UNK Today Spring 2018 Issue

TODAY

SPRING 2018

LIFE

MAGAZINE

®

Diane (Moravec) Simard '88 Coping with and combating the psychological effects of cancer

INDEX

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.

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 of Alumni Communication 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 UNK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LEAD COUNCIL Angela (Reynolds) Davidson ’09, MBA ‘10, Grand Island Jack Kreman ‘04, Past President, Noblesville, Indiana Yousef Ghamedi ’99, Kearney Dusty Jura ‘08, MBA ‘15, Axtell Mary (Buchanan) Mach ‘85, Fairbury Dusty Newton, MSE ‘02, Kearney Curt Ott ‘07, Kearney

POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:

UNK TODAY UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY CAMPUS BOX 21 KEARNEY, NE 68849

Alumni Friends, We end each academic year with feelings of accomplishment and congratulations to another group of new alumni who are saying goodbye to their college years and heading off with confidence and optimism to start their careers. That is the same feeling I have this spring, looking back on another year at UNK – pleased with what we’ve accomplished and eager to move ahead. In these pages you’ll read some news of which we’re proud. Reading George Kotsiopulos’s insider’s view of history, the bravery of Logan Flood and the leadership and camaraderie of GIX Logistics, these bring to mind the determination and teamwork and the spirit of being Lopers.

Loper spirit was prominent and effective during this spring semester as we put our collective voice behind state-funding advocacy for the university. Many of you took on the important work of calling or writing your state senators, attending “I Love NU Day” at the Capitol, or sharing messages of support on your social networks. Together, and through the wisdom of our Legislature, we kept the cuts to the university’s budget manageable. As a partner in economic development, our work will continue during difficult fiscal times for our state. As alumni, you are uniquely positioned to demonstrate the positive impacts of UNK throughout the state, nation and world.

We are embarking again on unprecedented change and opportunity for UNK. Over the next few months we will break ground on a new science and technology building to replace Otto Olsen, and a new early childhood education center that will become a standard for the future of children’s education. Our first residents will move in to their homes at Village Flats located at University Village, and our new, improved Nebraskan Union will open this fall with a Starbucks and Chik-fil-A. What a great time to be a UNK student. We will also begin the fall with a new College of Arts and Sciences and several exciting new faculty hires and leaders, including Marc Bauer as our interim athletics director. With new leadership we must say goodbye to and congratulate those who have served, and retire or move to new roles.

The positive changes in our “academic landscape” and facilities, combined with our strategic vision for a continually improving UNK, prompt me to wonder if 2018-19 will be our best year yet. With your continued support, I think it just could be the start of something greater.  As always, proud to be UNK’s chancellor,

LIFE

Douglas A. Kristensen

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4-5

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GIX LOGISTICS

8-10

VALUING EDUCATION FLOOD THE AIRWAYS

When it comes to finding good

Hard work and planning pay off for this

Surviving a plane crash and being

employees, GIX Logistics looks to UNK.

first-generation student and her family.

burned over 70 percent of his body, this alumnus beat the odds to continue living his dream of becoming a pilot.

®

11-13 14-15 SHARING HER GIFTS

THE SIZE OF IT

WWII Revisited......................... 16-17 Athletic Training..............................18 Frank House Reinvented.......... 19-21 The Art of Design...................... 22-23 Philanthropic Lives.........................24 The Write Way.................................25 Traveling Lopers........................ 26-27

COVER STORY: From humble

Does size in a university matter? Learn

beginnings as a small-town girl to

how UNK leadership, staff and students

business angel investor to conquering

work from analysis to adaptation

breast cancer, this alumna tells her story

as times become challenging and

of giving back and growing.

prospective student numbers dwindle.

COVER PICTURE: Colorado Expression Magazine - Tommy Collier, photographer.

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Class Notes................................ 28-35 Schedule of Events.........................36 FACEBOOK.COM/UNKALUMNI TWITTER.COM/UNKALUMNI LINKEDIN.COM > work > groups > University of Nebraska at Kearney LOPERS@UNKALUMNI.ORG

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

DELIVERING SOLID EMPLOYEES University of Nebraska at Kearney undergraduates at GIX Logistics grow from interns to seasoned employees who thrive in a fast-paced environment

When Mike Young visited the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus in the spring of 2014, he knew he wanted to engage with students and professors. What he didn’t know is how much of an impact he and his company GIX Logistics would make on campus.

Since the company’s 2006 beginning in Grand Island, it has become one of the fastest-growing logistics companies

in the nation. GIX Logistics, which is named after Grand Island Express, its sister company, prides itself on attention to detail and top-notch customer service.

As a middleman between carriers and companies, they work with smaller carriers throughout the U.S. to schedule precise deliveries for their customers.

One of the factors for success that GIX relies on is the relationship they’ve

built with UNK to staff their growing business. Through internships, handson training programs and having a presence at UNK career centers and fairs, Mike Young, vice president of logistics, and GIX Logistics have employed 42 UNK students and graduates.

“UNK is a pipeline for us. It’s exciting to see undergrads start with an internship at GIX and watch it flourish into a career 4

#UNKAlumni

To learn more about GIX Logistics' work with UNK visit www.youtube.com/user/ UNKearney

Kristin Howard '00, Writer NU Foundation Photos Courtesy of GIX Logistics

GIX Logistics has employed 42 UNK students and graduates.

a few years down the road,” said Bailee Schuster ‘16, recruiting coordinator for GIX Logistics. “The business experience students gain through their work here is amazing. Many students have built client and customer relationships before they even graduate and go on to build a successful career here.”

This relationship has not gone unnoticed by those on campus who see first-hand the students and programs that benefit.

“The College of Business and Technology Career Center focuses on providing career and professional readiness opportunities for all of our students, and GIX Logistics has been a leading entity in making these experiences a reality for many years,” said Dustin Favinger, director of CBT’s career center.

“What makes them stand out is that they are interested in all of our students.

They aren’t particularly concerned with a student’s major or year in school. Instead, they want to find the right fit that allows the students to utilize their strengths every day. In the end, it’s a true win-win for UNK students and GIX Logistics.”

Aaron Estes, associate director of academic and career services at UNK, reflects on the relationship

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GIX Logistics has built with UNK. “I met Mike Young about five years ago, and at that time, he said their company was growing and he wanted to build a relationship with UNK to support that growth. He wanted to have a presence on campus so that students would know GIX and so he could find and get to know the right candidates.

Since that time, I have been extremely impressed by his follow-through. I have joked that Mike should have a room in one of our residence halls because he is on campus so much,” Estes said.

Part of the reason GIX puts in so much effort is because they know the right candidate isn’t always the obvious fit.

“Although there are certain majors, like supply chain management, which are a natural fit with logistics, one of their hires came from the recreation management program. Like Dustin mentioned, they’re looking for the right person,” Estes said.

“In our work with GIX they’ve shown creativity and drive in their recruitment of UNK students, and their effort has paid off in a mutually beneficial way. Many UNK students have had an opportunity to intern or work full-time with them, which has kick-started the students’ professional growth and allowed GIX to grow to the point that they’re opening a new office in Dallas that is managed by a recent UNK graduate,” said Estes.

The creativity and drive to help students succeed are apparent as last year Young volunteered to become a mentor for the student Supply Change Management Organization.

“As a SCMO mentor, Mike has met with the SCMO leadership team and provided organizational recommendations and guidance to help them continue to develop and improve the team’s performance,” said Greg Benson, SCM coordinator and assistant professor of marketing and SCM. The family atmosphere at GIX Logistics keeps employees engaged and ready to work hard each day.

Loper alumna Chloe Goodwin ’17, couldn’t agree more.

“Working at GIX Logistics has been such a wonderful experience. I work with my team and independently, and somehow GIX has a found a way to tie that together.

This fast-paced industry is constantly changing, giving me new challenges every day. The environment at GIX has made every new obstacle worthwhile. I am so grateful to UNK for helping me find my way to GIX. Being a Loper alumna has opened so many doors for me. What makes me most proud is seeing all the other hard-working UNK graduates.” 

UNK eCAMPUS Alyssa Wyant '11, Writer eCampus Cecilia (Ceci) Perales '17, with her parents Constancio and Maria Guadalupe Perales.

g n n i u l a -V

EDUCATION

Making higher education attainable for first-generation students and beyond

Sacrificing nearly everything, Constancio Perales and Maria Guadalupe Perales made the decision to relocate their family from Mexico to the U.S. Pursuing the American Dream, they knew they would have a better life for themselves and their four children, Javier, Cecilia (Ceci), Claudia, and Maribel. Settling in Lexington for Constancio’s job at Tyson, their dream was just beginning.

Equipped with only a third-grade

education himself and speaking a different language, Constancio saw the value in education. He dreamed his children would someday have the chance to pursue a college degree. His daughter, Ceci, the first of her family to graduate with a degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, credits her father for instilling the value of education to his children.

Ceci recalls her father always saying, “I can’t leave you with a fortune like cars

or a house because all of those things can be taken away from you. What can’t be taken away from you is your education. No one can take that away. So, if you graduate from a university and receive your degree, I can die knowing that I’ve left you with something no one can take away.”

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#UNKAlumni

Ceci attended Lexington Public Schools and had always known college would be a big part of her life. She worked diligently to be a good student, earning the reputation with her family in Mexico of being “la maestra,” commonly translated to “teacher,” because of an old notebook she would always have in tow—an early sign of her own dream to be a teacher.

While staying disciplined in her studies, Ceci credits her father for her work ethic. Constancio has worked at the Tyson meat packing plant in Lexington since 1996, currently serving as a chuck boner.

Typically, he works in extreme conditions and stands for 8 to 10 hours a day.

“My dad is 55 years old and is still working at the same job,” Ceci said. “He can hardly bend his hands because of his work. I think, wow, if he can go every day to work and do the type of job he does, I don’t care if that class is hard. I can do it.”

Ceci’s mother, Maria, has also played a large role in her educational journey and work ethic. Maria worked in the LPS system cleaning the schools.

While unable to fluently speak the English language, she scheduled college visits for her daughter, knowing the importance of getting everything lined up for Ceci’s academic success.

“My mom has been on top of it,” Ceci said. “She’s not fluent in English.

She would make sure that the ACT dates were posted on our fridge, and even though she had no clue what those were, she knew they were important and that I needed to go to them.”

Ceci graduated from UNK in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, primarily focusing on English as a second language and Spanish education 7-12.

Constancio, took his first day off from work in 22 years to see Ceci walk across the commencement stage. It was a very special day for the family, celebrating Ceci as a first-generation student, and the first to graduate with a college degree.

While Constancio may have taken his first vacation day, it won’t be his last. Not

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only has Ceci inspired her two younger sisters to pursue a college education at UNK, but she has gone on to pursue her graduate degree in Spanish education from UNK online. She received a graduate assistant position in the Department of Modern Languages, which along with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, has become a second family for her at UNK. Ceci says her graduate program has been a wonderful opportunity, but not without its challenges. While she speaks perfect English, her written English sometimes needs work, and often her little sister, Claudia, acts as her proofreader.

“English is my second language.

My ESL was up to maybe middle school level, so when I read text or a book, I sometimes have to read it a couple times through to really understand it,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Ceci is on track to reach her goals. With hopes to teach in a diverse setting, she wants to act as a role model for her students.

“You don’t have to be a straight-A student to go to college. In high school, I was so self-conscious that I couldn’t do it,” she said. “I wasn’t a straight-A student, and I struggled in school. But I figured out if I tried hard enough and did my best, I could be. You need to have the drive and desire.

I want to share that with other students in my own classroom someday.” 

40+ Online Programs 400 + Online Courses For more information on earning an online degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, visit

www.ecampus.unk.edu.

