers. Dr. Carl Sterner ’60, taught chemistry at UNK while her mother, Gwendland "Gwen" (Feis) Sterner ’60, taught at Kearney Horizon Middle School. So naturally, most thought Cederberg would be interested in teaching. Although she picked up their love of chemistry, she did not inherit their love of teaching. Cederberg jokes, “I would often see them grading papers or working long hours and I thought to myself that I did not have the patience my parents do.” So, Cederberg followed her long-time passion of working with animals. Cederberg started her college education at UNK where she studied science and worked with professors such as Dr. Doug Lund and Dr. Richard Ikenberry. During her third year, Cederberg applied

and was accepted into veterinarian medical school at Kansas State University (K-State) in Manhattan, Kansas. Working through the two schools, she was able to complete her bachelors at UNK and her masters and doctorate of veterinarian medicine at K-State. From there, Cederberg started working with large animals, small animals and even exotic animals. “In Oakley, Kansas, I worked with emus, ostriches, owls, hawks, skunks and even a porcupine,“ Cederberg said. Many of the animals the clinic rehabilitated were released back into the wild or put in a zoo setting. It was a great time for Cederberg to branch out and try working with as many species as she could until she found her niche. Cederberg worked her way back to Kearney where she co-started and co-owned Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic. While in Kearney, she noticed that orthopedic specialists for animals in the state were hard to come by. If an animal needed orthopedic surgery, often the owners would have to take them out of town, even out of state.

BRUNER HALL OF SCIENCE: "Bruner Hall was my home away from home,” said Dr. Brenda Cederberg ’93. Cederberg (center) is holding her Don Fox Lecturer award with her parents. Dr. Carl Sterner ’60, taught chemistry for many years at UNK and Gwen Sterner ’60, taught at Horizon Middle School.

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ANIMAL REHAB: The canine rehabilitation room at Cederberg's clinic, Countryside Pet Clinic in Wichita, Kansas.

Cederberg started focusing on small-animal orthopedics. She traveled to conferences to gain more information on orthopedics, rehabilitation and pain management for small animals. She traveled to several universities, including Ohio State, Iowa State, Colorado and the University of Tennessee to increase her skills and pick up new techniques. In Colorado and Illinois specialty clinics, Cederberg perfected her canine rehabilitation and therapy skills. In 2010, she received certification as a canine rehabilitation practitioner from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Throughout this time, Cederberg was still part owner in Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic and had a young family. An opportunity presented itself, so Cederberg sold her share of the practice and moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she could focus on small-animal rehabilitation. “Ninety-nine percent of what we do here is canine rehabilitation,” Cederberg explained. “A typical rehabilitation can take anywhere from 10 weeks to four months depending on the severity of the issue and the age of the animal. Even with severe back issues, the majority of dogs can regain strength and even walk again with the proper therapy and rehabilitation regimen.” Cederberg’s current facility, Countryside Pet Clinic, in Wichita, Kansas, is comprised of three veterinarians and 25 staff members who provide a high level of quality medicine. “We specialize in comprehensive anesthetics, epidurals, orthopedics, laparoscopic surgery and in-depth pain management,” Cederberg explains. “We are owned by the National Veterinary Associates and have their buying power, which means we have most of the technology that it takes to get the job done.” When asked what sets her practice apart from other clinics, she recalls one case where K-State trusted the clinic enough to refer a feline on to them after several inconclusive tests. She said, “We focus on a standardized, evidence-based approach to have a solid way to measure the outcome; whether it be surgery or

FAMILY CELEBRATION: Cederberg's family joined her in celebrating her Don Fox Lecture during UNK Homecoming. Those able to attend were her husband, Kalven Cederberg, Brenda Cederberg, her mother Gwen Sterner, her younger brother Scott Sterner, her father Carl Sterner and her daughter Korrie Cederberg. Her son, Kollin Cederberg, and her older brother, Paul Sterner, were unable to attend.

rehabilitation measures to show what we do is actually working.” Having taken an oath to protect “animal health and welfare,” some of her most rewarding cases have been rescue dogs. “They come in broken. We fix them,” said Cederberg . Don’t let Cederberg fool you when she jokingly says the toughest part of the job is working with people. She explains, “What I really enjoy is working with clients and helping them and their pets through difficult, scary times. I feel like we help humans and animals alike, with confidence in their pet’s care and the ability to get the best outcome possible. Nothing beats the way you feel when owners are happy. There is something special about the human-animal bond!” Cederberg has been in the business more than 20 years. When asked what has changed, her response included technology, x-rays, CT scans, epidurals and pharmaceuticals. She says, “Since 1995, pharmaceuticals have almost tripled in size. Our goal is to utilize what we have, focus on local pain blocks to manage pain and get the patient back to normal as soon as we can.” Cederberg has recently been recognized nationally for her work in rehabilitation. She was also selected by the University of Nebraska at Kearney as the 2016 Don Fox Lecturer where she discussed pain management and keeping up with chemistry and pharmacology. She is continuing her education and training with specialists in the canine rehabilitation, orthopedics and pain management fields. She is a member of the International Association for Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy (IAVRPT) and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM). When asked what advice she would give students, Cederberg said, “Go into what you think you should. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t sell yourself short or give up easily. Don’t let anyone get you down or make you feel that you’re not good enough or smart enough. Use their excuses to feed your passion.” n 7

Around Campus P hotos and S tory B y UNK C ommunications

Research Impacts Classroom, World

aculty at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) are known for their excellence in teaching, but many are also prominent researchers in their fields – leading to potential discoveries and ground-breaking creative activity to share and better the lives of Nebraskans. And the world. For the ninth year UNK’s Graduate Studies and Research office has published a magazine, “New Frontiers,” that highlights UNK faculty and their scholarly contributions. Over the years, dozens of faculty stories have showcased much of UNK’s best work. Readers will conclude that at UNK, research and teaching go hand in hand. “UNK has benefited from the inherent synergy between teaching and faculty research and creative activity,” said Kenya Taylor, associate vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and dean of Graduate Studies and Research. “Not only do our faculty conduct innovative scholarship, they also demonstrate to our students the importance of developing a passion for learning that spans their lifetimes.” A snapshot of faculty profiles from the 2016 New Frontiers is featured here. The full text can be read online at http://unknews. unk.edu/category/new-frontiers/. CRIMES AND INCARCERATION

Inside prison walls — that’s where Timbre Wulf-Ludden says she is most comfortable. “I love doing interviews, sitting down with prison inmates in front of me, asking questions and chatting about their lives.” As a researcher of institutional corrections and professor of criminal justice, Wulf-Ludden spends her time conducting one-on-one interviews Timbre Wulf-Ludden and establishing rapport with men, women and juveniles with years in the system behind them. And for some, years of incarceration ahead of them. “It’s a different world,” she says — a world of many violent people who will fight you for no reason. A world that motivates her research, which includes juvenile justice, prison violence and interactions among inmates. Much of her research focuses on female offenders. Her work also examines re-entry challenges for adult male offenders and the importance of race and gender in media depictions of offenders.

THE QUESTER

Rebecca Umland remembers the kernel of the idea for her research and teaching interest in the quester-hero figure. She was attending one of the final screenings of the 1999 David Lynch film “The Straight Story.” The film is based on an elderly man who drove his lawn mower tractor 240 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin in 1994 to reconcile with his dying brother. The film offers a deep reflection about forgiveness and love in the face of death and the quest for Rebecca Umland redemption. Umland, a professor of English, said the quester is an archetypal character found in a variety of literary and film texts, especially her favorite literary genre — Arthurian legend. “Typically, the quester (in film and literature) is a young and naïve person who embarks on a life-changing journey,” Umland noted. “But in this film, the aged and ailing man’s journey reinforced the idea that transformation can come at any stage of life, that we don’t stop growing or making mistakes. The urgency of the dying man was prompted by his desire to right his mistake. He takes on the difficult task of going the slow way as a form of atonement and redemption. It fascinated me.” TRAINING COUNSELORS

Alcoholics may choose to take the first drink, but they can’t simply choose which drink will be their last. “Addictions wield incredible power,” Christine Chasek said. She trains counseling students to respect that power and to respect addicts for battling it. An assistant professor at UNK since 2012, Chasek has found many ways to improve counselor training — as a teacher, as a researcher, as a therapist and Christine (Hansen) Chasek as the Kearney director of the ’92, MSE ’99 Behavioral Health Education Center for Nebraska. That state program promotes behavioral health services in rural areas. She’s published research on addiction counseling programs and has mentored numerous student research projects into publication. She’s found that experiential programs do a better job of giving students counseling skills.

Around Campus corner on that market.” As a UNK management professor, Palmer's love for reading comic books eventually grew into a passion for researching the comic book industry from a business and management perspective.

EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC

Anthony Donofrio sees composition as creation, not interpretation. An assistant professor at UNK, Donofrio blends an interest in literature and painting with his own art by translating Anthony Donofrio compositional techniques from those forms into the language of music. His focus is solely on technique and structure, rather than creating meaning or eliciting emotion from his audiences. Breaking down resistance and building awareness of contemporary and experimental music is one of Donofrio’s goals for the New Music Series and Festival. While the festival has been at UNK for 15 years, Donofrio has introduced several changes to increase its profile. NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

As a top researcher in bio-organic chemistry, Haishi Cao may one day find the right amount of hydrogen sulfide that in the brain could be a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. That’s what keeps Cao and his students working in their Bruner Hall labs day in and day out — the quest for discovery of the exact compound or molecular “sensors” that can measure the level of H2S Haishi Cao that will help cells, leading to treatments or even cures for celland nerve-damaging diseases in the brain. Fluorescence — that neon-like glow — is the signal that Cao and his undergraduate lab assistants observe, detect and measure to help discover that right mix and measure of hydrogen sulfide and other compounds. “Our job is to find out how much of this molecule is helpful,” Cao said. “A large amount is very toxic. A small amount is very helpful. That molecule (hydrogen sulfide) is very useful. It is toxic, but in our brain — in our body — the loss of hydrogen sulfide is the key to our brain housing.” COMICS AND MANAGEMENT

David Palmer’s collection of comic books has grown to 20,000 in the 50 years that he’s been reading and collecting. His love for comic books began as a child. He remembers being captivated by Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and the Wasp as he read the Avengers in the early 1960s. “Comic books are fun and full of fantasy,” he said. “Until just recently, comic books were the only place a man could fly. Now with special effects, you can do anything. Comic books had a

LEARNING BY CASE STUDY

Kay Hodge, professor of management at UNK, is an expert in case writing and using case study in the classroom. Case study can be used across many disciplines, not just business. While law schools have employed case studies for generations, business schools, medical schools and disciplines such as history, philosophy and science find applications. Case methodology was once denigrated, she said, with some in academe seeing it as intellectually lazy. It’s taken hard work by people such as Hodge and others in Kay Hodge ’81, MSE ’83 groups such as the Society for Case Research, of which Hodge was president in 2010-11, to lift the discipline’s profile and reputation. David Palmer

MUSCULAR ARCHITECTURE

Growing up in Asahikawa, Japan, Kazuma Akehi spent summers playing basketball, soccer and baseball and winters skiing and snowboarding. His love for physical activity eventually led him to his ground-breaking research on muscular architecture and neuromuscular changes in college athletes. Akehi, an assistant professor of kinesiology and sport sciences at UNK, is currently examining the influence of season-long competitive sport participation on muscular architecture characteristics such as subcutaneous tissue thickness, muscle thickness, pennation angle and echo intensity of muscles. Akehi's research, which he conducts using ultrasound imaging, aims to assess when an Kazuma Akehi ’07 injury will occur during the sport's season, how muscles heal using specific therapeutic treatments and whether the muscle can regain its previous thickness and strength. n 9

