2025
Kansas Wesleyan University Spring/Summer 2025
Contact is the official magazine of Kansas Wesleyan University and is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Managing Editor: Brad Salois
A message from President Matt Thompson
Reflections on Lessons Learned from a Campus Dog
Dear Coyotes,
One of my recent joys was becoming the dog dad to Schuyler, KWU’s director of pawsitivity. Schuyler is a mini Goldendoodle. She proudly enjoys her role on campus, where she spends most of her “work day” in the Student Development office and Memorial Library. She enjoys students stopping by to play, taking her on walks on the Bevan Green and going to classes. There is no question that this 2-year-old pup understands and takes her work seriously. In fact, when Jen and I walk Schuyler on campus in the evenings and on the weekends, she stares in confusion when people don’t stop to pet her.
I’ve (re)learned a number of lessons from the time I’ve spent with Schuyler. I thought I would share a few of these:
• Love all — Schuyler doesn’t care who you love, your ZIP code, who you worship or your family background. Approach her with kindness and she responds favorably. What a great example!
• Lead — When we go for a walk, she walks confidently in front. As God instructs, “Be not afraid!” Schuyler is rarely scared.
• Be curious — Schuyler is always investigating the world. Despite hours spent in the backyard at Kirwin House, she always explores with interest and wonder. It is easy for us to become complacent in our lives. We can all look around with fresh eyes.
• Play and rest every day — Schuyler loves toys and time with friends. No matter how “busy” her day, she naps during it. We should all take time for self–care, rest, and moments with family and friends.
• Pull for what you want — If Schuyler wants to go in a certain direction on a walk, she’ll pull in that direction. She isn’t afraid to indicate what she wants. We shouldn’t be reluctant to advocate for what we want and need.
Here’s hoping your summer is filled with love, curiosity, play, rest and lots of what you want.
If you haven’t been on campus recently, I encourage you to stop by — on a road trip, during Homecoming or for Christmas By Candlelight. We’d love to show you all the great new spaces, host you at wonderful events and introduce you to this amazing generation of students who are making KWU the “Place to Be.”
All the best,
Matt Thompson, Ph.D., President and CEO
P.S.: Follow Schuyler on Instagram @kwuschuyler.
Lifelong Traveler Bissell ’25 Finds a Place to Grow at KWU
Having visited more than two dozen countries on six different continents, Ash Bissell ’25 would be considered a true world traveler.
But it was a stop in Salina, Kan., back in 2022 where Bissell found not only a locale she would quickly grow to love but a place that will likely shape her future for years to come.
Bissell earned her undergraduate degree from Kansas Wesleyan in May after only three years on campus. For now, she plans to return to her home in Fort Collins, Colo., to consider her career options and the possibility of attending grad school.
“I think this school was the perfect place to be for me academically,” said Bissell, who graduated with a degree in Art and Design: Photography. “I couldn’t have asked for a better academic program. But there are a million different paths I could go down, and I’m trying to find the one I want to do.”
It was both photography and softball, two interests of Bissell’s since a young age, that originally attracted her to KWU. When the softball coach who recruited her left before Bissell arrived on campus, it was interaction with her graphics professor, the late Jeroen Nelemans, that convinced her to stick with her original plan.
“My first time here, I got to meet with (Nelemans),” Bissell said. “Mr. J asked me why I liked photography, and I went into how I fell in love with black-and-white film photography, and we really bonded over that.
“I fell in love with the school for its academics, at that point, and I felt like I would be with people who understand me.”
That wasn’t always the case when Bissell attended high school in Fort Collins. She graduated a semester early and took classes at Fort Range Community College, giving her a head start before she arrived at Wesleyan.
“The college experience was a lot different,” Bissell said. “I never really got along with people my age in high school.
I was always asking, ‘Why are they doing the things they are doing?’
“In college, the people around me wanted to put in the work and wanted to be here. The maturity gap got filled in.”
A scuba-diving experience with her sister Danielle in Israel at the age of 12 led Bissell to consider underwater photography as a potential career choice.
“My sister and I fell in love with scuba diving,” said Bissell, who lists trips to the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef among her favorites. “My sister can instruct people now, and I hope to get my certification and teach scuba diving someday.
“With a love for photography and scuba diving, I wanted to find a way to incorporate those.”
Bissell sees the irony in her desire to be an underwater photographer while attending college in a landlocked state. But Wesleyan professors such as Nelemans and Lori Wright (chair of the Art and Design Department) helped her find additional career options for her to consider.
“I originally came here just for photography,” Bissell said. “One thing you have to do is take a class called Foundation of Graphic Design. I had never done any work with graphic design, but only a couple weeks into that class, Mr. J pulled me into his office and said I should do graphic design and that I really had an eye for it.”
Bissell’s academic experience at Kansas Wesleyan helped add to her extensive list of travel locations. During the fall semester of 2024, Bissell spent nearly four months working as a graphic
designer for Shared Hope International in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit focused on ending sex trafficking.
“I was able to create a lot of their social media posts,” Bissell said of her internship. “They also needed a photographer for the JuST convention they have every year, so they took me to Arizona, where I got to take photos and do some video work.”
With the completion of her undergraduate degree, Bissell will take some time to consider all the options in front of her. She wants to continue traveling, specifically making more scuba diving trips, and there is the potential of working with a friend at a marine research facility.
Whatever path she selects, she knows her time at Kansas Wesleyan and the connections she made there will serve her well.
“I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned at Kansas Wesleyan is to trust myself more,” Bissell said, “especially with my art work. I know what I’m doing with a camera in my hands.
“I also know that, after my experience here, I will always have people around me who I can reach out to if I ever need help. Every teacher I’ve had, in and out of the department, has been amazing.”
By Larry Moritz
Scan the QR Code to read about Clay Gagnon's ’25 KWU experience!
Bissell ’25 poses at her senior show in The Gallery.
Congratulations, Class of 2025!
KWU graduated one of its largest classes ever on Saturday, May 17, at Tony’s Pizza Events Center. Drs. Brandon Cheeks ’05 and Ralita Cheeks ’07 delivered the Commencement address in a KWU first, a two-person speech.
The entire KWU community sends congratulations to the graduates and wishes each of them the best in the next steps of their life’s journey.
Graduates, stay connected! Keep up with alumni events in your area by checking out www.kwu.edu/alumnievents. Scan the QR Code to download Commencement Weekend photos.
From One Story to Another: Retiring Marshall Nickell Recalls
Wide-Ranging Legacy
“I think sometimes stories — which is why I love stories — have a way of finishing themselves if you just look for it or wait for it,” said Barbara Marshall Nickell, KWU associate professor of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts.
Her story at Kansas Wesleyan is finishing, as she is retiring this academic year, after 38 years teaching theatre and communication. For about half that time, she’s also been division or department chair, often both.
She has been honored for her teaching numerous times. Among her awards are the Kansas Speech Communication Association Collegiate Educator of the Year for 2024, Kansas Independent College Association Faculty of Distinction in 2016, and the KWU Exemplary Teacher Award for both 2006-07 and 2024-25. She was also one of the inaugural
Congratulations on 38 years of teaching!
members of the Kansas Wesleyan Music Hall of Fame, announced at Homecoming 2024. It’s not the awards, however, that she recalls first.
“My favorite part of this job has been to see students thrive,” Marshall Nickell is quoted in the 2013 yearbook, the 25th anniversary of her time at KWU.
“From speech students in a required class to championship debaters, pastors, judges, broadcasters and professional actors, Barbara has left a mark on every person lucky enough to learn from her,” said Keri Boley ’92, music teacher at Southeast of Saline. “Her belief in us helped us believe in ourselves. KWU has been better because of her, and I’m just one of many who are grateful to be part of her story.”
Boley directs the entire performance program at SES: choral, orchestra and theatre.
When Boley’s father died during final rehearsals for The Pirates of Penzance, Marshall Nickell quietly stepped in and finished the costuming, props and choreography for her former student.
“I didn’t have to worry,” Boley said, “because I knew my students were still learning and still being loved.”
