Spring 2023 UNK Today

UNK TODAY

‘I WANT TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE’ UNK PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS FOR LAW CAREERS IN RURAL NEBRASKA

UNK’s International Food and Cultural Festival brings the world to central Nebraska

Attendees at UNK’s annual Scott D. Morris International Food and Cultural Festival could try dishes from 11 di erent countries at this year’s event. In its 45th year, the event brought students from across the globe together to showcase their cultures and traditions during the festival, which is hosted by UNK’s International Student Association. In addition to o ering international foods, the students performed music, martial arts and dance routines and set up tables with games and other fun activities.

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‘I WANT TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE’ UNK program prepares students for law careers in rural nebraska

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LAUNCHES ONLY IN NEBRASKA CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS FUTURE NEEDS OF THE STATE

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FAMILY TRADITION: ASPEN LUEBBE WAS DESTINED TO BE A LOPER

DEPARTMENTS

6 AROUND THE TOWER

20 THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP

22 LOUIE'S PRIDE

26 FOREVER A LOPER: FEATURE

31 FOREVER A LOPER: CLASS NOTES

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 ’93

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

Bryce Abbey, Ph.D., ’04, MAE ’06

CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

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

GREEK REPRESENTATIVE

NORTH LIBERTY, IOWA

Erika (Baltzell) Farrell ‘13

NEBRASKA REPRESENTATIVE ELKHORN, NEBRASKA

Andy Greer ’11

NEBRASKA REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN, 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

Only in Nebraska.

What’s your Only in Nebraska moment, event, tradition or feeling? Whether you grew up here or halfway across the world, you undoubtedly have a number of Only in Nebraska stories to share.

What we share as onetime, part-time or full-time Nebraskans is very special. It is hard to describe to people from places not from around here. But we know it. And, in my experience, nearly all of us are darn proud of it.

So, when the University of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska Foundation began planning a fundraising and engagement campaign, it was obvious that we’d draw upon a theme that seems to unite us all: Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University's Future.

Over the next several years, our campus leaders, our faculty, our alumni and foundation staff, and so many invested volunteers will be working on many different areas to strengthen the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Campaigns are tremendous opportunities to take stock of not only what we have accomplished and what we do to educate our future leaders, but also what we can build on and what is possible in our future with robust philanthropic investment and more deeply engaged alumni and friends.

At UNK, we will construct a new UNK/University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Health Education Building with $35 million in private support, combined with $50 million in state support. We can grow scholarship resources to build a pipeline of future rural health care professionals, forging their path through the College of Arts and Sciences. We can make the Calvin T. Ryan Library renovation of the learning commons and campus archives even better with donor support of the learning commons and campus archive. We can increasethe resources available to attract and reward great faculty. We can expand living/learning communities and build tomorrow’s entrepreneurs in the College of Business and Technology. We can improve our communities' schools by filling the teacher pipeline and growing education leaders through the College of Education’s NextGen Leadership Academy.

We can — with your investment, your interest and your involvement — accomplish a lot to strengthen our great campus, community and state. Only in Nebraska is there such a deep connection between all of these things.

I hope you’ll think about your Only in Nebraska story — and consider the role you’ll play in the awesome future of UNK.

Thanks for your support!

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

Chancellor Kristensen Dedicates New Sculpture During Homecoming Ceremony: ‘Now That’s a Loper’

UNK Chancellor Doug

Kristensen hosted a dedication ceremony in October for the new pronghorn antelope sculpture on campus.

Prominently displayed in the 26th Street Mall area near the west edge of Randall Hall, e Loper stands 10 feet tall and weighs more than 1,200 pounds. e bronze statue was created by Holdrege native and UNK alumnus Mark Lundeen and cast at Loveland-based Art Castings of Colorado. It was installed in September.

A former Loper football player, Lundeen graduated from UNK in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then moved to Loveland, Colorado, where he established his studio and began a highly successful career.

His work has been commissioned for placement at professional sports stadiums, the Little League Baseball and McDonald’s headquarters, Denver International Airport and other prominent locations across the country. His sculpture of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert is in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection.

e award-winning artist has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Fine Art Collector Magazine and other publications.

“ is sculpture will provide an iconic place on our campus for people to gather,” said Kristensen. “It will inspire some, and others will re ect upon their experiences on campus, but for everyone it will serve as a point of Loper pride.”

New Loper Spirit Shop Launches Online Store

ere’s a new way to get Loper gear.

UNK’s Loper Spirit Shop now has an online store where people can purchase apparel, merchandise and other UNK-branded items.

LoperSpiritShop.com features the same great selection found at the on-campus location, with the added convenience of online shopping.

e Loper Spirit Shop opened in August inside the Nebraskan Student Union, where the Antelope Bookstore was formerly located.

e transition away from Barnes & Noble, which operated the Antelope Bookstore, allows the university to oversee general merchandise and apparel at the on-campus store. UNK Communications and Marketing is partnering with the Spirit Shop to help grow the Loper brand.

Since it’s operated by the university instead of an outside company, the Spirit Shop o ers a better selection of apparel and merchandise at competitive prices. Customers can nd national clothing brands such as Under Armour, Champion, Antigua, University Girl and League-Legacy, along with items produced by local vendors.

Michael Christen, director of business services at UNK, said, “We are excited to continue expanding the Loper Spirit Shop o erings to UNK students, faculty, sta , alumni, donors and supporters. e new online store will allow us to reach these individuals across the globe and allow them to show their UNK pride wherever they may be.”

UNK also added a Spirit Shop location at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field for home football games.

City of Kearney Commits $5 million to New Rural Health Education Building at UNK

e city of Kearney is committing $5 million to a University of Nebraska project that will enhance health care education and training in the state.

City Council members voted unanimously in November to support construction of the new Rural Health Education Building on the UNK campus. A partnership between UNK and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the roughly 100,000-square-foot facility will address critical health care workforce shortages in the state by expanding opportunities for students to study, train and eventually practice in central and western Nebraska.

When fully operational, the Rural Health Education Building and existing Health Sciences Education Complex will support about 240 local jobs and have an annual economic impact estimated at $34.5 million.

Construction of the $85 million facility is expected to begin in September, with a projected completion date of July 2025. anks to approval

from the state Legislature, the project received $50 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for capital construction, plus $10 million for iEXCEL technology startup costs. e Legislature also committed the necessary sustainable operational funds to support faculty and sta .

e University of Nebraska will raise the remaining $35 million needed to cover construction costs, with the city’s $5 million contribution counting toward this total.

e new facility will grow this talent pipeline by expanding the existing UNMC programs o ered in Kearney. It will also bring new programs 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 program 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.

A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH ONE STEP

N alumni en and ad utar re ogni e t at loyalty was t e rst step on t eir philanthropic journey. Their loyalty and passion for UNK have inspired them to establish and make a planned gift of retirement assets to the Bleeding Blue Heart Scholarship. e s olars ip fund will bene t students in t e N ollege of usiness and e nology

could

UNK alumni Jen and Chad Rutar serve as members of the UNK campaign committee and have established a planned gift to support UNK students.

Making a planned gift is a simple way to show your loyalty and leave a lasting legacy at UNK. Scan the QR code below to download your free estate planning kit today.

“We have such a loyalty to UNK that we wanted to do more, so more students

enjoy the experiences we had.”

‘I WANT TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE’

UNK PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS FOR LAW CAREERS IN RURAL NEBRASKA

By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications

When Max Beal graduates from the University of Nebraska College of Law, he won’t be looking for a job in Lincoln or Omaha.

The 24-year-old plans to practice in central Nebraska, where he was raised on a farm near Kenesaw.

“It’s really important that people have access to legal resources,” Beal said. “There are a lot of counties in western and central Nebraska that have no lawyers or very few lawyers. That’s where I’m from, so I want to help those people.”

According to the most recent statistics from the Nebraska Supreme Court’s Attorney Services Division, 50 of the state’s 93 counties have five or fewer attorneys practicing there, and 11 counties don’t have any at all. The shortage in these rural areas means people may have to travel long distances for legal assistance.

Chuck Rowling, a professor and pre-law adviser at UNK and chair of the Department of Political Science, said, “If you’re a person who wants to adopt or start a new business, needs help on a will or advice about the farm or someone who’s going through a divorce or is in a criminal matter, you need an attorney. And if you have to drive 150 miles to get one or maybe try to do it remotely, that’s a disadvantage.”

Beyond that, he added, attorneys are often pillars of the community who serve on local

boards, add to the economy and support a town’s long-term viability.

“They’re providing a service that becomes vital to those communities,” he said. “There’s a broader benefit that comes to the region when we have attorneys working in those places.”

In addition to his other duties, Rowling is director of an initiative created six years ago to address this rural workforce issue.

A partnership between UNK and Nebraska Law, the Kearney Law Opportunities Program (KLOP) recruits students from greater Nebraska — outside Lincoln and the Omaha metropolitan area — and trains them to become lawyers who will practice in rural communities. Participants receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend UNK and guaranteed acceptance into Nebraska Law, provided GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirements are met. Starting next year, the program will also include a partial room waiver for those students living on campus.

STUDENT SUPPORT

There are many other benefits, as well.