For more information, visit www.ecampus.unk.edu

“My dad is 55 years

old and is still working at the same job," Ceci said.

"He can hardly bend his hands because of his work. I think, wow, if he can go every day to work and do the type of job he does, I don't care if that class is hard. I can do it."

ALUMNI FEATURE

FLOOD THE AIRWAYS Sydney Norris '18, Writer UNK Alumni Association

As a boy in rural Nebraska, Logan Flood ’00 had a love for “Star Wars” and a dream of flying to distant galaxies.

“Growing up, I was a science fiction fan. I wanted to be an astronaut.

I really wanted to fly the Millennium Falcon (Han Solo’s spaceship in ‘Star Wars’),” Flood said. To the young Flood, crop dusters that swooped in and over the cornfields surrounding his hometown were just as fascinating.

“In rural Nebraska in the ’90s the only way I thought I could become a pilot was through the U.S. Air Force,” Flood said. “No one where I grew up really knew how to get into flying.”

Flood didn't think he would be accepted into the Air Force because of his impaired vision and didn’t think he would ever be able to fly. “I gave up on my dream of being a pilot,” Flood said.

However, his dream never really disappeared. Flood would use a protractor, his dad’s old road maps and a flightsimulator program to learn navigation.

While he was working at Sears in high school, a man paid with a check. When Flood asked to see his identification, the man pulled out his pilot’s license instead. “This guy had glasses that were thicker than mine,” said Flood. When the customer explained that you can get a waiver for glasses, Flood’s dream was restored, and his life would never be the same.

Pilot Logan Flood '00 tells of his harrowing crash and fight back to return to his dream of flying Flood wanted to get into the aviation business any way he could. During his high school senior year, a teacher found him an internship as a lineman fueling the planes in Grand Island. There, Flood’s manager would do short flights and take Flood with him. It was that same manager who pointed Flood toward the University of Nebraska at Kearney. His manager, Scott Manning ’95, told Flood he had earned a UNK aviation systems management degree. “UNK provides a four-year degree where you earn all of your flight ratings plus a bachelor’s degree in aircraft systems,” Flood said. The dots began to connect for Flood to be on his way to becoming a pilot.

“I knew one day, I'd have to explain to my son why I gave up on becoming a professional pilot," Flood said.

After graduation, Flood began weekly medical supplies runs in a Beechcraft-58 Baron plane from Lincoln to Valentine with another seasoned crew member, pilot and instructor Raj Samasundaram.

As they began flying early one dark Wednesday morning in 2001, the winter weather became more questionable than originally anticipated. Soon, Flood and Samasundaram lost radio contact when they lowered altitude due to dropping temperatures to avoid ice forming on the

plane. They took the plane up to 8,000 feet, but the situation didn't improve.

Their destination reported freezing rain - a grave danger to the aircraft.

“What really hurt us was the ice on the windows,” Flood said. When they realized conditions weren’t improving, they did a procedural turnaround toward Ainsworth, a non-towered airport, and let the de-icing solution clean the windows. Unfortunately, the ice was stronger than the solution.

As they began their approach to Ainsworth, the ice was getting thicker, and the plane’s front windshield became opaque. “We were flying completely blind,” Flood said. “We knew we were in serious trouble. We had gotten ourselves into a situation we could not get out of. Raj instinctively knew what was happening.

“As we turned the plane around to get ready to land, we heard the airplane give a distinct little stall.” The airplane just would not hold altitude anymore.

The airplane had just crossed over a farmer’s home when the bottom fell out. It was 7:04 a.m., and the sun was still below the horizon.

“We were coming down and down and down. We never hit a full stall, but she came down,” Flood said. “I said a quick little private prayer. I thought I was a goner. I thought this was it. The airplane literally exploded on impact.”

“I remember hearing the propellers hit the frozen ground,” Flood said. “That's the last thing I remember before impact.”

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#UNKAlumni

ALUMNI FEATURE

THE SKY IS UNLIMITED WITH POSSIBILITIES FOR FLOOD

First Officer Adan Sandoval and Pilot Logan Flood '00 have flown together many times. Ever since Flood saw “Star Wars” he dreamed of being a pilot. After a horrific accident, Flood took to the airways once again as a professional pilot more than two years ago.

The plane went down in the middle of a cornfield, just a quarter mile away from the runway. Flood had been unconscious less than two minutes.

But during that time, fire tore through the aircraft, burning both occupants.

Flood didn't know it yet, but second and third-degree burns covered most of his body, and he'd eventually lose all, or part, of every finger on his right hand.

With great effort, Flood wriggled forward.

Flood opened his eyes to find himself sitting in the back of the burning plane still strapped into his seat. There was fire crackling on the wing tips and Flood’s vision was extremely blurred. Flood saw Samasundaram in the front of the plane slumped over his seat and when he tried to release Samasundaram, he couldn’t.

Flood untangled himself from the seatbelt harness and began stumbling toward the airport where he hoped to find a phone to summon rescuers. He could see the airport beacon and runway lights about a half-mile away, but his progress was slow in the rain, darkness and cornstalks. His contact lenses had melted on his eyes, blurring his vision.

"I thought no one had seen us crash," he said. "Then I saw two sets of headlights coming toward me."

It was Brian Williams, the farmer

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whose home the plane had narrowly missed, driving a pickup, and Kendra Hallenbeck, who had been driving her own pickup to work when she saw the plane fall.

With Williams and Hallenbeck assisting, Flood climbed into the passenger seat of Hallenbeck's pickup and they began driving to the hospital.

An ambulance went by in the opposite direction. Should they flag it down?

"No," Flood said. "That ambulance is for Raj." Even though the hospital was only six miles away, the icy roads limited driving to 10 miles per hour, taking an hour to get Flood to the hospital. Williams and the emergency responders were unable to save Samasundaram, who had died on impact.

Flood’s seat was thrown to the back of the plane and that is what saved him. “He (Raj) died the minute we hit the ground,” Flood explained. “For some reason, my seat broke and flew me to the back of the airplane. There is no other explanation that I am alive and he’s not. But I’m alive.”

As Flood rode to the hospital, he began to feel pain. Flood could see his jeans were burned, his sweater was melted, and his exposed skin was black and wrinkled. Flood shivered, and he felt the onset of an unquenchable thirst.

Unaware of how injured he was, the 22-year-old Flood was transported from the Ainsworth hospital to a Lincoln

hospital slowly in freezing rain via an ambulance following a county sand truck.

He was in bad shape upon arrival.

His contacts had melted to his eyes, his polyester sweater was completely melted onto his arms, his ears had burned off and all the fingers on his right hand had to be amputated down to the first knuckle. Doctors gave Flood a 10 percent chance of living.

Flood's parents, David and Lennette, who had always supported his quest to fly, met their son at the hospital in Lincoln where they learned that a simple formula sets a burn victim's odds for survivial: Add their age to the percentage of skin burned and subtract that number from 100. In Flood's case, 22 years old plus 65 percent burns gave him a 13 percent chance of living. And Flood's doctors weren't that optimistic because of the impact his lungs took from breathing in smoke.

“My lungs were extremely burned because I had breathed through the whole crash explosion. They were not producing any oxygen,” said Flood. So, while in a medically induced coma, a pulmonologist cleaned his lungs with a brush through a trachea for several months.

Flood the Airways continued on the next page.

FLOOD THE AIRWAYS, CONT. The doctors kept Flood in a state of suspended animation for three weeks.

During that time, Williams visited the hospital and wrote brightly in the guest registry that he hoped they could go flying together once flood recovered.

Four weeks after the crash, Flood was allowed to wake up in the burn unit in a hospital in Lincoln. “There I became fully aware of how lucky I was to be alive, and just how injured I was,” said Flood.

When Flood opened his eyes, his hospital room was decorated with airplane and family photos. His parents knew he was going to be there for months and they wanted to make it feel as much like home as possible.

For the next two years, Flood began the slow road to recovery and was about to give up his dream of flying once again.

In 2004, Flood married. In 2005, thinking he would never fly again, he went back to

school and earned a pair of technology degrees and resigned himself to a desk job with Duncan Aviation as a material expediter. “I wanted to be involved in aviation somehow,” Flood said.

Sitting at the airport, Flood would hear the planes landing and taking off. Eventually Flood realized he had to get back into flying. So, he jumped through the hoops of passing his Federal Aviation Administration medical exam and Statement of Demonstrated Ability ride to demonstrate one is capable of physically manipulating everything needed to fly a plane. Flood started initially flying on the weekends and evenings in a one-seater airplane, before buying a share of a two-seater.

Flood had no hesitation about getting back in the cockpit, but he insisted on meeting his former standards. He even flew to and took Williams for a ride.

Logan Flood and his wife, Tora, son, Gavin, and daughter, Kira, live in Lincoln.

Flood's wife teaches at Lincoln Public Schools while he is based out of New York City for his airline.

Eventually, a friend talked Flood into becoming a flight instructor. It was at that point, thanks to the passion and persuasion of one of his students who happened to be paralyzed from the waist down, Flood realized his own dream of becoming a pilot for a regional airline. While he thought it was a long shot at the time, he didn’t want to have to explain to his six-month-old son why he gave up his passion for flying.

“I needed to be able to tell him (Flood’s son) that I tried everything possible to get back into flying,” Flood said.

Flood did some research and while he found pilots with disabilities were hard to come by, there was one company who hired a first officer with burns similar to his own. “When I saw that, I thought ‘If he can do it, then I sure as heck can do it!,’ ” Flood said.

Flood has been with Republic Airways for nine years where he is a pilot for the regional carrier, flying in and out of New York while his family lives in Nebraska.

When Flood was desperate to get back into flying he would peruse Airline Pilot Central, an online pilot forum, where he inquired about flying with disabilities.

He was met with hatred and people laughing at him telling him he had no business flying. After he made it through training, he reposted telling the world that he made it as a pilot. “I enjoy talking about it because it gets the elephant out of the room,” said Flood. “People can see I’ve clearly been through something.”

Flood is often asked if he could take that day back, would he? He responds with, “Yes and No. That one day made me who I am. If I could take that day back, my life would be totally different. I wouldn’t have my kids today. That one day has totally defined the direction my life has taken. Life is too short to get worked up over things you can’t control. I don’t think about what my life could be because I’m very much happy with how it is now.” 

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FEATURE

For more information, visit www.dianemsimard.com

Michelle ( Thompson) Widger '90, Writer UNK Alumni Association

SHARING HER

GIFTS

Alumna Diane (Moravec) Simard '88 goes from small-town girl to big city business as she takes on the psychological impact of cancer patients When talking to alumna Diane (Moravec) Simard ’88, what might stand out is her executive board experience, her volunteerism, her extensive awards collection or the fact that she has fought stage III breast cancer. However, what really attracts your attention is her heart for helping others and passion for causes.

“My mission is to bring more attention to the long-term psychological impact of traumatic illnesses like cancer,” said Simard. “I realize my calling is now to bring more attention to this, and more advocacy. Some day we need to change the health care system.”

Simard is just the person to do it.

This Cotesfield, Nebraska, native has done it all. From her humble beginnings at Elba High School to turning her journals written while battling breast cancer into a memoir, Simard meets life head-on with the stamina that it takes to overcome cancer and the motivation to improve lives after her experience.

Simard, who was named one of the inaugural national top-100 business women to watch by Bizwomen.com, is a smalltown girl who wanted to get to the big city.

“I got my journalism degree. After

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five years of having a great time in college, I realized I didn’t want to be a newspaper reporter,” said Simard.

She thought those were the jobs that she was supposed to be going after.

“I decided to take my basic writing skills and apply that in a different way, so I went to work writing proposals for a student loan collection agency in Dallas, Texas,” Simard said.

