Fall 2022 UNK Today

UNK TODAY

FALL 2022

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Senior Vice Chancellor Charlie Bicak ‘helped build the modern-day UNK’

VICE PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI RELATIONS & DEVELOPMENT

Lucas Dart ’97

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT Tricia (Sunderman) Danburg ’94

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI COMMUNICATION Shonna Hill

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Toni (Winsor) Meyers ’93

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Mitch Johnson ’94 University of Nebraska Foundation

PHOTOGRAPHY

UNK Alumni Association

UNK Communications and Marketing University of Nebraska Foundation

UNK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LEAD COUNCIL

Hilke (Brandon) Meyer ’12, MBA ’19

PRESIDENT OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Curt Ott ’07

PAST PRESIDENT KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

Bryce Abbey, Ph.D., ’04, MAE ’06

CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

Anita (Fritz) Cory, Ph.D., ’90, MSE ’93

GREEK REPRESENTATIVE NORTH LIBERTY, IOWA

Yousef Ghamedi ’99

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

Andy Greer ’11

NEBRASKA REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

Dusty Jura ’08, MBA ’15

ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE AXTELL, NEBRASKA

Michelle (Marks) Krause ’02, MSE ’05

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ROSWELL, GEORGIA

Brittani Moeller, D.O., ’08

KEARNEY REPRESENTATIVE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: UNK TODAY / UNK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 214 W. 39TH ST. P.O. BOX 2678 KEARNEY, NE 68848 1-308-698-5271 lopers@unkalumni.org

a MESSAGE from HILKE (BRANDON) MEYER

As fall approaches, most of us in the professional realm view it as just the second half of the fiscal year, Q3/Q4, the last stretch to meet performance goals. To our students, faculty and staff, fall signifies an exciting start to the academic year, full of new opportunities, friendships and experiences.

Let yourself be nostalgic for a moment and think back to the start of your own fall semesters. I picture the sturdy stone fountain, rustic dorms and well-loved athletic facilities, described with the utmost endearment, of course. Fast forward just a little over a decade, and all of those have either been significantly enhanced or completely replaced. Similarly, I remember the excitement around the opening of Nester, Antelope and Bruner residence halls as a student. Today, the impressive list of new developments includes Discovery Hall, University Village and the future Rural Health Education Building. Keep in mind this is only a small glimpse of capital improvements, and I haven’t even touched on the countless ways our faculty and staff continue to push the boundaries and challenge our students through ever-evolving curriculum, state-of-the-art research and campuswide strategic plans. Never have I been prouder to call myself a Loper!

I share all of this with you because I thought I was fairly involved and educated on campus happenings, but I was taken aback, in the best way possible, when I visited campus recently. I could not believe how much it had changed yet still elicited those incredible memories. I encourage you to come back to campus for homecoming this fall. After a long couple of years of the pandemic, I think a reunion with old classmates and new alumni connections is just what the doctor ordered!

As a final point, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each of you for your contributions to UNK, and please understand those efforts extend far beyond merely financial support. Each one of us can play our part by sharing personal stories with prospective students, promoting local alumni events to our networks and proudly wearing our Loper blue. A strong, engaged alumni base ensures the future success of the university and its desire for continuous improvement while preserving our rich history and giving an appreciative nod to our past.

Proud Loper for Life,

Hilke (Brandon) Meyer ’12, MBA ’19

University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association

Loper Engagement and Alumni Development Council President

UNK

Today is published twice a year by the UNK Alumni Association and the University of Nebraska Foundation and is the official alumni publication of the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

AROUNDtheTOWER

News and Events Across Campus

UNK, UNMC Rural Health Education

Building one step closer to construction

Gov. Pete Ricketts signed legislation in April that supports construction of a new Rural Health Education Building at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

LB1014 allocates $60 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to the project, which will address the critical need for additional health care professionals in rural Nebraska by allowing more students to study and train in Kearney.

A collaboration between UNK and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Rural Health Education Building will grow the state’s talent pipeline by expanding existing UNMC programs o ered in Kearney. It will also bring new options to the UNK campus, including medicine, medical nutrition, genetic counseling and respiratory care — all high-need areas in rural Nebraska.

A Master of Health Administration degree will be added to complement UNK’s undergraduate program, and discussion is underway for the UNMC College of Pharmacy to o er a joint degree program with UNK.

e $60 million included in LB1014 will go toward construction and start-up costs, with an additional $35 million expected to come from private funds. e new building could be completed as early as 2025.

e Rural Health Education Building strengthens an already successful partnership between UNK and UNMC. e institutions opened a $19 million Health Science Education Complex on UNK’s West Campus in 2015, and that facility quickly lled. More than 300 students are currently pursuing degrees there in more than a dozen professional programs. About 85% of the students who graduate from this building start their careers in Nebraska.

New fraternity and sorority housing scheduled to open next year

Construction crews continue to make steady progress at the site of the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s new fraternity and sorority housing.

e $32.65 million project includes a renovation of Martin Hall, which was last occupied in 2014, and the addition of a new residence hall directly to the north.

e new building will feature chapter rooms in the basement, chapter lounges on the rst oor, assigned housing pods on the second oor and exible housing units on the third oor. It’s designed for Panhellenic sororities, with meeting and lounge space for multicultural chapters.

Martin Hall, designed for Interfraternity Councils fraternities, will have a similar layout, with the addition of Residence Life o ce space and a community great room/clubhouse space on the main oor that encourages interaction among the di erent organizations. By renovating Martin Hall, UNK is able to utilize an existing resource and preserve some of the building’s historic elements while adding new amenities and upgrades.

e residence halls — roughly 41,000 and 42,000 square feet, respectively — are large enough to accommodate 235 total beds.

Proposed opening dates are January 2023 for Martin Hall and August 2023 for the new building.

e current fraternity and sorority housing –University Residence North (URN) and University Residence South (URS) – will be razed after the project is complete. ose buildings have the highest annual maintenance and operating costs among UNK’s residence halls and continue to experience mechanical infrastructure issues.

A rendering of the UNK-UNMC Rural Health Education Building to be built on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus.

Renderings of the new fraternity and sorority housing on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus.

UNK recognizes Tom Tye with Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award

Each year during fall convocation, Tom Tye has the honor of presenting the prestigious Pratt-Heins Faculty Awards at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

His family has sponsored the awards for the past four decades to recognize UNK faculty for their excellence in teaching, service and scholarship and research.

In May, it was Tye’s turn to be recognized for everything he’s done to support UNK and the city of Kearney. Instead of presenting a plaque or check, he stepped on stage inside the Health and Sports Center to receive the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award.

e award recognizes individuals for their community service and support of UNK, the Kearney area, state of Nebraska and higher education. It is UNK’s highest honor.

In addition to the Pratt-Heins Awards, the Tye family has supported International Education, the Phi Alpha eta history honor society, Midwest Conference on World A airs, art and music programming and other areas. e simulation suite in UNK’s Health Science Education Complex is named for Tye’s mother, Gloria Tye, who was the director of student health on campus for a decade.

Tye and his wife, Mikki, are both University of Nebraska Foundation trustees. He also serves on the foundation’s Governance Committee. e Tyes were founding members of the Kearney Family YMCA, and Tom Tye has also been a member of the Yanney Heritage Park Foundation since it was established in 1997.

Tye’s long list of civic and community activities includes contributions to the Boy Scouts of America, Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, American Red Cross, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, CHI Health Good Samaritan and Museum of Nebraska Art.

Kristen Majocha selected as UNK senior vice chancellor for academic affairs

Kristen Majocha is the new senior vice chancellor for academic a airs at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She arrived on campus in July. She replaces Charlie Bicak, who retired after serving in the position for 13 years.

Majocha was previously dean of the College of Social Sciences and Human Services and College of Education and Liberal Arts at California University of Pennsylvania, which became Pennsylvania Western University during her tenure.

A U.S. Navy veteran and rst-generation college graduate, Majocha has served in her dean role since 2018. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Slippery Rock University and a master’s degree in communication and doctorate in rhetoric from Duquesne University.

Majocha is a champion of the teacher-scholar model, where faculty research informs the classroom, students participate in research opportunities with their teachers, and the results inform best practices in the job market.

In previous roles, she previously served as assistant vice president of academic a airs and director of international program support and services at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

e senior vice chancellor for academic a airs is the chief academic o cer at UNK, overseeing three academic colleges, general studies and Graduate Studies & Academic Outreach, including UNK Online. e position also oversees the library, Academic Resources & Institutional Research, assessment, Sponsored Programs and Research, International Education, registrar and academic programs such as undergraduate research, honors and ompson Scholars Learning Community. Additionally, the senior vice chancellor for academic a airs serves as liaison to the Higher Learning Commission and OneIT.

Senior Vice Chancellor Kristen Majocha

Tom Tye and Chancellor Doug Kristensen

Unique partnership allows CCC-Kearney students to live in UNK housing

Central Community College and the University of Nebraska at Kearney have entered a unique residential housing partnership.

Beginning this fall, the CCC/UNK Residential Housing Program is allowing CCC students studying at the Kearney Center to live in UNK’s Randall/Mantor Hall or Centennial Towers. Kearney Center students must be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours for both the fall and spring semesters and be age 25 or younger on the rst day of classes.

