SMSUFOCUS A magazine for alumni & friends of Southwest Minnesota State University
Jean Replinger: A Woman Who Dared pg. 6
Fall 2018/Winter 2019 Edition | Inside: 2017-2018 Foundation Annual Report
FALL 2018/WINTER 2019 VOL. 38, NO. 1
Higher Learning Commission Visited Campus in October The Higher Learning Commission, SMSU’s accrediting agency, conducted a campus visit on October 28-31, 2018. The Visit included the Focused Visit and the Comprehensive Visit. The Focused Visit concentrated on the Assessment Plan and making sure that all programs have gone through the full Assessment Cycle. The Comprehensive Visit reviewed how SMSU is meeting the HLC’s standards of Mission; Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct; Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support; Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement-Assessment; and Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness. The site reviewers met with many constituents from across campus and will share the results of their visit early in 2019. To read more about SMSU’s accreditation process, our institutional assesssment, and the Higher Learning Commission, visit our site: www.SMSU.edu/administration/hlc/
SMSUFOCUS A magazine for alumni & friends of Southwest Minnesota State University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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President Gores Announces Retirement Minnesota State Chancellor Visit News from Around Campus Jean Replinger: A Woman Who Dared Alumni Connections Mustang Athletics Class Notes
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Foundation Annual Report 2017-18
President Dr. Connie J. Gores Vice President for Advancement/ Executive Director of Foundation Bill Mulso ’93 Director of Alumni Relations Michael VanDrehle ’08/MBA’10 Focus Editor and Designer Marcy D. Olson ’93/MBA’05 Senior Writer and Photographer Jim Tate
The SMSU Foundation Board of Directors and President Connie J. Gores invite you to
The Annual
SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITION
Luncheon
Saturday, February 23, 2019 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m. SMSU Conference Center Please join us as we recognize our scholarship recipients and the people and organizations that help make their scholarships possible. Select scholarship recipients will be featured speakers.
$15 per person. Please register by Feb. 1. www.SMSUFoundation.org, Toll-free 1-800-260-0970.
Contributors Jessica Anderson ’07 Sharon Buysse Stacy Frost ’93 Jen Goblish ’98 Karen Kaas ’94 Kelly Loft ’97/MS ’11 Angela Prokosch ’16 Julia Stuckey ’15 Erik Vogel Photo Contributors Bruce Silcox for St. Paul College
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 obtained at 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 at Marcy.Olson@SMSU.edu. Other articles may be reprinted without permission provided that credit is given to SMSU.
FOCUS 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.
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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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President Gores Announces Retirement Southwest Minnesota State University President Dr. Connie J. Gores has announced her retirement at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. President Gores is the 9th permanent president of SMSU, and its first female president. She came to SMSU in 2013, and is in her sixth year as president. In announcing her decision, President Gores said she plans to move closer to her daughters, and especially her grandchildren, on the East Coast. “I want to be there for birthday parties, soccer games, school concerts and other special activities,” she wrote in a letter distributed campus-wide. “As many of you know, my most coveted title is ‘Nana.’ Once I get settled, I will determine how best to continue contributing to leadership in higher education.” President Gores has been an inspirational leader since her arrival, and the University has made tremendous strides under her leadership, including: • Significant investment in agriculture programs impacting the region, state, and beyond • Marked growth in Exercise Science program partnerships in the Twin Cities • An increase in civic engagement on and off campus • Expansion of undergraduate research programs and applied research projects • The highest levels of faculty and staff giving in the Minnesota State system • Growth in diversity of the University student body and a focus on student success • A celebratory 50th anniversary year of events, activities, and commemorations • An impressive employment record of SMSU graduates: 99%
of SMSU graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduating (most recent data). “I want everyone to know how how much I truly enjoy serving as your President,” she said. “Thank you to everyone for embracing me as a member of the Mustang Family. I will forever hold dear the prairie, the people and the possibilities. Once a Mustang, always a Mustang!” President Gores is a Cando, N.D., native and knows firsthand the transformative power of higher education. She believes that education changes lives, and points to herself as a prime example. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington; her master’s degree from Colorado State University; and her bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University. She is a graduate Dr. Connie J. Gores of the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and participated in the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) Executive Leadership Program, as well as the Minnesota Partnership for Executive Leadership Development Program. She serves on the NCAA Division II Presidents Council and is a member of the NCAA Strategic Planning Committee. She was recently awarded Emeritus status on the Women’s Network Executive Council, a national committee of the American Council on Education. She also serves on the board of the Minnesota Campus Compact, where she serves as Chair of the Governance Committee. She is a founding board member of the Jared P. Stene Student Leadership Scholarship Board. “I will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the entire community this coming year,” she said. “We must not lose the momentum of our 50th Anniversary. We must continue to find ways to be innovative and creative for the betterment of the University. SMSU is a remarkable place with resilient, intuitive, hard-working individuals, and I look forward to a positive year of focus, dedication and vigor.”
