KWU Contact Magazine Fall 2015

K A N S A S W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y

CONTACT FALL 2015

KWU Launches Next Generation of Pioneers

Dr. Stefanie Milam ’02 Deputy Scientist for NASA’s 2018 mission, the James Webb Space Telescope

Kansas Wesleyan University Fall 2015 Contact is the official Alumni magazine of Kansas Wesleyan University and is published by the office of Marketing and Communications Editors: John Elmore Paula Hermann Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Bill Grevas Senior Director of Marketing and Communications: Paula Hermann Director of Alumni Relations: Jennifer Rein Director of Annual Giving/ Stewardship: Sara Nettleingham

President Thompson had some fun at the Commencement ceremony, taking and Tweeting a selfie with the graduates.

Director of Communications: John Elmore Office Manager: Linda Baumberger KWU President & CEO: Matt Thompson, Ph.D. Executive Vice President & Provost: Dr. Nancy H. Cummings, Ed.D. Executive Committee of Board of Trustees: Dr. Charlie Grimwood, Chair Emily May Richards, Vice-Chair Steve Michel, Treasurer Dr. Donna L. McKinley, Secretary KWU Alumni Council: David Branda ’76, President Randy Lamer ’06, Vice President Rick Dahl ’99, Treasurer Lori Trow ’82, Secretary Send address changes to: Jennifer Rein Director of Alumni Relations 100 E. Claflin Avenue Salina, KS 67401-6196

On their way into classrooms this fall are: Taylor Elkinton — Heusner Elementary, K–5 Physical Education; Meagan Ayers — Heusner Elementary, 4th grade; Kaitlin Dallman — Onaga Elementary (Onaga, KS), 4th grade; Anna Morrisette — Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen (Hutchinson, KS), 6th grade.

Fourth generation KWU graduate Amanda Wilson Colgrove ’15, B.A. Graphic Design, stands with her parents, (L–R) Darlene (Peterson) Wilson ’86 and Roger Wilson ’87, her grandfather, Rev. Eugene Wilson ’53, who delivered the invocation for Commencement, and her uncle, Loren Wilson ’80. Other family members who graduated from KWU include Rev. Wilson’s mother, Hazel Price-Wilson ’59, his sister, Phyllis Lou Wilson Judd ’56, and his brotherin-law, William Judd ’57.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Q&A with President Thompson

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Homecoming 2015

KWU Launches Next Generation of Pioneers

18

2015 Alumni Award Winners

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Doing God’s Work Around the Globe

19

2015 Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

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The Sky’s the Limit for Planetary Scientist Stefanie Milam

20

New Courses and Majors

7

KWU Alumni on the National Stage

21

Faculty Spotlight: Gerald Gillespie

Design: Rushing & Associates Design, Inc.

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KWU Receives $1M Gift

New Grads Pursue Post-Graduate Programs

9

New Trustees

Five Scholars Participate in Research

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Photo Credits: Tanner Colvin John Elmore The Parish Group

10

Students Score Baseball Internships

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Meet the New Faculty and Staff

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Where Are They Now? Dr. Yuan Chiang

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Faculty Accomplishments

Contact Information: Website: www.kwu.edu Alumni Email: alumni@kwu.edu Contact: contact.magazine@ kwu.edu

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14–15 Ministry News 2 789.827.5541 EXT.1129

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Marymount Records Return to Salina

24–25 KWU Gifts on the Rise 26–27 Pioneer Society Members 28

Class News

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Coyote Pride: Bob Murray

30–33 Sports Updates

Q&A MATT THOMPSON

Q&A

with KWU President Matt Thompson

You are beginning your third year at KWU. How is the university different today than when you arrived two years ago?

I am extremely proud of what our university has accomplished in the past two years. Our faculty has completely reimagined our Liberal Studies curriculum, providing a plethora of new experiences including the Wesleyan Journey and Wesleyan Heritage courses. In terms of bricks and mortar, the Graves Family Sports Complex has changed the landscape of the university, and it will change the student experience as well. I’m elated that so many alumni, friends and community members brought this project to fruition. We have new and developing partnerships and collaborations that are extremely exciting, including the Engineering partnership with Washington University and the Washington Center Internship program, in which four students have participated in the past year. There are new majors, new coaches and new staff who have taken the university to new heights. We have completely redesigned what we teach, where we teach and the platforms in which we teach. There’s been a lot of change, and I’m grateful for the staff and faculty who have stepped on the accelerator and made it happen.

What are you most proud of at KWU? As you read through this magazine, you will notice the pages are brimming with stories about alumni and students who are pioneers in their career fields and in their communities — alumni who have found a spark here that defined their future, one in which they have excelled in their fields. You will read about current students who have had extraordinary opportunities to participate in REUs at Tier One Research Universities across the country or internships that will launch their careers. I’m thrilled for the students who graduated in May and have been accepted into master’s and doctoral programs.

It’s a real tribute to our great faculty.

What has been happening on campus over the summer?

It has been a very busy summer. With the amazing support from Sunflower Bank to upgrade our technology, our IT team, along with NexTech, installed a new telephone system and fiber optics that will enhance our technology so that we have the best tools to ensure a positive student experience, in the classrooms and online. In addition, we installed a new roof on Wilson Hall and Shriwise Cafeteria, purchased hammocks and added additional tables on the plaza between Pioneer Hall and Pfieffer Hall (thanks to a gift from the Class of 2015), and, of course, there was a lot of progress made on the Graves Family Sports Complex.

What is the status of the Nursing program?

We have made a significant commitment to the success of our Nursing program. While we had disappointing news from our programmatic accreditor, ACEN, this past winter, we are moving forward with confidence to enhance the program and secure programmatic accreditation with CCNE. We have hired a consultant to prepare us for the accreditation process, hired new faculty and redesigned our curriculum. Plus, with the Joyce Bray Scholarship for Nursing, we have more financial support for Nursing students than we have ever had. We are also exploring new facilities to support Nursing Education. We have and will continue to graduate nurses who are getting hired and who are providing great care to patients. We are proud of our survey responses from employers one year and five years after hiring our graduates — one-hundred percent of whom say they are highly satisfied with our nurses. I am confident in the strength and quality of our program and like the direction in which it is headed.

“I am extremely proud of what our university has accomplished in the past two years.”

— KWU President, Dr. Matt Thompson

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NEXT GENERATION OF PIONEERS

KWU LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION OF PIONEERS Dr. Blair Contributes to Important Cancer Research Hungarian Biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, 1937 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, said, “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought."

Dr. Aaron

Blair

That search to find what no one has thought is what has driven Dr. Aaron Blair ’65, in his career and educational pursuits since studying Biology under Dr. Wes Jackson ’57, at Kansas Wesleyan more than fifty years ago.

When Jackson went to North Carolina State University, he helped Dr. Blair get a fellowship there, where he earned his Ph.D. in genetics.

Their friendship continues today.

Dr. Blair, Scientist Emeritus and former chairman of the Occupational Studies branch of the National Cancer Institute in Rockford, MD, has long been working on determining what suspected carcinogens may or may not cause cancer. This past March, he was back in Salina visiting Dr. Jackson at The Land Institute after serving as chair of a worldwide group of scientists that had just declared three common pesticides that “probably” cause cancer in humans, and two others that “possibly” do. The previous week, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, published a summary of his research.

Blair has authored more than 400 publications on occupational and environmental causes of cancer.

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At Homecoming Dr. Blair and his fellow members of the Class of 1965 will be inducted into the Golden W, an honor given to those who graduated from KWU 50 years before.

Kati

Falk

Alumna Assembles All the Right Notes It was a breath-taking Sunday afternoon at the Stiefel Theatre for Kati Falk ’12, as she listened to the premier public performance of her composition for orchestra and violin, called “Awakening.” It was performed by the Salina Symphony and gifted 17-year old violinist Caroline Beckman, of Lindsborg, KS, who has played with the Symphony since 2011. Falk had been engaged the last year by the Symphony to write this original four-movement piece for its “Women in Music” concert on May 3, 2015.

“It’s a classical piece, but very emotional like film music,” said Falk. “I wanted to tell a story through music about being human.”

Falk described the gamut of human emotions in composition, which included excitement and joy, aching longing, quiet despair, rage, peace and gentle acceptance. Being the first to play it, Beckman corresponded with Falk to exchange ideas on how the piece should be performed.

Symphony conductor Ken Hakoda, who is also associate professor and chair of the KWU music department, has encouraged Falk’s education in music composition. KWU offers four levels of music theory courses and an advanced theory course in orchestration and arranging. With her KWU degree in music performance in hand, Falk was pointed next by Hakoda toward graduate studies and his own professor of music composition at Wichita State University, Pulitzer Prize-nominated composer Walter Mays. There, she completed her Master of Music degree in Theory and Composition in 2014.

Falk currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is studying film music composition at UCLA. She also collaborates with her fiancé, Óscar Flores, at Louder Productions in Hollywood, creating music for theatrical trailers, television commercials and video game advertising campaigns.

Alecia

Smith

NEXT GENERATION OF PIONEERS

“I am thrilled to be a part of this organization and to have my work associated with such a national brand.”

— ­ Alecia Smith, Graphic Designer for the Chiefs

Smith Scores with the Chiefs It’s a beautiful thing when you can merge your interests with your career goals, and KWU alumna, Alecia Smith ’13, has done just that as an assistant graphic designer for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A member of the Coyote Women’s Basketball team, Smith scored more than 1,000 points in her three years on the Mabee Arena court.

Among her many honors was being named a

2013 NAIA All-American, First Team AllKCAC in 2013 and Third Team All-KCAC in 2014.

Smith also has a passion for graphic design. In pursuit of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design, she polished her skills as a graphic design intern at the Salina Arts & Humanities, creating various pieces to promote the 2013 Smoky Hill River Festival. After graduation, she stayed at

Internship Worth Its Weight in Gold Opportunity has a way of finding Denver native Kyle Story ’14. One month after graduating with a B.S. in Exercise Science, he started his internship at the Denver Athletic Club (DAC). He spent his 300 internship hours learning as much as he could, helping the fitness department trainers, wellness staff and management.

When a job opened up at the DAC a few months later, Story jumped at the opportunity.

Kyle

Story

Photo credit: Wayne Armstrong

He credits the internship for giving him the skills and knowledge needed to secure the position.

“I really had a month-long interview for the job.”

In his management position as lead personal trainer, Story is responsible for assisting the training staff, designing programs in coordination with the wellness team, managing and maintaining the equipment, and making sure the fitness center runs smoothly. In addition, he does what he loves best, handling fitness and personal training with up to 30 clients at any one time.

“Bryan Minnich was not only a great teacher and advisor, but he was so passionate about me becoming better and achieving more,” said Story.

KWU to earn her M.B.A. and complete her final year of athletic eligibility. She was a public relations assistant for Salina Public Schools and helped design content for their bond election.

She also designed the branding, including logos, and some of the content for the Continuous Improvement and Innovation Conference (CIIC), organized by Dr. Paul Hedlund, associate professor of Business, and his graduate business students.

After completing her MBA, Smith secured a position as marketing coordinator for Oltjen Orthodontics in Olathe, KS. She continued to improve her design skills and build her print and web portfolio by taking night classes at Johnson County Community College. She also worked on interview etiquette so she would be prepared for any opportunity that arose.

When the Chiefs called, she was excited, knowing that her classroom experience and out-of-the-classroom opportunities had given her the skills she needed to earn a spot with the franchise.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this organization and to have my work associated with such a national brand,” said Smith. “My experiences at KWU, most particularly my internships, were instrumental in getting me to this level.”

Smith is one of two graphic designers for the Chiefs. She has produced such projects as stadium signage, game day credentials, newsletters, ads and various visual posters.

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Coyotes Capture the Action at 2015 Smoky Hill River Festival The ties between Kansas Wesleyan University and the arts community in Salina draw a little tighter every year around the Smoky Hills River Festival. From the promotional pieces to the photos that capture the action throughout the weekend, KWU alumni and students have had a hand in the regional event, and this year was no exception.

The photography team for the festival was made up of three Kansas Wesleyan alumni and one current student, including Tanner Colvin ’11 (Visual Arts); Kyla Holland ’10 (Visual Arts), Maddy Christner ’15 (Photography, Music); and Zachary Richter ’15 (Photograpy).

The man at the helm of the Smoky Hill River Festival is Salina Arts & Humanities Executive Director Brad Anderson, a Marymount College graduate who served for 14 years as faculty member and chair for the KWU Department of Art and for six years as chair of the Division of Fine Arts.

For both 2014 and 2015, Ciara Stallbaumer ’15, (Graphic Design) produced all of the graphic design pieces for the festival.

"Designing with them for the past two years has been the best opportunity in kick-starting my career, and I will always be grateful," said Stallbaumer.

Kay Quinn, Marketing and Development Coordinator for Salina Arts & Humanities, who attended KWU from 1980–82, overees promotion and advertising, fundraising, supervising the arts ambassador volunteers and coordinating the big band dance.

“I can always count on our photographers and graphic designers from KWU to be equally skilled at both the technical and people sides of their work, for amazing outcomes,” Quinn said.

Tanner

Colvin Everyone on the staff at Salina Arts & Humanities is involved in making this special weekend event a success, including Program Assistant Amanda Morris (’09, Public Relations).

Among her responsibilities is organizing the children’s area of the festival.

“It speaks highly to the community, as well as the university, that so many KWU graduates are still here in Salina and in positions to help provide the city with one of its most cherished events,” said Morris.

Toraya Gets Taste of National Soccer Stage Faith

Ramsey Veterinary School Becomes Reality for Ramsey Patience is paying off for Faith Ramsey ’13, who has waited two years to land the perfect opportunity to pursue a career working with animals.

When she was unable to get in to her top choice graduate programs for veterinary medicine, she decided to work in a one-year Disney College Program at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort. She landed a job as a veterinary assistant in Charleston, IL, where she worked her way into a technician role. She also honed her skills as a volunteer with the Exotic Feline Rescue Center for large cats.

Recently, Ramsey was accepted in the doctoral program at the University of Illinois, Urbana, where she will be studying veterinary medicine. She is particularly interested in working with household pets.

Ramsey, a Fort Collins, CO native, was recruited by KWU volleyball, where she helped the team earn a trip to nationals her junior year. Off the court she was involved in science clubs, drama club, Alpha Chi and theatre stage productions. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a dual major in Biology and Biomedical Chemistry, and a minor in Physics.

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A dream came true for Yadira Toraya ’13 on May 17, when she suited up with the Mexican Women’s National Team as it faced the United States in a World Cup tune-up match at the Hub Center in Los Angeles.

Several other past and present Kansas Wesleyan players were there, including Toraya’s former Coyote teammate Megan Bodiford, ’15, from Apple Valley, CA. After a successful tryout in February, she was invited to a fitness boot camp in Acapulco, Mexico with some of the national team players in April.

When one of the team players was injured, Toraya was invited to dress for the game against the U.S. Less than 48 hours later, she was informed that she would be first alternate to the FIFA World Cup squad. One injury or sickness would have earned her a ticket to the world stage. It turned out not to be her year to go, but she was ready.

Since graduating from KWU, Toraya has been playing semi-professionally with the Santa Clarita Heat. In pre-season this year, she was invited to tryouts with the Houston Dash, a professional team with some of the best players in the country. She survived to the last round before being cut. A transfer from Ventura College, CA, Toraya was named Offensive Player of the Year in her first year with Kansas Wesleyan, and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. In her two seasons with the Coyotes, she scored 16 goals and tallied seven assists.