“Central Community College is thrilled to be embarking on what we believe to be a historic and unique partnership with UNK,” said Beth Przymus-Klitz, CCC dean of student success. “While CCC and UNK have partnered recently on multiple 2 + 2 instructional programs, this is the rst student services agreement between the schools. rough this program, CCC’s Kearney Center students have a tremendous opportunity to experience the bene ts and rewards of an on-campus living experience.”

In addition to a ordable housing and a safe environment, CCC-Kearney students can opt into such UNK services as health and counseling, student events, the wellness center and student parking.

“CCC administrators and the UNK Residence Life team have worked to develop a strong partnership that I hope will encourage a seamless pathway for students to transition to UNK when they are ready to transfer,” said Trelana Daniel, UNK director of Residence Life. “We are committed to providing a strong out-of-classroom educational environment for university students and are excited to be branching out to assist college-bound students who need housing in the Kearney area. is is a mutually bene cial arrangement for both institutions, and we look forward to strengthening the partnership in the coming years.”

National Champions!

Lopers, Matt Malcom win NCAA Division II titles

e No. 1-ranked Loper wrestling team picked up its fourth national title in dominating fashion, scoring a program-record 127 points and having eight All-Americans and three national nalists.

Hosted in March in St. Louis, the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships saw UNK break its previous scoring record of 108.50 set in 2007 and again in 2008. e Lopers placed rst that season as well as in 2012 and 2013. is is Dalton Jensen’s rst national title as a head coach. He was a member of the 2012 team.

e 127 points were also the most for a national championship winning team in 12 years.

Winning an individual national championship was super senior Matt Malcom (165 lbs.), with super seniors Josh Portillo (125 lbs.) and Sam Turner (149 lbs.) national runners up. Next, super senior Wesley Dawkins (133 lbs.) and redshirt sophomore Billy Higgins (184 lbs.) came in third, with redshirt junior Austin Eldredge fourth (174 lbs.). Finally, redshirt junior heavyweight Lee Herrington and redshirt sophomore Nick James (141 lbs.) each nished fth.

Malcom, of Glenwood, Iowa, capped o a ve-year All-American career by going 30-2 this year and winning his second national title (2019; 157 lbs.).

National champion Matt Malcom (165 lbs.)

Charlie Bicak and his wife, Marylin, aren’t leaving Kearney to spend their golden years in some faraway location.

You’ll still see him around the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus — at theater productions, music concerts, athletic contests and other events.

“ is is home,” Bicak said. And it always will be. e senior vice chancellor for academic and student a airs at UNK since 2009, Bicak retired June 30, ending a 40-year career in education.

STRONG CONNECTION

A Kearney Catholic High School graduate, Bicak’s connection to UNK goes back six decades.

His late father, Laddie Bicak, was a faculty member here from 1962 to 1989, teaching in the department of biology and serving as the graduate dean for nine years. His mother, Iris Bicak, now 97, was a music teacher and vocalist, making his career in education a bit of a no-brainer.

THIS IS HOME

‘helped build the modern-day UNK’

By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications

“I suspect that I always thought I would be a teacher, but mine was a little bit of a meandering path,” Bicak said with a smile.

After working two summers on the grounds crew on campus, Bicak enrolled at UNK, known then as Kearney State College, in 1970. He saw the same opportunities students continue to receive today.

“Fifty years ago, I was involved in undergraduate research,” said Bicak, who studied water pollution in the Little and Big Blue rivers with faculty members and fellow students.

He also played football for the Lopers for two years before graduating in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in biology education.

Bicak taught junior high physical science and biology at Westside Community Schools in Omaha for a

year, but he really wanted to pursue research. So he left his teaching position, got married and started a master’s program in plant science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. at decision led to a doctorate in range science from Colorado State University and, after a brief stint researching herbicides for Eli Lilly and Company, his rst job in academia.

Although he spent nine years at California State University, Bakers eld, advancing to professor and biology department chair, the relationships he developed at UNK never faded.

“ ere’s a strong sense of community here,” Bicak said. “We’re large enough that we have the breadth and depth of programs, but we’re also small enough that you get to know students and they get to know you.”

e desire to work in that type of close-knit environment brought him back to Kearney in 1992. Bicak taught in the UNK Department of Biology for the next 13 years, serving as department chair for seven years and as an assistant to the dean for two years.

He received the Teaching Excellence Award from the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce in 1997 and was the second person ever recognized with the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award, presented annually to an outstanding UNK teacher-scholar for their achievements in education, research and service.

Bicak was dean of the School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, from 2005 to 2009, before returning to UNK for good.

CAMPUS IMPACT

Chancellor Doug Kristensen calls Bicak “one of the pillars who helped build the modern-day UNK.”

“I think there are days when it’s hard to calculate how important Charlie has been to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, because he’s impacted it in so many di erent ways,” Kristensen said. “Over the last 13 years, clearly he’s had a big impact on the academic direction of the campus, but I think he provides a calming in uence toward most campus issues.”

As senior vice chancellor, Charlie Bicak

Charlie Bicak

As senior vice chancellor for academic and student a airs, Bicak oversaw a number of collaborative and multidisciplinary projects — most notably the successful partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He played a key role in the planning process when UNK and UNMC joined forces to expand health care education in rural Nebraska.

e institutions opened a $19 million Health Science Education Complex on UNK’s west campus in 2015, and that facility quickly lled to capacity. More than 300 students are currently pursuing degrees there in more than a dozen professional programs.

e Nebraska Legislature approved funding earlier this year for the second phase of that plan, a new Rural Health Education Building to be located directly north of the Health Science Education Complex. at building will expand the existing UNMC programs o ered in Kearney and bring new options to the UNK campus.

“Charlie’s ability to work seamlessly with the medical center has been an unbelievable asset for the campus as we’ve developed the Health Science Education Complex and now the Rural Health Education Building,” said Kristensen, who called the partnership a “shining accomplishment.”

“But there are so many other things Charlie has done that I think are just as important to campus, but maybe not as visible,” he added.

Among them:

• Developing a new general studies curriculum that reduces credit hour requirements, eases transferring and gives students greater exibility in earning their degree.

• Partnering with the University of Nebraska at Omaha to bring a Master of Social Work program to UNK.

• Growing the Kearney Health Opportunities Program, another UNMC partnership that promotes rural health education, and launching the Kearney Law Opportunities Program, a collaboration with the University of Nebraska College of Law that recruits and trains students to become lawyers in rural communities.

• Merging the College of Fine Arts and Humanities and the College of Natural and Social Sciences to form the College of Arts and Sciences, the most signi cant change in UNK’s academic structure since the school joined the NU System in 1991.

Bicak helped launch various other research initiatives and academic programs, including molecular biology, athletic training and early childhood education, and he took a “surgical” approach during budget reductions to lessen the impact.

Kristensen described his longtime friend and colleague as kind, measured and “totally committed to the campus.”

“I haven’t lost a night’s sleep since Charlie’s been the senior vice chancellor for academic a airs, because I know the academic side of the house is in good hands,” he said. “I trust his judgment. I always have.”

NEXT CHAPTER

“ ere comes a time for all things to end,” Bicak says.

at’s why he decided to join his wife in retirement.

At 70 years old, he’s ready. Plus, it gives somebody else an opportunity to leave their mark at UNK.

“And I think that’s healthy,” he said.

Bicak will remain involved in the Rural Health Education Building development, but he plans to travel more and spend additional time with family. His son, Nate, and grandchildren, Parker and Foster, live in west Omaha, and his daughter, Libby, lives in Lincoln.

Of course, he’ll also be at all those campus events, giving him a chance to catch up with faculty, administrators, former students and other friends he’s made along the way.

“UNK means a lot to me,” Bicak said. “It’s formed a large part of my identity. I attach it pretty quickly to who I am.”

‘I landed my dream job’

UNK grads design luxury homes for famous clients

e employees at Alder & Tweed Design Co. aren’t allowed to publicly discuss their clients.

So Emily Bridge and Katie Ward have to be careful when talking about their jobs.

ey won’t name-drop, but a quick Google search gives you a good idea of the type of people they work for – A-list actors, popular musicians, sports stars and tech moguls.

“It’s pretty exclusive – de nitely celebrities and the 1% who live there,” Bridge said of the Yellowstone Club, a private ski and golf community nestled in the Rocky Mountains near Big Sky, Montana.

Covering 15,200 acres, this members-only oasis features world-class ski trails, an 18-hole golf course designed by former PGA player and renowned course architect Tom Weiskopf and other luxury amenities.

When someone purchases a multimillion-dollar home at the Yellowstone Club, Alder & Tweed is recommended for the interior design.

“We get to go into these beautiful homes and put beautiful things in the house,” Ward said. “It really doesn’t feel like work. I think everyone, deep down, really enjoys picking out nice furniture and putting designs together.”

For Ward and Bridge, the opportunity to work for the high-end design rm is a dream come true.

“Somehow, right out of college, I landed my dream job,” Bridge said.

FORMER LOPERS

e 24-year-olds met at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where they both studied interior and product design. In a smaller program, they developed close relationships with faculty

EMILY BRIDGE KATIE WARD

and classmates, many of whom took the same classes together year after year.

“We all became really, really good friends,” said Ward, an Omaha native.