SMSU Partners with St. Paul College in Culinology The SMSU Culinology degree will be offered at St. Paul College starting in the fall semester, 2019. Having the Culinology bachelor’s degree available in the Twin Cities market is the result of an articulation agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions. St. Paul College has a strong Culinary Arts program, with over 100 students. Offering SMSU’s Culinology degree is “the perfect marriage,” according to Joyce Hwang, Associate Professor of Hospitality Management. The agreement between the two institutions says, in part: • Qualified St. Paul College students may apply for early entry to Culinology, securing a place in the program with a probationary admission at the start of their two-year AAS, instead of applying in the last semester of their AAS • Upon completion of their AAS degree, St. Paul College grads will be eligible for full admission into the Culinology program • Courses will be taught by SMSU professors using Adobe Connect, online classes, hybrid classes or face-to-face classes. St. Paul College students won’t leave the St. Paul area for classes • Labs associated with the Culinology degree will be taught in the St. Paul College kitchens by award-winning Chef Nathan Sartain, working collaboratively with SMSU faculty President Connie J. Gores recently signed the Memorandum of
Understanding with St. Paul College President and SMSU alumnus Dr. Rassoul Dastmozd and calls the collaboration “an innovative approach between two institutions, which involves specialized training, with faculty from both SMSU and St. Paul College. It’s a partnership that builds on the best of being From left: President Connie J. Gores with St. Paul a part of a system of College President and SMSU Alumnus Rassoul colleges and universities.” Dastmozd The majority of coursework will be delivered via Adobe Connect, said Mary Jones, Director of Extended Learning and Academic Outreach. “St. Paul College’s Culinary Arts program has very high standards, and is the best two-year program in the state,” she said. “Their students can transfer those credits into the only Culinology program in the state, so it’s two premiere programs working together.”
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Chancellor Visits During Statewide Listening Tour “In order to prepare students for work and life, we need to build on existing partnerships and grow them,” said Devinder Malhotra, Chancellor of the Minnesota State system during a discussion with educational and business leaders on Nov. 1. The meeting was part of his statewide listening tour regarding regional workforce development. Chancellor Malhotra gained insight regarding regional partnerships and economic challenges while listening to conversations initiated by SMSU President Connie J. Gores, Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Scott Monson, Marshall Chamber of Commerce President Brad Gruhot, Economic Development Coordinator Tara Onken, House District 22A Representative Joe Schomacker, House District 16A Representative Chris Swedzinski, Senate District 20 Representative Rich Draheim and other Marshall area businesses leaders. The discussion focused on SMSU’s partnership programs which help meet employment needs and ways SMSU can increase existing partnerships to build a more robust workforce pipeline to meet current or future needs. Southwest Minnesota State currently works closely with Marshall Public Schools. Both President Gores and Superintendent Monson highlighted the increased efforts made to create opportunities for all students, and talked about the many ways the two collaborate, including the sharing of athletic facilities. Not only does SMSU work with Marshall Public Schools, it also has many collaborations throughout the region. Diane Wagner and Robert Gervais discussed Ralco and trūShrimp’s partnership with SMSU. Gervais stressed the need to, “Grow our own and work together with educational facilities to develop future employees.” Representative Swedzinski stressed the need for businesses to retain individuality while working and succeeding together. He quoted Benjamin Franklin who said, “We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately.” Chancellor Malhotra supported this collaboration. “We have to take ownership of the training and education of our students, together. We need to get students ready so as they enter the workforce, they can hit the ground running. I am not just referring to the hard skills, but I am also referring to the soft skills. I am referring to the fact that our colleges and universities can’t teach our students all they need to learn at any given time.” That is just not possible due to the variety of jobs and skills these students will need throughout their careers, he said.