“UNK is a lot smaller than a lot of universities, and I think that’s really helpful,” said Beal, who was part of the inaugural KLOP class. “You get more attention, and you have a better opportunity to get to know the faculty. They’re really invested in us.”

UNK graduate Max Beal is currently attending the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln. He plans to practice in central Nebraska after earning his law degree.

(Photo by Todd Gottula, UNK Communications)

Beal ’21 is one of eight students currently attending Nebraska Law in Lincoln who were part of the KLOP program at UNK. ese students stack up pretty well compared with their classmates from across the country, with former Lopers earning multiple academic awards for achieving the highest grades in their courses.

“ ose are pretty prestigious awards that Kearney students are getting,” Beal said. He credits UNK for providing the resources and opportunities that prepare students for law school.

Students in the KLOP program receive oneon-one mentorship from faculty and peers. ey study together and take many of the same classes, creating a close-knit community and support system. e Pre-Law Society, a student organization on campus, regularly hosts events where members connect with local attorneys, current law students and each other.

Participants also develop a relationship with Nebraska Law as early as their freshman year by visiting Lincoln to meet with faculty and law students, attend guest lectures, sit in on classes and observe court proceedings.

“It’s what they do outside the classroom that’s really going to separate these students and make them even better prepared for law school,” said Rowling, who emphasizes undergraduate research, international travel and other experiential learning activities.

He collaborated with Nebraska Law to launch a new international program for students at both institutions. is past January, students spent two weeks in Europe learning about international criminal law while visiting places such as Auschwitz, the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg and the International Criminal Court in e Hague.

at trip will occur every two years, with an opportunity to learn about the civil rights movement in the southern U.S. o ered in between.

“Being exposed to ideas and cultures outside of what you’ve grown up with is valuable, because

at the end of the day, what you’re going to be doing when you’re a lawyer is working with people with di erent backgrounds and di erent points of view,” Rowling said.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

Internships are another important part of KLOP, whether they’re at a congressional o ce in Washington, D.C., or a local law rm.

“If you’re in the KLOP program, there’s a priority given to those students for internship opportunities, especially with law rms in rural Nebraska,” Rowling said.

Norah Renner, a UNK senior from Columbus, is currently interning with Anderson, Klein, Brewster & Brandt in Kearney. e experience has been “extremely valuable” as she prepares to start law school next year.

“I love it,” Renner said. “I’m getting all the practical experiences, and I’m learning a ton. You really get to see how attorneys can a ect people’s lives here. at’s something I don’t think you get to see as much in a bigger rm or somewhere bigger like Omaha or Lincoln. ere’s no question now that I want to come back to central and rural Nebraska to practice after law school.”

Like Beal, who interned at the Tye & Rowling law rm in Kearney, Renner has bene ted from the resources available through KLOP, including LSAT prep and assistance with law school applications.

“It’s just a really tight-knit community, and that’s what drew me to UNK. You get so much support,” Renner said. “I don’t feel like I’ll be too surprised when I get to law school.”

e pre-law program has “grown by leaps and bounds,” said attorney Jon Brandt, a 2003 graduate of UNK.

“ e rst time I was in a private law o ce was when I was interviewing for a law job,” said Brandt, a partner at Anderson, Klein, Brewster & Brandt specializing in litigation, injury law, criminal defense and family law.

An Ogallala native and Nebraska Law alumnus, Brandt is proud to partner with his alma maters to further develop the state’s talent pipeline.

“It really is going to help sustain rural Nebraska by having lawyers available to serve these communities,” he said.

ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES

Students can major in any academic area and be part of KLOP.

Renner is studying political science with minors in public law and business administration, and Beal graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a nance emphasis and public law minor.

“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do in college,” Beal said, “I was interested in nance, so wherever I went I was going to study nance, but I also liked the idea that law provides more opportunities. I would have more choices in the career eld, and that was something I could get in addition to my nance degree to give me more job options.”

Said Renner, “It really does open a lot of doors for you.”

e profession, Rowling said, is much more diverse than what people see in courtroom dramas on TV.

UNK pre-law student Norah

Renner is interning at Anderson, Klein, Brewster & Brandt in Kearney, where attorney Jon Brandt ’13 is a partner. “There’s no question now that I want to come back to central and rural Nebraska to practice after law school,” Renner said.

“ e reality is, roughly half of all attorneys don’t even practice law,” he said. “ ey’re working in companies, they’re working for a nonpro t, they’re working in government. ey’re doing a lot of other things besides just practicing law.

“ ose skills that you acquire from going to law school and those skills that you acquire from UNK translate to all kinds of potential opportunities. Even if you don’t want to end up in a courtroom or in a law rm, those skills are going to translate to a successful career doing something else.”

Currently, there are 20 UNK students in KLOP, but that number will soon grow to 30 and beyond as Rowling expands the program.

“ e KLOP students that we bring in are so important to the university. ey are student body presidents, they are in student government, they lead student organizations, they are terri c in class,” he said. “It’s almost like a version of what we think they’ll be down the road within their own communities. ey are those things at this campus, serving as leaders and pillars within our UNK community.”

For more information on the Kearney Law Opportunities Program, visit unk.edu/klop or contact Rowling at 308-865-8171 or rowlingcm@unk.edu. e deadline to apply for next year’s class is Nov. 15.

(Photo by Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications)

“The University of Nebraska is one of the state’s most powerful drivers of economic growth and quality of life. With this campaign, we can extend our impact even further — today, tomorrow and for generations to come.”

- University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LAUNCHES ONLY IN NEBRASKA CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS FUTURE NEEDS OF THE STATE

University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter, joined by the chancellors of the four University of Nebraska campuses, announced in November the public launch of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future.

The campaign is a historic effort to engage at least 150,000 unique benefactors to raise $3 billion to support students, faculty, academic programs and research to address the needs of the state.

“As Nebraska’s only public university, we have a special opportunity and responsibility to meet the needs of students, our state and the workforce,” Carter said. “The University of Nebraska is one of the state’s most powerful drivers of economic growth and quality of life. With this campaign, we can extend our

impact even further — today, tomorrow and for generations to come.”

While the campaign has three priorities, the top priority is students. The campaign will create additional scholarships to help make education affordable, attract more students and keep them in Nebraska. It also will invest in programs such as learning communities, which help retain students, provide mentorship and guidance and ensure timely degree completion.

The campaign will support all campuses of the university, which include the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its clinical partner Nebraska Medicine, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis.

UNK Only in Nebraska committee members

Carey and Brian Hamilton, far left, are recognized at November’s campaign launch.

rough the campaign UNK will engage more than 12,000 unique donors to raise $70 million for the following priorities.

• e Rural Health Education Building and programs to grow the state’s health care workforce;

• New student scholarships;

• Endowed faculty professorships and chairs;

• e Loper Sports Performance Network to provide a student-athlete experience that touches all aspects of an individual’s well-being, including physical, mental and academic; and

• e Calvin T. Ryan Library redevelopment project and student success programs.

UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen said, “UNK is a national model of excellence in accessible, quality undergraduate education. With the phenomenal support from our communities and our private partners, we can do even more for our students and our communities, address our workforce challenges and build the future Nebraska needs right now. Working together, I know we can.”

Carey and Brian Hamilton, UNK campaign committee chairs, added: “We want to be a part of the continued success of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. A philanthropic gift to the university makes all the di erence in the world and is the only way that the really cutting-edge things happen. e university is educating our future leaders of the state, of the nation, of the world, so we need to have innovative education to prepare them for the jobs and careers that will be available in the future.”

e private funds that are raised in the campaign can complement but not replace state funds for basic operations. More than 99% of all gifts to the University of Nebraska Foundation are restricted by donors to a speci c use.

THE OVERALL UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES ARE:

Relentless focus on student access and success

The campaign goal is to create scholarships for every college within the university system to expand access and help the university compete for top talent. The campaign also will raise support for rst generation students, ommunity ollege transfer students and areas of riti al need, su as ealt are, engineering, information te nology and tea er education; funds to create or expand programs that help retain students, su as learning ommunities and funds for modern fa ilities t at o er students ontemporary, ands on learning opportunities.

Enhancing faculty, academic and clinical excellence

The campaign seeks funds for endowed chairs and professorships to recruit and retain faculty who are a source of intellectual capital for the state as well as the inspiration and teachers of the next generation of students. It will seek support for fa ulty programs, many of w i spin o innovations for commercialization and create new business startups.

Transformational research and innovation

The campaign seeks funds to support research and innovation that bring solutions and discoveries to the state and improve outcomes for Nebraskans. This includes health issues where Nebraskans have higher incidence rates than the national average; support for agriculture; and support for areas where t ere is e isting university e pertise, su as in business, entrepreneurs ip, food and water se urity, and early childhood education.

FAMILY TRADITION: ASPEN LUEBBE WAS DESTINED TO BE A LOPER

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one says a lot about Aspen Luebbe and her family’s connection to UNK.

e photo, taken last Christmas, shows Dick and Patti Luebbe surrounded by their 10 grandchildren, who are all wearing UNK stocking caps.

Being a Loper is a “big deal” for the Luebbes, according to Aspen, a third-generation UNK student.

Dick played baseball at UNK, known then as Kearney State College, and graduated in 1970 with a degree in secondary math and physical education. He coached wrestling, basketball, track and football at Columbus High School and was inducted into the Discoverer Athletic Hall of Fame in early 2022. Patti also attended Kearney State College, where the couple met,

graduating in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and 1971 with a master’s degree.

