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JAY BYERS ’93
25 Things to Know About Simpson’s 25th President SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE
The air might have been a bit chilly, but there was plenty of red and gold spirit to warm the hearts of our #ONESimpson community celebrating Homecoming 2023. Before the game, our little storm chasers enjoyed balloon animals, mini golf, cotton candy, face painting and more fun activities, while our adult Storm fans enjoyed drinks and food at the many tailgates.
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SAVE THE DATE:
Homecoming 2024 October 12
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PRESIDENT'S LETTER
What a Start When I took my first steps on Simpson’s campus as a first-year student in the fall of 1989, I never fathomed I would be writing to you as the College’s 25th president. What an honor and privilege it is to have this incredible opportunity. My first days in office have been nothing short of amazing. We started by welcoming our largest incoming class in five years that included a 14 percent increase in first-year students over last fall. We also launched our “All-In for Iowa” campaign featuring a pair of bold, new full-tuition scholarship programs for new, first-time students beginning in Fall 2024. Campus facility enhancements continue on many fronts. Kresge Hall got some much-needed updates this summer and the $10.5 million renovation of Dunn Library is nearing completion with doors re-opening next semester. Additionally, athletics keeps storming ahead with new locker rooms, batting cages, and offices to support program growth, while also creating a much more fanfriendly concession stand. All our momentum is drawing widespread media attention from Des Moines TV news stations and the Business Record, and most recently I had the opportunity to be a panelist on the Iowa PBS program Iowa Press. College rankings media are also taking note of Simpson’s success. Money.com gives us 4.5 out of 5 stars based on our quality, affordability, and outcomes. U.S. News & World Report tabs Simpson as Iowa’s #1 school in its Best Regional Colleges Midwest rankings. The Wall Street Journal lists Simpson as the #2 private among only six Iowa schools to make WSJ’s top 400 rankings.
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Best of all, I am thoroughly energized by daily campus life as I engage with our students, faculty and staff. I’ve also had a great time connecting and re-connecting with community leaders, alumni and benefactors in Indianola, Des Moines, and around the country. Seeing so many of you at Homecoming was awesome! Meanwhile, our Reaching New Heights, Together Tour has taken me to San Francisco, Dallas, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City — with many more cities to come. Also, our Take DSM by Storm series is showcasing alumni, faculty, and staff stars for events across the greater Des Moines region. And we’re just getting started! More great opportunities are just ahead of us — and your support and engagement will make all the difference in achieving our strategic imperatives. I thank you for what you are already doing to advance our mission, and I invite you to consider more ways to help move us forward. You can help us recruit students, host interns, and hire our graduates. You can also help share the Simpson story through social media engagement and by sending us alumni success stories. And, of course, financial support is ever vital. This is a great time to be at Simpson College. I look forward to all that we will do in reaching new heights together. Roll Storm! Jay Byers, J.D. President
CONTENTS 6 Alumni Association 8 Live on Red and Gold 10 25 Things to Know About Simpson’s 25th President 14 The “Big Six” Advantage
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Live On Red and Gold
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25 Things to Know About Simpson’s 25th President
22 Finding Her New York Niche 24 News 27 Athletics 30 Touring the Years 34 Remarkable Ride
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The “Big Six” Advantage
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Remarkable Ride
Simpson: The Magazine Jay Byers Simpson College President
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Simpson: The Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communication. Send correspondence to alumni.office@simpson.edu. FALL 2023 | 5
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Alumni Award Recipients Honored The Simpson College Alumni Association honored some of Simpson College’s most distinguished alumni during Homecoming festivities, Oct. 14, 2023.
Each year, the Alumni Association solicits nominations from alumni for achievement, loyalty, and humanitarian awards. Nominations are reviewed and selections made by a committee of former members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors alongside past award recipients.
This year’s honorees include: Alumni Achievement Award
Dr. Christopher Jones ’83 Recent Alumni Achievement Award
Emily Salberg ’08
Alumni Loyalty Award
Bob Lane ’81 Barbara Miller ’64
Recent Alumni Loyalty Award
Joseph Sorenson ’12
Alumni Humanitarian Award
Diogenes Ayala ’07 & ’12
Recent Alumni Humanitarian Award
Dr. Mary Huff ’11
To nominate a fellow alum for an award, visit https://simpson.edu/alumni-awards
Taking DSM by Storm In September, Simpson introduced “Take DSM by Storm,” a special event series in Des Moines featuring President Jay Byers ’93 interviewing distinguished alumni business leaders throughout Des Moines. The fall slate of events included featured guests Hank Norem ’02, CEO Ramco Innovations; Rich Willis ’74, Chair of the Board, Willis Automotive; and Nicole Molt Crain ’05, Executive Vice President, Iowa Association of Business and Industry. Each event also featured members of Simpson’s faculty and athletics coaching staff. 6 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
“Take DSM is an exciting opportunity to showcase and learn from Simpson alumni who are making big things happen,” said President Byers. “These events have been a great way to better connect our alumni base and other supporters and stakeholders in the Greater Des Moines region with the latest news from campus.” The series will continue with additional events this spring and summer.
Simpson Charters Kansas City Alumni Chapter
Coming to a City Near You!
The Simpson College Alumni Association is excited to announce the founding of the Kansas City Alumni Chapter. The Chapter became officially recognized as Simpson’s fourth alumni chapter during the charter celebration event hosted at the Crossroads Hotel on Oct. 24, 2023.
This fall, President Byers embarked on the Simpson College Reaching New Heights, Together Tour.
Cody Isabel ’18, chapter leadership council president, highlighted the significance of the chapter’s charter as he addressed the over 50 alumni and friends of the College at the event. “Today is a historic day, but more importantly, today marks the beginning of very exciting times for the Kansas City alumni community.”
During each tour stop, Byers has had the chance to share his passion for Simpson and vision for Simpson’s bright future.
The purpose of the chapter is to foster a spirit of loyalty and promote the general welfare of Simpson College in the Kansas City region. This will include incorporating new graduates, connecting alumni by creating opportunities for social and educational gatherings, and fostering internships and career opportunities for current students and recent alumni in the region. The Kansas City Alumni Chapter leadership council is excited to host additional events throughout the upcoming year, as well as to begin connecting current students and recent graduates to the larger alumni community in the region.
The inaugural Take DSM by Storm event featured President Byers interviewing Hank Norem ’02 about his groundbreaking leadership as CEO of Ramco Innovations and Maple Studios.
This rock ‘n’ roll-themed tour gives alumni VIP access to our 25th president at numerous events throughout the nation.
Having already landed in San Francisco, Omaha, Des Moines, Dallas, Indianola, Kansas City, and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the tour is just getting tuned up. Future stops include St. Louis, Naples, Phoenix, Cedar Rapids, Denver, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and more. Visit simpson.edu/alumni-and-giving/events for a full list of upcoming events. Please make plans to join us!
Take DSM by Storm events, like this one hosted by Rich Willis ’74, provide a great way for area alumni and other community and business leaders to network and learn about latest happenings at Simpson. FALL 2023 | 7
FACULTY PURSUITS
Live On Red and Gold If you’re looking to dig deep into Simpson’s history, College Librarian and Archivist Cyd Dyer is your go-to person. Drawing on 46 years of Simpson experience and knowledge, she has created a new digital archive system that provides easy access to every chapter of Simpson’s story dating to its 1860 founding.