“It was nice having that support system around us,” added Bridge, who grew up in Kearney.

e UNK program also exposed them to a variety of design concepts and career paths. For instance, Ward completed her internship at the Walker Art Gallery on campus, while Bridge worked remotely for Jackie Barnes Design, a Cincinnati-based interior design rm.

“I think that really prepared us for this job, because everything is so di erent all the time,” Bridge said. “ ere’s no one process for everything, so it was nice to see all the di erent possibilities there are within interior design.”

After graduating in spring 2021, Bridge decided to “spread her wings” and pursue employment outside Nebraska.

She was looking through job openings on the employment website Indeed when she saw Alder & Tweed’s listing for a designer at the Park City, Utah, location. Naturally, she went to the agency’s website and discovered an “awesome company that’s very fancy,” she said.

During her interview, Bridge mentioned a roommate who also had recently graduated with an interior and product design degree. Alder & Tweed happened to have two openings at its Big Sky o ce, and Bridge and Ward were the perfect t.

“She de nitely gets credit for that,” Ward said with a laugh. “She got the bigger bedroom when we moved.”

“ at was our deal,” Bridge con rmed.

SKY’S THE LIMIT

Ward and Bridge currently live in Bozeman, Montana, about 45 miles northeast of Big Sky, where they’ve worked since fall 2021.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Ward said. “We have such a great team around us. It’s like we’re all friends who get to work in really beautiful houses every day.”

In addition to the Yellowstone Club, Alder & Tweed has design contracts with Montage Big Sky, a nearby luxury resort, and Wasatch Peaks Ranch, a 12,740-acre private community and club in the Wasatch Mountains near Park City, Utah. Ward designed 22 units at Montage Big Sky, which features a large hotel, several dining venues, a 10,000-square-foot spa and private residences.

With a third location in New York, Alder & Tweed works with clients across North America. e rm has designed homes in Las Vegas, Martha’s Vineyard, Cabo San Lucas and Los Angeles.

Ward and Bridge both hope to advance within the company while continuing to do what they love.

“I get to do this for the rest of my life,” Ward said. “ is is literally perfect. It’s so much fun.”

“ e sky’s the limit,” Bridge added. “If I can do this now, I feel like I can accomplish anything.”

Sandra Bresnahan, M.D., practices medicine in her hometown of Lexington, Nebraska, where she feels gratified serving the town's growing Hispanic community.

Go to nufoundation.org/ unkruralhealth to watch more about Bresnahan's story.

THE TIES THAT BIND

UNK, UNMC work to bring more medical professionals to rural Nebraska

By ROBYN MURRAY - University of Nebraska Foundation

When Sandra Bresnahan, M.D., was a child, she often came with her parents to doctor appointments.

Her parents were immigrants from Mexico and didn’t speak much English. So they needed her to explain their symptoms to the doctor and translate what was told to them.

“As a young kid, that’s kind of hard,” said Bresnahan, who now works as a family physician at Lexington Regional Health Center. “Kids should be sheltered from having to do that or knowing what the health issues of their parents are, because it creates anxiety that they don’t need growing up."

Bresnahan is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She grew up in Lexington, a town of about 10,000 people in central Nebraska. As with many small Nebraska towns, Lexington is becoming more diverse. e town’s Hispanic population has boomed in recent years as immigrants have been drawn to work at local meatpacking plants. at means more and more Lexington patients need physicians who can speak Spanish.

“We tend to relate to people that are similar to us,” Bresnahan said. “For somebody, if they have a doctor that speaks Spanish, that understands their cultural beliefs, it does make them feel a little bit more understood or safer in that environment.”

Getting Bresnahan to practice as a physician in her home community was a coup for Lexington. Lexington Regional Health has kept tabs on Bresnahan since high school, when they rst learned she was interested in medicine.

“[We said,] ‘Hey, we de nitely want to follow this person and see where things go,’”

said Francisca Acosta-Carlson, M.D., the chief medical o cer at Lexington Regional Health Center. “And when she ended up getting into medical school, there was de nitely a bigger push for recruiting her.”

But Lexington’s need for Spanish-speaking physicians is just one piece of a far more complex puzzle. Rural towns across Nebraska are facing dire shortages of all types of medical professionals. According to a 2020 study by the Nebraska Area Health Education Center Program and UNMC, 14 of Nebraska’s 93 counties do not have a primary care physician; 16 counties have no dentists; 17 have no pharmacists; and the north-central region of the state has virtually no occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists or medical nutrition therapists. e study said Nebraska’s population shifts are exacerbating the problem, and the result is growing inequity and unmet health care needs.

Part of the challenge is it can be di cult to convince people to move to a small town — particularly physicians and other medical professionals who may be eyeing big-city opportunities and need to ensure they can pay back hefty medical school tuition loans. But UNK and UNMC are committed to changing the status quo.

In 2010, the two teamed up to establish the Kearney Health Opportunities Program. KHOP o ers students interested in health care careers a full-tuition scholarship to attend UNK and guaranteed admission to UNMC if all requirements are met.

Currently, more than 100 UNK students are receiving their pre-professional training in one of 10 medical elds. In 2015, the UNMC-UNK Health Sciences Education Complex opened its doors, o ering start-to- nish programs in

nursing and allied health professions on campus in Kearney. ese programs have proven success based on the 50/50 maxim: 50% of graduates nd a job within 50 miles of where they completed their residencies.

“If we want health professionals to practice in rural communities, we have to train them in rural communities,” said Nicole Carritt, MPH, director of Rural Health Initiatives at UNMC.

e bene t of keeping medical professionals in rural communities is multifold. Not only do small towns need the services those practitioners provide, but they also need their economic impact.

“An advanced practice registered nurse contributes about $250,000 annually to a local economy,” Carritt said. “And when we're talking about a physician, we're talking about $1.3 million annually. So they’re certainly important in increasing access to care and the health of the population, but also to the economic viability of our rural communities.”

Highly educated graduates also become leaders in their communities, taking on volunteer roles or sitting on boards.

Andy Craig, M.D., is a family physician at Kearney County Health Services in Minden. He grew up in Minden and said he always wanted to be a physician.

“We had a family physician I really looked up to,” Craig said. “So even as a child, I knew that I wanted to be a physician.”

Craig got his bachelor’s degree at UNK and enrolled in KHOP in one of the program’s rst cohorts of students. He said his experience there helped him succeed both in Kearney and Omaha, where he completed medical school and his residency at UNMC.

“Looking back on that experience, it was so positive,” he said. “When your aspirations are to do something [that requires another four years of coursework], you have people that are so supportive, people that want to push you to do your best, and people that care about your success.”

It also helped that his younger brother, Cade, was following in his footsteps.

“It’s not something I head-locked him about or anything,” Craig joked, “but I always thought it would be awesome to work together.”

Cade Craig, M.D., attended UNK four years after his older brother and followed him to medical school in Omaha after receiving his bachelor’s degree. He said when his brother started talking about going into medicine in seventh grade, the idea just stuck, and now he feels fortunate they get to work together in the same clinic in their hometown.

“Medicine is kind of a team sport nowadays,” Cade Craig said. “Especially with complex cases, having colleagues that you trust and value to discuss the ndings and to see what their thoughts are based on that data is pivotal to being able to really take good care of people.”

Cade Craig said practicing in a rural community has many bene ts, including the variety general physicians experience as opposed to specialists. Andy Craig agreed and said the relationships physicians build with their patients are what make the work fun.

“Building those relationships among generations of families is really a joy,” he said. “And it really does provide a more holistic opportunity to care for the patient because you know things that are going on in their lives — their stressors, their joys. It allows you to care for the patient in a better way because you know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

e Craigs are living out their dream, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. But their careers might not have gone the way they did. ey each spent seven years studying and completing their residencies in Omaha, and as Carritt said, “life happens” when people move away. Sometimes it’s tough to come back.

“Once you make that step, sometimes it's really di cult to go back,” Carritt said. “You're exposed to new things; you meet folks. e reality is, the closer that we can keep them to home and where we want them to practice, the more likely they are to stay in our rural communities.”

UNK and UNMC work hard to ensure the ties that bind students to their rural communities are nurtured throughout their educational careers, whether they are in Kearney or Omaha, said Peggy Abels, director of health sciences at UNK.

KHOP students are grouped together in learning communities; they live together and form connections that last beyond graduation, and UNMC provides opportunities for rural rotations whenever possible.

But not only can studying in Omaha draw students away from their rural roots, the prospect of moving to a big city can also be a deal breaker for some students considering health care careers.

“Forty percent of our students are rstgeneration students,” Abels said. “For a lot of them, to move to a city with several stoplights is kind of a monumental move when they start college.”

Medical school is also one of the most challenging educational experiences, and leaving a support network can make it that much more daunting.

Bresnahan, who was also a KHOP student, said she would have loved the opportunity to attend medical school within a short driving distance from home.

“Medical school is really overwhelming,” she said. “I would try to come back as much as I could. But with how much work there is, it was really hard to even come back on the weekends. So it would have been nice to just be close to home.”

UNK and UNMC are working to expand their collaboration to create more opportunities for future physicians, pharmacists, public health professionals and others to complete their studies closer to home. ose e orts were supported tremendously when Nebraska lawmakers approved $60 million during the spring legislative session to help fund the UNK-UNMC Rural Health Education Building, which will cost $95 million in total (see Page 6). But the work is not done yet. Private support will be crucial to raise an additional $35 million needed to complete the project, and collaboration will be key to its success.

