A magazine for alumni & friends of Southwest Minnesota State University
THE MUSTANG SPIRIT SHINES Spring 2020 Edition | Inside: SMSU and the COVID-19 Response
A magazine for alumni & friends of Southwest Minnesota State University
SPRING 2020 | VOL. 39, NO. 2
Class of 2020 Commencement Set for Sept. 26
Commencement exercises for the Class of 2020 at Southwest Minnesota State University will be held Saturday, Sept. 26 in the R/A Facility. Commencement for 565 students was originally to be held on Saturday, May 9, but was postponed due to COVID-19. In addition, students graduating in December may also take part in the September event. “We wanted to hold a Commencement to celebrate our Class of 2020 members, who were unable to participate in the May 9 event,” said SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya. “Commencement is the culmination of the educational journey for our students, and we look forward to our 2020 graduates walking across the stage, just as they had expected to earlier.” The time for the event will be released at a later date.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 3 4 5 6 7 8
Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya Reflects on the First Year Faculty Move Classes Online SMSU Nursing Students on the Front SMSU to Offer Online Degrees News From Around Campus Alumni Connections Class Notes
President Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya
Focus Editor and Designer Marcy D. Olson ’93/MBA ’05
Vice President for Advancement/ Executive Director of Foundation Bill Mulso ’93
Senior Writer and Photographer Jim Tate
Director of Alumni Relations Michael VanDrehle ’08/MBA ’10
Contributors Angela Prokosch ’18/MBA ’20
Send correspondence and story ideas to: SMSU Communications & Marketing, Attn: FOCUS 1501 State Street, Marshall, MN 56258 Contact the Focus Editor: Marcy.Olson@SMSU.edu or 507-537-7374 All cities and towns are located in Minnesota unless otherwise noted. Year(s) after names reference degrees awarded by SMSU. Year of undergraduate degree is listed first. Year of graduate degree is listed after MBA or MS.
Feature stories may be reprinted with the written permission of the editor: Marcy.Olson@SMSU.edu. Other articles may be reprinted without permission provided that credit is given to SMSU.
FOCUS (USPS 565-770) is published twice each year for alumni and friends of Southwest Minnesota State University by the Office of Communications & Marketing at SMSU. Opinions expressed in FOCUS do not necessarily reflect official University policy.
Southwest Minnesota State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action educator and employer. A member of the Minnesota State system. ADA Accessible.
To make name changes and address corrections, call (507) 537-6266 or email alumni@SMSU.edu.
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Visit us online www.SMSU.edu and SMSUAlumni.com Follow the latest SMSU news at www.SMSU.edu/today
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SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya: Reflecting on the first year President Kumara Jayasuriya celebrates his one-year anniversary at Southwest Minnesota State University on July 1. Many new, successful initiatives have been undertaken since his arrival, and despite the disruption of COVID-19 pandemic, he looks forward to continued progress on many fronts at SMSU. We sat down with President Jayasuriya for an insightful question and answer session. Q. Your first year as president has really had some unusual twists and turns, hasn’t it? A. It has, indeed, been an unusual year to start my presidency. However, I feel like this unprecedented situation made me a stronger leader. In addition, this pandemic has unequivocally shined a bright light on the resiliency, and adaptability, of the University. Q. Can you talk about the COVID-19 pandemic experience from your perspective? A. It came quickly. This is an unprecedented time. No one I know was trained to handle a situation like this. In a difficult situation like this, people put their differences aside and worked together for a common goal. That is what SMSU did. Think of it — we went to online course delivery in two weeks. That says so much about our Mustang Community and the commitment we have to our students. So far, we have done very well in managing this difficult situation. We still have a long way to go. However, since everyone is working together to overcome a common enemy (COVID-19), we will prevail. The health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff are our number one priority. As such, all our future plans, such as a business resumption plan, revolve around this goal. My concerns are about future enrollment, and our finances. Even though SMSU is doing well in terms of enrollment at the moment, there are many pundits who predict a 15-20 percent decrease in enrollment at most small universities such as SMSU. As far as finances are concerned, we have already spent thousands of dollars due to COVID-19 in terms of refunds, cancellation of events, etc. We received some relief funds from the federal government. Q. How would you say the University community has responded? A. First, let me say I am very thankful for the leadership and guidance provided by Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, the
Minnesota State trustees, and the Minnesota State system. SMSU, like other universities and colleges in Minnesota, had to immediately pivot to deliver all of our courses in an online format in roughly two weeks. That is a Herculean effort. If someone had asked me four months ago if we could convert all our courses into online delivery, I would have said, “Impossible.” Through creativity, innovation, and lot of hard work, our faculty and staff got it done. I am very grateful for their flexibility and dedication to SMSU. Also, our pandemic team was able to quickly come up with a plan for most people to work remotely. I am extremely proud of our Mustang Family. It’s true that all Mustangs run together. Q. SMSU has increased the number of degrees offered completely online to 11 — will this COVID-19 experience increase that number in the future? A. Yes. Every difficult situation presents opportunities. As we were converting all our spring classes to online format, many faculty had to learn how to teach in an online format, as well as new technologies. I am sure the situation we are in presents some opportunities to create more online and hybrid programs. I think we are at a good place now. I do want to make sure that these programs are at a certain level before we add more. We are increasingly moving in that direction, and I have no doubt these types of ideas will initiate organically. Q. What did you learn about the University during the COVID-19 experience? A. I learned that Mustangs are resilient, innovative, and collaborative. As you know, this is a farming community. Hard work is not a new concept for Mustangs. That is what this situation allows us to show to the world. Q. One of your priorities when you came to SMSU was enrollment. Are you happy with where the University sits heading into fall semester, given the fact that so many institutions are facing enrollment declines? A. I am very happy about the position we are in as far as the enrollment is concerned. SMSU is up in enrollment by 7.1 percent at the beginning of our summer session on May 26. In addition, our freshman cohort is about 10 percent up at this point for Fall semester 2020. This is a very uncertain time, so things can change quickly, but I am certain our freshman class will be bigger than last year.