Dr. Nicole Taylor from Iowa, who specializes in working with survivors of traumatic illnesses, introduced Diane (Moravec) Simard '88 to the specialty field of health psychology.

Simard did that for five years before moving to Denver where she and her then-husband had an information technology services company. When Simard entered the picture, the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

With her savvy business skills and communication knowledge, she helped bring the company back from the brink.

“I learned a lot about business through developing that company and realized I had a real passion for growing them,” said Simard. “We (Diane and her husband) went our separate ways. We had different expectations and had an extremely successful exit from the sale of our company. So, I decided that I just wanted to pay it forward and help other entrepreneurs launch their creative business ideas.”

Eventually, Simard invested in about a dozen start-up companies.

Today, three are doing well; the rest have all failed within the last 10 years.

“That’s pretty typical of being an angel investor. Only one in 10 new companies actually survive and go somewhere, so I’m an average statistic. The ones that have failed have almost brought me down and, in all honesty, may be why I was cursed with breast cancer. There are some Story continued on page 12.

SHARING HER GIFTS, CONT.

continuing studies that show, particularly with breast cancer, those who were exposed to prolonged periods of stress can and may contribute to inflammation in your body.”

Ten years later, one of the companies Simard invested in and now serves as senior vice president of is still going strong. Bye Aerospace is headquartered at Centennial Airport south of Denver.

“We are developing an electric two-seated airplane. The general aviation and aerospace industries people are so very passionate. It is a great space to be in because pilots are typically highly educated, sophisticated and mature,” Simard says. “They are passionate about saving this industry.

“There’s been a lot of bad publicity about business jets. What we are faced with in the world is moving people from point A to point B efficiently while cutting down on carbon and noise emissions. We have a solution. Thanks to Tesla and what the electric car industry is doing, the battery energy densities are improving so much that it makes sense to develop an airplane that can get not just in the air but in the air for a meaningful amount of time.”

Bye Aerospace is developing a twoseat, electric airplane called the Sun Flyer 2. The airplane, when certified, will be the world’s first FAA-certified electric airplane that can sustain flight up to three and a half hours. Simard’s company aims to target the flight-pilot training market because of the commercial airline pilot shortage.

“It’s a real crisis. To become an airline transport pilot, you have to have 1,500 flight hours at operating costs of up to $100 per hour,” said Simard. “So, the pilot will accrue as much debt as an attorney or a medical doctor to obtain an entry-level pilot position at a regional airline for $35,000 per year. The military, including the Air Force, is much smaller than it was decades ago and are not producing as many pilots or have as many military pilots going to the airlines.

“I see that as an opportunity. That’s why I invested in this company 10 years

Simard, who endured cancer treatment, wondered, "We have marriage and counseling psychologists. We have sports psychologists. Why don't we have cancer psychologists?"

ago,” explained Simard. “Finally, everything is coming together. It is an exciting time as we continue to raise capital to certify and start producing our plane.”

While Simard’s business history is impressive, she will tell you one of the most pivotal moments in her life that changed the trajectory of her career was the day she received the phone call that she had stage III breast cancer.

When she was 49, she had her annual mammogram. She got called back in for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound because they saw something suspicious. At this point, Simard was confident that she did not have cancer since statistically it wasn’t in her family history and shouldn’t happen.

It was during the ultrasound that the technician let it slip that she saw something that didn’t look good.

A week later, Simard had a biopsy that came back positive.

“Initially, I had two breast tumors and a lymph node in my left armpit impacted,” explained Simard. “That leads to another litany of tests so they can decide if the cancer has spread beyond your lymph nodes to the rest of your body.”

It took three weeks to find out that it had not spread throughout her body. The process was challenging and confusing for Simard. She questioned, “Do I tell people? Do I not tell people?”

“I did a lot of emotional purging and forgiving, and I realized a lot about myself at that time,” said Simard.

Because breast cancer metastasizes

to either the lungs or the brain, the oncologist wanted Simard to have a brain MRI. It was another five days after the PET scan for Simard to hear that cancer had not spread further.

“During those five days, I relived my life, thought about all of the sins I had committed, and started a 24-hour vigil with God,” Simard said. “I was playing phone tag with the surgeon who, due to privacy laws, couldn’t leave the results on the phone.”

It was good news. The cancer had not metastasized.

“That was one of the most liberating moments in my life. Although I knew I would probably have to have chemotherapy, I now knew it was more than likely going to be treatable,” explained Simard. “Statistically, I likely would survive.

I was so grateful, and at that moment, my attitude started to change. I now needed to gear up for chemo treatment.”

Simard had 16 chemo infusions.

“They gave me four Adriamycin and Cytoxan cocktails which are the brutal, brutal part of chemotherapy and makes your hair fall out,” Simard said.

Simard’s protocol treatment lasted for 10 months.

“Near the end of chemo, I started to cycle through depression. I had to have a Taxol drug infusion each week. You have your infusion, and you’re feeling pretty good, but Taxol doesn’t hit you until two days later, and then you just crash,” Simard said. “The weight that I lost 12

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For more information, visit www.dianemsimard.com

during chemo comes back quickly, like a pound a week. It was horrible. You’re feeling like a marshmallow and then neuropathy sets in. At least for me, I felt like a diabetic with stinging and poking.

Each time, I just hated knowing that I was going to feel lousy. I went through those five months of chemo wondering if I was ever going to feel good again.”

Being a type-A person, Simard needed some answers. She asked her oncologist to recommend a counselor or psychologist who had experience in working through depression after cancer. The oncologist couldn’t think of anyone to recommend.

“We have marriage and counseling psychologists. We have sports psychologists. Why don’t we have cancer psychologists?” Simard wondered.

“Kearney State College taught me very well how to ask questions, and I went ‘Geraldo Rivera’ on her. I kept asking questions.”

Even though Simard’s oncologist was helping patient survivors struggling with the realities of what they had been through and facing concerns of the cancer returning, she explained that when it comes to philanthropy or funding dollars for cancer, the money goes to researching cures only.

“I get that, but what about the fact that some of these treatments are becoming more effective and, in many instances, we are living longer, what kind of quality of life is that?” Simard asked.

Simard did some research and networking which led her to the University of Denver graduate school of professional psychology. She was looking for clinical psychologists as opposed to research psychologists. She found a promising field called “health psychology,” and continued to do her homework.

“I was introduced to Dr. Nicole Taylor from Iowa. She had specialized in working with survivors of traumatic illnesses, primarily cancer,” said Simard.

“Dr. Taylor specialized her post-doctoral

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training in health psychology because she had recognized the prevalence of cancer and the need for treatment of survivors.”

Together, the women found that no other university was teaching psychologists how to counsel patients with cancer. Simard, with her business wisdom, knew that they had to establish a case for the need of psychological, “human-centered” treatment for cancer patients and health care.

Simard’s five months of chemo was followed by two lumpectomy surgeries and 33 bouts of radiation to radiate the tumors. She finished her final radiation treatment on Dec. 21, 2015.

In coordination with the University of Denver graduate school of professional psychology and Dr. Taylor, Simard launched The Center for Oncological Psychology Excellence. The first group of COPE students graduated in August 2016. Forty-one students have had all or some of the 12 credit-hour courses for licensed psychologists.

Some day, Simard would like to see COPE branch out and possibly even bring it to UNK. In April, Simard spent two days at UNK telling her story and talking with administration about potential opportunities for developing something similar to COPE in Nebraska.

“We have to continue to generate research data to work with UNMC with psychology. The funding is not the biggest challenge. UNK is in an excellent collaborative time to partner with UNMC on this. What better opportunity than to bring the research to UNK?” “When Diane visited campus and told her story, it was apparent that UNK is positioned to make a difference in this area,” said Lucas Dart, vice president of alumni relations and development at the NU Foundation.

“It’s inspiring to hear what’s possible, and it’s particularly special that Diane’s brought the idea to her alma mater.”

“We need people to work with those of us who need this help, and we need the data to get the help we need,” said Simard. “Universities are great resources for research. I’m just trying to create more awareness of the psychological impact. On how traumatic it is to go through this disease – cancer – and how the trauma stays with you.

“You’re never done. Your body has permanently changed. In all honesty, once treatment ends most assume you should be just grateful to be alive,” Simard said. “Cancer itself didn’t change me, but the process of treating cancer did. I emerged a much more grateful, humble, passionate, confident person.” 

The Realities of Cancer Survival in the U. S.

According to cancer.gov: • In 2016, there were an estimated 15.5 million cancer survivors in the U. S. The number of cancer survivors is expected to increase to 20.3 million by 2026.

• The number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise to 23.6 million by 2030.

• Major depression affects approximately 25 percent of patients and has recognizable symptoms whose diagnosis and treatment are essential because they have an impact on quality of life.

• More than 70 percent of children diagnosed with cancer can now be expected to be long-term survivors.

According to MD Magazine: • The incidence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder six-months postdiagnosis was 21.7 percent, dropping to 6.1 percent after four-years follow-up. Despite the decrease in PTSD prevalence, an estimated 33 percent of patients that were diagnosed with PTSD were still experiencing persistent symptoms - in many cases worsening - at the time of the four-year follow-up.

UNK NEWS

About The Size of It UNK managing enrollment for the future

In 1990 – while still Kearney State College – 10,114 In 2004 – the lowest in University of Nebraska at Kearney history – 6,382 In 2012 – the highest in recent years – 7,199 In 2017 – after four straight declining years – 6,644 This is UNK, seemingly on a roller coaster of enrollment highs and lows.

Once 10,000 students were common, now 7,000 is an enrollment success.

So, what size is right for UNK? Does size really matter?

Yes, it does, says Ed Scantling, UNK’s associate vice chancellor for Academic Services and Enrollment Management.

But the variables that go into creating the perfect mix of students – and putting together the pieces to get to the Enrollment Management Council’s “best size” of 7,200 – is a complex puzzle.

Working on that puzzle has become a complex collaborative operation involving traditional recruitment strategies, marketing communication and more importantly enrollment management, a new division led by Scantling.

The recruitment game, Scantling says, has changed. How – and when – students

and their families look at potential schools has changed. Nebraska, UNK’s prime recruitment area (especially central/ western) has changed. The stakes are higher and competition is intense for each student is intense. Because of the increasing cost of higher education, affordability and the risk-evaluation process for families, there is a stronger “consumer” emphasis on job placement and graduate-program placement rates. International student recruitment has also become trickier because of geopolitical and world economic issues.

“The economy matters, cost of attendance at UNK matters,” said Scantling. “In-state competition has increased, and the economy hasn’t helped us in Nebraska – we bring a lot of kids from farms and ranches.

The commodity prices are down, the ability of those kids to pay and their

families to pay for an education at a place like UNK has become tougher.”

It’s important to understand, Scantling says, that although UNK’s role is to bring affordable, quality higher education to greater Nebraska, UNK’s strategic enrollment plan prioritizes student success and the important outcome of graduation over getting “any and all” to sign up. Admitting unqualified students (with low ACT scores and GPAs) could be an easy way to grow enrollment and generate tuition income, but would result in many individual student failures. UNK’s student retention and 6-year graduation rates are higher than peers – which is a measure that should be more important than fall enrollment, Scantling says.

“While UNK’s historic focus on teaching and close faculty/student interaction helps many less-than-fullyprepared students succeed, if we let in students who aren't prepared then graduation rates and retention rates go down,” Scantling said. “It’s also not an ethically appropriate thing to do because, after a year or two, that student will drop out and often have 14

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Kelly Bartling, Writer UNK Communications

To refer a student to UNK, visit http://unk.edu/student-referral

Sydney Norris '18, Graphic Design UNK Alumni Association

Honors Program

Quality

Residence Halls

Learning Community

MIAA Learning

Experience

student loans to repay but no degree.