College of Education B y C olleen F leischer NU F oundation

Building Relationships to Build Minds Kathleen Gallagher fills the role of the first endowed chair at UNK's College of Education

he brain can be a lazy organ. It loves patterns. It’ll fight learning something new, if it can use something old. “Keep that in mind, as we talk about the brain,” Kathleen Gallagher said this last September in her keynote speech at the “Learn, Play, Grow” early childhood conference at UNK. She came to the conference to talk about young brains and to explain how the connections they make very early in life — among neurons as well as with people — make all the difference later in life. For the child. For the world. “The more ideas and the more sentences that babies are exposed to, the more of those connections are made between neurons,” she said. “But the less the babies experience, the fewer connections develop between neurons. It’s about relationships. “Ultimately, the single most important thing we need to be thinking about is relationships. We’re teaching kids to have relationships. That’s our business. And we’re looking for relationships with families.” Gallagher came to Kearney last fall as the first-ever recipient of the Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education. It’s the first endowed chair in UNK’s College of Education as well as the first of four community chairs the University of Nebraska will establish through its Buffett Early Childhood Institute. She came to Kearney from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after more than 30 years working with and studying young children, families and early childhood professionals. She brought with her a reputation as a leader in the field of early childhood care and education. One of her passions — and her mission at UNK — is helping develop the early childhood workforce. In her new role in Nebraska, she’ll work with both UNK and the Buffett Institute to apply the best research in ways that will help Nebraska families, communities and early childhood professionals, like those who were in her audience that day. “I realize I’m speaking to the choir,” Gallagher told her audience — child care home providers, child care center staff, preschool teachers and staff, Head Start staff, elementary teachers and administrators, college students and parents interested in the topic. They came from the Kearney area and from across the state. They came to fill their brains with wisdom from Gallagher, whose keynote speech was “Transformative Early Childhood Care and Education: What It Means and What It Takes.” So what does it mean? It means developing the whole child and empowering 10

Kathleen Gallagher, the first Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education.

families, she said, not just focusing on developing academic skills. It means beginning with the brain even before birth with good prenatal care and nutrition because those neurons are connecting so quickly, even before birth. The brain also is learning about emotions. Nature sets it up so that babies need to have a lot of negative emotions in the early months, to get their needs met — “I need to eat” and “I need to be changed.” “Why are negative emotions really important for babies?” Gallagher asked. “Safety,” a voice called out. “Yes.” Caregivers and early childhood teachers understand that early in development, the child’s brain recognizes patterns related to people’s faces, (“Oh, I know that person” or “I don’t know that person.”) and decides what adults feel “safe” for feeding and playtime. Stress can be a teacher and keep them safe. But too much stress on young brains isn’t good. When we are stressed, Gallagher said, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol. High cortisol levels make it harder for young children to regulate their behavior and harder to learn and to think. “Think of the last time you had a fender bender,” Gallagher said. “How well did you use your words? How regulated were your emotions?”

College of Education People in the audience laughed. “So if children experience emotional fender benders all the time on a regular basis, their cortisol remains high and they struggle to learn and develop.” One big stressor: Poverty. “Although Nebraska is doing better than most other states,” Gallagher said, “it still has 16 percent of its children living in poverty.” And what does it take to transform early care and education? It means we need to take care of families. “You can’t take care of children without taking care of families,” she said, “because that’s where they grow up and that’s where some sources of stress are.” It means we need to talk with young children. The more ideas and the more sentences babies are exposed to, she said, the more those connections between neurons happen. But babies also need to have mostly positive experiences and positive relationships very early because those negative experiences get held tightly in their early memory. The single most important process for caring for and educating young children, Gallagher said, is a process called “serve and return” — being

What others say about Gallagher: “We are very fortunate to have an early childhood leader like Kate Gallagher joining us at UNK. She believes in our commitment to supporting and increasing the early childhood workforce and is ready to play a leadership role in our outreach to rural areas of Nebraska.” ~Sheryl Feinstein, UNK College of Education dean “The community chair positions were created for individuals who are leaders, innovators and catalysts for change in their communities. Kate Gallagher certainly fits that description. … Her work embraces opportunities to learn from and teach families, early childhood professionals and communities at the highest level.” ~Samuel Meisels, founding executive director of NU’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute “I would say ‘Thank you’ to the donors who support Early Childhood (and Gallagher’s chair). I would say ‘Thank you’ as a future educator as well as a student who had a positive experience during preschool. What children learn and experience in the first few years of life sets them up for the rest of their future.” ~UNK sophomore Breanna Hiner, a first-generation college student studying early-childhood education who plans to open her own family daycare someday.

“contingently responsive.” It goes like this: Baby: Ga! Caregiver: Hello, sweet baby, are you ready to play? “Babies are born ready to be in relationships. It’s our job to make sure they’re good ones. So ‘serve and return’ is essential. If you take nothing else from my talk today, it is that ‘The most important thing I do is talk to a young child and have them ‘talk’ back.’ Look at young children, have them look back. Because that is the essence of learning and development.” And that’s why, she said, the role of early education professionals – the frontline “serve and returners” – are so important. While family members may have one or three or four children to “serve and return” with every day, an early childhood educator may have six, 12, 24 kids they must interact with every day. It can be hard work, she said, like being a family member on steroids. That’s why professionals need to be educated and well-compensated, skilled and healthy. “I like to think of you — early childhood care and education professionals — as superheroes.” n

Alumni News B y C olleen F leischer NU F oundation

 One acted in “The Office.”  One could say her office is the beach.  One just wrote his first novel, a thriller called “FantasticLand.”  One is among the best illustrators of fantasy art in the land.

wenty-five years ago — in 1991 — Kearney State College joined the University of Nebraska system and became UNK. To celebrate this 25th anniversary, we found 25 graduates from across those 25 years to show the impact that Lopers are making in their communities, their state and this world. Poets. Teachers. Businesspeople. Doctors. Moms. Dads. Lawyers. Community leaders. Our list isn’t a Who’s Who. It’s only a small sample to show the big impact Lopers have made since leaving UNK. These people took 25 paths. But they have one thing in common: UNK made an impact on them first. 1. Regan Anson ’99 is executive director of the Nebraska 150 Celebration. 2. Mike Bockoven ’00 is marketing and public relations director for Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, an adjunct professor at Doane College and a “writer of nasty little thrillers for Skyhorse Publishing.” His first novel, “FantasticLand,” came out in October. “I believe, above all, in the power of narrative and story,” Bockoven said. “I was a journalist who told stories directly. Now I work in

Katy Bodenhamer '07 takes on Hollywood.

marketing, where my job is to tell the story of my museum across dozens and dozens of platforms. Teaching and books are an extension of the same beliefs — that stories are one of the most vital endeavors humans can do to connect with one another. “Above all, I hope I’m telling good stories in interesting ways.” 3. Katy Bodenhamer ’07 is a Hollywood actress by day, a graphic designer by night and a screenwriter. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2010, she’s acted in more than 85 films, shows and commercials including “The Office,” “Switched at Birth” and “Millionaire Matchmaker” (“Yep, I was chosen for the date and, well, it was pretty far from happily ever after!”) She is a lead role in the film “Shot Sparrow,” which was chosen for the 2016 Cannes Film Festival’s “Short Film Corner.” She played a wife in the zombie feature “I Am Alone,” which is sweeping film festivals. “As my career grows, I really want to make more and more people laugh, to connect people, to add and encourage positivity, drive and creativity wherever I am or whatever set I’m working on,” said Bodenhamer. “I’d love to add more depth to the entertainment industry in areas where it seems to have gotten shallow. I hope I’m seen as a good role model, the kind of role model I needed when I was young. I’m Catholic also, so I’d really like to produce some faith-based films which have a bit more … ambiguity, let’s say than you might see in those types of films these days — faith films more relatable to a larger audience.”

Alumni News 4. Brad Bohn ’06, M.D., ’10 UNMC is a family physician at Kearney Clinic, P.C. He also has served as a captain in the Air National Guard since 2007 and is slotted for flight surgeon school in the fall. He recently took over as co-medical director of Kearney Hospitalists L.L.C. and has been the editor of the “Cornhusker Family Physician” magazine since 2014. He serves on the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians board of directors. “UNK really shaped my adult life,” Bohn said. “My experience there really allowed me to have a wide variety of experiences from athletics to student government and even playing in the jazz/rock ensemble. As a family physician, I practice a wide variety of medicine, which is very similar to my wide variety of experiences at UNK. “I hope that I am impacting the health and well-being of the patients I serve. I also hope to be an impact in the community in terms of leadership and improvement of the health of Nebraskans. I feel that I have a unique skill set to help improve people’s lives, and I really started developing that skill set at UNK. I also hope, equally as importantly, to be a great husband and father to my wife and three daughters.” Kimberly Carlson, '92, MS Ed. '94, Ph.D. '98

5. Debra (Loseke) Walton ’94 is the director of corporate communications for Mosaic in Omaha. 6. Darby Carlson ’93, MS Ed. ’95 is a senior lecturer of biology at UNK and performs research with his wife, Kim Carlson, in his spare time.

7. Kimberly (Smith) Carlson ’92, MS Ed. ’94, Ph.D. ’98 UNL is a professor and assistant chair of biology at UNK. During her post-doc at UNMC, she discovered a gene that plays a role in HIV replication in macrophages. Because of that work, she has two U.S. patents: One for the treatment of HIV and the other for creating monoclonal antibodies. “My hope is that I have impacted one student’s life,” said Carlson. “I strive to be an impacting role model for future female scientists. Females don’t always have the strongest female role models, and I hope I have been that, not only for my female students but also the males. I feel it is important to be a strong female presence, especially in a male-dominated field.”

Tervel Dlagnev '09

8. Tervel Dlagnev ’09 who led UNK to the Division II national team title in 2008, wrestles No. 1 at 125 kg for Team USA. In 2009 and 2014, he was world bronze medalist. In 2012 and 2016, he placed fifth in the Olympics. “My desire is to change sports culture in the United States, beginning with wrestling,” Dlagnev said. “As a wrestling coach, I want to help athletes experience all that the sport has to offer, outside of just collecting accolades.” 9. Kirsten (Kronberg) Dlagnev ’10 works and travels the country and the world with her husband, Tervel, and is a mom to their two little boys. She is passionate about health and fitness. 10. Jessica (Mueller) Eidem ’00, MAE ’03 teaches seventh-grade life science at Horizon Middle School in Kearney. 11. Nate Eidem ’03 is a stay-at-home dad, a lecturer in geography at UNK and owner of 308 Skates, Kearney's own skate shop for skate boards, in-line skates, snow boards and clothing. 12. Kimberly Heil ’10 is finishing her final year of coursework in pursuit of a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Dallas. 13. Travis Hollman ’01 is the president and managing member of Hollman Media L.L.C., a business he and his wife, Angela, started while they were attending UNK. “I consider myself a ‘born again’ Loper,” said Hollman. “After my freshman year, I spent almost all of my available time with Angela. So I wasn’t very involved with a lot of extracurricular activities or student organizations. I viewed UNK as a good school that I just happened to attend. A few years after graduation, as we became more involved with UNK, I started to develop more of an appreciation for my alma mater. I developed relationships with faculty and staff. I did business with them. I began to recruit interns and eventually built my entire staff out of UNK graduates. 13