Where it All Began
Access for All
In 1995, following years of exhaustive research, Simpson History Professor Joseph E. Walt authored “Beneath the Whispering Maples: The History of Simpson College.” Writing most of his work in Dunn Library, Walt printed each chapter on a photocopy machine in Mary Berry Hall and personally delivered them to Dyer.
Thus, the digitizing of Simpson archives began in 2021. “With our small team, I knew that outsourcing both the digitizing of materials and housing them on a stable platform were both key decisions,” said Dyer. “Creekside Digital, Advantage Archives, and the State Library of Iowa, along with help from archives undergraduate assistants and fundraising through Advancement, made these projects possible.”
“I became friends with Joe through our archival work,” said Dyer. “Our connection deepened when he invited me to attend a Rotary meeting with him in 1989, the first year that women were permitted to join and become Rotarians. For over 20 years, we attended Rotary together — my Fridays with Joe.” Upon Walt’s death in 2013, Dyer was named the co-executor of his estate. After creating several scholarships to allow Simpson students to study abroad, Walt’s family contemplated where to allocate the rest of his Simpson gift. They knew, as a historian and Simpson enthusiast, he would want to give to the library but needed to figure out how to do so. So, they turned to Dyer.
Keeping History Safe Dyer knew that Walt was concerned about archive safety. Upon her Simpson arrival in 1978, the archives sat in boxes on a cement slab on the library mezzanine. In 1983, the work to organize and more safely store the archives began in earnest. The archives moved from the floor to shelves and were stored in proper archival boxes. While this was a major improvement, there was still much more work to do. Accordingly, Walt’s family provided funding to make some essential improvements to the space. A workroom was built to include temperature and humidity control, as well as a dry gas fire suppression system. The Walt Research Library was also created, allowing people to view the archives up close, including Walt’s famous Liechtenstein Collection. After those renovations and additions, the library had remaining funds to allocate toward further archival enhancements. Now that the archives were safe and accessible to view in person, Dyer says the next big step was to make them available from anywhere. 8 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
The digitizing of the Simpson archives began in 2021. Since the project was made possible by the Walt family, it seemed only fitting to begin with “Beneath the Whispering Maples.” After Simpson’s history made its way to the Internet, a number of items were added to the digital archive including, The Simpsonian student newspapers (1870-2023), Simpson Alumnus Bulletin (1956-1989), The Zenith Yearbooks (18962017), and previous issues of Simpson: The Magazine (1990-2022). Since putting these publications online last February, people have been exploring the site to find stories and photos featuring their family and friends — and so much more. “People are looking up themselves, their friends, their parents, their grandparents,” said Dyer. “Having the college’s core historical documents online for all to explore is an important part of keeping Simpson’s stories alive, accessible, and ever relevant.” With a quick type in the search bar, viewers can find phrases or names in any archived item dating back to 1870. Additionally, those searching can now find a complete list of the Simpson College Archives online. Among them, you’ll find the George Washington Carver Collection, Lane Sisters Collections, and Simpson College memorabilia dating back to the 1860s.
You can access Simpson digital archives online at
simpsoncollege.historyarchives.online
Having served in numerous roles during her 46 years at Simpson, Cyd Dyer is dedicated to keeping the College’s history alive and accessible to all.
Zenith Yearbook – 1970
George Washington Carver – Simpson College Baccalaureate Address 1941
Scan the QR code to view “Beneath the Whispering Maples” or visit www.iowaheritage.org Joseph E. Walt Author, “Beneath the Whispering Maples: The History of Simpson College”
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SIMPSON’S 25TH PRESIDENT
President Byers delivered the first pitch during Simpson Night at the Iowa Cubs game this summer.
25 Things to Know About Simpson’s 25th President – JAY BYERS ’93, J.D.
President Byers has had Simpson Red and Gold blood coursing through his veins for more than 30 years — first as a student, later as a long-serving trustee, and now as Simpson’s 25th president. His impressive professional portfolio was chronicled in the Fall 2022 edition of Simpson: The Magazine. Little did he know at the time — nor could he fathom — that he would be president just a year later. There is much more to President Byers’ story than a long list of accolades and accomplishments as a visionary, collaborative leader. There are so many interesting, including rather surprising, chapters in his life — from becoming a heavyweight wrestling champ to eating ice cream with Fidel Castro.
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Byers’ grandparents on both sides were farmers and both of his parents were teachers.
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Byers (pictured wearing a medal) was the Iowa heavyweight state freestyle wrestling champ in 4th grade. He wrestled his final match at age 12 to focus on basketball.
Byers was academic all-state in both basketball and football when he was in high school, and played basketball for one year at Simpson.
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While attending Simpson, Byers was a columnist for the Simpsonian.
Warren County
Byers was actively engaged with Simpson’s Model United Nations and served as lead delegate his senior year.
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Byers was a summer Resident Assistant at Kresge Hall for a floor of Des Moines Metro Opera women.
Byers’ days as a Simpson student also included interning with a state legislator at the Iowa House of Representatives and with a judge at the old Warren County Courthouse.
Byers was student president of ATO and served two terms on the ATO National Board of Directors as an alum. The photo on the right shows Byers playing guitar during ATO’s performance at Simpson’s “All College Sing” in 1992. FALL 2023 | 11
SIMPSON’S 25TH PRESIDENT
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Byers is still in the same fantasy football league that was started during his senior year at Simpson in 1992. His league used to calculate results by reviewing stats in the USA Today.
In 2020, Byers had dinner with the cast of Napoleon Dynamite, as part of a DMACC ciLive! event. Standing next to Byers is Jon Heder (Napoleon). Also pictured are Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico).
12 In 2003, Byers (pictured facing the camera second from right) had ice cream with Fidel Castro. Byers was staffing for Congressman Leonard Boswell (seated next to him) during a Greater Des Moines Partnership and Iowa Corn Growers trade mission to Cuba.
14 Byers and his wife, Katie, met in law school. They were both in the same class as Simpson Professor Mark Juffernbruch and Norris, who now serves on Simpson’s Board of Trustees
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Byers (pictured standing back row, fourth from left) has visited 37 countries, including Russia and Finland during a 1992 May Term trip with Simpson Professor Mark Green.
Byers taught political science courses at Simpson’s West Des Moines campus in the early 2000s.
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While attending law school at the University of Iowa, Byers and John Norris ’81 founded the Law Law Palooza benefit concert featuring law student, faculty and staff live music performers in support of the Equal Justice Foundation.
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There were more attorneys (200+) in the Ice Miller law firm where Byers worked in Indianapolis than there are people in his hometown of Meriden, Iowa (161).
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Byers boomeranged back to Indianola in 1997 to become Congressman Leonard Boswell’s District Director. He was hired via a phone interview and had not met Boswell in person before going to work for him.
19 18 Byers served as CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership for 11 years. The Partnership is the regional economic and community development organization serving 11 counties and 24 chambers of commerce in Central Iowa — comprising the nation’s 4th largest regional chamber of commerce.
