ROAR / Vol.10, Issue 1 / Fall/Winter 2025

ROAR FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Vol. 10, Issue 1 Fall/Winter 2025

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Meet Max Zion Bowyer Max Zion Bowyer is a photographer from Manhattan, Kansas, who is studying photography at Fort Hays State University (Class of 2026).

Specializing in portraiture and sport, he strives to create images that tell a story and capture genuine moments. His work is driven by the shared connection of others and is known for its depth and intimacy.

“

“Running has been a huge part of my life since my first year in middle school. I loved track and cross country so much and became more serious about it at the start of high school. As I grew older I had more time to explore other things I liked and one of those new found passions was photography.” —MA X ZION B OW YER

CONTENTS

ROAR MAGAZINE | Vol. 10, Issue 1 | FALL/WINTER 2025

Features

14 TWO PATHS, ONE FOUNDATION

How Fort Hays State Physics helped shape Ella McKee and Levi Hickert

18 REMEMBERING

14

18

CURTIS SCHMIDT

Neither an ambush or a streak, but a part of Tiger Nation

22 A LOOK BACK AT

ISSUE #1 OF ROAR

Tigers still making a difference a decade later

26 SIX BROTHERS, ONE DREAM

Team Slattery’s Great Race adventure

22

26

30 NOSSA FAMÍLIA

Tiger Volleyball enjoys tough competition and extended family time in Brazil

34 RACING THROUGH LIFE Dick Cohen’s action-packed journey

38 FHSU’S MEDICAL

IMAGING PROGRAMS

30

Expanding to meet critical healthcare services needs in rural Kansas

34 40

HEART OF A TIGER

Heartfelt stories about the people that make the Tiger Nation special

Departments

38 ON THE COVER: Sheridan Hall on a snowy day. Photo by Zach Woolf

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02 FROM THE EDITOR 03 CAMPUS NEWS 08 ALUMNI AWARDS 12 TIGER ATHLETICS 44 ALUMNI NEWS 46 TIGER NOTES FHSU.EDU

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FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF

PHOTO ZACH WOOLF

Dear Friends, Welcome to the first issue of the 10th year of ROAR Magazine. We launched the magazine in the fall of 2016 with an inaugural issue that featured profiles of Tiger Nation members, including a world-renowned geosciences professor, a NASA engineer, a physician who returned to FHSU to earn his MBA degree, a successful artist and muralist, and a story highlighting five generations of women who all earned their teaching credentials at our university.

One of the features you will find in this 10th edition of ROAR Magazine is a piece written by ROAR Magazine feature writer “emeritus” Diane GasperO’Brien. Diane was part of the magazine’s launch team and served as a primary contributor to the magazine until she retired in 2022. For this issue, we asked Diane to reconnect with several of the people she profiled back in 2016 to see what has happened in their lives over the past nine years.

Over the years, we’ve added new features to ROAR Magazine. In 2021, we launched a partnership with our colleagues at the Tebo Library to include a recurring column that focuses on key people, places, and events that left their marks on the history of the university.

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

Then, in 2022, we introduced a new column we called the “Faculty Forum.” We did this so our readers could gain some insight from our subject matter experts on topics ranging from the history behind the Russia/Ukraine conflict to how our faculty are using innovative technology to give our future K12 science teachers new ways to bring the visual majesty of the Rocky Mountains to their classrooms on the High Plains.

As we look forward to future editions of ROAR Magazine, we’d love to hear from you. Are there sections or features in the magazine you particularly appreciate? Are there things we should consider adding or changing? Please let us know by sending an email to FHSUNews@fhsu.edu. If you place “ROAR Magazine” in the subject line of your email, we’ll be sure to see it.

Warm regards,

Scott Cason

Scott Cason

Chief Communications Officer

CAMPUS NEWS

INTRODUCTIONS Editor in Chief Scott Cason Creative Director Stocks Creative Managing Editor Boyce Durr Senior Editor Dawne Leiker Writers Christa Beiker Scott Cason Boyce Durr Brian Gribben Dawne Leiker Diane Gasper-O’Brien Photographers Will Burns Scott Cason Dawne Leiker Contributors FHSU Alumni Office FHSU Athletics FHSU Foundation Tebo Library

ROAR Magazine is published twice a year (summer and winter)

by Fort Hays State University’s Office of University Communications.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the FHSU Alumni Office, One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601

CONNECT Fort Hays State University @FortHaysState @FortHaysState

DSNWK was named 2025 Tiger Nation Partner of the Year at a celebration in August.

FHSU announces 2025 Tiger Nation Partner of the Year FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY (FHSU) recognized Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas (DSNWK) as its 2025 Tiger Nation Partner of the Year award recipient. The Tiger Nation Partner program was created to promote and spread the Tiger Nation spirit throughout the local community and the local businesses and service organizations that make Hays a great college town.

“Being selected as the Tiger Nation Partner of the Year by Fort Hays is a great honor,” said Jerry Michaud, President/CEO of DSNWK. “FHSU and DSNWK have so many overlaps: our staff are students and graduates; our missions help build skills, develop talents, and prepare people for future success.”

FHSU’s University Communications office established the Tiger Nation Partner of the Year award to honor a Hays community business or nonprofit organization that showcases its Tiger pride. Community partners considered for the award are invited to demonstrate their Tiger spirit in a variety of ways, including: • Creating or sharing TGOF-themed social media content • Encouraging employees to be ‘caught’ wearing FHSU Tiger gear at work and around town • Purchasing FHSU-branded apparel for staff through the Victor E. Gift and Apparel Company • Highlighting how their organization has “Tigerized” its workspace

Learn more about the Tiger Nation Partner program at www.fhsu.edu/tigernation

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CAMPUS NEWS

First cohort of hybrid BSN program students on FHSU campus.

FHSU launches new hybrid BSN program with first cohort of students FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY’S new hybrid pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program opened its inaugural semester this fall, welcoming its first cohort of 10 students.

The program offers a flexible combination of online and face-to-face learning experiences, with theorybased courses delivered online and

synchronous class sessions allowing for real-time interaction with instructors and classmates. Lab and clinical experiences are bundled together, enabling students to make fewer trips to Hays while still receiving hands-on training.

“We are excited to offer this type of nursing education to students who are place-bound due to either work

WSU Board of Trustees approves feasibility study for dental school in partnership with FHSU IN AUGUST, THE WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES approved up to $750,000 to fund a comprehensive feasibility study exploring the creation of Kansas’ first dental school. This is inclusive of support from Fort Hays State University, a partner in the project, which aims to address the state’s shortage of dentists, particularly in rural communities.

“Nowhere is the critical shortage of access to professional dental care more pressing than in the rural Kansas counties served by Fort Hays State University,” said FHSU President Tisa Mason. “We are honored to join Wichita State University in this important initiative.”

The study, to be completed by fall 2026, will evaluate the scope, scale, and structure of a potential dental school based in Wichita, with a presence in rural Kansas through Fort Hays State.

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

or family commitments,” said Tanya Smith, assistant chair of FHSU’s nursing department. “While the program maintains its quality and rigor, having the ability to complete the coursework required on the student’s time schedule instead of a structured schedule has been beneficial to the students in this program.”

CAMPUS NEWS

The Tebo family celebrates the unveiling of the new Tebo Library sign during FHSU’s Homecoming weekend.

Fort Hays State University announces seven-figure gift to campus library TO KICK OFF THE HOMECOMING 2025 WEEKEND, a seven-figure gift was revealed at a dedication and major gift announcement at Fort Hays State University on Friday, September 26.

The transformative donation from Stephen, Tatiana, and the Tebo family will support the renovation of FHSU’s

on-campus library, which will proudly carry the name Tebo Library moving forward.

The renaming of FHSU’s library not only honors the Tebo family’s extraordinary generosity, but also reflects the values they live by – grit, determination, perseverance, vision,

and innovation – principles deeply woven into the spirit of Fort Hays State itself.

A 1967 Fort Hays State University graduate, Stephen fondly remembers the library as more than a building. It offered him knowledge, connection, and opportunity.

FHSU awards more than $377,000 in scholarships at annual Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship ceremony FHSU’S W.R. AND YVONNE ROBBINS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP awarded 296 student scholarships, exceeding $377,000, to business and entrepreneurship students for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The awards, announced at the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship ceremony on Sept.

11 in the FHSU Memorial Union Ballroom, were presented to on-campus and online students.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Left to right: Dan Nenonen, Dana Cunningham, Sid Wiens, Rick Billinger, Tisa Mason, Jill Arensdorf, Jeff Briggs, Jenny Manrie, Christa Beiker, Sarah Wasinger

Stroup Hall construction kick-off event held on August 21 CONSTRUCTION ON THE UNIVERSITY’S newest capital project was launched in a campus celebration held in front of Stroup Hall on Thursday, August 21. The expansion is expected to transform healthcare education on the FHSU campus.

The updated facility will bring the Departments of Nursing and Allied Health together under one roof, creating

collaborative, state-of-the-art spaces for learning and training. With enrollment in our nursing and medical diagnostic imaging programs projected to grow by more than 65 percent and 40 percent, respectively, this expansion positions FHSU to meet the region’s evolving healthcare needs.

Thanks to $15.4 million in funding from the Kansas Legislature, the project

Focus on critical workforce needs in Kansas sparks enrollment growth at FHSU and affiliated technical colleges THIS FALL, 14,682 STUDENTS, including 9,146 Kansans, are enrolled at one of the three Fort Hays affiliated institutions. On-campus enrollment at FHSU grew by 2% over last year. Enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | North Central is up 6.9% in Hays and Beloit, and enrollment at Fort Hays Tech | Northwest in Goodland is up 3.5%.

“The unmatched value of a Fort Hays educational experience continues to attract students who seek a high-quality education at an affordable price to our three institutions,” said FHSU President Tisa Mason. “With the support of our state legislators, we are making investments in the future of Fort Hays that align with the goals set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents and our state’s workforce needs.”

The Fall 2025 enrollment count at Fort Hays State University, Kansas’ largest comprehensive regional public university, includes 1,096 first-time new undergraduate (non-transfer) students, an increase of more than 9% over last year, campus residence halls operating at full capacity, and a 5% increase in the number of Kansans enrolled at the university over the past two years.

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will feature advanced simulation labs, modern classrooms, and realistic clinical environments, ensuring students receive hands-on training that mirrors realworld practice.

This exciting development reflects Fort Hays State University’s ongoing commitment to regional service, academic excellence, and preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

CAMPUS NEWS

New leadership in Tiger Athletics FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY announced Dr. Lisa Goddard McGuirk as its next Director of Athletics back in May of 2025. She began her role as the leader of the Tiger Athletic department in June 2025, following the retirement of Curtis Hammeke, who had served in the role for 21 years.

Goddard McGuirk came to FHSU from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she had a highly successful 11-year tenure as Director of Athletics. She was honored as a NACDA Athletic Director of the Year in 2023-24. In 2022, the Erie Times-News honored Goddard McGuirk as Erie Sportswoman of the Year.

“Our primary objective was to find a visionary leader who aligns with our aspirations for the future of Tiger Athletics,” said FHSU President Tisa

Mason. “In this era of unprecedented challenges and significant transformation in intercollegiate athletics, Dr. McGuirk stood out as an exceptional choice. Her extensive experience, strategic foresight, and proven leadership positions her to build on our incredible accomplishments and elevate our program to new heights in the competitive landscape of NCAA Division II athletics.”

Gannon’s athletic programs soared to new heights under the leadership of Goddard McGuirk. The Golden Knights earned three of the last four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dixon Trophy championships for all sports (2021-22, 2022-23, and 2024-25). The trophy is presented annually based on finishes in conference events and standings.