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Q. Your President’s Regional Scholars program was innovative in its concept and was a good way to connect with regional high schools. Will that continue in the future? What are your impressions of the program and its results? A. What we did there was investing our resources in the region we serve. As a result, the scholarships are helping us grow our freshman class. We offered three full-ride scholarships, as well as others, based on academic criteria, in an effort to keep our best and brightest high school graduates close to home, attending SMSU. Everyone is very excited about that. We still have a long way to go and a lot to learn from this experiment. However, we will definitely try to continue the President’s Regional Scholars program in the future. Q. What have you learned about SMSU’s role in this part of the state? A. SMSU is the economic engine of southwest Minnesota, with an economic impact of $173 million. We are very connected with the people and businesses in Marshall, but we need to work harder to connect with areas around Marshall. This is one of the reasons we created the President’s Regional Scholars initiative, to try to include schools from other communities within the region. We need to do more in that area. I need to get out more and work with people in Southwest Minnesota. I am planning to increase my activities outside of Marshall after the COVID-19 situation is over. Q. What are some goals as you head into your second year? A. We will set new goals for the new academic year during this summer. We will have to work on reducing the achievement gaps of the underrepresented students, work towards financial sustainability, and increase student success. Future enrollment, budget and campus diversity remain the three major threats to SMSU. We will work on a plan to leverage our strategic position as a university in the Minnesota State system, as well as a vibrant institution in the southwest region of the state. Q. What are you proud of, looking back over your first year? A. I am very proud of the achievements of our team. First, changing enrollment patterns, especially in the midst of a pandemic, is unheard of. We also built 11 online programs, offered more scholarships than before, and created new programs — such as Mustang Pathways — to increase access for underrepresented students. My contribution to these initiatives is a very small part of the pie. It is a team effort. Many people worked tirelessly to achieve these. I am very grateful for everyone’s contributions. Q. What are the University’s plans for the fall as far as classes, etc.? A. The Minnesota State system office provided three scenarios for campuses to plan around. We decided to use the one that takes the middle-of-the-spectrum approach. There is a lot that we don’t know at this point. But one thing is certain: We are planning on opening the campus this fall. We are planning to have face-toface classes, hybrid classes, high-flex classes, and online classes. Whatever we do, we will follow Center for Disease Control guidelines as well as guidelines coming from the governor’s and system offices.
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Photos from top: President Jayasuriya leads a Town Hall discussion via Zoom to stay engaged with the campus community. Video messages from home become the new norm. Commencement greetings go virtual in full academic regalia. President Jayasuriya and his wife, Salmini, congratulate the Campus Compact Award recipients in a video message.