Despite our historical success and best efforts, unless something extraordinary happens, unprepared students are not going to be successful at UNK.” Other pieces of the enrollment management puzzle include targeting atypical recruitment regions (metro and suburban Omaha and Lincoln), and now, Colorado and Kansas, which are strategically being offered Nebraska tuition rates. That unprecedented action announced in fall 2017 has already piqued interest among primarily Colorado families who identify UNK as an option that costs less than Colorado public universities and offers as good or better academic quality.

UNK is also changing some scholarship packaging, and student offers to drive student costs down and increase student interest.

Because size does matter, what else can be done to increase enrollment?

A significant hurdle for UNK is general awareness, Scantling said.

UNK is known in central and western Nebraska, but research indicates that while most prospective students and

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Fit Scholarships

Programs

Marketing

Cost

International Students

Activities

their families in Lincoln and Omaha have heard of or are somewhat familiar with UNK, they “don’t know who we are.”

Scantling said today’s students start thinking about college much earlier and start researching differently, making it a challenge to get admissions counselors in front of them to create relationships. Digital marketing through websites, interactive tours, mobile apps, virtual reality, social media and text-messaging increases the pressure on scarce admissions and marketing resources. Important investments in retention, which includes easing highschoolers’ transition to college through the First Year Program, are paying off. So are investments in distance learning options – that appeal to adult learners and place-bound students through eCampus — are growing markets, and ultimately, numbers.

UNK is always going to have difficulty competing with other colleges because of limited resources.

Some universities have million-dollar advertising and marketing budgets and are bombarding prospective students with frequent high-end mailings.

“We are as interested in that student, but it appears we don’t care,” Scantling said. “But we do not have the funding.”

Location

Jobs

Instead, smart, strategic, and lower-cost and less-frequent recruitment pieces are used. “That’s what’s changed in recruiting is the personnel to recruit one kid to be a student on their campus.

Compared to 1990 it was a much more passive activity, but now, it’s superaggressive and super-sophisticated.”

Scantling said because alumni can attest to the “UNK difference,” he encourages alumni to be active storytellers for UNK and use the power of “word of mouth” in their social spheres to become personal recruiters. Alumni can refer a future Loper to the Admissions Office. And scholarships and donations to funds to help make UNK even more affordable are also important, he said.

“UNK continues to be a wonderful place to get an education, where we focus on student success through academic quality and personal attention,” Scantling said. “We need our alumni support, and we need them to help us recruit. Share the website. Tell our story. Send us their kids.” 

HISTORY REVISITED

George Kotsiopulos '46 Writing, Selections from Letter Photos Courtesy of the Kotsiopulos Family Forward by Sydney Norris '18 UNK Alumni Association

Alumnus describes details of Sept. 2, 1945 in a letter to his family RECOLLECTIONS George Kotsiopulos ’46, the father of Pete Kotsiopulos ’70 of Kearney, passed away in December 2017. Kotsiopulos served on the first U.S. naval Ship that reached Japan shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. He was present to witness the signing of the peace treaty with the U.S. and Japan, essentially ending WWII. Following are selections from a letter George Kotsiopulos wrote to his family from the naval ship U.S.S. Missouri in 1945 explaining what he witnessed. The original letter was type written and is in safe keeping with the Kotsiopulos family. His letter:

I could not restrain myself any longer.

Curiosity was too great, I had to see what it was like up on deck. It was still dark, and the air was cool and crisp. There was a full moon which gave a brilliant cast to the water and the other ships in our convoy. I went below for breakfast, and soon arrived back up on the deck, just as it was getting light. I didn’t want to miss this, so I picked out a good location on the uppermost deck and planted myself on an ammo box and commenced taking in the sights. On the starboard side. Or on the right, about a mile away were numerous

islands. Actually, jagged rocks, jutting up from the sea. A haze shrouded them in mystery and beauty, giving them a rather gray, violet cast. The water was a turquoisegreen, which was decidedly beautiful in color. There were many small and large ships, and they all reduced their speed.

This was the hour.

By this time, I was not alone on the ammo, and as we entered the outer harbor I was compelled to leave my soft seat in order to see. The sun was slowly rising, meeting the mist in its path, whose shades of pink and blue were indescribable.

The land of the rising sun. Japan.

Around nine o’clock, we were within half a mile of land and now it was quite easy to distinguish buildings with the naked eye. Numerous fish canneries, a high temple, shipyards and a great many trees. There was no flat land. It was all mountainous terrain, with numerous small islands.

We had passed the islands and were in the channel. On either side were high mountains. There was the hull of merchant vessel sticking up out of the water.

INSET: George Kotsiopulos ’46 as a boy, wearing a suit commemorating the Navy during WWI. On Aug. 6, 1945, the ‘Little Boy’ atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It was the first time that atomic warfare had been used.

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After the Japanese conceded defeat, President Truman announced that "Mighty Mo," the behemoth 58,000-ton flagship of the 3rd Fleet, would host the signatories of the instrument of surrender in Tokyo Bay. Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed the Japanese surrender document on the Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.

DO YOU KNOW ALUMNI WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN HISTORIC EVENTS? LET US KNOW AT LOPERS@UNKALUMNI.ORG

✉

George Kotsiopulos ’46

There was no indication of any activity.

A few midget submarine hulls could be seen on the ways. The large steel constructions that extended out into the water were rusty. There was destruction all over the place with no signs of life, except a few birds flying overhead.

On both sides of the harbor were numerous factories very drab in color.

The atomic bomb had struck an old section of the city and had laid all of that section in waste.

The trees in the surrounding territory were completely stripped. This area is, of course, very badly damaged, beyond all recognition. It was in this area that the greatest concentration of people and industry was. There is a small stream that goes back into the mountains with three bridges. The first bridge which is closest to the harbor and is visible to the eye was not damaged. The other two were. The buildings were crumbled.

The wharf section on this side is called the International Business District.

It was here that the larger nations had representatives, government and business.

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It became impossible to determine what the different buildings were.

Around the hills in back of the business district were numerous small homes.

It is impossible to describe the destruction that ran rampant in this area.

There were two hospital ships tied up at one end of the few available berths side by side. They were to carry out prisoners of war released from prison camps in the area. Two nuns and several nurses were standing on one of the decks of the hospital ships. How strange it looked.

It was in the afternoon.

We were anchored in the harbor when a small landing craft came along side. This was the moment we had been waiting for.

The high-ranking Japanese came aboard.

The mayor in formal attire. A civilian in business clothes. There was a Japanese general and admiral and high-ranking Army and Navy men. The Army men wore high-riding boots. The uniforms were clean and well pressed. They were taken into the war room. All bowed and sat down on one side with the American officers on the other. The Japanese did not sit at the table but sat against chairs placed against the wall. When our general

came in they all stood up, bowed several times from the waist and sat down again.

There were high-power lights and moving pictures taken of the entire procedure.

It was difficult to hear but the general told the Marines they did not want any trouble. After this, the general left. The Japanese soldiers jumped up bowing several times. The signing of the papers took place. Several questions in regard to property came up. It finally came out that the mayor owned almost all of the city.

About 40 minutes passed and the Japanese came out and left the ship and life aboard went on as usual as it possibly could go on the first day in the Japanese harbor.

The days which followed were quite exciting and especially so when we were notified that four of us were to go ashore and set up an office in the Municipal Railway building. Here, we were able to meet and study the cooperate. The days passed exceptionally fast and the time came for us to leave, leaving the situation well in hand for the Marines. 

®

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Todd Gottula, Writer UNK Communications

ATHLETIC TRAINING GROWS UNK masters program outreach growing RIGHT: Amber Burson ’04, head athletic trainer at Lexington High School, is among UNK graduates who have gone on to have successful careers in professional athletic training positions. (Photo by Corbey R. Dorsey, UNK Communications)

The University of Nebraska at Kearney’s athletic-training pipeline to rural public schools is about to get bigger.

In fall 2018, UNK will take a step toward increasing its footprint in the field when it adds a Master of Athletic Training degree.

“Athletic health care, especially in rural public schools, is so important. We have UNK graduates who are movers and shakers developing programs at schools all across Nebraska,” said Scott Unruh, director of the university’s athletic training program.

UNK Athletic Training has been a feeder program for central Nebraska high schools for years,” said Unruh.

“Lexington, Kearney, Grand Island, Anselmo-Merna, Boone Central and McCook are among the long list of schools who have benefited.

“Those schools are crown jewels of high school athletic training in the state,” Unruh said. “Look at the job market, and you see a vast amount of UNK athletic training students in collegiate, high school, clinic and hospital outreach programs.

“There is a great need for athletic health care professionals, and UNK has helped fill that need for many years.”

Amber Burson and Greg Limbach MAE '94 are among UNK graduates who have gone on to have successful

careers in professional athletic training positions that include universities, high schools, hospitals, clinics, professional sports teams and many others.

The head athletic trainer at Lexington High School, Burson received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with an emphasis in athletic training in 2004.

“Lexington High School has benefited greatly from our partnership with UNK,” said Burson. “It pushes us as professionals to continue to keep our knowledge sharp to provide a quality environment for UNK students to practice their skills, and it helps our school provide a better quality of health care with their help.

“Affiliate agreements with regional high schools allow UNK students to put their classroom knowledge to practical use,” Burson said. “At the same time, high schools see a positive impact.”

UNK’s new master’s program will offer students opportunities to work alongside medical and allied medical professionals across the region, including many affiliated sports medicine, medical centers and clinical sites.

“The hope is that more and more school districts in central Nebraska, and nationally, will see the need for athletic trainers in all high schools,” said Limbach, recently retired head athletic trainer at

Kearney High School, who received his Master of Arts in Physical Education from UNK in 1993. “UNK will be a leader in providing many of these prospective athletic trainers for those positions.

“I hope that the development of the master’s in athletic training program helps broaden awareness and educate the public on the importance of this profession.”

UNK alumni and area high schools are key in promoting the university’s athletic training program, Unruh said.

“We are very blessed and have great relationships with all of those places,” said Unruh. “The key thing is we have professional people in those settings who do a really good job training our students within their structure.” 

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REINVENTED

See more pictures at unk.edu/news

Tyler Ellyson, Writer UNK Communications Corbey Dorsey, Photographer UNK Communications

Frank home reinterpreted and updated for community When Will Stoutamire pauses to think about everything that’s been accomplished over the past two-plus years at the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture, it can seem a bit surreal.

The director of the museum on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus has been at the forefront of a project that restored the historic home completed in 1890, revived its 60-year history as part of the Nebraska State Hospital for Tuberculosis and reinvented the entire attraction by adding new technology and exhibits.

Stoutamire took over as director in September 2014 and started the project a year later.

He wanted the museum to go in a new direction, one that transformed the space into a must-see site for both local residents and out-of-town tourists while meshing the existing historic significance with an increased emphasis on arts and culture.

Restoration That process started with a lot of rehabilitation work throughout the 128-year-old structure.

Stoutamire worked with UNK students and local contractors to repair plaster and collapsing ceilings, remove lead-based paint and restore

woodwork, among other tasks.

The first floor, which showcases the home as it looked in the early 1890s, was “completely reinterpreted,” according to Stoutamire.

Local architect George William Frank Jr. designed the house – one of the earliest in the Great Plains with electricity – as a gift for his parents, George Sr. and Phoebe Frank.

Second floor From 1912 until 1972, the property was owned by the state as part of the Nebraska State Hospital for Tuberculosis.

“As with most historic house museums, we spent 40 years trying to remove every vestige of the hospital from this house, because the goal of historic house museums has long been to restore the building back to the way it looked when the first family moved in,” said Stoutamire, who decided to buck that trend.

The entire third floor was restored to its hospital look and a permanent exhibit on the sanatorium was added to the second floor. The exhibit rooms were also restored to reflect the hospital era.