Alumni News work outside of class? Not “I started to teach a only that but he wants to couple classes in 2008 as practice team-building and an adjunct, and I still teach encourage others to join a class every year for the him outside of class? College of Business and “That is the culture Technology. I enjoy that that I want to continue to a lot. I’ve been fortunate grow and build right here to get a lot of positive within the info networking attention for some of the (INT) program at UNK.” things I’ve been involved with, but I still constantly 15. Brian Kaslon ’01, question whether or not MA ’09 teaches eighth I need to go a different grade at Horizon Middle direction and whether School in Kearney and or not I am making as Travis Hollman '01 and Angela Hollman '01, Ph.D. '14 UNL with their children riding in the coaches football and significant of a difference homecoming 2014 parade when they earned the UNK Distinguished Young Alumni Award. basketball. as what I am sometimes credited for. For me, I get 16. Dana (McCracken) Kaslon ’97 works in accounts assurance through the little things. A couple months ago I ran payable at Buckle. into a former UNK graduate that I taught as an adjunct about five years ago. I was surprised and encouraged by what he told me: ‘Mr. 17. Tracy Lungrin ’97, MSE ’01 works full time as a career Hollman, your class is one of two classes I took where I remember advisor for career services at UNL and is also a founding partner EVERYTHING.’ and trainer for CareerCode Inc., a company that helps people “Those are the small things, but big difference makers for me. gain a deeper understanding of who they are, what they value and I hope that when I am gone that those little things will have had where they fit best in today’s working world. as big of an impact on the world as any big award or project that I “I love connecting and developing others. I love to have fun might find myself associated with. If I could ever limit my world and laugh—usually obnoxiously,” said Lungrin. “I believe the in scope to something very small and focused, but make a very big next phase of my life will include training others on how to read, difference in that small space, I think that would be a good thing.” interact and connect with others — and how to help them connect, build and coach them to reach their potential. 14. Angela (Emrick) Hollman ’01, MSE ’09, Ph.D. ’14 “If I can help bring more meaning in an impactful, fun and UNL is an assistant professor at UNK within the industrial energetic fashion to another person, group or team — as well as technology department in a program called information networking & telecom. She helped students found the Cyber Security Club at UNK and is its advisor. She also is a co-owner Tracy Lungrin '97, MSE '01 of Hollman Media, L.L.C. “I really try to be centered around playing my part first to my family and God,” said Hollman. “Like Travis, I feel like I play a small part in the big scheme of things, and I hope that I play it well. I hope that I am a good mother to my children and a good wife to Travis. I also hope that I am imparting an excitement for IT and life with the college students. I want to give them a solid foundation of fundamentals and encourage them to explore while they are in college. “(Earlier this year) I took the students again to the cyber defense competition. On the way back, even though we were not first this year, one of the students said to me, ‘Coach, I want to work this summer on building that virtual environment with you that you were talking about. I want to encourage others to come in and help us, too.’ I’m thinking …What? Summer? Instead of being down in spirits, this student wants to come in this summer to 14

Alumni News connect with them on a deeper, more personal level — then I am contributing the impact I hope to make in the world.” 18. Aimee Miyazawa MAE ’04 is a head athletic trainer for USA Volleyball, Beach National Teams. Last August, she traveled to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with USA Volleyball Men’s and Women’s Beach teams. “My time at UNK was a very significant point in my development both as a person and in my profession,” said Miyazawa. “I had never worked with a team on my own. It was also my first experience working with the sport of volleyball. I had no idea at this time what an impact the sport of volleyball was about to have on my life and overall career. “The whole program from my graduate school, athletics, college of education, and facilities, were all top notch. The people there were phenomenal, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.” 19. Chuck Rowling ’03, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of political science at UNK. 20. Jennifer Rowling ’99 is an attorney for The Tye Law Firm P.C., L.L.O., in Kearney. She also is the general practice chair for the Nebraska State Bar Association and a member of its Leadership Academy. She is married to Chuck Rowling ’03. 21. Cristobal Salinas Jr. ’10, Ph.D. is now an assistant professor of educational leadership and research methodology at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He also serves on the National Advisory Committee for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity and is the founder and managing editor Aimee Miyazawa MAE ’04

of the Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity. “I credit UNK with my development as a leader,” Salinas said. “My favorite memories are the friends I made with my peers, being homecoming king, being a Chancellor's Ambassador, working for two summers in the Office Cristobal Salinas Jr. ’10, Ph.D. of Admissions as a summer orientation leader, and coordinating the Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference with the Office of Multicultural Affairs.” 22. Anthony Schutz ’98, ’03 J.D. UNL is an associate professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He has written a book on the Nebraska State Constitution with Peter Longo, one of his former professors at UNK. 23. Dwaine Spieker ’97, MA ’01 UNL teaches British literature, composition and creative writing at Wayne High School in Wayne, Nebraska. A noted poet, he was a finalist for the prestigious Pablo Neruda Prize in 2014 and semifinalist in 2015. 24. John Stanko ’95, MFA ’03 is an acclaimed illustrator of fantasy art. He has had illustrations in Spectrum, a journal that annually showcases the best fantasy art and illustrations in a “Dungeons and Dragons” style guide. 25. Chad Vokoun ’96, M.D. ’00, ’04 Ph.D. UNMC is an accomplished faculty member at UNMC and specializes in internal medicine. In 2011, he received an Outstanding Teaching Award. “I love seeing patients get better in the hospital,” he said. “But the great thing about being in academic medicine is that seeing a student or a resident improve or grasp a concept is equally fulfilling. It drives me to push them further along in their education every single day.” n

Around Campus B y K ristin H oward NU F oundation

Sena ‘Mom’ Lang’s Legacy Lives on

be obtained,” said Merle Horst, Men’s Hall resident, 1966-1969. “ ‘Mom’ Lang cared deeply about all her ‘boys’ back then. She listened and moreover helped you make good decisions. A wonderful lady whom everybody was proud to call ‘Mom,’ ” said Bob Whitehouse, a current member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and Men’s Hall resident, Sena ”Mom” Lang 1963-1965. “There are many individuals who have passed through our lives who positively influenced us. None, however, affected us more positively (particularly during our formative college years) than did ‘Mom’ Lang,” Hardesty recently wrote. “She did not teach classes; she did not write books and articles; nor did she endow buildings. More importantly, however, ‘Mom’ built character through her role model and many of us are who we are because of her.” Today, a bronze memorial plaque with her picture hangs on a wall in the foyer of Men’s Hall as a tribute to “Mom” Lang’s devotion. Perhaps a few of the current Men’s Hall residents pause from time to time to reflect on who was this gracious lady from another time. The plaque, along with the scholarship and the remembrance booklet, helps to keep her memory with us and to pass it along to current residents of Men’s Hall. The “Mom” Lang fund has awarded $13,056 to 19 scholarship winners since 1996. The recipient Men's Hall residents appreciated the guidance of Sena ”Mom“ Lang from 1956-1969. must be a resident assistant, in an upper-level class, hold a 3.0 GPA and be a graduate of a Nebraska high school. If you are interested in contributing to “Mom” Lang’s fund or would like to request copies of “A Remembrance,” please visit www.nufoundation.org/senalang or contact Kristin Howard at the NU Foundation, (308) 698-5270 or kristin.howard@nufoundation.org. n ixty years ago and following the passing of her husband, Sena Lang began her first full year as housemother serving Men’s Hall from 1956-69. “Mom” Lang, as the residents affectionately referred to her, devoted many years of her life to Kearney State Teachers College and Kearney State College students. Her influence and impact on several hundred men and women (Men’s Hall was a woman’s dormitory in 1965-66) lives on through those who remember her and through the students awarded the annual “Mom” Lang Memorial Scholarship at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK). After her death in 1992, almost 25 years ago, Larry Hardesty, ’69, MSE ’71 and Men’s Hall resident from 1966-1969, worked with a core of Men’s Hall residents to establish the scholarship fund. This year marks the 20th year of awarding scholarships to UNK residence hall advisors. Those who knew “Mom” Lang have been encouraged to reflect on her influence on their lives and continue her remembrance and guidance by contributing to the Mom Lang Scholarship Fund. Recently, Merle Horst ’70, joined by others, has made a significant contribution to the “Mom” Lang fund with the goal of it reaching the $25,000 endowment level. Additionally, Hardesty has updated a booklet he compiled of “Mom” Lang memories that each scholarship recipient receives. The booklet is a treasure of fond reminiscences of Lang by former residents of Men’s Hall and others. It is available to anyone interested. New stories and memories are always welcome for future editions. The following are typical examples of the recollections of Lang's service and memory: “After 50 years, I still reflect on the love and affection she showered on the residents, men and women, of Men's Hall. She empowered all of us to see a possible future and believe it could

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College of Business and Technology B y K ristin H oward NU F oundation

Racing into Entrepreneurship From Hooper to West Africa, Dusty Reynolds ’04 follows his calling of building businesses

usty Reynolds ’04, reflects, “UNK offers a deep level of community. Professors stay, the Chancellor cares. There is a high sense of pride at UNK – people want to be there.” After graduating from UNK in 2004 with a degree in industrial distribution, the native of Hooper was ready to take on what life and a career had to offer. He felt UNK prepared him well. As a self-described entrepreneur, he was ready to “start things.” Reynolds always knew he wanted to be his own boss. After graduating, he jumped right into business and co-founded a screen printing company in Fremont, D&T Shirtified. The company’s primary customers were local high schools and colleges, including UNK. Business was going well, but Reynolds realized it was time to “take some time for self-discovery in the hyper-connected world that can bog you down.” After three and a half years, he sold his shares of the company to focus on starting a new company in Mali (West Africa). He formed Sababu Conscious Clothing, a socially conscious company that produced undershirts and t-shirts from locally grown cotton. The purpose and mission of the company was to help alleviate poverty through sustainable employment. “Mali is the third poorest country in the world and has limited economic opportunities for a multitude of reasons. We started the small factory of 35 employees in 2009, lived in the country for two years and then turned the management and leadership to the nationals/locals,” said Reynolds. Unfortunately, the company was shut down for multiple reasons including the overturning of the local government. Reynolds and his wife returned to the U.S. For the next several years (2011 – 2014), Reynolds worked as the director of entrepreneurship & innovation for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he worked alongside highgrowth entrepreneurs to help optimize the likelihood of their success. Reynolds pulled from his life experiences and UNK education to connect people and businesses by making introductions to investors, exposing their companies to potential customers and learning community building techniques from other entrepreneurial hubs. Reynolds was successful and doing well, but that entrepreneur voice in him could not be quieted. While at the chamber, Reynolds started RaceNote, a software company that serves the motorsports industry. As the company gained traction, it became obvious to Reynolds that he couldn't maintain the responsibilities of being a husband, father, employee of the chamber and run a company. So, in July of 2014, he flipped the switch and went full time with RaceNote. RaceNote is a motorsports management platform that aims to make race teams faster. The technology and software allow race teams to make better decisions quicker. Race teams are flooded with

THE LIFE OF AN ENTREPRENUER: Today, Reynolds lives in Omaha with his wife, Julia, and children, Hudson (4), and, Elsie (3).

data, including track temperatures, lap times, car settings, videos and optimal speeds. RaceNote’s products collect, organize and analyze that data simplifying the decision-making process for race teams. Since 2014, the company has grown and helped more than 2,000 race teams globally, including a strong contingent of NASCAR teams. Today, Reynolds lives in Omaha with his wife, Julia, and children, Hudson (4), and, Elsie (3), along with, Bella, a “mutt we found in the bush in Africa and decided to bring home with us,” said Reynolds. Reynolds is passionate about life, his family, education, racing and sports technology. Reynold’s experience and relationships, combined with his entrepreneurial efforts, have helped him continue to succeed and grow. While recently honored as the 2015 Innovator of the Year by the Pipeline entrepreneurial fellowship, Reynolds is appreciative but remembers he is the product of a great education at UNK. “I was shepherded by good leaders who cared,” he said. n 17

College of Natural and Social Science B y R achel S tauffer UNK A lumni A ssociation

McElroy Finds Her Niche in Nursing

hris (Kahle) McElroy UNMC ’92 has spent the last 24 years in the nursing field, and her passion for the job has continued to grow throughout her journey. She has received numerous awards, including the Shirley Elam Clinical Excellence Award in 2011, the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2011 and 2015 and the Kansas City Metro March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Procedural Care in 2016. We recently had an opportunity to speak with her about her career. When did you decide to become a nurse?

My journey is an interesting one. I graduated from Kearney High School and went right into college. I began my college career as an education major. My junior year I decided to take some time off and work full time. During this time, my brother, David, returned from serving in the Gulf War and he, along with my parents, said, “Have you thought about nursing?” I really hadn’t, but considered it following these conversations; and the rest is history. DESTINATION NURSING: Chris (Kahle) McElroy, started out on the Kearney campus as an education major, joined the Kearney ROTC unit and graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing - Kearney Division. McElroy's brother, David Kahle ’95, is helping her celebrate her commissioning.