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Byers chaired the Iowa Chamber Alliance and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. He also served on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 and represented the U.S. on the International Chamber of Commerce World Chamber Federation General Council. In addition, he was recently elected to the Indianola Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
Byers is a graduate of the Warren County Leadership Institute and previously chaired the Indianola Parks and Recreation board.
Byers, along with his brother, Boyd, and nephew, Evan, published a tabletop card game called DeckPerception that his dad invented through a Kickstarter campaign.
22 Byers has played in cover bands since high school, including The Blitz, Realpolitik, Rodeo Clowns, Johnny and the Spitballs, Dead Yellow Canaries, and currently, Homeward Bound, a Simon and Garfunkel tribute band.
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Jay was the “dadanger” (manager) for his daughter Charlotte’s all girls rock band called Plumero. You can listen to their album “Prune Juice” on your streaming platform of choice.
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Byers and his wife, Katie, hosted house concerts featuring musicians from across the region and the world in their home monthly for four years. Katie is founder and CEO of tech startup HomeDitty, which connects house concert hosts and musicians.
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Jay and Katie have two daughters who are both studying art in college. Sophie is pursuing animation at DMACC, and Charlotte is in fashion design at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
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FEATURE FOCUS
THE “BIG SIX” ADVANTAGE
Why Simpson is More Than Worth It While more people are questioning the value of college education, compelling data shows that it remains a smart and sound investment with profound advantages. A recent Georgetown University study, for example, confirms that college graduates earn about $1 million more in lifetime earnings than those without a college degree, on average.
Thriving college graduates report having multiple “Big Six” experiences — and the more of them, the better. That’s especially great news for Simpson alumni.
Simpson graduates consistently start strong, with the Class of 2022 achieving an average 94 percent employment and graduate school placement rate (see Page 26). What drives such stunning success at Simpson? There are at least six big factors that distinguish a Simpson education.
“Big Six” Student Experiences 1: A professor who made them excited to learn
2: A professor who cared about them as individuals 3: A mentor who pushed students to reach goals 4: Engagement in extracurricular activities 5: Working on a long-term project
6: Completing class-related job/internship
National research of more than 30,000 college graduates conducted by Gallup, Purdue University and the Lumina Foundation has identified the “Big Six” undergraduate experiences most closely correlated with long-term career success and personal fulfillment. 14 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
For the traditional Class of 2023, 86 percent of Simpson graduates reported having at least three “Big Six” experiences compared to the national average of 32 percent. Further, this year only two percent of college graduates nationwide reported having all six experiences while more than 20 percent of Simpson graduates say they had them all. The [“Big Six”] experiences we provide are transformational in equipping our students with the power tools they need to compete and excel in any circumstance —communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills,” said President Jay Byers. “Integrating those tools with a commitment to serving the world’s greater good consistently leads to fulfilling success for our graduates.” In the pages that follow, meet a few of the faculty, students and alumni who create and benefit from the difference-making impact of “Big Six” experiences at Simpson.
THE “BIG SIX” ADVANTAGE
Faculty Impact More than 9 out of 10 Simpson graduates say they had at least one faculty member who made learning exciting. Representing a wide breadth of disciplines and distinctively unique teaching styles, Simpson faculty are united by one common desire — to create extraordinary learning experiences as they help students realize their full potential.
Reacting to the Past— History Offers “Game On” Excitement The days of traditional classroom lectures serving as the singular dominant pedagogy at Simpson is ancient history. Today’s classes are all about active and involved learning for all students. A prominent feature of the history curriculum is a series of “Reacting to the Past” learning modules, which are immersive role-playing games centered on engaging with significant historical events and ideas. This semester, for example, Professor Nick Proctor’s first-year Foundations classes are spending two weeks role playing the contentious issues regarding the Vietnam War during the Chicago Democratic Convention of 1968 — a simulation exercise Proctor wrote. “Students are encountering these ideas and conflicts through the eyes of somebody who was there, rather than as themselves,” said Proctor. “It gives students an opportunity to build historical empathy you really can’t get any other way.” Students, including Drew Klein ’24, are buying in to Proctor’s teaching techniques. “I took a role-playing class and I was very
skeptical going in. “[But] I loved it. Not only did I pick up on the concepts, but I was also working much closer with my classmates to accomplish academic goals.” “These games have kept me more engaged with the content we are learning in class,” added Shaniah Temple ’25. “[They also] helped me continue to strengthen my writing ability because of all the different roles I had to write during the games.” Proctor’s department colleagues, Rebecca Livingstone and Judy Walden, also write games and employ reacting pedagogy in their courses. “I think anything that gets students to think of history not just as this dead past to be memorized, but something that matters — that’s what we’re after,” said Walden, professor of history. “We try to help them see that the ideas they’re debating still have resonance now.” Indeed, the history games offer much more than just a fun and exciting way to get through course material. The skills and lessons learned have lasting benefits. Not only do students develop deeper historical understanding,” said Proctor, “they also leave Simpson with with transferable skills employers are looking for — like public speaking, team building and problem solving.”
Students in Professor Judy Walden’s class simulate famous historical events by engaging in role-playing games that bring learning to life in dynamic and meaningful ways. FALL 2023 | 15
THE BIG 6 ADVANTAGE
Professor Lisa Carponelli brings a caring, mentoring spirit to her work with students, frequently turning her multimedia communications classes into realworld learning labs.
Creating Credible Connections Professor of Multimedia Communications Lisa Carponelli has a reputation for keeping it real with her students. Coming to Simpson in 2008 after gaining prominence as a television news anchor, she has a passion for preparing students to become authentic and creative video story tellers. Her students learn by doing, most frequently leveraging the simple recording capabilities available on their smart phones. “I usually have students out filming a bit during class time, and then our classroom becomes a large editing suite, where everyone is at a desktop with headphones editing their footage. There’s a lot of collaboration and creative ideas zipping around the room — it’s a blast.”
“Professor Carponelli relates everything we do in class to real life outside of college,” said Maddie Hays ’25. “This makes it easy for her to push us toward our goals because we are able to take the skills we are learning and use them outside the classroom setting.” One of Carponelli’s mentees, Sophie Reese ’23, is a news producer for WHO-TV in Des Moines. She says Carponelli put her on the right path from the get-go, creating an ideal environment for learning from day one.
Carponelli’s students corroborate her claims.
“The energy she brought to the classroom was unlike any other professor I had,” said Reese. “She was kind, yet tough when she needed to be — she wasn’t afraid to call it how it is, which I admire. From Comm 101 to my senior capstone, she was a big part in preparing me for the real world.”
“She offers lots of hands-on help and in-class activities to make certain we completely understand what we’re learning,” said Aaron Wilkins ’25. “She teaches us to always revise our work to make it better and better until we reach perfection.”