Gannon won conference championships in volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s golf, and claimed NCAA regional titles in women’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s wrestling, and men’s golf during her tenure.

Under Goddard McGuirk’s leadership, Gannon’s student-athletes excelled in the classroom, collectively maintaining a GPA of at least 3.2 in all 11 years of her guidance. They also had a big impact on the Erie community through service and philanthropy.

Goddard McGuirk is recognized as a national leader in collegiate athletics, serving on the NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Committee and the Board of Directors of the Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2ADA).

She was instrumental in several renovation projects at Gannon, including enhancements to the Highmark Event Center, McConnell Family Stadium, and Carneval Athletic Pavilion.

“I am excited to begin collaborating and building upon a long-standing tradition of excellence at FHSU,” Goddard McGuirk said. “It was evident that there is a remarkable level of commitment and pride throughout Hays and Tiger Athletics. My family and I are excited to be members of this special community.”

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Alumni Awards

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

P OLICE CO MMA N DE R , B E N JA MIN A . K E L SO ’1 4 , ’ 1 7 SAN DI E GO, CALI FORN I A

Alumni Achievement Award BENJAMIN KELSO IS AN EXPERIENCED AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED POLICE COMMANDER with the San Diego Police Department. With 35 years of dedicated service, Kelso has excelled in numerous roles, including police captain, lieutenant, and sergeant, overseeing divisions such as neighborhood policing, traffic, youth services, and homeland security. He is known for his expertise in community policing, collaborative partnerships, and leadership in developing high-performing teams.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Kelso

holds two advanced degrees from FHSU – including a Master of Liberal Studies in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Professional Studies in Criminal Justice.

Kelso serves on several boards and has contributed as an adjunct faculty member with the University of San Diego since 2015. In 2022, he was recognized as one of San Diego’s Top 50 Black Leaders of Influence. Kelso is a passionate advocate for community engagement and has been instrumental in building trust between law enforcement and local communities.

MICH E L L E DIL L A R D ’11

H IG H L AN DS RAN C H, COLORADO

Alumni Achievement Award MICHELLE DILLARD IS A FIFTH-GRADE MATH TEACHER in Littleton Public Schools at Ford Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado. She believes that all students can be “math people” and have the ability to thrive. Dillard began her education journey after earning a Bachelor of Arts from Dallas Baptist University and a Master of Education in English for Speakers of Other Languages from FHSU. She has been a classroom teacher for 20 years, with a focus on mathematics instruction and student engagement. Dillard has served on district teams in Littleton Public Schools developing curriculum, leading professional learning, and supporting her school’s

transition to an International Baccalaureate program. She is also an active member of the Colorado Council for Teachers of Mathematics and a National BoardCertified Teacher.

Dillard has received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program Award and was recognized with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the highest national recognition for K–12 STEM and computer science teachers.

With a passion for empowering students and a commitment to global learning, Dillard continues to inspire curiosity, confidence, and a love of mathematics in every classroom she enters.

Visit FHSUhomecoming.com/awards to view past FHSU Alumni Award recipients and to learn more about the criteria by which these distinguished individuals were selected.

Opposite: Back Row L to R: Dr. Mike Slattery, Dr. Jeff Curtis, Benjamin Kelso. Front Row L to R: Dr. Sara Brungardt and Michelle Dillard. Not pictured: Jacie Hoyt

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DR. J E FF CU RT IS ’77 HAY S , KA N S A S

Distinguished Service Award KNOWN FOR HIS DEVOTION AND UNTIRING DEDICATION TO IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH CARDIOLOGY, DR. CURTIS has spent his career serving others with compassion. He began his education at Fort Hays State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in General Science, and later an MD degree from the University of Kansas. Dr. Curtis completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center, followed by subspecialty fellowship training in cardiovascular medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was honored as an FHSU Young Alumni Award recipient in 1987. Today, Dr. Curtis is a fellow of both the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians and remains board-

certified in internal medicine and cardiology.

Dr. Curtis was instrumental in bringing the DeBakey Heart Institute of Kansas at Hays Medical Center to life, where he practiced until 2021. In 2022, he joined Fort Hays State University’s Health and Wellness Center as its medical director, where he continues to promote wellness for students, faculty, and staff.

Beyond medicine, he has provided generous support, leadership, and service to the Hadley Foundation, Boy Scouts of America Troop 101, the FHSU Foundation, the Symphony Society, and the Hays Arts Council. Dr. Curtis currently serves on the FHSU Foundation Board of Trustees. His career reflects a deep commitment to service, both in medicine and in the community.

DR. MIKE SL AT T E RY ’73, ’77, ’89 HAY S , KA N S A S Nita Landrum Award

DR. MIKE SLATTERY’S DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN EDUCATION spans decades, leaving a legacy at Fort Hays State University and in Kansas schools.

While at FHSU, Dr. Slattery earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, a Master of Science in Secondary Education Administration, and an Education Specialist degree in Education Administration. He finished his education at Kansas State University with a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration.

After working in various Kansas school districts, Dr. Slattery taught for 22 years in FHSU’s College of Education. Following retirement, his connection to Fort Hays State has remained strong. An advocate for FHSU,

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Dr. Slattery regularly attends on-campus and athletic events and cheers on the Tigers any chance he can. Dr. Slattery served nine years on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and has remained a generous supporter of Fort Hays State.

He has been personally and professionally involved with the FHSU Athletic Association, the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Koch Crime Commission Schools Task Force. A recipient of numerous honors, including the Cunningham Outstanding Educator Award, Dr. Slattery’s commitment to education extends beyond the classroom.

D R. S A R A B R U N G A R DT ’08, ’11 SCOT T S DA L E , A RIZO N A Young Alumni Award

QUICKLY BECOMING A STANDOUT IN THE FIELD OF OCD AND ANXIETY TREATMENT, DR. SARA BRUNGARDT is a licensed professional counselor, speaker, and founder of CalmOCD. She and her clinical team have created a successful practice across the western United States in Arizona and Utah, as well as telehealth services in eleven other states. Dr. Brungardt holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a Master of Science degree in community counseling, both from Fort Hays State, along with a Ph.D. in general psychology from Northcentral University.

Her early career included work as a match specialist with Big Brothers Big Sisters before moving into clinical

counseling and ultimately specializing in OCD and anxiety treatment. Under her guidance, CalmOCD has earned the Best of Scottsdale Award for three consecutive years based on providing evidencebased, life-changing care. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Brungardt regularly presents and leads her field at conferences and workshops nationwide.

Dr. Brungardt’s patients find her expertise to be comforting, compassionate, and professional, reflecting her passion for the field and her dedication to helping others. Through her innovative leadership and dedication to accessible, highquality care, Dr. Brungardt is reshaping the landscape of OCD and anxiety treatment.

JACIE H OYT ’11 STIL LWAT E R, O K L A H O M A Young Alumni Award

A STANDOUT ON THE COURT AND THE SIDELINES, JACIE HOYT has built a reputation as one of the most dynamic leaders in women’s college basketball.

She began her basketball career at Hoxie High School and went on to play at Wichita State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.

Jacie then attended Fort Hays State University to pursue her master’s degree in communication. An injury ultimately cut short Jacie’s plans to play at Fort Hays State, but she didn’t let that end her love of basketball.

Instead, she took on a graduate assistantship under FHSU women’s basketball coach Tony Hobson and pivoted her attention to coaching. After graduating, she became an assistant coach in Nevada and at Kansas

State University. Jacie was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 in 2017 during her last season at K-State. That same year, she was named head coach of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, leading them to a regular-season championship in 2020.

Currently in her fourth season as head women’s basketball coach at Oklahoma State University, Jacie has been credited with one of the nation’s largest program turnarounds in the 2022-23 season. Her team finished 4th in the Big 12 and earned an NCAA berth in her first year. With a proven track record, Jacie is shaping Oklahoma State into a women’s college basketball powerhouse.

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T I G E R AT H L E T I C S

ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS

F O OT BA L L

WOM E N ’S CRO S S C OU N T RY

SHADRYON BLANKA

EMMA WEINER

Shadryon Blanka, a

native of St. Francis,

Emma Weiner is

Kansas, has emerged

in her second year

as a breakout player for the Tiger defensive unit as a linebacker.

With a game to go in his sophomore season, Blanka ranked fifth on the team in tackles and earned MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week honors on October 27 with a career-high 10 tackles and two

OVER

200 POINTS SCORED THIS SEASON

tackles for loss in a 13-10 overtime win at Washburn. Blanka started the season as a reserve at linebacker, but worked his way into a starting role by the end of the season. He is one of several transfers from Kansas State University who have been making a big impact on the Tiger defense, which includes local Hays products

VOL L E Y BA L L ASHLYN REEVES

Ashlyn Reeves is one of the top players on

Coffeyville product Darrell Jones.

the FHSU volleyball

2025 MIAA DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

team, currently one of three players on the team with over 200 points scored this season. Through 26 matches in the 2025 season, she has 259 points generated with 208 kills and a team-best 82 blocks as a middle blocker, helping the team to a 15-11 overall record.

She reached double figures in kills six times, with a season high of 14 three times, while her season high for blocks in a match was seven. Over three seasons, the Basehor, Kansas native has accumulated more than 500 kills and more than 250 blocks in her career.

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

country team. She has six top-25 finishes in 11 career races, which also includes a pair of top-10 finishes. She has factored into team scoring in all but one of the races in her career as a Tiger and has helped

Gaven Haselhorst and Gavin Meyers, and

OCTOBER

with the FHSU cross

the team to a national ranking throughout most of the 2025 season.

Weiner was a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll in 2024-25. She is a native of Hoxie, Kansas, which is also the hometown of back-to-back MIAA champion (2024 and 2025) and 2025 NCAA Central Regional champion Emily DierksMcCullough.

2025 MIAA ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

T I G E R AT H L E T I C S

M E N ’S CRO S S C OU N T RY

M E N ’S S O C CE R

NOAH MORENZ

PAYTON ROEHRICH

in his third year

is having an

with the FHSU

outstanding

cross country team.

freshman year at Fort

He has five top-

Hays State. He has

20 finishes in his career over 15 races.

helped the Tigers to

He has been a consistent contributor

an undefeated regular season record of

to the team’s scoring throughout his

15-0-3 and a top-five national ranking.

career. He finished 27th at the MIAA

Roehrich was the starting goalkeeper

Championships in 2025, his best finish

in every match for Fort Hays State in the

in the conference meet to date. A native

regular season, posting an impressive

of Wamego, Kansas, Morenz is a 2-time

0.44 goals against average and .851 save

Noah Morenz is

Payton Roehrich

recipient of the MIAA Academic Excellence

shutouts and five combined shutouts in goal, helping the team

member of the MIAA

to 13 shutouts in the

Academic Honor

regular season.

and track and field combined.

2025 27TH AT MIAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION

percentage. Roehrich has eight individual

Award and a 7-time

Roll for cross country

2024

8

INDIVIDUAL SHUTOUTS

5

COMBINED SHUTOUTS

WOM E N ’S S O C CE R TAYLOR HILL

Taylor Hill just completed her second season with the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team. She scored a pair of goals in 2025 and added one assist in her sophomore season. As a freshman in 2024, she tied for the team lead in goals with five and added one assist that season as well. Hill was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection as a freshman, and she earned the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award and was a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

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TWO PATHS,

ONE FOUNDATION How Fort Hays State Physics helped shape Ella McKee and Levi Hickert

BY BOYCE DURR

A

T FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY, the physics department isn’t just about formulas and experiments; it’s about transformation. For Ella McKee and Levi Hickert, two students with very different beginnings, the program became the launching pad for careers they never imagined when they first set foot on campus. Their stories reveal what makes FHSU special: mentorship, opportunity, and a sense of belonging that lasts long after graduation.