All three of their children followed suit.

Aspen’s father, Je ’94, was a Chancellor’s Ambassador and president of the Phi Delta eta fraternity at UNK, where he met his wife, Heidi ’94. Je earned a degree in biology and works as a veterinarian. Heidi is a social worker at Columbus Public Schools.

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about their time at UNK, so I knew it was a ton of fun,” Aspen said. “ ey made a lot of connections here and were able to get involved on campus.”

When the time came for her to choose a college, the decision was pretty easy. UNK was close to home, and she had an opportunity to continue gol ng competitively.

“Knowing that my family members had a great experience here also played a big part,” she said.

A three-time state medalist in high school, Aspen was part of the Loper women’s golf team for one year. She loved the experience, but decided to end her playing career so she could focus more on academics and other activities.

“It turned out to be one of the best things ever, because closing that door opened a lot of other doors for me,” she said. “I don’t think I would be nearly as active on campus or involved on campus as I am now if I was still playing golf.”

e senior exercise science major is de nitely making the most of her opportunities.

She’s part of the Alpha Phi sorority, Chancellor’s Ambassadors, Loper Leaders, Circle K and multiple honor societies. ese organizations allow her to create connections with people across campus and develop her leadership and interpersonal skills.

“UNK has helped me grow in so many ways and really shaped who I am,” she said. “Freshman year me is not anywhere close to who I am now. I’ve grown exponentially as a person.”

Although she’s no longer a collegiate athlete, Aspen remains involved in a number of sports.

She participates in ag football, pickleball, basketball, broomball, sand volleyball and several other intramural activities, allowing her to maintain that competitive spirit.

“I de nitely take it way too seriously,” she said with a laugh. “I try to relax, but then the competitiveness just comes out. It’s hard to not want to win.”

In addition to intramurals, Aspen is part of the LoperVision video production team for UNK athletic contests and other campus events, and she’s a certi ed high school basketball o cial. She also works as a rehab technician at CHI Health Good Samaritan.

Her impact on the campus and community doesn’t go unnoticed. In October, she was voted homecoming queen by her fellow Lopers.

“I don’t know that I would have ever thought I’d be homecoming queen at UNK, but it’s something I’m super honored by and super proud of,” she said. “I’m very humbled by it, for sure.”

e recognition was even more special because she shared the spotlight with queen candidates and triplets Brooke, Emma and Lauren Benck. ey were all on the homecoming court together at Columbus High School, where Aspen was also crowned queen.

She called it a “full-circle moment.”

“Yes, we are best friends,” Aspen said, “Yes, we all came to the same college. But we all do our own thing. We’re all involved on campus in di erent ways, and we’ve impacted campus in di erent ways. So it’s just crazy how it all came together.”

Aspen will attend physical therapy school after graduating from UNK in May; then it’s up to the other grandchildren to add to the family’s Loper legacy. Her cousin Gracie is a junior at UNK studying English education, and her younger brother Ean is a freshman exercise science major.

“We’ll see if the Luebbes keep on coming,” Aspen said with a smile.

Gertrude Caveny (at left)

Minnie N. (Teller) Hookstra

Claudine (Summers) Rowley

Marguerite Ellen Welch

Marianne Kay (Hookstra) Novotny-Yost

Lilas L. Teller

Ruby Mae (Muhlbach) Wilke

Friday, Oct. 28 was a special day in the UNK’s College of Education building. More than 100 audience members watched as 11 educators had plaques unveiled on the One Room, One Teacher Wall of Honor.

Each honoree taught in various one-room and rural schools across Nebraska and surrounding states. e program included the reading of short biographies about each honoree. All were recognized for their outstanding contributions to education.

ey and their families chose to give back to UNK to help future teachers with scholarships through the One Room, One Teacher program.

$10,000 Level

Marianne Kay (Hookstra) Novotny-Yost, Ed.D.

$5,000 Level

Florence E. Caveny and Gertrude L. Caveny

Claudine (Summers) Rowley

e Caveny family is coincidently cousins of the Rowley family and enjoyed visiting with each other at the ceremony.

Arnez D. (Vrana) Gans

Lilas Lou (Hookstra) Grotelueschen

Minnie N. (Teller) Hookstra

Lilas L. Teller

$1,000 Level

Dorothy Adele (Juhl) Carmann

Marguerite Ellen Welch

Ruby Mae (Muhlbach) Wilke

Honoring teaching pioneers and preparing the next generation of Nebraska educators are the goals of the One Room, One Teacher Scholarship Program at UNK. Nine scholarship recipients for the 2021-2022 school year were recognized and spoke to the group, expressing thanks for their scholarships.

Mark Reid, Ph.D., dean of the UNK College of Education, said, “ e One Room, One Teacher program honors the legacy of rural schoolteachers in Nebraska. e rural school spirit lives on through the many scholarships awarded from this program.”

To give to the One Room, One Teacher Scholarship Fund, visit nufoundation.org/ OneRoomOneTeacher, email Kristin Howard at kristin.howard@nufoundation.org or call the University of Nebraska Foundation at 308-698-5270 or 800-432-3216.

Dorothy Adele (Juhl) Carmann

Arnez D. (Vrana) Gans

Lilas Lou (Hookstra) Grotelueschen

Florence Caveny

The Power of Mentorship

e impact of an experienced mentor can be life-changing. ey can help you understand who you are and where you want to go; they can share their knowledge and skills or just listen and provide a guiding hand.

ere are several ways alumni can provide mentorship to fellow Lopers. One way is through the Gold Torch Society, a mentoring program for UNK alumnae and undergraduate women. To date, more than 1,000 alumnae and students have been involved with the program in its 22-year history.

Karla Steele

Karla Steele ’96, MSE ’04 is from Papillion and is the owner of K Steele Solutions.

"Being a mentor for the Gold Torch Society has been a great experience. Visiting with my mentee took me back to when the whole world was in front of me and helped me to realize the endless possibilities still out there, no matter how old I may be!

Mentorship is always bene cial. e Gold Torch Society provides networking opportunities online and face to face. It’s a program for women, alumnae and current students, to gain networking, professional and personal insights. Mentorship keeps people connected, not just the mentor and the mentee but also with other mentors and mentees."

Abigail Heins

Abigail Heins is a sophomore from Kearney pursuing a business degree with an emphasis in marketing and a minor in visual communication and design.

e Gold Torch Society has been an amazing experience.

I think more mentoring groups like the Gold Torch Society are needed. My mentor, Karla Steele, is helping me with decisions on my career path. She is actively connecting me with potential employers and helping me with interview questions and career advice. Because of the impact she has

Karla Steele

Abigail Heins

had on me, I am in a much better place to start my career and succeed.

"A great piece of advice she gave was, ‘Say yes to everything. You have the time and resources in your life right now. Doing this will open more and more opportunities for you. Never turn down an opportunity to grow.’

"Having a mentor is a blessing, and I have learned so much valuable information from her and the other women in the Gold Torch Society!"

Looking for ways to mentor? Try The Range, our online networking platform just for UNK alumni and students!

This is a great opportunity to provide career guidance to a growing number of students and alumni who are looking for advice from someone just like you. The Range has so much to offer; set up your profile at therange.unkalumni.org

To learn more about the Gold Torch Society and get involved as an alumna mentor, contact Shonna Hill at lopers@unkalumni.org or 308-698-5271. Enhance

Did you know that through The Range your work experience becomes more powerful than you’ve ever thought?

Connections on The Range are life changing!

Connections on The Range are life changing!

LOUIE'S PRIDE

Former Loper Edwin Hooper Uses His Multimedia Skills to Reach the NFL

By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK

The Seattle Seahawks have more than 10 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, along with nearly 200,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel.

These football fans are constantly looking for new content, and it’s up to Edwin Hooper '18 and other members of the digital team to provide it for them.

As a social media specialist for the NFL franchise, Hooper helps produce the videos, photos, memes and other posts viewed by people across the world. Simply put, his job, he said, is to “make dope content.”

“I get a chance to do it all,” said Hooper, who graduated from UNK with a degree in multimedia. “They really don’t have a limit on what we do every day.”

During training camp, he might be on the sidelines shooting photos and video at practice or using his cellphone to record quick interviews with players and coaches. Once the season starts, he’s with the team on game days, capturing those moments on and o the field that increase fan engagement and give them an inside look at their beloved Seahawks.

It’s a dream job for the 29-year-old former Loper. “I would say it’s a dream because I’m getting paid to do something I would do for free,” Hooper said. “But it’s a dream I didn’t realize until I actually got here. I always wanted to play in the NFL, but I never really knew about media in the NFL. I didn’t know I could still be a part of the team in this way.”

FOCUSED

Hooper’s path to the Pacific Northwest started in northeast Texas, where he was a standout football

ON FOOTBALL

UNK graduate Edwin Hooper works as a social media specialist for the Seattle Seahawks. He’s pictured at Lumen Field, where the team plays its home games. (Courtesy photo)

Communications

player at Texas High School in Texarkana who also dabbled in video production.

A serious knee injury su ered his senior year limited his scholarship opportunities, but Rice University remained committed to its o er.