Yadira

Toraya

DOING GOD’S WORK AROUND THE GLOBE

DOING GOD'S WORK

Marta

Klein When Marta Klein graduated from KWU in 1998 with a degree in Biology, she was on a journey to medical school, but after several trips to developing countries, she realized that God had another plan for her.

Immediately after graduating, Klein got a job in Alberta, Canada working as a women’s dorm supervisor at Covenant Bible College, where she accompanied students to Haiti and Israel. Those trips ignited a new passion for medical mission work, so she pursued a B.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from Wichita State University, with the idea of working in Latin America where she could use her Spanish language skills. Part of her P.A. training included working with Hospitals of Hope, a faith-based organization that started a ministry in Bolivia, South America. She returned to the hospital on medical trips on three subsequent years.

“After those trips to Bolivia I thought I was supposed to go there to serve; however God had other plans. Through a lot of prayer I felt led to come to Congo. I felt God telling me to come here,” said Klein.

Her mission work took her to Kenya, and she worked in the Kibera slum with a medical team in 2007 and again in 2009. When she returned, she began researching opportunities for long-term mission work. She landed with Covenant World Mission, operated by the Evangelical Covenant Church, and headed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

First she had to raise funds to participate, and then she had to spend nearly five months in France learning French. She also had to study the local trade language, Lingala, for two months before she started working in Pediatrics and Nutrition at the Karawa mission hospital in June 2011.

At Karawa, one of five hospitals supported by the Congo Covenant Church in the Northwest region of D-R Congo, Klein would team-teach basic nutrition education classes to community health workers, including sharing nutrition benefits of the Moringa oleifera tree, whose high protein content

is being used to feed the severely malnourished population, which includes 60–70% of children 0–5 years of age in the region.

In addition to the challenges associated with malnutrition, the civil war that lasted from 1997–2003 has left the region with no electricity.

Klein came back to the United States for a year in 2013, but was called to return to the DR-Congo in November 2014 for a two-year term. It’s the children that keep drawing her back, and their plight is what keeps her up at night.

“They don’t choose the life they live.

We can help educate medical providers and even give basic nutrition information to family members to help improve the life of a child.”

Klein’s stint is up soon and she says she will rely on her faith and where God is steering her as she discerns whether she will sign on for another term.

In the meantime, she knows she is exactly where she is supposed to be — in a transformational ministry, training medical teams and helping those on the extremely oppressed margins of society have a more just and humane life.

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THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR PLANETARY SCIENTIST STEFANIE MILAM As NASA prepares to send the premier observatory of the next decade into space in October 2018, a Kansas Wesleyan alumna, Dr. Stefanie Milam ’02, is on the team to ensure its success.

A planetary scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, Dr. Milam serves as deputy scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, created to study various phases in the history of the Universe.

It must have seemed the most natural thing in the world to Dr. Milam to have her sights firmly set on the stars. Born and raised in metro-Houston, TX, she spent considerable time visiting the NASA Johnson Space Center. Since an early age, Dr. Milam knew she wanted to be involved in the U.S. space program. At the end of high school, she learned she was not an ideal candidate to pilot a shuttle, so she pursued training to be a scientist, setting a course to become a mission specialist.

She decided on Kansas Wesleyan to study Chemistry, with a minor in Physics. She participated in an independent study in Stellar Astrophysics and assisted with the astronomy course and labs. The stars beckoned her.

As graduation from KWU neared, she came across the scientific field of Astrochemistry, and it seemed like a perfect fit. She enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona in Tucson to study the chemistry of space. She completed her doctorate in 2007 in Chemistry, with a

Dr. Stefanie

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focus on Astrochemistry/Physical Chemistry and a minor in Astronomy.

Throughout this work she became involved in NASA’s Deep Impact Ground Based observing team, as well as numerous exchange programs with the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

This led to a job as a research associate and then a principal investigator in the Astrochemistry laboratory of the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, studying photolysis ice chemistry. In February 2010, she joined the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, first as research physical scientist. She was selected to be planetary science liaison, and last year was promoted to deputy project scientist, for one of NASA’s most ambitious missions — the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which will be launched in 2018. As part of an international collaboration, Milam also maintains a renowned observational program with radio telescopes around the world, and with space-based observatories, to routinely observe comets.

Milam, who was honored with the KWU 2008 Young Alumnus Award, is an advocate of females pursuing careers in science.

Milam

STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE NATIONAL STAGE Courage. That’s what it takes to step into the spotlight — whether on the stage, or on a TV or movie set, or in life itself. Two KWU alumni, who became noteworthy professional actors after graduation, groomed that self-assurance on the stage at Kansas Wesleyan.

Nicholas Petron: Passing It On Nicholas (Nick) Petron ’68, directed “The Fanastics” in 1968, the first student-directed and produced musical at Kansas Wesleyan.

Little did he know it would spark a robust career that would include working with such acclaimed actors as Al Pacino, and lending his talents to national television commercials and productions. Perhaps the good luck charm was actress Helen Hayes, who happened to be sitting in the sold-out crowd in Sams Chapel.

Petron majored in Speech and Theatre but spent much of his time honing his leadership skills as president of three clubs: Fine Arts Club, Pi Sigma Upsilon, a social and service activities fraternity, and the KWU chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society.

He wrote a column for The Advance student newspaper and was involved in intramurals, the International Fellowship of Christians, and the Salina Community Theatre.

Petron received his professional acting Equity Card at age 19 playing the prince in “The King and I” in summer stock in New Jersey. After earning his bachelor’s degree from KWU, Petron went back to New York for his M.A. at Adelphi University, which launched 12 years of stage work.

Petron is a member of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). He has worked in feature films with such actors as John Cusack, Tim Matheson and Kate Capshaw. Petron’s TV commercial credits include spots for such brands as Ponderosa Steak House and Eagle Brand Snacks. For the Children’s Television Workshop, producers of the classic “Sesame Street,” he was the voice for “Y,” “Up and Down” and “Pizza.” He won an Ace Award for radio commercial direction. Petron has directed numerous stage productions such as “Uncle Vanya,” “Holy Ghosts,” “The Rimers of Eldridge,” “Steel Magnolias,” and “Uncommon Women and Others.”

For the past 40 years he has been sharing his talents with up-and-coming college actors as professor and chair of the Department of Theatre at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY — the last 25 as department chair.

Petron will be honored at Homecoming in October as the first Division of Fine Arts Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.

KWU ALUMNI ON THE STAGE

LT. BEN SCANLON WAS A KWU COYOTE, TOO! “Barney Miller” fans will remember Lt. Ben Scanlon, the evil Internal Affairs employee who enjoyed making up stories to get people to confess to crimes they didn’t commit.

That role was played

by George Sawaya, Jr., known in the entertainment world as George Murdock, and familiar to many as a member of the Kansas Wesleyan University Class of 1957. A Salina native, Murdock appeared in 13 episodes of “Barney Miller,” and was cast as more than 200 other television characters dating back to 1961, including playing God in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.”

Murdock was encouraged by his KWU drama teacher, Lilybelle Carlisle, who recognized his talent and arranged for him to participate in summer stock in Pennsylvania. He changed his last name to Murdock as a professional actor, and was an original member of the acting troupe of Melrose Theater when it was founded in West Hollywood, CA, in 1964. He returned to his hometown several times to perform with the Salina Community Theatre. Murdock passed away in the spring of 2012.

Jernard Burks: Lessons from Stages of Life

Jernard

Burks

Jernard Burks ’90, is a working movie, television and stage actor. He came to KWU from Texas on a football scholarship to major in Theatre Arts, and he left a significant impression on both the field and the stage.

He was named honorable mention All-American twice, and first team all-conference three times. He was the voice of the plant in “Little Shop of Horrors,” and also starred in “She Stoops to Conquer,” “The Physists,” “Waiting for Godot,” and “The Odd Couple.” Burks competed in and won speech tournaments for KWU, performed

summer stock at Kansas State University, and was a finalist for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

“Professor (Barbara) Marshall instilled in me the belief that I really could be a working actor if I dedicated myself to the craft,” said Burks.

“To this day she is my sounding board. You need people who will be honest with you in life, and she has gone from being a teacher and a mentor to becoming a very good friend.”

After KWU, Burks was accepted to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Burks trained in the evenings with the late Gene Frankel, who taught some of America’s finest actors, including James Earl Jones.

His first big role in “Devil in a Blue Dress,” starring Denzel Washington, opened doors for Burks, leading to roles in “The Hangover,” “Four Brothers,” “Bringing Down the House,” and “Starsky and Hutch.” He has appeared on numerous television shows such as “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “ER,” and “Glee.” He also worked with the late August Wilson, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote ten plays about the black experience in the 20th Century, and performed in the Salina Community Theatre productions of two of them, “Piano Lesson” and “Fences.” Burks has been working on a one-man stage play based on the life of the late B.B. King, called “King of Blues,” for which he did a successful workshop presentation in Salina in 2013.

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RECENT GRADS PURSUING DEGREES

Three 2015 KWU Graduates Pursue MSW degree Vanessa Kresin ’15, Washington University

Mathematics Standout Pursues Statistics Ph.D. Jessica Hauschild ’15, of Andover, KS,

who earned Summa Cum Laude honors for her B.A. in Mathematics in May, was accepted to the doctoral degree programs in Statistics at two large universities, Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She heads to UN-L this fall.

At the Alpha Chi National Convention in Chicago, IL, March 18–22, 2015, Hauschild presented her original mathematics research “On the Levi Graph of Point-Line Configuration,” with proofs, and won the Joseph E. and Bessie Mae Pryor Prize in Mathematics award for best mathematics paper presented at the national convention. In February 2015, Hauschild presented an overview of this paper at “The Best of KWU,” winning first place.

The paper is based on results of mathematical research she conducted during an eight-week REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at California State University, Fresno in the summer of 2014. Hauschild was one of four students out of 200 applicants accepted into this particular REU. In January, she and her summer research partner, Jazmin Ortiz from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, met in San Antonio, TX, to present a poster display on their research at The Joint Mathematics Meetings of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

During the KWU Honors and Awards Convocation on May 8, 2015, Hauschild was presented with the Outstanding Math Graduate Award. The following day during Commencement, she fittingly introduced the keynote speaker, alumnus David L. Fancher, Ph.D., ’64, who double majored in Math and Physics and later joined the KWU faculty to teach those subjects.

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Vanessa Kresin, of Glen Elder, KS, graduated with a double major in Psychology and Sociology, and a minor in Philosophy. Kresin was accepted into the competitive MSW degree program at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. The Brown School of Social Work graduate program is tied for #1 in the nation as rated by U.S. News Best Grad Schools, and is currently rated #4 in the nation among the “Top 50 Campus-based MSW Programs” by BestMSWPrograms.com. Kresin’s ultimate goal is to conduct social welfare research that deals with racial and ethnic minorities and poor populations.

Brittany Miller ’15, University of Kansas

Brittany Miller, of Cummings, KS, graduated with a Psychology major, and minors in Criminal Justice and Psychological Services. She was accepted into the Master of Social Work degree program

in the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Miller became interested in the KU Master of Social Work program at the University of Kansas through the recommendation of Kayley Heerey ’14, who is currently in the program. It is Miller’s hope to eventually go into therapy/counseling for children who have suffered trauma, such as sexual abuse.

Kelly Hopkins ’15, Newman University

Kelly Hopkins, of Salina, KS, graduated with a Psychology major. A non-traditional student with a full-time job, a husband and four children, she was accepted into the Master of Social Work degree program at Newman University in Wichita, KS. She intends to use her MSW degree in the clinical/ behavioral health field, focusing on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Trauma-Focused CognitiveBehavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Counseling for Trauma Recovery with Children using art therapy.

Klover Earns Spot in KWU MFA Program Taylor Klover ’15, Kansas State University Taylor Klover, of Hiawatha, KS, graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design this past spring, and was accepted by Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, to pursue her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Graphic Design.

She has received a scholarship and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship position.

At Kansas Wesleyan, Klover produced freelance design work and held several graphic design internships. She was on the Coyote Yearbook staff, serving as staff editor for a year. At the 2014 Kansas Collegiate Media (KCM) Conference

awards ceremony, Klover received First Place for Sports Page Design in the Yearbook category, and the Yearbook received a Bronze Award in the Overall Yearbook category and First Place in the Theme Development category, based on the concept by Klover and Elizabeth Dicke ’14.

Klover was also a scholar-athlete, recognized on numerous occasions for her academics and athleticism on the volleyball court. Among them was being named as a First Team Capital One Academic All-District player, and earning three Academic All-KCAC honors and two DaktronicsNAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.

Forristal Accepted Into Pharm.D. Program Marci Forristal ’15, University of Kansas

Marci Forristal of Salina, KS, is embarking on a post-graduate journey to become a Doctor of Pharmacy. She graduated from KWU in May with a B.S. in Biomedical Chemistry and was accepted into the four-year Pharm.D. program in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Kansas. Forristal was also accepted to the pharmacy programs at the University of Colorado and the University of Arizona. She chose the KU School of Pharmacy for its solid reputation, ranked among the nation’s top 20 schools of pharmacy, according to U.S. News & World Reports, and second in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding.

Forristal transferred to KWU to major in Nursing.

She began working as a pharmacy technician at Salina Regional Health Center. Her experience there convinced her to pursue a pharmacy path, and she switched her major to Biomedical Chemistry. After she completes her Pharm.D. at KU, Forristal plans to stay on at the University of Kansas Hospital to pursue its 12-month PGY1 (post-graduate year 1) residency program in pharmacy practice to become a skilled clinical pharmacist working in a hospital setting.

EXPERIENTIAL EXPERIENCES

FIVE SCHOLARS PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH AT TOP UNIVERSITIES

Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs Welcome Two 2015 Graduates In physical therapy, every move counts. Some patients quit trying due to slow progress, never grasping the fact that slow progress is still progress. Just ask two KWU spring graduates, who have themselves endured the pain of recovering from injuries through physical therapy, and in the process were inspired to help others as they had been helped.

Kelsey McClure ’15, of Manhattan, KS,

who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Exercise Science: Pre-Physical Therapy, was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Kansas. McClure chose to go into this field after being injured playing softball in high school.

She wanted to pursue her DPT degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center because it is one of the top programs in the country, ranked #19 according to U.S. News & World Report.

Matthew Broeckelman ’14, MBA ’15,

of Mankato, KS, was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Wichita State University in Wichita, KS. Broeckelman has been interested in sports and weightlifting since junior high school, and played football until he was injured his senior year of high school. It was through his physical therapist at Jewell County Hospital in Mankato, KS, that he was able to avoid surgery and return to football. He received a scholarship to play at Kansas Wesleyan. Broeckelman completed his bachelor’s degree from KWU in Exercise Science: Pre-Physical Therapy. He stayed on as Resident Director for Wesley Hall while he pursued KWU’s accelerated MBA degree.

Experiential learning opportunities can often provide the spark that launches students into careers they had never anticipated. Kansas Wesleyan University students are finding some of these opportunities through REUs (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) that are giving them unique and enriching experiences at research universities across the country during summer break.

Laura Nivens ’17 Cybersecurity University of Arkansas

This year, five students participated in summer REUs — funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) — allowing students from smaller schools to engage in research projects in mathematics and the sciences at Tier One research universities with larger facilities, more expensive equipment, and faculty and graduate students with tremendous expertise in each field.