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ELLA MCKEE

From the Fairway to the Physics Lab WHEN ELLA MCKEE arrived at FHSU, her identity was clear: a freshman golfer on scholarship, majoring in business.

Raised in Olathe, Kansas, with family ties to western Kansas, she felt at home on campus. But within two weeks, she knew business wasn’t for her.

“I called my mom and said, ‘Don’t be mad, but I can’t do this,’” Ella recalls.

Her mom’s response? “I could have told you that.”

After a semester of uncertainty, Ella chose to stay at FHSU because she loved the campus and the friendships she had formed. What she needed was a new academic direction. That’s when she walked into the physics department and met Dr. Gavin Buffington.

“I don’t even remember exactly what he said to me in that meeting,” Ella said, “but it felt welcoming, a great environment, very hands-on, and everybody was close. I thought, ‘This is perfect.’”

Initially interested in the 2+2 preengineering program, where students spend two years at Fort Hays State studying physics, then transfer to an engineering school for the final two years of study (usually at Kansas State University), Ella’s plans soon changed.

“I got so close to my professors. I fell more in love with physics and decided I couldn’t leave.”

Her first physics exam score—30%—was humbling. “I was terrified of Dr. Kayvan,” she said, referring to Dr. Kayvan Aflatooni. “But by the end of his course, I got a 90-something on the final.” She built a strong mentorship bond with him, even joking that “everyone back home knows Kayvan as my Hays grandpa.”

Ella McKee

LEVI HICKERT

Buffington delivered on that promise with research opportunities and scholarships. For both students, those opportunities were game-changers.

From Hays to Honeywell

FOR LEVI HICKERT, the journey to FHSU began on Tiger Day during high school. His plan was simple: attend Kansas State University, earn a mechanical engineering degree, and start a career. But then he met Dr. Aflatooni.

“He pulled us in close and said, ‘We have the 2+2 program—two years here, two years at K-State. But we also have the 3+2 program: three years here, two years at K-State, and you graduate with both a physics degree and a mechanical engineering degree.’”

Then came the lab tour in Tomanek Hall. “He showed us all of his instrumentation and even allowed us to interact with some of his experiments. That was the day I decided Fort Hays was going to be the best way to go.’”

Also, the financial appeal was undeniable. “I could pay for three years at Fort Hays and get an entire second degree for the same price as about one year at KSU or KU,” Levi said.

Research That Opens Doors

Levi Hickert

Finding Their Place in Physics Both Ella and Levi discovered that physics at FHSU was more than academics. Physics at FHSU was community. For Ella, that meant overcoming isolation as one of only two women in the department. “I was terrified,” she admits. “So, I started eating lunch with Kayvan upstairs.

That helped me get to know the other professors and build confidence.”

Levi faced a different challenge: deciding whether to stick with the 3+2 program. “I told Dr. Buffington I was thinking about just doing the 2+2, and he said, ‘If that’s better for you, I won’t stop you. But if you stay, I’ll make it worth your while.’”

Undergraduate research is a cornerstone of FHSU’s physics program. “If you’re going to do the 3+2 or even a full physics degree, you’re required to do at least one semester of research,” Levi said. “And they really advertise it.”

Levi worked on a laser research project for several years under a grant from Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL), eventually presenting at the FHSU John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days (SACAD) in 2023. Ella, meanwhile, explored medical physics after Buffington suggested it might be her calling. Shadowing experiences at Hays Medical Center, KU Health, and Advent Health confirmed it.

“I spent a whole day with the team at KU Health,” Ella said. “Medical physicists actively impact someone’s life every day. That’s what drew me in.”

Ella plans to pursue a master’s degree in medical physics, focusing on radiation therapy. Levi, after completing his mechanical engineering degree at K-State, landed a job at Honeywell FM&T.

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Ella works on her most recent physics project.

Relationships That Last

Both Ella and Levi emphasize the personal connections that define FHSU. “The professors actually know you,” Ella said. “If I’m sick and miss class, I get texts asking if I need anything; soup, help, whatever.”

Levi echoed that sentiment. “Every day during my second and third years, I’d eat lunch in the break room with at least two professors. We’d talk about science, life, anything. That sense of belonging is something you don’t get at bigger schools.”

Beyond the Classroom

From her early athletic experiences to her first dorm room, not to mention the physics labs and equipment, Ella appreciated the facilities at FHSU. This became even more evident after a summer at Oregon State.

“Their dorms didn’t have air conditioning and, even though it is Oregon, it gets hot in the summer.”

Compared to her freshman dorm experience at FHSU, where she shared a room in Victor E. Village, she was shocked by how much nicer she found the Fort Hays State facilities. “When my mom first walked into my room in Victor E. and said, ‘This can’t be a dorm, it’s too nice!’”

Levi’s experiences beyond his coursework included summer internships arranged through FHSU. “I learned more engineering from those three summers

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Levi examines current student projects.

than any class could teach me,” he said.

Those internships gave him the edge he needed at K-State and later at Honeywell.

Looking Ahead

Levi started at Honeywell on June 9, 2025. “They tell you it’ll feel like drinking from a fire hose for the first year, and they’re not lying,” he said. His plan is to stay at least three years to become fully vested in the 401(k) program there, while remaining close to his family in Kansas.

Ella, meanwhile, is preparing for graduate school and a career in medical physics. “I wouldn’t change anything,” she said. “The biggest thing about our program is how much the professors care and actually know their students.

That’s incredible.”

Why FHSU Matters

For both Ella and Levi, Fort Hays State was more than a stepping stone; it was the foundation for building a future.

“Fort Hays gave me that leg up at K-State, which led to the job I wanted,” Levi said. “None of that would have been possible without FHSU.” Ella agrees. “It’s a place where students can discover their passions, build lasting relationships, and get the support they need to succeed.”

From the golf course to the physics lab, from Hays to Honeywell, their journeys prove one thing: at FHSU, the possibilities are endless.

IN MEMORIAM

GAVIN D. BUFFINGTON, PH.D. 1967-2025

FHSU Physics Department Chair, 2006-2025 FHSU Physics Professor, 1997-2025 A dedicated teacher and mentor to both his students and fellow faculty, Gavin was committed to supporting students by maintaining a top-quality physics program, sharing his passion for computational physics, and creating a welcoming atmosphere at Fort Hays State University.

Judging from the comments of the students interviewed for this article and the people who knew him best, Gavin was a tremendous influence for good. He will be deeply missed.

save the

date 2026

FORT HAYS STATE HOMECOMING

OCTOBER 1-3, 2026

NEITHER AN AMBUSH NOR A STREAK BUT A PART OF TIGER NATION:

Remembering

Curtis Schmidt and His Family’s Intergenerational Legacy

BY BRIAN GRIBBEN PHOTOS COURTESY OF Tebo Library Special Collections & University Archives, the Schmidt Family, and Robert Duffy

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY LATE FRIEND CURTIS SCHMIDT (’99 & ‘04) often descended into pedantic exercises centered on the nomenclature of our respective disciplines. Recalling his insistence on using specific terminology (“venomous and poisonous aren’t synonymous, Gribb”), I was hesitant to (even playfully) incorporate “ambush,” “streak,” or other mammalogical terms designating a group of Panthera tigris into a story memorializing “Schmidty.” However, to remember him, his work with both the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and FHSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, and his deep affinity for his alma mater in full requires placing his relationship with the university within an intergenerational framework, a framework that, for many alumni, embodies what it means to be part of Tiger Nation.

Like many second-generation alums, Curtis’s introduction to Fort Hays State came at an

early age through his father, Tim Schmidt (’68).

Excursions to the Brass Rail and devotion to Tiger Athletics aside, the collegiate experiences of father and son couldn’t have been more different. Earning a BBA after a brief turn as an English major, like many men of his generation, Tim had the added pressure of retaining his college deferment as the specter of the Vietnam War loomed behind every study session at the library and The Library (if you know, you know). Tim remembers, “You’d see it all the time. One day you’d see your buddy on campus, maybe struggling with some classes or messing around too much and, the next thing you knew, they were gone . . . drafted.” The war didn’t spare Tim and his young family. Marrying his high school sweetheart, Esther Burgardt, six months prior to graduation, by the spring of 1969, and no longer possessing a deferment, Tim received his draft notice.

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Curtis with Sternberg visitors

I had a wife and a college degree, but no one was hiring once they saw you had no deferment. This was the year before the lottery, and I was the last of the grab bag. I got my notice, said my goodbyes, and left for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood on Easter weekend.

I spent the summer at Fort Lee and, by September, I was stationed with the First Logistical Command at Cû Chi. I guess I took my senior trip to South Vietnam. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Leaving the army as an E-5, Tim returned to Hays and enrolled in graduate school on the GI Bill. After a stint in banking, he ventured into real estate and insurance, first as an agent and later as a partner with the Bieker Agency. As an extension of his work in the community, he joined Tiger Club, serving as its president in the 1980s.

Like many local FHSU boosters, Tim, Esther, daughter Leslie (’95, ’11, & ’20), and Curtis served as a host family for student-athletes, offering them refuge from campus and campus cuisine. Amidst back-to-back NAIA championships, it was a foregone conclusion that young Curtis would become an ardent fan of the Tigers, especially their basketball teams.

From childhood, Curtis was a fixture at Gross Memorial Coliseum alongside

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his father (later bringing his own family to games) and was no slouch in pickup games with his colleagues on the courts of Cunningham Hall.

While I can attest that he had a decent jumper, it was as a zoologist and educator where Curtis truly excelled.

Advised by Dr. William Stark, his undergraduate and graduate work centered on Herpetology. This interest was born from a lifelong passion for critters; one that, while sometimes unnerving to family and friends (and the occasional mail carrier), would introduce a generation of FHSU biology students, Sternberg Museum visitors and attendees of its summer camps, and Hays-area elementary students to the natural world. Leslie Karlin (nee Schmidt) remembers her brother captivating her Wilson Elementary third graders as a frequent guest speaker, “He taught them what scientists do

A Sternberg display of a pronghorn, native to Western Kansas, that is used to help teach the difference between them, deer, and antelope.

and was inspiring to them.” Beginning his association with the Sternberg Museum as a curatorial assistant in Herpetology as an undergraduate in 1998, Curtis later became the museum’s Associate Curator of Herpetology and Mammalogy before being appointed its first official Zoological Collections Manager in 2011.

Curtis was decidedly a rockstar at the Sternberg Museum, no small feat inasmuch as the institution and its faculty are renowned. Integral in designing the museum’s permanent exhibit Rattlers: From Fear to Fascination and collecting and caring for its live specimens, Curtis also played a key role in developing several of the museum’s other exhibitions such as A Look Inside, a traveling exhibit depicting the X-rays of the museum’s zoology collection. In his official capacity, he curated the zoology collection, supervised student work, facilitated requests from other institutions for tissue samples, and was active in the Sternberg Science Camps + program, taking high school and college students into the field on zoological excursions to New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Curtis augmented his work at the museum by serving as an adjunct instructor with the Department of Biological Sciences, teaching anatomy, medical terminology, and collections management and curation.

Intertwined with his museum responsibilities, Curtis was wellrespected by his peers for his scholarship and service to his discipline.

In addition to coauthoring scholarly articles centered on Kansas fauna, Schmidt coauthored 2011’s Bats of Kansas with Dale Sparks and Jerry Choate and, through his research, was one of the first biologists to identify instances of bat colonies in Kansas afflicted with White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a fungus that obstructs respiratory function.