“Honestly, I was just thinking about football,” Hooper said. “I wasn’t even really thinking about academics. When they asked me what I wanted to major in, I just did sports management, because in my mind I’m thinking I can stay around sports and get a job somewhere in the sports industry.

“Obviously. that wasn’t the best mindset going into it, because to play football, your academics have to be right.”

Hooper was on the roster at Rice for just one season before transferring to Sierra College, a two-year school in Rocklin, California. That’s where he dove deeper into video production.

Using clips from Hudl, a Lincoln-based sports technology company, Hooper put together highlight tapes he and his teammates could send to coaches at larger colleges and universities.

“It got to the point where I would be making videos for people and they would all come to my apartment and we’d get Little Caesars pizza, put the videos on the TV and watch them over and over and over again,” he said. “I saw how their eyes would light up, and they would want to send the links to their friends and their moms and dads.

“It was more than just a resume to send to these four-year schools. These videos showed people back home who couldn’t attend games what they were doing. When somebody scored a touchdown, if their mom can’t be in the stands, they have this highlight tape and they can see their son is out in California doing good things and making something of himself.”

Although he had a clear talent for video production, Hooper was still firmly focused on a professional football career when he arrived at UNK in 2015. The defensive lineman/linebacker played two seasons for the Lopers, then it all came to a sudden end.

“Once I was finished playing football, honestly, I was really in a dark place,” Hooper said. “All I thought about was football. I really didn’t know anything else. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t know what I could do.”

During his time in Kearney, Edwin Hooper created social media content for UNK football and other Loper athletic programs. (Courtesy photo)

NEW OPPORTUNITY

If anyone is going to share his story, they have to mention Nanette Hogg and what she’s done for his life and career, Hooper insists.

“She didn’t let me quit on myself,” Hooper said. “Even when I was at UNK, there were times when I would get frustrated and I would go to her o ce and say, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ And she would never let me. She would always push me. Even when I didn’t believe in myself, she still believed in me. I know there’s no way I would be here right now if it wasn’t for her just being there for me and her guidance and leadership.

“She means the world to me.”

An associate professor and chair of UNK’s Department of Communication, Hogg served as Hooper’s adviser during his time at UNK. Recognizing his passion and ability, she’s the one who introduced him to the multimedia program.

“I would tell her all the time, ‘I don’t even think I’m meant for school,’ because I would try hard, but for some reason it just didn’t come to me,” Hooper said. “I couldn’t focus enough to do well in the classroom. But when she put me in the multimedia program and I’m doing web design and I’m taking video production, things came naturally to me. These were things I actually enjoyed doing. I felt like it was my thing.”

Hooper combined his love of sports and multimedia during class projects by creating videos featuring the football team. After graduating from UNK in summer 2018, he worked with the athletic department to continue producing content for social media.

“It’s funny. I went out to Target and got a camera — a Nikon D3400 — and I just really wanted to get some photos for the guys,” he explained. “I just wanted to be an extra body there to make sure we got as much content as we could. It was a way to still be part of the team and bring something to the program.”

He said he quickly expanded beyond football to basketball, volleyball and “anyone else who would let me shoot.” His favorite event was the 2019 NCAA Division II volleyball championship in Denver. The Lopers went 38-1 that season and finished as the national runner-up.

“It was such an amazing story, even though we lost. Just to be part of that — one of the most dominant volleyball teams ever, at any level — and see the emotions of it. It was an amazing ride,” Hooper said.

NFL EXPERIENCE

Hooper was hired by the Seattle Seahawks in June 2021.

Now, he highlights superstars such as DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith, Quandre Diggs and Tariq Woolen. In November, he was in Munich when the Seahawks faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Germany.

“To be part of the team that captures this content to put out, it’s just amazing to me,” he

said. “It’s similar to when I was at Kearney and it was just my friends, and I wanted them to have things to show their friends and family back home.”

Except the audience is much, much larger. The team’s social media posts get thousands of reactions and views.

One of his favorites came from the Aug. 18 preseason game at Lumen Field in Seattle. Hooper ran out with the team while recording in slow motion, giving fans an opportunity to see what that experience is like.

“Even though I wasn’t playing on the team, I got the feeling of what it’s like to run out in front of 70,000 people just screaming, through the smoke, and you’re looking around and all these cameras are flashing and you just see blue and green throughout the stadium. To be able to provide that for fans, for them to have that firsthand perspective of running through the tunnel and what it looks like for the guys, that was really special for me,” he said.

Hooper remains close with many of his UNK teammates — the guys he dreamed about playing professional football with — and he still thinks about those times at 2 in the morning when they were by his side reviewing video footage and helping hone the skills that got him to the NFL.

“There are a lot of people who think my job is super cool, and they ask me all the time, ‘How did you get this opportunity?’ But those guys, they were always there with me,” he said. “They’re not surprised at all. They always believed this could happen.”

Edwin Hooper runs onto the field with the Seattle Seahawks players during an Aug. 18 preseason game at Lumen Field. Hooper shared the experience on the team’s social media accounts. (Photo by Rod Mar, Seattle Seahawks)

Ryan Held Fired Up to Take Over as New Loper Football Coach

assistant/running backs coach at the University of Central Florida (2016-17). He was twice named one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com while at Nebraska.

A coaching veteran with 13 years of head coaching experience, Held climbed the coaching ladder as a junior college, NCAA Division II and NAIA head coach before joining the Division I ranks. He had head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Highland Community College, Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University, and NAIA Peru State College.

Held’s other coaching stops include Butler Community College and the University of Tennessee, where he was a defensive graduate assistant in 1998-99, helping the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship.

Bauer chose Held following a nationwide search. He replaces Josh Lynn, who was UNK’s head coach the past six seasons.

“Ryan has created a strong reputation for leading, recruiting and developing players,” said Bauer. “His focus goes beyond the game, aimed at elevating players to become the best version of themselves on and o the field.

Former Nebraska and North Alabama coach Ryan Held is the new head football coach at UNK. Athletic Director Marc Bauer announced the hire in late December.

“I can’t tell you how fired up I am to be the next head football coach at UNK,” Held said. “The opportunity to return to Nebraska and lead the Loper football program, which has tremendous tradition and is committed to winning championships, is something I can’t wait to take on. The MIAA is one of the toughest football conferences in the country, and UNK is right there at the top with a strong foundation in place.”

Held, 48, spent the past season as interim head coach and o ensive coordinator at NCAA Division I University of North Alabama. Before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (2018-21) and

“Equally important, Ryan believes in the Division II model. Not only does he have plans to guide and continue to elevate the program, but also create a culture driven by our mission, complemented by our core values and e orts to contribute to our campus and community.”

UNK went 27-11 over the past four seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2021 while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playo s. The Lopers won the Mineral Water Bowl in 2019.

“We have a great opportunity to build on recent success,” said Held. “There are a lot of really good players returning. We’re going to add more moving forward and build on recent successes in the great MIAA conference.

“I look forward to meeting all the great alumni, boosters and community members who make it possible to build our program.”

An interview with Barry Samsula '77

Interview with Barry Samsula ’77 as he recounts his time at Kearney State College and a career that revolved around academia and broadcasting.

Tell us about what made you choose Kearney State College, your career path and how you got to where you are today.

During my nal year of high school in St. Paul, Nebraska, our guidance counselor assigned every senior to write a paper on a career. e challenge was to hone in on a future career path, pick a job, nd out what kind of training is needed and what the expected salary is, and then do an interview with someone in that eld. is project forced me, for the rst time in my life, to re ect on my strengths and weaknesses and make a plan for the future.

I was sitting on a tractor, discing a eld on our farm, thinking about our assignment and all the high school organizations and activities I had participated in and enjoyed over the years, including sports, theater, speech and music. As the tractor radio blasted music from the nearby Grand Island station, it hit me. What about broadcasting? Johnny Carson was from Nebraska, and he was doing pretty well for himself.

My research led me to Kearney State College and a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. It was far enough away from home, not too big, and it o ered plenty of opportunity to get involved and had a radio and television station. A campus tour clinched the deal.

My career path and memorable moments during my years in Kearney (1972-1984) and at KSC are intermingled. During that time, I gave campus tours, served as an admissions counselor, was a radio announcer at KGFW, produced and voiced a show called Walt’s Wisdom that was broadcast on both KGFW and KRNY, wrote commercials, and was the voice of the NTV television network. I was also the rst deejay at Dicky Dugan’s Saloon and Dance Hall (Kearney’s rst discotheque) and deejayed all over the state with one of the rst portable discos in Nebraska. While I was in school, I met the love of my life (Susan (Hughes) Samsula ’78), got married, and she and I served as house parents for the Alpha Phi sorority in Stout Hall, worked together at KSC’s summer orientation and had two kids, all while working

towards my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech communications.

In 1984, I left Kearney to become the director of admissions at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. en I was o to Richardson, Texas, in 1990 to start my role as the director of enrollment services at e University of Texas at Dallas for nearly 20 years. e whole time, I stayed active in broadcasting by announcing various sporting events and graduation ceremonies, and voicing numerous university marketing tapes and DVDs. After 30 years as an administrator at three universities, I decided to retire from academia. Not ready to give up on being productive and spending time interacting with people, I decided to go back to my rst love – broadcasting. My time at Classical 101.1 WRR FM started with part-time work doing commercials and weekend shifts that included everything from announcing music to operating the board during church services and the Metropolitan Opera. Pretty soon, I was lling in for someone who took a vacation, then somebody else moved on permanently, and nally things shifted around until I was working full-time during weekdays.