And, as fate would have it, Reese and Carponelli are now on the same team at WHO-TV. While Carponelli continues to teach at Simpson, she is returning to life on-air as a part-time weekend news anchor at WHO-TV. “It’s pretty incredible to realize that my former students will now be my colleagues,” said Carponelli. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
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Pushing to Peak Performance Cal Busby ’09 is the picture of positivity and possibility thinking. Simpson’s former athletic trainer, now assistant professor of Sport Science and Health Education, is well known for his studentcentered commitment and always sunny disposition. He loves what he’s doing, and it shows. “I’m essentially the students’ cheer section,” said Busby. “I help them find new paths when things get tough and celebrate successes with them as they go through college.” Maddie Jansen ’22 is a perfect case in point. When she wanted to change majors, Busby teamed with Jansen’s other adviser, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Clint Meyer, to develop a plan. It worked out beautifully as Jansen realized her dream grad school placement at the University of Iowa, where she is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy. “Cal saw what I wanted to achieve, and he helped me reach it,” said Jansen. “He consistently encouraged me to chase after what I wanted and discouraged me from selling myself short.”
The story is similar for Maxie Saceda-Hurt ’22. Busby went all out to help Saceda-Hurt prepare for graduate school success. Today, she is pursuing her master’s degree in athletic training at the University of Northern Iowa. “He really takes the time to get to know his students,” said SacedaHurt. “After having him for four years, it was easy for him to help plan my future and I trusted him to do so. He believes in students more than they believe in themselves and sees their potential.” Busby is quick to emphasize that the great results are part of a strong team effort. In addition to students benefitting from the rich diversity of faculty expertise and experience, they also gain the kind of hands-on, practical experience they need to go most anywhere. “My colleagues and I have all worked in the field, so we can share those experiences,” said Busby. “Most importantly, though, I think we do a good job of exposing students to a variety of career options and helping them make connections with professionals in the field, especially our Simpson alumni.”
Confidence-building is a big part of Cal Busby’s role as assistant professor of Sport Medicine and Health Science Education. He wants his students to realize that even the loftiest of dreams is possible.
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THE “BIG SIX” ADVANTAGE
Extracurricular Engagement Involvement is the name of the game at Simpson. Yes, athletics are a big part of it, with 60 percent of students competing in one or more of the College’s 25 varsity sports. But, as the two students profiled here illustrate, there are many other outstanding cocurricular opportunities to pursue that also enhance the student experience and provide vital life skills.
Always All In Graduating from a small-town Iowa high school boasting a class size of 32, Treye Teske ’24 says he “fell in love with the small community vibe” at Simpson. Having also visited some much larger universities in Iowa during his college search, he felt much more at home at Simpson. “It’s one community here — it really is. It’s this idea that anyone can be part of anything, and everyone works together to get you as involved as you want to be.” The former basketball player turned varsity volleyballer serves as Senior Class president and president of his SAE fraternity, while being actively engaged in many other student clubs and organizations. “I have always given a 100 percent to everything I’ve been involved in at Simpson,” said Teske. “It’s helped me discover different aspects about myself and other people. Learning about leadership, team building, and working as a community is really big for me— especially as I prepare for a career in law enforcement.” His recent internship with the Johnston Police Department is among the many Simpson experiences that have positioned him to realize his aspirations.
“How close we are to Des Moines and all the connections we have there has really helped me propel and get my foot in the door in many different areas. Being part of my fraternity has helped me to grow, too. I think Simpson does an amazing job preparing you for your future.”
Doing Everything, Everywhere Culvers Fellow and philosophy and Spanish double major Trenity Rosenberg ’23 has experienced life to the fullest at Simpson. Student clubs and organizations like symphonic band and Latinos Unidos? Check. Internship with the Latino Political Network? Check. Study abroad in Spain? Check. Collaborative contributor to wastewater treatment research project resulting in a paper presentation at the 19th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability? Check! Has it all been worth it? Absolutely. “By being active, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people,” said Rosenberg. “I especially like being in Latinos Unidos — to be part of my community and helping to educate the Simpson community on important topics. Simpson has made me a very well-rounded student.” Rosenberg hopes to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy and become a college professor. 18 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
THE “BIG SIX” ADVANTAGE
Research Rewards The benefits of completing a long-term project during college are well documented — especially as they relate to critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. At Simpson, such opportunities abound in rich variety, including an array of student-faculty research. And students are taking full advantage.
Gaining Real Artificial Intelligence Each spring, more than 100 students showcase their work at Simpson’s Research & Creativity Symposium. Their presentations feature a wide range of academic disciplines and co-curricular endeavors — Highlighting work completed over a semester, or longer, time frame. At the 2023 symposium, one team of six students presented “Rage Against the Machine: ChatGPT’s War on Higher Education.” Formation of the team and subject matter resulted from an organic, open process empowering students to conceive and create their own project in a class taught by Professor of Management Mark Green. “I enjoyed the free flow of it,” said Kegan Trebilcock ’26, a member of the ChatGPT research team. “Professor Green literally just tossed us into it — we weren’t even in groups for the first month. The whole class just researched topics of interest and then as our ideas came together, we just figured out [our team] and what to do.” The ChatGPT research team featured a dynamic mix of first years to seniors, representing majors and minors from accounting, business management, marketing and political science. Over the course of the semester, the group developed a strong chemistry for efficiently and effectively tackling the project. “A lot of it was just figuring out workload management,” said Trebilcock. “When you have a group like ours, everyone is going to be capable of different things. We just needed to organize in a way that got the right people to the right position to make it work.”
“I think a lot of confidence came with that process and how we broke it all down,” said group member Eldred Boria ’25. “We all had our roles. Then we just worked as a group to combine everything and put it all together.” Professor Green says semester-long project endeavors like the one completed by the ChatGPT team are invaluable in helping students connect course work with what occurs in an actual business setting. As they move through their projects, Green sees remarkable growth in his students. “They experience first-hand the classic stages of team development that they learn in various management courses. At the end of the day, everyone brings something unique to the table and the result is a ‘win-win’ all the way around.” “I felt like the project was beneficial as a whole,” said Dylan Holland ’25. “Working in groups on long-term projects is something we’re all going to experience in our careers. So this is definitely going to help us in the future.”
(Photo above, Left to Right) Kegan Trebilcock ’26, Dylan Holland ’25 and Eldred Boria ’25 were part of a student research team in Professor of Management Mark Green’s class that presented at Simpson’s 2023 Research & Creativity Symposium. Group members not pictured: Dylan McChesney ’23, Mallory Burkhart ’23 and Hannah Foster ’25. FALL 2023 | 19
THE “BIG SIX” ADVANTAGE
Internships Open Doors Each year, hundreds of Simpson students gain internship experience that often leads directly to exciting career opportunities, frequently where they interned. Meet three students who are using their internships to illuminate and strengthen their career prospects.
Changing Game Plans For Elise Boulton ’24, Plan A was to find a small college where she could play basketball. But she remembers her high school coach counseling her to pick a college where if she quit or got injured, she would want to stay there. His advice proved to be prophetically wise.
“I was a secondary administrator for tennis, so I did everything,” said Boulton. “I got to run my own state championship site — doing the bracketing, dealing with concessions, ticketing, and merchandising. It was super cool, and I loved all of it.”
“Sure enough, I did get injured,” said Boulton. “I had knee surgery this past summer and I’ll have another knee surgery in December, so I’m done playing basketball. But I wanted to stay here, obviously, so I know I made the right choice going to Simpson.”