“ ere's not one piece of that puzzle that's more important than the other,” Carritt said. “It's not the resources or the community or the academic system. We all have to kind of work in concert to problem-solve and keep our nger on the pulse of what's happening.”

Andy Craig, M.D., left, and Cade Craig, M.D. The Craigs returned to their hometown of Minden, Nebraska, to practice family medicine.

LOUIE'S PRIDE

INSIDE LOPER ATHLETICS

Wes Ferguson is pretty good at golf.

But he’s a great runner.

By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications

For the record, he’s a pretty good golfer, too. Ferguson continues to play each summer with his father, Tim, shooting a season-best 1-over 72 at Fremont Golf Club last year.

“They always told me I can golf for the rest of my life, which is true,” Ferguson said.

Right now, the UNK standout is focused on improving an already impressive collegiate track career.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Ferguson knew he was “pretty good” coming out of high school, but even he’s been surprised by the level of success he’s achieved as a Loper.

“I definitely didn’t expect this much improvement,” he said, crediting personal maturation and strong teammates for the jump.

After redshirting for the 2019-20 indoor season, followed by an outdoor season canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferguson was ready to shine. He won the 800 during his first UNK competition, then set the school record at the next meet.

Ferguson claimed the first of three MIAA titles that season and qualified for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. His time of 1 minute, 51.06 seconds was good for seventh place at the national event, making him the fifth Loper man to earn All-American honors in the 800.

He was even better in 2022.

Ferguson used a strong last lap to hold o a pair of competitors and win the 800 in 1:50.05, capping an undefeated season in the event and becoming the fifth Division II men’s national champion in UNK history.

The moment was “pretty insane,” he said, and the fact that his parents and girlfriend were there made it even more special.

“The picture that captured us hugging right after is something I was visualizing and dreaming about for a long time. It’s something that kept me motivated, and to actually be able to live that moment out was incredible,” said Ferguson, the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association men’s indoor track athlete of the year in the Central Region.

Ferguson had a chance to replicate that moment at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted May 26-28 in Allendale, Michigan.

One of nine Lopers to qualify for the national championships, he entered the event with the third-best 800 time in Division II, a schoolrecord 1:47.8 he posted in April. He won his third MIAA title with a time of 1:52.17.

“I’d say I feel just as confident (as the indoor season). The competition is a lot deeper and stronger this outdoor season, but I’m going into it with the same mindset,” he said at the time.

“If it’s a tactical race, I like my chances a lot, and that’s usually the case in a championship setting.”

He was right.

He’s just a redshirt junior, but Wes Ferguson is already establishing himself as one of the top middle-distance runners in University of Nebraska at Kearney history.

His name appears next to five individual and relay records, and he made his third trip to the NCAA Division II Championships last spring.

Not bad for someone who’s only been running track for five years.

Ferguson’s first love was actually golf. “It’s probably still my favorite sport,” he admits.

At Fremont High School, he competed on the course as a freshman and sophomore before the

track and cross country coaches suggested he make a change.

“I didn’t get pressured into it. It was 100% my decision, but everyone around me was saying, ‘Hey, this is definitely for the best.’ So I just trusted them and went with it,” Ferguson explained.

“And I should probably thank them now,” he added with a laugh. “I definitely don’t regret it.”

Ferguson made an immediate impact for the Tiger track and field team, winning the Class A state title in the 800-meter run as a junior and senior. He also won gold in the 400-meter dash and 1,600-meter relay in 2019 and twice finished second in the 3,200-meter relay.

In January, Ferguson broke the NCAA Division II record at 1,000 meters, turning in a time of 2:23.8 at the Nebraska Graduate Classic in Lincoln. He broke his own school record in the indoor 800 two times in the following month and teamed up with Seth Simonson, Micah Swedberg and Luke Stuckey to set UNK’s new all-time mark in the distance medley relay (9:41.05).

At the MIAA Indoor Championships, he ran a personal-best 1:49.47 to win the 800 title and was part of the 4×400 relay team (Ferguson, Swedberg, Jack Drahota and Cole Willis) that posted a time of 3:15.62 to beat its own school record.

“As the season progressed, I kept getting stronger and more confident,” said Ferguson, who ranked fourth nationally in the 800 heading into the Division II Championships.

“I realized there was no reason my name can’t be in the mix. Why not? I’m just going to go for it.”

After advancing past the prelims, Ferguson pulled away from the competition in the 800-meter finals, winning his second national championship with a time of 1:50.61 and becoming the 11th Division II runner to claim an indoor and outdoor title in the event in the same year.

Now a three-time All-American, Ferguson joined Lance Pfeifer and Janet Boettcher as the only UNK track and field athletes to win multiple Division II national titles.

“I’m a really, really competitive person. When it comes down to it, I just hate losing,” Ferguson said. “I don’t like the feeling that I left something out there.”

UNKAA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

e 42nd Annual University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni for their outstanding professional, civic, cultural or charitable accomplishments. e recipients will be celebrated during UNK homecoming weekend festivities.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Gregg L. Christensen (1975)

Gregg Christensen resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is retired after a long career in education. Following graduation, Gregg taught marketing and business classes at Cozad High School for eight years. He spent the next 36 years of his career with the Nebraska Department of Education, including a one-year leave of absence to serve as a senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with a special focus on marketing education, entrepreneurship and work-based learning. His work and volunteer experiences have spanned local, state, regional and national levels.

Dan O’Neill (1981)

Dan O’Neill of North Platte, Nebraska, is the president and CEO of Kwik Stop convenience stores, a privately owned chain of 28 stores in Nebraska and Colorado. Following graduation, Dan worked for Cash-Wa Distributing Co. for 15 years before joining Kwik Stop in 1996 as the director of operations. He is a dedicated volunteer for a variety of organizations in North Platte and across Nebraska.

Diane M. Simard (1988)

Diane Simard resides in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and is a psycho-oncology in uencer and advocate of expanding access to mental health resources for people a ected by the psychological trauma of cancer. Diane was named one of the inaugural Top 100 National Women in Business to Watch and is a late stage 3 breast cancer survivor, author, speaker, former senior aerospace executive, board member and business strategy accelerator. Currently, Diane is the CEO and founder of Unlikely Gift Productions.

Col. Scott B. Thompson (1983)

Col. Scott ompson of Huntsville, Alabama, is a retired U.S. Army o cer and is currently the director of army eld marketing with Boeing Co. Scott’s military career started in 1980 when he enlisted in the Nebraska National Guard and joined ROTC. He entered active duty soon after graduation and served 30 years as an Army aviator, ying both the Cobra and Apache attack helicopters. Scott has served worldwide, stationed both in the United States and overseas, including multiple deployments for combat and peacekeeping operations. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal.

Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Alumni Service Award

Jack C. Kreman (2004)

Jack Kreman of Noblesville, Indiana, is the chief executive o cer of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. Jack started his career with his fraternity as a chapter leadership consultant following graduation. While serving as president of the UNK Alumni Association Board of Directors, Jack led the organization through a governance restructuring and assisted with the formation of the current Loper Engagement and Alumni Development Council. Jack has served as a liaison between the UNK Fraternity & Sorority Life leadership and alumni.

Distinguished Young Alumnus Award

Allston D. Marble (2008)

Allston Marble of Houston, Texas, started his career with Linbeck Group LLC as an intern in 2007. After graduation, he accepted a full-time position and in 2021 was promoted to vice president, senior client executive, where he provides corporate leadership for various private, K-12, nonpro t and higher education portfolios. During his career, Allston has built a few of Houston’s most notable buildings, including the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Rothko Chapel restoration. Allston is involved in multiple professional organizations as well as many service and volunteer endeavors.

Distinguished International Alumnus Award

Mahabir Pun (1992, MAE 2001)

Mahabir Pun lives in Nepal and is a teacher, social entrepreneur and activist. In 2007, Mahabir was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered to be the Nobel Prize of Asia, and inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame (United States) in 2014 in recognition of his work to bring wireless computer technology to remote mountain areas.

e Distinguished International Alumnus award will be presented during the international alumni weekend events and Scott D. Morris International Food and Cultural Festival at UNK on Nov. 13 as part of the lead-up to the James E. Smith Conference on World A airs on Nov. 14-15 at UNK.

College of Business & Technology Distinguished Alumnus

Larry L. Peterson, Ph.D. (1979)

Larry Peterson resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is an emeritus professor and senior research scholar with Princeton University. He is the co-author of the best-selling networking textbook “Computer Networks: A Systems Approach,” which is now in its sixth edition and is open-sourced. Larry’s research focuses on the design, implementation and deployment of internet-scale distributed systems.

College of Education Distinguished Educator of the Year

John T. Street, Ed.S. (1975, MAE 1979, 1981, ED 1986)

John Street of Omaha, Nebraska, now retired, dedicated his 39-year career to the development and administration of educational programs for students with disabilities. John served as the director of special education for Education Service Unit 10 for six years and spent the previous 33 years with Grand Island Public Schools and the Central Nebraska Support Service Program as a special education teacher, coach, consultant, program coordinator, supervisor and director of student services.