Joining the Kansas Herpetological Society (KHS) as a teenager in 1992, Curtis was a longtime member, serving as KHS’s president twice (2006, 2019) and editor of the organization’s publications from 2010-2016. Curtis loved “going herping,” especially when accompanied by trusting friends he coaxed into flipping rocks so he could collect all manner of creatures that crawled out from beneath. After a day of successful herping, Curtis enjoyed nothing more than a cold IPA with his colleagues around a campfire, a far cry from the rusty steel cans of Black Label Tim imbibed at his basecamp in Cû Chi. Posthumously, KHS created the Curtis J. Schmidt Award, recognizing those who pursue a “commitment and excellence in the engagement

Schmidt family with FHSU basketball player Reggie Kirk in 1986

and education of the public regarding Kansas’ herpetofauna” (https://ksherp. com/curtis-j-schmidt-award/).

Memorializing Curtis in the preceding pages, I was tempted to focus exclusively on his service to the university and scholarship, depersonalizing a feature that, if framed against his premature passing in June 2022, would avoid excessive sentimentality. However, while his achievements are laudable in their own right, it is the familial connections to the university, ties familiar to many alumni, that characterized Curtis. Fort Hays State is where his father, sister, brother-in-law David, and other family members earned their degrees and where Curtis learned to love basketball.

If one subscribes to serendipity, pursuing her nursing education at FHSU placed Curtis’s wife, Amanda (’00 & ’20), in a position to meet her future

husband, and it was the university that served as the backdrop of evenings the couple spent at basketball games and Encore events. A third generation of their family joined Tiger Nation as Curtis and Amanda’s son, Jonathan Van Kampen, recently earned his degree through Fort Hays Tech|North Central in May, and their daughter, Avery, continues to pursue her education as an FHSU sophomore.

While Hemingway wrote that all true stories end in death, Curtis’s legacy continues through his family, who created the Curtis Schmidt Zoological Collections Endowment through the FHSU Foundation to further the work he began at the Sternberg Museum. It continues in the young biologists and educators he mentored. And that legacy continues in the research advanced by those who’ll never know him but utilize the collections he curated.

DONATE TO THE CURTIS SCHMIDT ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS ENDOWMENT The endowment will be used to preserve, expand, and fund research students who will work with the collection.

Scan the QR code or visit https://foundation.fhsu.edu/donate/ or mail your donation to: FHSU Foundation, PO Box 1060, Hays, KS 67601

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R A RO FORT HAYS

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Tigers still making a difference a decade later

A LOOK BACK AT ISSUE #1 OF

ROAR

BY DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

S

HAWN HENDERSON isn’t a graduate of Fort Hays State University. But he wore the black and gold with pride while working as Director of Field Experience for the College of Education for five years – and still does. Henderson, now an awardwinning principal across town at Hays High School, was one of the faculty members highlighted in the inaugural ROAR Magazine in the fall of 2016.

The current ROAR staff, in commemoration of entering the 10th year of the magazine, decided to revisit some of those folks whose stories were featured in that first issue. One of those is Henderson, who these days is in charge of the new $115 million Hays High School.

Two others were Joel Dugan, an FHSU professor, and Joe Erdman, a Tiger alum. Dugan, then a painting professor, is now chair of the Department of Art and Design and a professor at Fairmont State University in West Virginia.

Dugan moved from FHSU in 2018, but he left behind a piece of history with three large murals in the main entrance of the Memorial Union. The murals, entitled “The Journey,” depict the journey of the university from its humble beginnings in 1902 to today.

While working at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Littleton, Colo., Erdman has enjoyed the experience of working for 32 years on missions that put men and women into space. He was featured in the inaugural ROAR as a systems engineer working on Orion, America’s next-generation spacecraft for NASA’s mission to Mars by 2028.

Now nearing retirement, Erdman reflected on his Fort Hays State experience as a student-athlete. Back then – and still today – he credits FHSU with a strong foundation for his career success.

Not only did he compete as a standout middle-distance runner for the Tiger track team, but held on-campus jobs as both a night watchman at one of the

Former FHSU employee Shawn Henderson is now an award-winning principal at Hays High School.

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Above: FHSU alum Joe Erdman has worked for more than three decades on missions that put men and women into space.

Right: Lyndsey Dugan, right, and Diane Gasper-O’Brien, editors of the first ROAR Magazine

residence halls, as well as working in the university’s maintenance department.

“The education I got at Fort Hays State was so well-rounded,” Erdman said. “I got to see such a breadth of how things were done, both in and out of the classroom. The importance of a well-rounded education makes a big difference, and Fort Hays gave me that opportunity.”

Several of the photos that appeared in that first ROAR were the product of then FHSU graduate student Jared Tadlock.

Coincidentally, several photos of Joel Dugan’s current murals also are taken by Tadlock, who now is an assistant professor of graphic design at Fairmont State.

Tadlock was recently named to the 2025 class of “Generation Next: 40 Under 40” by the West Virginia State Journal and WV News. Likewise, Henderson has excelled beyond his Fort Hays State days.

He earned Kansas Secondary Principalof-the-Year honors from the Kansas Principals Association in 2024 and got to represent Kansas at the National Principals Conference in Washington, D.C. Henderson said he loved his job at FHSU but missed walking the hallways of a high school. So, he took the

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principal’s job at Russell High School for two years before assuming that same role at Hays High in 2021.

“I still maintain my relationships with the College of Education, and I still love Fort Hays,” said Henderson, whose daughter, Mallory, chose to continue her education at FHSU. When the University Relations and Marketing (URM) staff at FHSU was charged with producing a bigger, brighter magazine nearly 10 years ago, it first had to come up with a name. After much brainstorming, ROAR won out.

“That came from the idea of displaying the consistency of the brand of Fort Hays State,” said Lyndsey Dugan, then creative director for URM and eventual executive editor of ROAR. “Fort Hays State is strong and resilient, and we wanted to roar about ourselves, tell everyone about our incredible university.”

From the first issue on, the staff thoroughly enjoyed telling the FHSU story. It was a unique opportunity to tell the stories of research and success of the alumni, as well as working with the FHSU Alumni and Foundation offices.

“

Fort Hays State is strong and resilient, and we wanted to roar about ourselves, tell everyone about our incredible university.”

“We had a job to do with ROAR, and we had a passion to do it, and we wanted the alumni to know about the positive change and the type of education Fort Hays offers,” Lyndsey Dugan said. “We wanted to tell the success stories of our awesome faculty as well as those of our alumni.”

Readers noticed almost immediately, with feedback coming back to URM from graduates near and far.

“I really enjoy the depth of the stories and the research that go into the magazine,” said Dr. Mike Slattery, a former professor who retired in 2011. Slattery is still an active FHSU supporter and decided to retire in Hays. And he looks forward to each and every issue of ROAR.

An eagle in one of Joel Dugan’s murals.

“The benefit of a magazine, it’s not just a one-time read. You can pick it up and read it more than once,” he said. “I love reading about the students and graduates, how they have used their degrees and have been able to get their start here at Fort Hays. What better way to get word out about our wonderful university than with this full-color, beautiful magazine!”

Lyndsey Dugan, Joel’s wife who now is brand manager for Fairmont State, also was named a West Virginia State 40-under-40 recipient. She laughed when reminiscing about the challenges of the first few issues of ROAR. “I personally designed them on weekends and nights,” she said. “I would sit in my home office, lock the door, and go over page spreads, photos, headlines – all of it – and paginate the magazine.”

She said she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, saying, “I don’t like to fail, and I think the magazine was successful because of a ‘can-do’ attitude with our entire team.”

I personally was blessed to be a part of that first ROAR issue as the managing editor and feature writer, and for several years thereafter, before retiring from FHSU in 2022. It was the highlight of a long writing career for me. Like many of the people whose stories I was able to tell in ROAR, I am a proud Tiger alum, and I credit my Fort Hays State education as the foundation for an exciting and rewarding career.

I still receive the magazine twice a year and enjoy watching how it has progressed since its beginning. A pullout from one of the stories that appeared on the front cover of that first ROAR summed up the mission of Fort Hays State, then and now.

“From actual bricks and mortar to developing new programs to increasing enrollment, there’s a whole lot of building – and growing – going on at FHSU.”

Former FHSU professor Joel Dugan working on site on one of his large murals.

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Mike Slattery (1951 MGTD), Joe Slattery, and Neal Slattery (1960 MGA) at Pyramid Lake, Nevada, June 2011.

Photos provided by the Slattery family.

Six brothers, one dream Team Slattery’s Great Race adventure

BY DAWNE LEIKER 26

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C

rossing the finish line at Irmo, South Carolina, the 1960 MG carried not just two Slattery brothers but the shared dream of six siblings, and the enduring spirit of their father.

The Slattery brothers’ team included driver Neal, 62, of Smolan; navigator Joe, 69, of San Francisco; and a four-member support crew: Terry, 68, of Dodge City; Kip, 66, of Topeka; Doug, 65, of La Crosse; and Mike, 73, of Hays. Each brought a lifetime of memories, mechanical know-how, and a commitment to honoring their father, John G. Slattery, who always dreamed of competing in the Great Race but never got the chance.

For the Slatterys, the race was about more than vintage cars - it was about family.

1914 Case 80HP steam engine with five Slattery brothers. Circa 1951

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The Ruby Red Diesel crew. John G. and Rita Slattery family. Circa 1990. (courtesy photo)

Photo courtesy of the Great Race staff.

The Race and the Challenge

The Great Race, founded in 1983, is a test of time accuracy rather than speed. Each team must follow a detailed course and maintain a precise average speed, with older cars earning handicaps. Instructions are released each morning - 22 pages of tightly wound, bow-tied directions - and participants have just 30 minutes to mark them up before hitting the road.

“It was hot,” said Neal, the driver. “They had to pretty much pull me out of the car at the end of the day because I couldn’t get out on my own.” With no air conditioning and a heat index topping 106 degrees, the driving conditions in the 1960 MG tested both man and machine.

The 2025 route stretched from St. Paul, Minnesota, to South Carolina, with 124 vintage cars starting and 111 finishing. Teams came from across the globe—Japan, France, Australia, Canada, and England—with only one other Kansas entry, a 1955 Chevrolet 3100 pickup from Syracuse.

In their rookie year, the Slattery brothers missed just one day due to a water pump issue. “Our goal was just to finish,” Mike said. “The medal says, to finish is to win.” By the last day, they had earned their first “Ace” award for precision driving.

The Support Crew

Behind every successful driver is a crew that keeps things rolling. Mike described their daily ritual: “First thing we’d do is make sure they got taken off. Check the oil, water, and tire pressures. Get the directions marked up. Then say goodbye. We wouldn’t see them (Neal and Joe) again until late afternoon.”

Evenings brought their own work: checking into hotels, unloading luggage, unhooking trailers, and ensuring safety gear—first aid kits, flares, flashlights, and more—was ready for the next leg.

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Slattery brothers at start of 2025 Great Race (courtesy photo)

Racing for Their Father

The brothers’ motivation came from deep roots. Growing up in Wright, Kansas, they worked on their grandparents’ farm and spent countless hours in their father’s mechanic shop. Their grandfather restored a 1914 Case steam engine with his brothers, the “Ruby Red Diesel Crew,” while their father and uncles restored classic cars, such as a 1926 Model T Touring.

“Dad always wanted to do the Great Race,” Mike said.

“He talked about it for years. He thought it would be a hoot to do it with his brothers.”

To carry their father and their late brother, J.B., along for the ride, the team placed their initials on each side of the MG’s license plate. “That was probably the best part,” Mike said. “Knowing we were doing it for Dad.” Neal agreed. “I just remember Dad wanting to be in the race, but he never got the time. He died so young. I didn’t think all my brothers would do it, but they did, and it was the most fun I’ve ever had with them.”