Stoutamire and UNK students conducted research on the state hospital and collected oral histories from former employees and others impacted by the facility. Among the artifacts on display Story continued on page 20 and 21.

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CAMPUS NEWS

A permanent display added to the second floor showcases a collection of decorative arts donated to UNK by the late Philip and Mildred Strain '62, MSE '69 of Kearney. The collection includes more than 100 glass and porcelain pieces, plus furniture, from Europe and the U.S. dating from roughly 1740 to the early 1900s.

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Will Stoutamire “The goal was to take what has been known locally as a historic home and turn it into a community museum, become a little bit more relevant to the community and become a destination for people coming to Kearney.”

are physician’s tools, the door from the medical waste incinerator, leather-work created by a patient during his stay there and a newsletter produced by patients.

Another permanent display added to the second floor showcases a collection of decorative arts donated to UNK by the late Philip and Mildred Strain of Kearney. The collection includes more than 100 glass and porcelain pieces, plus furniture, from Europe and the U.S. dating from roughly 1740 to the early 1900s.

The final piece of the second-floor overhaul is a Discovery Room where children can explore history through hands-on activities such as using an antique stereo-graph and working with stencils (the Frank Museum features handpainted stencilling on the walls). Activities related to electricity and hydroelectric power – another connection to the house’s history – are also part of the space.

For the first time ever, the third floor and basement will be included on guided tours so visitors can see the entire house.

The basement, which accessed the hospital’s underground tunnel system, offers a view of the building’s structural components.

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Technology Several touch-screen kiosks located throughout the building provide information about the home, hospital and Kearney, including video clips and images of pieces that are too fragile to display.

A new app for mobile devices tracks visitors as they peruse the museum, highlighting an artifact in each space and providing more information about the pieces, including many of the fragile items in the archives.

While the museum still offers traditional guided tours, Stoutamire said the added technology gives visitors the option of exploring the space at their own pace.

An updated website at frank.unk.edu was also launched as part of the project.

UNK assistant professor Jacob Rosdail and students in his advanced video production and TV classes created a documentary on the museum overhaul with footage from throughout the process and segments on the Franks, industrial Kearney and the state tuberculosis hospital. The documentary trailer can be viewed on one of the digital kiosks.

Copies of the documentary, shirts,

mugs, books and other items are available in a gift shop added to the museum’s first floor.

Dedication The updated Frank Museum was unveiled during a series of events in April, culminating months of hard work by Stoutamire, UNK students and staff and other partners.

“A large part of the success of all of this was dependent upon community members who have been generous in ways that are hard to calculate,” Stoutamire said.

Stoutamire has a vision for further improvements at the museum, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, but he’s also taking time to reflect upon what’s been accomplished so far.

“It’s a pretty incredible feeling,” he said.

“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do.” 

REINVENTED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19-20.

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS & HUMANITIES

Sydney Norris '18, Writer UNK Alumni Association

THE ART OF DESIGN The success of the University of Nebraska at Kearney design program creates students and alumni who are at the top of their field Hidden away in the University of Nebraska at Kearney Fine Arts building is a program training students not only in the eye of design but how to work directly with clients and solve problems.

Professor Richard Schuessler with the UNK Visual Communication and Design program has taught for 26 years and continues to build his students up for success in design of all types.

After Schuessler started teaching visual communication at UNK, he worked with Kent Smith to recreate the program for the changing times. The

program started out as commercial art, however, Schuessler altered the program so students would learn all aspects of design, including theory and communication.

“Design isn’t just for print anymore.

Our graduates need to understand electronic or motion graphics and web-based applications,” Schuessler said. “But I am still an advocate that you start with design-based visual communication layout, the use of typography and imagery, and you can apply that to any project, whether it is 3D-printed promotional materials for

events or web-based information.”

Classes in the program provide the students with teamwork skills and also opportunities to work with real clients.

“The whole industry is about teamwork and problem-solving as the underlying key to design,” said Schuessler.

Students in the DPI Graphics program, a student-based design studio created by Schuessler, have won many awards. Students enter their work into 22

#UNKAlumni

competitions within the program and on a regional level. Students are able to participate in judging their classmate’s work for internal competitions as well as work with clients in Kearney and surrounding communities. Their client base comes by word of mouth.

“Over the years we have extended from the campus and local, to state and regional projects,” Schuessler said proudly.

Schuessler has had many successful students graduate from the UNK program in the past two decades and looks forward to updating opportunities for the students.

“I have students working across the United States,” he said. “I love teaching in general when I see the light bulb light up and watch my students get it.

That ‘Aha’ moment is why I teach.”

One of Many Success Stories UNK’s visual communication and design program has a history of shaping and molding students to be outstanding designers for this new digital age. Ben Rowe ’03, senior vice president and chief creative officer at SCORR Marketing in Kearney, tells about his success in design because of the UNK program.

“As a kid I was always drawing,” Rowe said. “I had an art teacher in junior high tell my parents at parent teacher conferences that I may be one of the few students he has had who would make it in the professional world of art, so that had a pretty big impact on my life.”

“I worked at publications on campus; that was a really good experience for me, getting to work with clients and preparing pieces for print,” Rowe said.

LEFT: UNK student, Jase Hueser, earned six awards, including best of show, at the recent Nebraska ADDYs design competition.

(Photo by Corbey Dorsey, UNK Communications)

RIGHT: Ben Rowe ’03, senior vice president and chief creative officer at SCORR Marketing in Kearney, credits his successful start in design to the UNK program.

(Photo by Sydney Norris '18, UNK Alumni Association)

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Shortly after graduation, Rowe started in freelance design. Soon he found himself working for SCORR Marketing at the beginning of the company’s journey to success. Thirteen years later, Rowe is still finding success with SCORR. Finding mentors along the way and having a willingness to learn has helped Rowe to get to where he is today.

“Probably the best advice I ever got was to fall in love with the problem and not the solution,” said Rowe.

For him, graphic design combines his personal interests into a profession where he is able to be creative while solving problems at the same time. “I enjoy the variety of work, being able to create things and solve problems, because every project we do is solving a problem of some kind,” Rowe said.

SCORR Marketing has a long history of award-winning design excellence. For example they have had several logos selected to be printed in the annual “Logo Lounge” book from time to time and have received numerous design awards from various competition and selection committees.

“As a designer, that is always a big deal for me,” Rowe said. “But, we like to win awards for our clients because that is a big deal for them.”

“As far as graphic design, there is just so much more you can do.

One thing they emphasized in the

For more information, visit https://art.unk.edu/unkart/

program at UNK was to not be so reliant on the computer,” Rowe said.

The students who study graphic design start with the history of graphic design and learn to emulate the basic styles. Students progress onto gradually creating their own designs.

“It’s a tough program, and they are pretty hard on you, because in this industry, you have to be thickskinned,” Rowe said. “With art it can be really personal, but in business you have to separate yourself from that.”

The UNK graphic design program helped set the stage for Rowe in his journey as a designer. “There was a big focus on concept sketching and getting your ideas formulated before you work on the computer. That is something that I have really taken with me into the professional world,” Rowe said.

“The visual communications and design program at UNK gave me a solid knowledge base and skill set to hit the ground running in my professional career,” said Rowe. “As SCORR has grown and added on to our design team over the years, it's no coincidence that most of our designers have been graduates of the VCD program.” 

PORTRAITS IN PHILANTHROPY

CAREER MARKED BY

Robb Crouch, Writer NU Foundation

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Pete Peterson honored family with a scholarship

George and Venetia Peterson (center) made Kearney their home in the early 1900s and raised sons Peter (left) and John. Peter G. Peterson created a scholarship at UNK for students who are first in their family to attend college.

George and Venetia Peterson immigrated to Kearney in the early 1900s with nothing but a third-grade education and the desire to work hard so their children would have a better life — and the opportunity for education.

Their son, Kearney native Peter G. Peterson, honored his family’s tenacity and Nebraska roots by establishing a scholarship for students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney who, like him, were the first in their family to attend college.

“I was lucky enough to live the American dream, and my story began in Kearney,” Peterson said in late 2017. “This scholarship will help make it possible for more first-generation students to realize their own American Dream by accessing

the world-class education offered by UNK.” The Peter G. Peterson Scholarship Fund was created as a permanently endowed scholarship with a $50,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Annual net income from the fund will be awarded by the UNK office of financial aid as scholarships to first-generation students from Nebraska who are studying any major and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. “Throughout its history, UNK has been a welcoming school where many first-generation college students completed an education that was both affordable and of the highest quality,” said Charles Bicak, senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at UNK. “This remains true today, and because of Pete’s generosity, many more generations of students who otherwise would not be able to afford college will have an opportunity to realize their dreams at UNK.” Pete Peterson graduated from Kearney High School in 1942 and then graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University in 1947 before earning an MBA at the University of Chicago.

He died March 20, 2018, at age 91.

Peterson’s distinguished career included contributions and accomplishments in public service, business and philanthropy. He served in government roles including as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the early

1970s and as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2000 — 2004.

His highly successful business career included serving as chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers and founding The Blackstone Group in 1985.

In 2008, Peterson founded the Peter G. Peterson Foundation as a non-partisan organization dedicated to addressing America’s long-term fiscal challenges.

In addition, he was chairman emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, founding chairman of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., and founding president of the Concord Coalition.

UNK conferred on Peterson an honorary doctorate degree in 2006.

The gift from Peterson also provided support for Our Students, Our Future, a University of Nebraska fundraising initiative which successfully concluded Dec. 31, 2017. Through this initiative, nearly 28,500 donors helped fund priorities focused on supporting the University of Nebraska’s greatest resource: its students.

Gifts created nearly 300 new scholarship funds, enhanced 1,540 existing scholarships and helped fund new building projects that will enhance student learning. 

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#UNKAlumni

Michelle (Thompson) Widger '90, Writer UNK Alumni Association

PORTRAITS IN PHILANTHROPY

THE WRITE WAY

Carolyn (Wagner) Snyder ’64

Working hard and writing skills provide success Carolyn (Wagner) Snyder ’64 has developed a lifelong love for reading and writing.

“When I was younger, I attended class where an English teacher motivated us to write clearly,” said Snyder. “When I went to college it was clear that excellent writing was essential to achieving my goals.”

Born in Elgin, graduated from Waco, Snyder grew up in small towns across Nebraska. Her family owned a farm in northeast Nebraska where her parents farmed and her mother taught.

“I went from graduating from the University of Nebraska at Kearney to the master’s program in library science at the University of Denver,” said Snyder. “The librarians were very inspiring and encouraging to me.”

Snyder’s career of more than 40 years in academic libraries began at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 1965.

At the Indiana University Bloomington libraries, she held several administrative positions including personnel officer, associate dean and interim dean. She served as dean and professor of library affairs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was involved in development and fundraising activities during her tenure at SIUC. Her library work began as a student assistant in the Kearney State College library. She credits the library and the college for many of her opportunities in libraries and higher education.

“The interactions I had encouraged me to further my education,” said Snyder.

“I feel I owe a debt to Kearney to say thank you and to pay it forward so that other Nebraska students may benefit.”

Snyder generously funds a library

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scholarship for students to ensure they have the support they need.

“During my career as a professor and librarian, I wrote several articles and books for the library,” said Snyder. “As I progressed, it was important to do research and writing.

That showed me how important writing is.”

While Snyder lives in Illinois, she has been actively involved in several capacities as an alumna which led her to be on the UNK campus. While she was waiting at the Nebraskan Student Union, Charles Bicak '74, senior vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at UNK, walked by.

“Dr. Bicak told me about UNK's Student Research Day,” said Snyder.

“It is an annual event held each spring to provide opportunity for students to present their research they have conducted within their field of study.”