Cole Loewer ’17 Computer Information Systems/E-gaming Lehigh University

Kayla St. Laurent ’17 Organic Chemistry Kansas State University

Kayla St. Laurent, a Biology and Biomedical Chemistry double major from Hutchinson, KS, was accepted to a summer REU at Kansas State University. She worked in an organic chemistry lab with KWU alumna and now K-State graduate student Chelsea Hanks ’13 and ten other KSU students. Her team worked on synthesizing a molecule that can be used to selectively target cancer cells. St. Laurent was responsible for the “backbone,” the piece on which the molecule is built.

Darren Woodson ’16 Astronomy Texas A&M

Darren Woodson, a Mathematics and Engineering Physics dual major, with a Computer Science minor, from Bentley, KS, was accepted to a summer REU at Texas A&M. He performed astronomical research and studied data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), a space telescope that studies high energy gamma rays, with the goal of using these rays to find celestial objects.

Laura Nivens, a Computer Information Systems major from Junction City, KS, was accepted to a summer REU at the University of Arkansas, in the field of CyberSecurity. Her team worked on a type of database security that combines two methods, encryption and information hiding, to allow users to search encrypted data without having to decrypt.

Cole Loewer, a Computer Science and Computer Information Systems dual major from Burden, KS, was accepted to a summer Smart Spaces REU at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, working in the field of augmented reality. He and another student created a first-person view adventure-type game controlled by hand motions, such as swiping to look around, pointing to move forward, or slicing to chop down a tree. People tested their game against an identical game controlled by mouse and keyboard inputs while being timed and gave feedback.

Apryl Saunders ’16 Structural Biology University of Oklahoma

Apryl Saunders, a Chemistry and Biomedical Chemistry double major from Harrah, OK, was one of ten students from schools across the country accepted to a summer REU at the University of Oklahoma. She worked in Structural Biology focusing on proteins, a diverse field with many applications, such as antibacterial medicine. The goal of Saunders’ project was to determine the 3-D structure of the inhibitorbound form of an essential enzyme, potentially useful in the creation of new prescription drugs.

Apryl

Saunders

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STUDENTS SCORE BIG

STUDENTS SCORE BIG WITH BASEBALL INTERNSHIPS In the movie “Field of Dreams,” Shoeless Joe Jackson looks around at the Iowa cornfieldturned-glorious-baseball-diamond, and asks, “Is this heaven?”

Two KWU students recently got a little taste of this kind of heaven by snagging internships with “the boys of summer.” Ryan Theis ’17, of Phoenix, AZ, took a shot at broadcasting, and Kenny Diaz ’16, of Hurst, TX, took a swing at team management.

Theis participated in an internship in Palm Springs, CA, broadcasting most of the baseball games for the Palm Springs Power, a collegiate summer team that plays in the Southern California Collegiate Baseball League (SCCBL).

The league hosts NCAA Division I talent for the entire summer. Most games were broadcast through an online stream, similar to the KKWU online radio station at KWU, but some are carried on the local sports radio station. Theis also wrote game recap stories and feature stories for the local Palm Springs newspaper.

Theis was initially recruited to Kansas Wesleyan to play baseball. An injury ended his playing time, but not his passion for the game. After taking a media production class in fall 2014 Theis landed a job broadcasting the 2015 KWU Baseball games. He was hired to broadcast the KCAC Softball Championships in April, announcing eight games in three days with Jackson Schneider ’18 of Lawrence, KS. Diaz was awarded a rare summer management position with the Texas Rangers organization.

He said this internship did not come to him easily, as he was up against more than 1,000 applicants. He was assigned to the Double-A

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professional baseball team, The Frisco RoughRiders, in Frisco, TX, as Director of Baseball Operations.

In this important role, Diaz dealt with players all day, every day, with a variety of duties that included letting them know who is getting called up to Triple-A or called down to Single-A, setting up autograph appearances, and arranging the travel itinerary for the team on the road.

“I loved every second of it,” said Diaz.

“Definitely an awesome opportunity to get me started in the professional sports field.”

Diaz has demonstrated strong leadership ability on the KWU campus, elected president of the Student Government Association for 2014–15 and 2015–16. He was a 2014 team captain and defensive back for Coyotes football, was a Resident Assistant, and has been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also headed up the 10th annual KWU Project HERO (Helping Everyone Reach Out) spring clean-up volunteer project on April 19, involving about 200 Kansas Wesleyan students, faculty and staff.

Ryan Theis was the voice of the Palm Springs Power this summer. Photo by Tommy Barrett.

NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

NEW FACULTY Karen Babcock Brassea, M.F.A. KWU’s new assistant professor of Theatre and Dance, Karen Babcock Brassea, comes from New Jersey with her husband, Billy, a former professional dancer. She will be instrumental in teaching and coordinating the new Music Theatre degree, in partnership with Salina Community Theatre. She brings years of performing experience, including shows on Broadway, national tours and regional stage productions. Her skills include stage direction, choreography and stage combat basics. She holds a B.F.A. in Drama (Musical Theatre performance) Cum Laude from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburg, PA, and M.F.A. in Directing from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Janeane Houchin, M.S.N., R.N. Assistant Professor of Nursing Janeane Houchin has been a Registered Nurse since 1986, and specializes in teaching pathophysiology and medical surgical nursing. She has a B.S. from Baker University, Baldwin City, KS, a B.S.N. from the College of Health Sciences at University of Kansas, and a M.S.N. from South University, Savannah, GA.

Andrea Picklesimer, M.S.N., R.N. With the ability to instruct students in the areas of medical surgical, critical care, health assessment and nursing leadership, Assistant Professor of Nursing Andrea Picklesimer brings experience both as a faculty member at Brown Mackie College in Salina, and as an R.N. Cardiology Nurse and Pediatric Nurse with Mowery Clinic, also in Salina. She holds a B.S.N. from Southwestern College, Winfield, KS, and a M.S. in Nursing Education from South University, Savannah, GA.

Tricia Petak, M.B.A. Assistant Professor of Accounting Tricia Petak brings experience in teaching accounting, finance and business courses, writing curriculum, and developing accounting and finance course content. She earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Kansas, an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from Argosy University, Fullerton, CA, and has just started her D.B.A. program at Argosy with a concentration in Accounting.

FACULTY TRIO EARNS TENURE At the annual Honors Convocation on May 8, 2015, three Kansas Wesleyan faculty members received tenure, giving them a permanent teaching post at KWU. Dr. Damon Kraft, associate professor and chair of the Department of English, arrived at KWU in fall 2011 after two years of teaching at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. Also arriving that same fall was Dr. Stephanie Welter, associate professor and chair of the Department of Biology. Her past teaching posts have included a one-year interim position at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, and a tenuretrack position for six years at Morehead State University in New York.

Dr. Jamie Townsend, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, arrived at KWU in 2009 after finishing his Ph.D. at Kansas State University.

Kristine A. Rodriguez, Ed.D. The KWU Department of Teacher Education has a new director, Dr. Kristine A. Rodriguez. She brings a wealth of in-the-trenches experience in administration and teaching at local schools. Past positions include Biology and Chemistry teacher and junior high athletic director at Southeast of Saline Junior/Senior High School in Gypsum, KS; Upward Bound program instructor for Kansas State University Salina; elementary principal for Sacred Heart Cathedral Grade School in Salina, KS; and assistant athletic trainer and adjunct faculty in Athletic Training and Biology at Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Southwestern College, Winfield, KS, her Kansas State Teaching Certificate from Bethany College, an M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton in Ohio, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Southwestern College.

Kathy Sweeney ’93, M.S.N., R.N. Bringing more than 30 years of nursing experience to her alma mater, Assistant Professor of Nursing Kathy Sweeney will teach in such areas as medical surgical, obstetrics, and pediatrics, and will assist in the development of the online R.N.-B.S.N. degree.

She earned her B.S.N. from KWU and her M.S.N. from South University, Savannah, GA.

NEW STAFF Martha Bray Martha Bray has been hired as the new administrative assistant for the Department of Teacher Education. She comes from Overland Park, KS, with more than 20 years of experience in tutoring and teaching at pre-school, elementary school and college levels. She was also a team manager and technical trainer for Sykes Industries in Hays.

She has completed a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Education from Fort Hays State University. She has completed coursework for her Ph.D. at Capella University in Minneapolis, MN.

STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS In June, Lois Madsen, director of Student Financial Planning, presented to financial aid administrators at the Rocky Mountain Association of Financial Aid Administrators (RMASFAA) Summer Institute at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. About 250 aid officers attended the weeklong event. RMASFAA serves Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Its nationally-recognized summer institute provides a comprehensive overview of federal financial aid programs and the regulatory issues that shape and govern them. This is Madsen’s fifth opportunity to serve as faculty at a Regional Association Summer Institute.

Cameron Jackson, MBA ’15, director of Spiritual Development, planned and hosted the first KICA for Christ One-Day Conference at KWU, Saturday, April 18. The event brought together students, campus ministers and support staff from the 18 KICA member institutions. The theme was “Rivalry”— laying down our differences and focusing on the body of Christ.

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Salina asked Dr. Chiang to establish a toxicology lab, focused on drug testing, in exchange for KWU students being allowed to use their highly advanced equipment.

DR. YUAN CHIANG, CHEMISTRY FACULTY 1966–2002 When KWU Alumni gather, it is unusual not to hear Dr. Chiang’s name in conversation.

In What It Meant to Be a Coyote, Book II, edited by former men’s basketball coach and athletic director, Jerry Jones, KWU Trustee Emeritus Kent Lambert ’72, wrote, “I can still see Dr. Yuan Chiang from Chemistry trying to make ’fusion’ understandable to us. He was an enthusiastic and caring teacher, and wanted us to learn.”

After more than six years, they were certified by the federal government as one of 76 National Toxicology Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Chiang was selected in 1978 by the Danforth Foundation in St. Louis to join its fully funded six-year teaching enrichment program as a Danforth Associate. He was also twice named an American Outstanding Educator. In August 1998 during Opening Convocation, Dr. Chiang was presented with the KWU Exemplary Teacher Award.

He said his greatest honor was when, following his retirement in 2002, a group of about ten of his favorite former students, led by Dr. Gene Zaid and Dr. Dean Ericson, did some extraordinary fundraising to quickly create the Dr. Yuan Chiang Endowed Scholarship.

A periodic elements chart with the donors’ names engraved inside the boxes of the elements, was created and hung in the science hall. He is pleased to know the scholarship still exists today.

Dr. Chiang joined KWU in 1966 and was promoted to full professor in 1974. He was very popular with the students, who voted him as Most Supportive Faculty for basketball and KWU Chief Cook for grilling up hamburgers at football tailgate parties.

“Retirement was the greatest moment in my life,” said Dr. Chiang of his farewell. “Our science faculty gave me a special farewell dinner and the luxurious gold watch, which I am still wearing.”

Among the many accomplishments Dr. Chiang achieved outside of the classroom was his air and water pollution research, feasible with a loan of equipment from NASA. He also spent a summer at Kansas State University working on cancer drugs with a research grant from the American Chemical Society. In 1992, WPM Pathology Laboratory in

Dr. Chiang relocated to California in 2007. Many former students will remember seeing him with his camera, and at age 85, he still takes pictures as a hobby and spends hours in front of the computer editing the images.

He and his wife travel to Hong Kong every year and have enjoyed taking cruises to England, China, Korea and Japan.

DR. DAMON KRAFT NAMED 2015 EXEMPLARY TEACHER Talk with Dr. Damon Kraft for a few minutes, and his enthusiasm and

passion for academics rush out of him like a torrential stream. He models the “best of the best” mantra, inspiring the students to strive to reach their potential, through programs such as The Best of KWU, a program he put in place that recognizes and showcases the excellent scholarship of the university’s top students.

The nomination cited him for exemplary teaching, with positive course evaluations from students and observed energy and confidence, creativity for engaged learning, and a focus on critical thinking. Dr. Kraft has been the director for several years of the Wesleyan Experience, a course for all incoming new students. Designed for incoming freshmen and transfer students, Dr. Kraft has developed it into a positive learning opportunity.

Dr. Kraft, associate professor of English, recently received recognition for his leadership in and out of the classroom. During the Honors Convocation on Friday, May 8, 2015, he was presented with the 2015 Kansas Wesleyan University Exemplary Teacher award.

Dr. Kraft has launched other initiatives at Kansas Wesleyan. He is a co-sponsor of a book discussion series, a cooperative effort with the Salina Public Library, designed to bring people together for shared reading and discussion.

In fall 2014, he was among the first KWU faculty to take a class of students on a service-learning journey in Costa Rica, a pre-cursor to the new Wesleyan Journey courses that launch this fall. He is also a campus sponsor involved in fundraisers for Marine Toy Box, an annual local effort to provide toys for the needy in Salina.

Perhaps most noteworthy has been Dr. Kraft’s service as chair of the Curriculum Committee for the past several years, overseeing the process of redesigning the curriculum university-wide and assuring that course proposals met the new learning outcome objectives. His leadership has brought to completion a two-year redesign of the Liberal Studies curriculum in time to launch it for the 2015–16 academic year. This new core will engage students during all four years at Kansas Wesleyan and develop their self-awareness, human expression, community and world exploration, and natural world stewardship.

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FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Lonnie Booker, Jr.

Wayne Schneider and Dr. Mark Bandré

FACULTY & STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS Dr. Lonnie Booker, Jr., traveled to Charleston, SC, to attend the national conference of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE), April 9–11, where he was inducted as a board member for the 35-year-old national organization. The AABHE pursues the educational and professional needs of blacks in higher education, with a focus on leadership, access and vital issues impacting students, faculty, staff and administration. Dr. Booker was also asked to be a panelist for the 17th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium, June 1–14, 2015, hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute.

His panel discussed emergency management program development and growth at colleges and universities.

Dr. David Silverman, associate professor of Communications, presented a paper at the annual national conference of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, which convened in New Orleans April 1–4. The paper is based on his upcoming book chapter entitled, “Always Bring Phasers to an Animated Canon Fight: Star Trek Animated Adventures on Saturday Mornings.” The book, released in May, is titled Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: The

Original Cast Adventures (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015), edited by Douglas Brode and Shea T. Brode. Dr. Silverman serves as the Animation Division chair for PCA/ACA.

Dr. Jamie Spikes participated in the 23rd annual LCMS Conference for Parish Nurses and Congregational Health Ministries, May 27–28, at Concordia University in Mequon, WI.

John Burchill ’80, associate professor of Criminal Justice, spoke on April 9 at a gathering of Kansas County Treasurers and Registers of Deeds. He talked about Kansas horse thieves and claims-jumping, leading to the need for a Register of Deeds.

The national gathering was for parish nursing district representatives of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). Dr. Spikes gave a devotion acting as a 1950 Sunday School Teacher, and she made a presentation on recruiting and retaining volunteers within churches.

Dr. Jamie Spikes

On April 28, Dr. Steve Hoekstra, professor of Psychology, returned to his alma mater as awards banquet speaker for the Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) chapter of Psi Chi national honor society in Psychology and the Graduate Association of Psychology Students (GAPS).

Fred Aubuchon, head volleyball coach, spoke April 29 at his high school alma mater, Stockton High School (KS), about how hard work and commitment pays off for academics, athletics, family and career.

On April 10, two Kansas Wesleyan administrators were named for service awards in a special ceremony at the annual convention of the Kansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA) in Wichita, KS. Wayne Schneider was recognized for his 30 years of dedicated service, and Dr. Mark Bandré was recognized for 20 years of service in the field.

Three former KWU faculty members have been bestowed Emeritus status by the Board of Trustees, effective Aug. 1, 2015.