I applied for ROTC and the nursing program and was accepted into both. I earned my nursing degree, was commissioned as an officer, and became a nurse! How did being in the military affect your career?

Upon graduating from nursing school, I was commissioned into the United States Army Nurse Corps. Chris (Kahle) McElroy UNMC ’92 I spent four years at Tripler Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a bedside nurse in several different areas of nursing including gynecology, ear, nose, throat, oncology, surgical and infusion therapy. It exposed me to different things, and I loved it. Following my tour in Hawaii, I was assigned to Irwin Army Community Hospital in Fort Riley, Kansas. There, I served in leadership roles. The most significant being the officer in charge of the consolidated Troop Medical Clinic. This exposed me to the administrative side of healthcare. I was the first Army Nurse Corps officer to lead a new concept clinic that combined battalion aid stations under one roof. I oversaw the daily operations of the clinic in addition to two brigade surgeons, 12 physician assistants and 25 medics. I am proud to have served my country. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to grow as a nurse and leader in the military. It provided me exposure to all levels of healthcare and nursing. I really do believe it was a good catalyst for my career. What is your nursing specialty?

I am a vascular access specialist. My specialty is gaining momentum and more recognition in the medical community as an integral part of patient care. My job is to evaluate vessel health and select vascular access devices. Based on an assessment, I then determine how to decrease the number of times a patient has to be stuck with a needle so we can deliver intravenous medications safely and effectively without exposing patients to unnecessary pain or health risks. My scope of practice is specialized, but what I do touches most of the patient population. Almost everyone in the hospital has an IV. In my facility, there are only five vascular access specialists for a 500-bed facility. I’ve really found my nursing niche.

College of Natural and Social Science What are changes you have seen in this field?

I was introduced to vascular access nursing in 2005 by a nurse who is now my best friend. Both her and my mentor exposed me to this area of nursing taking me under their wing. When I started learning how to place a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) TECHNOLOGY: McElroy uses ultrasound it would take anywhere machines with portable monitors to assess from 2 to 2 ½ hours vessel health and place various types of IV to finish the job; this (intravenous) devices for patients. included the bedside assessment to releasing the PICC line for the nurse to use. Combining experience with advancements in technology, today I am able to place a PICC line at the bedside in under 30 minutes. The ultrasound machines we use, the technology, the graphics and the monitors that are portable and allow me to go from bed to bed, have advanced exponentially. The ultrasound machines assess vessel health, provides real-time location of the catheter in the patient and confirms placement of the line without having to use a chest

x-ray to release the line for use to the nurse. These advancements in technology have had a positive impact on patient outcomes. What I love about our technology is that it decreases all of the variables so we can tailor it specifically to the patient. Which, I think, is hands down better. If we can use tools to help us eliminate errors and patient pain, that is a good thing. However, it never replaces me talking to patients and making them feel comfortable. That’s still the nurse in me. That will never go away. What advice would you give to students who are interested in the field of nursing?

The best advice I can give to someone interested in nursing is to shadow someone in the field. Exposure early on is extremely beneficial especially if you are undecided about nursing. Nursing is hard work, not glamorous but extremely gratifying when you know your care has made a difference in the life of a patient. For students just graduating with your nursing degree, get out there and get your hands dirty. Nothing replaces experience. I sense a trend where a nurse obtains their BSN and moves right into getting their master’s degree or advance nurse practitioner. I support advanced education, but I feel strongly that we need nurses at the bedside practicing nursing. Don’t go out there with the misconception that nursing is going to be easy, and that school prepares you for everything. Get out there, work and practice. Own your practice, and become good at what you do. Whatever you do, whether it’s wound care, emergency room, operating room nursing, you don’t find that niche until you’ve practiced it and lived it. Sometimes it’s a happy accident. Truly, being a vascular-access nurse for me is one of the happiest. n

Do you know someone whose professional and volunteer accomplishments deserve to be recognized? Annual Awards: •

Distinguished Alumni Award

•

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

•

Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Service Award

Each year, the UNK Alumni Association recognizes UNK graduates who have achieved distinction either in their professional fields or through their involvement in civic, cultural or charitable activities. We invite you to nominate individuals who deserve to be recognized.

The award guidelines and a nomination form can be found at unkalumni.org/awards. If you know of a deserving graduate, submit your nomination to tricia.danburg@unkalumni.org by April 1, 2017. The award recipients will be recognized during homecoming weekend festivities, September 15-16, 2017.

Loper Athletics

B y M ichelle W idger UNK A lumni A ssociation

From the Action to the Sidelines Mat Cope ’99 is a constant for Loper football

uring the past few years, there have been many changes with the UNK Loper football program. With more on the horizon, the one thing that remains constant is the support and efforts of longtime fans. Mat Cope ’99 is an example of one of those alumni who has given countless hours to support the Loper football program. Cope played for the Lopers from 1994 to 1998. When asked to name some of his most memorable game days, he claims there are too many to count. However, his greatest memories are of the fans and their constant backing. Cope recalls, “My fondest memory about the whole experience is the fans and the parents who were just relentless and followed us everywhere. We were in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, so, when we were DEDICATED: Pictured in 2010, Mat Cope ’99 and wife, Amy (Fagot) Cope ’99 on the road, we were typically in Colorado. A lot of times, to get find time even in their busy schedules with kids, Riley and Canon, to attend to a game in Fort Lewis or Durango, Colorado, we would circle the games and support the Loper football team. They especially enjoy attending the games as a family. the mountain tops for three to four hours. Saturday morning when the parents rolled in, there could be a huge snowstorm and parents, children or spouses. Cope is also involved with Loper they would have to put chains on the vehicles just to get over the Football Backers. Both groups raise money for scholarships for mountains. They would always make it. Always.” UNK football players. “For me, it isn’t a choice but an obligation,” In addition to his family, Cope had many help him along the Cope said. “I love helping, and I love to be a part of the Lopers, way, “Scott Hoffman was the receiver’s coach and was monumental their struggles and successes.” in getting me to come to UNK. Claire Boroff was my coach and Cope feels a deep responsibility and obligation to the team. “I did quite a bit for me as a student and an athlete. Professionally, think the main reason I still stay involved is for all of my teammates Dr. Don Envick was influential in recruiting me to the industrial who are not able to be involved due to where they live. I do it for technology program. Most of all I really appreciated the support them, to give them a voice and to make sure the job gets done.” of my parents who often kid me about getting a degree; and “Once you become part of the Loper Nation, you’re always a then, I ended up pouring concrete for 14 years.” Cope started the Loper. I’m part of the UNK family. I always feel like it is my job to company Curbit, Inc., in Gretna, brought it to Kearney, grew it into give back to the family,” a successful business Cope says, “Although LOPER BACKERS: At the Loper football backers banquet, Cope and son, Canon (#1, his dad's and eventually sold it. number), won "coach for the day," where they could be with the coaches and team on the the time commitment Currently, Cope is a sidelines, in the locker and in the training rooms. Cope said, "Standing on the sideline and is challenging, it is all sales representative for hearing the plays being called brought back a ton of memories." worth it. It’s a great Landmark Implement feeling to know that in Kearney. you helped put a Although he may tight-end, quarterback, not be in the action special teams kid or of the game anymore, an offensive lineman Cope helps out the on the field. You really team any way he can. can’t describe that Cope spearheaded feeling. I wouldn’t be the Loper Gridiron able to afford to do that Club (LGC) for many myself, but through the years. LGC is a club events we hold and the comprised of past funds we raise, I can Loper football team still say I’m a part of members and their something big.” n 20

Loper Athletics

Rooms Named After Loper Greats The Cope Stadium press box named for Don Briggs ’51, MAE ’57

his fall the athletic department named the press box at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field after Loper legend Donald "Don" K. Briggs ’51, MAE ’57. "Mr. B," as he was known to the UNK and Kearney communities, served as the sports information director (SID) for an unprecedented 33 years (1958-1990). He passed away in 2013 at the age of 86. During halftime of the Nov. 12 football game between the Lopers and Fort Hays State, members of the Briggs family were recognized and received one of Don's framed letterman jackets. A pioneer in the collegiate sports information field, Briggs earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Kearney State College (KSC). His graduate degree was the first-ever awarded by KSC. Before coming back to campus, he was a teacher and principal in Lyman and served in the Army. Previous to 1974, Briggs was KSC's entire public relations department, serving as SID, alumni services, college relations and publications directors. He began his UNK tenure as a journalism and English teacher and, over the years, was an adviser to The Antelope Newspaper, Blue & Gold Yearbook and student senate. Pledging Phi Tau Gamma in 1948, he was initiated in 1966 when the fraternity went national. Briggs was also greatly involved with the Phi Tau Gamma and Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternities, serving as adviser from 1957-2002. He not only earned the ATO's National Adviser of the Year award but also received an ATO Lifetime Achievement award. The Broken Bow High School graduate was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall

of Fame in 1971, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1987, the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Broken Bow Hall of Fame in 2004. He also earned the UNK's Alumni Association Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the Kearney Hub Freedom Award for volunteer service. Don ”Mr. B” Briggs ’51, MAE ’57 During his Loper career, he twice received the NAIA Award of Merit, served as President of the NAIA Sports Information Directors Association and was the NAIA District 11 information director for two decades. For more than 20 years, he served as the press room coordinator for the NAIA track and field championships and for the NAIA national basketball tournament in Kansas City. Not surprisingly, in 1980, Briggs received the Pearson Award, the NAIA's SID highest honor. Additionally, he wrote the history of Loper athletics for the years 1905-2000 and wrote the history for the State Tuberculosis Hospital, which is now the West Center of the UNK campus. n

The UNK athletic department equipment room named for Dick Collins ’76 as a student assistant, in 1967, before The athletic department honored heading to the Navy. long-time equipment manager Dick Collins Returning to UNK in 1975 and in February 2017 by officially naming the graduating a year later with a recreation equipment room in the Health & Sports degree, he was charged with outfitting Center the "Dick Collins Equipment Room" all Loper varsity sport programs, which at the final regular season home basektball numbered 10 when he began at thengame against Northeastern State. Kearney State College. With the advent of Collins was recognized at halftime of women's sports, the number grew to 17. the men's contest. During the second half In 1990, he helped design the current of the women's game and in-between the HONORED: Athletic Director Paul Plinske honored Dick Collins '76 equipment room, housed on the ground games, Collins and his wife Shirley were on at the equipment room naming ceremony at the Health and Sports Center. Collins served as the equipment manager for more than 38 floor of the Health & Sports Center. hand for a meet-and-greet. years. Collin's wife, Shirley, also took part in the celebration. He was a member of the Athletic An Ord native and a member of the Equipment Manager's Association since UNK Athletic Hall of Fame, Collins was its inception in 1976 and worked with more than 10,000 UNK the Lopers head equipment manager, for all men's and women's student-athletes, not to mention hundreds of Loper coaches. n sports, during a 38-year period (1976-2013). He began his career 21