Marshall Nickell knew The Pirates of Penzance well. She played Ruth when Theatre Salina produced it in 1996. KWU would later produce another rendition with Salina Symphony.
“In 2004, we started doing operas, Marriage of Figaro, Pirates of Penzance,” Marshall Nickell said. “I found that very exciting. In addition to the theatrical part, where you’re spending so much time with the emotion and what it means, to be able to rely on the music department to do opera, I thought that was really, really fun.”
From the time Marshall Nickell came to campus in the fall of 1987, she was involved in most aspects of theatre in the area.
She and her first husband, Dr. Eric Marshall, came as a “person and a half,” she said. Eric taught theatre and started the Communication major, Barbara taught speech and theatre part time until she earned master’s degrees (first in Theatre, then Communication) from Kansas State.
“I was so grateful, with a 2-year-old, to come back to the Midwest,” she said. “I had grown up in Wisconsin and my mother was still living. My husband wasn’t that thrilled — ‘They don’t even have a bookstore that stays open all night!’ ”
But she knew the job was theirs. She’d met Eric doing summer stock in Iowa and followed him to Los Angeles, where she studied voice and acting for the musical and nonmusical stage, performing in operas and commercials, and modeling for the Flair Agency.
She also worked at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, where she trained waitresses and served celebrities. One of her customers almost never spoke, but as she left one day, she told Marshall that they would get the job. The customer, a famous numerologist, added, “I see a white picket fence.”
Marshall Nickell had no idea that Eric had applied for a job somewhere — Kansas Wesleyan — that would have a place for her, too.
In Salina, she didn’t see a picket fence at one of the rental houses they were touring until she looked out a back window, and there it was, her first Kansas home.
At KWU, she jumped right in, helping her husband direct Little Shop of Horrors that spring, singing and costuming, as well, and taking classes at Kansas State, where she was also a graduate teaching assistant. She also acted in Quilters with Salina Community Theatre (now Theatre Salina).
“If I wasn’t directing it, I was costuming it or helping somehow,” she said of KWU productions. “Even though the college was smaller, we did some pretty hefty things.”
Marshall Nickell spearheaded the fundraising and renovation of Fitzpatrick Auditorium in 2012 — new seats, sound, lights, purple curtains. Marshall Nickell tells of when the famed actress Helen Hayes once sat on its wooden seats before the renovation.
Hayes was flying home to New York from visiting friends in Kansas City when she noticed a student sitting in economy class. She asked
the flight attendant to bring the student, Nick Petron ’68, to sit with her in first class. Was he involved with theatre, she asked. Why, yes, he was directing The Fantasticks at his college. She might just show up, she said. She did and sent Petron a rave review via telegram, which Marshall Nickell has a copy of.
Even before the renovation, fine actors graced the Fitzpatrick stage, such as Jernard Burks ’90, as well as Petron and others.
“In life, all you need is one person who believes in you and tells you that you have something special in your field,” Burks said. “Here is a person who poured into me, from directing me in plays, speech tournaments, summer stock theatre, Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship for graduate school, and even work study.”
really old-fashioned when it comes to being committed to a place. I feel like if you’re there and you care, you should be fully immersed and committed. And it’s important.”
Burks has a successful film and television career in Los Angeles.
“Like many students who come to Kansas Wesleyan, it was for sports (football), but I’m so glad I got to pursue the arts, too,” Burks said. “I know my time in the Theatre Department with Professor Marshall made me a wellrounded person.”
The theatre also produced critics.
As a child, Marshall’s second daughter, Lindsay, used to hang around the auditorium with her small friend Megan Berry (now Schapaugh ’12, G’14), while her mother was working.
“Oh, this is such a boring show,” Lindsay and her friend could be heard to remark to the audience during some productions.
“Oh, my goodness — so many stories about her and her career,” Schapaugh said when asked to confirm the incident. “She is absolutely wonderful.”
One of Marshall Nickell's proudest accomplishments was starting the debate and forensics program, bringing in Gary Harmon as coach and serving as assistant coach. The team won more than 60 national titles and members have gone on to success in many fields.
On the administrative side, Marshall Nickell spent roughly 18 years as division chair, for Fine Arts and Communication, stepping down last year, although she continued as department chair.
She worked with five presidents, from Marshall Stanton to Matt Thompson, and some interim presidents.
“I’ve been on all kinds of committees here, I’ve been faculty rep for many years,” she said. “I would never work in a place I wouldn’t feel I couldn’t donate to. I just wouldn’t. I’m
“This has been a good place for me, a good place for my family. Like everybody, you go through tough times, but you keep moving forward.”
Eric Marshall died in 2008 after years of health problems. Barbara Marshall married Dr. Wendell Nickell in 2012, and he died in 2014. Her story at KWU is finishing, but another one has already started.
She recently bought a new car to take her to Tennessee to daughter Lauren’s Cumberland County Playhouse and to the Kansas City area to see Lindsay’s twins.
“I would love to see more piano lessons and soccer games and gymnastics and dance,” she said, and go to baseball games and do art projects with them.
She still has commitments in Salina. She is president of the local P.E.O. Sisterhood, an international women’s organization focused on educational opportunities for female students. She’s part of a play-reading group. A Salina organization named her a Woman of Achievement in Arts in 2007, and that group still meets and takes on projects. She plans to volunteer with the Kansas Association High School Speech and Theatre Festival, which she has been involved with since 1987, but she won’t be in charge now.
Barbara will be missed, though her legacy lives on.
By Jean Kozubowski
Marshall Nickell teaches class in 1998.
Kansas Wesleyan University Fine Arts
In partnership with Theatre Salina, KWU alumni and students helped supply actors and musicians for the musical. THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
Scan here to view the 2025-26 Fine Arts schedule when available.
KWU STEM Club Ventures into Battlebot Arena
“Destroy this thing,” the MECHACOYOTES team members told the 2025 Kansas City Regional BotsKC champions of their battlebot, Rapture, in the grudge match.
“Much obliged,” said the champions, from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and proceeded to do so in a matter of seconds, to cheers and a standing ovation from the spectators, including the KWU team.
Four of the six KWU team members — Elijah Resano ’27, Lance Kirby ’26, Cayden Andersen ’27 and Luke Moore ’26 — attended the competition in late April. Members Kevin Eghbali ’27 and Matthew Redden ’27 were committed to other activities and could not attend.
“People were fighting to take a photo of Rapture,” said Elijah Resano, team captain. “They hadn’t seen anything ground up like that. It was a really cool experience.
“Rapture had a glorious death. It is a corpse of its former self.”
“Corpse” might be an overstatement. The plastic body is shattered, metal blades are bent, tires are shredded and a few of the pieces are not found. The parts were autographed by the team that destroyed them.
Rapture competed in the hobby class, 15 pounds or lighter, so as many as possible of the parts were made of plastic on the 3D printer. As the team now knows, it was the wrong kind of plastic, which shatters when it gets hit. Next year’s plastic will be more flexible and bend.
The team did bring back an award, for Best Engineering Documentation, usually won, also, by Missouri S&T, who was a real mentor for them, Resano said. Missouri S&T is known for
its engineering school and often wins.
“All the teams were really, really nice,” he said. “It was more of a friending experience for all of us.”
“It was less a competition than a cool showing,” said Lance Kirby, 3D print lead for Rapture. Resano agreed.
“It’s cool to win, but there were hundreds of people there,” he said, “so it’s putting on a good show for them.”
Rapture got hit so badly in the first and second battles, the team had to replace the mainframe. Bouts were over in four or five seconds, Kirby said. After one match, the team had an hour and a half to completely rebuild the bot.
“Miraculously, we pulled it off,” Resano said.
The team is already in the planning stages for next year, Kirby said.
“Every competition you learn something more,” Resano said. “I like that a lot.”
The team also provided some enlightenment.
“One thing I really enjoyed was people asking us, ‘Where are you from?’” Resano said. “Kansas Wesleyan — where’s that?’”
The KWU team was up against mechanical and aerospace engineering majors from large universities, such as Kansas State and the University of Kansas. Instead, the KWU team was composed of Physics and Math students, and one studying Marketing Communications.