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Faculty Share Experiences With Move to Online Delivery The online teaching experiences that email me and tell me he was struggling with his Julie Walker and Glenn Bayerkohler mental health, that people were dying and he had when SMSU moved to online didn’t care about school at that time. I deal with course delivery due to the COVID-19 anxiety and depression myself. You have to be pandemic could not have been more open, and forgiving, and remember the students different. may be struggling too.” Walker, Assistant Professor of Appreciation of Walker’s approach is echoed Communications Studies, took by Ivanhoe, Minn., senior Lacey Barkey, a many online courses when she was Professional Writing and Communication major. getting her two master’s degrees She had taken several college courses online in from Minnesota State, Mankato high school, so it wasn’t a shock when SMSU (MA, communication studies; MFA, moved to entirely online. “I think a lot of the forensics and communication). She adjusting for me was twofold: adjusting to the took a course in online pedagogy, and course material and delivery and then adjusting “I had the good fortune to take online to the altered learning environment. There’s Above: Bayerkohler. Below: Walker courses at the same time I was doing a crucial learning dynamic that occurs in the some teaching work, so I was learning physical classroom that just doesn’t translate well how to teach while watching how when classes are moved online.” others taught online.” Barkey enjoys Walker’s personal approach. She has taught online courses for “For Media Writing, she had an option where Louisiana State-Shreveport. And, she’s we could choose what we learned about at the authored two chapters of textbooks end as it applied to our professional career. In a about online course delivery. time where I felt like nothing was in my control, On the other end of the spectrum, it was nice to be able to feel like I had a say in Bayerkohler, an accounting professor, something.” had no experience with online “I’m a Marshall City Council member, and teaching. “I’m a classroom teacher, so recently the city has had to use Zoom for our for me, it was more of a challenge,” council meetings,” said Bayerkohler. “I learned he said. “When we moved to online, a lot by doing this. It’s still my opinion that it was a shock. I write a lot on a classroom instruction is better than online whiteboard. I tell the students if it’s instruction, and I look forward to getting back to on the whiteboard, it’s important, and the classroom in the fall. I feel I’m a better person should be in their notes.” because of this experience; there were some benefits to come out of this.” He received help from COLT — the Center for Online Learning and His students agree. “Professor Bayerkohler’s classes were the best out Teaching — and “the staff was very helpful in teaching me, and finding of all my courses when we moved online,” said senior Accounting and a classroom to meet my needs.” He teaches from a room in Bellows Finance major Charlie Vang from Walnut Grove. “Overall, the professors Academic via Zoom meeting. “It’s the closest thing I can get to regular made it as flexible as possible, since none of us had ever experienced a classroom teaching, and the students appreciate that. By using Zoom, it’s drastic change like this before. I prefer in-person to online any day. I real-time and interactive, which is a big part of how I teach.” hope we are in the classroom this fall.” With her extensive online experience, Walker takes into consideration Nick Dufault, who earned his Accounting degree this year, said Zoom many things when she teaches, and feels the success of online learning is classes went well. “It wasn’t a big difference between (Bayerkohler’s) a combination of a professor’s and students’ online experiences. in-person classes and online ones. I preferred being in class because I “There’s things students are familiar with — a desk, writing in a felt I learned more and retained more in class. I really missed the human notebook, listening to a lecture, having other students keeping them on interaction with classmates and professors.” track. Now, some don’t have those things due to their circumstances. It’s impossible to look too far into the future as far as Fall semester Plus, there’s other considerations: If you write longhand versus writing 2020. The Minnesota State system has given all colleges and universities on a computer, you remember things differently. Students had to change a trio of scenarios to prepare for. According to President Kumara the way they were learning. Plus, we have students on our campus with Jayasuriya, SMSU is preparing for face-to-face courses, with online some underlying health issues — we are one of eight colleges in the delivery of others. That may change, of course, given the fluid situation country with a wheelchair basketball team.” that’s existed in higher education since mid-March, when spring break Each student learns differently, and when you change the way they are was extended two weeks to prepare for online-only courses. used to learning, compassion and understanding students’ circumstances SMSU has a reputation as a university where students are more than come into play, she feels. “The first thing you do is connect as humans. a number “The greatest thing about SMSU is arguably the personal Some may not have Internet, and some may be trying to take the relationships built across campus. I miss seeing my friends every day, courses strictly on their phone. In my Media Writing class, for instance, and being able to discuss coursework and study with my classmates. I formatting documents is important, and I had to be respectful of the fact hope we are back on campus in the fall. I miss my Mustang Family,” said not everyone had the same access, or devices.” Amanda Harris, a senior Accounting major from Chanhassen, Minn. Walker made a point of reaching out to her students, asking how they Every faculty member at SMSU has quickly learned about online were doing. Their responses, at times, told of unusual circumstances, course delivery. And while each brings to online teaching their own reinforcing her personal approach to online teaching. “It’s about the personal experiences, one thing remains constant: their commitment to student, and understanding their unique, individual challenges,” she the success of the SMSU students, who have worked every bit as hard to said. With that in mind, she was understanding as it relates to submitting make online learning successful. coursework. “If you turn it in, I’ll grade it,” she said. “I had a student
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RN TO BSN NURSING STUDENTS
At the Front of the Pandemic