Loper Athletics B y M ichelle W idger UNK A lumni A ssociation

Altmaier ’77, Paints Word Pictures ®

without hesitating Altmaier replied, “It was the North Central hat do painting and sports have to do with one Men’s Basketball Regional that UNK hosted in 2004, a stretch of another? A lot, if you ask Steve Altmaier ’77. games that went into overtime with the Lopers beating Northern “People depend on you to paint the picture of what State and Metro State. The Loper game went into double overtime is going on during the game. Knowing people are against Metro State. The Lopers won and that got them into the depending on you to get the story of their team right, that is what elite eight. That year we went to Lakeland, Florida, where the I love about announcing,” Altmaier said. Lopers then lost to a team from Oklahoma in the first round.” Growing up north of Kearney, working on the farm and “Altmaier was an exceptional friend, mentor and broadcaster listening to the thrill of a Kearney High, Loper or Husker game, in Kearney. A champion of many things, sports play-by-play of the Altmaier knew that is what he wanted to do. He was the oldest of six Lopers was his calling card. He had a smooth and understandable children and a good student, so his parents encouraged him. They tone that assured you would get the full report during a game,” told him to follow his dreams and go where his heart takes him. said Rich Broderson, former senior associate athletic director at When Altmaier started college there was no broadcasting UNK. “Altmaier wasn’t known for showing a lot of excitement degree. So, he put a few business and a few broadcast T.V. courses during a broadcast, but when he did, you knew it was a pivotal together to create his own degree. When asked, Altmaier said Robert moment in the game.” Larson and Scott McVittie were professors who helped him and got The one thing Altmaier him going on the degree. won’t miss and one reason Along the way, he gave up calling games in Altmaier participated in 2005 is the travel. “It takes a many internships. His first toll on a person, especially experience at radio was after so many years,” Altmaier in 1973 as a sophomore said. He also won’t miss the at Kearney State College. early mornings, Altmaier Altmaier DJ’d at the campus explained, “Radio is an early radio station KOVF (what is morning business.” Now, he now known as KLPR) playing gets to sleep in until 6:30 a.m. rock n’ roll hits like Lynyrd When asked what Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” which THE MAN BEHIND THE VOICE: Steve Altmaier, '77, the retired KGFW-AM/FM News Director, is a radio advice Altmaier would give was the number one song at and media legend in Central Nebraska. Altmaier's calming voice and demeanor have been his trademark to students, he replies, “Try it! the time. About one year later, since his first day in 1974. He has served his community via the AM radio as an interviewer, sports play-by-play announcer and news director. Altmaier interviewed everyone from governors, congressmen, Especially when it comes to Altmaier started interning senators, state legislators and other state and local government officials. UNK. There is a wide array at KGFW where he spent 42 of opportunities. The thing about sports is you need to find where years until his retirement in November 2016. your interests lie and progress into things you like. Just try it!” When asked if he has had any desire to leave along the way, Altmaier has interviewed and questioned governors, Altmaier replied, “I’ve had a few offers to leave, but Kearney is my congressmen, senators, state legislators, and other state and local hometown, my home. Why would I want to leave one of the best government officials. Add to that visits from non-profit and gigs in the state doing play-by-play for the Lopers?” business leaders plus countless regular citizens just there to pitch Altmaier spent 24 years as the voice of the Lopers for radio an upcoming event or cause on Kearney’s community program, stations KGFW-AM and KQKY-FM before becoming KGFW “Talk of The Town.” AM/FM Assistant News Director in 2005. During his sports “Steve is a Kearney icon. His voice is a part of many announcing career, Altmaier called nearly 2,500 sporting events. memories, from Loper sports fans to local radio news listeners. With the travel schedule of the Central States Intercollegiate His impact on UNK is hard to measure, but it has been great Conference, as an independent and the Rocky Mountain Athletic through his consistent coverage of campus news and enthusiastic Conference, that was no easy task. Doing nearly 100 live events a support of Loper athletics,” said Lucas Dart, vice president of year meant he traveled more than 250,000 miles to bring Loper alumni relations and development for UNK. athletics into the homes of fans. Altmaier was sports director Altmaier said there is one thing he will miss the most, “The of the station from 1981 to 2005. In 2005, he was named the people, the listeners. The memories you take with you, the people Nebraska Coaches Association Media Person of the Year. you meet and the friends they become along the way.” n When asked what his most memorable game of all time was,

RUNNING T complete HE RACE: Sara B rown ’06 d the New Y in Novem ber. Sara ork City Marathon finished w 4:38:04, pla ith c 51,000 run ing 28,034 out of m a time of ore than ners. This w marathon . Sara live as Sara’s ninth s and work in Arlingto s in n Strategies public affairs at W , Virginia, in Washin ard Circle gton D.C.

Loper Happenings and Updates

legend Dr. Holly Nikels ’93, MSE ’96, EDS ’99 ation Director LOPER FAMILY: Michael "Mike" Donnelly '74; NU Found Donnelly Kristin '13; ES '08, of Development Stephanie Kaczor MAE during the n Lincol in Vega at talking enjoy '76 lly Donne '11 and Cynthia Lopers After Hours event in October.

CHANCELLOR VISIT: Stephanie King-Witt '98, MSE ’05; NU Foundation Director of Development Rich Brodersen '94 and Mitch Maire '11 enjoyed a "Night with the Chancellor" Loper social in Grand Island.

r) Bowen, Merna ) Falter '59, Sharon (Stea ORIGINALS: Joan (Christ urn '57, ES '74, MS '90 , Barbara (Viren) Blackb ring homecoming (Ruebsasman) Valen '57 ed a tour of campus du joy en l pe Kre re) lgo (Ki and Katie neers and Sigma al members of the Wago gin ori re we ey Th . nd weeke Phi Beta. later became Gamma Theta Phi sorority that

Holly Nikels ’93, ’MSE ’96, EDS ’99, a professor in the Western Illinois University's (WIU) Department of Counselor Education, has been named chair of the department. Nikels, who also serves as the program and clinical coordinator, joined the WIU faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor. She was named an associate professor in 2007, with tenure granted in 2009, and a full professor in 2013. She also has a consulting business in Bettendorf, Iowa. Before going to WIU, she was a school counselor in Vermillion, South Dakota, and has also served as a school-based therapist and employee assistance counselor in Lincoln and an intake coordinator/primary therapist at a hospital in Kearney. Nikels has published extensively in academic journals, presented at numerous regional, state and national conferences and received grants totaling more than $500,000. Nikels is a licensed professional counselor in Illinois, and is a member of Illinois Health Coalition Advisory Board, a grant reviewer for the Scott County Regional Authority Board and the program director of the PACERS Mentoring Program at Rock Island High School. "Dr. Nikels is an invaluable member of the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) and the department. Her contributions to the university and to her profession are outstanding and will allow her to continue the department's tradition of excellence," said COEHS Dean Erskine Smith. Nikels received her bachelor's degree in human development/early childhood education and her master's and specialist's degrees in community counseling from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She earned her doctorate in counselor education with an emphasis in school counseling from 23 the University of South Dakota. n

anne te ’14, Rox , Cory Foo ummerfield ’11, 5 ’1 n lle A ’15, Haley ayla Kelley, Nate S aura Spale Sh OMAHA: L brink) Knutson ’11, i Diediker ’13. in nd te A d (S " n y a x 3 o ’1 "R iediker D ) tt e w (S Katie

legend Matt Dykstra ’96 Matt Dykstra '96 is the 2016 College of Education Distinguished Educator of the Year recipient. Dykstra is a physical education teacher at Millard Public Schools and has been teaching there for the past 20 years. For the past five years, he has also been an adjunct professor at University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). During his time at UNK, Dykstra was a catcher for the baseball team, a resident advisor, student ambassador, a member of the Rodeo Club and was the 1995 homecoming king. In 2000, Dykstra received his master’s degree in educational administration from UNO. Dykstra has received numerous awards throughout his teaching career, including the excellence in teaching award in 2012 and physical education teacher of the year from the Nebraska State Education Association, as well as the UNO parttime instructor of the year in 2013. Dykstra was selected by the Alliance of a Healthier Generation as a National Healthy School Ambassador for two years, earning several state and national wellness awards for his school. Dykstra has conducted 20 Jump Rope for Heart events, raising more than $135,000 for the American Heart Association. The Distinguished Educator award was presented to Matt Dykstra during the One Room, One Teacher induction ceremony held on Friday, Sept. 23. See page 25 for details and more pictures of the One Room, One Teacher ceremony. n

at The Culver Hotel SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Several Lopers got together Luse and her sister Tricia left, from ed, includ They nia. Califor City, in Culver ‘63, LEAD Spohr geler) (Heng Judith Sue Batie ‘73, Marlo Bluford ‘94, ‘82. Black r) (Seitze Karen and 04 ‘ n Krema Jack ent Presid Council

GLENDALE, ARIZONA: University of Nebr aska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen admires that David Max ’73 still has his letter jacket from his time on the track team.

TUCSON, ARIZONA: (From left) Ardean Hagemeister ’78, Nanette (Hetzke) Knight ‘86, Vice President of Alumni Relations & Development Lucas Dart ’97, Jane and Frank Russell ’61, Panda Vest and Lanny Jorgensen ’63, UNK Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Charlie Bicak ’74 and David Wendland ’76 enjoyed the Reforma Cocina y Cantina in Tucson, Arizona.

s the rural WARM WELCOME: Pete Kotsiopulos ’70 congratulate during the One ed honor were who s familie their school teachers and Room One Teacher celebration in September.

REMEMBRANCE: More than $150,000 has been raised to support UNK education student scholarships through honoring those who taught in one-room schools. The wall of honored one room teachers is proudly displaye d in the center of the UNK College of Education Building.

e rvin Ston CHER: Ma year in a A E T A F HEART O 1950-51 school #57 in e taught th school at District ts in the n m e one-roo nty. He had stud rades. g u o th C n e e Platt d sev g career fourth an second, began her teachin he s y Leila Ma istrict #55 where rough th tD in 1950 a des kindergarten ree th taught gra taught there for at he ar eighth. S re spending a ye turned re fo years be , after which she 24 District # #55. t to Distric

LEARNIN Feinste G LEGACY: Dea in n Sohrwe with honoree Sheryl id teachin (left) who be Roberta g g #8. From in 1956 at Dis an tr taught 1958-59 Sohrw ict a County. t District #70 in eid S before he taught 38 Seward retiring years .

One Room, One Teacher Awards Honor Educators Thirteen rural school teachers were honored during the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s (UNK) One Room, One Teacher ceremony in September 2016, at UNK’s College of Education building. The program started in 2012 to honor teachers who taught in one-room schools and their stories. More than $150,000 has been raised to help support UNK education student scholarships. To date, there have been 77 one-room teachers honored through this program. “The One Room, One Teacher program honors the legacy of rural schoolteachers in Nebraska,” said Dr. Sheryl Feinstein, dean of the UNK College of Education. “The one-room schoolteachers played a vital role in creating a firm foundation for education. Their students make our state and nation what it is today.” Approximately 120 people attended the ceremony where the second annual student scholarships were awarded to Cynthia Biggs, an early childhood education major from Minden; Kara Dauel, an elementary education major from Pleasanton; and Fayth Ryan, an elementary education major from Columbus. This year, the following teachers were honored: Madeline Willard Adelung, Agnes Cumming Ericson, Carrie Bogseth Gangwish, Marguerite Kaufman Gronewold, Doris I. Wagner Horrocks, Neva C. Kanost and Dorothy Ericson Maurer. Many of the honorees completed one to two-year teaching certificates before venturing out on their own to teach students almost at the age they were when they started teaching. Stories and biographies of the teachers who have been honored are featured on the UNK website at unk.edu/coe. If you would like to honor a one-room teacher or for more information about the One Room, One Teacher program, contact the University of Nebraska Foundation at 308-698-5270 or visit the University of Nebraska Foundation website at nufoundation.org. n 25

1955

Class Notes

Mike Yanney of Omaha was the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in worldwide service.

1956

Robert Gell of Charlestown, Maryland, retired as President Emeritus of Cecil College and Maryland Commissioner. Charlotte (Fisher) Reicks of Grand Junction, Colorado, is featured in the January 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine in the “Making A Difference” section for 18 years of cross-country bicycling raising funds for Huntington`s Disease families and for research. The rides have generated nearly $700,000.

1959

Richard Austin of Bellevue retired after teaching English in Bellevue for 36 years.

1964

Enid (Meeske) Hansen, MAE `92 of Kearney is retired and judging play production and speech tourneys across the state, plus accompanying musical groups.

1966

Ronald and Barbara (Hollinger) Hokom of Galveston, Texas, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August.

1971

Barry Sandstrom MSE `75 of Grand Island retired from Home Federal Bank.

1972

Kenneth Buck of Woodstock, Maryland, is a retired federal law enforcement officer. Dr. Joe Shanahan of Burr Ridge, Illinois, donated two rusted corten steel sculptures to UNK.