What are some of your most memorable moments with WRR?

One of the things that kept me so focused at WRR was the type of music. Back in the ’70s at KGFW and Dicky Dugan’s, it was top-40 rock; then at WRR it was 24/7 classical. I’m talking Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. What a learning curve! I think a lot of people feel like classical music is so highbrow that they just don’t listen to it. With a master’s degree in speech, my goal has always been to try to explain things in terms that anybody can understand and to try to make it interesting enough that people will listen to what I have to say. I always try to make it relevant and talk to my audience, not at them. Sometimes you wonder if what you’re doing is making a di erence and if you are getting through to your audience. All you have to go on are positive comments from people who call in or post something nice on Facebook. So, it was a real honor to be selected for the Wall of Fame at Dallas City Hall, a recognition for customer service based on letters written by listeners.

Similarly, it was an honor to be asked to serve on the Kearney State College alumni board with other graduates who had made positive contributions to the college. At my retirement party, the Farewell Roadshow, I was just totally overwhelmed at the number of people who came to say goodbye. I met a family in the reception line who handed me an envelope with a couple of pictures in it. e lady handed me a phone and said, “My daughter wants to talk to you.” e person on the other line was the girl in the pictures. She told me that years ago she was my very rst March Buddy (a weekly program where I recognized birthdays, anniversaries and other dedications sent in by listeners), and that the rst picture was of her at that time. e second picture was of her as she looked now. She apologized for not attending the party but said that she was teaching an opera workshop in Austin at the time. Talk about coming around full circle! It was humbling to think that years ago maybe I played some small

From left: son Dr. Aaron Samsula, Barry Samsula, Sue Samsula and daughter Autumn Samsula

part in encouraging a young person to listen to the music and sparked her interest to pursue a career in the music industry.

What do you look forward to now that you’re retiring?

My wife and I recently moved to Robson Ranch near Denton, Texas. It’s a gated retirement community o ering golf, pickleball, swimming and hundreds of other amenities. We want to enjoy those activities and spend time with family. Our goal is to continue traveling and listening to classical music in famous venues around the world.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give to current students?

Don’t expect someone to just hand over the reins to you without proving yourself and your dedication. Follow your passion and be willing to start at the bottom and then make yourself available. You may have to start out by working weekends or late-night shifts, but you’re working, you’re learning, you’re meeting future colleagues and your supervisors are watching. And, if you have done your best, then you will be creating opportunities for yourself.

During part of his tenure as the Director of Enrollment Services at The University of Texas at Dallas, Barry Samsula continued to stay close to his passion for broadcasting as the public address announcer for UTDallas Comets basketball and volleyball games and the Dallas Fury of the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL).

Barry was also the University Orator for many graduation ceremonies, announcing the names of graduates as they crossed the stage.

Barry and Sue Samsula are now happily retired, living near Denton, Texas.

Jan. 3, 2023 marked the beginning of the 108th Legislature for the state of Nebraska. State senators are convened at the Capitol, where they are addressing key issues and setting the state budget for the next two years.

The budget is particularly important because UNK's operating budget relies largely on state support and tuition. Of the nearly $3 billion dollars it takes to run the university system — from football to bookstores, research expenditures to named chairs — one third supports selffunded initiatives, such as athletics and residence halls. One third are restricted dollars, such as federal research grants or University of Nebraska Foundation gifts for buildings and scholarships. The other third of those dollars are operating costs

The other third of those dollars are operating costs.

The nearly $1 billion system operating budget supports paying university faculty and staff and keeping the lights on. Sixty-two percent is funded by the state; the difference is funded primarily by tuition. Strong state support helps keep tuition low, making college affordable for Nebraskans.

The arc of this year’s legislative session moves through bill introduction and hearings in January, committee hearings and floor debate on bills in February and March, and floor debate and a preliminary budget in April. This is where we are at now. In May, floor debate continues — including around the final state budget — and June brings any veto overrides and the end of session.

To help support a strong future for UNK, it’s more important than ever for Lopers to write or email your state senator and tell them how UNK has made a difference in your life. You can also become a member of the NU Advocates, a group of people who are amplifying the conversation around making an investment in the University of Nebraska, at nebraska.edu/advocates.

Together, we have the opportunity to demonstrate to the Nebraska Legislature that Nebraskans believe in our university's ability to address major challenges facing our state — and grow our workforce for the future.

FOREVER A LOPER

1951

Ernie and Verla (Smith) Matuschka MSE ‘72, Ed.S. ‘76 of Sun Lakes, Arizona, celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary Sept. 16.

1962

Bob Phares of North Platte was awarded the title Regent Emeritus by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. He served three terms as regent.

1964

Ken Aldridge of Mansfield, Texas, published his twelfth novel, "Cold Case 82-3." He served 24 years as a special agent with the FBI.

1965

Charles Real of Omaha authored an essay titled "Went Away ... the Reals of Pallas ... the Reals of Oola" for the 2022 Journal of the Lough Gur Historical Society (Limerick, Ireland). Real’s essay describes two related Irish families leaving Ireland and England aboard ships bound for Australia and the United States and how both families survived in their new homes.

1967

Bill Backes of Milford was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame.

1968

Sheryl and Lyle Shafer of Sunrise, Florida, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 5.

1970

Dick Luebbe of Columbus was inducted into the Columbus High School Hall of Fame for his 50-year coaching career. Dick coached wrestling, basketball, track and football.

1971

Russell “Herb” and Judy (Ripp) Dixon MSE ‘98 of Pleasanton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Craig Lathrop MSE ‘77 of Kearney was inducted into the Kearney High Bearcat Hall of Fame as an assistant track coach.

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.

1973

Steve Larson of Funk was inducted into the Kearney High School Bearcat Hall of Fame as an assistant track coach.

Jean (Thomsen) Sidwell of Kearney retired as the Buffalo County treasurer with 40 years of service.

Roger Mathiesen MSE ‘77 of Kearney was inducted into the Kearney High School Bearcat Hall of Fame as a track coach.

1974

Alan Farlin MAE ‘93 of Minden is the volunteer coordinator at Pioneer Village. Alan has taught computers and math as a missionary for almost 40 years.

James and Mary Paulsen of Funk celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug.26.

1976

Terry Olson of Lincoln is a physical therapist with Prairie Orthopedic & Plastic Surgery.

1977

Bruce Elder of Kearney celebrated 40 years of service to UNK.

Shannon (Welch) Vesely of Bloomfield, Iowa, published a book of poetry, "The Way of Things," which won the Nebraska Book Award for Poetry by the Nebraska Center for the Book.

1978

Kimberly (Ashburn) Jacobson of Lincoln is a suicide prevention specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education.

Diane (Stork) Feldman of Litchfield received the August Gold U Award in recognition of her dedication to the UNMC College of Nursing — Kearney Division. Diane has been the learning resource center coordinator for the past 26 years. In addition, she received the KUDOS Award from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

1979

Meg (Gross) Minton of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, received the 2022 Nancy Mickler Award presented at the Western

& Southern Open at the Cincinnati professional tennis tournament in August. The award is presented to a USPTA women’s tennis professional who has gone above and beyond promoting tennis in the Midwest. She is a 2010 UNK Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.

1980

Becky Reier of Kearney retired from Kearney Public Schools with 28 years of service.

Terry Wohlers of Fort Collins, Colorado, is the head of advisory services and marketing intelligence with ASTM Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence and is the president of Wohlers Associates.

1981

Tyler Martin, M.D., of Roca is the CEO of Aeolian Biotech, which is developing an improved pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (iPCV) to prevent invasive diseases (bacteremic pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis).

Michelle (Holscher) Carlson MAE ‘03 of Lincoln is a business development manager for Purdue University Global and recently received the R.O.S.E. (Recognizing Outstanding Service Excellence) Award.

1982

Marianne Pierce of Holdrege is a preschool assistant teacher at Legacy Christian School in Holdrege.

Dan Scamehorn of Kearney retired from the Buffalo County Sheriff’s office. Dan served 22 years in the military reserves and 35 years in law enforcement.

Calvin Streeter of Pflugerville, Texas, retired with 33 years of service as a professor of social work at the University of Texas at Austin.

1983

Timothy Obermier, Ph.D., of Kearney celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. He is an industrial technology professor.

Randy Sump of LaVista received the Midlands Community Foundation’s 2023 Reflection Award. He was instrumental in restructuring the MCF to enable local communities in Sarpy and Cass counties

to establish their own community foundations as affiliated funds, and to enable many nonprofit organizations and individuals to establish designated, donor advised and endowed funds under MCF’s 501(c)(3).

1984

Mark Suhr of Seward is an independent agent with Delta Dental Insurance.

1985

Rob Ryan of Loveland, Colorado, is a regional manager with Allergan Facial Aesthetics.

1986

Renee (Gustafson) Besse MAE ‘94 of Kearney is the financial aid director at UNK. Larry Keiter of Lincoln is the owner of LarryKeiterCoaching.com.

Troy Stonacek of Lincoln was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame.