Dr. Donald E. Fox Distinguished Chemistry Alumna

Cheri A. Barta, Ph.D. (2002)

Cheri Barta, from Madison, Wisconsin, is the director of undergraduate research for the department of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she advises students on research opportunities, develops researchbased labs for the undergraduate curriculum and implements research-skills workshops and courses. Following her postdoctoral fellowship, she returned to UNK for two years as a faculty member in the chemistry department.

Dr. Gary Thomas Distinguished Music Alumnus

Clayton P. Moyer (2001, MAE 2010)

Clayton Moyer resides in Kearney, Nebraska, and serves as the director of choirs at Kearney High School. He directs six choral ensembles and is the music director for the Kearney High School musical theater program. Clayton is the founding director of the Platte River Children’s Chorale, frequently adjudicates music contents, directs honor choirs as a guest clinician and is active in numerous local and national music associations.

UNK ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Five former student-athletes and one coach will be inducted into the University of Nebraska Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame at a banquet and ceremony held during the UNK homecoming weekend.

Those being inducted are Bill Backes (1967), football/track & field; Shauna (Birchard) Graham (2006, MBA 2008), track & field; Dusty Jura (2008, MBA 2015), men’s basketball; Troy Stonacek (1986), football; Susan “Dusty” (Walston) Hatt (2002), swimming & diving; and Darrell Morris, football coach.

More information on the inductees can be found at lopers.com.

TROY STONACEK (1986) SUSAN ‘DUSTY’ (WALSTON) HATT (2002) DARRELL MORRIS

BILL BACKES (1967) SHAUNA (BIRCHARD) GRAHAM (2006, MBA 2008) DUSTY JURA (2008, MBA 2015)

2022 Outstanding Senior Award recipients

The University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association Outstanding Senior awards recognize seniors for excellence in scholarship and leadership as well as involvement and dedication to UNK and the Kearney community.

More information on these outstanding Lopers can be found at unkalumni.org.

Nate Grimm, son of Dave and Julie Grimm of Fremont. Nate received a degree in psychology with a minor in coaching. He is pursuing a master’s degree in sport, exercise and performance psychology at Minnesota State University Mankato.

DJ Hardwick, son of Don and Donna Hardwick of Benkelman. DJ graduated with a general studies degree. He is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

Jazmin Matias Trejo, daughter of Vianey Trejo of Wood River. She graduated with a degree in family science with a minor in criminal justice. Jazmin is working toward a master’s degree at UNK in secondary school counseling.

Holly Rockenbach, daughter of Paul and Susan Rockenbach of York. She received a degree in communication disorders with a minor in special education. Holly is pursuing a master’s degree at UNK in speech-language pathology.

Austin Truex, son of Aaron and Jessica Truex of Norfolk. He received his degree in organizational and relational communication with emphases in business administration and tourism and events, along with a minor in history. Austin plans to open an escape room in Norfolk.

Alumni, it’s time to come home to Kearney! There are several events throughout the weekend where you can reconnect with fellow alumni.

Thursday, Oct. 27

5:30 p.m. Kearney Quarterly After Hours Cunningham's on the Lake unkalumni.org/alumnievents for details

Friday, Oct. 28

11:30 a.m. Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon*

Nebraskan Student Union, Ponderosa Room

2:30 p.m. Chemistry Department’s Annual Don Fox Lecture

Copeland Hall, Room 131

3:30 p.m. One Room, One Teacher Induction Ceremony College of Education Atrium

5:30 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet*

Nebraskan Student Union, Ponderosa Room

6 p.m. Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Social Fanatics, 2021 Central Ave.

6 p.m. ROTC Alumni Social American Legion, 1223 Central Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 29

10 a.m. Parade Downtown Kearney

Noon – 2 p.m. Loper Brews & Brats Tailgate

Sponsored by First National Bank Omaha Loperville, Ron & Carol Cope Stadium Parking Lot

2 p.m. UNK vs. Northwest Missouri State Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field

5 p.m. Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Tours University Residence North Commons

6 p.m. ROTC Alumni Banquet

Younes Conference Center South, 416 W. Talmadge Road

*Tickets for the Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon and Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet may be purchased at unkalumni.org/homecoming.

You can find more event details at unkalumni.org/homecoming

FOREVER A LOPER

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Alumni are making an impact in their communities every single day. Please share those stories with us at lopers@unkalumni.org.

LOPER ALUMNI PROFILE

Patsy Koch Johns ‘72

I came to Kearney State College because it was close to my hometown. At that time, I had no idea what college was because no one in my family had attended a four-year college before, so it was a tremendous experience. To this day, one of my greatest professional achievements is working my way through school and achieving an education that would give me a better life by helping me rise out of poverty.

There were two people who helped guide me in my education. The first was my mother, who completed only an eighth-grade education. The second was Fred Koontz, a KSC professor who helped me navigate the whole college student experience. I didn’t really know what being in college meant; I just knew that it meant I would learn and be more valuable in the future. In 1972, I earned a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in theater, English and speech.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I took Koontz’s advice and went on to get my master’s degree from the University of Arkansas in communications with an emphasis in theater in 1974.

One of my earlier teaching positions was at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. I taught communications and an entry-level class for students who needed mentoring in reading, writing and speech before moving on to college classes. These students faced some of the same problems I had faced, poverty being the one major factor.

My time at Paine College taught me one of the major lessons of my teaching career: In order to teach your students, you have to be open to learning from them. That lesson has followed me throughout my entire teaching career.

I then moved to Neosho, Missouri, where I became a speech coach and theater director, as well as a freshman English, theater and speech teacher. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was making my way back home. Just like what happened to Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," a huge tornado precipitated my move back to Nebraska. It was the end of the school year, and my apartment had been destroyed. I took it as a sign that "there’s no place like home," so I moved to Cozad, Nebraska, in 1976, where I spent the next 24 years teaching at Cozad High School. However, this would not be the end of my journey. I ended my classroom teaching career at Lincoln High School in 2012. It is a very diverse school. Students come from all around the world, with different backgrounds and cultures, and 40 different languages are spoken there. In many ways, I felt like I had ended in a place very much like where I began.

Currently, I serve as the president of the Nebraska State Board of Education – District 1. Throughout my career, I have been recognized several times for my work. And while I could name awards, my successes are more than certificates and trophies. Every time a former student communicates that I made a difference in their life, it is one of my greatest professional accomplishments. The fact that both my children chose to attain their degrees and to work in Nebraska schools is my greatest personal achievement.

My advice to today's students is to see your obstacles as opportunities. Face them with that attitude, and your chances of success increase exponentially. Booker T. Washington said, "I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."

1954

Earl Rademacher of Lincoln has been a member of the Kearney Kiwanis Club for 60 years.

1961

Jane and William Ripp MSE of Ames, Iowa, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. William had a 36-year career at Ames High School, mostly in administration. William retired in 1995 and continued as the director of the Ames High School Alumni Association, increasing his association to 63 years.

1962

Bob Phares of North Platte, representing District 7 on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, assumed the role of chairperson of the board, after serving as vice chairperson in 2021.

1968

Michael Coe MSE ‘74 of Crete was inducted into the Crete High School Hall of Fame.

1970

Larry Kopsa of York received the 2022 Distinguished Service to the Profession Award from the Nebraska Society for Certified Public Accountants.

1971

Linda (Plourd) Lilienthal MAE ‘91 of Culbertson celebrated 10 years of service at UNK.

1972

Chuck and Judy (Schmidt) Schwartz ‘74, MSE ‘78 of Scottsbluff celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary. Chuck retired as general manager of the KNEB Radio station group in 2020 but still does sports playby-play as the voice of Western Nebraska Community College.

1973

Roger and Aileen (Norman) Blank of Wilcox celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 2.

Marsha (Jensen) Yeagley of Kearney retired from UNK with 48 years of service.

1974

Lisa (Potter) Atchison of Kearney was named Buffalo County Historical Society Preservationist of the Year.

Charlie Bicak, Ph.D., of Kearney retired from UNK with 27 years of service.

1976

Vickie (Sakurada) Schaepler MSE ‘79 of Kearney serves on the History Nebraska Historic Marker Equity Program advisory council.

Lt. Col. (Retired) David Wendland of Tucson, Arizona, was awarded the Leland’s Army award for excellent service in recognition of his more than 4,500 volunteer hours with Habit for Humanity in Tucson. Dave has also provided more than 1,000 volunteer hours of service to the American Red Cross.

1978

Denis Reese of Loomis was inducted into the Nebraska Eight-Man Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame as the longtime head coach for Loomis High School.

1979

Becky Faber, Ph.D., MAE ‘82 of Lincoln received the 2021 Mildred Bennett Award given by the Nebraska Center for the Book. Doug Peterson of Kearney is a regional territory manager for Orthman Manufacturing Inc.

1980

Greg Broekemier, Ph.D., of Kearney celebrated 35 years of service to UNK.

Dan Keyser MAE ‘88 of Kearney retired from Sutherland Public Schools after 41 years in education.

Ted Larsen of Kearney retired from UNK with 27 years of service.

1981

Rex Barker of Omaha retired after 40 years as a music teacher at Grand Island Northwest High School, Millard South High School and Midland University. He currently works for Fruhauf Uniforms Inc. and is the director of the Omaha Symphonic Winds.

1982

Kent Edwards MAE ‘89 of Kennesaw, Georgia, retired as superintendent of Kearney Public Schools.