Photo courtesy of the Great Race staff.

Joe and Neal Slattery at the 2025 Great Race time trial start (courtesy photo)

Mike Slattery, FHSU’s 2025 Nita Landrum Award winner, taught for 22 years in FHSU’s College of Education. A graduate of FHSU with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in secondary education administration, Mike served nine years on FHSU’s Alumni Association Board of Directors and remains committed to education beyond the classroom.

The Slattery brothers celebrating car #111 first Ace during last day of the 2025 Great Race (courtesy photo)

Lessons in Brotherhood

Their camaraderie was marked by both laughter and purpose. “I’m the peacemaker,” Neal said with a grin. “Being the youngest, I learned how to stay out of trouble by watching the others.”

Preparation for the race involved creating calibration tables—calculating how long it took the MG to go from 0 to 20 or 50 to 0—because the speedometer had to be covered during competition. The team worked with a mentor couple from California who had 24 years of experience. “Meeting people like that from all over the U.S. was one of the best parts,” Mike said.

Next year, the brothers plan to compete in the sportsman division, and they’ve already registered for the 2026 Great Race, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 from Springfield, Illinois, to Pasadena, California. This time, Neal will drive his 1976 MGB. “The Great Race was one of the most fun things I’ve ever

done with my family,” Neal said. “I hope we do better next year—but mostly, I hope we have just as much fun.”

Team Slattery’s spirit of camaraderie didn’t go unnoticed. At the 2025 Great Race award ceremony, the team received the coveted “Our Best Friend” award, a special honor given to the team that best embodies the event’s values of helpfulness and sportsmanship. It’s not a prize for crossing the finish line, but for being the kind of competitors everyone is glad to race alongside.

“One of the coolest things was meeting an amazing group of people who would go out of their way to help you,” Mike said. “Which, in turn, we did. That’s just the Slattery way.”

A Legacy on the Road

For the Slatterys, every mile was a reminder of where they came from—and who taught them to love the hum of an engine and the joy of working together. “We were all working toward one goal,” Mike said. “That time with my brothers—that’s something I’ll never forget.”

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NOSSA FAMÍLIA Tiger Volleyball enjoys tough competition and quality time with family in Brazil

A

BY SCOTT CASON

UGUST IS WINTERTIME IN SOUTH AMERICA, and near the cold and wind-swept beaches of Rio De Janeiro, the Tiger Volleyball team began a challenging preseason competitive schedule against teams from some of Brazil’s most powerful sports clubs.

When the Tiger Volleyball team boarded a plane for Rio de Janeiro, they expected tough competition and a chance to sharpen their skills before the fall season. What they didn’t anticipate was how deeply they would be welcomed into Brazilian homes, traditions, and family life.

Tiger assistant coaches Carolynne Barbosa and Giovanna Kuntze helped facilitate this adventure. Both grew up in Rio de Janeiro and played for some of Brazil’s most prestigious sports clubs, including Flamengo. Their connections opened doors to elite competition, but their greatest contribution wasn’t logistical—it was personal. They invited the team into their world, sharing not just volleyball but the essence of Brazilian culture as well.

NCAA Division II volleyball programs are usually not allowed to begin preseason practice until less than a week before classes start. This means teams can usually only schedule one or two scrimmages before they begin competing in early-season tournaments.

The Tigers took advantage of a scheduling option that allows teams to jump-start the season by taking a trip abroad.

This allowed the team to schedule four scrimmages and still

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have up to three more upon their return.

The Tigers arrived in Rio on July 31. They jumped right into a packed competition schedule that began with four scrimmages against the top two clubs in the nation, programs that provide skilled volleyball players for Brazilian pro leagues and NCAA Division I programs.

“Sports clubs, like my old club Flamengo, don’t focus on just one sport,” Carolynne said. “Flamengo has basketball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, swimming programs, and an American football team.” Carolynne and Giovanna met as teenagers when both played for Flamengo teams.

Competition kicked off on Tuesday, August 5, with scrimmages against Club Fluminense’s 17’s and 19’s teams.

“These girls play at a level that prepares them to compete at the university level,” Carolynne said. The Tigers then scrimmaged against teams from the same age group at Club Regatas do Flamengo the next day.

On Thursday, the team returned to Fluminense to compete against their 19’s and 21’s teams. Then on Friday, the team finished the competition schedule against Flamengo’s 19’s and 21’s teams.

“Half of the 21’s team had just come from playing on the pro circuit, and one just finished training with the Brazilian Olympic Team,” Carolynne said.

When the week of competitive scrimmages finally concluded, the Tigers won 18 sets and lost only two. Usually, the Tigers watch a lot of film on an opponent before the match, but while in Brazil, the team had to adjust their game in real-time.

“This experience taught us to trust each other more on the court. We had to strategize and adjust our play on the

fly,” said Hope Duncan, a sophomore outside hitter from Lindsborg.

Avery Eshleman, a sophomore middle hitter from Salina, then added, “I will say that was actually a test for some of our girls because, when you’re out of your routine, when you’re out of your rhythm, you have to learn to let that go and lock in as quickly as you can.”

From the student-athlete’s standpoint, the intense competition was a fantastic confidence and unity builder for the team as they headed home for the fall semester and the 2025 volleyball season; however, what they experienced culturally while in Brazil was a part of the experience that will stick with them forever.

“We got to spend a lot of time with Gio (Giovanne) and Carolynne’s families, that was pretty special,” Hope said.

Big family meals that last well into the evening are normal in Brazil, and the student-athletes found the food and fellowship to be a great experience.

From the start, the trip would be transformational and rich in cultural immersion experiences, as well as intense volleyball competition. The plan was to give the team opportunities to experience the warmth and vibrancy of Brazilian life.

In Brazil, family isn’t just important; it’s everything. The student-athletes quickly learned this during their first evening in Rio, when they gathered around a long dining table at Giovanna’s family home. What was supposed to be dinner turned into an hours-long celebration filled with laughter, music, and endless plates of food. Phones were put away, and conversation flowed freely—a stark contrast to the fast-paced, hurried meals back home.

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Hope recalled, “It wasn’t just a meal; it was an experience.

We felt like part of the family from the moment we walked in.

They didn’t just feed us—they embraced us.”

The players were fascinated by the variety and freshness of Brazilian cuisine. Breakfast buffets featured pastries, cheesy bread, sausages, and drinkable yogurt. “The fruit was incredible,” Avery said. “Papaya, mango, guava, and everything was fresh.” Hope added, “And the waffles came with chocolate instead of syrup. That was a surprise!”

Even eating out was an adventure. Many restaurants served buffet-style, which made it easier for the players to sample dishes without worrying about language barriers. “We could just try everything,” Hope said. “It was the best way to experience the food.”

Speaking of language, Portuguese proved to be a challenge. Few locals spoke English, and while the two assistant coaches translated when needed, the players often relied on gestures and smiles. Surprisingly, this didn’t hinder the connection; it enhanced it. “We laughed so much trying to communicate,” Hope said. “It made everything more memorable.”

The language gap was most evident during a youth camp hosted by one of the local clubs. The student-athletes spent a day teaching volleyball to local kids, and despite not sharing a common language, the bond was instant.

“The kids adored us,” Avery said. “One even gave me her jersey.” Hope added, “It didn’t matter that we couldn’t talk.

We connected through the game.”

The team’s last workout in Brazil was on the following Monday, and rather than hitting the court one more time, the Tigers chose to venture out into the surf on a canoe adventure.

“That was a really cool team experience where we had to learn to communicate, to row on time, and to be very in sync for a time,” Hope said. “We were six to a canoe, and our

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Brazilian guides assigned us different spots and jobs on each canoe.”

Weeks later, the players were still talking about the experience—not just the wins, but the warmth of Brazilian hospitality. Carolynne and Giovanne’s families didn’t just open their homes; they opened their hearts. They showed the team what it means to slow down, savor life, and prioritize connection.

“This trip wasn’t just about volleyball,” Hope reflected.

“It was about family, culture, and learning to embrace the unknown.” Avery agreed: “We came back stronger as athletes, but more importantly, we came back richer as people.”

“We wanted them to see Brazil the way we see it,” Carolynne said. “And they did. They embraced everything.”

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33

RACING THROUGH LIFE Dick Cohen’s action-packed journey

BY DAWNE LEIKER

D

ICK COHEN’S STORY is one of education, cars, publishing, and a lifelong drive to chase adventure at every turn.

Cohen’s Fort Hays State University (FHSU) journey began when he transferred from Kansas State University during his junior year, seeking a more personal learning environment.

He quickly found his place, working at the then-brand-new Forsyth Library and playing in the marching band.

“I had a great time at Fort Hays,” Cohen recalled. “I loved my teachers.

Those were the good old days. I also loved Hays. It’s a great city.”

He graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) and began teaching fifth grade and special education in Dodge City. He recalled a special Fort Hays teacher who had a

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

profound impact on his life.

“My elementary education social studies teacher, Dr. Edith Dobbs, was my favorite teacher,” he said. “She was amazing, motivating, and inspiring. After graduation, when I started teaching, I used all her teaching strategies and methods. I owe my success as a classroom teacher to her.”

After four years in the classroom, Cohen returned to school, earning a master’s degree in special education from the University of Kansas in 1972 and an Ed.D. in 1975. During his doctoral studies, he developed a teaching strategy for non-traditional students that was implemented both in the U.S. and internationally. At the same time, he and a friend launched a classic car company, a side venture that would eventually shape the next stage of his life.

Cohen joined the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as an assistant professor, teaching, writing grant proposals, and traveling the world doing presentations. In 1980, after earning tenure, a very different opportunity came calling.

“I left the university that year and turned my car hobby into a full-time job in the auto salvage business,” Cohen said. “During the next ten years, our auto salvage business was very successful, and we started collecting and racing rare Fords, including Cobras and the Ford GT40 depicted in the movie Ford v Ferrari.”

Cohen’s dual passions for teaching and cars often overlapped. While running his salvage business, he continued teaching graduate courses at night. “It gave me the best of both worlds,” he said.

One of Cohen’s proudest moments came when he acquired and raced the legendary GT40 once owned by famed driver Ken Miles, the car portrayed in Ford v Ferrari. He first spotted the Ford GT40 at a vintage car race in Memphis, Tenn.

Cohen and his family pictured with a Ford GT.

“I told the owner I’d like to buy it,” Cohen said. “He wasn’t ready to sell, but several years later, he called and said, ‘I’m ready to sell the car.’ He named his price but wanted an answer in two days.” After five or six years of wanting it, Cohen and his business partner finally bought the car, and vintage raced it all over the country.

After spending the next decade in the salvage business, Cohen retired to Boca Raton, Florida. But his “retirement” was short-lived. In 1993, he joined Lynn University as an associate professor, later becoming dean of the College of Education. He continued teaching, publishing, writing grants, and training teachers, earning Lynn’s Teacher of the Year award in 2000. After 13 years, Cohen retired again - this time to devote more time to racing Ford GT40s and Cobras across the country.

Cohen’s love of cars and storytelling comes together in his upcoming book, Cobra Man: The Automotive Odyssey of Dick Cohen, from Corvettes to the Ken

Miles GT40, due out in February 2026 and published by McFarland Press.

The book chronicles his adventures acquiring rare cars, Shelby Mustangs, Corvettes, Cobras, and GT40s, and is available for pre-order on Amazon and other booksellers.

“It’s full of crazy stories about how I found all these cars,” Cohen said. “The whole book is crazy stories.”