1987

Tim Echternach MAE of Columbia, Missouri, has taught for 35 years and is currently teaching at Central Methodist University, Moberly Area Community College and MACC Adult Education and Literacy.

Darrell Morris MAE of Kearney retired from Cargill Commodity Marketing Division and was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame.

Theresa (Salyard) Wadkins of Lexington was honored with the Pratt-Heins Award for Teaching. She leads UNK’s long-term care management master’s degree program and is the interim chair of the criminal justice department.

1988

Kristine (Tynan) Gerber of Omaha is a 2022 50 over 50 Nebraska Award recipient.

1989

Lori Baker, Ph.D., of Marshall, Minnesota, has been named interim dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Sheri (Lyon) Jones of Chandler, Arizona, is the executive director of military certification and compliance at Grand Canyon Education.

Scott Weitzel of Broomfield, Colorado, is a shareholder and patent attorney with Sheridan Ross P.C.

1990

Wendy (Going) McCarty MAE of Grand Island celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. Wendy is a professor in teacher education.

Jeanne (Ott) Schroeder of Malcolm is an executive administrative assistant at TeamMates Mentoring Program.

1991

Brooke Envick, Ph.D., MBA ‘93 of Holdrege is an academic diversity officer for the Division of Academic Affairs at UNK. Brooke is professor of management for the College of Business and Technology. Brian Reetz of Lincoln is the communications coordinator and executive specialist at UNL in the office of the vice chancellor for business and finance.

Scott Renken ‘93 of Kearney is the environment, health and safety manager at West Pharmaceuticals.

1992

responsibilities. She is the general manager of BD Construction Inc. in Kearney.

Marsha (Bonne) McCulloch of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a content development coordinator for The Institute for Functional Medicine.

Ann Marie (Harr) Park of Kearney is adjunct professor in intercultural development at UNK.

1993

Holly (Bonnesen) Derr MAE ‘08 of Harvard is a Title I reading teacher at Harvard Public Schools.

1994

Patrick Fielder of Lincoln is an organizational specialist for the Nebraska State Education Association. Patrick worked for Lincoln Public Schools as a teacher for 20 years. He and his wife, Christina (Mash) Fielder ‘94, have three children.

Jennifer (Olson) Marsh MAE ‘04 of Kearney is a first and second grade teacher at Legacy Christian School in Holdrege.

Alison Peck, Ph.D., of Alexandria, Virginia, is a program director at the National Science Foundation. She works with astronomical observatories and telescopes and organizes workshops in equity, diversity and inclusion at national conferences.

Amy (Kropatsch) Theis of Osceola is a mental health therapist at Columbus Middle School.

1995

Jeff Cogswell of Omaha is a senior solutions consultant at Helix by Q2 Software Inc.

Mike Covalt of Seward is vice president, insurance and financial services, at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

1996

Linette (Grahleer) Butler of Kearney received the 2022 Community Supporter Award from the Associated General Contractors-Nebraska Building Chapter for utilizing her construction skills and leadership talents to support, promote or move the industry forward outside of her work

Roger Thomsen MAE ‘02, Ed.S. ‘11 of Amherst received the 2022 Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals Distinguished Service Award. He is the junior/senior high school principal at Amherst Public Schools.

Linette (Grahleer) Butler

1997

Sergey Alekseychick of Naples, Florida, is the vice president of revenue analytics at PODS.

Michael Derr MAE of Harvard is the superintendent at Harvard Public Schools.

Tracy Lungrin MSE ‘01 of Lincoln married Jim Townsend Dec. 23 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Miechelle (McCarty) McKelvey, Ph.D., MSE of Kearney was recognized with the PrattHeins award for service at UNK. Miechelle is the chairperson and a professor in communication disorders.

1998

Hope (Wagner) Shuler of Aurora, Colorado, is the media and communications manager for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

1999

Martonia Gaskill, Ph.D., MSE of Kearney is an academic diversity officer for UNK’s Division of Academic Affairs. She is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and the Graduate Program chair. She also serves as the digital pedagogy expert for UNK Online and celebrated 10 years of service with UNK.

Massih Hamidi of Irvine, California, is the general manager, lead architect — security architecture with AT&T Cybersecurity. Paul Rosenthal of Johnstown, Colorado, is an outside sales representative for Rexel USA.

Cathy (Luebbe) Sanchez MAE ‘04 of Kearney was inducted into the Columbus High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a three-sport letter winner.

Todd Wiltgen of Lincoln was appointed Lancaster County election commissioner.

2000

Dhiraj Mainali of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is an associate director with S&P Global. Alex Straatmann of Kearney is the chief compliance officer at UNK.

2001

Shelley (Cross) Haberlan MSE ‘05 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, is a sales engineer with 2W Technologies, Inc.

Teresa (Warren) Vang-Freeling of Gering celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. She is a professor in social work.

2002

Ryan Caldwell of Lincoln is the international treasurer of the Arch Chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.

Travis Cobb of Omaha is the director of operations for Express Employment Operations. Dusty (Walston) Hatt of Lincoln is director of Pilates at Genesis Health Clubs and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at UNK.

Jenny (Chapman) Knipping MAE of Kearney was honored for promoting inclusion at Northeast Elementary School by the Down Syndrome Advocates in Action during Inclusive Schools Week in December.

Liz (Doll) Warman of Andover, Kansas, is a quality improvement advisor with Kansas Healthcare Collaborative and a physician assistant at Rausch Medical Clinics.

2004

Kent Garman of Papillion is a revenue manager with Hill Brothers Inc.

Lynn (Rauner) Martin of Kearney, the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners administrator, received special recognition from the Nebraska International Governmental Risk Management Association, the county’s property, liability and workers’ compensation coverage and risk management services provider.

Brock McGee of Lincoln is a regional sales manager at Venus Group.

Julie (Bray) Obermeyer of Lincoln is the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources career development and corporate relations director. She has been reappointed to serve a one-year term on the board of directors for the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association.

Heather (Hansen) True of Minden teaches fourth grade at Minden Public Schools.

2005

Clay and Erin (Jones) Mankin ’06 of Central City are parents of a son, Remington Max, born Aug. 19. He has three sisters and two brothers.

2006

Krystle (Faust) Buntemeyer of Kearney is chief executive officer at SCORR Marketing. Jodi Garrelts of Lincoln is an attorney with Immigrant Legal Center.

Shauna (Birchard) Graham MBA ‘08 of Central City was inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame.

Christy (Hagler) Rose of San Antonio, Texas, is the associate vice president of customer marketing at Definitive Healthcare.

2003

Christina and Heath Stukenholtz of Lincoln are parents of a son, Romeo Jo, born Sept. 8. He has a sister, Frankie. Heath and Christina are the founders of Senior Care Finder.

Nancy Ibarra of Omaha is an area manager II at Amazon.

Kellen and Emily (Murdoch) Jacobs of Norton, Kansas, started a nonprofit foundation called Leap of FaithE Foundation to support all involved in the U.S. infant open adoption process. Kellen also manages the rehabilitation department at Norton County Hospital.

Jenny (Champman) Knipping MAE, far right, is with fellow teacher Kitt Wells and student Jordyn.

FOREVER A LOPER

Nate Wiegand of Omaha is the director of corporate accounting at Scoular.

2007

Wes Bernt of Norfolk is the Creighton University men’s golf coach in Omaha.

Marty Demoret of Ankeny, Iowa, is a partner with Faegre Drinker in Des Moines.

Jael Johnson of Kearney is the assistant director for campus community at UNK.

Paul Schleifer of Celina, Texas, is the chief financial officer at PSN Affiliates — Legent Health.

Jenn (Jameson) True MA ‘12 of Kearney is the 2022 Outstanding New Principal of the Year. She is the principal at Emerson Elementary in Kearney.

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

Thomas Carlson and Ashley Hogan of Longmont, Colorado, are parents of a son, Andrew Jay, born July 19.

Heather (Fellows) Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, is a key account manager at Littelfuse.

Zach Liibbe of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a software engineer with Turing School of Software & Design.

Luke Luxford of Lincoln is an office furniture specialist with Eakes Office Solutions.

Jake Mandelko of Lexington is the UNK football special teams coordinator and defensive line coach.

Keenan McCurdy of Lincoln will be inducted into the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Class of 2023 as a competitor. Keenan wrestled for Lincoln East High School and UNK.

Kellen Skarka of Lincoln is the airport services manager for the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics. He is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

2010

Rustin Dring of Waltham, Massachusetts, is the president of Americas at Markforged.

Michelle (Leigh) Fritz MA ‘15 of Alma is the principal and music teacher at Legacy Christian School in Holdrege.

Brad Green MS ‘15 of Kearney is the financial aid associate director at UNK.

Dru Kastler of Omaha is a catheter lab recruiter for Fusion Medical Staffing.

Nelson Micek of Lincoln is a business development manager with Spreetail.

Katie Schwartz of Albion is a nurse at Boone County Health Center.

Tricia (Schumm)Shimp of Burwell is the credentialing manager with Aureus Medical Group.

Jake and Natalie (Regenos) Spitzlberger ‘12 of San Diego, California, are parents of a daughter, Kobi Mae, born Aug. 2. She has a brother, Jax, and a sister, Ella.