1973

Dr. Gilbert Rude of Kearney was named the 2016 Family Physician of the Year by the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians.

1974

Scott Maul, EDS `88 of Georgetown, Texas, volunteers with Rotary Club, the Commemorative Air Force and the V.A. Paul Paulman, M.D., of Omaha received the Innovative Practices in Education Award from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Academic Affairs.

1977

William Beiber MSE, of Culbertson retired from the United States Postal Service. Lt. Col. Brian Bode of Kansas City, Missouri, is the chief financial officer for Park University.

1980

BJ Engler of New York City, New York, is a real estate broker for the Engler Denby Team. Major Ret. Dixie (Ziegler) Gray of Bloomington, Indiana, retired as a major with the U.S. Army. Gray was in ROTC at Kearney State College. Lyle White, MSE, EDS `82 of Carbondale, Illinois, retired after 27 years with Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a professor and interim dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

1981

Lisa Dunn of Grand Island is a customer care manager for Axis Capital in Grand Island. Dr. Tyler Martin of Roca is now the president and a member of the board of directors of Dance Biopharm Inc.

1982

Deborah Goodenberger, MA `09 of McCook received the 2016 Elementary Art Educator of the Year from the Nebraska Art Teacher`s Association for

SAVE THE DATE UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division

Alumni Reunion September 16, 2017 All alumni, faculty, and staff from the UNMC College of Nursing-Kearney Division are invited to attend this reunion, during UNK Homecoming Weekend 2017.

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her accomplishments as an art instructor. Deborah is currently employed with McCook Public Schools.

1984

Kathleen (Keasling) Boehler MSE of Hastings is a math instructor at Central Community College in Grand Island. Jeanette (Keller) Wojtalewicz of Omaha is the chief financial officer for Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) Health and the 2016 Ron Landstrom Executive-in-Residence at UNK.

1988

Susan Harris-Broomfield of Minden is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator in Kearney and Franklin counties. Jim Grotrain, MAE `95 of Plattsmouth is now the vice president for strategic partnerships for Bellevue University.

1989

Ronald Boehler of Hastings is an IT instructor at Grand Island’s Central Community College.

1991

Dan Kritenbrink of Falls Church, Virginia, is the senior director for Asian affairs for the National Security Council with the U.S. Government. Kathleen (Frederick) Wendlandt of Gretna is on the Midlands Community Foundation Board of Directors. She is also on the board of directors for the Gretna Days Foundation and founded the Bright Future Foundation.

1994

Robin Balaban of Vancouver, Washington, is lead initial attack dispatcher for Mt. Hood National Forest, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Heather (Livingston) Daubert, MAE `97 of Omaha was awarded 2016 assistant principal of the year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals. She is at Millard Public Schools. Mary (Sack) Rittenhouse, MBA `97 is the assistant professor of agribusiness management systems at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. Debra (Loseke) Walton of Plattsmouth is now the director of corporate communications for Mosaic in Omaha.

1996

Morgan Daniels MSE `08 of Blencoe, Iowa, has been selected as a model teacher for the West Harrison School District.

1998

Tennille (Gifford) Allison MSE `10 of Kearney was named the ACTEN Outstanding Business Teacher of the Year. Jerrid Freeman of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is vice president of student affairs at Northeastern State University. Brad Krohn of Kearney is the project leader of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service`s Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District. Tony Voss of South Sioux City is the vice president of construction supplies at Concrete Products Co.

Class Notes

1999

Andy Bishop MS `01 of Grand Island was recently accepted into the seventh class of the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy.

2000

Brice Krohn of Kearney is vice president of the Crane Trust near Alda.

2001

Brad Kjar MAE `07 of Ravenna is the principal of Ravenna Junior and Senior High School. Jacques Smith III of Kearney is marketing president at Great Western Bank of Holdrege. Katie Mathews EDS, Park Elementary Principal of Kearney was named the 2017 National Distinguished Principal representing Nebraska by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

2002

Michala (Klein) Soundy of Doniphan is the director of workforce and community development for the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.

2003

Grant Mollring MA `09 of Storm Lake, Iowa, is Buena Vista University`s new head football coach.

2004

Ross Gardner of Omaha is a principal attorney with the Jackson Lewis P.C. law firm in Omaha. He represents management in all aspects of traditional labor law and employment litigation. Brock McGee of Lincoln was promoted to sales manager at Paramount Linen & Uniform in Lincoln. He leads a team of outside sales reps in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney. LuAnn (Dowse) Schauda MSE of Anselmo is K-12 guidance counselor at Sargent Public Schools.

2005

Brett Chloupek of Maryville, Missouri, is currently an assistant professor of geography at Northwest Missouri State University. He has been appointed to the Missouri Board on Geographic Names (MOBGN). Mark Kamerzell MAE of Lincoln is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Group. Michael Wilken of Kearney is a financial representative for Principal Financial Group`s Great Plains Business Center in Kearney.

2006

Tom Arens of Hartington is a seedsman at Channel Seed. Alicia (Mueller) Burmood teaches at Dawes Middle School with Lincoln Public Schools. Zachary Kopf, DDS of Pierce is the owner of Starwood Dental in Norfolk. Nicole (Woitaszewski) Miller MS of Columbus received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for her accomplishments in education. Miller currently teaches biology, human anatomy and physiology at Columbus Lakeview High School and coaches a science olympiads team. Michael Williams of Omaha has been named communications manager for Berkshire Hathaway Media Group.

2008

Kalee (Modlin) O`Connor of Lenexa, Kansas, is a nuclear technologist at Mid-America Cardiology at the University of Kansas. O`Connor played basketball for the Lopers. Corey Urbanek of Kearney is now the managing director for the Crane River Theater. Amber Nabity Vlasnik received the 2016 Nebraska Teacher of the Year by the State Department of Education for her accomplishments as a math educator and department chair at Lincoln High School.

2009

AshLea (Millsap) Allberry, MBA `15 of Lincoln is the co-founder of RISE and recently received the Founders Award at Inspire - Celebrating Women`s Leadership Awards. Lance Burmood of Lincoln is currently employed with Continental ContiTech. Dan Schumacher of Kearney owns Schumacher Brothers Fencing.

Emily Fairbairn of Papillion is a special education teacher at Conestoga Public Schools. Eli Hammond of Omaha teaches physical education at Norris Middle School and coaches quarterbacks at Omaha South High School. Matthew Jensen of St. Paul, Minnesota, is completing his Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.

2013

Marc Bacon of Kearney is the lead web developer at Scorr Marketing.

M O V I N G ?

2010

Elizabeth Chrisp of Amherst is an associate attorney at Jacobsen Orr. Adam Esses MSE of North Newton, Kansas, was named the head women’s basketball coach for Bethel College. Mark Grimes of Lincoln is an attorney with Cline, Williams, Wright, Johnson & Oldfather, L.L.P. He is a member of the Order of the Coif. His practice will focus on litigation. Sarah (Sweeney) Mulder of Kearney is currently a marketing manager at Associated Staffing.

2011

Autumn Dugan, MS `13 is a speech-language pathologist at Kearney Physical Therapy. Allie (Nightingale) Matson of San Jose, California, is an educator at Rocketship, Redwood City Prep. Kendall Mauer of York is a physician’s assistant at York Medical Clinic. She earned her Master of Clinical Medical Science and Physician Assistant Studies at Barry University in St. Petersburg, Florida. David Peterman of McCook is a special education teacher for the junior high in McCook. Bergan (Carr) Schumacher of Kearney is an associate attorney at Bruner Frank L.L.C. Kendra (Solko) Jensen of St. Paul, Minnesota, earned her Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) from Creighton University in Omaha. Kaylee (Troyer) Roth of Kearney is a direct support professional at Wilkins Architecture Design and Planning.

2012

Caitlin (Foy) Adams, MS `14 of Ogallala is a speech pathologist at ESU 16. Hunter Arterburn of Nebraska City is the operations manager and morning show host at Big Apple News Radio, B103, in Nebraska City. Lauren (Swertzic) Doughty of Tipton, Iowa, is a social studies teacher at Tipton Community School District. Chantelle Schrunk Dempster of Ewing currently teaches 6th grade at Ewing Public School.

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UNK Alumni Association Campus Box 21 Kearney, NE 68849-6120 Name:__________________________ _______________________________ New Address:____________________ _______________________________ City:____________________________ State:___________________________ Zip + 4:__________________________ Ph.:_____________________________ Email:___________________________

M O V I N G ? 27

Class Notes

Justin Sheldon J.D. of Kearney is currently an associate attorney with Jacobsen Orr. Morgan (Strand) Sherlock of Bird City, Kansas, is currently a 7-12 math teacher at Cheylin Schools in Bird City. Luke Zinnell of Ravenna is now an associate attorney with Knapp, Fangmeyer, Aschwege, Besse & Marsh P.C.

2014

Kevin Davis of Kearney is the operations manager at Vintage Title and Escrow in the Minden office. Lane Hoskins of Houston, Texas, teaches at Elsik High School. Moses Moxey of Naperville, Illinois, is a medical account development specialist with Molex. Patrick "Dillon" Schrodt, MAE `16 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is competing for the 2018 Olympic bobsledding team. He was drafted by pilot Geoff Gadbois to join the sled that competed in the North American Cup in November and January.

2015

Camrie (Gregg) Araujo of McCook teaches fourth grade at Central Elementary School.

2016

Megan Brauer of Fairfield is a 2nd grade teacher at Gates Elementary with Grand Island Public Schools. Chloe Roberts of Kearney is the UNK interim head women`s soccer coach. Bart Everts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the referencelibrarian of the Robeson Library at Rutgers University-Camden. Bryan Luna of Omaha has attained his life, accident and health license as well as FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations. He is a financial advisor with Renaissance Financial.

Marriages

Jessop Adams and Caitlin Foy `12, MS `14 of Ogallala were married June 6, 2015. Claire Aylward `13 and Spencer Wilson of Lincoln were married Oct. 8. Drake Beranek and Kaitlyn Peterson `10 of Kearney were married Aug. 1, 2015. Jordan Bloesser `14 and Ryan Linder `15 of Lincoln were married July 30. Matt Bjornsen `08, MBA `10 and Ashley Kiekhoefer of Stillwater, Oklahoma, were married Oct. 3, 2015. Matthew Bowman `15 and Hannah DeWitt `14 of Kearney were married Sept. 24. Joel Buysse `07 and Carrie George `07 of Kent, Washington, were married Sept. 3. Jerromy Andrew Cissell and Blair Youngs `14 of Kearney were married Oct. 24, 2015. Douglas Cooper `11 and Brooke Maline of Kearney were married July 9. Kaleb Cruise `10 and Kayanne Hamling `10 of Texas were married July 30. Shaun Fisher `14 and Kristi Bauer `13 of Kenesaw were married May 16, 2014. Javier Fox `05 and Samary "Sammy" Jarquin of New York City were married Aug. 23. Matthew Jensen `12 and Kendra Solko `11 of St. Paul, Minnesota, were married June 11. 28

Notes of Gratitude Often, the people we are today is because of the connections we made at UNK. We want to give you the opportunity to show your gratitude to those special people. Your letters are welcome. Whether it is to express gratitude to a past instructor, alumni or friend or to comment and/or add to a published story, we want to hear from you. Write us at UNK Today, UNK Alumni Association, Campus Box 21, Kearney, NE 68849. Include your name, class year (if applicable), email, city, state and daytime phone number; or email Michelle Widger at michelle.widger@unkalumni.org.