“UNK has a very strong emphasis on students doing independent scholarly work while they are here,” said John Falconer '89, the director of UNK’s undergraduate research and creative activity. “It’s a distinguishing part of the UNK experience.”

Student Research Day highlights students' research accomplishments and illustrates the important roles faculty play as mentors. Any UNK student engaged in research is encouraged to participate, even if their work was not funded through UNK. “Student Research Day is a forum for celebrating, showcasing and displaying all of the students’ great work,” said Falconer. “It is not just to campus and not just to other students, but to the community as well.”

“Dr. Bicak was so enthusiastic about the event, I knew I wanted to do something to help support this activity,” said Snyder. She values good writing and the importance of continually improving one’s skills so she decided to propose a

Wagner family writing award.

“I feel that writing is important in this current environment because other formats, like texting, don’t encourage good writing,” said Snyder.

Falconer agreed. “It is obvious that her gift is causing more writing and more submissions and that’s great,” said Falconer. “It has raised the visibility of academic writing on campus. It sends the message that we take what the students are accomplishing seriously. The award sends a signal that the students’ writing matters.”

The program was established to provide two years of awards for students writing their research projects into a paper with the option for eight more years of funding available.

“Dr. Falconer has helped administer the awards. The awards total $1,000 per year, with the first-place writing award earning $750 and the second-place earning $250,” said Snyder, who gets the honor of reading winning papers. “What surprises me most about these research papers is they have such high quality writing,” she said.

“In 2018, there was an increase in applications for the award,” said Falconer. “That tells us the impact that this award has had.”

“It is important to recognize the role everyone plays in these awards. Supporting the UNK students is so important,” said Snyder. “Dr. Bicak’s enthusiasm and explanations are what inspired me to commit to this program. The staffs’ concern for the students and their success is why I give. They truly care for this university.”  To learn more about UNK research, visit http://unk.edu/ugr/

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TRAVELING LOPERS

Whether you come home or we visit you, there are always friendly faces and engaging stories at Loper alumni events.

TRAVELING LOPERS

ARIZONA LOPERS Standing are Dave Wendland '76, UNK Alumni Director Lucas Dart '97, Lanny Jorgensen '63, Larry Peterson '79, Larry Malicky and Jerry Rockwell '68. Sitting are Roger and Judie Johnson '62, Frank Russell '61 MSE '67, Barb Malicky, and Panda Vest. Lanny Jorgensen and Panda Vest have hosted the gathering for many years at their home in Arizona.

GOLD TORCH SOCIETY Each year, 25 undergraduate women are paired with 25 alumnae in their field of study for a mentorship program that culminates in a weekend of networking, training, setting realistic expectations and fun. This year was The Gold Torch Society’s 17th year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

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Enjoying the Arizona sun front and center is Terry Lewis '78. Standing is Jill Lewis, Kelli Larsen '90, Jane Meyer '89, Sheryl Long '90 and Perry Baker '54, Ginny Baker and LEAD Council president Angela (Reynolds) Davidson ’09, MBA ‘10 who traveled from Nebraska.

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TJ Burbach '18, Courtney Hayden '17 and Sergio Ceja '17 at the Omaha Lopers After Hours, "Throwing the Lopes" to show school spirit.

UNK Alumni Director Lucas Dart '97 congratulates Dave Wendland '76 on still being able to wear his Kearney State College letter jacket he earned in swimming in 1973.

Justin Rolfes '08, Marty Nordlund '84 and Sarah (Reed) Nordlund '85, Ken Arment '84, Tony Caputo, Jodi VanWinkle '81 and Jeff Stenslokken '82 visit at the Omaha Loper After Hours.

Marc Bauer MAE '99 was inducted into the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. He took the Lopers to 11 top-four national tournament finishes, winning titles in '08, '12 and '13. He led the Lopers to amazing success during 17 years, and racked up a remarkable 218-81 dual record. Tervel Dlagnev '09, right, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for being an outstanding four-time All-American heavyweight for UNK. He was previously named NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year in 2009 for his senior year success of a perfect 38-0 record during his senior year. Internationally, Dlagnev earned eight spots on United States national teams, winning bronze medals in 2009 and 2014.

CLASS NOTES 1950 Anna (Newcomb) Hunnel of Casper, Wyoming, celebrated her 90th birthday April 14.

1951 Robert "Bob" Peterson of Kearney celebrated his 98th birthday on Nov. 22.

1955 Wanda and Rodney Koch MSE '61 of Cozad celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Jan. 1.

1960 Mary Bergsten of Minden turned 90 years old on March 8.

1963 Lynn and Sandra (Schultz) Martin '67 of Pleasanton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 12.

1964 Ken Aldridge of Mansfield, Texas, has published his seventh book, "The Fatal Fall." Aldridge, a native of Grand Island, served in the FBI for 24 years. His books are fictional crime novels.

Enid “Edie” (Meeske) Hansen MAE '92 of Kearney was awarded the Gerald S. Oswald Outstanding Service Award by The Nebraska Speech Communication and Theatre Association in late 2017. Earlier in the year, she was awarded the Service and Leadership Award in recognition for her service to the Lexington Minutemen Speech Team and Nebraska speech community. She is a speech and theatre judge for the Nebraska School Activities Association, as well as for various schools within the state.

Mark your calendars for the Delta Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi 's 55th Anniversary Celebration!

Pack your suitcase with memories, photos and your favorite Alpha Phi sweatshirt!

Plan to join us in Kearney from September 14 -16, 2018 for homecoming and reunion events.

For more information contact Chris (Johnson) Hehner, hehnerc@gmail.com or the Alpha Phi at UNK - Delta Xi chapter Facebook page.

15 years. Currently, James is coordinating the Student Support Center at Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan, Colorado.

Dennis Thomas of Omaha retired Dec. 31 from Pinnacle Bank in Gretna after 13 years as director of regulatory compliance.

1974

1977

Doug Terry MA ’85 of Columbus was inducted into the Columbus High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sharon (Mullen) Zavala, a teacher and volleyball coach at Grand Island Central Catholic High School, led her team to a victory in October for her 1,000th career win. The Crusaders’ coach since 1975, she has won nine state titles; this past season her team earned runner up in the Class C-1 volleyball final. In 2007, Zavala was named national volleyball coach of the year. The Sports Illustrated Dec. 18 issue recognized Zavala as one of the “Faces in the Crowd.”

Pam (Saum) Koch MAE ’89 of Cozad is the music department chair at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte. She retired from Cozad Community Schools in 2015 after teaching music for 38 years.

1975

Arlys (Saathoff) Torrey MSE '74 of Kearney celebrated her 90th birthday on March 3.

Jerry '73 and Rosemary (Felt) Miller MSE '90, of Kearney celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 29.

Dianne (Gabrukiewicz) Bystrom of Ames, Iowa, retired as the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. In her 22 years as director, she founded Iowa State’s interdisciplinary undergraduate Leadership Studies Program and taught numerous courses.

1970

1976

1968

James Weimer of Brush, Colorado, was a high school mathematics teacher for more than 25 years, including 12 years in Papua New Guinea where he served as a high school counselor for

Steve Rose MAE ’78 of Indianola, Iowa, retired after teaching high school and college classes for nearly 40 years. Steve has also published two books of poetry.

1978 Kenneth Johnson of Tipton, Missouri, was nominated by President Trump on Feb. 5 to be the administrator of the USDA Rural Utility Service.

Johnson serves as the general manager and CEO of Co-Mo Electric Cooperative and president for Co-Mo Connect in Tipton.

Julie Speirs of Kearney retired March 9 from the Kearney Hub after 39 years in the newspaper business. Speirs served as the publisher of the Kearney Hub since 2012.

1979 Kathy (Osborn) English of Kearney is the fourth recipient of the Joan Bailey Award for the Advancement of Women’s Athletics. Kathy retired in April after 37 years with UNK.

1980 Mike Anderson of Denver, Colorado, has been the owner and president of Team Packaging Company since 2003.

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CLASS NOTES 1982 Sarah Donohoe of Lenexa, Kansas, published a book, “Slices of Life, Estes Park; Best of The Thunker Columns.”

Clarence Brunkhorst MAE of Kearney turned 90 years old on March 18.

1984 Jenny (Vrana) Buckley of Logan, Iowa, recently retired from American National Bank.

Brenda (Gonnerman) Urbanek of Shelton is the first woman to serve as the director of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in Grand Island. She was a four-time NAIA All-American at Kearney State College as a member of the softball team from 1980 to 1984. She was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

1985 Colleen (O’Brien) MAE '90 and Steve Coram of Kearney celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on February 24.

Michael Teahon MAE '94, Ed.S. '99 of Gothenburg was selected as the 2018-19 Superintendent of the Year by the Nebraska Association of School Administrators.

Ted Theobald of Casper, Wyoming, is the principal at Summit Elementary School.

1991

Nancy (Montanez) Johner of Milford is the state executive director of the USDA’s Nebraska Farm Service Agency.

Alison Peck of Hilo, Hawaii, is the visiting instrument program manager at the Gemini Observatory at Maunakea. She previously spent five years as deputy project scientist for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, followed by four years leading the Science User Support at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Virginia.

Jill (Owens) Johnson of Seward has been recognized as the 2018 Assistant Principle of the Year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals. Johnson is the assistant principal at Seward High School.

Dan Kritenbrink was confirmed to be the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam. A diplomat since 1994, Kritenbrink served as senior director for Asian affairs for President Barack Obama’s National Security Council. Before that, he was deputy chief of mission in Beijing.

Kathy Mohlfeld of Wayne earned her doctorate in education from Creighton University in May 2017.

Loran Paprocki of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was awarded patent US9782566 B1 for a bend limiting access sheath. This is his fifth patent relating to medical devices. Loran is a senior staff advanced quality engineer for Stryker Medical based in Kalamazoo.

1992

1986 Kolleen (Meyer) Krikac MSE ’93, of Lincoln published her first self-help book, “How to Create Your Balanced Life,” in September.

Krikac is a licensed professional counselor and certified-life coach in private practice. She owns two businesses, Balanced Life (coaching and counseling) and Wilshire Business Suites, a professional office building.

Larry Speicher of Kearney is CEO of the new Grand Island Regional Hospital.

1987 Russ Hiemstra of Kearney has been hired as the inaugural head coach of the Kearney Catholic softball program, which will begin play in the 2018-2019 school year.

1990 Cheryl (Huttmann) Bressington MBA '02 of Kearney is executive director of the HelpCare Clinic.

Laura (Drake) Jay of Omaha is the medical bill review analyst at Applied Underwriters on Omaha. She received a Certified Professional Coder - Apprentice designation in Aug. 2016.

Jon Larsen MAE of York, the former strength and conditioning coach and faculty member at UNK, is an exercise specialist at York General Hospital.

Nolan Beyer, MAE ’99 of Omaha and UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen received the Nebraska School Activities Association’s (NSAA) distinguished service award in March. Beyer is an outgoing member of the NSAA Board of Directors and is the director of activities and athletics at Millard Public Schools in Omaha. Kristensen was recognized for his longtime support of the state speech, golf and cross country championships hosted at UNK and in Kearney.

1993

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David and Ann (Yust) Bauer MAE of Kearney celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 19.

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Greg Sealock of Columbus has been promoted to sergeant. Sealock is a 23-year veteran of the Columbus Police force and is also a licensed polygraph examiner.

1994

1995 Jeff Buck of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, has been recognized as a North Platte Public Schools Foundation Distinguished Alumni for 2018.