This year, she’s interning with the athletic director at Norwalk High School, assisting with high school and middle school fall sports. The sum of her internship experiences has helped sharpen her focus.
Her injury setback has not benched her active pursuit of a career in sports administration. To the contrary, she has had two internships focused on that goal. Her first was with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union in the summer of 2022, following her first year at Simpson. Boulton started out doing social media content creation and assisting with the Union’s spring and summer championships. Her performance earned additional playing time. She went back to work there part-time during her sophomore year and returned yet again for May Term last spring, when she really picked up her game.
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“I had no idea which niche of sports administration I wanted to pursue initially. Now I know that I love event management and operations. That’s been the biggest take away.” Next semester, Boulton will gain more experience working in Simpson’s athletic department, before graduating next spring — a full year early. From there, she expects to put the full-court press on bigger and better opportunities. Ultimately, she covets securing a position with either the NCAA, NAIA, or Girls’ Athletic Union.
Patrolling His Future Elijah Keopuhiwa-Carvalho ’25 has always had his eyes on a career in law enforcement. He had no idea just how far he would have to go to pursue that dream. Today, he finds himself five time zones away from his Hawaiian home to study criminal justice at Simpson. What a journey it has been. He initially explored West Coast schools close to home, but quickly determined all those options were far too expensive. So, he extended his search across the mainland looking at all kinds of possibilities before striking gold (and red). “Simpson was just one of the recommendations that popped up on my college application website,” said Keopuhiwa-Carvalho. “I really wanted to be a criminal justice major, and Simpson was the number one criminal justice program out of the 19 schools I applied to.” Keopuhiwa-Carvalho says he absolutely made the right choice, speaking highly of Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Denise Leifker and the mentoring she has provided during his time here. He’s ecstatic about landing an internship with the Indianola Police Department (IPD) this fall as a junior — securing the one spot they had available. He primarily does ride-along shifts with patrolling officers, giving him an insider’s view of their day-to-day encounters and responsibilities. He’s also getting the chance to shadow the school resource officer for Indianola Schools to get a glimpse of how he interacts with students. The experiences are helping him make important connections between what he is learning in the classroom and the realities of working in law enforcement.
“Three years into my major, I know the basics of how laws work and are enforced,” said Keophuhiwa-Carvalho. “Now those things are beginning to show up in my internship. Whether it’s simply seeing how officers communicate with dispatch or recognizing signs of someone who is high on drugs, as I learned in class instruction, things are coming together.” Combining his internship insights with other in-the-field experiences, such as his May Term class that featured visits to three different correctional facilities, Keopuhiwa-Carvalho says he has reinforced confidence in his professional plans. “Going into this, I was hesitant about whether I would actually like it. But, I’ve had a blast, and this is looking like the career path I wanted since I was four years old.” Keopuhiwa-Carvalho says he is considering another internship before seeking a police officer position upon graduation in May 2025.
Legal Matters Kylie Banouvong ’24 spends a lot of time in arguments. When she’s not competing with Simpson’s national champion speech and debate team, she’s frequently listening to criminal hearings as part of her internship at the Polk County Attorney’s Office. The aspiring attorney is getting an insider’s look at law while engaging in a variety of legal tasks. In addition to taking in criminal hearings, Banouvong spends much of her time reviewing citizen complaint sheets or listening to Victim-Offender Dialogue (VOD) requests or interactions. Her assignments are often self-directed, necessitating pro-active independent initiative. “I have a lot of free range to do things,” said Banouvong. “They [Polk County attorneys] want you to develop your own skills to figure out how to solve problems. For example, on a citizen complaint sheet I check to see if charges can be filed based on Iowa codes. Doing it all on my own is super helpful as I become a better critical thinker and learn to focus on the little details.” The internship is helping Banouvong excel more in her major course work — and vice versa. Her ability to connect the dots is accelerating week by week. Along the way, she is becoming much more self-assured.
“I’m on the shy side. But now I’m a lot more confident in the classroom because I know better what I’m talking about. Then I’m able to go back to my internship and utilize what I’m learning in class.” While her sights are still set on law school, she is considering the possibility of taking a gap year after graduation next spring. Her supervising attorneys at Polk County have reassured her she will be more than ready whenever she decides to go to grad school. “They told me it’s good that I’m getting this experience, especially at a big county like Polk. What I’m doing is so much better than just going straight into law school. It’s going to make my transition so much smoother.” FALL 2023 | 21
CONTINUING, GRADUATE & ONLINE EDUCATION
Finding Her New York Niche Lisa Darling ’02
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Lisa Darling ‘02 is comfortable living in the big city as vice president at Proxima in New York, one of the world’s leading procurement and supply chain consultancies. Her impressive resume features previous posts as senior manager at PepsiCo, global head of procurement at Millennium, and vice president of Global Sourcing at Lehman Brothers. Darling’s satisfying slice of Big Apple success is rooted in her Iowa upbringing and Simpson education. Born and raised in Indianola, Darling grew up playing in Simpson’s rec center, roller skating around campus, and even acting as an extra in two Simpson operas. “My impression of Simpson was just a great place to be,” said Darling. After high school, she took a couple of college courses, but ultimately decided to join the workforce before completing a degree. Early on, Darling served as a purchasing assistant for American Republic Insurance. A couple of years into her career, she determined that completing a college degree would position her to better compete in the job market. “The insurance company I worked for would subsidize tuition for two schools (including Simpson),” she said. “I opted for Simpson because I was familiar with their great reputation and knew people who had good things to say about the College.” Her choice proved profitable. Darling says she had a phenomenal experience earning her business degree from Simpson’s Continuing, Graduate and Online Education Program. “I made great friends and always looked forward to my classes, which helped because I was going after work and on weekends.” When her father passed away unexpectedly during her final semester causing her to miss more than a week of classes, Simpson’s faculty stepped in to help make sure she could finish her degree. “One of my instructors met with me over my lunch breaks and helped me finish my missed coursework. I feel very fortunate for the education I received.” With her Simpson degree in hand, Darling began to explore career opportunities outside the region. “I had always wanted to leave the area, and after losing my father, I felt like life can be short. I didn’t want to reach a point in my life that I always wanted to do
I made great friends and always looked forward to my classes, which helped because I was going after work and on weekends. – Lisa Darling ’02 it, and I didn’t.” She searched far and wide, including both coasts, ultimately securing her first offer in Northern New Jersey. She accepted, and the rest is history. More than 20 years later, Darling is thriving and loving life in New York City. And contrary to popular belief, she says adjusting to big city life goes against preconceived stereotypes. “The perception is that the city is so big that you’ll get lost, but it’s much easier to make friends than you’d think,” she said. “You build a professional network and a friend network. I have been amazed at how small the network is in New York City.” While Darling will always hold a special place in her heart for Iowa, she’s so glad her Simpson education helped give her the confidence to go anywhere. “You can always return home if it doesn’t work out. Though I didn’t move back to Iowa, I still return to visit my family and friends.”
Online. Flexible. Personal. See Simpson’s Continuing, Graduate, and Online Education programs at simpson.edu/CGOE
CONTINUING, GRADUATE AND ONLINE EDUCATION
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NEWS
Board of Trustees Chair Terry Handley introduced Jays Byers as president at a May 16 news conference.