Congratulations to Dr. Kathleen Barrett-Jones (Teacher Education, 1996–2012 and Interim Provost 2012–13); Mrs. Marcia MacLennan (English and Religion, 1994–2013); and Dr. Susan McDonald (Physics, 2001–15). The nomination of Emeritus status originates in each former faculty member’s division, is endorsed by Division Council and then approved by the board.

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MINISTRY NEWS

Collaboration with Saint Paul School of Theology Opens Pipeline For Those Called To Serve An exciting new collaboration has been formed that makes it easier and more cost effective for those seeking a career in ministry. Kansas Wesleyan University and Saint Paul School of Theology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a 3+3 Theological Studies undergraduate-graduate program. The agreement is thought to be the first of its kind established between a United Methodist-based university and a United Methodist seminary.

Under this arrangement, Kansas Wesleyan students would condense the four-year course of study for its Christian Ministry major into three years, followed by the completion of the three-year Master of Divinity degree at Saint Paul School of Theology. This allows students to prepare for ordination and entry into the ministry in six years instead of the usual seven.

“This collaboration will allow us to continue to serve the United Methodist Church, preparing people for ministry and service with a phenomenal partner, “ said Dr. Matt Thompson, KWU president, who explained that the two barriers to a Ministry degree are time and money. "By condensing the time required to complete both degrees, the joint program provides a cost savings, which should open the door for many people to answer the call.”

The distinctive Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry at Kansas Wesleyan University prepares students for full-time ministry in an environment that encourages the interaction of faith and learning. It combines a practical in-the-field internship experience, under the guidance of mentors in full-time ministry, with coursework in four core areas: Bible; Religion and Philosophy; Ministry; and Educational and Social Sciences.

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) at Saint Paul School of Theology prepares graduates for ministry in the church, chaplaincy, not-for-profit work and other forms of religious leadership.

The M.Div. is required for ordination by many denominations, and is among the requirements in the primary track toward becoming ordained as elder in the United Methodist Church.

For more information, visit www.kwu.edu/ministry.

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“Obedience can take you places. Be like Peter. Don’t be afraid to get out of the boat.

Step out in faith.”

— Rudo Dozva ’14

GET OUT OF THE BOAT Dozva’s Journey Was Guided by Faith If there is one thing Rudo Dozva ’14, has learned, it’s that God will provide. She knows this firsthand because as a young girl growing up in Mutare, Zimbabwe, she had dreamed of going to college but had no idea how to make it happen. Dozva found open doors that she believes were a result of God at work in her life.

In 2010, after hearing about a partnership between the UMC Kansas West Annual Conference and the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference, Dozva was invited to attend Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. But her financial situation changed drastically after a year, and she was faced with the possibility of going back to Zimbabwe.

“This was a turning point in my life, because I couldn’t afford to live in the dorms,” Dozva said.

“God was there for me, and I met an amazing family that took me in with open arms.” She was able to transfer to Cowley Community College in Arkansas City, KS. After a year at Cowley, she was faced with yet another financial crisis and the prospect of returning home when a group of church members from Wichita traveled on a UMC mission trip to her hometown and coincidentally ended up visiting with her parents. When they heard of Dozva’s deep passion to finish her degree, the ladies connected her with Carl Ellis, who had been raising funds for international students to attend Kansas Wesleyan University. Ellis took her in and provided the funds she needed to complete her bachelor’s degree.

She had been pursuing a career in Pharmacy but felt God leading her in a different direction, so she changed her major to Religion. Her decision

was mostly influenced by a summer internship in which she and other KWU students led Vacation Bible School in small churches across Kansas. She became involved in Campus Ministries and was president of the Campus Ministry Leadership Team. She credits Director of Spiritual Development, Cameron Jackson, MBA ’15, with helping her develop leadership skills and the self-confidence to follow her calling.

With her parents and brothers present, Dozva graduated Cum Laude from KWU in May 2014 and received the Student Hall of Fame Award.

She was selected to deliver the sermon at the Baccalaureate Service. She related her own faith journey to the biblical story of Peter and the disciples who were in a boat when a terrible storm threatened them, and Peter was called to trust Jesus by stepping out of the boat into the sea.

“Obedience can take you places,” she told her fellow graduating seniors. “Be like Peter. Don’t be afraid to get out of the boat. Step out in faith. And remember, when you feel like you’re drowning, all you need to do is call out to God, and He will take your hand.”

Following graduation, Dozva stayed in Kansas and worked for year at Fredonia First United Methodist Church, east of Wichita, as its director of Family Life and Educational Ministries. Last fall she moved to San Marcos, TX, to begin her Master of Social Work degree at Texas State University. She is also working as director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church of Elgin, TX, and has worked with the local churches there to collect school supplies for an orphanage in her hometown.

MINISTRY NEWS

GADBERRY ANSWERS THE CALL Building contractors worth their salt know it to be true, and it applies to all of life. To build something that will last, be it a house, a career, or a faith, you must start with a good foundation. And, for Rev. Claire Gadberry ’07, she discovered that foundation at Kansas Wesleyan University.

“From greeting my congregants on Sunday to visiting the homebound, it is a calling and an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

— Rev. Claire Gadberry ’07

Rev. Gadberry came to KWU from Hutchinson, KS, and was a first-year student in the Nursing program when she became aware that this was not what she was meant to do. With the counsel of family, friends and Dr. Phil Meckley, professor and chair of Religion and Philosophy, she changed her major to Religion. Dr. John Blackwell, who was then adjunct faculty and Dean of the Chapel, became a mentor. And here is where the foundation building began.

“Without the help and understanding of the faculty, especially Dr. Meckley and Dr. Blackwell, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Rev. Gadberry.

“They helped hone my understanding of biblical principles. Dr. Meckley was a wonderful advisor who encouraged questions and taught in a way that benefitted my journey.”

Rev. Gadberry remembers that former KWU President Philip Kerstetter and his wife, Mary, were also a huge supportive presence for her during her years at Kansas Wesleyan. Her internship at University United Methodist Church helped as well. Then Dr. Blackwell arranged for someone from his divinity school alma mater, Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, CA, to come to campus to visit with Rev. Gadberry. It all clicked for her, and she earned her Master of Divinity degree from Claremont.

Rev. Gadberry returned to Kansas to be a chaplain at Wesley Regional Medical Center in Wichita, where she served for two-and-a-half years and specialized in working with children. She earned a Pediatric Chaplaincy certification through the hospital’s clinical pastoral education program.

Today, she is sole pastor of the Plainville United Methodist Church in Plainville, KS, where she has served for the past four years. According to Rev. Gadberry, that is what God has meant This spring the students of Kansas Wesleyan will for her to do. In June 2014, she was ordained be able to participate in a young adult discipleship as a UMC Elder during the first Great Plains pilot program of Upper Room Ministries.

Conference held in Lincoln, NE.

More than 400 members of the KWU and Salina communities gathered for a beautiful morning ecumenical church service, “Worship on the Lawn," on Sunday, August 16, part of the opening ceremonies for the 2015–16 academic year.

KWU Students Experience Community in a New Way

“I love everything about ministry, from the children during our Wednesday program to the times when I visit a sick person in the hospital,” said Rev. Gadberry. “From greeting my congregants on Sunday to visiting the homebound, it is a calling and an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

KWU, along with six other beta sites, are helping the global ministry draw from its ecumenical young adult programs, typically presented through churches and retreat centers, to develop and test a model that can be adapted for a college community setting.

The KWU liaison for the program is Cameron Jackson, director of Spiritual Development, who said this program will enhance the spiritual growth activities available at Kansas Wesleyan.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students, and it allows KWU to take an active role in developing the program so other universities can use it. We are honored that we were chosen to roll out the test program this spring,” said Jackson.

“This new program is intended to give students the opportunity to learn discipleship by walking alongside one another, to experience community and accountability with peers,” said Geoffrey Parker, Young Adult Spiritual Formation program manager for Upper Room Ministries.

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MARYMOUNT RECORDS

Jennifer Rein Director of Alumni Relations

MARYMOUNT’S RECORDS HAVE A NEW HOME AT KANSAS WESLEYAN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Kansas Wesleyan President and CEO Matt Thompson, Ph.D.; Betsy Wearing, MC ’84; Sister Marcia Allen MC, ’67, president, Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, KS; Jennifer Rein, KWU ’10 MBA, director of Alumni Relations; and Rodd Glavin, MC ’84, treasurer, Marymount Alumni Association.

In late March, the Kansas Board of Regents in Topeka granted final approval for the student records and transcripts of Marymount College of Salina, KS, to be permanently housed at Kansas Wesleyan University. Eight file drawers of records were brought to KWU from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS.

During its 67 years of operation, Marymount College granted 6,867 degrees. Following the 1989 closing of the school, the Marymount College student transcripts and records were sent to St. Mary’s of the Plains College in Dodge City, KS, for safekeeping. Declining enrollment led to the closing of St. Mary’s of the Plains in 1992, and the Marymount records went along with St. Mary’s records to Fort Hays State University.

It’s my favorite time of the year!

Homecoming is just around the corner, and this year is going to be extraordinary!

Plans are underway for a record-setting crowd as we play the Homecoming football game on campus in the Graves Family Sports Complex. It has changed the landscape of our campus, and we can’t wait for you to see it. We have a new Theatre Director, Karen Babcock Brassea, who will be showcasing her directing talents with our fall theatre production during Homecoming Weekend. In addition, Tom Dorsey, a photojournalist with the Salina Journal, will present 35-years of photography in our Gallery, and you will have the opportunity to meet him and admire his works. We will be inducting the class of 1965 into the Golden W, and our traditional Hall of Fame breakfast and Alumni Awards Ceremony will honor alumni who have made a significant impact on our university and in their careers. I invite you to visit our website, www.kwu.edu/ homecoming2015 and reserve your tickets so you don’t miss out on this amazing weekend.

ALUMNI MEMBERSHIPS AND GIVING ON THE RISE Joining the KWU Alumni Association offers the opportunity for those who have walked the Kansas Wesleyan halls to build ties with the school that had a part in molding their lives.

This past academic year, there was a nearly 22 percent increase in paid Alumni Association memberships from 814 to 992. The number of alumni donors to Kansas Wesleyan rose 35 percent from 836 to 1,125 — and the number of alumni gifts grew by 30 percent from 1,509 to 1,960. To all who gave to KWU, thank you.

Alumni Association membership dues help to fund various grant requests that assist KWU faculty, staff, students, organizations and alumni. Dues also help support our various alumni chapters across the state and internationally. Last fiscal year, alumni dues provided assistance to ten campus initiatives, exceeding $9,000. Your membership makes a difference!

For 2015–16, a portion of the membership dues will go toward student scholarships. Please join or renew your membership and make a positive impact on the students of Kansas Wesleyan. Call Jennifer Rein, Director of Alumni Relations at (785) 833-4338.

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This past academic year, there was a nearly

22%

increase in paid Alumni Association memberships from 814 to 992.

IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE KWU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION! KWU Alumni Association members are admitted to all Fine Arts performances FREE. Plus, there is one designated football, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball game in which Alumni Association members get in FREE. Also, members receive discounts to such events as the quarterly Coaches’ Luncheons. Renew your membership by calling Jennifer Rein, Director of Alumni Relations at 785.833.4338.

HOMECOMING 2015

HOMECOMING 2015 October 2–4 will be a historical weekend on the Kansas Wesleyan University campus as we play our Homecoming football game on campus for the first time in nine years! From our annual awards ceremonies to family activities, a fall theatre production, a music concert and a special art exhibit, Homecoming 2015 will be a spectacular event! Don’t miss out — register today at www.kwu.edu/homecoming2015.

HOMECOMING 2015 SCHEDULE Thursday, October 1 Art Gallery Reception 5:30–7 p.m.

Fall Theatre Production 7:30 p.m.

Friday, October 2 Gallery Exhibit 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Meet the Artist, Photojournalist Tom Dorsey 9 a.m.

Alumni Open House 10–11 a.m.

Golf hosted by Athletics at the Salina Country Club 11 a.m.

Golden W Luncheon 11:30 a.m.

Class of 1965 induction into the Order of the Golden W. Alumni Awards Ceremony 5:30 p.m.

JV Volleyball vs. Sterling 5:30 p.m.

Alumni reception following the Alumni Awards Ceremony with Faculty 6:30 p.m.

Varsity Volleyball vs. Sterling 7 p.m.

Fall Theatre Production 7:30 p.m.

KWU Basketball Late Night hosted by Coaches Fear and Showman 9 p.m.

ALUMNI AWARDS ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Courtney (Thaden) Heigele ’03 (Elementary Education)

ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD Harold ’49 and Evelyn (Eisenhauer) ’50 Nelson (History, Sociology)

DIVISION OF FINE ARTS OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR Nick Petron ’69 (Speech/Theatre)

B.S.N. NURSING EDUCATION OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD Natasha (Miller) Sears ’09 (Nursing)

NURSING EDUCATION OUTSTANDING AAS ALUMNI AWARD Dr. Denise (Knipp) Weiss ’95 (Nursing)

MBA AWARDS Jennifer Johnson ’04 Willibrordus Punt ’02 LuAnn Puvogel ’98 Todd Strawn ’12 Jen Ching (Ray) Yang ’07 Chiu-Yen (Elsa) Hung ’08

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES • • • • •

1995, 1996, 1997 & 1998 Softball Teams Denis Adams ’56, Football Darin Boyer ’87, Football Jeff Kumpula ’01, Football Jessi (Burnham) Stang ’81, Basketball, Volleyball, Track • Rich Troiano ’73, Baseball

SPECIAL ALUMNI REUNIONS Music, Theatre and Band Reunions

HIGHLIGHTS • Class of 1965 Induction in the Golden W Club • 2015 Fall Theatre Production • Family FanFest, Tailgating and Football on the new Gene Bissell Field at the Graves Family Sports Complex • Volleyball Match in Mabee Arena • Dance and Cheer Clinic for Children • Brunch with Faculty • Young Alumni Gathering • Golf Outing • Special Gallery Exhibit, Tom Dorsey, Photojournalist

Saturday, October 3 W Club Breakfast/Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 8 a.m.

Gallery Exhibit 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Alumni Flag Football game 10 a.m.

Alumni Volleyball game 10 a.m.

Band Alumni Clinic 10–11 a.m.

Dance and Cheer Clinic 10 a.m.–Noon Brunch with KWU Faculty Noon Band/Choir/Orchestra concert 1:30 p.m.

Campus Tours 2:30 p.m.

What’s New at KWU? 3 p.m.

Family FanFest with Live Music 3:30–5:30 p.m.

Homecoming Football Game vs. McPherson 6 p.m.

Yotes on the Patio 9 p.m.

Sunday, October 4 Church Service at University United Methodist Church Featuring the KWU Philharmonic Choir 9:30 a.m.

Fall Theatre Production 7:30 p.m.

For a complete schedule, hotel discounts, a list of who is attending, and registration information, please visit www.kwu.edu/homecoming2015 or call Jennifer Rein, Director of Alumni Relations at (785) 833-4338.

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2015 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS Jennifer Rein Alumni Director

KWU Courtney (Thaden) Heigele ’03 Alumni Achievement Award Courtney (Thaden) Heigele went on to earn her Masters of Science in Special Education from Baker University and is currently a primary special educator at Bonner Springs Elementary in Bonner Springs, KS. Heigele remains active in causes that promote the social and educational equality rights of individuals of all abilities.

She is also an advocate for supporting unique family relationships created through the domestic open adoption of children with special needs.