From left: Robert Gervais and Diane Wagner of Ralco and trūShrimp
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Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra
Chancellor Malhotra emphasized, “It is not possible for one business at a time to grow and raise its own talent. Similarly, it is not possible for us to prepare graduates and students who not only have the rigor of the academic training, but also have the relevance of what is needed in the workplace as they walk out. In order to do that, we need your partnerships, we can’t do that on our own.” The discussion provided opportunities for educational, business and legislative leaders to create an awareness about working together in community partnerships. President Gores thanked Chancellor Malhotra for “setting the stage for all schools and colleges to work together in building community partnerships” and thanked the businesses “willing to roll up their sleeves and work together in different ways, allowing us to solve our problems and make this area more prosperous.”
From left: Sen. Rich Draheim (District 20), President Gores, Rep. Chris Swedzinski (District 16A), Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, and Rep. Joe Schomacker (District 22A).
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Supporting Our International Students at SMSU “We’ve been busy over here.” That’s how Juan Tavares, Director of International Student Services, describes his first few months on the job. Tavares came to SMSU this summer and already has put into place an SMSU Global Scholarship program for international students. “We base the awards strictly on a student’s entering grade-point-average (GPA),” said Tavares. Tavares “We hope to have our first scholarship recipients coming to campus for the spring semester this year,” said Tavares. He explained there are four separate levels for the SMSU Global Scholarships. They are: • President’s Scholarship: $10,000 over four years • Vice President’s Scholarship: $6,000 over four years • Dean’s Scholarship: $4,000 over four years • Leadership Scholarship: $3,000 over four years “My rationale in creating the program is that if we have a meritbased scholarship, we will attract students with a higher GPA,” said Tavares. “It’s to enhance the academic profile of our application pool. It also aims to retain students. If you have a merit-based scholarship, perhaps the student will stay longer.” There are currently 190 international students from 27 countries at SMSU. Tavares said some countries don’t have the traditional 4.0 GPA scale. “In those cases, we will convert their GPA,” he said.
Tavares said the students will receive the scholarship money when they arrive. “We admit a lot of international students, but not all of them show up. When they arrive, they’ll be getting their scholarship dollars.” He’s been working hard to establish relationships with other countries, as well. Tavares traveled to the Dominican Republic with President Connie J. Gores and signed two articulation agreements with universities there. “One was Intec University, we signed a 2+2 articulation agreement for our Computer Science program — the first two years at their campus, and the final two at SMSU. We also signed a 3+1 dual degree articulation agreement with Unibe University, for our Culinology and Hospitality Management programs.” Tavares also traveled to Indonesia and delivered an agreement signed by President Gores to Jakarta International College, for a 2+2 program “for all academic areas. I expect, primarily, those will involve Business, Culinology and Hospitality Management,” he said. Tavares and President Gores also met with Dominican Republic government officials in an effort to become part of that country’s Master’s in Education scholarship program. “The government gives scholarships for students to attend a college in the U.S., and we were attempting to be a part of that,” he said. “Part of what we were doing is planting seeds in different places. These will give us some fruit in a couple of years, and we wanted to plant them, and start the process.” He also has his sights set on Nigeria, where the majority of international student applications come from at SMSU. “But the students in the last couple of years have mostly been denied a visa. We want to have a meeting with the U.S. officials (at the U.S. consulate in Nigeria) so they can see a representative from SMSU. We want to meet them, and ask them what we can do differently to have a different success rate. It’s a courtesy call, but we want them to know, too, we are serious about attracting students, and ask what we can do to help.” Tavares explained that visas for international students are issued by the U.S. consulate in each country. “And with our SMSU Global Scholarship, we can show that we have a commitment on our end,” he said. “I’ve been happy with the support our office has received from President Gores and the Cabinet. It will pay off,” said Tavares.