“It shows it doesn’t really matter what your background is,” Resano said. “If you have the skills, you can participate in the sport however you want.”
The team is part of the STEM Club (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The
MECHACOYOTES received a $3,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. It also was included in the SendCutSend STEM Sponsorship Program, a new program that offers $750 worth of services, plus technical advice and resources from industry experts.
The STEM Club, which just wrapped up its first active year, has been busy. It offered nitrogen ice cream at Homecoming and sponsored a Women in Science luncheon this winter.
Besides building their own robot, Resano and Dr. Kristin Kraemer, MECHACOYOTES team advisor and chair of the Math, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science Department, worked with a team of area high school students, Robo-yotes FRC Team 10682. Their robot, with a weight limit of 115 pounds, competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition, which is team- and objective-based, not combat. It won the rookie all-star award for displaying outstanding skills and perseverance by demonstrating how to place corals on a reef.
The Robo-yotes program received a donation from Clearwave Fiber after its season, and publicity for that event led to a mention in USA Today.
The club hopes to include more people next year, said Dr. Mazen Nairat, team advisor and assistant professor of Math and Physics.
“This is a starting point," Nairat said.
He also hopes to encourage more people, students and townspeople to build bots. Regular meetings on campus are planned and open to anyone.
By Jean Kozubowski
Dr. Mazen Nairat, Cayden Andersen ’27, Luke Moore ’26, Lance Kirby ’26 and Elijah Resano ’27 (left to right) pose with their award for Best Engineering Documentation at BotsKC.
Moore, Resano and Matthew Redden ’27 work on a component of the team's battlebot.
Quartet of Coyotes Earn DECA World Championships
Four Coyotes earned world championship honors, fueling another excellent effort by Kansas Wesleyan’s DECA program at the organization’s annual international competition, held in early April in San Francisco.
Senior Clay Gagnon and sophomore Paige Chauncey prevailed in the Sports Marketing event, while first-year students Shelby Davidson and Delanie McMullen won the Event Planning category. Chauncey, Davidson and McMullen were competing at the international meet for the first time.
The quartet of world titles gave the Coyotes 15 wins in the past four years and marked the third year in a row Kansas Wesleyan had world champions in multiple events.
“I’m incredibly proud of the time and efforts students commit to DECA to be exceptional,” said Dr. Trish Petak, associate professor of Business and Accounting and the team’s coach. “The behind-the-scenes preparation is where their growth really happens, shaping them into confident presenters and strategic collaborators.”
Some 1,300 students from more than 100 institutions competed, including those from Arizona State, Clemson, Pepperdine, North Carolina and UNLV.
For more information on Collegiate DECA, visit www.deca.org/collegiate.
Alumni Join Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame
A pair of distinguished KWU alumni joined the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in June, as Brenda McDaniel ’73 and Sarah Short ’70 were honored.
McDaniel, the 2017 KWU Commencement speaker, was a 31-year veteran of Salina public schools. There, she taught social studies and was recognized as a Salina Master Teacher. McDaniel was recognized with KWU’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2003, with laurels from
the state in 2005 and with the Women of Achievement honor in Salina in 2018.
“KWU really helped me get started on my career path,” said McDaniel. “When I came here, I had great professors, people like Albert Nelson, Jimmy Briscoe, Ted Zerger, John Dahlquist and Consuelo Diaz. They taught me that great teachers do care about their students, and that helped build my educational philosophy for the years that followed. Their work was part of changing my life and giving me hope for my future career. Because of them, KWU will always be close to my heart.”
Short taught for 36 years at Goodland High School, focusing on family and consumer science, nutrition and related subjects, and home economics. Short has received numerous recognition throughout her career: Exemplary Program for Career and Technical program review,
K-Facs Teacher of the Year, Exemplary Chapter Advisor for National FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and many FCCLA state awards.
“I came to Kansas Wesleyan in the fall of 1966 as a Home Economics Education major,” said Short, who recalled that Nelson was one of the observers of her student teaching. “In January 1969, Wilma Preston, one of our Home Economics professors, worked with other instructors in the conference to create a twoweek textile tour in New York City. We toured the Fashion Institute of Technology, Fieldcrest Mills, Hanes Hosiery and Salamandre Silk, and we were invited to J.C. Penney's office in New York City, where he spoke to us. I am truly grateful for all the devoted professors and lasting friendships that I experienced at KWU.”
The Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame honors more than 450 exemplary educators from across the Sunflower State. Inductees must demonstrate evidence of outstanding teaching, positive interactions with students and peers, continued pursuit of educational opportunities during their career, involvement in community activities, and more. Each of the teachers honored taught for a minimum of 25 years in Kansas.
For more information on the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame, visit www.teachershallfamedodgecityks.org
Brenda McDaniel ’73, President Matt Thompson and Sarah Short ’70 pose at the KSTHOF induction ceremony in June.
Coyotes competed in the DECA world championship back in April and 12 advanced to the final round. Ten recorded top-10 results.
Thursday, Oct. 23
Friday, Oct. 24
Join Us Homecoming Weekend!
7 p.m. Theatre Production | Fitzpatrick Auditorium
8:30 p.m. Movie on the Lawn (All KWU students) | Bevan Green
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Homecoming Headquarters | Student Activities Center
10 a.m.–5 p.m. The Gallery | Sams Hall of Fine Arts
10 a.m.–3 p.m. Check out a current KWU class!
11–11:45 a.m. Veterans Recognition and Reception | Bevan Green Noon–1 p.m. Veterans Lunch | Cost: $15/$8 for ages 3-8 | Bieber Dining Hall
11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Kickoff Luncheon for students and alumni | Bieber Dining Hall
2 p.m. KWU Men’s and Women’s Basketball | Mabee Arena
3–5 p.m. Athletics Practices
11 a.m.–noon Campus Tours | Check out what’s new and exciting since you graduated | Student Activities Center
1–2 p.m. 7x7x7 Lecture Series | KWU Students: Seven speakers, seven minutes, seven different topics, Q&A after the seventh speaker | Peters Science Hall 201
1 p.m. Coyote Golf Outing | Play nine holes of golf with your classmates, friends or KWU faculty/staff | Salina Country Club
2:30 p.m. Book Signing with Former KWU President Dr. Marshall Stanton | Student Activities Center
4 p.m. Women’s Developmental Volleyball vs. Southwestern University | Mabee Arena
5–6:30 p.m. Golden W | 50 Year and Beyond Alumni Social | Bieber Hall
6 p.m. Volleyball vs. Southwestern University | Mabee Arena
7:30 p.m. Theatre Production | Fitzpatrick Auditorium
7:30 p.m. KWU Alumni and Friends Outdoor Social | Enjoy live music, reminisce and network with fellow Coyotes from all decades. Drinks on your own. Class reunions: 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025. | The Library Sports Bar & Grill, 1307 S. Santa Fe Saturday, Oct. 25
9 a.m. Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Alumni Association Awards | Tickets cost $20 for adults/$10 for children younger than 10. To purchase tickets, call 785-833-4392 or go to one.bidpal.net/jerryjoneshofandalumniawards | Muir Gym
9 a.m.–5 p.m. Homecoming Headquarters | Student Activities Center
9 a.m. Coyote Preview Day
9 a.m.–5 p.m. The Gallery | Sams Hall of Fine Arts
10 a.m. Men’s Volleyball Scrimmage | Mabee Arena
11 a.m. Alumni Flag Football | Laha Practice Field
11 a.m. Baseball Alumni Game | Dean Evans Stadium
11 a.m. Softball Alumni Game | Bill Burke Recreation Area
11 a.m.–2 p.m. Picnic | TBD Noon All-Alumni Photos | Pioneer Hall Steps
1 p.m. KWU Music Concert | 2025 Music HOF induction and reception. | Sams Chapel, Bieber Hall
2 p.m. Campus Tours | Check out what’s new and exciting since you graduated. | Student Activities Center
3 p.m. KWU Tailgate | The Library Sports Bar & Grill — The Howl to perform at 4:15 p.m.