Anita (Lienert) Loveless of Kearney retired from UNK.

1983

Timothy Obermier, Ph.D., of Kearney celebrated 30 years of service to UNK.

Diane (Davidson) Rouzee of Grand Island retired from Grand Island Northwest High School after 38 years of teaching and coaching.

Daren Strobel of Owatonna, Minnesota, works at Jostens. He has published a book, “American Faith, A Personal Struggle with Separation of Church and State,” and has a blog titled Civics and Faith.

1984

Rochelle (Riley) Jurgens MBA ‘13 of Johnson Lake is a Leadership Nebraska Class XIII graduate. She is the controller and finance manager at the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District.

Tom McCann MAE of Kearney was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame. Tom has coached for 55 years with 42 of those years at Kearney High School.

Arlen Osterbuhr of Minden has been named to the FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking.

1985

Bill Minnick of Orange City, Iowa, volunteers at Orange City Elementary School and works part time at the Orange City Public Library.

1986

Lonnie (Campbell) Baxter of Kearney celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. Korey Lowry of Tallahassee, Florida, received the Florida State University 2021-2022 University Undergraduate Advising Award.

Bev Mathiesen of Kearney celebrated 50 years of service at UNK.

1987

Mary Kay (Peters) Farrer of Fort Collins, Colorado, retired after 34 years of teaching with the Thompson School District in Loveland.

Darrell Morris MAE of Kearney is a 2022 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame inductee as a state college coach. Darrell served as the head coach at UNK from 2000 to 2014.

Clark Poppert of Geneva is the 2022 president of the Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association (NICCA).

1988

Brenda VanLengen of Olathe, Kansas, was named the Spire Community Champion at the 49th Annual Kansas City Sports Awards for her work as an Emmy Awardwinning broadcaster.

1989

Steve Borer MAE of Seward was inducted into the Nebraska Eight-Man Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

Everett Lerew, Ed.S., of Valley retired as school psychologist and director of special services from Valley Public Schools in 2014. Everett is in his fourth year of service as the pastor at Waterloo United Methodist Church.

1990

Tracy (Spomer) Falconer of Kearney is an HR business partner at CHI Health Good Samaritan.

Heidi (Carpenter) Haussermann of Kearney celebrated 30 years of service to UNK.

Wendy (Going) McCarty MAE of Grand Island celebrated 20 years of service to UNK.

Connie (Meyer) White of Omaha is the assistant director of development communications for the University of Nebraska Foundation.

1991

Kelly Eby of Papillion is an account manager at World Wide Technology.

Diane Kelly of Kearney is an executive pharmaceutical sales representative for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and was installed as the exalted ruler of Elks Lodge 984.

Kevin Thompson of Kearney is a captain with the Kearney Police Department. He has been a KPD member for 28 years.

Janelle (Yank) Wade of Richmond, Texas, retired after 30 years of teaching at Mark Twain Elementary School in Houston, Texas. She currently works part time for the city of Sugar Land.

Renae (Riddle) Zimmer MSE ‘21 of Kearney is director of student engagement at UNK.

1993

1994

Miechelle McKelvey, Ph.D., MSE of Kearney is one of four UNK employees participating in the Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders program, sponsored by the Office of the President.

Jason Mundorf Ed.S. ‘15 of Kearney is the superintendent of Kearney Public Schools. Dwaine Spieker of Wayne read selections of his poetry as a part of the Prairie Art Brothers event in Kearney.

Betsy (Hird) Warren of Kearney celebrated 20 years of service to UNK.

1998

Katey (Foster) Chamblin of Overland Park, Kansas, is vice president of customer experience at T-Mobile.

Jay Dostal, Ed.D., of Omaha is the principal at Westside High School in Omaha.

Travis Miller, Ed.D., of Bayard is the superintendent of Hemingford Public Schools.

Amber (Abood) Taylor of Elm Creek is an assistant principal at Northeast Elementary School in Kearney.

2002

Juan Guzman MSE ‘05, MAE ‘17 of Gibbon celebrated 20 years of service to UNK.

Betty (Wieck) Jacques MS ‘06 of Gibbon celebrated 15 years of service to UNK.

Jack Kreman of Noblesville, Indiana, authored a book titled “College Boys.”

Jason Strong MA ‘14 of Minden is activities director for Minden Public Schools.

Stephanie (Paulsen) Todd of Kearney is the print program manager in marketing operations at The Buckle Inc.

2005

Megan Adkins, Ph.D., MAE of Kearney is the associate dean of graduate studies and research at UNK.

Jason Miller, Ph.D., MA ‘00 of Raleigh, North Carolina, has been named a Distinguished Undergraduate Professor at North Carolina State University and has been awarded an Outstanding Research Award. He has also been inducted into the North Carolina State Research Leadership Academy, has secured a Teagle Foundation grant, and will serve as a fellow at the National Humanities Center to complete his digital book project, “Backlash Blues: Nina Simone and Langston Hughes.”

John Rademacher of Kearney was inducted as a fellow with the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. He is currently a county court judge in Nebraska Judicial District 9.

Dan Williams of Papillion earned the UNK Entrepreneur Alumni award at UNK's Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development Light It Up! celebration. Dan is owner of Williams Enterprises and founder of Titan Tools.

1995

Dan Fox of St. Paul has been inducted into the Nebraska Eight-Man Football Coaches Hall of Fame as a player for North LoupScotia High School.

Jen (Prince) Nealson of Centennial, Colorado, is the senior vice president of global marketing and research at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA).

Kari (Foster) Wells of Axtell celebrated 25 years of service as an elementary teacher for Kearney Public Schools.

1996

Tammy (Skrdlant) Eaton of Pleasanton is a member of the 2022-23 Leadership UNK class.

Candy Fernau of Nashville, Tennessee, held a gallery night for her artwork at Jonny Maitland in Kearney.

Shane Jensen, D.D.S., of Kearney retired from Eagle Dental with 25 years of service.

Jeff Shield MSE, Ed.S. ‘02 of Kearney celebrated 30 years of teaching at Kearney Public Schools.

1997

Kevin Lofton MAE of Kearney celebrated 25 years of service to UNK.

Tennille (Gifford) Allison MSE ‘10 of Kearney won the Career and Technical Education Business, Marketing and Management Award for her work as the Kearney High School college and career readiness coordinator. The award was presented at the Nebraska Career Education Conference.

Jennifer (Knispel) Harvey MAE ‘05 of Kearney celebrated 15 years of service to UNK.

Lori (Weed) Skarka MS ‘14 of Kearney has 20 years of service in enrollment management and marketing at UNK.

Jason Sutton, Ed.D., of Kearney is the transportation director for Kearney Public Schools.

2000

Brian Graham MA ‘15 of Johnson Lake retired from Kearney Public Schools with 20 years of service.

Kara Graham of Lincoln is the athletic director for Lincoln Southeast High School.

Casey Slama MAE ‘09 of Gordon was named the 2021 Nebraska Distinguished Principal by the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals.

Jacob Weiss, Ph.D., of Kearney celebrated 10 years of service to UNK.

2001

Jason Alexander MAE, Ed.S. ‘10 of Beatrice is the superintendent of Beatrice Public Schools.

Brenda (Tincher) Brayton of Lexington teaches fourth- and fifth-grade music at Pershing Elementary School.

Keri (Eberhardt) Pearson of Kearney celebrated 15 years of service to UNK.

Eric Strand of Seattle, Washington, won an Emmy for Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage. He was associate director of the International 10 - Dota2 Championship.

Heath Wragge of Heartwell is a seventhgrade math teacher at C.L. Jones Middle School in Minden and is currently deployed with the Army National Guard in Kuwait.

2003

Machelle (Disney) Catanese of Axtell earned her planning and inventory management certification and is employed as a buyer at Baldwin Filters.

Sara (Rosen) Homan MAE of Kearney is the director of advancement for the Kearney Catholic High School Foundation.

Amanda Husmann MBA ‘04 of Kearney is a 2022 Leadership Kearney graduate. She is the executive director of Brookdale Kearney Northridge.

Chuck Rowling, Ph.D., of Kearney celebrated 10 years of service to UNK.

2004

Amber (Perry) Burson of Lexington has been selected as the National High School Strength and Conditioning Association’s Region 6 coach of the year. She is the strength and conditioning coordinator and head powerlifting coach for Lexington High School. Amber is one of only eight award winners nationally and the only one from Nebraska.

Becky (Hansen) Deterding of Omaha is president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Omaha.

Amber (Buerer) Alexander MA ‘12, MSE ‘17 of Kearney celebrated 10 years of service to UNK.

Nicole (Gillespie) Berggren of Kearney is a 2022 Leadership Kearney graduate.

Lindsay (Kinyoun) Davis of Kearney is a 2022 Leadership Kearney graduate. She is a loan review clerk with Bruning State Bank.

Jason Miller of Kearney is an assistant coach for the UNK softball program.

Josh Pierce of Kearney is a school counselor for Kearney Catholic High School.

Ryan Rodehorst of Kearney celebrated 10 years of service to UNK.

Ty Wisdom of Omaha has been named head football coach at Millard South High School.

2006

Clint Edwards MAE of Kearney is the director of 6-12 education for Kearney Public Schools.

Samantha (Harvey) Hammond of Kearney is an assistant volleyball coach for the UNK volleyball team.