International Students Showcase Food and Cultures One of the most popular International Student Services events of the academic year is the International Art and Culture Festival, which was held on Nov. 15 at SMSU. This event highlights the various cultures represented by international students attending Southwest Minnesota State University. Everything from native dance and songs to poetry and a variety of music are showcased at the event. Native foods are also a featured at the festival, which was held in the Conference Center. “It is a great way to highlight the interesting cultures of our international students,” said Director of International Student Services Juan Tavares. There are 190 international students representing 27 countries attending SMSU. International Student Services also hosts the annual International Food Festival in April of each year. Attendees enjoy a wide variety of international fare prepared by the students and learn about the students’ home countries and the food that represents their culture. SMSU is fortunate to have so many international students, and Tavares hopes to increase the number of countries represented at SMSU in the years to come.
The 2018 International Art and Culture Festival
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Toland Named Post-Secondary Ag Educator of the Year Professor of Economics and Department Chair Dr. Gerry Toland has been named the Minnesota Farm Bureau Post-Secondary Agricultural Educator of the Year. The award recognizes educators who support production agriculture. Toland is a quiet, behind-the-scenes leader within the School of Agriculture and was the first Cowan Award winner at SMSU, the institution’s highest honor presented to an individual who makes great contributions on campus, and off. He’s been a fixture at SMSU since 1990. His teaching specialties include Economics, Public Finance, International Economics, Agriculture and Policy, and Statistics. He also co-authored a college textbook, Agricultural and Food Policy. He has been at the forefront of the expansion of the University’s ag-related majors, which have grown from one in 2006, to six today, including Agribusiness Management, Agronomy, Agriucultural Solutions, Agriculture, Agricultural Communication and Leadership, and Agricultural Education. Both his master’s and doctoral degrees are in Agricultural Economics, “and it has been deeply rewarding to help these programs grow and serve the needs of our region,” he said. Toland has faced some health issues during the fall semester, and was away from the classroom from Sept. 21 until early December. After hauling some wet carpet up from his basement following early July heavy rains, he experienced some complications, which led to the
discovery of a heart murmur. He had heart surgery to repair a valve that controls the flow of blood in his heart at the Sioux Falls Heart Institute. Toland was especially surprised at the awards banquet to be joined by Dean Raphael Onyeaghala; Sang Jung, Associate From left: Toland accepting his award from Kevin Paap, Professor of Ag President of the Minnesota Farm Bureau and a member Management; of the first Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Kristin Kovar, (MARL) class. Assistant Professor of Ag Education; and Craig Bakkelund, Ag Advisory Council Chairman. “I thought it was just going to be (his wife) Mary and I, but when we arrived at our table, it was a nice surprise to see the SMSU support,” he said.