Todd Strawn ’12 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished Alumnus Award Strawn began his career in computers as a systems analyst/programmer in 2003 at Data-Tronics Corporation (now ArcBest Technologies) in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He worked in several positions for Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance, and currently serves as a senior application programmer for National Cooperative Refinery Association (NCRA) in McPherson, where he has been since graduating from KWU’s M.B.A. program with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A.

Jen Ching (Ray) Yang ’07 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished International Alumnus Award Ray Yang earned his bachelor degree in Foreign Language and Culture from Fu Hsing Kang College (Military Academy) in Taipei, Taiwan before enrolling in the M.B.A. program at KWU, where he earned a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. Yang is an information and network engineer in Taipei. He was previously a telecom and network engineer director. His professional development includes earning the Red Hat Certified Engineer certification, one of the most highly regarded in IT.

Willibrordus Punt ’02 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished Alumnus Award Willibrordus Punt graduated in 2002 from the M.B.A. program with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. He is a project manager at Philips Lighting (Netherlands). He is currently responsible for business strategy and execution of “end-game” for incandescent lamps globally as well as for industrial strategy and project execution for Philips Lighting’s conventional business. Punt has also served as a development engineer at Phillips Royal Electronics (Netherlands) responsible for new, applied technology for lighting products and systems. He is an active runner and marathon winner.

Chiu-Yen (Elsa) Hung ’08 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished International Alumna Award Elsa Hung lives in Taipei, Taiwan and holds many positions including: General Manager of Taiwan Home Service Labor Cooperatives, Executive YUAN Council of Aboriginal Cooperative Simulation Evaluation Committee and New Taipei Branch of the Women’s Federation Qing Punchier Branch Committee. Additionally, she has served as a member of the New Taipei City Haishan Vigilante Civil Defense Squadron. Hung earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Eternal-Life Christian College in Taipei before earning her M.B.A. from KWU.

Natasha (Miller) Sears, M.S.N., R.N. ’09, B.S.N. Nursing Education Outstanding Alumni Award

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Natasha Sears is a Registered Nurse at Salina Surgical Hospital working with post-operative orthopedic, HEENT, and general medical-surgical patients. She has been in the Nursing field for the past decade and has served as an adjunct clinical faculty member at KWU. Sears is particularly passionate about women’s health, especially obstetrics, and is a certified nurse midwife. She received her M.S.N. at the University of Cincinnati School of Nursing.

LuAnn Puvogal, ’98 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished Alumna Award LuAnn Puvogal, M.B.A., is Chief Executive Officer for the Salina Surgical Hospital. In partnership with the Board of Directors, she is responsible for the overall success of Salina Surgical Hospital by overseeing the day-to-day operations of the hospital to ensure that they fulfill the Mission of Salina Surgical Hospital. From 1999 to 2009, LuAnn was Director of Nurses at Salina Surgical Hospital. She has also served as Director of Nurses and Director of Critical Care Services at Salina Regional Health Center.

Denise (Knipp) Weiss ’95, D.O. Nursing Education Outstanding AAS Alumni Award After graduating from KWU in 1995 with an associate degree in Nursing, Dr. Weiss obtained her B.S.N. at the University of Kansas. In 1999 Dr. Weiss completed her M.S.N. from Wichita State University and worked at Smoky Hill Family Practice Residency in Salina until 2003, when she began medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Upon graduation in 2007, Denise returned to Kansas and spent four years in Wichita completing her anesthesia residency through the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Denise finished residency in July 2011 and practiced anesthesiology in Salina for the past four years. She currently works for Anesthesia Associates in Kansas City.

Jennifer Johnson ’04 Professor Carol A. Ahlvers Distinguished Alumna Award Jennifer Johnson, M.B.A, is the Executive Vice President/ Chief Operating Office/Chief Information Officer at Equity Bank, Wichita, Kansas. For 27 years, Jennifer served as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Office/Chief Information Officer at Sunflower Bank in Salina. She has been honored with numerous professional awards, including 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking — No. 3 National Banking Team (USBanker, 2008), and has served in many leadership roles, including president of the Salina Community Theatre Board of Directors and charter president of the Noon Network Ambucs in Salina.

Nick Petron ’69, Division of Fine Arts Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Nicholas Petron honed his acting and directing skills on the stage at KWU as a theatre major and at Adelphi University, where he earned his master’s degree. He received his Equity card as the prince in The King and I, and followed that with 12 years of stage work. On film, he has worked with such actors as Al Pacino, John Cusack and Kate Capshaw. He has been a professor of theatre at Adelphi University for the past 41 years, serving as chair for the last 26 years. Read more about Petron on page 7.

Harold ’49 and Evelyn (Eisenhauer) ’50 Nelson, Alumni Service Award Harold E. Nelson came to Kansas Wesleyan University in the fall of 1942, and after a hiatus to serve in the military, he returned in 1946 where he met Evelyn L. Eisenhauer, Solomon, KS. They were married two years later. The Nelsons have remained active in the life of Kansas Wesleyan through the years. Harold was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1972–1981; both are members of the Pioneer Society. In 1987, they were Charter Members of KWU Heritage Roll of Honor. Evelyn is also a member of the KWU Woman’s Auxiliary. In 1983, Harold was awarded an Honorary Doctorate

by Kansas Wesleyan. The Nelsons have donated a set of Schulmerich Hand Bells; they have established an endowed scholarship for students majoring in Religion or Education; and they have contributed to the Student Activities Center and the Graves Family Sports Complex. A long lineage of Nelsons are alumni, including two daughters, Nita Wiley ’88, and Sonia Nelson ’73, and one granddaughter, Amber Klug ’09. Albert Nelson ’50, for whom the Albert Nelson Success Center is named, is Harold’s brother, and Albert’s son, James Nelson ’77, served on the KWU Board of Trustees for ten years.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 2015 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Kansas Wesleyan University will induct five individuals and four consecutive KCAC Championship winning softball teams into the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming activities on October 3. The 1995–1998 Softball teams will be inducted along with Baseball star Rich Troiano, Football standouts Denis Adams, Jeff Kumpula and Darin Boyer, and women’s athletics star Jessi (Burnham) Stang.

Formal induction to the Hall of Fame will be at the W-Club / Hall of Fame Breakfast at 8 a.m. in Muir Gymnasium on the KWU Campus. Inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the Football game against McPherson College on Bissell Field at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

1995–1998 Softball:

The 1995–1998 softball teams posted one of the greatest four-year runs in KWU Softball history.

After finishing second in the KCAC in 1995 in his first season, Head Coach Mike Smith led the Coyotes to the KCAC Tournament Championship that season and followed with three consecutive KCAC Regular Season Championships in 1995 Softball Team 1996, 1997 and 1998, and two more Tournament Championships in 1997 and 1998, finishing as tournament runner-up in 1996. Over the four-year time period, Holly Sudbrook was a four-time AllKCAC performer; Kary Taylor was a three-time All-KCAC selection at pitcher; April Roberts, Erin Steinkamp, Laura Anschutz, Lesley Ritchey, Linda Belcher, Melissa Denton, Michelle Villanueva and Tammi Elash were all two-time All-KCAC performers. Delores Young, Joey Smith, Sonia Champion and Teri Geter all were named All-KCAC.

Team Members (years played) include: Angie Lambert (1995–96), April Roberts (1995–98), Carrie Springer (1995), Chana Hardy (1998), Christy Grimes (1996), Crystal Gillman (1995–96), Delores Young (1998), Elizabeth Jones (1998), Erin Ricker (1998), Erin Steinkamp (1995–98), Holly Sudbrook (1995–98), Hope Ruiz (1996), Jamey Brannon (1997), Janet Richardson (1998), Jennifer Mancino (1995–96), Kary Taylor (1996–98), Katie Kocher (1998), Keri Moore (1995), Kristi Houghton (1995), Laura Anschutz (1995–96), Leah Roberts (1997), Leann Reaka (1996), Lesley Richey (1996–98), Linda Belcher (1996–97), Lisa Ellis (1997), Lori Raney (1998), Melissa Denton (1997–98), Melissa Miller (1997), Michelle Colliver (1997), Michelle Hodges (1998), Michelle Villanueva (1995–96), Misty Link (1996), Patty Hamel (1996), Sonia Champion (1995), Tammi Elash (1995–96), Tennille McCormick (1998), Terri Geter (1995–96), Terri Williams (1996), Trina Bierman (1998), Valerie Morrow (1997), and Vanessa Karpilo (1998). Head Coach Mike Smith, Assistant Coaches Chuck Coggins, Mike Vinson, Michelle Ward and Jamie Klein.

Rich Troiano ’73

Rich Troiano (Baseball, 1973): A four-year

letter winner for the Coyotes, Rich Troiano helped Wesleyan to a KCAC Baseball Championship in 1972 as a pitcher. He was named All-KCAC and Honorable Mention All-NAIA District 10 as a pitcher in 1972, and in 1973 was named All-KCAC as an outfielder. Through his junior season, he was a career .310 hitter in 76 games with 61 hits. On the hill he carried a 1.46 ERA and a 6–0 record in seven appearances.

Jeff Kumpula ’01

Darin Boyer (Football, 1987): Darin Boyer was a four-year player for the Kansas Wesleyan Football team, and was part of Wesleyan’s 1982 KCAC Championship team at defensive back. He was a twotime Honorable Mention All-KCAC selection in 1983 and 1984 and earned Second Team All-KCAC honors in 1985.

Darin Boyer ’97

Denis Adams (Football, 1956): Denis Adams

Jessi (Burnham) Stang (Volleyball, Basketball, 1981): Jessi competed in the late

1970s for the Coyotes in Volleyball, Basketball and Track. In Volleyball she was a three-time letter winner and earned Honorable Mention All-KCAC honors in 1979, and in 1980, she was selected to the All-KCAC First Team and was named to the NAIA All-District 10 team. She was also a letter winner in Basketball.

played four seasons for the Coyotes and legendary coach Gene Bissell from 1952 to 1956. A star on the line at guard all four seasons, he was named Honorable Mention All-KCAC in 1953 and 1955 and Second Team All-KCAC in 1954. The Coyotes averaged over 312 yards of total offense during his career as KWU went 19–15–2 overall and 14–11–2 in the KCAC during that time span.

Denis Adams ’56

Jeff Kumpula (Football, 2001): Jeff Kumpula arrived at Kansas Wesleyan along with long-time coach Dave Dallas in 1997 and immediately made an impact for the Coyotes. He was a four-time First Team All-KCAC performer at linebacker for Wesleyan and a threetime NAIA All-American, earning Honorable Mention honors in 1998 and 1999 and Second Team honors in 2000. In 1999, he recorded 155 total tackles that included four sacks and two interceptions. During his four years at KWU, Wesleyan’s defense was ranked among the Top 10 nationally in total defense.

Jessi (Burnham) Stang ’81

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NEW COURSES AND MAJORS

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NURSING AT KWU

1

Kansas Wesleyan has a viable and reputable Nursing Program.

NEW COURSES, MAJORS AT KWU Kansas Wesleyan University is offering 19 new and redesigned majors and programs this fall.

Among them are Health Sciences (with PreAthletic Training and Pre-Physical Therapy), Forensic Computing and Music Theatre. The visual arts department has reimagined its degrees in such areas as 3D Printing, Web Design, Art Therapy and Art Administration.

In addition to the new offerings, the Liberal Studies curriculum has been redesigned to include 36 courses that provide students with the tools they need to succeed personally and professionally in an ever-changing, global society. They are focused on four key areas: Personal Awareness, Human Expression, Community and World Exploration, and Natural World Stewardship, and are designed as an intentional trajectory for students to explore — from self to world.

A new required course, Wesleyan Heritage, provides an introduction to the Wesleyan traditions and heritage of United Methodist affiliated colleges and universities where students of all faiths are expected to: grow in their faith journey; instill a sense of community through service to others; embrace the concept of a liberal arts education; and prepare to become leaders of the future.

19 • • • • •

2

The Division of Nursing Education has strong faculty.

3

We are in transition to secure a new programmatic accrediting agency.

Several new faculty members have joined Dr. Debra Logan, R.N. this year (see new faculty, page 11). This group of individuals, along with Dr. Jamie Spikes, has tremendous depth and breadth of experience that will strengthen our program and prepare our students to excel in their careers.

On May 15, 2015, our programmatic accreditation with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) expired. The Class of 2015 graduated with ACEN accreditation. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has accepted our application, and we are fully engaged in a two-year self-study, part of the accreditation application process with CCNE. CCNE is a more suitable programmatic nursing accreditor for KWU because of our four-year baccalaureate Nursing degree, our R.N. to B.S.N. program and our vision to move toward online and master’s degrees. CCNE will visit KWU in early February, 2016.

NEW MAJORS AND PROGRAMS

3D PRINTING & MODELING ART ADMINISTRATION ART THERAPY COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS CRIMINAL JUSTICE O LAW ENFORCEMENT O OFFENDER MANAGEMENT O DOMESTIC VIOLENCE • EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT O BUSINESS CONTINUITY • ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS • FORENSIC COMPUTING

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KWU has graduated hundreds of students from its Nursing program since 1992, and while the programmatic accreditation has been in transition this year, it has provided opportunity to enhance curriculum, enrich the student experience and set the program on a trajectory for innovative programmatic offerings that will allow the university to maintain a quality program for years to come.

• HEALTH SCIENCE O PRE-ATHLETIC TRAINING O PRE-PHYSICAL THERAPY • MATERIAL PHYSICS • MUSIC THEATRE • NETWORK MANAGEMENT & SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION • SOFTWARE ENGINEERING & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT • STUDIO ART • WEB DESIGN

4

KWU has strong support from Salina Regional Health Center.

Salina Regional Health Center has been an important ally of the KWU Nursing program for years. A high percentage of our graduates secure jobs at SRCH immediately upon graduation.

This year, SRCH provided a $1M gift to endow the chair of the Division of Nursing to ensure that the university could secure an experienced nurse educator to lead the program for years to come. This vote of confidence shows the strength of the program and the important role it plays in the health care industry in our region.

5

The university has a program that is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing.

On June 17, the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) voted for conditional approval of Kansas Wesleyan University’s Nursing program. This means that KWU continues to have an approved Nursing program in the state of Kansas. Followup reports from 2015 to 2017 will be required to reflect our progress in meeting KSBN conditions.

Nursing programs require ongoing monitoring to maintain regulatory approval and programmatic accreditation, and we are prepared to meet the expectations of these agencies going forward.

Our graduates continue to be able to sit for the NCLEX national licensure exams.

Bray Establishes Endowed Nursing Scholarship Joyce Bray, a 1967 graduate of the Asbury School of Nursing, who took pre-nursing courses at Kansas Wesleyan University in 1964, passed away on March 28, 2015, but her legacy will continue to make an impact on future Nursing students. She established an endowed scholarship for Nursing that will provide approximately $12,000 a year to recruit and maintain quality students in the Nursing Education program.

Bray, a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, was a critical care nurse in the coronary unit at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.

“This is a tribute to Joyce’s caring spirit and generosity,” said Bill Grevas, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “She was an incredible person, and this gift not only honors her life as a nurse, it strengthens the university’s commitment to the Nursing program.”

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

GERALD GILLESPIE What appeals to you about teaching at Kansas Wesleyan?

Gillespie: One of the things I love most about being here is the students.

The relationships with students become central. I love feeling like I’m affecting lives. We have always had a strong reputation for excellent faculty here. We are a sharp, dedicated set of educators. Faculty love to have students who challenge them, who want to learn and go beyond the curriculum. It is so fun to help them get into graduate schools, to be helpful to them at key moments in their lives. I also like being at a small liberal arts college, where the teaching of students really is a high priority.