He has served successfully in a number of command and staff positions across the world, including at the Pentagon, and has served in multiple combat zones. He earned the Bronze Star twice, Meritorious Service Medal six times, Army Commendation Medal twice and the Army Achievement Medal twice. He continues his military service and is stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Michael Radke '96 (middle)

1996 Michael Radke of Garden City, Kansas, earned the 20 years of service award from the Garden City Police Department. Radke is currently the captain overseeing the Criminal Investigations Unit.

Roger Thomsen MAE '02, Ed.S. '11 of Amherst was recognized as the 2018-2019 Nebraska Middle School Principal of the Year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals.

CLASS NOTES 1998 Jill (Widdowson) Clay of Grand Island is a certified public accountant and has been promoted to shareholder of Contryman Associates, P.C. Nikki (Henry) Erickson of Kearney is executive director of the United Way of the Kearney Area.

1999 Marc Bauer MAE of Kearney has been named interim athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Andrew Bishop MS ’01 of Grand Island graduated from the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy, a one-year program that provides leadership training and educates participants about the vital role rivers, streams and aquifers play in the economic sustainability of the state.

Andrew is the coordinator of the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mat Cope of Kearney is president and CEO of Cope Ag Services. He sells Syngenta Golden Harvest corn & soybeans, as well as other ag services.

Kim (Weerts) Parde of Beatrice teaches fourth grade at Paddock Lane Elementary in Beatrice.

2000 Lyndsay Baker of Evans, Colorado, teaches physical education and coaches varsity girls volleyball at Union Colony School.

Sam Fleury of Jefferson City, Missouri, is the senior director of public relations & strategic communications for Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri.

Lori (Steinbrecher) McArthur of Kearney was selected as the 2017 Nebraska School Social Worker of the Year.

Wendy (Jackson) Widger is an elementary music teacher in Sidney, Iowa, and the education coordinator and accompanist at Nishna Valley Christian Church in Shenandoah, Iowa.

Jessica Young of Beatrice is the associate dean at Southeast Community College in Beatrice.

2002 Andrea (Walton) Miller of Bayard was appointed to the Twelfth Judicial District Judgeship of Nebraska. Andrea gave the address to the graduates at the 2017 UNK Winter Commencement.

Amy (Gusso) Williams MAE of Lincoln, head women's basketball coach for the University of Nebraska Lincoln , was named Big Ten Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.

2003 Chris Gannon of Bennington was named head cross country coach at Creighton University.

Jeff Kezeor MA '09 of Beatrice teaches social studies at Beatrice High School.

Corey Schneider of Grand Island is a clean room tech lead IV with Nova Tech. Corey and his wife, Ashley, have a son, Sean, and a daughter, Payten.

2004 Stephanie Larson, M.D., MS '06 of Kearney is employed with Kearney Clinic and practicing family medicine.

Nadine (Keizer) Hagen MSE '06 of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, is the department manager of speech therapy with Trinity Hospital – St. Joseph’s in Minot.

2005 Brian McIntyre, D.D.S., of Ashland is practicing with Omaha Orthodontics.

Erica (Hemphill) Morey of Minden is a developmental disabilities service specialist with Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation.

Jonathan Newquist of Evansville, Wyoming, is currently serving on the IT staff at the American Embassy in Australia.

2006 Dara (Keck) Leech of Kailua, Hawaii, is a special education preschool teacher at the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Lindsay (Roper) Lund MA '16 of Kearney is the music director at Kearney Catholic High School.

2007 Brent Bauer of Ogallala is the physical education teacher and head football coach at Ogallala High School.

Sara (Glidden) Mossman of Parker, Colorado, was recognized as the Colorado Marketing Educators Association’s Marketing Teacher of the Year. Sara teaches business and marketing at Chaparral High School in Parker.

2008 Sarah Bartling MS '16 of Kearney is the Teacher Education Online Program coordinator at UNK. Brooke McGee MA '11 graduated from George Mason University School of Law in December 2016. She is a judicial law clerk with the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.

Sara (Glidden) Mossman '07

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unkalumni.org/classnotes

CLASS NOTES 2012 Jordan Gonzales of Omaha is the director of alumni engagement for the UNL Alumni Association.

Brooke McGee '08, MA '11, J.D. '16

2009 Rob Gregory Ed.S. of Axtell is the superintendent at Axtell Community School.

Megan Hooper MS '12 of Tampa, Florida, is the housing services manager at the University of South Florida.

Allison (Schinstock) McGinn of Logan, Iowa, is the membership coordinator for the YMCA of Greater Omaha at the downtown location.

Trenton Talbitzer of Kearney is a chiropractor at Platte Valley Chiropractic Acupuncture and Wellness Center. Trenton graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in December 2012. He also has a master’s degree in nutrition and human performance.

2011 Sara (McMillan) Bennett MBA '15 of Shelton is the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) Friend of the Year. Sara is the associate director of the Nebraska Business Development Center.

Lerrin (Currie) Rowe MA '16 of Kearney was recognized as the 2017 Nebraska High School Physical Education (SHAPE) Teacher of the Year. Rowe teaches at Kearney High School.

Stephen Schutz of Omaha is a real estate associate at the Kutak Rock law firm.

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31

position since the end of June 2017. She joined the Norton County Hospital team in 2015.

Meghan Wiedeburg ’17 of Lincoln is a corporate journalist for News Link.

2013

Marriages

Aleria Alexander, MAE '17 of Nebraska City is a kindergarten teacher in Sidney, Iowa.

Dan Gunderson of Columbus, Ohio, is a medical dosimetrist at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

Evan Landell of Grand Island is employed at Complete Nutrition in Kearney and Grand Island.

Kennan Schleicher of Kearney is the warehouse manager for Kearney Winnelson.

KayCee Upton of Kearney is a customer service supervisor for phone and internet orders at Cabela's in Kearney.

Kaleigh (Anderson) Zoucha MA '15 of Kearney is head volleyball coach at Valdosta State University in Georgia.

Births

2014 Kylie Surmeier MSE '17 of Kearney has joined Family Resources in Grand Island as a therapist.

2015 Mitch Peters of Kearney is a territory sales engineer for Eaton Corporation.

Connor Peterson of Minden was promoted to assistant vice president of First Bank and Trust Company in Minden.

2016 Ellisa (Janzen) Landell of Grand Island is employed with Grand Island Public Schools.

Taylor Kittle of Kearney teaches third grade at Emerson Elementary in Kearney.

Amy Loomis of Beatrice is a preschool teacher at Beatrice Public Schools.

2017 Casey Adams of Omaha is a graphic designer for ScoreVision. ScoreVision is an Omaha-based technology company that provides schools and sports facilities scalable, affordable jumbotrons.

Megan Cherry teaches high school art at Beatrice Public Schools.

Gina Frack of Norton, Kansas, is the new chief executive officer of Norton County Hospital. Frack has served in the interim CEO

Evan Landell '13 and Ellisa Janzen '16 of Grand Island married on March 24.

Caitlyn Olson ’14 of North Platte married Patrick Jacobson August 4.

Brianne Wetovick '12 and Zachary Butcher '12 of Central City were married Sept. 2.

Sean and Sara (Busch) Arnold '04 of Kearney are parents of a son, Dale Patrick Danger, born Feb. 11. Dale has brothers Conner, Brendon, Axeton and Zacchaeus.

Jill and Rex Bauer '08 of Amherst are parents of a daughter, Joselyn Marie, born Dec. 6.

Ryan and Ashlee (Bruntz) Bauer '15 of Kearney are the parents of a daughter, Eloise Ashlee, born Oct. 13.

Craig '08 and Emily (Vencill) Beaman '09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Maxwell Robert, born Aug. 29.

Logan '10 and McKenzie (Wiese) Behrendt '12 of Ravenna are parents of a son, Everett Alan, born Jan. 24.

Kevin and Megan (Carr) Beres '09 of Spring, Texas, are parents of a daughter, Blakely Victoria, born Dec. 13.

Ryan and Jennifer (Jelden) Bergstrom '08 of Hildreth are parents of a daughter, Ella Jeanne, born Oct. 7. Ella has a brother, Lucas, and a sister, Lexi.

John '12 and Amy (Drake) Bettles '10 of Kearney are parents of a son and a daughter, Colton Jay and Macie Kay, born on Dec. 12.

Chris and Tamara (Knispel) Boland '05 of Littleton, Colorado, are parents of a daughter, Tierney Jo, born Dec. 22. They have two sons, Braydon and Pierce.

Aaron and Krystle (Faust) Buntemeyer '06 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Laney Kye, born Dec. 28. They also have a daughter, Ella.

Blake '12 and Sarah (Nordhues) Cover '11 of Omaha are parents of a son, Jacob Joseph, born Nov. 3.

CLASS NOTES Cade '11, '12 and Michelle (Hermesch) Craig '11 of Omaha are parents of a son, Asher Dennis, born Nov. 28.

Eddie '02 and Amy (Fehringer) Denny '02, MAE '09, of Kearney are parents of a daughter Ruby Rose, born Aug. 27.

Jarod '13 and Kaylinda (Holmes) DeTurk '14 of Overton are parents of a daughter, Lennuxe Hazel, born Jan. 2.

Jerod '05, MSE '07 and Kristina (Artz) Dorn '06, MSE '17 of Kearney are parents of a son, Fletcher Thomas, born Dec. 12. He has a brother, Tyler.

Jeff and Rebekah (Gerrard) Eckhout '10 of Pleasanton are parents of a daughter, Adelynne Kay, born Jan. 19. She has a brother, Henry.

Justin and Kari (Halkens) Ehlers '13 of Kearney are parents of a son, Carson Thomas, born Sept. 24.

Sally and Morgan Farquhar '09 of Cambridge are parents of a daughter, Lillian Rosalie, born Feb. 2. Lillian has a brother, Jay, and a sister, Carolyn.

Joe and Michelle (Thoene) Fouts '09, MA ‘12 of Wilcox are parents of a son, Weston Wade, born Oct. 7.

Steve and Megan (Jones) Gewecke '07 of Kearney, are parents of a son, Ryker Henry, born Nov. 7.

Cody and Bronwyn (Allmand) Gillespie '13 of Amherst are parents of a son, Brooks Bradley, born Jan. 26. Brooks has a big sister, Emmeline.

Adam '09 and Cari (Smyth) Haag '09 of Shelton are parents of a daughter, Paisley Dawn, born March 7.

Andy and Anna (Jensen) Hain MS '14 of Kearney are parents of a son, Zachary, born Dec. 4. He has a sister, Zuri.

Jason and Chandra (Hollister) Hawley '06 of Aurora are parents of a son, Oden Garrett, born Dec. 21. They have another son, Wayde, and a daughter, Ada. Brant and Deidre (Isaac) Hollister '09, of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Lydia. She has an older sister, Violet.

Charlie and Kiley (Moncrief) Isaac '09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Braxton William, born Sept. 21.

Julie and John Jensen '07 of Seward are parents of a son, Leo Curtis, born Sept. 2.

Vance '12 and Erin (Sexton) Jones '09, Ed.S. '13 of Riverdale are parents of a son, Barrett Edward McLellan, born Oct. 9.

Adam '13 and Paige (Beiermann) Liess '13 of Kearney are parents of a son, Noah James, born Oct. 3.

Doug and Annette Moser Lintz '00 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Annika

Remembering Roberts Phyllis Roberts, past chair of the foreign languages department, taught English, French, and speech at Kearney State College from 1947 to 1975. She received a Distinguished Service Award in 1984 and in 2000 was honored with a life-size bronze sculpture north of Thomas Hall. The sculpture, which was created by artist George Wallbye, depicts Roberts carrying an English grammar book and was a gift from one of her former students, Paul Wagner '58. A plaque at the base of the statue reads, “Never ending are the influences of a caring teacher.”

We are gathering letters and remembrances of Roberts. To donate a letter or memory, please send them to UNK archivist Laurinda L Weisse at weissell@unk.edu. Letters can be viewed online at https://openspaces.unk.edu/phyllis-roberts-stories/1/.