Bonnstetter Receives Award for Service to Rural Education According to Dr. Wendy Schoolmeester, with Technology: A Guide for Pre-Service “SMSU Professor of Education, Dr. Rhonda Educators. Bonnstetter is an ‘and then some’ kind of One of her favorite educational quotations person. She does what is required, and then comes from Howard Gardner regarding his some.” multiple intelligence theory. He states, “It’s That’s one of many reasons Bonnstetter not how smart you are — it’s how you are was selected to receive the Minnesota Rural smart!” Based on her past experiences in the Education Association’s Distinguished Service classroom, Bonnstetter understands that not all Award for her exceptional service to Minnesota students succeed in the core subjects. Therefore, students and rural education. teachers need to find unique ways to make sure She received her undergraduate and master’s each child is given the opportunity to learn. degrees from SMSU, and her Technology “We, as teachers, need to teach to every student. Education and Training Specialist Degree and Not every child is good at math or reading, her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction but they may excel in music or art.” Therefore, from the University of South Dakota. teachers need to find a way to teach their When she started in education, she was subject, so they can reach as many people as From left: Bonnstetter and Schoolmeester. they can at a time. a paraprofessional for the Murray County Central (MCC) schools. While working as a Bonnstetter promotes education and paraprofessional, she attended SMSU, earned continues to search for innovative ways to solve her teaching degree and then began teaching math at MCC. Later, educational issues. She encourages high school students to become she became a Professor of Education at SMSU. Regardless of which involved and “gain experiences beyond babysitting.” She promotes educational role she is fulfilling, her passion for helping children student leadership in Sunday school classes, camps, or youth sports succeed is at the forefront of her decisions. activities where high school students can gain experience working with Based on Bonnstetter’s own personal experiences and expertise in children and expand their leadership skills. Recently, SMSU also added the educational field as a paraprofessional, a high school teacher and a concurrent enrollment course in Education to provide high school a college professor, she promoted an innovative program called “Para students with the opportunity to take the College Now Introduction to SPED.” This program was a result of conversations within SMSU’s to Education Opportunity course at their high school and gain credits Education program and allowed paraprofessionals to complete a and an interest in teaching before arriving on a college campus. teacher education program fully online. The degree, from start to finish, “I tell my teacher candidates all the time that we all get the same 24 can be completed in three years, including a full year of part-time hours in a day and days in a year, so I encourage them to use their time student teaching. This allows paraprofessionals to continue to work the best they can and hopefully to make their little corner of the world while earning student teaching hours within the same district. This is a better place for the people they serve around them,” a win-win for both the paraprofessionals and rural school districts, Bonnstetter, and her late husband, Jeff, had four children, Janelle, which are struggling to fill teacher openings. Kristin, Joshua, and Danielle. They raised their own children — and She recently completed a sabbatical to publish a textbook, Teaching then some — as they were foster parents for 26 years.
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SMSU Makes Impressive Economic Impact The Southwest Minnesota State University impact on the regional economy is $173,127,685 and 1,421 jobs according to a study commissioned by the Minnesota State system. “Our top priority is the success of our students, and it is important to note that SMSU plays a major role in both the regional and state economies,” said SMSU President Connie J. Gores. “The economic activity generated by our faculty, staff and students touches virtually every corner of our region’s economy, including education, hospitality, child day care services and retail,” she said. The study was conducted by Parker Philips, a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in economic impact analysis. In the analysis, the study considered the direct spending on operations, pay, benefits and capital projects by SMSU and the estimated increase in demand for goods and services in industry sectors that supply or support the university. The study also measured the effect of student spending and the induced effect of increased household income. According to the study, a key result of this activity is that SMSU supports and sustains 1,421 jobs, including direct employment by the university, as well as indirect and induced jobs created by supply and equipment vendors, contractors and laborers for the construction and renovation of facilities, and jobs created in the community at hotels, restaurants and retail stores in support of SMSU’s faculty, staff, students and visitors. The study also calculated tax revenues generated by this level of economic activity, including sales, property, personal income
and corporate income taxes. The study concluded that SMSU generates about $9,641,842 in tax revenues for state and local government. The study further estimated the value of the increase in productivity that the degrees awarded by SMSU yield throughout the careers of the graduates. Assuming a 40-year work life, the education received by these graduates will yield additional state income of $8.9 billion (future value, discounted and adjusted to account for such factors as foregone income while attending school and outmigration). Statewide, all Minnesota State operations, including all seven state universities and 30 community and technical colleges, plus the spending of its faculty, staff and students, had a total statewide economic contribution of $8 billion. This activity generated an estimated 67,717 jobs in the state. The operations of Minnesota State support or sustain a total of 67,717 jobs, or one out of every 5 jobs in the state; employees of Minnesota State contribute an estimated $116.2 million annually in charitable giving and volunteerism; Minnesota State supports or sustains $1 out of every $42 in Minnesota’s economy; and for every $1 in state appropriation, Minnesota State generates nearly $12 in economic activity. “These numbers reflect the economic impact of not only SMSU on a regional basis, but also of the Minnesota State system on a statewide basis,” said President Gores.