What do you think of your department’s Psychological Services degree recently being named to two top national lists?

Gillespie: Both Dr. Steve Hoekstra, professor of Psychology, a big contributor to that degree, and I were surprised and deeply honored. We have been building up the department, and we believe that for our size we can provide a really good range of courses in Psychology and Psychological Services. This allows students, both traditional and non-traditional, to go in a variety of directions with their new counseling skills and education.

We’ve been kind of flying under the radar, steadily successful. It’s nice to be noticed for what we offer our students and to be counted as among the best in the country.

In October, you will be leading one of the very first Wesleyan Journey courses and heading to Costa Rica. How did you come up with the addictions counseling theme for the course?

Gillespie: In spring 2014, I accompanied a group of faculty, administrators and students on a service-learning journey to Costa Rica. It was an amazing, life-changing experience for those young people, who began seeing the world with new eyes. The new Wesleyan Journey launching this fall is such a great opportunity for all of our students. When it came time for course proposals from the faculty, I thought, ’I can do this, I could teach a course in Costa Rica.’ And I thought it would be interesting to compare, cross-culturally, what treatment and mental health services are available there, versus here. Costa Rica really is one of the happiest countries on earth, being a tropical paradise. The U.S. doesn’t fall that high on the happiness scale. We’re going to look at the role of community, encouraging

the students to get involved in inquiring, dialoguing and serving there. I think they’re going to recognize differences in the human situation and the role that culture plays in shaping our relationships with each other and the environment.

You were instrumental in designing the Environmental Studies and Community Resilience major. How is it relevant to today’s marketplace?

Gillespie: This interdisciplinary major combines coursework in four areas, one of those being Environmental Social Sciences, which includes studying individual and group behavior in relationship to environmental concerns. One nationally-renowned resource for this major is The Land Institute, founded in Salina by Wes Jackson in 1976. Funny thing, in those early days of the institute, I actually met Wes when he spoke at Black Hills State College, now Black Hills State University, where I was finishing my bachelor’s degree. I never dreamed then that I would wind up in Salina, Kansas, working with Wes on such an innovative major.

During his 35 years in higher education, Gerald Gillespie, associate professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, has directly and positively influenced the lives of countless students at Marymount College and Kansas Wesleyan University. He has announced his retirement at the end of this academic year.

“One of the things I love most about being here is the students.”

— Gerald Gillespie, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology 21

KWU RECIEVES $1M GIFT

MILLION DOLLAR GIFT GIVES KWU POWER BOOST

This spring, Kansas Wesleyan University received a $1M gift from Sunflower Bank for a comprehensive campus-wide technology infrastructure upgrade.

The university awarded the contract to Nex-Tech, a technology company based in Lenora, KS. The gift covers the majority of a $1.2M contract with Nex-Tech that includes installation and maintenance of a one-gigabit fiber network linking residence halls and academic buildings with an advanced, secure, managed IP infrastructure.

“This gift will change the infrastructure of our campus,” said Dr. Thompson.

“We are grateful to Sunflower Bank for providing us the opportunity to make critical upgrades that will help us better support our students, faculty and staff. The generous support Nex-Tech is providing for the new Graves Family Sports Complex not only enhances our student experience, it enriches the experience of our visitors and neighbors who utilize the facility.”

The robust high-speed network will accommodate advanced data and voice services across the campus, including a state-of-the-art wireless network accessible to students, faculty and staff. The gift also allows the university to expand its KWU Everywhere initiative, which includes KWU Online and distance education opportunities and opens educational access to students across the state, the country and the world.

Included in the technology upgrade was the installation of a state-of-the-art telephone system. All employees have direct dial numbers beginning with (785) 833 + ext. You may still dial the main university line (785) 827-5541; however you will need to use the new extensions. An updated list of extensions can be found on the online directory at www.kwu.edu.

Mollie Hale Carter, president and CEO of Sunflower Bank, and Jimmy Todd, CEO and general manager of Nex-Tech, joined Dr. Thompson at a press conference on Wednesday, April 8 in KWU’s Hauptli Student Center to share the news.

“We are thrilled to sponsor this technology upgrade for KWU,” said Mollie Hale Carter, president and CEO of Sunflower Bank. “This partnership perfectly fits our company mission of bringing out the best in the lives we touch… ‘Creating Possibilities.’ Strengthening our communities through educational access is a possibility that is nearing reality, and together with Kansas Wesleyan we look forward to seeing the difference this will make for students in the communities we serve across Kansas and Colorado.”

As part of the agreement, Nex-Tech is making a $150,000 in-kind donation to KWU in support of the Graves Family Sports Complex construction project. Nex-Tech construction and upgrade activities on the campus began in the spring and carried on through the summer, with completion expected in the fourth quarter.

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ADMISSIONS

DIRECT NUMBERS

“This is a perfect collaboration between two institutions that have been integral to the Salina community for more than a century and a regional company with tremendous capabilities to move our campus forward,” said KWU President and CEO Matt Thompson, Ph.D. “This initiative will open new doors to expand our online and distance education opportunities as well as enhance the student experience.”

785-833-4305 ALUMNI RELATIONS

785-833-4338 ATHLETICS

785-833-4400 FINANCIAL AID & REGISTRAR

785-833-4319 INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

785-833-4341 STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

785-833-4329

KWU WELCOMES NEW BOARD CHAIR AND THREE TRUSTEES

NEW TRUSTEES

Passing the Torch: Randy St. Clair ’71, who has served on the Board of Trustees since 1997, and was named chair in 2013, has passed the leadership to Dr. Charles Grimwood, who will serve a two-year term as chair. St. Clair will remain on the board through 2017.

On Saturday, June 20, 2015, the Kansas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees elected three new board members, all graduates of KWU, to a three-year term, effective July 1, 2015. In addition, Dr. Charles (“Charlie”) Grimwood, who has been a trustee since 2010, began his term as Board Chair. Randy St. Clair, ’71,

completed his term as Chair and will remain on the Board as immediate past chair through 2017.

Grimwood recently retired as Vice President of Regional Development at Salina Regional Health Center. Previously he led development and served as the first executive director of the

NEW TRUSTEES Jeffrey H. Bieber ’71, of Castle Rock, CO, is a stockholder and Trustee on the Board of Directors of 21st Century Equipment, LLC, a John Deere dealership chain headquartered in Bridgeport, NE. His parents, H.A. “Skip” and Edna Bieber, established Kay Jan, Inc., in 1952 as a single John Deer dealership in Cheyenne Wells, CO. Bieber purchased the company in 1974, and as president, expanded it to five locations. Kay Jan, Inc. merged with 21st Century Equipment in May 2011, with Bieber becoming Chief Operating Officer. He is now retired from those duties but remains on the company’s board.

Rev. Nathan Stanton ’91, of Wichita, KS, is coordinator of New Church Development for the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, and is based in Wichita.

Rev. Stanton, with 15 years of pastoral ministry experience, works in the recruitment and

Jeffrey H. Bieber ’71

training of new-church start pastors and assists parent congregations in identifying and prioritizing locations for new-church starts throughout the Great Plains Conference region. He is the son of former longtime KWU president Rev. Marshall and Janice Stanton.

Jeremiah Webb, J.D. ’03, of Los Angeles, CA, earned dual degrees at Kansas Wesleyan, a B.A. in both Business Administration and Computer Information Systems along with a B.S. in Computer Science, with a minor in Criminal Justice. Webb earned his Juris Doctorate in 2006 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, in Pittsburgh, PA. He is now a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, the largest law firm in Los Angeles, and one of the largest in the nation, employing more than 900 attorneys in 34 offices across the United States. Webb was selected by his peers as a Rising Star Super Lawyer in Southern California 2012.

Rev. Nathan Stanton ’91

Sunflower Health Network, a network of rural hospitals helping sustain access to health care across ten thousand square miles of Kansas.

As a private consultant he has helped build a health network in rural New England, expanded access to breast cancer screenings in rural Kansas, and provided strategic planning and performance consulting for a variety of organizations nationwide.

Grimwood was president, campaign chair, and the 2004 “outstanding volunteer” for the Salina Area United Way. He was a 28-year member and three-term chair of a city-county board of health and served on an executive board of Boy Scouts and the Kansas Chapter of the American Heart Association. He also chaired the board of elders at his church. He and his wife Pat reside in Salina and Fort Collins, Colorado.

Elected to serve another three-year term were Marlene Loyd Lee ’61, of Columbia, MO, and Steve Michel and Jon Starks, both of Salina, KS. Two Trustees, Rev. Pat Ault-Duell and John Redding ’91, both of Salina, departed the board after completing their full-term of nine years.

Rev. David Watson of Lawrence, KS, who was newly appointed as district superintendent of the Five Rivers UMC District in eastern Kansas, resigned from the KWU Board of Trustees after serving for three years.

Jeremiah Webb, J.D. ’03 23

GIFTS DONATIONS

&

2012–2013 vs. 2014–2015

VS.

1,960

1,509

donations

donations

More than

$432,000

$550,000

$208,000

$956,000

in unrestricted gifts raised

in endowed scholarship dollars

in unrestricted gifts raised

in endowed scholarship dollars

There’s Much to Howl About!

On June 30, 2015, the office of Institutional Advancement closed out the academic year (July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015) with a variety of accomplishments and many reasons to be proud of our KWU family. Below are few of the highlights:

•Completing the Graves Family Sports Complex Campaign Alumni and members of the Salina

Bill Grevas, Vice President community stepped up as we raced to of Institutional Advancement the goal line to reach $6.75 million by October

8, 2014 in order to receive a match of $750,000 from the Mabee Foundation. The Graves Family Sports Complex will open up this fall and will once again be the home of our football, soccer and track teams. A big “thank you” to our marketing and communication team who came up the “100 Day Dash Campaign” to push awareness.

• Alumni Association Membership Has Peaked The Alumni Association grew from 814 members to 992!

Our goal this year is to surpass the 1,000 mark. Please sign up or renew today, and if you have already joined, thank you! This year, a portion of your membership dues will be allocated to student scholarships.

• Our Alumni and Friends Were Generous This Year The number of donations to the university grew from 1,509 to 1,960 over the past year. More than $550,000 in unrestricted gifts was raised, compared to $432,000 the previous year. The Pioneer Society and Fall Appeal helped us reach this number, as well as Phoneathon and unrestricted scholarship dollars. Thank you!

• Endowed Scholarships Increased

$6.75M

raised by October 8, 2014 to secure $750,000 gift from Mabee Foundation to reach Sports Complex goal

ALUMNI STAY CONNECTED THROUGH PHONATHON Phonathon plays an important role in Kansas Wesleyan University’s fundraising efforts. The annual calling campaign, in which current students call alumni and friends to solicit annual fund gifts or renewals, is a unique opportunity to connect these two constituents.

“Our students enjoy talking to the alumni, and vice-versa,” says Sara Nettleingham, Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship. “Sometimes the students will be on the phone for ten minutes chatting with the alum on the other end.”

KWU’s Coyote Call Phonathon takes place over several weeks in the spring.

This year’s Phonathon raised $78,000 of the university’s overall annual gifts, which surpassed $550,000. Last year’s campaign raised $83,500.

24

The Kansas Wesleyan University Foundation took in $956,000 in endowed scholarship donations, compared to $208,000 last year.

• Sunflower Bank’s $1M Gift Upgrades Technology Sunflower Bank provided a $1M donation to help the university become a totally wireless campus and to give a boost to our offering of on-line education.

• $1M Endowed Nursing Chair from SRHC Salina Regional Health Center has been a university partner for decades, and this year, they provided $1M to endow the chair of the Division Of Nursing, in which Dr. Debra Logan currently serves.

As you can see the 2014–15 academic year was full of accomplishments.

The entire Coyote family stepped up to help KWU achieve many goals and make the university a better place for its students, faculty and staff. While reading through this issue of the Contact Magazine, you will see so many success stories that will make you proud to be a Coyote. Thank you for making this a great year, and we look forward to another banner year in 2015–16!

Nettleingham attributes the lower number to the Sports Complex campaign that occurred in the fall. In addition, of the 936 pledges committed, 709 have been paid.

“The annual fund is crucial to providing support for scholarships, financial aid and enrichment opportunities for the students,” said Netteleingham.

“They are also essential budget-relieving dollars that help with maintenance and general operating expenses.” It’s not too late; our students are counting on scholarship dollars and our university counts on these gifts for operational needs. Thank you!

If you made a pledge, please mail in your gift, or call Nettleingham at (785) 833-4339.

GIVING TO KWU

Leave a Legacy: On May 13, the KWU Foundation hosted a Legacy Luncheon. Guest speaker Pete Peterson, attorney with Clark, Mize & Linville, Chartered — whose practice focuses on tax, financial, charitable and estate planning for individuals — shared simple ways to update personal assets and estate planning paperwork without having to pay a lawyer, making it easy to leave a legacy at Kansas Wesleyan. These personal assets can include such things as bank accounts, brokerage accounts, personal property, beneficiary-driven assets and real estate. Visit www.plannedgiving.kwu.edu for more details.

BLENDED GIFT BENEFITS CURRENT AND FUTURE STUDENTS Rev. Harold P. Cooper ’59, knows what a blessing it is to have financial assistance for college. With scholarship help, he was able to finish his KWU education debt-free.

“I thought I would like to do something like that for students at Kansas Wesleyan,” said Rev. Cooper, who loved his time at KWU. “I know I appreciated it.”

While he was a Coyote, he played trumpet in the band and was pleased that he could take free music lessons. He studied voice and piano, and even learned to play the organ from Harry Huber, a beloved KWU music faculty member for 32 years. After retirement, Cooper served as a substitute organist for several Wichita churches.

A Scandia, KS native, he went on to GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary, a United Methodist graduate theological school on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, IL. There he met Jane, whom

he describes as a vivacious and smart young woman. They were married just shy of 48 years when she died in 2010. Harold was in pastoral ministry for 36 years with the UMC Kansas West Conference, and at the last three churches in which he was pastor, his wife served as director of Christian Education.

Cooper established a blended gift to KWU, which provides a cash gift now to establish a scholarship and a deferred gift through his estate, which assures future contributions to the scholarship. The scholarship is intended for a student going into Christian work, such as clergy, Christian education, or youth ministry.

The second preference is for a student in the fine arts.

“I hope others who hear about this kind of giving opportunity will seriously consider it,” said Rev. Cooper. “If I could do it, they can, too.”

THE VALUE OF A BLENDED APPROACH TO GIVING Make Your Giving Go Farther Blended gifts are gifts that help you see the impact of your giving today and continue to support the mission of Kansas Wesleyan in the future. There are many combination gift options that can make your giving go farther than a simple gift of cash or property.

Four main benefits of a blended gift: • Increase the impact of your giving • Preserve wealth for you and your family • Enjoy greater tax savings • See the results of your giving today How does a blended gift work? One example may be when a person or couple add a planned gift to their annual gifts of property this year to increase the impact of their giving, provide greater tax savings, preserve wealth for them and their family. Some ideas to consider include: charitable bequest, charitable gift annuity and charitable remainder unitrust.

If you have already included a bequest in your will, or created another planned gift, you could begin to see the impact of your giving today by making outright gifts of cash or property. You can avoid capital gains taxes by making a gift of real estate, stock or other appreciated investments.

For more information on blended giving or other types of giving options, contact Bill Grevas, vice president of Institutional Advancement at bill.grevas@kwu.edu or by calling him directly at (785) 833-4336.