For students in the RN to BSN program at Southwest Minnesota State University, 2020 is a year they’ll remember the rest of their careers. The nursing program is in its sixth year, and includes 150 alumni, with 150 students currently enrolled. May 8 was to be the seniors’ pinning ceremony — a solemn, meaningful celebration — followed the next day by Commencement in the R/A Facility. The COVID-19 pandemic postponed both of those. SMSU, along with other institutions across the country, quickly switched to online course delivery. The adjustment was an easy one for the RN to BSN students, who take the majority of their courses online. Most nursing students in the program are also non-traditional, working nurses, with jobs and families and, this year, increasing pressures at work sites as they manage a fluid health care landscape due to the coronavirus. “We did a fantastic job of flattening the curve in this part of the state,” said Laurie Johansen, professor and department chair of the RN to BSN program. “The peak is happening in the Twin Cities. The number of ventilators available in that area is very slim. They will be sending (COVID-19) patients to facilities the size of (Avera) Marshall, an hour or so outside of the Twin Cities area.” Flattening the curve, Johansen said, may be easier in a rural setting like southwest Minnesota. “I think we have a natural ability to social distance easier. I can go for a four-mile walk and not see a person,” said Johansen, who lives in Tyler. The first the world heard of COVID-19 was in December, 2019, when it sprang from Wuhan, China. Its spread was meteoric, and changed the lives of all Americans within a five-month period. Nurses in the SMSU program were initially overwhelmed as they kept up with ever-changing health care directives, all the while staying on top of their online course work as part of their RN to BSN program. That initial all-hands-on-deck approach has changed, at least in the rural areas, said Johansen. “The change we are seeing now is that some of our (rural) alumni and current students are being furloughed, and in the nursing profession, that’s unusual,” she said. “Outpatient surgical units have been closed, clinics are basically just dealing with COVID-19, and people going into facilities has greatly decreased. Some aspects, now, are starting to open up, but it’s a slow change.” She points to the temporary closure of smaller Avera satellite clinics in Ivanhoe and Lake Benton as an example. “But in the metro area — and we have a fair amount of students there
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— it’s the opposite. They are getting plenty of hours, they have (most of the) COVID-19 patients. They don’t seem to be getting furloughed to the degree we are seeing in rural areas. Out here, it’s a different story.” Sara Swenhaugen is a nurse at Sanford Tracy Medical Center and a student in the RN to BSN program. A mother of four (ages 13, 10, 8, and 5), she was overwhelmed early on when her children were at home, distance learning. “I took nine credits, which I knew would be a lot of work. I had no idea I would be doing it in the middle of a global pandemic. “Nursing is a very unique field. Left: Swenhaugen. Right: Lopez. We are put into situations that would make most people run away at the very least, yet we are here to support every patient and family member that we encounter with care, empathy and encouragement. I am proud to be a nurse. I feel I have been called to be exactly where I am.” Melinda Lopez graduated from the program this year and is a charge nurse at Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center in Mankato. She is a precocious student, having graduated from the Minnesota West RN program on May 17, 2019, and, 16 days later, from Fairmont High School. She has taken a lot of credits, and successfully completed the program in a year. “Working in a rehabilitation enter, nurses in this situation have been fighting a different battle,” she said. “We are working on protecting our resident from the outside world and struggling to make sure everyone is feeling loved and cared for. We feel the fear of bringing something in and are working hard to keep the ‘outside’ away to ensure the safety of our residents. Quite honestly, the front line is really scary at times.” Rural medicine will likely change as a result of COVID-19, said Johansen. Some of that change is good, she said. Some, not so good. “I don’t know what the new norm is going to be,” she said. “When will people start going back to health care facilities like they were used to? I don’t know. People are becoming familiar with tele-health now, and it’s changing rural health care. It opens up access to care, which has always been an issue in a rural area, because people in metro areas have many more options. Many people in a rural setting don’t have those options and they may have challenges as far as transportation to those healthcare facilities. “I do know the nursing profession is resilient and flexible, and that nurses will be some of the change leaders in the future. Because of what we are going through now, there is going to be a new norm in all aspects of our lives, healthcare included.”
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ONLINE DEGREES
SMSU to launch 11 fully-online degrees
Southwest Minnesota State University will offer 11 degrees totally online starting in the fall semester 2020. President Kumara Jayasuriya told the SMSU community at an August, 2019 All-University Address that it was a goal to have five online degree programs by fall semester 2020. “I asked for five, and now that number is at 11,” he said. To ensure the full programs can be offered online (0-120 credits), SMSU will offer online options to meet the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum — general education goal areas — for the following 11 undergraduate programs starting in the fall semester 2020: • Sociology • Community Psychology and Health Promotion • Early Childhood Education (MN Licensure Preparation) • Early Childhood, Special Education (MN Licensure Preparation) • Elementary Education (MN Licensure Preparation) • History • Special Education (MN Licensure Preparation) • Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL Licensure Preparation) • Management: Emphasis areas — General Management; Supply Chain Management; Human Resources; Entrepreneurship • Marketing • RN to BSN (Nursing) President Jayasuriya said that in 2019, there were 6.6 million adult college students, or non-traditional learners. Nearly 38 percent of the current undergraduate population is comprised of adult learners, and of those, 58 percent are working, and 25 percent are raising children.
“Many adult learners attend college to either advance in their workplace or to expand their career options. Most of the non-traditional students are unable to attend traditional universities due to the time commitment or distance,” said President Jayasuriya. “With these programs, it will be possible for students who are working full-time to earn a bachelor’s degree without leaving their job.” To learn more about online options, visit: www.SMSU.edu/online; or email OnlineLearning@smsu.edu.