2012

Tom Knott MS ‘15 of Kearney is an academic outreach specialist for UNK health sciences.

Vanessa (Leeper) Jones of Calhan, Colorado, is a global senior downstream marketing manager in the lead management segment of the image-guided therapy division for Philips.

Shelby and Scott Vincent of Omaha are parents of a son, Boden Wayne, born Jan. 9. He has a big brother, Nash.

2008

Jayme (Jacobsen) Davis MS ‘12 of Summerset, South Dakota, is a national practice provider team lead with Talkspace.

Gina (Ciuffetelli) Maitland MSE ’08, MA ‘12 of Winter Springs, Florida, is the director of e-learning at Gabbart Communications.

Amber McCrory-Martinez of Tonopah, Arizona, is a co-owner, chief operations officer, and consulting director with Periscope Pediatrics.

Adam Neemeyer of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a district supervisor with Casey’s.

Jessica Radford, Ed.D., ME of Bayard is a school psychologist and special education administrator at Bayard Public Schools.

2009

Jade Meads Brown MAE ‘11 of Kearney is the gym manager at Kearney Cross Fit.

Jessica (Kuhl) Kollars of Kearney is a client services assistant with Barney Financial Services.

Craig Lorenz of Axtell is the principal at Axtell Community Schools.

Michael and Rachael (Cochran) Page MA ‘12, MSE ‘19 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Brighton Louise, born Nov. 15. She has a brother, Owen.

Emily (Pernicek) Ripp of Ravenna is the director of resident care at Seneca Sunrise Assisted and Independent Living in Ravenna. She also received her EMT licensure in 2022 and is a volunteer with the Ravenna Fire Department squad.

Jeff Schwartz MAE ‘17 of Albion is the principal at Boone Central High School.

2011

Dusty and Shay (Frost) Birge ‘13 of Kearney are parents of a son, Maverick Layne, born July 21. He has a sister, Maven.

Nathan and Kayla Buell of Doniphan are parents of a son, Daxton Hayes, born Dec. 29.

2013

Aleria Alexander MAE ‘17 and Cal Nichols were married Nov. 6, 2021. They live in Shenandoah, Iowa.

Taylor Anderson of Midland, Texas, married Kyle Wiedenfeld June 10 and is the community relations coordinator at Midland Health.

Ariel (Krolikowski) Beckstrom ‘14 of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a designer with RTA Architects.

Chris Everson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a category manager at Circle K.

Elisia Falcon of Mishawaka, Indiana, is the associate director of ticketing for men’s basketball at the University of Notre Dame.

Catalina Jaimes of Bogota, Columbia, is a program manager II at Twitter.

Kris Koelzer of O’Neill is the community president at BankFirst.

Jenn (Jameson) True MA ‘12

Maricela Novoa of Lexington is the central region early learning connection bilingual specialist at ESU 10.

2014

Michael Christen of Kearney was named the Kearney Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year.

Corey Cruzan of Kearney is a senior project manager with IHC Scott.

Cory Foote of Omaha is a talent acquisition partner at Buildertrend.

Stephen and Alexis (Hinrichsen) Friesell ‘12 of Kearney are parents of a daughter, Ada Joy, born Aug. 4. She has a brother, William, and sisters Rowan and Nelle.

Kelly Gentrup of Lincoln is the director of development services at Southeast Nebraska Development District.

Ben and KateLyn (Crowell) Gillming of Minden are parents of a son, Conrad Donald, born July 13. He has a brother, Easton, and a sister, Savannah.

Karlee Nuttelman of Bloomington, Indiana, is the assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at UNK.

Nicholas Ridgeway of Kearney is an associate attorney with Jacobsen, Orr, Lindstrom & Holbrook.

Shelby (Zimmerman) Watson of Adams is the executive director for the Beatrice Community Hospital Foundation.

2015

Haley Allen and Joseph Mendick of Omaha are parents of a son, Lennox Arthur, born Oct. 23. She was honored with the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association 2022 Jack

R. Snider Outstanding Young Band Director Award. Haley teaches instructional music at Andersen Middle School, Black Elk and Upchurch elementary schools.

Brian Amavi of Peyton, Colorado, is an applications system administrator at Denver International Airport.

Stephanie Brand MAE ‘18 of Kearney is a recruiting coordinator at The Buckle Inc. Chris Dier of Lincoln is a sourcing agent for facilities and maintenance projects for the University of Nebraska.

Dayna Larreau of Lincoln is a data analyst — marketing with CompanyCam.

Sarah Pettay of Arvada, Colorado, is a therapist with SonderMind.

2016

Boone Anderson, now deceased, Tylor Vose ‘15, and Lonnie Lindner of Kearney opened Birdies & Brews, a golf simulator bar in Kearney.

Sara Fecht of Axtell is a senior recruiter at Kearney Regional Medical Center. Meghan (Gifford) Gray of Holdrege teaches seventh grade English at Minden Public Schools. Andy and Molly (Sheehan) Hanson ‘18 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are parents of a son, Jack Edward, born Nov. 30.

Alyssa Sobotka of Worthington, Minnesota, married Brett Schmidt July 30.

2017

Joshua and Justine (Sebade) Lallman, D.P.T. ’16 of Omaha are parents of a son, Landry Dean, born July 17.

Shane Stock MAE ‘20 of Kearney is the head strength and conditioning coach for UNK Athletics.

2018

Kyle Herren II of Lawson, Missouri, is a quality supervisor with CNH Industrial. Kendra Peters of Fort Collins, Colorado, is a recruiter and account manager with Save The Water.

Clark Pohlmeier of Omaha is the lead health informatics solution coordinator at Telligen.

Tiffany Weekley of Portland, Oregon, is a clinical research assistant with Oregon Health & Science University.

2019

Carine Avande of McLean, Virginia, is a tax intern at Withum.

Justine Bauer of Elm Creek graduated from Creighton University with a doctorate in occupational therapy and is an occupational therapist at Lexington Regional Heath Center. Erin Burns MS of Orlando, Florida, is a laboratory manager with the University of Central Florida.

Savannah Lyon MBA of Kearney is the executive director at United Way.

Alex McGinnis of Crete is an account manager at Stryker Medical.

Jack McLeay of Greenwood Village, Colorado, is a pharmaceutical sales representative at Eli Lilly and Company.

Mackenzie Puckett MBA ‘21 of Lincoln is an assistant director of development for the UNL College of Business at the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Robert Ritson Jr. MS of Laramie, Wyoming, is an associate research scientist at the University of Wyoming.

2020

Savannah Brandt of Eustis teaches high school math at Minden Public Schools.

2021

Clarissa Fitzgerald of Kearney graduated with the 66th Basic Recruit Class of the Nebraska State Patrol and will be based in Omaha.

Jessica (Huhman) Gebel of Hebron teaches kindergarten at Axtell Community Schools.

Keegan Lindner of Pleasanton teaches third grade at Axtell Community Schools.

Lauren May of Kearney is an account and marketing manager for Graczyk Lawn & Landscape.

Rebecca (Stewart) McDowell of Minden teaches fifth grade at Minden Public Schools.

Rebecca Pair MS of Lincoln is a science and quiz bowl teacher at Norris High School.

2022

Broc Anderson MA of Kearney is the community engagement director for Buffalo County Historical Society at the Trails & Rails Museum. He was the 2020-21 recipient of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society’s Mari Sandoz Research Award and was named Graduate Student of the Year by the UNK Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Outreach.

Chelsey Garringer of Topeka, Kansas, is a sales representative at Laird Plastics in Kansas City.

Colton Morrow-Merrill of Kearney is a strength and conditioning coach at Kratos Performance and Fitness in Lincoln.

Jacque Platt of Omaha is a community response assistant at Buffalo County Community Partners.

FOREVER A LOPER

Nancy Raymundo Chacon of Lexington is a social worker at Kearney Regional Medical Center.

Rezarta Selmani MBA of Kearney is a recruiting and communications coordinator at UNL.

Braden Wilkes of Mason City is the executive director of the Kearney Area Animal Shelter.

Lopers in Memoriam

1936

Ella (Sterner) Anderson

Mira Loma, California

Ruby (Schauda) Thornton

El Sobrante, California

1940

Ervin Monnington

Springdale, Arizona

1942

Georgia (Sterner) Barton

Sacramento, California

1943

Helen (Disbrow) Bothwell

Bella Vista, Arkansas

1944

Josephine (Smith) Behrends

St. Louis, Missouri

Myrtle (Ring) Parsons

Portland, Oregon

Wanda (Mansfield) Stear

Camano Island, Washington

1945

Doris (Anderson) Ough

Elkhorn

1946

Eloise (Spoeneman) Edson

Boise, Idaho

Francis Ferry

Meadow Vista, California

1947

Helen "Vi" (Mortensen) Wagner

Mount Vernon, Washington

1948

Rex Cline

Spring, Texas

1949

Arlo Gard

Riverside, California

Martin Pierson

Kearney

Gwen (Swanson) Sandsted

Freeville, New York

1950

Dorothy (Smalley) McBride

Lincoln

1952

Roger Friday

Denver, Colorado

Wilma (Sheldon) Friday

Wahoo

Jane (Waldo) Reck

Bellevue

Marcia (Zorn) Welch

Kearney

1954

Ina Frischholz

Columbus

John "Jack" Rall

Columbus

1955

Ellen (Foth) Weeks

Omaha

1956

Harold Bennett MSE ‘65 McCook

Edwin Staab MSE ‘65

Clarksville, Tennessee

1957

Bessie (Baker) Frith ‘60

Grand Island

Leonard McCarville MSE ‘72

Kearney

1959

Verl Nelson

Beatrice

Larry Pfeiffer

Burwell

1960

Vance Bricker

Lexington

Donna DeFreece

Tecumseh

Leonard Nickerson

Lincoln

Lewis "Lew" Shoff

Kearney

1961

Donna (Frederick) Bay

Stapleton

Larry Forsberg

Lincoln

Jerry Hepp

Lincoln

1962

LaMar Lind

Omaha

Lyle Marcy

Greeley, Colorado

Sue Anne (Reagan) Roberts

Franklin

1963

Alvin "Al" Christensen

Lincoln

David Gallion

Grand Island

Mary Ann (Stumpff) Jess

Kearney

Gary Nickels

Grand Island

Eugene Schwenke, M.D.