25

PIONEER SOCIETY MEMBERS 2014–15 26

PIONEER PARTNERS ($25,000+)

Pioneer Society Members gathered at the home of Julie Sager Miller and Mark Miller on June 19 for the annual society reception. If you are interested in joining the Pioneer Society, please contact Sara Nettleingham, Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship at (785) 833-4339. Pictured: (1.) Shihoe Hakoda (2.) Julie Sager Miller and Mark Miller (3.) Susanne and Dale Bradley (4.) Morrie and Sydney Soderberg (5.) Bob Lindsley and Darlene Harris-Lindsley

Advancing the Vision/Sacred Heart Jr/Sr High School Roy & Donice Applequist Loren W. Austin Lee ’65 & Marla ’64 Beikman Blue Beacon International Richard & Joyce Brown Dr. Pete & Rosie Brungardt Bruce Culley William H. Graves Family Foundation The Honorable William P. ’76 & Linda Graves Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Greater Salina Community Foundation Leon & Judy Hannebaum John & Mary H. Hart Foundation Barbara A. Hauptli Tom & Maggie Hemmer Verla Nesbitt Joscelyn Foundation J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation Dale C. Olson R.K. & Florence Richey Fund Salina Regional Health Center Foundation Randy ’66 & Mary Ann St. Clair Lester T. Sunderland Foundation Sunflower Bank J.K. & Donna Vanier

LOCKWOOD CIRCLE ($10,000–$24,999)

1.

3.

2.

Rev. Harold Cooper ’59 Edward Doherty ’47 Rev. Robert ’51 & Delores Eades Ken & Karen Ebert Dr. David ’64 & Patricia Fancher Kansas Area United Methodist Fund Kent ’72 & Pat Lambert Jens & Heidi Lindemann Steven & Pamela Michel Mark Miller & Julie Sager Miller

4.

Miller Family Charitable Trust Frank ’54 & Jeanne Norton Jerry ’59 & Margaret ’61 Norton Chester Ross ’52 Darwin L. & Delma M. Sampson Scholarship Fund C. & R. Schauf Foundation The Reverend Dr. Marshall & Janice Stanton John Vanier

T. W. ROACH CIRCLE ($5,000–$9,999) Advantage Trust Company Ellene ’66 & Richard Austin AVP Camps BCBS of Kansas Foundation Mike & Debra Berkley Kim & Conee Brown Senators Robert & Elizabeth Dole Eagle Technologies, Inc. First Bank Kansas General Board of Higher Education & Ministry, UMC Eric ’64 & Mollie ’63 Haberer K·Coe Isom Sarah Anne ’61 & James Lindblad Larry & Barbara Marshall Cheryl ’68 & Donald Monaghan David Michael Mortimer ’67 Robert ’71 & Patricia ’69 Murray James & Emily May Richards Joy ’58 & Leo Schell Dr. Byron & Paula Tomlins UMB Bank N.A. Gordon ’62 & Barbara ’74 Walle

SCHUYLER CIRCLE ($2,500–$4,999) John ’70 & Mary Baker Dr. Mark & Dr. Trish Bandré Jeffrey ’71 & Martha Bieber Clark, Mize & Linville, Chartered Phil Coleman ’68 Crown Distributors, LLC/Mark Ritter Jaclyn Douglass ’79 Dr. Glen ’50 & Pauline ’49 Eaton Dianne Fahring ’74 Focus on the Future Foundation Gordon ’67 & Joyce ’67 Gorton Dr. Charles & Pat Grimwood Tadaaki & Shihoe Hakoda Dr. Gary Harbin John ’73 & Beth ’73 Hartshorn Heart of America Sports Camps Marlene Lee ’61 Dr. Donna McKinley ’66 Merck Partnership for Giving James ’77 & Charlotte Nelson Brady & Jane ’80 Philbrick Ritter Tile Shop, Inc. Salina Charities League Richard ’69 & Sarah ’70 Short Dr. Roy & Grace Smith Anne Stauffer Dr. Matthew & Jennifer Thompson United Methodist Higher Education Foundation James Welch ’72 Mark Zimmerman & Dr. Carolyn Hofer-Zimmerman Zimmerman Family Foundation

STANTON CIRCLE ($1,886–$2,499) Warren ’56 & Dr. Ginny ’56 Bevan Dale ’59 & Susan Bradley Dr. Robert ’66 & Patricia Bruchman

PIONEER SOCIETY

Phyllis Deckert Dr. Dean Ellison ’80 & Mary McElligot Lloyd Holbrook ’59 Rev. Jon Jones ’63 KWU Alumni Association Dr. David ’79 & Susan Laha Jack & Donna Lennon A. Wayne Lowen & Brigid Jensen Ronald ’66 & Gail Magathan Rev. Paul Mugler ’53 & ’56 Barbara Marshall Nickell Byron ’72 & Sandy ’73 Norris V. Corrine Poxson Charles & Betty Rudasill James & Diane Wilson

STOLZ CIRCLE ($1,000–$1,885) James & Betsy Alexander Anderson Family Foundation Bank VI Bennett Autoplex Inc. John Betterson ’69 Gene Bicknell Philip ’71 & Linda Bowman The Honorable Dan ’62 & Dorothy ’61 Boyer David Branda ’76 J. Michael Brierton Gerald ’63 & Carlene Childs Consolidated Printing Company Rebecca Copley & Don Johnson Andrew ’64 & Linda Deckert Disabled American Veterans Kenneth ’63 & Janet ’64 DuBois Tom & Lou Ann Dunn Dr. Keelyn ’80 & Rebecca Ericson Betty Garrison Robert ’69 & Micaela Gibson Rev. Duane Harms Phil Hemmer Hielan Restaurant Group, LP Delma Hitchcock ’57 Chris ’91 & Amy Hoffman Larry ’57 & Barbara Houdek Dr. Wes ’58 & Joan Jackson Jim ’79 & Kay ’55 Jarvis Dr. Karen ’68 & Gerald Johnson Jerry Jones & Dr. Kathleen Barrett-Jones James Joyce ’50 William ’44 & Betty Keeler William ’70 & ’92 Glenda Keller Marilyn ’68 & James Kirk William Knox David & Luci Larson Dr. James ’79 & Tamra Larzalere C. Robert Lindsley ’57 & Darlene ’55 Harris-Lindsley Dr. Jerry ’65 & Carolyn ’65 Lundgrin Rev. Loren ’56 & Donna Marler Leon & Joyce Marrs Rev. Bruce Marshall ’60 & Janice Rundle Marshall ’61 Dr. Gordon & Evelyn Maxwell Frank McBride Robert ’73 & Karen Meyer David & Patricia Mills Bryan & Peggy Minnich Rev. Harold ’49 & Evelyn ’50 Nelson Jeffrey ’85 & Darlene ’11 Nicholson Jeanette Otto Kaye ’57 & Barbara Pearce Pete & Rita Peterson Michael & Susan Ramage

5.

Martha Rhea Frank Roth ’68 Kay ’64 & Max Russell Ryan Mortuary, Inc. Steve & Lynne Ryan Salina Rotary Club Dr. Robert & Tina Scott Marlene Selden Eugene ’60 & Glenna Sheets Harry & Pam Smith Larry ’78 & Joy Smith Snack Express Barbara Arensman-Snyder ’53 & Dale Snyder Karl & Connie Stutterheim Sunset Properties Dr. Rebecca Chopp ’74 & Frederick Thibodeau Dr. Clifford ’51 & Jo Anne Trow TYLO Investments, LLC UMB National Bank of America United Methodist Thrift Shop UNUM Matching Gifts Program Don & Robin Vandegrift Darrell & Lisa Victory Rev. David & Karen Watson Dr. Gary & Mary Weiner WellDyneRX Jeff ’92 & Marcia ’91 Wells William ’62 & Judith Yeager

MAYO CIRCLE ($500–$999) Matt Drinkall Marcus & Michelle Greene William & Annie Grevas Mike & Paula Hermann Dr. Steven & Anne Hoekstra Daniel & Joyce Kelley Lois Madsen & Christopher Curry George & Dr. Martha Robertson Wayne Schneider Monte Shadwick Bill & Jan Shirk Ray & Sue Tucker 27

ALUMNI NEWS

Please share your news about weddings, births, promotions, retirements, major anniversaries, special honors or awards and outstanding accomplishments! Did you bump into fellow KWU alumni somewhere? Share a picture with us. Submit your alumni news and photos to alumni@kwu.edu.

PEOPLE 1942 Adaline Rutledge Mattson of Wichita, KS, passed away on April 15, 2015.

1944 Betty Schmidt of Kansas City, MO, passed away on June 7, 2015.

1950 James Martin Bertles of Salina, KS, passed away on Feb. 3, 2015.

Imogene “Imo” Hansen of Grand Island, NE, passed away on March 30, 2015.

1952 Edward P. Henry, Jr. of Kerville, TX, passed away on Feb. 23, 2015.

Charles L. Moore of Hillsdale, MI, and Naples, FL, passed away Jan. 7, 2015.

Fredrick Smith of Lawrence, KS, passed away on April 15, 2015.

Charla Corwin Sparks of Beaumont, CA, passed away on March 11, 2015.

1953 Marian (Daniels) Montee of Raymore, MO, passed away on Jan. 18, 2015.

1955 Lester W. Edgett of Evans, CO, passed away on April 9, 2015.

1957 Harold L. Cooley of Salina, KS, passed away on Feb. 24, 2015.

1963 Gerald “Jerry” Childs of Olathe, KS, passed away on July 30, 2015, four days after his 75th birthday.

Inducted into the KWU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987, Childs set records on the basketball court and was also a standout on the football field. He had a long career as a teacher and a coach in Wichita, Topeka and Olathe.

1967 Joyce M. Bray of Wichita, KS, a 1967 graduate of the Asbury School of Nursing, who took her first year pre-nursing courses at KWU, 1964–65, passed away on March 28, 2015. She established an endowed scholarship for Nursing at KWU. Gary Kindler retired on April 30, 2015, from his position as branch manager of Farmway Credit Union in Mankato, KS. 28

After 46 years working as a registered nurse, Evelyn Parker of Holyrood, KS, retired on May 15, 2015. She attended KWU in 1966–67 for nursing prerequisites, and graduated from the Asbury School of Nursing in 1969.

1968 Carolyn “Cookie” Loyd, of Davenport, IA, wife of Robert Loyd, cousin of KWU Board of Trustees member Marlene Lee, ’61, passed away on Dec. 26, 2014.

1969 Robert Dennis “Bob” Giese of Blanch, NC, passed away on March 22, 2015.

1971 Dr. Janice M. (Lindsey) Cade of Lee’s Summit, MO, was included in The Kansas City Globe’s Society of 100 Most Influential for 2015.

1974 Susan (Beaver) Elliott of Odessa, TX, passed away on Jan. 8. 2015.

Dennis Greenhaw of Independence, KS, has retired from Commerce Bank where he worked as a trust banker. He holds a degree from the Graduate School of Banking (GSB) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a past president of the Kansas Bankers Association Trust Division.

1988 Ray Kujawa of Manhattan, KS, passed away on July 3, 2015. At Homecoming 2014, he was inducted into the KWU Athletic Hall of Fame as member of the 1985–86 Men’s Basketball team.

1991 Kelan (Price) Purucker of Salina, KS, passed away on March 30, 2015.

2002 The Smoky Valley Chapter of the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers (KSPE) recently recognized Melissa Baccus, a teacher at Minneapolis High School (KS), as its Outstanding Teacher of the Year for her efforts in teaching science.

Sonja M. Gilman of Elkhart, IN, won silver medals in both the K1 and the K2 sprint races at the USA Canoe/Kayak (USACK) 2014 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Masters World Cup Championships.

2003 Melissa (Casper) Hardman, MBA, was named head volleyball coach for Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado. She has served as assistant coach for Bethany College twice, and was assistant coach at McPherson College for three years.

2006 Adam Paredes was promoted to Court Services Officer II for the 28th Judicial District in Salina, KS.

2007 Ashley (Suenram) Gunelson and her husband Tyler celebrated the birth of their first child, Hadlee, on Sept. 19, 2014. Ashley works as H.R. administrator for Vortex in Salina, KS. Kenny Schneider of Cane Ridge, TN, has earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license. He became a licensed REALTOR® in 2013. He and his wife Sara welcomed baby daughter, Zion Hope, on March 28, 2015.

2008 Allyn "Allie" Denning of Ellsworth, KS, had a summer fellowship in New Hampshire with the Clinton campaign.

2009 Karissa (Kent) Collins completed her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University of Southern California in Costa Mesa, CA. Jessica (Stadel) Fuller and her husband Andrew celebrated the birth of their daughter, Kinsley, on Dec. 4, 2014. The family lives in Salina, KS. Jessica is assistant director of Admissions at Kansas Wesleyan.

Brie Morton married Bryan Campbell on June 20, 2015. The couple resides in Overland Park, KS. She is an in-home design specialist with Furniture Mall of Kansas.

Seth Schooley married Alyssa Dunlap in Clay Center, KS on July 11, 2015. The newlyweds are both math teachers and coaches in the Wakefield and Clay Center school districts.

Michael Tate conducts the Men in Harmony Chorus, the Central KS Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Mike Trow ’80, sings lead in the chorus.

2011 Crystal Stegman of Franklin, TN, completed her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan University in Chesterfield, MO, in December 2014. She has opened her own office, Stegman Chiropractic and Kinesiology Center in Franklin.

2012 Sydnie (Abel) Hochstein and her husband Ben were married on Oct. 3, 2014.

Stephen James Shaw, 25, of Salina, KS, passed away on March 11, 2015. He played basketball for the KWU Coyotes during the 2009–10 season.

FRIENDS OF KWU Arleen Mae Yale of Wakeeney, KS, passed away on March 7, 2015. Her grandson, Doug Burgardt, graduated from KWU in 1999 and completed his MBA in 2005. An endowed scholarship was established in 2003 in the name of Wayne & Arleen Yale. The couple also made a leadership gift toward the Student Activities Center.

Martha Bieber, wife of newly appointed KWU Trustee, Jeff Bieber, passed away on June 26, 2015 in Castle Rock, CO. A native of Salina, she graduated from Sacred Heart High School and Marymount College with a B.S. in Nursing. She and Jeff owned and operated Kay Jan, Inc., a John Deere farm equipment dealership with multiple locations in Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas. They moved to Fort Morgan in 1986 and retired in Castle Rock in 2013.

BOB MURRAY “A team is like a piece of fabric. Every thread is connected and dependent on the next.” That’s what Bob Murray, ’71 used to tell his basketball teams at Bennington High School. And, evidently, it worked. During 19 years as head coach, Murray set the record for most wins, which still stands today.

He still shares that analogy with his Heart of America campers each summer. Bob’s father was a fabric maker, and Murray will tell you that he understands the importance the threads have to each other. They are woven together tightly, and it is nearly impossible to rip it apart. It’s an analogy that applies to a team — and maybe also to his tightly woven connection with Kansas Wesleyan.

Murray’s drive, competitiveness and tenacity might have tagged along on the trip from New Jersey to Kansas in 1967. He was among hundreds of New Jersey students who came to KWU in the 60s and 70s when New Jersey was providing funds for students to attend college out of state because there was not a state higher education system.

“A team is like a piece of fabric. Every thread is connected and dependent on the next.”

“I was recruited to play basketball,” says the 6’ 6” Murray, “but I wasn’t very good. Coach (Ken) Cochran taught me how to play.”