The SMSU Planetarium is Going to Mars with NASA The SMSU Planetarium is going to Mars. The Planetarium — well, the name, anyway — will land on the planet Mars sometime around February 18, 2021. The NASA spacecraft “Mars 2020” will lift off about July 17, 2020. It will include a lander rover, “Perseverance,” that will scout a 30-mile wide ancient dried up lake, called Jezero. Specifically, it will study deposits from a dried up river delta leading into the lake. SMSU Planetarium Director Ken Murphy said he registered with NASA and was approved to have the Planetarium’s name included in the mission. “They etch the name (of the Planetarium) onto a computer chip, and that chip will be on the rover that will be on the surface of Mars. I thought that would be an interesting way to connect SMSU to this exciting new mission to another planet,” he said. “The crater where it lands is an ancient lake. The water is gone, and it will set down right on a river delta that fed into the lake. Those are valuable places to study, because it can pick up samples from the vicinity and will do chemical analyses and get a sense of what’s all there. It has sensors on board that will collect data and relay back to Earth,” he said. The mission, according to the NASA website, will last for one Mars year, or 687 Earth days. The rover will “cache” its samples in the hopes
that a subsequent mission can retrieve and return them to Earth for more thorough testing in NASA laboratories. The mission also hopes to identify past environments capable of supporting microbial life and seek signs of past microbial life in special rocks known to preserve such signs. “I find it very uniting,” said Murphy. “With the challenges we are facing today, it will offer a new way to learn together and appreciate the engineering and science of this exciting new mission, as it is connected now with SMSU.” Murphy plans on doing Planetarium shows relating to the mission as the landing date nears.
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Pam Gladis ’95 Named 2020 Cowan Award Winner Pam Gladis, whose work as SMSU Librarian touches every facet of academic life at the University, was named the 2020 Cathy Cowan Award winner. The award is named for the late psychology professor Cathy Cowan, who died in an auto accident on Dec. 22, 2001. It is the most prestigious award at SMSU. The 1995 alumna is in her second stint at SMSU. She was the distance learning librarian from 1999-2001. She then served as the librarian for Marshall Public Schools and, later, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, before returning to SMSU as the web services/instruction librarian in 2012. She became SMSU Librarian — department chair — in 2015. She’s a true Mustang. “I love my job; I love this University,” said Gladis, who signed the institution’s 25th anniversary charter as a student, and its 50th anniversary charter as an employee. She took a first-year psychology class from Cowan as a freshman, and remembers her as a tough, fair instructor. “I got a B, and I wasn’t used to getting a B,” said Gladis, an Alvord, Iowa native. “I talked to her and told her I didn’t think I did very well. She disagreed, and encouraged me to take another psychology course.” Gladis is a first-to-arrive, last-to-leave employee who has systematically transformed the library space, and its operations, over the years. “So many materials are moving to an online format, and what the students are doing now is increasingly through computers and not so much (the library’s) physical resources. We’ve made changes to accommodate student use — more work group areas for collaboration, and we’ve reduced the size of our print collection to make more inviting areas for students to study. It’s about the space, and people feeling comfortable in the library environment. “The library is the academic heart of the University, at least I feel that way,” she said.
The criteria for consideration for the Cowan Award places an equal emphasis on both campus and community involvement. On campus, Gladis serves on many committees, including Liberal Education, Graduate Council, Strategic Planning and Institutional Assessment, among others. She has been the department chair of the McFarland Library since 2015, and is on the Mustang Booster Club Executive Committee. On a broader scale, she is involved with, and holds leadership positions in, statewide library groups, including the MnPALS consortium, its Governance Structure Task Force, and the Minitex Policy Advisory Committee. On a community level, she’s served three, three-year terms on the Marshall-Lyon County Library Board, and was president her final term. She’s served on the Plum Creek Regional Library System’s Governing Board, and is a member of the Lyon County Historical Society. She was a lead in moving the Technology Resource Center (TRC) into the library’s first floor, so that technology assistance is immediately available to students. As an added benefit, the TRC’s hours have expanded to match those of the library. “I’ll never regret inviting them in (to the library),” she said. “It’s a greater service to the students. They can get help when they have a technology issue. We can now refer students to people who are better equipped to answer those types of questions.” In addition, she coordinated the move of the Southwest History Center from the Social Science Building, the northernmost building on campus, to the fifth floor of the library, better coordinating that valuable regional asset to align better with library resources. Gladis also initiated, and serves as editor, for the new undergraduate research journal Discovery, which will give students academic publishing experience. The inaugural issue is set to be published online this summer. Away from the job, she’s an involved mother of two daughters: Brooklyn, a sophomore at Minnesota State, Mankato, and Bellamy, a junior track and cross country runner at Marshall High School. She is married to Jeff Gladis. To say she was surprised to receive the Cowan Award is an understatement. “I love my job, and I love this University,” she said. “I am shocked, and humbled. I knew who Cathy Cowan was, and understand her impact at SMSU. To receive this honor, in her name, means so much.”