Cornelius, North Carolina

1964

Connie (Collison) Wisch

Lincoln

1965

Gloria "Jean" (Ryan) Hutton

Holdrege

1966

Judith (Witt) Clinch

Lincoln

Ploma (Weinman) Geiser

Kearney

Gary Gibson

Aurora, Colorado

James Lindau

Axtell

Glenn Sawyer

Mason City

1967

Patricia "Pat" (Teahon) Bartley

Ravenna

Ken Carmann

Centennial, Colorado

Vicki (Livingston) Richman

MAE ‘97

Kearney

1968

Bill Beck MAE

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Marvilyn (Sukraw) Jones

Fortville, Indiana

Shirley (Day) McCullough

Kearney

Ruben Ruybalid MSE

Central City

James Tschepl

Hendersonville, North Carolina

Pamela (Sixel) Sweley

Tilden

1969

Heidi (Molsbee) Englade

Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Cheryl (Myers) Langrehr

St. Libory

Jan Parker

Kearney

1970

Lyla (Franklin) David Hecox MSE

Kearney

Berniece (Hartman) Loskill

Black Hawk, South Dakota

Daniel Rossbach MSE ‘73

Johnstown, Colorado

1971

Rick Broberg

Leawood, Kansas

Thomas Delaney

Fullerton

Walter Huebner MSE

North Loup

Jean (Darby) Large

Woodstock, Georgia

Marie (Puncochar) Vollbracht

St. Paul

1972

Greg Cheng

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brian Rahe

DeWitt

1973

Daryl Dobry

Plattsmouth

Anne (Slattery) Nielsen

Manhattan, Kansas

1974

Kathy Knight

Denver, Colorado

1975

Tom Hitchcock

Huron, South Dakota

1976

Bill Gullickson

Lincoln

J. Dolores (Carag) Rodgers MAE

Grand Island

Sam Erion

Sturgis, South Dakota

1977

Ray Cassel

Tucson, Arizona

Lee Gudmundson MAE

Kearney

Brian Horst MAE

North Platte

Kenneth Hutton

Omaha

Philip Troester

Hampton

Douglas Zanders

Glenwood, Iowa

1978

Kent King

Kearney

1980

Jimmy Evans MAE

St. Paul

Chris McCauley

Kearney

1982

Clarence Brunkhorst MAE

Kearney

Luann (Ulmer) Kizer

Kansas City, Kansas

Charles Reed

St. Paul, Minnesota

1983

Elinor "EJ" (Smith) Dean

Broken Bow

Janice "Jan" (Johnson)

Thompson MAE Falls City

1985

Jay Butterfield

Garland

Amber Coulter

Omaha

Dorothy (Cerv) Ditter MAE

Columbus

Marty Garringer

Kearney

John "Mike" Keehn

Kearney

1986

Ann (Tyson) Huebner MSE Fort Collins, Colorado

Jean (Mueller) Lewis

Dayton, Nevada

Nadine Long Omaha

Maurice "Dave" Moffett MBA ‘89

Magnum, Oklahoma

Franklin Rempp Ed.S. Spencer

Ardith (Reed) Warner MAE

Omaha

1987

Kelly (Kness) Heser Milford

Denise (Deaver) Lucht

St. Paul

Tracy (Schade) Stinson West Des Moines, Iowa

1989

Linda Parsons MAE

La Vista

Roger Welsch, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

Dannebrog

1990

Danny Barkley Gilbert, Arizona

Dick Clark Kearney

1991

Christine (Hartley) Kemp MSE '92

Kenesaw

1992

Constance Guminski

Aurora, Colorado

Alan Schoenhofer

Columbus

1993

Frances (Stearns) Argo

Plattsmouth

Brett Bridge

Kearney

Marilyn Russo

Beatrice

1994

Jennifer Baker

Omaha

Eddie Greeno

Kearney

1996

Scott Mahaffy

Fort Collins, Colorado

2000

Patricia (Silos) Thompson

North Platte

2002

Ron Hill

Kearney

2003

Kory Kitt MAE

Sargent

2004

Erika Cox

Mullen

Pamela (Hilton) Snow MA

Ashland

2006

Alan Ehlers Ed.S.

Madison

Stacie (Lakey) Evans MS ‘13

Papillion

Jason Trummer MA ‘16

Elkhorn

2012

Tyler Bain

Omaha

Seth Johnson

Gothenburg

2022

Colton Hill

Kearney

Loper Faculty and Sta Notes

Mary Beth Ailes, Ph.D, celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is a professor of history.

David Arredondo celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. He is a staff member for the library.

Will Aviles, Ph.D., celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. He is a professor of political science.

Nate Baker is the UNK football offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

Doug Biggs, Ph.D., is the interim assistant vice chancellor for international affairs at UNK.

Joan Blaukamp, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is a professor in political science.

Franziska Brech celebrated 20 years of service to UNK as a lecturer in music, theater and dance.

Deborah Bridges, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is a professor in marketing, agribusiness and supply chain management.

Kristy Buchmeier celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. She is an office associate in the education certification office.

Nathan Buckner, D.M.A., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. He is a professor in music, theatre and dance.

Ngan Chau, Ph.D., celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. She is a professor of marketing, agribusiness and supply chain management.

Scott Darveau, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. Scott is the director of research services in sponsored programs and research development and a professor of chemistry.

Jeremy Dillon, Ph.D., celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. He is a professor of geography.

FOREVER A LOPER

Diane Duffin, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service at UNK. She is an associate professor of political science.

Janet Eckerson, Ed.D., is an academic diversity officer for the division of academic affairs and is a modern languages professor.

Colby Ellis is UNK football’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

Gene Fendt, Ph.D., celebrated 35 years of service to UNK as a professor in philosophy.

Krista Forrest, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is the chair of the psychology department and a professor.

Moses Harper is the passing game coordinator for UNK football.

Mark Hartman celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. He is an associate professor in art and design.

Ryan Held is the head football coach for UNK.

Dianne Holcomb celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. She is an assistant director of sponsored programs.

Susan Honeyman, Ph.D., celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. She is an English professor.

Katherine Kime, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is a mathematics and statistics professor.

Fred Koontz, professor of speech and theater from 1966-1993, died Nov. 14. In addition to casting and directing scores of theater productions over the years, he was instrumental in design of the theater and fly space in the Fine Arts Building.

Frank Kovacs, Ph.D., celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. He is a professor in chemistry.

Eric Lee is a graduate assistant and coach for the Loper football secondary.

Carol Lilly, Ph.D., celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. She is a history professor.

Kristen Majocha, Ph.D., senior vice chancellor for academicaffairs, has been named as one of the 30 exceptional higher education leaders to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities 2022 Academy for New Provosts.

James May, professor emeritus, died Oct. 13. He taught art at UNK for 38 years.

Toné Mendoza died July 28. She was a lecturer and the diversity librarian at Calvin T. Ryan Library from 2008 until her retirement in 2016.

Jan Moore, Ph.D., is an academic diversity officer for the division of academic affairs and a communication disorders professor.

Jesse Ornelas is the UNK football linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator.

Noel Palmer, Ph.D., was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is an associate professor of management at UNK.

Mahesh Pattabiraman, Ph.D., celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. He is a professor of chemistry.

Kim Panowicz celebrated 10 years of service to UNK. She is an office associate in the communication disorders department.

David Rozema, Ph.D., celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. He is a philosophy professor.

Tim Schaffner is the defensive coordinator for UNK football.

Steve Schulz retired as the head strength and conditioning coach at UNK.

Janet Steele, Ph.D., received the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award for her contributions in teaching, research and service.

Jeanne Stolzer, Ph.D., celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. She is a professor in counseling school psychology and family sciences.

Marguerite Tassi, Ph.D., celebrated 25 years of service to UNK. She is an English professor.

Paul Twigg, Ph.D., celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. He is the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as well as a professor of biology.

Kenny Van Horn celebrated 20 years of service to UNK. He is a custodian with facilities management and planning.

Andrew Whatley celebrated 10 years of service to UNK as a

custodian with facilities management and planning.

Barton Willis, Ph.D., celebrated 30 years of service to UNK. He is a professor in mathematics and statistics.

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