Richard (Dick) Collins ’76 “Dick Collins was Mr. Dependable for Kearney State/UNK. He did his job and he was always there when I came to visit the campus to tell me what was happening with the Lopers. I carry in my coaching notebook a picture of Dick to remind myself to work hard, do my job and what a true friend is. Thank you, Dick, for your service to Kearney State/UNK.” ~ John Bacus ’75 •

Donald (Don) Briggs ’51, MAE ’57 “It is a great pleasure for me to recognize and salute a great contributor and long-time employee of the Kearney campus of the University of Nebraska – the late Don Briggs. He was a giant among communication professionals and made many contributions to the campus, the community and State of Nebraska. His footprints and memories will remain with us forever.” ~ Martin Massengale, Ph.D. • Kris Kaczanowski and Joni Colburn `14 of Kearney were married Oct. 22. Dan Kinzie `11 and Collette Buskirk `12 of Kearney were married Oct. 8. Sonya Koperski `97 and Bradley Poland of Grand Island were married Sept. 1. Wayne Kulhanek `11 and Jessica Ripple `11 of Holdrege were married July 16. Jacob "Jake" McGlade `10 and Nikki Scott `10 of Omaha were married Oct. 15. Eric Ringblom `13 and Marissa Niday `13 of Lees Summit, Missouri, were married Sept. 5, 2015. Jim "Jimmie" Rogers `09 and Lydia Stern of Monument, Colorado, married Nov. 19. Dusty Romshek and Brittani Faimon `11 of Columbus were married Jan. 17, 2015. Joel Roth `11 and Kaylee Troyer `11 of Kearney were married November 7, 2015.

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Wayne Rowley and Lori Schluntz `02 of Minden were married July 9. Dan Schumacher `09 and Bergan Carr `11 of Kearney were married Oct. 3, 2015. Alex Sharp `13 and Molly Strand `13 of McCook were married June 20, 2015. Morgan Kroll and Jacob Stutzman `14 of Wolbach were married July 16 in Wood River. Jordan Van Winkle `10 and Rebekah Davis `10 of Kansas City, Missouri, were married June 11. Jarod Wozniak `07 and Pamela Stachura of Columbus were married Oct. 8. Steven Yockey `15 and Nesha Rasmussen `15 of Grand Island were married July 16.

Class Notes Births

Edd `00 and Jill (Merklin) Albrecht `01, MSE `03 of Cozad are parents of a daughter, Avi May, born June 25. She joins sisters Ellie, Abbie, Emily and brother Eden. Edd is a sergeant of criminal investigations for Dawson County Sherriff's Office. Jill is a speech language pathologist for Cozad Community schools and a stay-at-home mom. Tom `06 and Kayla (Wiebelhaus) Arens `07 of Hartington are parents of a son, Brayden Todd, born Nov. 30. Erick and Bridget (Ziola) Babcock `08 of Phillipsburg, Kansas, are parents of a son, Braddox Erickson, born April 19. Aleesha and Jeffrey Babl `12 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Blakely Jean, born Nov. 17. Adam and Tessa (Gifford) Barney `07 of Omaha, are parents of Cora Mae, William Wayne, and Oliver Davis, born June 4. Drake and Kaitlyn (Peterson) Beranek `10 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Kinley Jo, born Nov. 18. Austin and Asa (Russell) Broadfoot `14 of Kearney are parents of a son, Maddox Boston, born Oct. 13. Josh `04 and Stephanie (Bay) Budden `05 of Kearney are parents of a son, Garret C., born Nov. 14. Lance `09 and Alicia (Mueller) Burmood `06 of Lincoln are parents of a son, Theodore Paul, born Sept. 7. Brent Carmody `11 and Kinzy Swanson of Odessa are parents of a son, Maxton Kenneth, born Nov. 8. He joins sister, Addison. Adam Klingelhoefer and Elizabeth Chrisp `10 of Amherst are parents of a son, Jace Conrad, born Sept. 29. Shaun and Chantelle (Schrunk) Dempster `12 of Ewing are parents of a son, Hunter James, born Sept. 26. Andy `93, `99 and Monica (Graham) Falk `94 of Pleasanton are parents of a son, Cannon Knox Boaz, born June 17. Sally and Morgan Farquhar `09 of Cambridge are parents of a daughter, Carolyn Halbower, born Feb. 2. Shaun `14 and Kristi (Bauer) Fisher `13 of Kenesaw are parents of a daughter, Kaydn Elizabeth, born Nov. 11. Tom `04 and Lacey (Daake) Foster `05 of Greeley are parents of a daughter, Brinley Evelyn, born March 8. Stephen `14 and Alexis (Hinrichsen) Friesell `12 of Kearney are parents of a son, William Louis, born Oct. 5. Christopher `09 and Hope (Marsh) Gillaspy `10 of Alliance are parents of a son, Luke Dean, born Jan. 29. He joins brother, Brody. Traci and Lance Gunderson `05, MS `12 of Pleasanton are parents of a daughter, Ashlyn Dianne, born June 14. Jordan and Lyndsey (Luxford) Haag `10 of Hickman are parents of a daughter, Mabel Grace, born May 27. She joins sister, Marlee, and brother, Caden. Mike and Becky (Schneider) Holtje `04 of Arlington, Virginia, are parents of a daughter, Ruth Evalyn, born Dec. 19. Rylee and Derek Horsley `09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Gibson Scott, Oct. 14th.

Kellen `06 and Emily (Murdoch) Jacobs `06 of Norton, Kansas, are parents of a son, Quinten Stanley, born Sept. 8. Josh and Vanessa (Leeper) Jones `12 of Calhan, Colorado, are parents of a son, Elijah Samuel, born August 14. Devon `10 and Samantha (Brill) Kastler `10 of Omaha, are parents of a son, Nixon Davis, born June 28. Matt `04 and Casey (Parr) Kenny `04, MSE `06 of Kearney are parents of a son, Kyler David, born Nov. 28. Mindy and Nathan Klinginsmith `01 of Kearney are parents of a son, Asher Nathan, born on July 10. Chase and Sara (Nelson) Klingelhoefer MS `15 of Amherst are parents of a daughter, Georgie Grace, born June 16. Jeremy `00 and Kimberly (Daake) Knajdl `03 of Minden are parents of a son, Gunnar Joel, born Nov. 10.

Arron and Kristi (Scott) Kochanowicz `09 of Senoia, Georgia, are parents of a son, Owen Thomas, born Nov. 4. Jessica and Matthew Kollars `09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Jameson Matthew, born July 5. Jared and Ashley (Hubbard) Kral `08 of Holstein are parents of a daughter, Hattie Mae, born July 12. Jamie `05 and Shelly (Marks) Krause `02, MSE `05 of Roswell, Georgia, are parents of a son, Samuel Frederick, born Nov. 9. Bryan `95 and Candy (Hazen) Kuntz `93 of Kearney, are parents of a son, Sawyer Hayes, born Feb 21. Jamie and Owen Kruger `11 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Sadie Viola, born July 7. Tyler `07 and Laura (Hines) Lancaster `08 of Louisville are parents of a daughter, Gianna Adeline, born July 16. She joins sisters Kate 4, and Cali 2. Tony and Heidi (Blankenship) Larson `05 of Kearney are parents of a son, Ryker Brian, born Nov. 30.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S “Salty's Great Adventure” is a sweet Christmas tale of self-worth and confidence as told with rhythmic verse and captivating illustrations. “Salty's Great Adventure” is the creation of author, Ina Claire Frischholz ’54, a retired teacher and gifted storyteller. Claire joked she wanted to be the Grandma Moses of literature. She says, “Being published at the age of eighty-three, I now feel like the great-great-grandma!” Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Ina Claire’s new book presents the story of a lonely stick puppet named Salty. Salty has been left behind at school over the Christmas holiday, and he feels very sad and forgotten. Enter Santa Claus and the adventure of a lifetime! View a synopsis of "Salty's Great Adventure" on YouTube, or “Salty's Great Adventure” can be found at bookstores or online. Let us know what is happening. Share your life events and Loper gatherings at michelle.widger@unkalumni.org.

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Class Notes Darin and Traci (Witthuhn) Logsdon `04 of Alexander, Arkansas, are parents of a daughter, Layne Noel, born Dec. 12. Brandyn and Jessica (Jones) Lonowski `12 of Loup City are parents of a daughter, Brooklyn Rae, born Oct. 18. Craig `11 and Taylor (Nation) Majerus `13 of Minden are parents of a son, Easton William, born Dec. 15. Miles `11 and Christina (Trout) Margritz `10 of Kearney are parents of a son, Wesley Robert, born June 12. John and Allie (Nightingale) Matson `11 of San Jose, California, are parents of a son, Carter J., born Sept. 8. He joins his brother Gunner. Lori and Michael McCollough `02 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, McKenzie Mae, born Oct. 4. Corey and Shaina (Meier) McIntosh `07, `12 of Elm Creek are parents of a son, Easton Robert, born June 21. Tracy and Jonathan Meyer MA `15 of Gothenburg are parents of a daughter, Adelyn Noelle, born May 24. Zach `05 and Katie (Frost) Miller `05 of Omaha are parents of a son, Luca Philip, born Sept. 27. Brooke and Patrick Miller `08 of Omaha are parents of a son, Brix Scott, born Aug. 25. He joins sister Blakely and brothers Braxton and Brogan. Evan `05 and Laura (Bradshaw) Moody `06, MSE `08 of Kearney are parents of twin sons Ezekiel Hyatt and Elias Bradford, born June 27. Kyle `08 and Julie (Polk) Myers `11 of Kearney are parents of a son, Jacob Michael, born Sept. 28. Mike and Rachael (Cochran) Page `10, MA `12 of Gibbon are parents of a son, Owen Michael, born Jan. 20. Alexander and Tosha (Foulk) Paxton `15 of Giltner were married July 25, 2015. They are parents of a son, Ryker David, born Sept. 19. Ted `07 and Kayla (Story) Pfister `05 of Overton are parents of a son and daughter, Kaden James and Kinsley Lynn, born Jan. 13. They have an older sister, Ashtyn. Chase `08 and Heather (Crouch) Placzek `06 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, McKenna Lyn, born Nov. 15. Al and Maddison (Johanek) Prine `08 of Omaha, are parents of a daughter, Vayda Jayne, born Aug. 5. Jason and Kelli (Obermiller) Rademacher `09 of Loup City are parents of a son, Briggs Michael, born Aug. 24. Greg `04 and Kristen (Loshonkohl) Richey `05, MSE `07 of Kearney are parents of a son, Mark Gregory, born June 9. Lori and Andrew Romatzke `01 of Kearney are parents of a son, Samuel William, born June 22. Shane and Katie (Miller) Schmidt `08 of Minden are parents of a daughter, Creelyn Marie, born Aug. 2. Anna and Matt Serbousek `08 of Grand Island are parents of a daughter, Sadie Elizabeth, born Feb. 2. Justin and Morgan (Strand) Sherlock `13 of Bird City, Kansas are parents of a daughter, Cadence AdaMae, born Dec. 2. Bob `06 and Crystal (Ryan) Smutny `00 of Kearney are parents of a son, Blake James, born on Nov. 18. 30

Nichole and Rory Stabenow `00 of Kearney are the parents of a daughter, Bailey Marie, born Oct. 28. Kyle and Eryn (McBride) Swanson `09 of Gibbon are parents of a daughter, Addyson Estelle, born Dec. 31. Jami and Keith Swift `08, MA `12 of Gretna are parents of a son, Kamden Patrick, born Oct. 14. Jen and Alex Tracy `05 of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, are parents of a son, Oliver Kenneth, born June 16. Harrison and Kelsi (Haines) Trampe `12, MS `15 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Neeli Jo, born June 15. Scott `00 and Jamin (Mrkvicka) Trautman `03 of Spirit Lake, Iowa, are parents of a daughter, Kennedy Grace, born Nov. 7. Andrea and Ryan Tworek `98 of Mission Viejo, California are parents of a daughter, Chloe Grace, born Oct. 28. Megan and Matt Uphoff `05 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Eliza Jo, born Aug. 23.