During Murray’s three-year basketball career, the 1970 team recorded a 21-4 season, the second best in KWU history, winning the Northern Division of the KCAC. He hit 51.2 percent of his shots, still eighth on the all-time list. He scored 36 points against Bethany in his junior year.

“I never lost to Bethany in 10 games, and I’m proud of that. I remind some of the old Swedes of that when I see them,” Murray laughed as he reminisced about students burning a “W” into the rival’s football field and stealing the bell clapper out of their victory bell (and returning it to the 50-yard line the next day before the game).

Cochran made a significant impact on Murray, and their strong friendship flourishes today. He was also inspired by the faculty, even those he didn’t have in class, who took a personal interest in his well being.

It was that connection that motivated him to be a teacher. He graduated with a degree in History and then returned to obtain his teaching credentials. He embarked on a 40-year teaching/coaching career at Bennington, where he mainly taught social studies.

“The faculty here cared about us as individuals, and I emulated that in my classrooms. Every student mattered, and I tried to teach to the individual, not necessarily to the class.”

He met his wife Pat (Pilger) ’69, at KWU, and they have made Kansas their home, teaching and raising two children, one who also became a teacher. Living close to Salina allowed him to stay

close to his KWU teammates, coaches and friends. In a pinch, he was asked to coach the Coyote women’s basketball team for a year, and he ended up staying on for nearly eight more years as an assistant.

His friendship with Cochran, who owned Heart of America camps, led to Murray purchasing the organization in 2001.

The summer basketball and volleyball camps, which have attracted athletes from across the country and as far away as Indonesia, are held in Mabee Arena.

Murray was inducted into the KWU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. He can be found regularly at athletic events, and he rarely misses a theatre performance. He is a member of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame, the Coyote Cup and the Night with the Yotes committees. He and Pat have made a leadership gift to the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Murray was recognized with the Gerald Lily Award on August 15 at the annual Night with the Yotes fundraiser for his dedication to KWU Athletics.

“I believe that what I am today and what I have today is directly linked to my years here. My professional training, my friends, my wife. It was ’home’ from the very beginning.”

He has woven his relationships tightly, and in his tapestry he entwined friendships that keep him engaged in the life of the university.

And nothing will tear it apart.

29

SPORTS UPDATES NEW COACHES AND STAFF Todd Zenner — Head Men’s and Women’s Bowling Coach Todd Zenner was named head coach for the new Men’s and Women’s Bowling teams. He brings a wealth of experience in coaching, spending three seasons at Tabor College and starting the bowling program at Newton High School in Newton, KS, where he qualified several teams for state during his tenure. Zenner had a stellar collegiate bowling career at Wichita State for three years helping the Shockers to a National Championship in 1993. Five years later he joined the PBA, bowling for five years on the regional and national tours. Zenner is focusing on recruiting with the expectation to start full competition during the 2016–17 academic year.

Dan O’Connell — Head Athletic Trainer Dan O’Connell is the Coyotes’ new Head Athletic Trainer. He joins KWU after serving three years as an assistant athletic trainer at Baker University, where he supervised five sports in athletic training. Prior to joining the Wildcats, he was a graduate assistant at Emporia State University and worked primarily with the women’s basketball team while earning his master’s degree in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. He received his B.A. in Athletic Training from Emporia State in 2010.

Jimmy May — Head Wrestling Coach Kansas Wesleyan University has added wrestling to its varsity sports lineup and has hired Hall of Famer Jimmy May as its first coach. May is no stranger to starting collegiate wrestling programs, having launched the program at Baker University in 2009–10 and served as the program’s head coach for five seasons, helping to build the program into a national power. He coached in the Nevada high school system for 31 years, along with a two-year stint as an assistant wrestling coach at the UNLV. At Eldorado High School, May’s teams won 18 (4A) Regional Championships and 10 (4A) Nevada State Championships. His historic run of state championships has been highlighted as the “Dynasty in the Desert,” and the wrestling facility at Eldorado High School is named in his honor. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and in 2009 May was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame 30

At Kansas Wesleyan, you’ll go places.

Well, that’s certainly true in many aspects of our university, including our athletics program.

Thinking back to the past season, we had numerous teams that went places, both Mike Hermann, competitively and Director of Athletics geographically. The Softball team rallied to win a second straight KCAC softball tournament and earned a bid in an NAIA regional in Alexandria, Louisiana. The Men’s Soccer team had an outstanding season, but lost the KCAC title game. However, the team earned the program’s first ever at-large berth in the NAIA Tournament and played an opening round game in Mobile, Alabama.

The Volleyball team, which won the tournament at home after a 17–1 conference season, was rewarded with a trip to play in Jamestown, North Dakota in an NAIA opening round match.

Senior golfer Kamie Rash earned a spot in the NAIA National Championship in Savannah, Georgia. Track athletes Betzabeth Garcia and Louis Edminston competed in the marathon at the NAIA Outdoor Track Championships in steamy (Nevada Chapter) and Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. In February 2015, May was inducted into the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame. He is a cum laude graduate from the University of Central Missouri, and he earned his master’s degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. May was a two-time MIAA Champion and is a member of the University of Central Missouri Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Todd Perdas — Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Coach Perdas begins his first season prowling the KWU sidelines this winter. He comes to the Coyotes after three years as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Division II Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia.

Perdas’ time at AB was highlighted by an upset over the fourth seeded Davis and Elkins College in the 2013 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament, the program’s first postseason victory in 14 years.

Prior to AB, Perdas spent the 2009–10 season as an assistant coach with the men’s team at Kentucky Christian

Gulf Shores, Alabama. Sophomore Keara Lenard competed at the NAIA Indoor Track Championship in Geneva, Ohio.

In addition, both Soccer teams fundraised for a road trip to California where the squads played two games in front of their Golden State families and friends. The men’s basketball team participated in a four-team tournament in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The rigorous travel schedule aside, the place that I enjoy seeing our student-athletes go the most is into their future. While athletics and university life provide an opportunity for a student to expand his or her perspective, it’s really just preparing them for their place in this global society. I enjoy following the achievements and hearing the stories of success of our students in the business, education or service world, often times that can be linked back to successes enjoyed while a student at Kansas Wesleyan.

This year, hopefully even more teams will have the opportunity for road trips to exciting destinations and chances to represent Kansas Wesleyan in NAIA competition. These opportunities to go places contribute in a positive way to their experiences as a student at Kansas Wesleyan and to their personal growth as contributing members of our world.

University, which finished the year ranked sixth in the country in NCCAA Division II with an overall record of 20–12 and a 9–1 mark in region play and earning the Knights an at-large bid to the national tournament where they advanced to the second round.

Perdas’ greatest successes came during his four-year run as an assistant for Hall of Fame Coach Robin HagenSmith at NAIA national powerhouse Shawnee State University (Ohio). His final season (2008–09), the Bears put together an incredible 29–0 record and were named an NAIA Scholar Team with a 3.17 GPA. Over the course of his 13-year career, Perdas has helped mentor 15 All Conference players, 10 Scholar-Athletes, four All-Americans, and two Conference Players of the Year. During the summers, when he’s not on the road recruiting, Perdas travels the country working various basketball camps at places like Michigan State University, Wisconsin University and the University of Notre Dame.

The South Webster, OH native is a proud graduate of Ohio University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Middle Childhood Education.

SPORTS UPDATES

JORDAN ROUSSELLE HONORED WITH TWO PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS At the April 27 banquet of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina, Kansas Wesleyan outfielder Jordan Rousselle ’16, was honored as its Big Brother of the Year. Rouselle was also selected as the 2014–15 KCAC Champion of Character Male Student-Athlete of the Year. The award recognizes significant contributions of a student-athlete who excels in the classroom, athletics and community. He was selected Honorable Mention All-KCAC in the outfield this season, hitting .331 with 42 RBIs. He had a .984 fielding percentage playing CF for the Coyotes this season. The Aurora, CO native is a Physical Education and Religion major with a 3.589 GPA. On campus, the junior is a campus ministry leader and has logged over 500 volunteer hours during the last 18 months, including three mission trips. This is the second year in a row that a KWU Coyote was selected for this prestigious award. Men’s Basketball player Dylan Hidalgo ’16, was last year’s recipient.

Jordan Rousselle and his ’little brother’ Wyatt

Throughout the winter and spring, the corner of Fourth and Cloud Streets was transformed into one of the finest sports facilities in the region.

The Graves Family Sports Complex began to take shape with turf fields, lights, an eight-lane track and a brick and wrought iron fence. Steel bleachers and the press box arrived this summer, and the fall athletic teams began practicing on the new fields on August 17. The dedication of Gene Bissell Field will take place during Homecoming festivities on October 3.

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SPRING ACHIEVEMENTS BEMISS IS CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR In his fourth year of coaching at KWU, Randy Bemiss was named KCAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year for leading the Coyotes to their first-ever KCAC Women’s Golf Championship in Garden Photo courtesy of Campbellsville (KY) City, KS. This season the Sports Information Women’s Golf team won seven of its ten tournaments, including five straight tournament wins. The team finished second out of 11 teams in the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping that featured schools from three other NAIA conferences.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GPA IN TOP 25 NATIONAL POLL Kansas Wesleyan’s Women’s Basketball team was ranked No. 5 in the NAIA division of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Honor Roll. A 20-game winner during the season, the team also excelled in the classroom, combining for a 3.625 team G.P.A. The Coyotes were the only Kansas college on the NAIA list.

COACH HOELTING COACHES NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME KWU Head Softball Coach Daryl Hoelting was selected to be on the coaching staff for the All-American All-Stars softball game that was televised nationally on July 1 from Aurora, CO, during the weeklong Colorado Fireworks/Sparker tournaments. The All-Stars game, featuring the best players from across the nation, was carried live on the CBS Sports Network.

STUDENT-ATHLETES EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM The Kansas Wesleyan athletic department continued to shine academically in the spring semester as the department finished with a departmental average G.P.A. of 3.015 for the semester. Ten athletic programs achieved over 3.0 average team G.P.A., led by the Women’s Basketball team with a 3.625. A total of 17 student-athletes achieved perfect 4.0 G.P.A.s during the semester, led by the Women’s Basketball team with five. The Volleyball team had an outstanding 16 student-athletes earn a spot on the President’s Honor Roll, which honors students with a 3.75 or high G.P.A. for the semester. A total of 61 student-athletes were named to the President’s Honor Roll. There were 111 student-athletes that earned Dean’s Honor Roll honors, led by the Football team with 25 student-athletes being named to the list. A total of 231 studentathletes, 62.3 percent of the entire student-athlete population, achieved at least a 3.0 G.P.A. during the spring semester and 78.7 percent of all studentathletes achieved at least a 2.5 G.P.A. Eleven of the Kansas Wesleyan teams were honored by the NAIA as Scholar Teams, achieving at least a 3.00 team G.P.A. during the academic year.

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW FOOTBALL

With a full year of recruiting under his belt, Coach Matt Drinkall will start the season with more players and a cohesive team that should be much improved in 2015. Starting quarterback Jake Curran returns for his senior season as well as other standouts Mitch Kufahl and Colby Donohue. The biggest improvements should be seen on the defensive side of the ball. Nearly 125 players took the field at camp in August.

The team is also excited about its return to campus for home games for the first time since the end of the 2006 season. Key games include two matchups against squads that finished 7-2 in the league a year ago — September 19 against Sterling and October 10 against Friends. The October 3 Homecoming game will feature longtime rival McPherson.

VOLLEYBALL

After a 17-1 KCAC record a year ago, Coach Fred Aubuchon will look to continue the KWU Volleyball team’s recent successes this year. He has a very talented group returning to the court led by seniors Haley Thompson, Cortlyne Huppe and Jori Mote. The trio was named to All-KCAC teams as juniors. After winning back-to-back regular season titles, the volleyball squad will be further solidified by another very strong recruiting class. Last year, not only did KWU capture the regular season, the squad won the tournament and advance to the NAIA Opening Round. After a tough non-conference schedule that features several nationally ranked teams, KWU will host key KCAC matches on September 16 against Ottawa, October 7 against Friends, October 21 against Bethany, October 24 against Oklahoma Wesleyan and November 4 against Tabor.

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SPORTS UPDATES

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Third-year coach Blake Reynolds will look to keep the Coyotes at the top of the KCAC again this season. The Coyotes have not lost a KCAC match in their last 37 tries and will look to extend that streak this year. A strong group of returners in key positions, headlined by senior KCAC Player of the Year and NAIA AllAmerican, Roxy Gomez, is key for the Coyotes this season. Coach Reynolds brought in another talented recruiting class that will help keep the Coyotes at the top of the conference. The addition of Oklahoma Wesleyan to the KCAC this season will strengthen the conference in soccer and provide even more excitement on the pitch. Key dates for the Coyotes include September 4 at home against Rocky Mountain, September 12 at John Brown, October 24 at home against Oklahoma Wesleyan and October 31 at Ottawa.

MEN’S SOCCER

KWU will go for its sixth consecutive KCAC Regular Season Championship in 2015. Coach Phillip Bohn has drastically improved the team through recruiting for the upcoming season and did a fantastic job filling open spots in the lineup created through graduation. The addition of NAIA Top-10 power Oklahoma Wesleyan makes the KCAC one of the top soccer conferences in the NAIA. The nonconference portion of the schedule remains a big challenge with four nationally ranked teams on the schedule and several other very talented teams. Key dates for the Coyotes include September 19 at Science and Arts of Oklahoma, September 23 at home against Hastings, October 3 at McPherson and October 24 at home against Oklahoma Wesleyan.

CROSS COUNTRY

The KWU Cross Country teams continue to be strong and will look to be in the top of the conference this season. Several runners return on both the men’s and women’s sides and the team has improved through recruiting again this season. The KCAC will welcome two new members this year in cross country in Oklahoma Wesleyan and York. Fifth-year coach Brent Bailey will take his team to a new competition this season, the Fort Hays State Tiger Open held at Sand Plum in Victoria, KS on October 10. The KCAC Championships are hosted by Tabor College this season on November 7.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Coach Chris Fear has dramatically improved the Coyotes’ lineup this season with a strong recruiting class that includes a few transfers along with a talented group of incoming freshmen. With only one senior on last year’s team, the Coyotes return a bevy of experience including All-Freshman team members Arique Moss and Keion Criswell. Seniors Dylan Hidalgo and Joey Long will be counted on to lead the team. The addition of Oklahoma Wesleyan will add to an already challenging slate for the Coyotes.

KWU opens the season on the road on November 3 at Baker. The home opener is also the KCAC opener on November 19 when KWU hosts the rival Bethany Swedes.

Coach Ryan Showman looks to build on last season’s outstanding 20-win run. He returns three starters and six of his top eight scorers from that team, led by senior guards Shelby Heim and Niki Wilson, along with senior post players Breanna Patton and Morgan Johnson. One of the best recruiting classes for KWU in recent years also adds to the excitement as the Coyotes look to make a run at the conference championship. Showman also welcomes Todd Perdas to the coaching staff this season. Several of the new Coyotes have local ties. The Coyotes will face a strong non-conference schedule this season and with the addition of Oklahoma Wesleyan to the conference, the conference portion of the schedule will be more challenging than ever. The home opener is on October 31 against College of the Ozarks.

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100 E. Clain Ave. Salina, KS 67401-6196

KWU BY THE NUMBERS

107,000

meals served to students during the 2014–15 academic year

1,758 resident summer campers at KWU

100%

of our May 2015 graduates in Teacher Education have been hired in teaching positions

6,515

feet (1.23 miles) of fiber cable installed on campus as part of the $1.2M technology upgrade

1,916 seats in the Graves Family Sports Complex