In addition to his book, Cohen continues to publish monthly articles in auto magazines and enjoys auto races alongside his children and grandchildren. He and his wife, Rebecca, a Dodge City native, have been married for 55 years and continue to make regular trips back to Kansas.

“We still have a farm there,” Rebecca said. “So, we go there fairly often to take care of things. It’s great.”

Cohen’s life is a testament to the joy found in following one’s passion wherever it leads – from the classroom to the racetrack, from academic journals to the pages of his own book. Whether teaching, publishing, restoring, or racing, he has embraced each chapter with curiosity and determination.

Today, Cohen continues to share his love for learning and cars with his family, proving that the pursuit of adventure doesn’t slow down; it just shifts gears.

FHSU.EDU

35

TEBO LIBRARY TEBO LIBRARY INSPIRED BY GENEROSITY. DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE. INSPIRED BY GENEROSITY. DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE.

Fort Ha and the the nam

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Stephe shining while a a succe

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Thanks project As the L to R : Jason Williby, Mary Hammond, President Tisa Mason, Stephen Tebo, Ginger Williams, and Jill Arensdorf | Renderings of the Renovated Tebo Library

L to R : Jason Williby, Mary Hammond, President Tisa Mason, Stephen Tebo, Ginger Williams, and Jill Arensdorf | Renderings of the Renovated Tebo Library

“ Supporting the library felt like a meaningful way to give back. Fort Hays State gave me

theconfidence library felt like a my meaningful to give back.

Hays Statepride gavefor meme. “ theSupporting education and to pursue goals, andway it continues to be aFort source of great

I’m and grateful for the role the university played life, and giving is oneofway I canpride for me. the education confidence to pursue my goals, andin itmycontinues to be back a source great

“

thatthe legacy while helping future students create their own.is one way I can I’m grateful forhonor the role university played in my life, and giving back

- Stephen Tebo

“

honor that legacy while helping future students- Stephen create their Tebo own.

Fort Hays State University celebrated a remarkable moment this fall with the announcement of a seven-figure gift from Stephen, Tatiana, and the Tebo family. The transformative donation is supporting the renovation of FHSU’s on-campus library, which now proudly carries Fort Hays University celebrated a remarkable moment this fall with the announcement of a seven-figure gift from Stephen, Tatiana, the name Tebo State Library.

and the Tebo family. The transformative donation is supporting the renovation of FHSU’s on-campus library, which now proudly carries the name Tebo Library.

The library renaming not only honors the Tebo family’s extraordinary generosity, but also reflects the values they live by – determination,

grit, perseverance, vision, and innovation – principles deeply woven into the spirit of Fort Hays State itself.

The library renaming not only honors the Tebo family’s extraordinary generosity, but also reflects the values they live by – determination, grit, perseverance, vision, and innovation – principles deeply woven into the spirit of Fort Hays State itself.

Stephen Tebo’s story is one of humble beginnings. Growing up in Hill City, Kansas, he developed an entrepreneurial spirit early on, shining shoes at a local barbershop at age eight and selling coins by age eleven. His passion for business led him to establish Tebo Coin Stephen Tebo’s story is one of humble beginnings. Growing up in Hill City, Kansas, he developed an entrepreneurial spirit early on, while attending Fort Hays State. The venture not only financed his college education but also laid the foundation for what would become shining shoes at a local barbershop at age eight and selling coins by age eleven. His passion for business led him to establish Tebo Coin a successful career in real estate. while attending Fort Hays State. The venture not only financed his college education but also laid the foundation for what would become a successful career in real estate.

Stephen shared a few memories with the crowd of attendees at the dedication and major gift announcement on campus. As a proud 1967 graduate of Fort Hays State University, library as more than a building.

It offered on him knowledge, connection, Stephen shared a few memories withhe thefondly crowdremembers of attendeesthe at the dedication and major gift announcement campus.

As a proud 1967 and opportunity. graduate of Fort Hays State University, he fondly remembers the library as more than a building. It offered him knowledge, connection, and opportunity.

In a touching moment that captured the heart of the celebration, Stephen invited his great-grandson, Ryker Tebo, to the stage to join him in saying a few words.

Seven-year-old stood tall celebration, on a stepstool at theinvited podium confidence Ryker well beyond charmed In a touching moment that capturedRyker the heart of the Stephen hiswith great-grandson, Tebo, tohis theyears. stage He to join him the crowd as he spoke about his great-grandpa’s love for StateatUniversity. in saying a few words.

Seven-year-old Ryker stood tallFort on aHays stepstool the podium with confidence well beyond his years. He charmed the crowd as he spoke about his great-grandpa’s love for Fort Hays State University.

““ ““ - Ryker Tebo, Great-Grandson of of Stephen - Ryker Tebo, Great-Grandson StephenTebo Tebo

Constructed nearly 60 years ago,ago, the the library hadhad begun to to show itsits age. throughoutno nolonger longersupported supported the Constructed nearly 60 years library begun show age.The Thespaces spacesand andinfrastructure infrastructure throughout the way today’s students learn, collaborate, andand connect.

It was time modernizeits itsamenities, amenities,and and way today’s students learn, collaborate, connect.

It was timetotostrengthen strengthenthe thebuilding’s building’s foundation, foundation, modernize infuseinfuse the library withwith natural lightlight to create an an inspiring environment the library natural to create inspiring environmentfor forfuture futureFHSU FHSUstudents. students.

In 2024, FHSU embarked a nearly million comprehensive renovationtotothe thethen-named then-named Forsyth Library.

In 2024, FHSU embarked on aon nearly $28$28 million comprehensive renovation Library.The Theoriginal originallibrary, library,now now McCartney named General George Forsyth, armyofficer officerstationed stationedat atFort Fort Hays, Hays, the McCartney Hall,Hall, was was named afterafter General George A. A. Forsyth, anan army the nearby nearbyU.S. U.S.Army Armyfort. fort.The TheTebo Tebo family’s is allowing to honor past while embracing the future. family’s gift isgift allowing us toushonor the the past while embracing the future.

Thanks the generous support of donors Stephen, Tatiana, and theTebo Tebofamily, family,who whohave have already already stepped this Thanks to thetogenerous support of donors likelike Stephen, Tatiana, and the steppedforward forwardtotohelp helpbring bring this project to life.

Join them in making an impact on FHSU students for generations to come. project to life. Join them in making an impact on FHSU students for generations to come.

As the renovation takes shape and nears completion, set for February of 2026, now is the time to be a part of this incredible project:

As the renovation takes shape and nears completion, set for February of 2026, now is the time to be a part of this incredible project: - Make a gift (large or small) to the Tebo Library by visiting foundation.fhsu.edu/library and contribute to this stunning

- Make a gift (large or small) to the Tebo Library by visiting foundation.fhsu.edu/library and contribute to this stunning and much-needed renovation. and much-needed renovation.

- Name a space inside the Tebo Library on a first-come, first-paid basis. Spaces start at $5,000 and can be named

- Name spaceofinside the aTebo Library on family a first-come, first-paid basis. Spaces start at $5,000 and can be named in ahonor yourself, mentor, friend, member, or business. in honor of yourself, a mentor, friend, family member, or business.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

FHSU Foundation | 785-628-5620 | foundation@fhsu.edu | foundation.fhsu.edu\library

FHSU Foundation | 785-628-5620 | foundation@fhsu.edu | foundation.fhsu.edu\library

FAC U LT Y F O R U M

FHSU’S MEDICAL IMAGING PROGRAMS Expanding to meet critical healthcare services needs in rural Kansas

BY CHRISTA BEIKER

T

HE FIELD OF MEDICAL IMAGING is advancing

at an unprecedented pace, driving a growing demand for highly skilled technologists. At Fort Hays State University, the Allied Health Department is meeting this challenge head-on, expanding and innovating our Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Today, we train future professionals in several modalities, including Radiography, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cardiovascular Interventional Radiography, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Currently, the job vacancy rates in medical imaging range from 15-20% depending on the modality. Given these vacancy rates, our imaging graduating students enter the workforce with a variety of career path

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ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

Christa Beiker joined FHSU in 2004 and serves as the department chair and as a professor in the Allied Health department.

options. They may choose a full-time position or work in a PRN (as needed) capacity. This option works well for many recent graduates, as they may enjoy more flexible schedules. Our students also have opportunities to

work in a variety of settings, including rural and urban hospitals, as well as imaging clinics. Some may choose to be a traveling technologist. This last option allows newly graduated technologists to travel and work in a variety of facilities, giving them a wide range of experiences while filling in where vacancies persist.

With this deficit in the number of technologists across medical imaging specialties, the Allied Health Department has increased the number of students we have accepted in the last couple of years into our two core programs, Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Our Radiologic Technology program teaches students to learn diagnostic x-ray procedures performed on outpatients, inpatients, and patients in the emergency room and surgical suites. The students in this program also have the opportunity to branch out into advanced modalities such as MRI,

TODAY, WE TRAIN FUTURE PROFESSIONALS IN SEVERAL MODALITIES, INCLUDING RADIOGRAPHY, COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY, AND DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY. CURRENTLY, THE JOB VACANCY RATES IN MEDICAL IMAGING RANGE FROM 15-20% DEPENDING ON THE MODALITY. GIVEN THESE VACANCY RATES, OUR IMAGING GRADUATING STUDENTS ENTER THE WORKFORCE WITH A VARIETY OF CAREER PATH OPTIONS.

CT, Cardiovascular Interventional, and Mammography. Our Sonography program focuses on teaching students to work in the core areas of Abdominal, Obstetric/Gynecologic, and Vascular Ultrasound procedures.

Since 2020, the number of students accepted into our programs has increased from 32 students to 50 students in the Radiologic Technology program and from 12 students to 20 students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. We could not have accomplished this without adding strong clinical affiliations with more hospitals within Kansas and beyond.

Students build their professional skills while in their yearlong clinical rotations. This makes them feel confident when moving on to their first full-time job. We have a 100 percent job placement rate with our students, with many students being offered positions at their clinical hospitals upon graduation.

I began my imaging journey in the FHSU Radiologic Technology program, graduating as a member of the class of 1999. I developed my imaging skills in the same Cunningham Hall-based laboratory facility used by our students today, a laboratory housed there for more than 30 years. Back then, we captured our images on X-ray film and ran them through the imaging processor in the darkroom. I never could have imagined a day when that level of imaging technology would evolve into the sophisticated digital technologies we employ today.

The Stroup Hall Expansion project that kicked off last fall comes at a crucial time for our department and programs. We have simply outgrown our current spaces that are scattered throughout Cunningham Hall. This fall, we welcomed our largest group of incoming first-year students. The future move to an expanded Stroup

Hall will provide extra lab space for our growing number of students and give them access to state-of-the-art equipment that will better prepare them for their clinical experience and as they transition to their chosen professional pathway.

The additional space we will enjoy in Stroup Hall will allow us to grow our core programs to meet the field’s demands and those of Kansas communities. It will also allow us to collaborate with nursing faculty and students on projects and endeavors that will lead to successful outcomes for both parties.

As we look ahead, the Stroup Hall Expansion project marks a pivotal moment in our journey. With enhanced facilities, expanded student capacity, and continued collaboration across disciplines, FHSU is positioned to remain a leader in preparing imaging professionals who will meet the healthcare needs of Kansas and beyond.

FHSU.EDU

39

S P OT LI G H T O N

H h eart of a Tiger

BY SCOTT CASON

I

N JANUARY OF 2020, President Tisa Mason wrote the first of what would become, at last count, 150 columns celebrating the culture and people that make the Tiger Nation special. The idea of writing a bi-weekly column came to Tisa as a way to share the compelling personal stories she hears every day from Fort Hays State University students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Over the past five years, Heart of a Tiger stories have covered the people and events that have shaped FHSU’s rich history. In the spring of 2020, Tisa chronicled the university’s response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tisa called our response strategy “Pivot, Not Panic,” and it was an approach that kept the university open and operating at a time when our peer institutions decided to shut down.