Dr. Ross Wastvedt Named Provost at SMSU Dr. Ross Wastvedt has been named Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Southwest Minnesota State University. He will begin his duties on July 1. Wastvedt most recently served as Dean of Humanities and Education and Professor of English at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, since 2013. Prior to that, he was Professor of English at Westminster College, New Wilmington, Penn. He is a Hawley, Minn., native and graduated from Fargo North (N.D.) High School. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., with a B.A. in English. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in English from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “It’s evident to me that Southwest Minnesota State is a community
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that’s committed to supporting students and providing access and opportunity, and an excellent education, to students across the region, and beyond. That stood out to me,” he said about his interest in the position. During his seven years at Grand View, Wastvedt oversaw development of new academic programs and led key initiatives to strengthen student success, including co-chairing the Student Success Visioning Team and separate task forces to improve advising and to establish a consolidated learning center. He is a member of the Peer Review Corps for the Higher Learning Commission. “We’re excited to have someone with Dr. Wastvedt’s broad experience join our administrative team,” said SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya. “He has an appreciation for a liberal arts education, and has shown commitment to student success throughout his academic career.” He replaces Dr. Teri Wallace, who held the position on an interim basis during the 2019-2020 academic year. Wastvedt and his wife, Sonja, are the parents of three grown children: Trygve, Bjorn and Solvejg. Sonja is a Reading Specialist with ELL certification in the Des Moines Public Schools.
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Fadumo Ismail Named 2020 Outstanding Senior Fadumo Ismail, a first-generation college student from Marshall, has been named the Class of 2020 Outstanding Senior at Southwest Minnesota State University. The award is presented by the Alumni Association each year, based on nominations. “It’s an unusual year in that we weren’t be able to surprise our Outstanding Graduate at Commencement,” said Alumni Director Mike VanDrehle. “It’s a great tradition, and one we wanted to continue, despite the fact that we didn’t have a traditional Commencement on May 9.” SMSU will hold a Commencement for the Class of 2020 on September 26, 2020. Ismail graduated with a degree in Biology, and aspires to be a physician assistant. She became interested in medicine in 2007 when she lost her mother from health complications related to pulmonary tuberculosis. Ismail participated in the SMSU Honors Program. She was a Tolk Scholarship winner, and was very active both on campus, and off. She was a member of five different campus clubs, and over the years had leadership roles in four: Honors Club president; Muslim Student Association president, vice president and public relations officer; Biology
Club treasurer; Pre-Health Professionals Club treasurer; and the African Student/ Black Student Union member. As president of the Honors Club, she led the effort to have the club volunteer at least twice a semester at Esther’s Kitchen, a local food kitchen. She has been a Student Ambassador and orientation leader for the Office of Admission. She is fluent in both Somali and English, and serves the area by being an adult literacy tutor for Adult Basic Education. She has also been a nursing assistant in a longterm care nursing home. “When you put all of these pieces together in one person, you couldn’t ask for a better example of an outstanding student, and one that we all are very proud to call a Mustang,” wrote one of her nominators.
View the announcement video: www.SMSU.edu/today
Homecoming Weekend Oct.9-11, 2020
Each year the SMSU Alumni Association recognizes alumni and friends who have made significant contributions of time, talent or financial resources to help advance and bring positive recognition to Southwest Minnesota State University. This year’s award recipients have been selected and will be honored during Homecoming at the awards luncheon on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Pamela ’72 and Leland Bush ’73 – Russell, Minn. Jeff Mauland ’78 – Cottonwood, Minn. Tina Cartwright ’97 – Portland, Ore. GRADUATE OF THE LAST DECADE (GOLD) AWARD Peter Grahn ’11 – Rochester, Minn. To hear their Southwest stories and celebrate their accomplishments, join us for the 2020 Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 9 at noon in the Conference Center. Tickets will be available online later this summer. Reservations are required to attend. Seating will be limited to allow for social distancing. To read about past award winners or reserve tickets, visit www.SMSUAlumni.com/AlumniAwards.
Invite a student to visit and apply!
You had a great experience at SMSU. Do you have a high schooler at home or in your life who would thrive at SMSU? Maybe you know a college student at a bigger campus who just doesn’t feel like they fit. Everything you loved about SMSU continues to make it a great place to learn and grow. The small classes, hands-on learning, and opportunities for leadership in student clubs are what made your time so special, and makes our campus unique. Help us showcase the amazing opportunities at SMSU by inviting a prospective student to visit campus!
Referred students visiting campus receive:
www.SMSUAlumni.com/MustangReferral
• • • •
A personal tour of campus Application fee waived A chance to win a $250 scholarship A free SMSU T-shirt
FOCUS | 7
[ class notes ]
1974
Melissa (Chamberlain) Bromen retired from SMSU after working for 21 years with the Student Association and Athletics.
Bleyhl ’84
Sterner ’91
1976
Jo Ann Buysse retired following 43 years of teaching and coaching, the last 22 at the University of Minnesota.