Laura (Bradshaw) Moody MSE ‘08 of Kearney celebrated 10 years of service to UNK.

Jake Williams of Kearney is the staff operations transition lead at PlayStation.

2007

Jael Johnson of Kearney celebrated 15 years of service to UNK.

Katie (Braden) Rickard of Kearney is the director of operations for Kearney Catholic High School Foundation.

Mary (Nash) Sommers MAE of Kearney is retiring as director of financial aid at UNK with 30 years of service. She also was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Jason Miller, Ph.D., MA

Mary (Nash) Sommers MAE

2008

Tim Bartling of Kearney celebrated 15 years of service to UNK.

Amber Lewis MA ‘11, MAE ‘17 of Kearney is principal of Horizon Middle School.

Brooke McGee MA ‘11 of Tysons Corner, Virginia, is an assistant chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Melissa (Brown) Herrmann MAE of Kearney is the director of human resources for Kearney Public Schools.

Erin (Sexton) Jones Ed.S. ‘13, MAE ‘20 of Kearney is an assistant principal for Sunrise Middle School.

2010

Adam Akerson of Kearney is vice president of finance and corporate controller at The Buckle.

2011

Sara (McMillan) Bennet MBA ‘15 of Gibbon is the Entrepreneurship Center director at Central Community College in Grand Island.

Dusty Birge of Kearney earned the Emerging Entrepreneur award from UNK's Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development annual Light It Up! celebration. Dusty is owner and founder of Snappy Workflow.

Ann (Thurin) Carlson of Kearney is a human resources business partner at Lindsay Manufacturing in Columbus.

Chelsea (Anderson) Feusner, Ed.D., MAE of Kearney is an associate professor of educational administration at UNK.

Ryan Dennhardt of Kearney is a 2022 Leadership Kearney graduate. He is the human resources and business manager for Ward Laboratories in Kearney.

Jordan Gonzales of Omaha is the senior director of alumni engagement and senior diversity officer at the Nebraska Alumni Association.

Dalton Jensen MBA ‘14 of Kearney represented the MIAA at the NCAA Division II Identity Workshop for coaches at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the head coach of the UNK wrestling team.

2013

Lisa MendozaKlingelhoefer MS ‘16 of Kearney is a senior human resources generalist at Eaton.

Alyse (Andreasen) Pflanz of Kearney is a lecturer for UNK's department of management and is the coordinator of the business teacher education program.

Lauren Stehlik of Lincoln is assistant director of talent acquisition at the University of Nebraska Foundation.

2014

Sandy (VanBoening) Pohl MA ‘13 of Minden is the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association Outstanding Principal of the Year.

Audrey Wise-Carrier MSE ‘10 of Kearney received the Good Sam Spirit of Service Award from CHI Health Good Samaritan.

2009

Heath Ahrens MAE of Ravenna started the agricultural science program and FFA chapter at Pleasanton Public Schools.

Morgan Farquhar of Cambridge has been appointed as a district court judge in the 10th Judicial District of Adams, Clay, Franklin, Harlan, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps and Webster counties.

Michelle (Thoene) Fouts MA ‘12 of Wilcox won the national 2022 Milken Educator Award. She taught second grade at Bryant Elementary in Kearney at the time of the award and is now a first-grade teacher with Holdrege Public Schools.

Brittany (Weinandt) Schultz MS ‘13 of Vermillion, South Dakota, is a health science major professional advisor and recruiter for the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls.

Frank Thiel MS ‘14 of Kearney is an instructional designer for the UNK College of Business and Technology through UNK Online.

Kelci (Fulton) Wood of Omaha is an elementary teacher at Alpha School in Omaha.

2012

Trysta (Gruber) Asche MSE ‘18 of Loup City earned a fellowship at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas. The center selects exemplary teachers from the United States and around the world who will collaborate on projects that discover, develop and communicate the stories of unsung heroes in history.

JD Carson MA ‘15 of Kearney is head coach of the Kearney High girls basketball team. He teaches world geography and world history.

Michael Christen of Kearney has been selected to participate in the Leadership Nebraska Class XIV. He is the director of business services at UNK. Leadership Nebraska is a nine-month program that covers a range of key Nebraska issues, including economic and workforce development, agriculture and environment, health care, education, government and policy development.

Emily Finley of Omaha is the principal at St. Bernard Catholic School.

Evan Miller of Kearney is the associate director at Mosaic in Axtell.

Barbie (Varon) Steinke of Reno, Nevada, is a program coordinator for workplace violence prevention at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

2015

Michael Cremers MBA ‘20 of Grand Island is the director of facilities management and planning at UNK and celebrated 19 years of service.

Jillian (Stoumbaugh) Giambalvo of Ottawa, Kansas, is the executive director of operations and people at Chick-fil-A.

Victoria Morrow of Kearney has written four novels, including “Angel in My Arms” and “The Theft of the Magi.”

2016

Kylee (Placke) Legino of Eaton, Colorado, is a human resources specialist at the University of Northern Colorado.

Ryo Suzuki MBA ‘19 of Kearney is an associate leader at the U.S.-Japan Council.

2017

Derek Hill of Omaha is a commercial estimator for American Fence Co.

Dylan Munson of Lincoln is a marketing coordinator at Travefy.

Rachel Stauffer of West Fargo, North Dakota, is an e-commerce specialist at Aimbridge Hospitality.

2018

Autumn Langemeier MA ‘21 of Randolph is the coordinator for History Nebraska Historic Marker Equity Program.

Deena Schleiger of Kearney is a member of the 2022-23 Leadership UNK class. Colton Stuhr of Grand Island is a sourcing manager at Parker Hannifin.

2019

Cam Chau MBA of Kearney is a member of the 2022-23 Leadership UNK class.

Kelsey Hassenstab MBA ‘21 of Omaha is a human resources generalist for Ingersoll Rand in Omaha.

Adam Starr of Pleasanton is a senior risk management analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Emma (Schroer) Trammell MAE of Ogallala is a teacher and is the head volleyball coach at Ogallala High School.

2020

Austin Jacobsen of Kearney is the sports director with NRG Media.

Whitney (Schwenka) Maulsby MA of Minden teaches journalism at C.L. Jones Middle School in Minden.

Madison Parshall of Omaha is an outpatient cardiology social worker at Children's Hospital & Medical Center.

Allie Prososki of Lexington is the head coach of the Lexington High School Minutemaid volleyball team.

Laura Wardyn of Kearney celebrated 25 years of service to UNK.

2021

Jason Baker of Kearney received the Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellowship from the Mortar Board National Foundation. Jason is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education at UNK.

Emily Bridge of Kearney is an interior designer for Alder & Tweed Design Co. of Park City, Utah.

Adrian Gomez Ramos of Kearney works in investor relations for the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tyler Jacobs of Kearney published his first book of poetry, “Building Brownville,” and will be pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Katie Ward of Omaha is an interior designer for Alder & Tweed Design Co. of Park City, Utah.

2022

Jessie Daake of Kearney is a FOCUS missionary at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Marriages

Drew Cimino ‘14 and Ashley Leitner ‘15 of Lincoln were married Feb. 2.

McKenzie Smith ‘18 and Shane Stock ‘17, MAE ‘20 of Kearney were married May 21.

Cola Svec ‘11 and Colby Henderson of Elkhorn were married Aug. 29.

Births

Mason ‘09 and Lauren (Swertzic) Doughty ‘12 of Lincoln are parents of a daughter, Brynn Violet, born June 7. She has a brother, Bryer.

Audrey and Andrew Hoffman ‘14 of Omaha are parents of a son, Henry "Hank" James, born April 18. He has a brother, Mack.

Mitch and Jenna (Rouzee) Jones ‘13 of Walton are parents of a daughter, Charli Anne Marie, born March 15, 2020.

Kevin ‘05, MA ‘12 and Kimberly (Short) Keller ‘05, MA ‘12, MSE ‘20 of Omaha are parents of a daughter, Aubrey Jean, born March 21.

Arron and Kristi (Scott) Kochanowicz ‘09 of Senoia, Georgia, are parents of a daughter, Evia Marie, born May 12. Evia has a brother, Owen, and two sisters, Clara and Sophia.

John and Hilke (Brandon) Meyer ‘12, MBA ‘19 of Omaha are parents of a daughter, Vera Ann, born March 5.

Matt and Erica (Hemphill) Morey ‘05 of Minden are parents of a son, Max Robert, born May 29. He has brothers Titus and Jericho and sisters Tessa, Madalyn and Kinsey.

Matthew and Abbie (Davis) Wecker ‘13 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Clara Grace, born on May 31. She has a sister, Maisie, and a brother, Corin.

Lopers In Memoriam

The following Lopers were reported as deceased to the University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association and University of Nebraska Foundation between Jan. 29, 2022, and July 15, 2022. We share our condolences with their families and friends.