Deaths

Dan Arnold `60 of Waterloo died Feb. 6. He was 79. Ardith Ashley `64 died June 11. She was 81. Marion Augustyn `58 of Omaha died Sept. 10. He was 84. David Backes `68 of Denton died Feb. 16. He was 71. While at Kearney State College, David was president of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity as well as a member of the football, track and debate teams. Jim Bailey `75 of Lincoln died Oct. 20. He was 83. Larry Beitel `72 of Sargent died July 19. He was 67. Lois (Hanson) Bennett `76 of Oconto died March 11. She was 60. Paul Bennett `65, MSE `71, ED `77 of Lincoln died May 21. He was 73. Lynn Berggren `73 of Broken Bow died Feb. 16. He was 65. Nedra (Ramsey) Blue `72 of Shelton died July 4. She was 89. Lucille Brazda `81 of Clay Center died Jan. 30. She was 89. Gifford Brown `68 of South Padre Island, Texas, died May 13. He was 75. Marian (Wardrop) Brown `47 of Waterloo died July 3. She was 91. Donna (Wood) Calvin `81 of Oconto died Feb. 28. She was 82. Don Carter `63 of Wood River died Sept. 21. He was 76. Joy Catholos `96, MBA `01 of Grand Island died Jan. 13. She was 63. Sarah (Zeller) Catlin `03 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died May 11. She was 34. Garve Chapman `61 died Nov. 2. He was 79. Roger Christensen `91 of Grand Island died Dec. 12. He was 67. Doris Cloeter `77 of Ottertail, Minnesota, died Jan. 2. She was 78. Clarence Courtright `51 of Los Alamos, New Mexico, died Feb. 11. He was 87. George Cromer `66 of Omaha died Dec 9. He was 73. Dwight Cude `85, MSE `91 of Lincoln died April 14. He was 67. Charles "Bill" Denson `66, ED `90 of Kearney died July 14. He was 76.

unkalumni.org

Dr. Paul Paulman ’74 Paul Paulman, M.D., received the Innovative Practices in Education Award along with six fellow faculty members at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s first Academic Affairs Impact in Education Awards Ceremony in February. He is a professor in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates ingenuity, courage and creativity in teaching including innovations in use of educational technology, experiential learning, adoption of simulation and creative use of the classroom, as well as an engaging presentation style. A native of Sutherland, Dr. Paulman earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1974 and his medical degree in 1977 from the UNMC College of Medicine.

Shawn Dowse `00, MAE `04 of Kearney died Sept. 13. He was 44. Donald Dyer `55, MAE `59 of Lincoln died Dec. 5. He was 86. Mary Eggers MAE `05 of Fort Myers, Florida, died June 14. She was 66. Thadea (Heaston) Eldridge `61 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Feb. 16, 2014. She was a teacher at Colorado Springs. She was 73. John Emanuel `74 of McDonald, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 3. He as 70.

Class Notes

Fred Eskam `86 of Cheyenne, Wyoming, died March 23. He was 53. Melvin Falk `66 of Wilcox died April 3. He was 72. Janis (Hennig) Felker `88 of Hickman died March 3. She was 49. Delight (Wimberley) Fox `35 of Kearney died Jan. 24. She was 101. Lois Gangwish MSE `80 of Kearney died Sept. 4. She was 86. Carolyn Geiser `70 of Loveland, Colorado, died Aug. 5. She was 83. Daniel Geist `81 of Gibbon died July 15. He was 68. Edna (Patterson) Glidden `69 of Kearney died Dec. 12. She was 92. Kevin Green MA `13 of Cass City, Michigan, died July 21. Kevin was a coach, school administrator and special education teacher. He was 51. Kay (Kohlmeyer) Grone `91 of Grand Island died May 12. She was 75. Julie (Swanson) Halbgewachs `94 of Kearney died Dec. 4. She was 44. Leslie "Red" Hamburger `62 of Hastings died Aug. 22. He was 77. Mary Hanson `67, `72 of Holdrege died Sept. 20. She was 86. Mark Hass `82 of Modesto, California, died Jan. 11. He was 59. Genevieve Haug `72 of Lincoln died April 24. She was 95.

Lester Haussler `71 of Lakewood, Colorado, died May 13. He was 73. Robert Hendricks `60 of Fargo, North Dakota, died Feb. 26. He was 78. Lovita (Keesler) Hinners `80 of Axtell died Aug. 13. She was 59. Ralph Hinton `49 of Cambridge died June 5. He was 101. Fred Holmberg MSE `67 of Adel, Iowa, died Aug. 28. He was 77. Stuart Huber `70 of Kearney died Dec. 10. He was 69. M. Arlene (Nelson) Hughes `49 of Callaway died Nov. 10. She was 89. Margaret (Milne) Irvine `59 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died June 8. She was 79. Sheryl (Reed) Jackson `70 of Kearney died June 3. She was 60. Arnold Jakubowski `53, MAE `60 of Howells died Aug. 30. He was 84. Gary Jurgens `67 of Bellevue died Nov. 2. He was 71. Gary Kile `64 of Hastings died April 12. He was 74. Kirby Kitt `75 of Wauneta died Oct. 6. He was 63. Elizabeth (Knutzen) Kjar `71 of Bellevue died July 2. She was 97. Douglas Klingelhoefer `75 of Wooster, Ohio, died March 9. He was 63. Penny (Johnson) Koch `63 of Amherst, Massachusetts, died April 4. She was 73.

Florence (Johnson) Kring ’46, ’68 of Lexington died Feb. 12. She was 89. Nicholas Kripal `75, MSE `77 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 30. He was 63. Dolores Kropp `80 of Aurora, retired Loper men`s basketball coach Dr. Tom Kropp's mother, died Sept. 25. She was 88. Bruce Kruse `79 of Kearney died Sept. 26. He was 59. Sandra (Kohout) Laible `79 of Omaha died June 25. She was 60. Alan Lanham `73 of Ravenna died April 1. He was 68. Gilbert Lauritsen `60, MSE `68 of Dannebrog died July 24. He was 83. Tamra Sue (Naylor) Lemmon `91 of Cozad died July 24. She was 56. Phyllis (Samuels) Lewis `47 of Broomfield, Colorado, died Feb. 23. She was 87. Steven Lincoln `78 of Council Bluffs, Iowa, died May 28. He was 65. Archie Lind MSE `69, EDS `90 of Grand Island died April 1. He was 78. Donald Littler `63 of Omaha died July 8. He was 72. David Lovewell `72 of Superior died Nov. 19. He was 71. Michael Lowe `00 of Kearney died July 8. He was 39. Bernard Lyons `67 of Gibbon died Dec. 18. He was 72.

eCAMPUS ACCREDITED ONLINE EXCELLENCE

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Class Notes

Gaylord Mann `69 of Burwell died Jan. 27. He was 69. Sandra Mayhew `71 of Ashland died Aug. 26. She was 69. Virginia "Ginger" (Jacobson) McGuire `66 of Holdrege died July 24. She was 71. Leann McKim `88 of Aurora, Colorado, died June 3. She was 49. Kristine (Lantz) Miller `70, MSE `75 of Missoula, Montana, died July 27. She was 68. Robert Miller `71 of Phoenix, Arizona, died Feb. 8. He was 71. Alan Moeller MSE `73 of Louisville, Kentucky, died Sept. 23, 2015. He was 78. Betty (Harrington) Morey `76 of Minden died June 14. She was 95. Gerald Myers `51 of Hernando, Florida, died Feb. 16. He was 87. Matthew Nordhausen `01 of Riverdale died Aug. 12. He was 38. Janet (Jensen) O`Connor `63 of Lawrence, Kansas, died Sept. 4. She was 75. Ione (Spreier) McHale Pierce `64, MSE `69, EDS `79, of Lexington died Dec. 7. She was a university emeritus and served as professor from 1966 to 1990. She was 89.

Beverly (Virus) Randolph `74 of Jennings, Kansas, died Aug. 11. She was 64. Glee (Lewis) Rembolt `42 of Murrieta, California, died April 25. She was 91. Jack Riley `57 of Windsor, Colorado, died Nov. 22. He was 84. Richard Rolls `58 of Sidney died July 5. He was 83. Marilyn (Delap) Rose `03 of Omaha died March 11. Marilyn received her bachelor`s degree at the age of 70. She was 82. Christopher Rundstrom `01, MS `04 of Kearney died Nov. 26. He was 45. Nancy Rush `78 of Burwell died May 13. She was 59. Ronald Schoneberg `63 of Orleans died June 27. He was 74. Violet (Orr) Schweitzer `37 of Ericson died March 6. She was 98. Robert "Bob" Seeger `67 of Johnson Lake died Nov. 8. He was 84. Mark Shada `78 of Omaha died April 10. He was 60. Marsha A. Shada ` 69 of Lincoln died May 25. She was 68. Janet (Augustyn) Shanahan `75 of Grand Island died April 24. She was 62.

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Douglas Sjogren `51, MAE `58 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died July 1. Sjogren was raised on a farm near Axtell and became a professor at Colorado State University. He was 86. John Spindler `70 of Omaha died Jan. 20. He was 68. Angie Stamm `93 of Belton, Missouri, died Dec. 24, 2014. She was 43. Mary Ruth (Latenser) Steffens `76 of Kearney died Aug. 24. She was 97. Richard Strobl `64 of Hagerstown, Maryland, died Sept. 11. Strobl was a Phi Tau Gamma president. He was 75. Robert Stroup `51 of Trenton, Missouri, died Jan. 22. He was 90. Verle Stucker `47 of Iowa Falls, Iowa, died June 3. He was 95. Elsie (Hughes) Swanson `49 of Rochester, Minnesota, died Aug. 12. She was 96. Harold "Hal" Terry `57, MAE `60 of Peoria, Arizona, died April 3. He was 83. John Teter `58 of Lincoln died June 26. He was 84. Jewell Thompson `78 of Sun City West, Arizona, died April 8. She was 94. Stuart Thorell `56 of White Lake, Michigan, died Nov. 11. He was 83. Larry Timmons `85 of Kearney died April 5. He was 56. Philip Towle MSE `71 of York died April 16. He was 80. Dr. Imeh Uyoe `73 of Lithonia, Georgia, died Oct 1. He was 72. Ricki Valentino MAE `94 of Lincoln died April 7. She was 64. Irene (Svoboda) Van Winkle `66 of Burwell died Aug. 20. She was 83. Nicole (Rosburg) Vancura `08 of Kearney died Feb. 6. She was 31. John Von Loh `72 of Corrales, New Mexico, died Jan. 24. He was 66. Ronald Vorderstrasse `68 of Hebron died March 30. He was 77. Dr. Paul Welter of Kearney died Dec. 6. Dr. Welter taught for 24 years in the UNK Department of Counseling and School Psychology. He was 88. Gary Welton `61 of Charles City, Iowa, died Jan. 9. He was 76. Jason Weston `08 of Kearney died March 16. He was 41. Scott Wilkinson `88 of Saint Joseph, Missouri died September 14. He was 51. Donald Wilson `68 of Shawnee, Kansas, died March 16. He was 70. James Winchell `78 of York died Sept. 23. He was 62. Phyl Woodburn `87 of Wahoo died April 25. He was 60. Shirley (Peterson) Yanney `48 of Sidney died Jan. 9. She was 85. Gerald Zimmerman `73 of Norfolk died Jan. 30. He was 69. Lester Zimmerman `70 of Norfolk died Aug. 11. He was 62.

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Emily Williams

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Jennifer Pickering Aurora, NE

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Ed Cornish was one of the first donors to establish a scholarship fund for students at the University of Nebraska. The very next year, he passed away. But students have benefited from Mr. Cornish’s generosity every year since — including the students listed here. The legacy of Ed Cornish lives on. Yours can, too. To find out how, visit us online at nufoundation.org/giftplanning or call a gift planning officer at the University of Nebraska Foundation at 800-432-3216.

Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14 University of Nebraska at Kearney

“I realized early that UNK life is like being one big family.” Abbey Rhodes Class of 2016

“I can only hope to give back to UNK what it has given to me.” Carrie Hanson Class of 2017

When you give to the UNK Fund, you help students like Abbey, Carrie and Jaime achieve their dreams. See more stories at nufoundation.org/UNKFund

“Scholarships to UNK made my decision easy.” Jaime McCann Class of 2017