1979
1987
Daniel Lemke covers agriculture events across Minnesota and the nation for the Linder Farm Network.
Craig Porter was featured in the March 2020 Issue of Swimming World for being awarded an Excellence Award sponsored by Hasty Awards, USA Swimming and Swimming World magazine.
1988
1983
John Sterner (MS ’02) was featured on Pioneer PBS’s Postcards program in May of 2020. He is an art teacher at Lakeview High School in Cottonwood and has served on the faculty at SMSU. He sculpted the “Our Horse” Mustang at the entrance to SMSU and uses his parents’ Lakota and German heritages as inspiration for this work.
Dr. Rassoul Dastmozd is the assistant to the chancellor, special projects, for the Minnesota State system. He assists the system to achieve the Minnesota State 2030 equity goals. Previously he served as president of St. Paul College from 2011-19.
1984
Julie Bleyhl has been named the Executive Director of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Council 5, having served as interim executive director since Sept. 25, 2019. AFSCME Council 5 is a union for 40,000 state, county, city, university, school, childcare and non-profit workers in Minnesota.
1985
Joseph Konkol is the vice president of finance for the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation in Custer, S.D.
8 | FOCUS
Keith Helgeson is an adjunct professor at SMSU. He also is the chief prosecuting attorney for Yellow Medicine County.
1991
1992
Tim Kerkaert has been named the 2020 Swine Manager of Year by the Minnesota Pork Board. The award distinguishes an employee (nonowner) who excels in the management and care of pigs. He works for Boerboom Ag Resources in Marshall.
1994
Carlton Lance is coowner of Hampton Ridge Financial, an equipment finance company in Marshall. A proud father, he watched his son, Trey, quarterback North Dakota State to the Football Championship
Lance ’94 Series (FCS) national championship this past January, the eighth title in nine years for the Bison.
1997
Shelley Lesch married Scott Barber (MS ‘98). Tina (Walliser) Cartwright was featured in MonitorDaily.com’s issue of “Women in EF” (Equipment Finance). She is a Senior Vice President of US Bank, Marshall, and is responsible for Equipment Finance Information Technology Strategies, Security and Project Management and Professional Development Programs. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of positions within the organization working for both the Equipment Finance lines of business, as well as the Technology and Operations teams. Michael Coyle is the Chief Executive Officer of ElyBloomenson Community Hospital in Ely, Minn.
1999
Steven Yakesh is president of Direct Hire and Executive Search for Versique, based in St. Louis Park, Minn.
2001
Jeremy Williams has been named the interim superintendent of Marshall Public Schools.
2002
Sarah Hoff, a teacher at Dodge City High School in Dodge City, Kan., was awarded a 2020 James Madison Fellowship
Cartwright ’97
Vereide ’02
by the James Madison Memorial Foundation of Alexandria, Va. The fellowship supports further study of American history by aspiring and experienced secondary school teachers. The fellowship will fund up to $24,000 of her coursework toward a master’s degree that includes study of the history and principles of the United States Constitution. Michael Vereide started working for Disney 10 years ago and joined Disney+ in June of 2019 as the production manager of the marketing and creative team, the team responsible for the launch campaign for Disney+.
2004
Troy Chandler operates Triple C Feeders, a beef farm, with his father and grandfather near Balaton, Minn.
2005
Kristin (Mercie) Tilus (MBA ’08) and husband Brandon (’07) welcomed a boy, Max Donald, on Dec. 3, 2019.
2006
Tracey (Mork) DeSmet and husband William welcomed a baby boy, Riggs, on Jan. 19, 2020.
2007
Deidre (Feil) Wierson (MS ’13) coaches the Jackson County Central volleyball team in Jackson, Minn.
All cities are in Minnesota unless noted. Events are in the current year unless noted.
Grahn ’11
2009
Barbara Sullivan is a teacher and on the school board of the Lafayette Charter School in Lafayette, Minn.
2010
Abbie Allison was promoted to Director of Revenue Management at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Minn. Charlotte McMullen married David Schincke on Jan. 3, 2020.
2011
Alyssa (Frink) Beich and husband Nathan (’07) welcomed a baby boy, Landon Marshall, on Nov. 10, 2019. Mary (Wolfgram) Erickson and husband Randy welcomed their first child, Beau Gabriel, on Nov. 1, 2019. Dr. Peter Grahn, professor of neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, was the keynote speaker of the 14th annual Undergraduate Research Conference at SMSU in December, 2019. Justin Hanson started his duties as a police officer with the Medina (MN) Police Department on Feb. 10, 2020. Linda (Fluegge) Manyara (MBA ’19) and her husband Ralph (’12) welcomed a baby girl, Teagan Tawanda, on March 9, 2020.
2012
Ralph Manyara was promoted to head of Digital Pipeline Portfolio
[ class notes ] at Bayer Crop Science in St. Louis, Mo. Stacie (Mages) Roiger and husband TJ welcomed a girl Olivia, on Sept. 30, 2019. Anthony Ross and wife Alissa welcomed a girl, Annie Mae, on Nov. 15, 2019.