Byers Begins Presidency Jay Byers’ ’93 introduction as Simpson’s 25th president at a May 16 news conference attracted a large crowd and drew extensive media coverage.
Fresh Look for Simpson Brand Simpson has completed a refresh of its visual brand identity. The new marks reflect a contemporary update that establishes several presentation options. “Simpson” stands as the dominant font focal point in all versions, while College Hall is now incorporated as the primary graphic element. An updated Simpson maple leaf is also part of the College’s graphic package, including as a key element of a special “Simpson Alumni” mark. The new main college marks were designed to create synergy with the recent athletics brand refresh. In fact, the new “SC” with a lightning bolt is a shared element for uses College-wide.
“Jay is the perfect choice to lead Simpson College,” said Terry Handley ’09, chair of Simpson’s Board of Trustees. “He has a fervent passion for Simpson’s mission and a distinguished history of game-changing, visionary leadership. We are excited to see the innovative boldness he will bring to building on the significant strategic momentum created under President Kelliher.” A Board of Trustees member since 2012, Byers comes to the presidency after 18 years of executive leadership with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, including 11 years as its president and CEO. “I never imagined I would have this incredible opportunity to lead the college I care about so deeply,” said Byers at the news conference. “During my board service, I have gained a front-row view of the exciting momentum that continues to grow at Simpson. I am thrilled to be joining such an impressive community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and benefactors who make Simpson such a special place. Together, we can, and we will, take Simpson to new heights of distinction.” 24 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
Board of Trustees members got a sneak preview of the Dunn Library renovation during their October meeting.
Dunn Library Renovation Nears Completion The $10.5 million renovation of Dunn Library will soon be complete. Set to open in January, Dunn will serve as the new, state-of-the-art home for teacher education while also providing an integrated presence of academic support services. Students will also appreciate updated study spaces and more rooms for collaborative work, as well as an outdoor patio funded by Student Government Association.
Simpson Welcomes Largest Class in Five Years First-year enrollment is up 14 percent for Fall 2023. Total new enrollment is up 11 percent, with 381 first year and transfer students beginning classes. The total marks the largest incoming class since Fall 2018. WHO-TV of Des Moines touted Simpson’s recruitment success with a live report from campus, including commentary from two Simpson students and Vice President for Enrollment Leigh Mlodzik.
Simpson Launches All-In for Iowa Simpson College has introduced two new full-tuition scholarship programs for Fall 2024 that are expected to substantially increase the number of new Iowa students qualifying for free tuition.
President Byers and Leigh Mlodzik – All-In for Iowa Press Conference
The first initiative, Simpson’s $100K Promise, pledges full-tuition support for admitted students whose family’s adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less.
The second initiative, 99 County Full-Tuition, ensures that at least one admitted student from each of Iowa’s 99 counties will be eligible to receive a full-tuition scholarship. The 99 County scholarships will be awarded via a committee selection process, which includes consideration of both financial need and academic merit. FALL 2023 | 25
First Destination Success The Class of 2022 is excelling in careers and graduate school, as evidenced in this year’s First Destination Report. The report reveals strong — in many cases, perfect — placement rates across diverse fields of study. Teacher Education and Management Information Systems graduates earned 100 percent employment. And for the sixth consecutive year, 100 percent of master’s degree recipients gained employment.
100%
Meanwhile, the following programs achieved 100 percent career or grad school placement: Sport Administration; Health & Exercise Science; Math; Data Science; Actuarial; Neuroscience; Psychology; and Computer Science.
Employment and grad school placement in 10 programs
The remaining majors together produced a 94 percent average placement rate. Natural science programs, including biology and environmental science — as well as chemistry and biochemistry — also produced high volume success in gaining career employment and graduate school enrollment.
Racking up Rankings Simpson once again stands tall across numerous national rankings. Money.com: Simpson earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in Money’s Best Colleges in America 2023 ratings. The lofty standing is based on the analysis of more than 700 four-year colleges regarding quality, affordability and student outcomes.
Trustees Welcome Six New Members The Simpson College Board of Trustees appointed six new board members at its annual spring meeting on May 12, including five Simpson graduates. The incoming trustees feature top executives from some of the region’s most prominent business brands and community concerns.
U.S. News & World Report: Simpson is the #1 ranked Iowa college and #5 overall in U.S. News’ “Best Regional Colleges Midwest Rankings.” Simpson also earned a #5 ranking among “Best Value Schools” and a #16 ranking for “Top Performers on Social Mobility.” Wall Street Journal: Simpson was one of only six Iowa institutions honored in the Wall Street Journal’s 2024 College Pulse rankings. WSJ selected its top 400 colleges based on student outcomes, learning environment and diversity.
Nick Andersen ’99
Manuel A. Cornell ’11
Kevin Halterman
Laura Howe ’06
Hank Norem ’02
Garrett Piklapp ’04
New trustees include: Nick Andersen ’99, vice president of Commercial Lines and Agribusiness Claims at Nationwide; Manuel A. Cornell ’11, trial attorney for Dorsey & Whitney, LLP; Kevin Halterman, president, CEO, chair, and co-founder of Peoples Bank; Laura Howe ’06, Wells Fargo branch banking region director for the Midwest Central Region; Hank Norem ’02, CEO of Ramco Innovations; and Garrett Piklapp ’04, president of Fareway. 26 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
ATHLETICS
Second Chance at Simpson Following his graduation in 2006, Hoskins’ coaching journey took him to North Carolina Wesleyan, St. Cloud State, Wartburg, Wisconsin-La Crosse, and most recently Illinois Wesleyan, where he served seven seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His hiring as head coach at Simpson last December drew widespread praise, including from current players. “I knew from the first time he interviewed that he was the guy for the job,” said linebacker Zach Truitt ’25. “I have loved everything that he has offered the team — the positivity, the energy, the encouragement.” As Simpson’s 34th head coach, Hoskins seeks to restore a winning culture while creating vital campus, alumni and community relationships. When it comes to recruitment, he’s looking for talented and academically motivated student-athletes who are fully committed to team ideals.
Reed Hoskins returns to Buxton Stadium — this time he’s on the home sidelines. First-year Head Football Coach Reed Hoskins was a highly coveted recruit coming out of Grinnell High School. Hoskins had Simpson in his sights for a long time, but unforeseen developments ultimately led him to pass on the Storm for a rival school. Twenty years later, as fate would have it, Simpson recruited him again — this time to become the Storm’s new head coach. And this time, he didn’t slip away. “I remember visiting here with Coach Williams when I was in high school,” said Hoskins, about his recruiting visits with Simpson’s late legendary coach. “I have vivid memories of him and hearing his gruff voice when we chatted in his office. In a lot of ways, I thought this seemed like home — the right spot for me.” But Hoskins’ game plan changed during his senior year of high school, when Williams announced his retirement from Simpson. He opted for Wartburg College, where he became a star quarterback.