5 p.m. Football vs. Sterling | Graves Family Sports Complex
8:30 p.m. KWU Alumni and Friends Outdoor Social | Enjoy music, reminisce and network with fellow Coyotes from all decades. Drinks on your own. | The Library Sports Bar & Grill
Sunday, Oct. 26
10:30 a.m. Worship Service | Pastor Cameron Jackson ’08, G’15 to lead service | Sams Chapel
1:30 p.m. Developmental Football Game | Graves Family Sports Complex
2 p.m. Theatre Production | Fitzpatrick Auditorium
TBD Screening of Prairie Prophecy | Sams Chapel
Scan the QR Code to see the complete HOCO schedule.
Another Championship Season for Baseball
It was another excellent season for Coyote baseball, as KWU captured the KCAC Tournament Championship and qualified for the NAIA Opening Round for the fourth straight season. KWU advanced to the opening round’s bracket championship before dropping a pair of games to Grand View.
Palmbaum Takes Leadership of Men’s Soccer Program
Ryan Palmbaum was named KWU’s newest mens soccer coach this spring. He replaced his father, Bruce, who led the Coyotes the past two seasons and compiled a 24-11-5 record, 17-4-5 in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. KWU was 11-6-3 overall and finished second in the KCAC with an 8-2-3 record last fall.
Ryan was a volunteer assistant coach during both seasons, after completing his playing career at Division I University of Albany.
“It was a decision that was based on wanting to make sure we don’t lose any traction with all the hard work that’s been done the past two years,” KWU Director of Athletics Miguel Paredes said. “The students know Ryan and he knows the process. I feel comfortable with Ryan picking up where we left off.”
Palmbaum said he’s thrilled and eager to get started.
“I am extremely grateful,” he said. “I’ve been with the program for the last two years through the rise, and I’ve seen the growth from where we started to where we are now. I’m just excited to continue the path and to push to win a (KCAC) championship and continue the success that we’ve had in the past couple of years.”
The Coyotes will not be a carbon copy of the 2023 and ’24 teams, though. Ryan played center midfield during his college years and had experience as a striker.
Palmbaum played at Division II Northern Michigan from 2019-21 before transferring to Albany for his final two years in 2022-23. He has played professionally in Spain and Greece and competed in professional academies in Argentina, England, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.
“I was an attacker as a player, and I plan on an attacking style as a coach, as well,” he said. “I’m hoping to come out and score a lot of goals and, hopefully, not let many goals get past us. We’re going to be very disciplined, and we’re going to be very diligent in the tactics that we use, depending on the players that we have and the strength of the players.”
Women’s Golf Wins Second Straight KCAC Title; New Coach Announced
It was a great season for KWU’s women’s golf program, as it claimed its second straight KCAC championship on April 23 at Joplin, Mo.’s Twin Hills Golf and Country Club. It was the fourth conference title in the past five years for the program, and the team was led by Player of the Year Abby Donovan ’25, who won the individual championship.
The Coyotes won the KCAC title by 40 shots and moved on to the NAIA National Championship, where they finished 28th overall. Donovan had a 162 over the two rounds, and Chaney Littell was KWU’s second-best finisher, carding a 163.
During the year, the Coyotes announced that Jefferson Cook, former head coach at York, would assume the head-coaching duties for both the men’s and women’s programs at the conclusion of the season. Cook played at Southwestern during his collegiate career and spent a year as a graduate assistant for the program, before heading north to York.
For a full release on Cook’s hiring, please scan the QR code.
Cook
Three-Peat! KWU Wins Commissioner’s Cup Once Again
Kansas Wesleyan won its third straight KCAC Commissioner’s Cup this year, becoming the first school in the award’s history to do so.
It also marked the fifth time in the past six years KWU had captured the award. “KWU Athletics is honored to once again earn the Commissioner’s Cup,” said Miguel Paredes, athletic director. “This win belongs to everyone in the Coyote family, the Salina community, our alumni, faculty, staff and our university leadership. This goes to show our commitment to excellence in everything we do, from top to bottom. Our student-athletes, the coaches and our staff are top-notch and have dedicated countless hours to making us the best we can be. To be the first institution to win the cup for a third straight year reinforces our commitment to being the best in everything we do.”
The Coyotes led the conference with 185.5 total points, with 66 accumulated in the fall season, 44 picked up in the winter, and 75.5 accumulated in the spring.
KWU MEN’S BOWLING EXCELS AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The team enjoyed its best season ever, recording a top-six finish at the NAIA National Championships. The Coyotes accomplished that feat after winning the KCAC in dramatic fashion by rallying through the elimination bracket to win their second straight conference title.
This season’s run was the deepest the KWU men’s team has made in bracket play since the current format was adopted at the national level.
After winning to start bracket play (and being the only lower seed to do so in the first round), the Coyotes faced a stiff test in #1-seeded Savannah College of Art and Design. Things started strong for the Coyotes, who won the first two games 247-178 and 214-146, but then SCAD came back and won the next four to win the match 4-2.
The Coyotes then dropped into the elimination bracket, where they beat Cumberland, Tenn., and St. Francis (Ill.) in thrilling seven-game matches before being swept by Concordia (Mich.) in their fifth match, ending their run.
Women’s Basketball Season one to Remember
It was a season to remember for KWU women’s basketball, as the team captured the KCAC regular season title behind players like fifth-year student LaMyah Ricks ’24, a first-team All-KCAC selection. The Coyotes were seeded 15th in their quadrant and went on to upset second-seeded MidAmerica Nazarene in the opening round, marking one of the tournament’s biggest single-game surprises, before seeing their season end with a second–round loss to Mid-America Christian.
That game would be the final one as a Coyote for head coach Ryan Showman ’04, who announced in May that he would leave KWU for a position at Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, Texas. Showman left KWU as the all-time winningest coach in program history, having won 250 games overall (184 in conference). He was part of 18 seasons of Coyote hoops, including multiple NAIA tournament appearances, and is a no-doubt future KWU Hall of Famer. Hopes are high for his successor, former Coyote assistant Harper Taylor (see below).
Taylor ready to lead women’s basketball
Harper Taylor is the new women’s basketball coach at Kansas Wesleyan, but she is not new to the university.
Taylor was an assistant under former Coyote coach Ryan Showman for two seasons before moving on as an assistant at Division II Metro State Denver the past two years.
“I get to go back and continue to build better relationships as a head coach versus an assistant, and I’m just really excited to do that,” Taylor said. “It’s a great university that I get to be a part of, and I just can’t wait to build on that.”
Taylor helped KWU win 41 games (32 in the Kansas Conference) during the 2021-22 and 202223 seasons. She was a graduate assistant at Division I Texas El Paso during the 2019-20 season.
“First and foremost, we picked Harper because of her energy, her familiarity with Kansas Wesleyan and Salina, and she’s a proven leader.” KWU Athletic Director Miguel Paredes said. “Her mission and values align with what we’re doing here, her
clear vision of building a culture of excellence and how we can continue the success. The development of Harper’s student-athletes academically, socially and spiritually was a big plus for me, as well. She demonstrated what a confident leader should be — she reminds me of (former Tennessee coach) Pat Summitt, in a way.”
“Coach Taylor is a great choice as our new women’s basketball leader,” said Ken Oliver, executive vice president of advancement and university operations. “Her familiarity with our area, our campus and the schools in our region will prove invaluable in continuing our winning tradition. We look forward to seeing her accomplishments.”
Taylor credits Showman for convincing her to stay the course with her career.
“With the COVID pandemic, I was kind of in a place where I was really questioning if I should continue being in this profession,” she said. “He showed me the ropes and gave me a lot of grace and showed me how to do things successfully and how to do things with integrity. I would not be where I’m at in my coaching journey if it weren’t for Showman. I feel like everything that I learned from not only him but also from Tanya Haave (Metro State coach) at the Division II level has put me in the most successful position to be a head coach.” Paredes said that became apparent during the search.
“The fact that she’s been at all levels and her experience is what helped set her apart from
the other candidates,” he said. “We wanted a person who can see what it takes to have those types of athletes and knows what to look for in the recruiting aspect. Everybody thinks they’re a Division I athlete, if not, then at least Division II, and I think Harper has a keen eye. I asked her, ‘What do you think we need to do have a great year?’ She said, ‘We need speed, we need size,’ and she’s right on point.”