Lynn, born June 20. She has brothers, Andrik and Laiken.

Ann and Matthew Long '12 of Hazard are parents of a son, Carson James, born Sept. 17.

Peter '08 and Danielle (Reinke) Longo '09 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Sophie Lenore, born April 9. She has a sister, Amelia, and a brother, Charlie.

Chris and Nicole (Etherton) Lopez '09 of Kearney are parents of a son, Kai Lue, born April 9.

Tyler '10 and Emilie (Ross) Macke '10 of Crestwood, Kentucky are the parents of a son, Logan Ross, born May 17.

Justin '01 and Adriane (Juel) Madsen '05 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Cora Noelle, born Jan. 25.

John and Allie (Nightingale) Matson '11 of San Jose, California, are parents of a daughter, Claire Rae, born Jan. 7.

Aaron '11 and Megan (Larson) Mitchell '12 of Pleasanton are parents of a daughter, Maren Lee, born Aug. 30. She has a sister, Adalyn.

Jordan '13 and Riley (Wilson) Moncrief '13 of Omaha are parents of a daughter, Rory Jane, born Jan. 7.

Joseph and Pamela (Sanford) Moritz '04 and of Grand Island are the parents of a son, Jacob Dean, born June 28. Pamela is a special education teacher at Hastings Public Schools.

Quinn and Melissa (Hinkley) Myers '08 of San Diego, California, are parents of a son, Bo Dietrich, born Feb. 24.

Philip and Julie (Bray) Obermeyer '04 of Lincoln are parents of a daughter, Emerson Helen, born Dec. 6. She has a brother, Reid.

Ben and Rita (Vogel) Pehl '10 of Terry, Montana, are parents of a son, Luke William, born Sept. 26. He has a big sister, Sophia.

Michael '03, MBA '09 and Mindy (Engler) Pelster '04 of Holdrege are parents of a son, Alexander Craig, born March 1.

Matt and Kristan (Barleen) Poast '08 of Omaha are parents of a daughter, Eloise Kay, born Dec. 20.

Natasha and Joe Rickley '01 of Bellevue are parents of a son, Beckham Scott, born April 23.

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CLASS NOTES

Save the date for the 50th Anniversary of Alpha Omicron Pi, Phi Sigma. Plan on attending the Phi Sigma 50th Anniversary Banquet, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 at the Holiday Inn in Kearney.

Please send your mailing address, email, phone number, pledge class year and maiden name to phisigmaalum@gmail.com and be sure to update your record at www.unkalumni.org.

Stay connected with us on our Facebook pages: Alpha Omicron Pi- Phi Sigma.

Matt and Stefanie (Jones) Roper '06 of Kearney are parents of a son, Briggs Lee, born Feb. 12.

Haley and Jordan Sanchez '12 of Minden are parents of a daughter, Aurora Justine, born Nov. 16.

Drake ’09 and Katheryn “Breezy” (Wehmeyer) Sauer ’11 of Kearney are the parents of a daughter, Everly Rey, born Dec. 15.

Everly has a big sister, Lily.

Brad '09 and Heather (Sullivan) Slaymaker '10 of Atkinson are the parents of a daughter, Gianna Renee, born Feb. 4, 2017.

Kevin and Kailey (Rock) Smith '08, MA '13 of Bellevue are parents of a daughter, Claire Olivia, born Feb. 13.

Aaron '09 and Kalie (Wetovick) Steele '09 of Bellevue are parents of a daughter, Margaret Anne, born Oct. 28.

Tara and Brad Stolcpart '09 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Marley Jae, born Nov. 24. She has a sister, Brynlee.

Pete '08 and Elizabeth (Rohwer) Stout MBA '09 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, born Oct. 23. They have another daughter, Sadie Ann. Shane ’00 and Lina (Traslavina) Stover ‘04 of Omaha are the parents of a daughter, Ava Lina, born Nov. 12.

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Kyle and Eryn (McBride) Swanson '09 of Gibbon are parents of a daughter, Carolyne Irene, born Nov. 30.

Luke '02 and Liz (Doll) Warman '03 of Andover, Kansas, are parents of a daughter, Maya Elise, born Sept. 26. She has three brothers.

Adam '04 and Stefani (Rowe) Wegner '99 of Kearney are parents of a son, Hayes Scott, born Sept. 21. He has a sister, Lily.

Trevor '13 and Carly (Havener) Williams '13 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Celia Lucille, born Nov. 30. She has a brother, Sawyer.

Shawn and Jered Zalman '05 of Los Angeles, California, are parents of a daughter, Aspen Jane, born Sept. 22.

Deaths Elda (Anderson) Kohls '49, MSE '63 of Grand Island died Feb. 10. She was 93.

Ronald G. Anderson '72 of Sarasota, Florida, died Oct. 11. He was 71.

Marlene Andrews '75 of Kearney died March 2. She was 85.

Ilene (Davidshofer) Anson '71, MAE '03 of Kearney died Feb. 21. She was 68.

Jolaine (Ingold) Bamford '87 of Kearney died Feb. 21. She was 54.

Effie Mae (Chamberlin) Beller '51 of Fremont died March 8. She was 92.

Eldon Benson '62 of Hastings died Sept. 4.

He was 76.

Kenneth H. Brand '80 of Jefferson, Georgia, died Jan. 31. He was 68.

Ralph Brostrom '50 of Grand Island died Aug. 10. He was 90.

William Buckendahl '68 of Pierce died March 5. He was 77.

Farah (Geer) Buesing '64, MAE '85 of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, died April 13. She was 75.

Dorothy (Newquist) Burckart '46 of Brookfield, Wisconsin, died April 17, 2017. She was 91.

James "Jim" A. Carlson '72, MSE '77 of Utica died Oct. 29. He was 68.

Jerry Davenport, attended, of Casa Grande, Arizona, died Feb. 7. He was 78.

Gary Dubbs '66 of Elkhorn died Aug. 28. He was 73.

Gretchen (Davis) Eakes Ed.S. '89 of Grand Island died Oct. 11. She was 66.

Melvin F. Effenbeck '64 of Maxwell died Jan. 29. He was 77.

Kent Emal '63, emeriti faculty of Kearney died March 16. He was 77.

Arlene M. (Wilson) Feyen '63 of Atchison, Kansas, died Jan. 31. She was 82.

Gloria (Grigsby) Gallion '64 of Grand Island died March 5. She was 76.

Orylin "Bud" Gross '61, MSE '67 of Gibbon died March 29. He was 85.

William Hasemeyer '52 of North Platte died Aug. 26. He was 88.

J. Richard "Dick" Hawes '56 of Hastings died Feb. 28. He was 87.

Charlotte (Hermes) Hawthorne MSE '92 of Hastings died Jan. 27. She was 75.

Michael Patricia (Gilgen) Heaton '61 of Omaha died Dec. 3. She was 76.

F. Kent Holen '61 of Seattle, Washington, died Dec. 6. He was 78.

Ronald E. Hosbach '60 of Omaha died Feb. 11. He was 83.

Addah (Ludden) Hurst '40 of Arlington, Virginia, died Aug. 14, 2013. She was 95.

Nancy (Deck) Jack '71 of Wood River died Sept. 10. She was 79.

Lita (Loreman) Jensen ’77 of Boulder, Colorado, died Jan. 29. She was 62.

Merribelle (Clabaugh) Jorgensen '47 of Minden died March 4. She was 93.

Willa (Sheldon) Kealiher '52 of Denver, Colorado, died April 30. She was 85.

CLASS NOTES Helen N. Kennedy '76 of Spring, Texas, died June 11. She was 87.

Theodore "Ted" Koperski '66 of Lincoln died Aug. 8. He was 73.

George Kotsiopulos '46 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died on Dec. 7. He was 94.

Patrick Kowalski '86 of Kearney died April 5.

He was 54.

Randy Krolikowski '93 of Grand Island died Nov. 6. He was 48.

Heath R. Kuebler '92, MSE '95 of Kearney died Dec. 30. He was 47.

Tom A. Lamb '76 of Hastings died Feb. 6. He was 63.

Sally (Murray) Larson '73, MAE '78 of Lawrence, Kansas, died March 8. She was 67.

Phyliss (Parker) Lepant '77 of Grand Island died July 12. She was 89.

Dorothy (Penny) Lewis '65 of Sargent died Feb. 24. She was 91.

Carol (Tice) Lynch '70 of Kearney died April 8. She was 69.

Dawn (Janzen) Martens '93 of Omaha died Nov. 8. She was 47.

Dean Martin '59 of Lexington died April 14.

He was 81.

Ruth (Brown) McBride '44 of Cheyenne, Wyoming, died June 8, 2017. She was 94.

Rosella (Zimmerman) Meier '65 of Kearney died March 13. She was 74. Rosella was a former UNK volleyball coach.

Melvin Munsinger '72 of Kearney died Nov. 23. He was 68.

Rita M. (Dunning) Naughtin MAE ’81 of

In memory of Coach Rosella (Zimmerman) Meier '65

In memory of Coach Al Zikmund

Grand Island died Dec 27. She was 90.

Harvey Penning MSE '61 of Hastings died Nov 2. He was 89.

Darlene K. Percival '68 of Lincoln died Jan. 27. She was 71.

Robert Ripp ’65 of Kearney died Nov. 8. He was 74.

Scott Robinson '66 of Manning, Iowa, died Jan. 31. He was 77.

William D. Rogers '57, MSE '59 of Omaha died Sept. 19th. He was 86.

Robert Rose '64 of Edgar died Jan. 6. He was 75.

Mary (Vohs) Samuelson '69 of Omaha died on Jan. 27. She was 83.

Barbara (Mitchell) Saum '61 of Sheridan, Montana, died April 6. She was 88.

Shirley (Shaw) Schall '79, ME '86 of

Trenton died April 5. She was 69.

Michael Schuyler of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died May 5. He was a history professor, history department chair and served as dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences.

Doug Shada '70 of Kearney died Nov. 8. He was 69.

Patricia M. (McClain) Smith '92 of Ashland died Jan. 31. She was 68.

Kenneth Stauss '67, MSE '69, Ed.S. '72 of Lincoln died Sept. 5. He was 74.

Martha (Forss) Sundberg '70 of Stromsburg died Oct. 24. She was 94.

Rosa (Morgan) Tiff '57, MSE '67 of Boonville, Missouri, died Feb. 20. She was 97.

Albert Van Borkum, Jr. '63 of Brule died Feb. 25, 2017. He was 76.

Debra (McDonald) Vanderheiden '81 of Aurora died Oct. 16. She was 61.

Wayne N. Walker '52 of Cheyenne, Wyoming, died Jan. 3. He was 86.

Catherine Walters '77 of Cozad died Jan. 3.

She was 82.

Alice (Leonard) Werner '64 of Grand Island, died April 1. She was 87.

Marianna (Parish) Wimberley '68 of Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin, died Feb. 21. She was 87.

Al Zikmund former Kearney State College football coach (1955-71) and athletic director (1971-1987) of Kearney died Jan. 29.

He was 95. 

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“My today started when I took my passion for the sciences and my ability to affect students through teaching to the next level.”

CLASS NOTES

“The online Biology, MS program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney was flexible and helped me advance my career. It helped me become a better educator because now I’m more comfortable. I have more knowledge and I’m able to get students interested. I also explain things better, and make it easier for my students to understand. I’m now teaching high school biology and environmental science, while also teaching anatomy and physiology as an adjunct instructor at a community college. It was hard work, but the program has opened up opportunities for me.”

Curtis Reese, Graduate Biology, MS University of Nebraska at Kearney

4 campuses. 125+ online programs. online.nebraska.edu

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