Joseph Amato Branches Out with Buffalo Man Book The inspiration for Professor Emeritus of History Joe Amato’s new book, Buffalo Man: Life of a Boy Giant on the Minnesota River, goes back to when he lived in Cottonwood about 40 years ago. That’s when he got the idea for a story that combined history with the life of a boy giant, set in southwest Minnesota. “He’s born out of the sky,” explained Amato. “I have been a longtime reader, and had a proclivity for older literature. Somehow or another the idea of a giant came to me — he doesn’t appear to be a buffalo, except in his general countenance.” He tried the story out orally at first, much as his grandfather had years before. “He was a storyteller all right. There wasn’t television back then, and aside from pencil and paper games, he told me the stories he had heard from rural Wisconsin. His wife told equally mystifying stories, and their daughter — my mother — lived in
many ways by the speed of her tongue.” And so the idea for Buffalo Man was born. His size would come later — 17feet, 4-inches tall, “the same size as Michelangelo’s David,” said Amato. It’s the type of story you might not expect to have been penned by Amato, the consummate historian and author of a slew of books. “But I had this other side, that didn’t turn up in a college classroom,” he said. And so the reader is taken through a series of episodes in a book that melds Amato fantasy with history, and tells of the many exploits of the Gar, the Buffalo Man — the Paul Bunyan of the Minnesota River. “I hope they are fun episodes for the reader, especially younger readers who had a grandfather like I did,” said Amato.
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[ feature spotlight ]
Jean Replinger A Woman Who Dared
Jean Replinger, Professor Emerita of Physical Education at SMSU, was sitting in her home shortly after her 90th birthday, looking back at an amazing life and telling stories, some of which she could only shake her head and smile. “Anything I love, I want to share,” said Replinger, talking about her leadership and advocacy for women and those with disabilities. That philosophy has benefited so many over the years, thanks to the forward-thinking Replinger, who this past summer was presented with the 2018 Women Who Dared Award by an organization of the same name, based in Fairbanks, Alaska. The award aptly describes Replinger. She was a health/ PE professor for most of her tenure at SMSU, from 1969-96, and lived her life like the award she received — daring to stretch boundaries, daring to break glass ceilings, daring to challenge the status quo for women and those with disabilities. Replinger organized the first Outward Bound experience for women in the U.S. back in 1965. At the time, she was teaching at Antioch College, Ohio. Later, after moving to Marshall with her husband Randy, who accepted a position teaching Engineering at what was then Southwest Minnesota State College, she would lead the first Outward Bound program in the U.S. specifically for those with disabilities. Replinger had spent 17 years at Antioch and got a foot in the door at SMSU when the couple moved to Marshall. She held several positions before finding her niche in PE.