Taylor said energy and defense will be hallmarks of her teams.
“Everyone can expect a team that’s going to be really loud, because I’m a very communicative person,” she said. “I’m very vocal about what I want and how I want things done. Coyote fans are going to see we have a really loud bench, and we’re going to be super loud on the court. And we’re going to get it done on the defensive end. I think I can work with our offense and bring in some recruiting pieces, but our philosophy is going to be built on the defensive end.”
Taylor was a standout athlete at Greeley West High School in Greeley, Colo., averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in her senior year. She began her college career at Nebraska-Kearney, then transferred to Hastings (Neb.) for her final three seasons. She helped the Broncos advance to the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship twice and the quarterfinals once.
“She brings the excitement, she brings the discipline, and she brings the drive and the hunger to be successful,” Paredes said.
The women’s basketball team celebrates after cutting down the nets for their KCAC title.
Wolf Wins KWU’s First NAIA Championship
Madelyn Wolf ’28 wasn’t sure joining Olathe's Heritage Christian Academy (HCA) track and field team her sophomore year was a good idea.
Her father, Clint, told her it was, she had several friends who were on the team, and volleyball was the only sport she was competing in. On the flip side, Wolf was concerned two sports would be too much and didn’t want to risk an injury that would jeopardize volleyball.
Eventually she relented and chose the javelin as the event she would focus on, despite never having thrown one and the lack of expertise in the coaching staff.
“I finally decided to go out mainly so that I could see my friends, and I thought jav was a good way to do that,” she said. “It’s way better than running, and I just had fun doing it. I ended up being good at it, so I just kept going.”
It was a watershed decision for Wolf, a Biomedical Chemistry major, and the Kansas Wesleyan Athletic Department.
Four years later, in the final competition of her freshman season, Wolf won the javelin event at the NAIA Women’s National Track Field Championships — the first Coyote to win an NAIA title in any sport.
“My main thought was to stay warm; I was like, ‘I can’t feel my fingers,’” she said.
“She got up on that runway and just let it rip from the get-go,” said Kyle Hiser, KWU director of track and field. “Some freshmen might be a little intimidated at that stage, but that’s not Maddy Wolf.”
It was a testament to her skill and dedication during a journey that started with an instructional YouTube video at HCA on how to throw a javelin.
“There are so many little things that you have to get right that even the smallest thing could throw
“I still can’t believe it, it’s just so amazing. Going to nationals was such a great experience and opportunity, and it was so much fun,” she said.
Wolf’s historic feat came on her first attempt on a cold, rainy, windy night in Marion, Ind. Casting aside a serious case of nervousness, she unleashed a personal best throw of 146 feet, 6 inches that wasn’t surpassed the rest of the night.
“Honestly, I was terrified,” she said. “I was like, ‘What if I scratch, what if it lands flat?’ I had been praying constantly, and I had a sense of peace. I just knew that whatever happened was going to happen. I was able to focus on my form and throw the jav forward, and it worked.”
The elements were an obstacle.
off your form,” Wolf said. “For me, it’s when I don’t throw through the tip of the jav and it goes straight up or straight down or to the side.”
Strength is important but not absolute, according to Wolf.
“We didn’t have a weight program in high school, so I didn’t do any weightlifting at all until I got to college,” she said. “Since I’m not the strongest person out there, my technique has to be really good in order to get that distance, whereas some people can just go out and chuck it that far without having any technique or form.”
Wolf, who lived in Salina until the second grade, joined the KWU track team in November after volleyball season ended. Oddly, throwing the javelin helps her as a volleyball outside hitter and vice versa.
“My parents were like, ‘You play volleyball and it’s the same thing; it would be good to get some arm strength,’” she said. “It’s a lot of the same movements.”
“(The arm motion) is the exact same thing you see in those photos when a volleyball player is winding back to spike,” said Clayton Herdman, who coaches KWU's javelin throwers. “It’s the same concept as throwing the jav, but we’re going to keep our feet on the ground.”
The opportunity to play both sports led Wolf back to Salina for college.
“I really didn’t want to give up either of them, because I love them so much,” she said, “so it was really encouraging to hear that both coaches (Hiser and Jessica Biegert) would not only allow me to do both but encouraged me to.”
Wolf credits Herdman with her success.
“He was encouraging, and he was pushing me to do things even when I was tired or didn’t want to go to 6 a.m. practice or I was up late studying,” she said. “He really helped my technique, especially since I came in not knowing how to how to do it. I came in without an approach.”
Herdman, the 2025 KCAC Women's Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year, wasn't surprised Wolf won the national title.
“Maddy is a true-blue competitor,” he said. “She had unbelievable throws at practice every single time; we just hadn’t quite put it all together. I knew she was ready for a big throw there at nationals.”
Asked what her goals are for next spring Wolf had a quick answer.
“I would love to defend the title,” she said. The NAIA national meet record is 156-4 set in 2022.
“I think there’s a lot more to come from her,” Herdman said.
By Bob Davidson
Men’s Track Records Best Season Ever
It was a historic season for the men’s track and field program, as the team finished second indoors, its highest finish ever (pictured right). Track and field (both men and women) then hosted the KCAC Outdoor Championship for the first time since 2019, and the men’s team earned a runner-up result there, as well, finishing just eight points behind Evangel. Junior Wyatt Johnson (pictured left) was among the standouts, winning both the 800 and 1,500 outdoors. Garrett Young ’17, G’19 was named the conference’s assistant coach of the year for the third straight conference year.
To read the final men’s outdoor meet recap, scan the QR code to the right.
Coach Matt Middleton
Murdock G’22 Ready to Lead KWU Hoops
Jordan Murdock knew precisely what he was going to do after his life as a college student ended.
brother, Jun ’23, G’24, was a two-time AllAmerican during three seasons at KWU.
Jordan’s objectives as a head coach are clear-cut.
rapport,” he said. “It was a pretty neat thing to see when he walked on campus. When he walked in the door (at the Student Activity Center), everybody started screaming and yelling in excitement. That made it a no-brainer.”
Murdock credits his father, Johnny, a former Wichita high school and Missouri State standout, and Boschee with shaping him as a coach.
“I wanted to become a coach as soon as I got done at Friends University,” he said. “I thought that the knowledge I was given as a young kid growing up should be something that I gave back to the guys who are coming into college.”
Five years removed, he is well on his way.
“I want my guys to see there’s more things to life than basketball,” he said. “I want them to be successful after graduation, whether they keep playing basketball or not. Kansas Wesleyan is one of the top schools in Kansas for job placement the past couple of years, so they’re leaving here with jobs. I think that’s the biggest deal.”
Murdock also wants the Coyotes to win, and win a lot, and says there will be changes.
Murdock enters his first season as head men’s basketball coach at Kansas Wesleyan in 202526 — his first as the main man at any level. He previously spent four years as an assistant at KWU before serving as an assistant at Division II Pittsburg State under Jeff Boschee last season.
Murdock was a standout at Wichita Southeast High School, then Hutchinson Community College for one season. He transferred to Friends, where he terrorized the Kansas Conference for three years, twice earning NAIA All-America honors and continuing the Murdock family’s rich legacy. His younger
The knowledge I was given as a young kid growing up should be something that I gave back to the guys who are coming into college.
“My dad coached me and a lot of my friends up until high school and gave us a good foundation,” he said. “He was a big pillar, and he challenged me mentally even when he wasn’t coaching me. Coach Boschee does a lot of things that I’ve never seen before and, obviously, he’s played at the Division I level (KU) and coached at the Division II level. He’s done it all.”
”“Where I think we’ll be different is our length at different positions, I think we’re going to be able to play any way we need to,” he said. “And we’re going to guard the basketball a little bit differently. It’s about the guys finding some buy-in with each other, playing together and trusting me to put them in the right situations.”
Athletic Director Miguel Paredes said Murdock made a strong impression during his first stint at KWU.