Kazmerzak ’13
Duwelius MBA ’14 Deutz MBA ’15
Weiss ’15
Cassandra (Schreckenghaust) Weiss is 2013 Lauren (Beukelman) Deutz the director of the Marshall Elise Kazmerzak was (MBA) is the Economic Convention and Visitors awarded the North 65 Development Director Bureau. Chamber of Commerce for the city of Marshall. Employee of the Year from Previously, she was the Anoka-Ramsey Community director of the Marshall 2016 College-Cambridge campus. Convention and Visitors Stephanie Geier married Kaitlyn (Konz) Voss and David Prahl on Sept. 29, Bureau. her husband Scott (’08) 2017. Brenda Parsley was welcomed a son, Gabriel Tara Tongen gave birth promoted to manager Scott, on Jan. 15, 2020. to her second child in of Conway, Deuth & February, 2020. Schmiesing in Willmar,
2015
2014
Ellen Degler (MS ’15) is the girls JV basketball coach and assistant varsity girls basketball coach at Chaska High School. Clare Duwelius (MBA) is the Assistant General Manager for the Minnesota Lynx.
Minn. It is one of the top 25 CPA firms in Minnesota with locations in Willmar, Benson, Morris, Litchfield, and St. Cloud-Sartell. Ben Tonsager and his wife Tiffany welcomed a baby boy, James Rodney, in February, 2020.
2017
Dannika (Vande Brake) Kamrath and husband William welcomed a baby boy, Oliver Dosland, on Dec. 16, 2019. Sara (Fletcher) Kraiter (MS) is a secondary English teacher for Falcon View Connections Academy, a
Bruggeman ’19
Drost ’19
Doria Drost is the endorsed Democratic candidate for the Minnesota District 16A House of Representatives seat. Brooke Sorensen opened her own business, Embrace Nutrition, on May 5 in Pipestone, Minn. She sells healthy tea, coffee, and juice and provides clients 2018 with nutrition products and Calisha (Norgren) counseling services to meet Klinkner and husband Blake their fitness goals. welcomed a baby girl, Talin Kimberly, on Nov. 5, 2019. tuition-free online public school option in Minnesota. Eisha (Oden) Luhring and husband Lane welcomed a baby girl, Leighton, in April 2020. Tera Braun and Douglas VanKeulen were married on June 16, 2018.
2019
Ryan Bruggeman is continuing his professional basketball career in Spain. He signed with Delteco Gipuzkoa BC, based in San Sebastian, Spain.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Share your news with us: email alumni@SMSU.edu call 800-260-0970 click SMSUAlumni.com mail SMSU Alumni Office 1501 State St. Marshall, MN 56258
IN MEMORIAM
A group from the Class of 1975 gathered for lunch in December, 2019. From left: Tom Silverberg, Neal Wahlman, Kevin O’Donnell, Allan Anderson, Ed Keimig, Rich Vonderharr, and Peter Fischer. Photo courtesy of Neal Wahlman.
For SMSU athletics updates, visit SMSUMustangs.com OR
Delores Amundson ’74 passed away on Jan. 6, 2018. Carol Billigmeier ’74 passed away in Nov. 2017. Jon Bot ’80 passed away on Sept. 25, 2018. Michael Dexter Cooley ’78 (married to Nancy Byrne Cooley ’82), former SMSU All-American basketball player, 63, passed away on Dec. 16, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. Bettie Karlstad, SMSU equipment manager for women’s athletics from 1969-1990, passed away at the age of 94 on Feb. 5, 2020. Curtis Kettner (’72) passed away on April 29, 2019 at the age of 74. Jeanne Morreim (MS ’02), 76, passed away on Jan. 26, 2020. Lucille Nelson (‘94) passed away at the age of 86 on Jan. 31, 2020. Dr. Donna Nieckula, former SMSU assistant professor of social
All cities are in Minnesota unless noted. Events are in the current year unless noted.
Nieckula
Parnell
work, passed away on April 21, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. She was employed at SMSU from 2001-2017. Carlos Ortega (’99) passed away at the age of 45 on Dec. 11, 2019. Girard (Jerry) Parnell (’71), who worked as SMSU’s media design specialist for the TV engineering and production program, passed away from COVID-19 on May 2, 2020. He was 89. Robert Sargent (’95) passed away on Jan. 17, 2019. Mary Xavier (’91) passed away from pancreatic cancer on Jan. 28, 2019.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Virtual Golf in July + August Learn more: SMSUAlumni.com All Summer – Virtual Fishing Tournament June 19 – SMSU Golf Classic, Marshall Golf Club July + August – Virtual Golf Tournament October 9– Alumni Awards Luncheon & University Gala October 10 – Homecoming 2020
For our complete schedule, information, and more, visit: WWW.SMSUALUMNI.COM
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, October 10, 2020