“We want guys that fit in our locker room and value the same things,” said Hoskins. “We want people who want to build lifelong relationships with teammates after being in the trenches together. Some of my best friends from college are guys I’ve seen a bunch here in the last 10 months because I live a lot closer to them now and we still have those relationships. That’s what I want for our student-athletes.” Hoskins also seeks to ensure his players develop a deeper sense of belonging and bond to generations of Simpson alumni who built the program’s rich history. “He’s brought back Simpson alumni to speak to us about their days in the program, what they went through and how they overcame it,” said linebacker Wyatt Schaben ’24. “It’s been a great way to show us the past, how we got here, and what we could become in the future.” And indeed, there have been encouraging signs of resurgence in Hoskins’ first season. The Storm picked up three wins this year, including a pair of games that featured 55+ points of production. “We are going to move forward the right way and do it with class,” said Hoskins. “I’m really proud of some of the positive steps we’ve taken already this year.”
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ATHLETICS
Women’s Soccer Earns NCAA Tourney Bid For just the second time in program history, the Simpson’s women’s soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Storm received an at-large bid and were slated to play St. Catherine (Minn.) in the opening round Nov. 11, when this edition of Simpson: The Magazine went to press. Simpson captured second in the A-R-C post-season tourney, losing a heartbreaking 3-2 penalty kick shootout to Loras College in the title game. The Storm completed regular season play with a 14-2-1 record — the most wins since 2004. The Storm outscored opponents 44-10, while notching nine shutouts behind outstanding defense and goalkeeper play by Lani Mears ’24 and Meredith Downs ’27.
Still Running Strong Spencer Moon ’23 won his fourth career all-conference honor at the American Rivers Conference Championship, finishing second overall to lead the Simpson men’s cross country team to fourth place. He becomes only the second athlete in program history to earn four all-conference honors, with Danny Bauer ’84 being the other. Ean Warrick ’24 and James Murray ’24 also earned all-conference honors with top 20 finishes. Cassie Nash ’24 enjoyed another standout season with a conference second-best 16 goals and 10 assists for 42 points, which featured a pair of hat-trick scoring performances. Other players with double-digit points included Ally Hoffa ’27 (12), Jordyn Foelske ’25 (12) and Brissa Valadez ’26 (10). Meanwhile, Maddie Hays ’25 went 4-for-5 on penalty kicks, makling her 9-for-11 in her career. 28 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
On the women’s side, the Storm claimed third place at the A-R-C Championship — its best finish at the conference meet since 1994. Lara Kallem ’24 led the Storm with a ninth-place finish, her second straight all-conference honor. Teghan Booth ’25 and Ashley Rockhold ’24 also claimed all-conference honors with top 20 performances.
Facility Enhancements Move Forward Simpson College continues to invest in upgrading its athletic facilities to support enhanced opportunities for student-athletes. The latest improvements include renovated women’s and men’s basketball locker rooms, additional coaching offices, batting cages and a new concession stand. “We are blessed to have generous donors who recognize how all of these things impact both the student and fan experience,” said Athletics Director Marty Bell. “It’s all part of our strategic focus on building a winning culture here and strengthening our overall competitive position.” In recent years, Simpson has also invested in a new track and turf at Buxton Stadium, infield turf for baseball and softball, a new court in Cowles Fieldhouse, and revamped space for women’s and men’s wrestling in Hopper Gymnasium.
NCAA Division III Diversity Grants Bolster Athletics Staff Simpson was awarded two NCAA Division III Diversity Grants this summer to support new athletics coaching positions, as the College seeks to strengthen its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. One award — an NCAA Division III Coaching Enhancement Grant — is being used to provide two years of funding for newly hired full-time Assistant Women’s and Men’s Track and Field Coach Ashlan Burton. The Urbandale, Iowa, native was a seventime NCAA Division II All-American at the University of Central Missouri.
Additionally, Simpson is using an NCAA Division III Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant to fund an entry-level athletics administrative position for two years. Ryleigh Collum, a 2023 University of Iowa graduate, serves as coordinator of Internal Operations for Simpson Athletics. “These NCAA grants provide a vital boost to growing the diversity of our athletics coaching and administrative staffs,” said Marty Bell, director of athletics. “This is especially important as we continue to increase the diversity of student-athletes competing in Storm sports. It’s all part of our ongoing desire to create an ever stronger and richly diverse #ONESimpson community.” FALL 2023 | 29
TOURING THE YEARS
In an effort to be better stewards of our resources, the Class Notes portion of Touring the Years is published electronically. We invite you to visit simpson.edu/classnotes to view the accomplishments of our alumni. If you wish to receive a printed copy of Class Notes, please contact alumni.office@simpson.edu.
Marriages
Mackenzie Ritscher Bruns ’21 and Noah Bruns ’21 married December 30, 2022, and reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
Britney Samuelson Appelgate ’17 and Ian Appelgate ’18 married October 9, 2021, and reside in Des Moines, Iowa.
Bethany Jones Taylor ’18 and Matt Taylor ’19 were wed August 8, 2020. The Couple resides in Norwalk, Iowa. Kathryn Court Carton ’16 and Clint Carton were wed July 2022. The couple resides in Houston, Texas.
To submit accomplishments and updates to be included in future editions, visit simpson.edu/alumni/update Zachary James ’13 and Kayla Betsworth James were married September 16, 2023 in Sioux City, Iowa. 30 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE 30 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
Births / Adoptions Ethan James Strehlow, August 18, 2022, to Holley Erschens Strehlow ’02 and Jeremiah Strehlow.
Jensen John Bakula, June 4, 2023, to Sarah Hammel Bakula ’10 and Jason Bakula.
Hudson Carlo Loperfido, November 29, 2022, to Kim Lamon-Loperfido ’04 and JV Loperfido. Hudson joins his fur siblings Olivia (dog), Vigo and Tilly (cats).
Malcom Rustin Harris, April 6, 2023, to Jennifer Humphrey Harris ’06 and Jonathon Harris.
Vivienne VanderZanden, March 10, 2023, to Sarah Silk VanderZanden ’11 and Bradley VanderZanden.
Fallon Grave Newton, February 3, 2023, to Keely Goshia Newton ’13 and Joel Newton ’14.
Julia Worden, May 19, 2023, to Laura Finneseth Worden ’17 and Anthony Worden.
Weston Jace Taylor, April 7, 2023, to Bethany Jones Taylor ’18 and Matt Taylor ’19.
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TOURING THE YEARS
In Memoriam Alice Eberle Jones ’47, December 30, 2022, Ames, Iowa.
B. Jean Pickard Johnson ’61, June 17, 2023, Rochester, New York.
Emily Kimzey Claxton ’06, October 22, 2023, Oak Grove, Missouri.
William Schooler ’47, June 5, 2023, Carlisle, Iowa.
Bertlyn Crouse Johnston ’61, October 17, 2023, Ames, Iowa.
Ryan McDonough ’09, May 10, 2023, Adel, Iowa.
Marion Konishi Takehara ’47, February 4, 2023, Houston, Texas.
Gene Rohr ’62, July 21, 2023, Grinnell, Iowa.
Faculty & Staff
Dr. Leroy Moore ’49, October 24, 2023, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Andrew Thomas Flagge ’64, June 8, 2023, Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Raymond Songayllo, August 10, 2023, Indianola, Iowa.