“The relationships that he had with the players is what set him apart; he had great
“KWU hit a home run! I only got him as an assistant at Pitt for one year, but he’s one of the best assistants I’ve ever had,” Boschee said in a social media post.
Murdock said his return has been seamless.
“It’s great to be back,” he said. “Just having the familiar faces around and being able to see everybody and rekindle those relationships has been good.”
By Bob Davidson
The 2025 Night with the Yotes was one for the history books, as the event raised more than $200,000 in support of Kansas Wesleyan’s student activities. That is the most raised in the 14 years of the event and bests the previous top mark — accomplished last year — by more than 20%.
A Huge Success!
More than 600 people attended and 75 corporate sponsors supported the evening’s proceedings. Continued sound and light upgrades to Sams Chapel, long-term planning for KWU’s strength and conditioning areas, and general upgrades for Art and Design, Theatre and DECA are among the specific areas that received benefits from Night with the Yotes.
Save the date: Feb. 20, 2026, at Mabee Arena.
For 2023-24 and 24-25 fiscal years through June 1, 2025.
A+ Architectural & Construction Services
Advantage Trust Company
James and Betsy Alexander
Amailey Plumbing LLC
Lucerne Anton
Gustaf and Hannah Applequist
Roy and Donice Applequist
Aramark Global Business Services
Arma
Tim and Pat Ault-Duell
Richard and Ellene Austin
Catherine Badgley
Bank of the Plains
Carsten and Gitte Banke
Roger Basinger
Matthew and Jami Bauer
Mike Baumberger
BCBS of Kansas Foundation
BE Wealth
Leroy and Marla Beikman
Bennington State Bank
Mike and Debra Berkley
Lila Berkley
Dennis and Pamela Berndt
John Betterson
Taylor Bettis
Ginny V. Bevan
Jeffrey and Margie Bieber
Richard and Leah Blanchard
Connie Blanke
Blue Beacon International, Inc.
Douglas and Jandrea Blumanhourst
Pat and Linda Bolen
Scott and Anamari Boswell
Philip Bowman
Dale and Susanne Bradley
Gregg Bradshaw
David Branda
Vivian Bray
Martin and Wanda Brotherton
Richard and Joyce Brown
Brown's Shoe Fit Company
Peter and Rosemary Brungardt
Gloria Bryant
Brian and Robyn Buhr
C & R Schauf Foundation
CAD Law, LC
Judy Calcote
Eileen Calcote
Marc and Victoria Carpenter
Virginia Carrington
Wayne and Mary Chauncey
Thomas and Janice Chandler
Grace Chiang
Carlene Childs
Rebecca Chopp and Fred Thibodeau
Phillip Coleman
Michael and Skyla Collier
Comanche County Federal Credit Union
John Cox
Kent and Adrienne Cox
Crown Distributors
Bruce Culley
Trent Davis and Pamela Braxton-Davis
Diane and Addison Davis
Andrew and Linda Deckert
Max Dewey
Melaku Dissassa
Emma Doherty
Janet DuBois
Delores Eades
Earl Bane Foundation
Pauline Eaton
Ken and Karen Ebert
Brandon and Heather Ebert
Jeff and Jeanene Ehrlich
Elden V. Miller Family
Dean Ellison and Mary McElligot
EyeCare Associates of Salina, LLC
Dianne Fahring
David and Patricia Fancher
Jerry Fassler
Fence Brokers, Inc.
Ferrell Ranch, LLC
Thomas and Annetta Flax
Patricia Forbes
R.E. Fox
Trevor Franzen
Lorna Fredericsen
Larry and Janis Frutiger
John and Monnette Gagnon
Jamie and Rhonda Galusha
Betty Garrison
Gene Haas Foundation
Anne Genther
Robert and Micaela Gibson
Frederic and Carolyn Gilhousen
Gordon Gorton
Darren and Cassie Gragg
Randal Graham
Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
Greater Salina Community Foundation
Gretchen Morgenstern Charitable Trust
Kai Gruber
Eric Haberer
Keaton & Hannah Hale
Harbin Construction Co.
James Harvey
Michael and Shauna Hastings
Fred and Sarah Hays
Matt and Brenda Hemmer
Sean & Kim Herrington
Robert and Patricia Hoisington
Lloyd Holbrook
Holm Buick
Barbara Houdek
Jason and Lisa Ingermanson
Jack & Dorothy Phipps
Charitable Remainder Trust
JD Sports
Jeff Wells Agency, Inc
Wayne Lowen and Brigid Jensen-Lowen
John and Mary H Hart FDN US Trust
Karen Franzen-Johnson and Gerald Johnson
Janet Jolley
Jerry Jones and Kathleen Barrett-Jones
JRI Investments
Kansas Area United Methodist Fnd
Kansas Health Foundation
Kansas Methodist Foundation
Robert and Vickie Keever
Philip and Mary Kerstetter
Dan Kieborz
Tracy and Jayme Kirby
Marilyn Foster-Kirk and James Kirk
John and Sharon Koepke
James and Jackie Krenowicz
Kent and Pat Lambert
Gregory Lamkin
Brad Lancaster
Derek and Maegan Lee
Michael and Tara Little
Barbara Livergood
A. Wayne Lowen
Mahaska
Mike and Dusky Mann
Larry and Barbara Marshall
Marshall Family Foundation, Inc.
David Martin
Evelyn Maxwell
James and Karen McClain
Darrell and Eula Megli
Rafael Jr. and Renee Mendez
Robert Meyer
Patricia Michaelis
Steven and Pamela Michel
David and Patricia Mills
Byran and Peggy Minnich
Cheryl Monaghan
Andrew and Darci Mondy
Mike Money
Earl Montgomery
James and Eileen Moon
Morrison Foundation Trust
David Mortimer
Robert and Patricia Murray
NAIA
James and Charlotte Nelson
Nex-Tech, LLC
Nex-Tech Wireless, LLC
Barbara Nickell
Robert Nielsen
Becky Noonan
Byron and Sandra Norris
Jerry and Margaret Norton
NoVo Foundation
Ken and Michelle Oliver
Jeanette Otto
Laura Oxford
Pestinger Heating & Air Conditioner, Inc.
Jon and Tricia Petak
Paul and Karla Peters
Nicholas Jr. and Regina Petron
Justin and Shelley Phelps
Jane and Brady Philbrick
Lorrayn Pickerell
William and Kathleen Pierson
Karen Pinkall
Bruce and Linda Preston
John and Mary Quinley
Kay Quinn
Michael and Susan Ramage
Stanley and Kathleen Razak
Kevin Reay
John and Jennifer Redding
Gordon Reimer
Clark and Amber Renfro
Thomas and Janet Renich
Charles and Sandra Renz
Martha Rhea
Karen Rice-Ratzlaff and James Ratzlaff
Stephen and Lorraine Richards
Emily-May and Jim Richards
Mark Ritter
Janice Rundle–Marshall
Max and Kay Russell
Karl and Jody Ryan
Stephen and Lynne Ryan
Ryan Roofing Company
Sacred Heart Junior-Senior High School
Sage Oak Weath Partners, LLC
Julie Sager-Miller and Mark Miller
Salina Charities League
Salina Liberty
Salina Regional Health Center
Salina Regional Health Foundation
Salina Rotary Club
Salina Waste Systems, Inc.
Salina Wholesale Liquor
Vicki and Troy Schmidt
Schmidt Foundation
Mark and Amy Schneider
Wayne Schneider and Kristen Becker
Schwan's Global Supply Chain, Inc.