1944 Neal Dunning, Ph.D. Bonita Springs, Florida

1945 Lois (Sporing) Flodine Omaha

1951 Ralph Merklinger Littleton, Colorado

Patricia (Wilson) Quillen MSE ‘77 Lincoln

1952 Don Landis Kearney

Marvin Maurer Lincoln

1957 Gale Dady Kearney

Gayle Johnson MSE ‘64 Ong

Sandy (VanBoening) Pohl MA

1957 Willis Sorensen MSE ‘69 Ravenna

Jerry Wetovick, D.D.S. Eustis

1958 Robert Ewoldt Lincoln

Marjean (Welte) Grant Ansley

Dwayne Hamar, Ph.D. Fort Collins, Colorado

Joe McFarland Norwalk, Iowa

Clifford Sovereign MAE Kearney

Delores (Ronne) Swartz Exeter

1960 Walter Boyll Grand Island

Gene Busboom Lincoln Don Hinds Fremont

1961 Philip Bauer Papillion

Kathryn (Manhart) Moritz Aurora

Phyllis (Rehder) O'Brien Creighton Jim Stewart Ord

1962 Ray Smith Angier, North Carolina

1963 Myron "Willie" Bennett Oxford

David Karr MSE ‘68 Omaha Wayne Lutjeharms Lincoln

1964 J. Paul Fritton MAE Kearney

Mavis (Musgrave) Ganzel MSE, MAE ‘67 Wellington, Kansas

1965 Gil Carranza Grand Island

1965 Carolee "Lee" (Weber) Coppel Lincoln

Tom Cunningham Sr. Kearney

Douglas Garey Beaver City

Patricia "Patty" Burks-Wright MSE ‘86 Kearney

1966 Steven Delay MSE ‘70 Hebron

Dorothy (Frick) Furry MAE ‘73 Kearney

Marilyn (Johnson) Swanson Holdrege

1967 Bill Boucher Columbus

Joanne "Joanie" (Jeffery) Hoos MSE ‘76 Omaha

Thomas Hultquist MSE Elkhorn

Elroy Lierman Kearney

Jerry Stine Omaha

Leah (Shipley) Woofter Beatrice

1968 Darlene Bevard Kearney

Ruth (Albin) Choquette MSE Surprise, Arizona

Beverly (Schmidt) Gierhan Kearney

David Hunter Lincoln

Barb (Anderson) Poehler Cozad

Jim Stewart Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Joan (Ritz) Williams Arcadia

1969 Don Davis MSE ‘86 Pickerington, Ohio

Connie (Dick) Francis Vincentini MSE, MAE ‘89 Elkhorn

Irene (Coughtry) Wasenius Oxford

1970 Connie (Chelewski) Newtson Ravenna

1971 Ron Blessing Kearney

Doug Heine Sun City West, Arizona

Roger Imel Holdrege

Roger Lauhead Wauneta

David Lieske Grand Island

David Mabon Phillips

Jim Moore San Francisco, California

Warren Stenback MSE Plattsmouth

Virginia (Smith) Stevens Greenwood Village, Colorado

1972 Dorothy (Mess) DeLaet Kearney

Paul Lane Kearney

1973 Dan Gitt Kearney

Gary Mueller Holdrege

Ken Ushio Minneapolis, Minnesota

1974 Kathleen (Lynch) Lechtenberger Omaha

Elizabeth "Marie" (Jewett) Peden Orleans

Rich Weiss Kearney

Beverly (Krull) Zanski Omaha

1975 LaVonne (Albright) Buxton McCook

Royce "Rex" Corder MSE Kearney

Bob Krause MBA ‘79 Seward

1976 Donald Dingman Jr. Kearney

Patricia "Trish" (Brownell) Mooberry Johnson Lake

Johnny Smith MBA ‘80 Georgetown, Kentucky

1977 Joyce Dewey MSE Gothenburg

Marcelyn "Marcie" (Norseen) Holmes Kearney

Alan Luedtke, Ph.D. Woodstock, Georgia

Roger Mays Chadron

Roberta "Bobbie" (Holt) McKenzie MAE Kearney

1978 Darrel DeGraw, Ph.D., MAE Livingston, Texas

James Fleming Monticello, Minnesota

Fred LaQua Sioux Falls, South Dakota

1980 Bradley Conner Ed.D., MSE, Ed.S. ‘90 Papillion

George "Dave" Griffith MAE Kearney

Cleo (Marsh) Ramsey MAE Richmond, Texas Suzan (Bienhoff) Wilson MSE ‘89 Omaha

1981 Dennis Chipman Ed.S. McCook

Charles Kelliher, Ph.D., MSE Kearney

Lori (Scott) McNabb San Marcos, Texas Stuart Sell Davenport

1982 Joyce (Yates) Gardner Omaha

Jimmy "Loads" Rauth Omaha

Catherine (Hegarty) Welch Elkhorn

1985 Marcella Hauser MAE Grand Island

Duane "Mike" Kline Marietta, Georgia

1986 Lance Fuller Lincoln

Christy (Merritt) Lauber Milford

Anne (Ondracek) Rech MSE Greeley

Timothy Reimers MSE Grand Island

1987 Carolee (Ramey) Forster Wood MSE Columbia, Missouri

Russ Greenwalt McKinney, Texas

Loper Faculty and Sta Notes

1990 Randy Marlatt Murdock

1992 Randy Marymee MAE, Ed.S. ‘94 Scribner

1992 Verna (Neben) Wood Kearney

1999 Jeanine (Gregory) Pesek MAE ‘03 Gibbon

2000 Kristie Johnson Broken Bow

Angie (Brown) Miller MAE ‘08, MSE ‘22 Broken Bow

2001 Vicki Morehead Omaha

2002 John McGuire Kearney

John McIntyre MBA Omaha

2019 Julie (Gierke) Lazarchic MAE Seward

Shahram Alavi of Kearney retired with 38 years of service. He was an assistant professor in the department of cyber systems.

Tina Baker of Pensacola, Florida, retired from teacher education.

Aaron Blackman of Kearney is a senior lecturer in the department of communication and received the Larry Schnoor District IV Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the American Forensics Association.

Evan Boyd of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has been selected to serve as the dean of the Calvin T. Ryan Library.

Rob Breton of Philippi, West Virginia, is the head coach of the UNK women’s soccer team.

Craig Capellen of Kearney retired from the department of facilities management and planning at UNK.

Larry Carstenson of Kearney retired from the College of Business and Technology.

John Fronczak of Kearney retired as an instructor in art and design.

Terry Gibbs of Kearney retired with 29 years of service. He served as the director of the aviation program.

Mitch Gunther of Kearney retired from the department of facilities management and planning.

Allan Jenkins, Ph.D., of Kearney retired with 33 years of service. He was a professor in the economics department.

Marvin Knittel of Tucson, Arizona, died June 3, 2021. During his 30-year tenure, he served as a professor, the department chair of educational psychology and counseling, interim president and vice president of academic affairs. For the final 10 years of his time at UNK, he returned to the classroom. His passion was teaching and educating young counselors. He was presented the Pratt-Heins Award in 1987.

Ron Konecny, Ph.D., of Kearney retired with 32 years of service. He was a professor in the department of management.

James Lamkin of Kearney retired from the department of facilities management and planning at UNK.

Debby Maire of Kearney retired from the department of art and design.

Kristen Majocha, Ph.D., of California, Pennsylvania, has been selected as the new senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Margaret Michener of Doniphan retired from the department of mathematics and statistics.

Susan Mueller of Kearney retired from the Calvin T. Ryan Library.

Hal Nagel of Natoma, Kansas, died March 22. Hal taught biology from 1968 to 2005.

Ruth Pigott-Janssen, Ph.D., of Kearney died Feb. 21. She taught sociology.

Vern Plambeck, Ph.D., of Omaha died Feb. 26. He was a longtime English professor.

Terri Sheridan of Kearney retired from the kinesiology and sports sciences department.

Laurie Swinney, Ph.D., of Kearney retired with 34 years of service.

Cathy Tourney of Gibbon retired from the department of counseling, school psychology and family science.

Mary Volker of Kearney retired from the department of teacher education at UNK.

Doug Waterfield of Kearney, an art and design professor, displayed his artwork at the Minden Opera House in June and July.

Janet Wilke of Kearney, dean of the Calvin T. Ryan Library, retired with 34 years of service.

-UNK ALUMNUS ROCH SCHUMACHER

Without a college education, Roch Schumacher wouldn’t have had the opportunities that led to his business success — and without the generosity of donors, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend college at all. Today, Schumacher and his wife are committed to providing that same chance for students by establishing a scholarship fund through a planned gift.

“Going to college opened doors for me to have a successful career. By giving back to our colleges, we’re investing in the future of the next generation,” Schumacher said. His gift will establish a scholarship endowment for students in the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s College of Business and Technology.

You can improve the lives of UNK students well into the future, too. As a loyal supporter of UNK, you can make a signi cant impact and leave your own legacy through a planned gift. Whatever philanthropic impact you want to have, we can nd a match for your passion and interest. Visit us online to download an estate planning kit, or contact a gift planning o cer for more information.

nufoundation.org/giftplanning gift.planning@nufoundation.org 800-432-3216

“HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A COLLEGE DEGREE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN MY LIFE. MY WIFE AND I FEEL THAT BY FUNDING SCHOLARSHIPS, WE’RE OFFERING STUDENTS A CHANCE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.”

Building and maintaining a strong network is more important than ever! Connect with UNK alumni and students through The Range, our new online networking website just for Lopers. This is a great opportunity to: u connect with fellow alumni; u offer your expertise as a mentor or find your own mentor; u connect with an alumni-owned business; and u hire a new employee or find your new career. Sign up today!

therange.unkalumni.org