In the spring of 2022, she shared the story of Tuan Huyn, who, as a three-year-old, escaped Vietnam with his family and settled in Wichita. Just shy of his 18th birthday, Tuan committed a crime that sent him to prison for a decade. Nearing his release, Tuan made the decision to turn his life around. With the help of friends and mentors in Hays and at FHSU, Tuan earned a degree in graphic design and went on to a successful career with a worldclass advertising agency in Chicago. Tuan then utilized his business and leadership skills to establish a Chicago-based non-profit organization that focuses on making troubled communities safe and welcoming.

Over the years, Tisa’s columns have introduced us to members of our Tiger Nation who embody the kind of engaged global citizen-leaders our world needs. So, if you are a fan of heartwarming “good news” stories about rodeo heroes, world-class student-athletes, and faculty who are exploring the frontiers of human knowledge, check out Heart of a Tiger. The column runs every two weeks online in the Hays Post, Salina Post, Hutchinson Post, and the Dodge City Globe. Each column is also available on the President’s web page at fhsu.edu/president/heart-of-a-tiger/.

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April 14, 2022: Tuan Huyn: A powerful redemption story

HEART OF A TIGER RECAP

July 15, 2025: Hailey Witte: Meet a Barrel Racing Champion in the Making

September 10, 2025: Teddy Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, and our own Dr. Matthew Clay

August 1, 2025: Kiley Whipple Plants Seeds of Passion and Purpose October 25, 2025: Turning service into success - Brandon McKenna’s road to a college degree

FHSU.EDU

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IT’S MORE THAN A TITLE

IT’S A LIVING TRIBUTE A BRIDGE CONNECTING PAST AND FUTURE, TEACHER AND STUDENT, GRATITUDE AND GROWTH.

L to R : Dr. Leo Oliva '59, Hollie Marquess '06, '09, Barbara Walker, and Dr. Glenn Walker '75 Throughout our lives, we cross paths with remarkable individuals whose influence stays with us forever. For Dr. Glenn Walker, a 1975 graduate of Fort Hays State University, that was FHSU professor Dr. Leo Oliva — a passionate historian, dedicated mentor, and gifted educator whose teaching reached far beyond the classroom.

Decades following graduation, Glenn and his wife, Barbara, found themselves reflecting on just how deeply Dr. Oliva had shaped Glenn’s life and career. They wanted to find a way to give back to the university that had given so much to them and to honor the professor who was transformative to Glenn. Their gratitude took form in a lasting tribute: The Dr. Leo Oliva Distinguished Professorship in History.

This professorship celebrates Dr. Oliva and ensures that his vision and dedication will continue to support students at FHSU for generations to come.

When Hollie Marquess, a proud FHSU alumna and first-generation college graduate, was named the first Dr. Leo Oliva Distinguished Professor in History in 2025, she felt both humbled and inspired. For Hollie, this honor was more than recognition of her work. It was an opportunity to carry forward the same spirit of mentorship and curiosity that defined Dr. Oliva’s remarkable career.

As a professor in FHSU’s Department of History, Hollie has made it her mission to open doors for students just as others once did for her. Her commitment to guiding aspiring researchers and working tirelessly to create dynamic, engaging learning experiences mirrors the very qualities that made Dr. Oliva such an unforgettable educator.

For Hollie, the role is both a privilege and a responsibility — a chance to continue the cycle of inspiration that began decades ago with a teacher who believed deeply in the power of education.

Fort Hays State is fortunate to benefit from the Faculty of Distinction program through the Kansas Board of Regents. The program pairs private donations with state support to create prestigious, endowed faculty positions.

When a donor contributes to endowed professorships or faculty positions at FHSU with a gift of $200,000 or more, the state matches the gift’s earnings, amplifying its impact. The program helps Fort Hays State University attract and retain highly qualified faculty, which the program calls “Faculty of Distinction.” The funds can be used for various purposes related to the faculty position, such as supplementing salary and supporting academic research, travel, and equipment. Currently, FHSU has 11 endowed Faculty of Distinction positions.

Thanks to the Walkers’ generosity, paired with the state match, Hollie will use the professorship funding to expand student opportunities. Her goal is to ease the financial burdens that often stand in the way of students’ “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences and help them pursue their academic dreams with confidence and ambition.

Through the Dr. Leo Oliva Distinguished Professorship in History, the bond between teacher and student has come full circle. What began as one professor’s influence on a young scholar has grown into a lasting tribute that will empower future generations. It’s a powerful reminder that great teachers do more than educate. They inspire, transform, and leave their mark on every life they touch.

“

HOLLIE MARQUESS “ The professorship is an enormous honor and a remarkable gift. It allows us to enrich student experiences, help them reach their goals, and, at the same time, honor an incredible educator and the lasting impact of his work. The funds will enable me to seek my own educational opportunities, as well as provide life-changing opportunities for students.

Through this gift, I am able to help students present their work at conferences, travel to study abroad experiences, and visit archives for research. “

Make a powerful difference at FHSU by supporting endowed professorships or faculty positions.

Contact the Fort Hays State University Foundation by phone at 785-628-5620 or email at foundation@fhsu.edu to learn more. Visit foundation.fhsu.edu/donate to make a gift of any amount online.

ALUMNI NEWS

Homecoming 2025 was a weekend to remember

C

ommunity members, alumni, and Tiger fans traveled far and wide for Homecoming at Fort Hays State University September 25 - 27. Whether to catch up with classmates and friends or take part in time-honored traditions, the turnout was outstanding.

Homecoming festivities teed off Thursday morning with 36 teams participating in the annual sold-out Homecoming Golf Tournament at Smoky Hill Country Club. While rain earlier in the week canceled the beloved bonfire that night, Tiger spirit ignited the evening pep rally.

The classes of 1965 and 1975 celebrated 50- and 60-year milestones since their graduation from Fort Hays State on Friday at the annual Half Century Club luncheon. During the event, the Class of 1975 was officially inducted into the university’s Half Century Club. Among the inductees was Keith Harper, a standout athlete who played both baseball and basketball during his time on campus.

“The friendships and camaraderie I built through playing two different sports over four years created bonds I still cherish today,” Harper said. “I married the love of my life during my sophomore year, welcomed a child, lived in Wooster Place, and was honored as the 1975 Busch-Gross Award recipient – all while receiving a tremendous education at Fort Hays State. I’m not sure where the past 50 years have gone, but they flew by, and I’m looking forward to many more Homecoming celebrations to come. Go Tigers!”

Saturday morning kicked off with class reunion breakfasts and a lively Homecoming parade in downtown Hays. Tiger fans reunited for tailgating festivities before cheering Fort Hays State to a 31- 23 victory over Missouri Western at Lewis Field Stadium. With more than 8,200 fans in attendance, the game drew one of the largest crowds in university history.

Mark your calendars for October 1 - 3, 2026, and make plans to attend FHSU Homecoming again next year! Members of the Class of 1976 will celebrate their 50-year reunion and will be inducted into the university’s Half Century Club. All FHSU graduates from 1976 and prior are encouraged to attend the weekend’s Half Century Club Social and Luncheon.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Meet Two FHSU Distinguished Alums DR. MICHAEL MARES Dr. Michael Mares is an explorer-scientist whose career redefined what it means to study life in some of our world’s most extreme environments. A global authority on desert rodent evolution, Mares has discovered many new species.

He even has a rodent, a bat, and a parasite named after him! His fieldwork has taken him across the deserts of Argentina, Iran, Egypt, India, South Africa, and beyond, where he braved blistering heat, isolation, and danger in pursuit of scientific discovery. During one unforgettable expedition in Brazil’s vast swamplands, his team was low on food and fished for piranhas.

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mares earned degrees from the University of New Mexico, Fort Hays State University (Class of 1969), and the

University of Texas at Austin. He later became a professor of zoology at the University of Oklahoma and director of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, helping to shape it into one of the world’s premier university natural history museums. A prolific scholar, he has written 13 books and more than 200 scientific papers.

In recognition of his extraordinary achievements, Mares was recently inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He has joined a distinguished group of honorees that includes Mickey Mantle, Will Rogers, Carrie Underwood, Gene Autry, Reba McEntire, Jim Thorpe, James Garner, and Paul Harvey, just to name a few. Mares is a proud FHSU graduate who continues to inspire a spirit of curiosity and discovery.

Dr. Michael Mares Retired Professor of Zoology, University of Oklahoma Retired Museum Director, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

Following his undergraduate studies, Holle went on to earn his Doctor of Physical Therapy, followed by a Master of Science in Athletic Training, laying the foundation for a career devoted to helping athletes reach and sustain peak performance.

“Life as I know it started at Fort Hays State. In Hays, I met my wife, some of my best friends to this day, and teammates that I still connect with. I have a lot of gratitude for the community and university that supported us and for head coach Chris Brown, who deserves all the praise and credit in the world for coaching his tail off and investing in impacting young men for the better. Go Tigers!”

Garrett Holle PT, DPT, ATC, SCS, OCS, CSCS Director of Rehabilitation New Orleans Saints

GARRETT HOLLE Garrett Holle has recently been named the Director of Rehabilitation for the New Orleans Saints — a role that brings his passion for athletic performance and recovery full circle.

A football scholarship initially led Holle from his hometown of Phoenix to Fort Hays State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology in 2016. As a four-year letterman and dedicated wide receiver, he overcame three knee surgeries to deliver his best season as a senior. His time on the field and repeated injuries deepened his understanding of the athlete’s mindset, shaping his commitment to physical therapy and sports rehabilitation.

FHSU.EDU

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TIGER NOTES

We want to hear from you!

Let us know if you recently moved, changed jobs, received an honor or award, got married, or had a baby, by visiting FHSUalumni.com/alumni-update or emailing alumni@fhsu.edu.

CLASS NOTES 1960s

Garry Sigle ’78, Manhattan,

Johnni (Holmes) Hebrlee

Mary (McVean) McGroarty

Alexandria, Va., debuts

regional director and director

inducted into the Garden City

inducted into the Kansas

Dennis Mitchell ’68, ’69, innovative smoke-on-

paper artworks at the Maya

Frodeman Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

1970s

Sarah (Smith) Barr ’79, Wamego, was hired as

Manhattan’s new Municipal Court Judge.

Ed Schmeidler ’78,

WaKeeney, has entered the seminary at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology.

was promoted to central

of MyLocalPLUS with the Association of American Educators.

Glenn Walker ’75, Brookville,

High School Hall of Fame for her commitment to public

service, education, and youth development.

was selected to serve on

Donna Hudson-Hamilton

Kansas Livestock Association’s

as an early childhood center

the board of directors of the Ranchland Trust of Kansas.

1980s

’88, ’90, ’91, Stockton, retired director after 34 years of service in education.

Tonya (Kircher) Cogan ’81,

Chelle (Holden) Kemper ’81,

Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

named director of curriculum

El Dorado, was inducted into the

Jay Goering ’83, ’84,

Haslet, Texas, retired after teaching middle school history for 40 years.

46

’86, Garden City, was

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

’01, ’19, Anthem, Ariz., was and instruction at Sedona-

Oak Creek School District in Sedona, Ariz.

’87, ’00, Dodge City, was Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

Maggie (Boley) McKain ’83, Osborne, was selected as the

northwest district president of the Kansas Music Educators Association.