Steve and Jewelda Scofield
Gary Scoggan
Glenna Sheets
Richard and Sarah Short
John Simmering
Phyllis Sinclair
Larry and Joy Smith
Stanley Smith
Smoot Charitable Foundation
Morrie and Sydney Soderberg
Solomon State Bank
Jimmy Sponder
Jacqueline Sporcic
Bruce W. Springer
Randall and Mary Ann St. Clair
Marshall and Janice Stanton
McDowell "Mac" Steele
Paul Steele
James Steinmann
Steven and Patsy Stockham
Sunflower Bank
Christina and Jonathan Swagerty
The Library Sports Bar & Grill
The Mortgage Company
Matthew and Jennifer Thompson
Rick and Faye Thornton
Timothy Thornton
Tier 1 Financial, LLC
Glenn and Dianne Tombaugh
Tony's Pizza Events Center
Jordan Trammell
Jo Anne Trow
Cary and Phyllis Tucker
UMB Bank
Vanier Family Scholarship Foundation
Verla Nesbitt Joscelyn Foundation
Virgil and Barbara Arensman Charitable Fund
Guy Walker and Harley Hamilton
Chris Walker
Thomas Warders
Stanley and Ursula Weilert
Gary and Mary Weiner
Barry and Lisa Weis
Western Colorado University
Monte and Penni White
Wichita Foundation
Wilbur Development, LLC
Jack and Anita Wiley
Wilson Family Charitable Trust
Wimer Family Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Woodwork Manufacturing & Supply
Bruce and Margaret Wyatt
Mark Zimmerman and
Carolyn Hofer-Zimmerman
To join the Pioneer Society, scan the QR code or contact a member of the Advancement office. The KWU Power of AND Campaign involves each phase of the
More than $46.85 million raised in pledges, estate plans and gifts
Community Resilience Hub Sees Growth Spurt
A world premiere movie. The first cohort of RIFT students. Making and cementing international connections. A $1 million grant. Conversations with Wes and Friends. And lots of plans.
The Community Resilience Hub (CRH) has been busy this winter and spring.
The first Heartland Rodale Institute Farmer Training (RIFT) cohort began work in March and will continue through October, one growing season, when the students will earn a 12-credit certificate. Students’ plans range from community farming in the Los Angeles area to ranching in Montana to growing food locally.
Animals arrived about the same time the students did: cattle, sheep, chickens and a couple of puppies to be trained to guard the flocks.
Much of the work is being done on 30 acres owned by Dr. Wes Jackson ’58 KWU professor emeritus and co-founder of The Land Institute.
On a misty day in June, students were out in rain boots and jackets moving fence to form new paddocks. The cattle and sheep are moved periodically to give the prairie forage a chance to regenerate. The chicken trailer is moved to the already grazed areas for the flock to take its part in soil regeneration.
Some plots have been planted to vegetables and greens.
Jackson is offering his expertise to the students, but he has had a busy spring, as well.
A feature-length documentary about Jackson and his work developing perennial grains, Prairie Prophecy, had a grand world premiere April 25 and 26 (see next page).
He also wrapped up the first season of Conversations with Wes and Friends, coordinated by CRH. For each conversation — two each in the fall and spring semesters — two speakers gave presentations, followed by a conversation with the audience, moderated by Jackson.
Jackson also helped Kansas Wesleyan obtain a $1 million, two-year grant from an anonymous donor. Half of the funds will support the Heartland RIFT program to cover student supplies, scholarships, equipment and other needs. The remainder of the gift will be to explore how the liberal arts can address societal issues.
Sabrina Rosario, CRH director, made international connections when she combined a
family trip to Germany and Italy with CRH explorations. She gave a presentation and met with students and faculty at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development and fostered an interest in student-exchange programs. Eberswalde and Kansas Wesleyan are members of the Resilience Studies Consortium (cofounded by KWU), a group of nine universities and colleges across the U.S. and Eberswalde that promotes educational opportunities in sustainability and resiliency.
Near Parma, Italy, Rosario visited a Rodale Institute research center that studies food and researches ingredients that go into sustainable cosmetics.
Closer to home, besides helping with the Heartland RIFT program, CRH continued with the community gardens and raised beds next to Kirwin House, the president's residence. Produce from the gardens is donated to the Salina Emergency Aid / Food Bank. The gardens are managed by Regan Rhodes ’23, campus farmer.
Plans are also in the works for a chef’s garden, raised beds in front of Pfeiffer Hall, to raise herbs, greens and vegetables for use in Bieber Dining Hall.
At the end of July, CRH will host the Kansas Local Food Summit from Kansas State on campus.
In October, CRH will host another session of its civil discourse training at Salina Public Library.
To learn more about CRH and Heartland RIFT, visit www.kwu.edu/CRH.
By Jean Kozubowski
(Top to bottom) Andrew Hall, Heartland RIFT regenerative agriculture farm instructor, explains how using rotational grazing for the flerd (flocks and herds of chicken, sheep and cattle) helps keep the soil healthy.
Heartland RIFT students D’Shanti Lewis and Richard Chan, from Texas and California, drive in a fence post to move the paddock for the flerd. The fence will be electrified with a solar panel.
Dr. Wes Jackson ’58, left, talks with Dr. Karina Yager, an atmospheric scientist from the University of Stony Brook in New York, and Jason Graves, horticultural agent with K-State Research and Extension Central Kansas District, in Salina at the third Conversation with Wes and Friends in February on the KWU campus. Yager discussed the effects of climate change in the Andes Mountains, and Graves discussed climate change on the local prairie.
Legendary Jackson ’58 Celebrated at Film Premiere
Wes Jackson ’58 (fourth from right) and the Perennial Films production team pose on the red carpet at the film's world premiere in Salina.
Prairie Prophecy Recognizes Legacy of Wes Jackson ’58
It was a weekend to celebrate. And many of the glasses raised in toast were filled with Kernza beer. Kernza is a perennial wheat, which means it doesn’t have to be planted every year, unlike traditional wheat. Because it uses less fuel and chemicals, it can combat climate change and protect the soil, said Wes Jackson ’58, Kansas Wesleyan alumnus and professor emeritus. As co-founder of The Land Institute, he guided the development of Kernza.
This is such an important development that a feature-length documentary, Prairie Prophecy, about Kernza and Jackson had its world premiere at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina on April 26.
The gala premiere was the culmination of two days of events celebrating both Kernza and Jackson.
In addition, regional restaurants featured dishes made with Kernza wheat that week.
On April 25, KWU’s Community Resilience Hub offered tours of its latest course offering, Heartland Rodale Institute Farmer Training (RIFT), along with lunch. The certificate program runs one growing season, March to October, and
acquaints students with aspects of crops, livestock and business grounded in regenerative agriculture principles. Much of the learning takes place on 30 acres of Jackson’s property. The Land Institute, next door, also offered tours.
That evening, Kernza beer was featured at a reception at The Farm and The Odd Fellows in Minneapolis. CRH provided free transportation from Salina to Minneapolis.
The evening of April 26 offered all the trappings of a world premiere: VIP reception, red carpet walk, the film itself, a panel of experts and an afterparty. The production company, Perennial Films, turned out in full force, and Jackson’s friends and luminaries from both coasts packed the main floor of the Stiefel Theatre in Salina.
The film is set for wide release this summer and autumn and for public television release in 2026.
KWU is set to host another screening in the afternoon of Oct. 26, during Homecoming in Sams Chapel.
By Jean Kozubowski
Dr. Matt Thompson introduces Prairie Prophecy at the world premiere of the film about Dr. Wes Jackson ’58 and his work developing a perennial grain, Kernza.
KWU Alumni:
Consider KWU’s MBA Alumni Scholarship, good for $100 off per MBA credit hour. This lowers the total cost of a Coyote MBA to under $12,000!
Learn more about the university’s MBA program at www.kwu.edu/mba or by contacting admissions@kwu.edu today.
www.kwu.edu |
Why an MBA from KWU?
“The MBA program at Kansas Wesleyan gave me the real-world business knowledge I needed to jump-start my career, while still allowing flexibility to compete as a studentathlete. The support from professors and practical coursework made a big difference and helped establish a foundation of knowledge as I began my professional career.”
Madyson Beckett, ’22, G’23
Treasury Implementation Specialist Commerce Bank
An MBA from Kansas Wesleyan can open doors for your future! With opportunities like the KWU Alumni and Saline County scholarships, there’s never been a better time to pursue a graduate degree from KWU.
“My time at Kansas Wesleyan and in the MBA program helped me gain experience and learn the necessary skills to be the head of my program. I'm grateful for the lessons learned and relationships built at Kansas Wesleyan.”