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Outward Bound is a leading provider of experiential and outdoor education programs for youth and adults. It teaches participants about outdoor survival and the love of nature. At the end of each course, many life lessons are learned, too. She loved the outdoors from an early age and had discovered the majestic beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area during a 1959 visit. When she conceived and led that first Outward Bound experience for women, she knew immediately where it would be — the Boundary Waters. There were 24 women in that first Outward Bound program, most from Minnesota. She had first learned about Outward Bound two years earlier, when, by chance, she met an instructor. It piqued her interest. She wondered, why not women? A documentary of that first class entitled “Women Outward Bound” was produced for public television by Maxine Davis, one of the original 24. It appeared on public television stations across the country, and was shown at the Marshall-Lyon County Library in Marshall this past June. Six women from that original 24 attended. At the conclusion of the event — and to the astonishment of Replinger — Diann Darnall, president of Women Who Dared, presented Replinger with the Women Who Dared Award. Darnall heard about Replinger through “dumb luck. I had a neighbor two doors down who knew I watched PBS. I was a former women’s basketball coach and he called up and said there was a special on about a women’s coach. I dug out my small TV and turned it on. There wasn’t a show about a women’s coach, but there was ‘Women Outward Bound.’ I watched it and called up Maxine (Davis, the producer) and she led me
Facing page: Replinger upon receiving the Women Who Dared Award. This page, clockwise from top: meeting with then-President Howard Bellows, enjoying time with her husband Randy and son Eric, bringing the classroom outdoors, and leading an outdoor excursion circa 1973. to Jean,” said Darnall. Replinger looks back fondly at that groundbreaking group of 24. “We make so many fictitious barriers,” said Replinger. “People tend to go with people who are like them. That first class had a lot of different types of women, different personalities. They didn’t know each other, but by the end, they were friends, and they learned to trust one another.” Replinger fought hard for that first Outward Bound group. “I had to convince the national Outward Bound board that women deserved the experience. They were concerned that men would think that, if women can do it, how hard can it be?” It was in 1977 that she organized the first Outward Bound experience for those with disabilities. Two former SMSU students — John Schatzlein and Pam Westling — were part of that first class of seven. “It was fantastic. We got it off the ground,” said Replinger. “All the disabled need is a little help. People don’t understand that handicapped participants don’t expect to be treated any differently.” To this day, she’s a bit taken aback by her audacity in those early years. “I don ‘t know what gave me the idea I could do it,” she said with a chuckle. In the summer months she used to lead bicycle tours on the east coast, and in Europe. While still at Antioch, she taught an Outdoor Education class. One day, she was showing pictures to a group of junior high students and several asked about how to go about putting together a long bike trip. “You plan for seven years, and then do it,” she said. “I got a call seven years later, and four of them had put a trip
together, from the tip of Alaska to the tip of South America. It took two years.” National Geographic magazine had a large story on the trip in its May 1973 edition, and the lead photo from that article is framed and overlooks her kitchen table. During her time at SMSU, she led many canoe and bicycle trips. She was also associated with the Ski For Light organization, which takes week-long cross country ski trips for the blind. She may never have made it to SMSU, and her life would have been quite different, had she not felt sorry for a young man who would later become her husband. “I met my husband Randy in Ohio. I was at Antioch College, and he was an engineer. He was looking for a canoe partner, and kept asking me, and I kept turning him down. I finally said to him, ‘If you’re looking for a date, then take me to dinner.’” That, in a nutshell, exemplifies the communication style of Replinger. She is unfiltered, something, she says, has been a good thing — most of the time. She was raised by her mother in a single-parent household since the age of 3, and her empathy for those with disabilities stems from her brother, Jim, who had childhood arthritis. “He had an inquisitive mind, but was limited physically, so I became his hands and feet,” she said. “Jean has been an example for so many women in Outward Bound, and a real leader on so many different levels when she was at SMSU,” said President Connie J. Gores. She was way ahead of her time as an advocate for women and those with disabilities. She was a pioneer. She was a Woman Who Dared.