Brenda (Braun) Meder ’80,

’87, Hays, retired as executive director of the Hays Arts

Council after 35 years of service.

TIGER NOTES

Steven Murry ’84, ’86,

Brian Deterding ’97, Larned,

Ryan Prickett ’03, ’05, Hays,

Sammy (Grollmes) McBride

the Coaches Legacy Award by

School athletic director and

FHSU, received three Citations

new clothing store, Sugar

Chanute, was honored with

the National Junior College Athletic Association for his

was named Larned High assistant principal.

sports information director at

of Excellence from the College

Sports Communicators Creative

39 years as Neosho County

Corey Isbell ’98, ’15, Beloit,

baseball coach.

Hays Tech | Northwest.

Will Stutterheim ’01, ’04,

Greg Oborny ’86, Prairie

2000s

at FHSU, was featured in Kansas

School District after 39 years

’01, Dodge City, was inducted

Community College head

Village, retired from the Olathe of service in education – 29 of

those as an elementary school principal.

Bob Stackhouse ’89,

Cunningham, retired from

USD #332 Cunningham after 39 years of teaching and

having served as a former administrator.

Sue Ann (Wolf) Tebo ’89,

Hays, was inducted into the

Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

Loren Young ’84, Salina,

retired as an accountant at Pinion in Salina.

1990s

Grant Bannister ’93, Manhattan, won the

appointed president of Fort

Kirstin (Ramsey) Bangerter

into the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

Dale Herl ’01, Independence, Mo., retired from the

Independence School District following 16 years with the district and 12 years in the superintendent role.

Chrissy (Defenbaugh) Hoff ’09, La Crosse, was named

the 2025 Sr. Mary J. Mollison Nurse of the Year at Hays

and Digital Design Awards.

Hays, instructor of psychology Living Magazine for his work

advocating for mental health for farmers and ranchers.

Chas Thompson ’03, ’21, West Milton, Ohio, was named the

head wrestling coach of Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio.

Ryan Vavricka ’08, ’08,

agent.

Tory (Arnberger) Blew ’16, Estate in Barton County.

Jose Delgado ’19, Shawnee, was inducted into the Derby Football Legends inaugural

5,000-meter race, and placed

Kayla (Martin) Lonnon

at the National Senior Olympics.

promoted to Sunflower Bank’s

Jessica (Dechant) Groff ’10,

Western Kansas.

assistant principal at Roosevelt

second in the mile and half-mile

Mike Cheney ’98, Lincoln, retired as a construction

’04, ’06, ’12, Hays, was

Community President for

technology instructor at Fort

Bob Pietrack ’09, Durango,

nearly 30 years of service.

men’s basketball coach at

Hays Tech | North Central after

Kelli (Schultz) Dankenbring ’95, Saint Francis, was hired as the journalism teacher

was named the head boy’s

basketball coach at Andover High School.

Zach Pixler ’13, ’13, ’20,

Hays, was named the Kansas Association for Career and

Technical Education Teacher

of the Year for his work as an assistant professor in FHSU’s

Center for Applied Technology and Sculpture.

named the first-ever National

for his work as a New York Life

Great Bend, joined Keller Real

meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.

Trey O’Neil ’19, Wichita,

Professionals Best-in-State list

Jamey Lewis-Gonzales ’03,

Award at the National Ford

Crossing mall in Hays.

Kassidy (Knowles) Sell ’16,

Forbes Top Financial Security

2010s

prestigious Hometown Hero

Collective, in the Big Creek

Manhattan, was named to the

Medical Center.

Dodge City, received Ford’s

’12, Great Bend, opened a

class at Derby High School.

Independence, Mo., was

American Miss Missouri Elite.

Shelbi Wiles ’19, Hays, was promoted to manager of

communications at Sunflower Electric Power Corporation.

2020s

Alex Acosta ’23, Garden City, was hired as the men’s and

women’s golf coach for the

University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

’14, Hays, was promoted to

Madison (Roether) Gritton

Elementary School.

boys’ and girls’ golf coach at

Colo., was hired as head

Alicia (Hammeke) Knight

Ferris State University.

assistant principal of Holy

’20, Milford, was hired as the Junction City High School.

’14, ’23, Hays, was hired as

Chandler Reich ’22,

Family Elementary School.

executive director of the Hays

’22, Russell, was hired as Arts Council.

at Saint Francis Community High School.

FHSU.EDU

47

TIGER NOTES

2020s

Shane Watts ’24, Shawnee,

signed with the New England

Patriots as a rookie free agent

IN MEMORIAM

Paul Rhine ’59,

1940s

April 20, 2024

Jeanie (Myerly) Dreiling ’47,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa,

Hays, September 6, 2025

Loren Schmidtberger ’51,

Marcus Willey ’21, ’23,

1950s

August 29, 2025

as the assistant women’s

Medicine Lodge,

Duane Scott ’56,

Bill Boldenow ’54,

Shirley (Underwood) Smith

running back.

Denton, Texas, was hired golf coach and director of

operations at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.

Dick Austin ’57, August 22, 2025

Buhler, May 19, 2025

RECENT FHSU RETIREMENTS

Lowell Cornwell ’55,

Donna Augustine, retired

Lloyd Davidson ’57, ’63,

from FHSU as horticulture supervisor, Grounds

Osborne, August 1, 2025

Emporia, August 2, 2025

Department after 37 years

Marilyn (Tullar) Griest ’59, ’70,

Traci Ditter, retired from

Joe Hewett ’58, ’64,

of service.

FHSU as registered nurse,

Health and Wellness Services after 11 years of service.

Douglas Haberman, retired from FHSU as equipment mechanic, Grounds

Department after 15 years of service.

Rosemary Johnson, retired from FHSU as custodian,

Sternberg Museum of Natural History after 32 years of

Beloit, October 30, 2024

Longview, Texas, May 16, 2025 Jim Hinkhouse ’55, ’58, Hays, May 4, 2025

Doug Holloway ’58,

Tucson, Ariz.

Bill Lathrop ’57,

Lawrence, May 6, 2025

Fort Collins, Colo.,

Joe Mildrexler ’56, ’60, Colby, August 2, 2025 Ralph Purcell ’56,

Pueblo, Colo., March 18, 2025

48

Wichita, June 28, 2025

1960s

Phillip Altman ’61, ’67,

ROAR FALL/WINTER 2025

Gunnison, Colo., May 23, 2025 Don Kaufman ’65, ’67, Manhattan,

September 23, 2024 Brooks Kellogg ’65,

Chicago, Ill., July 14, 2025 William LaBarge ’66, Downs, June 29, 2025 Joe Marak ’68,

Hamilton, Ohio, July 30, 2025 Vicki (Elliott) McDowell ’69, Lucas, August 18, 2025

Logan, May 29, 2025

Marnie (Hansen) McMillen

Kenneth Andersen ’64, ’65,

May 8, 2025

Erie, Pa., May 1, 2025 Roger Barta ’67,

Manhattan, June 16, 2025 Roger Brubaker ’60,

Billings, Wyo., August 5, 2024

February 1, 2025

April 7, 2025

16 years of service.

Lea (Evans) Veach ’51,

Theron Johnson ’56,

Greg Meder, retired from

of Natural History after

’59, ’72, Hays, May 14, 2025

Kay (Shelton) Clark ’67, ’86,

Bill Mahoney ’52,

technician, Sternberg Museum

Belleville, July 2, 2025

Salina, June 30, 2025

service.

FHSU as facilities maintenance

Pompton Plains, N.J.,

Lynn Havel ’68, ’70,

Nashville, Tenn.,

Lavern Courtney ’69, ’74, Fredericksburg, Texas, July 15, 2024

David Dible ’69,

Rogers, Ark., May 6, 2025 Delbert Erickson ’65,

Lindsborg, May 8, 2025 Kay (Motzner) Grubb ’65, Woodstock, Ga., August 4, 2025

’67, Overland Park,

Pat (Maddy) Mitchell ’63, Salina, September 4, 2025 Stanley Penland ’68, Longmont, Colo., May 16, 2025

Ron Pizel ’66,

Marietta, Ga., April 30, 2025 Carl Pollock ’69,

Silver Spring, Md., January 4, 2025

Linda (Ross) Preston ’68, Fort Collins, Colo., March 31, 2025

Gale (Fell) Proctor ’67, Chatsworth, Calif., May 25, 2025

Patricia (Kindsvater) Reynolds ’63,

Fargo, N.D., June 27, 2025

TIGER NOTES

Brent Halderman ’79, ’82,

Garfield Smith ’68,

Overland Park, April 25, 2023

Cottage Grove, Minn., June 12, 2025

Bill Stapleton ’64, ’73, Belpre, May 18, 2025 Gene Stites ’66,

Larry Keil ’75, ’82,

June 16, 2025

’78, Lawrence, July 29, 2025

Mike Sullivan ’67,

La Vista, Neb., June 22, 2025 Judy (Greiner) Tuttle Allen

’65, Andover, April 29, 2025

1970s

Elaine (Wetzel) Albright ’71, Seward, Neb., June 5, 2025

Audrey (Baalman) Bosley ’75, Topeka, July 10, 2025

Bobbi (Barrows) Dreiling ’70, Wichita, October 16, 2024 Janet (Combs) Fike ’72, Lawrence, April 28, 2025 Frank Francis ’74,

Parrish, Fla., August 1, 2025 Mary Ann (Whitney) Gorham, April 21, 2025

Lawrence, August 7, 2025 Shawn Hedges ’82,

Neva (Kleinhans) Merriman

December 15, 2024

Larry Burke ’89,

’78, Wichita, August 23, 2025

Hays, August 24, 2025

Midlothian, Va.,

Froelich ’72, ’81,

Barbara (Adams) Karsting

1980s

Bob Novak ’70,

Dunstable, Mass.

Michael Olson ’73,

McPherson, August 31, 2025 George Philip ’77,

Hays, August 16, 2025 Ruth (Bemmels) Pruitt ’78, Hays, April 18, 2025

Tom Railsback ’70, ’72, ’78, Great Falls, Mont., July 21, 2025

Grapevine, Texas,

Bill Herman ’84,

Dighton, July 14, 2025 Terry Lester ’82, ’83,

Garden Plain, July 15, 2025 Patricia (Johnson) Ottem ’84, Loveland, Colo., June 6, 2025 Esther (Deckert) Sayler ’81, Great Bend, July 26, 2025 Clayton Seaman ’86,

July 27, 2025

2000s

Skyler Butler ’07 and

Stacy Cretors, July 25, 2025

2010s

Wyatt Eitel ’19 and

Claire Krannawitter, June 28, 2025

2020s

Lexi Gross ’21 and

Matthew Haselhorst ’21, May 31, 2025

June 30, 2024

Rita (Raatz) Hauck ’91,

Cole Berry ’23,

Peachtree Corners, Ga., February 25, 2025

2010s

Grand Junction, Colo.,

March 15, 2025

1990s

Carmella (Comeau) Thyfault

Johnny Woodworth ’72,

’92 and John Slattery,

Faith Little ’23 and

Anita (Moore) Mead ’97,

’71, Hays, June 8, 2025

1990s

Angela (Leggett) Gaughan

Natoma, August 1, 2025

Kirk Spikes ’76,

Olathe, September 9, 2025

MARRIAGES

WaKeeney, June 27, 2025

Ashly Frenzl ’10, Kansas City, Mo., June 14, 2025

Isaiah Maxi ’17, ’23,

Raytown, Mo., July 9, 2025

Tiger Notes are as of September 15, 2025.

VISIT: FHSUA LUM NI .COM /STORI ES/T I GER- NOT ES for a c o mpl e te l i st o f Cl ass N o te s

FHSU.EDU

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