Garrett Young, ’17, G’19
Head Cross Country / Associate Head Track Coach
“The value of an MBA in today’s market is found in the graduate’s understanding of business across all functions. No matter what function of business the graduate works in, they will find that their understanding will set them apart as someone who can effectively collaborate in interdepartmental problem solving, continuous improvement and innovation.”
Pamela K. Barnes, Ph.D. Adjunct Instructor
2025 Great Plains Annual Conference (UMC)
KWU was honored to be the first educational institution since the formation of the Great Plains Conference to host its annual gathering. More than 1,200 UMC members enjoyed the campus from June 5-7, bringing excitement and a spirit of unity as they decided the regional business of the denomination.
Scan here to learn more about KWU’s commitment to its UMC heritage, both historically and in the future.
KWU and the Community
It was a busy year on campus, as Kansas Wesleyan hosted many community events. From the annual Women in Leadership speaker series to Sacred Heart football, there was always something to help foster the relationship between KWU and Salina. Below are just a few of the examples.
Campus Events
• Sunflower State Spelling Bee
• Women in Leadership speaker series
• Special showing of Ellis Trail to Nicodemus, an important film discussing the history of Black communities in Kansas
• National Division II Christian Homeschool Basketball Tournament
• Portions of the Salina Invitational Tournament (basketball), including the semifinals and finals
• Salina South/Salina Central varsity basketball
• Parts of Southeast of Saline’s varsity football schedule
• Southeast of Saline’s K-6th grade track meet
• Nex-Tech Tech Edge Conference
• Regional Civics Bee (won by the son of alumna Melissa McCoy ’11)
• Kansas Court of Appeals appearance
• Salina Area Prayer Breakfast
• Alzheimer’s Walk
• Salina Chamber of Commerce AI Group
• Salina Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Workshop
• KSHAA Speech and Drama Festival
• 9/11 Stair Climb
• Stocktoberfest (benefiting Salina Emergency Aid / Food Bank)
1: Salina South vs Salina Central basketball game 2: Southeast High School football against Beloit
3: Lucy Larson, Action Travel and former KWU trustee, speaks at the Women in Leadership speaker series
4: Southeast of Saline’s K-6th Grade track meet 5: Brad Salois, assistant vice president of marketing and communications, hands Samuel Riley, Andover, Kan., the winner’s
Bee.
Class Notes
If you have updates for class notes, please contact the Advancement Office at 785-833-4392 or alumni@kwu.edu.
1970s
Coach Dee Kolzow ’72 was inducted into the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in Manhattan, Kan. Kolzow was among the inaugural inductees (1986) into what is now called the Jerry Jones KWU Athletic Hall of Fame.
James C. Jackson Jr. ’76 retired on March 1, 2025, from Cameron University after serving as athletic director for more than 19 years.
1980s
Alice Gruber ’87 was recently promoted to senior vice president/credit risk officer at First Bank Kansas.
2000s
Michelle Webster ’08, G’11 was appointed executive director of PacificSport Okanagan.
Kat Benton-LaEzza ’09, G’11 has been named an assistant coach for the University of Oregon women’s soccer program. Her coaching career began in 2009 at Kansas Wesleyan, where she logged five seasons as an assistant and two years as head coach.
2010s
Aine Hakamatsuka ’12 is the featured soprano soloist on a movement of Benedict Sheehan’s oratorio Akathist, recorded in the fall of 2023 at New York’s historic Trinity Church with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Artefact Ensemble, NOVUS NY. The recording has been nominated for a 2025 Grammy for best choral performance.
Kaleb Whitehair ’17 accepted a new role as director of rehabilitation and associate director of sports medicine at the University of Houston.
2020s
Trevor C. Oberg ’22 recently accepted a financial advisor position at Edward Jones Investments in Grand Island, Neb.
Abby Wray ’23 is a weekend news anchor, reporter and producer at KAKE News in Wichita.
In Memoriam
James A. Baustian ’52, Topeka, passed away Feb. 13, 2025.
J.D. Brunnemer ’56, Plainville, Kan., passed away April 14, 2025. He was married to fellow alum Henrietta (Prohaska) Brunnemer ’59.
Jack L. Sills ’58, Manhattan, Kan., passed away April 19, 2025.
Sarah Anne (Toburen) Lindblad ’61, Lindsborg, Kan., passed away Feb. 23, 2025.
Carmen “Kay” (Chapman) Davis ’61, Broomfield, Colo., passed away April 21, 2025.
David E. Michael ’61, Abilene, Kan., passed away June 3, 2025.
Eula (Wiley) Strayer ’61, Westcliffe, Colo., passed away April 10, 2025. She was married to fellow alum Rev. Michael G. Strayer ’61.
Lou Ann (Rypma) Clintsman Thoms ’61, North Richland Hills, Texas, passed away March 2, 2025.
Alvin Leroy Franzen ’65 passed away Nov. 5, 2024, in Des Moines, Wash. He was 81. Al was the oldest of four Franzen siblings to attend Kansas Wesleyan. Their mother, Ruby, instilled in them a passion to pursue education. Al coordinated the Franzen Family Endowment Scholarship at KWU, in conjunction with his siblings, LaVern Franzen, Ellene Austin ’66, Dr. Karen Johnson ’68 and Lois Clegg ’74, all of whom survive. Johnson is a current member of the KWU Board of Trustees. Al’s wife, Kathleen (Harvey) ’65, also survives. After earning a degree in business and international relations, Al spent time as a KWU recruiter in New York before starting a highway construction business in Colorado. When he moved to Washington, he became a Realtor. Al had a passion for supporting his community, serving on multiple civic boards and organizations.
Andrea (Woods) Wildeman ’65, Hoxie, Kan., passed away April 29, 2025.
Dennis R. Gilhousen ’66, Norton, Kan., passed away March 13, 2025.
Jesse Martin Hensel ’66, Hutchinson, Kan., passed away Feb. 20, 2025.
Jared Dudley ’67, Flagler, Colo., passed away April 25, 2025.
Leonard J. “Jack” Lambert Jr. ’68, Salina, passed away Dec. 31, 2024.
Connie (Fletcher) Powell ’70, Bel Aire, Kan., passed away May 9, 2025.
Larry George Swenson ’74, Salina, passed away April 17, 2025.
Neola O’Neal ’77, Salina, passed away April 30, 2025. She taught for more than 20 years at Hawthorne–Elementary school in Salina.
Mark E. Hassman ’79, Salina, passed away April 2, 2025.
Julie K. Holloway Reddig ’82, Salina, passed away Dec. 14, 2024. She retired after a teaching career at Roosevelt-Lincoln and South middle schools in USD 305.
Clinton R. Logan ’83, Salina, passed away March 22, 2025.
William E. Wattenburger ’84, Cushing, Okla., passed away Feb. 18, 2025.
Robert E. Garrison Jr. ’88, Salina, passed away Jan. 18, 2025.
Rebecca Loe ’97, Salina, passed away March 22, 2025.
Jacquelyn Jean Lay ’05, Salina, passed away March 20, 2025.
Anna Hindman ’10, Salina, passed away in February 2025.
Jada Mercedes Romero ’24, Highland Ranch, Colo., passed away March 7, 2025.
Barbara Knight, Salina, died March 25, 2025. She was a member of the KWU Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2003.
Dr. Don Olsen, longtime KWU professor, passed away April 8, 2025. Olsen taught at KWU for nearly three decades, establishing the Criminal Justice department and teaching Sociology, where the outstanding award still bears his name. You can read students’ memories of Dr. Olsen on Facebook by scanning the QR code below.
Stephen Ryan, Salina, passed away Feb. 24, 2025. He was a member of the KWU Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2007, serving as chairman from 2004-06.
KWU is updating its alumni database. If you served in any branch of the U.S. Military, please share your years of service, rank and branch by contacting Cathy Doubrava at 785-833-4392 or emailing cathy.doubrava@kwu.edu. Thank you for your service!
There’s no time like right now to support the future of Kansas Wesleyan and to give back in support of our students! Consider a $25 gift today as we enter the second half of 2025.
$25 in ’25 Your gift matters to our students! Learn more by scanning the QR code or visiting www.kwu.edu/give. $25 in ’25