Ruth Torine Guy ’50, March 28, 2023, Rochester, Minnesota.
Keith Osborn ’64, September 20, 2023, Bettendorf, Iowa.
Deb Terry, October 25, 2023, Indianola, Iowa.
Helen Garlock Zimmerman ’50, September 19, 2022, Rochester, Minnesota.
Judith Hoiekvam Fredregill ’65, July 18, 2023, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Katherine Buxton Devine ’51, August 24, 2023, Des Moines, Iowa.
Dorothy Valen ’65, May 27, 2023, Story City, Iowa.
Mary Morain Shaver ’51, April 16, 2023, Hammond, Louisiana.
William McInnis ’67, July 15, 2023, Tucson, Arizona.
Betty Atkins Simon ’51, August 8, 2023, Charleston, Illinois.
Tom Awtry ’68, July 27, 2023, Urbandale, Iowa.
Lucile Sargent Johnson ’52, October 13, 2023, Des Moines, Iowa.
Thomas Hiscocks ’68, August 26, 2023, West Des Moines, Iowa.
V. Jean Hickey Bartley ’53, May 30, 2023, Indianola, Iowa.
Diane Holland ’68, July 31, 2023, Charlottesville, Virginia
Elwyn Beane ’53, July 24, 2023, Lancaster, Wisconsin.
Jerry Ripperger ’69, June 13, 2023, Indianola, Iowa.
Barbara Kennedy Case ’54, September 4, 2023, Centennial, Colorado.
Donald Fatka ’70, April 30, 2023, Madrid, Iowa.
Robert Etzel ’55, August 30, 2023, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Nancy Walden ’70, May 26, 2023, Des Moines, Iowa.
Jacqueline Beaman Klein ’56, February 29, 2020, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Rev. Don Burket ’76, April 30, 2023, Boone, Iowa.
Dr. Albert Hal Bryan, Jr. ’57, July 21, 2023, Yakima, Washington.
Randy Knoche ’76, January 18, 2019, Cambodia.
Tom Zimmerman ’57, August 18, 2023, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Juan Harrison ’85, June 17, 2023, De Soto, Iowa.
Mary Hall Crabtree ’59, June 7, 2023, Guthrie Center, Iowa.
Lawrence “Larry” Leek ’86, June 2, 2023, Des Moines, Iowa.
Roy Shimer ’59, May 21, 2023, Johnston, Iowa.
Casey Kellogg ’88, August 27, 2023, West Des Moines, Iowa.
James Allen ‘60, July 8, 2023, Marshalltown, Iowa.
Jeffrey McCunn ’92, June 23, 2023, Incline Village, Nevada.
Larry Lincoln ’60, May 23, 2023, Barrington, Illinois.
Scott Shoger ’02, June 3, 2023, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Frank Nowasell ’60, October 13, 2023, Indianola, Iowa.
Nicole Dady ’05, October 14, 2023, Runnells, Iowa.
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FALL 2023 | 33
Craig Saunders ’66 pedaled his way 7,000 miles — from Cairo to Cape Town — while participating in the Tour D’Afrique in the spring of 2023. A retired cardiothoracic surgeon, Saunders knows more than a thing or two about heart-racing adventures. He’s climbed Mt. Elbrus — the highest peak in Russia and Europe at 18,510 feet. He went even higher to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet. But topping the charts of his epic achievements is an unforgettable fourmonth, 7,000-mile ride through Africa. It all started about 10 years ago, when Saunders’ nephew challenged him to do the 500-mile RAGBRAI ride through Iowa — a rather far-fetched idea at the time. “I hadn’t been on a bike since I was 12 years old,” said Saunders. Despite that grounding reality, Saunders decided to give it a spin. “That next July, tears came to my eyes when I saw the Mississippi and completed my first RAGBRAI.” During his second Ragbrai ride, Saunders came across a kiosk featuring TDA Global Cycling out of Toronto. “They had this ride across Africa, and right then and there, I said, ‘I’m doing that.’” He had to wait a few more years to retire and make it happen at a spry 78.
Photo Captions (Top left) Saunders started strong in the Egyptian desert, with water bottles, sun screen, tire pump and bicycle lock intact. He eventually lost all of those items while crossing through Africa. (Left) In Kenya, Saunders enjoyed his opportunity to visit with members of the Maasai Tribe. Part of Saunders’ epic ride took him along the Elephant Highway (sign, at left) in Botswana, where 110,000 elephants roam the Kalahari. 34 | SIMPSON: THE MAGAZINE
Pedaling Perseverance Saunders was the senior-most rider of the 30-person group taking on the Tour D’Afrique. But he more than held his own keeping pace on rides averaging 90 miles a day. The first 100+ mile day took riders into Egypt’s Abu Simbel — site of two ancient temples built by King Ramses II. Saunders turned heads with an impressive ride that day. “It’s not supposed to be a race, but it’s a race. I was feeling good, and I finished second. People were kind of impressed and saying things like, ‘You’re my inspiration.’ But, reality check, by the end of the tour they were saying, ‘Man, I’m glad I’m not you.’” Indeed, the Tour D’Afrique represented a whole different world of challenge for Saunders. “Think of it this way,” he said. “The ride was the equivalent of doing 15 RAGBRAIs back-to-back.”
Lasting Images But having the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride by the Red Sea, along the Nile River, past Mt. Kilimanjaro and on the Elephant Highway makes pedaling through any pain more than worth it. There was so much for Saunders to soak in, it was hard to process it all in real time. “You took a lot of pictures, but you never took enough pictures, and the pictures didn’t show what you wanted to see. There were times I thought, ‘I’m just riding down this road, and all I’m looking at is asphalt and gravel.’ Then I realized that all of Africa was going by me, the people by the road, the markets, the shops, and the elephants on the highway. Those are burned in my mind, all the special things that you get for being there — rather than just looking at pictures.”
Rolling Through a Wonder-Filled Life Completing the Tour D’Afrique represents just the latest chapter in Saunders’ fascinating life story distinguished by incredible experiences and achievements. But trying to compare the thrill of his African trek with all the wonders of his 40-year career on the cutting edge of cardiac surgery simply isn’t possible. “They are completely different things. I loved my career; I mean holding a beating heart in your hands…I was there for the good part of cardiac surgery — transcatheter valves, transplants, and all that. You look back at it and you think, ‘God, I did that?’” Throughout his entire journey, Saunders has been a loyal and enthusiastic Simpson alumnus. He supports the College’s mission faithfully and generously through his many gifts over the years. And he has been an inspiration to Simpson students with medical career aspirations.
Saunders enjoyed a taste of Iowa as he pedaled past a cornfield growing in the rain shadow of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
How has Saunders done it all for so long — and so brilliantly? The answer, in large part, is found in a conversation he once had with the great wine maker Robert Mondavi. “He told me that making a fine wine is the matter of very simple steps intricately put together. That has served me well through life. So, whether it’s pursuing a career in medicine, doing heart surgery or riding a bicycle across Africa, it’s just about taking simple little steps every day. When you put them back-to-back and together, it’s amazing what you accomplish at the end.” FALL 2023 | 35
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