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[ alumni connections]
50th Coffee Table Book Wins Design Award Southwest Minnesota State University’s 50th anniversary coffee table book, The Southwest Story, as told by the Mustang Family, has been recognized with a bronze award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), District V. The bronze award is in the category Excellence in Design — Specialty Pieces. The 164-page book was compiled for the University’s 50th anniversary, which was celebrated during the 2017-18 academic year. It consists of 99 short essays by alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University who tell, in their own words, what they remember about SMSU, and what SMSU has meant to them. A large number of historical photos are included throughout the book. “I think everyone involved approached this project with a sense of purpose. We knew that this might very well be the biggest project of our careers. I know I did,” said Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Marcy Olson, an SMSU alumna and the book’s designer. Joining Olson in compiling the book were Jim Tate, Director of Communications and Marketing, and Rita Fonder, then-graduate assistant in the Office of Communications and Marketing. The project seemed to grow from its early inception and it was a trip down memory lane when it came to selecting the photos from literally tens of thousands of possible images to include in the book. “I’m proud of the book. I’m proud to be an alumna of SMSU.
And I’m proud that we could represent Southwest Minnesota State University and be recognized with this award in our district that includes some big names: Notre Dame, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, Carleton, Northwestern, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ohio State and many other notable institutions. It shows we can compete on any level if we embrace who we are, take pride in what we do, and believe in what we have to offer,” said Olson. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is an international association of education advancement officers, who include alumni administrators, fund raisers, public relations managers, publications editors, and government relations officers. CASE District V includes members from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. “Being recognized for your work by a professional organization in your field, it’s an incredible honor, and I’m proud to represent SMSU with our best work. But I’m also proud of the work we do every day because I think we pour the same heart and effort into everything we do,” said Olson. The book sells for $35 and would make a good holiday gift for your special Mustang. It is available here: www.smsualumni.com/50thBook. Or for those who live in the Marshall area, the book is available at the SMSU Foundation, 2nd Floor, Founders Hall or call 507-537-6266 to reserve a copy.
Anniversary
Coffee Table Book
Only $35.00
Now Available!: Contact the SMSU Foundation at 507-537-6266 or Foundation@SMSU.edu Visit the Foundation Office, 2nd Floor Founders Hall. 8 | FOCUS
[ alumni connections ]
SMSU Grads Participate in Taiwan Immersion Program Alumnus Aaron Lange recently took part in a cultural immersion experience in Taiwan offered through the Office of Graduate Studies at SMSU “It’s called a Cultural Exploration Camp,” explained Lange, who earned his undergraduate degree in Marketing in 2016, and his MBA in 2018. “I went over with [fellow alumnus] Ashanti Payne,” said Lange. They were in Taiwan from August 5-21. According to Lange, he and Payne were the only two from the U.S. among the 35 total participants. They were able to learn about day-to-day life and better understand the Taiwanese culture. “We learned the Mandarin language — enough to get around,” he said. “We saw a lot of the sights, and experienced as much of the Asian culture as we could in that window of time.” The camp was based at Shih Chien University, one of the seven Taiwanese universities which annually has students come to SMSU to complete their MBA degrees.
From left: Ashanti Payne; Jia-Lin Xie, Chinese Language Center Professor; and Aaron Lange. Above: All camp participants from around the globe gathered for a photo.
“We normally have between 40 and 50 students from Taiwan, and many of them come from Shih Chien University,” said Cori Ann Dahlager, Director of the School of Graduate Studies. “This camp was a chance for students from many countries to come in and get to experience Taiwanese culture. They went from sun up to sun down, and learned a lot. They even made the famous pineapple cakes,” she said. Lange said the experience opened his eyes about what Taiwanese students go through when they come to SMSU to earn their MBA degrees. “It’s made me more empathetic of those students, after having seen Taiwan myself,” he said. The cultural opportunity is made available through the SMSU Graduate Studies Office, Dahlager said. Those with questions may contact her by email at: CoriAnn.Dahlager@SMSU.edu.
Bart Sutter Poetry Book Nordic Accordion Published Bart Sutter’s latest book of poetry, Nordic Accordion: Poems in a Scandinavian Mood, surprised even him. Sutter, the only person to ever win a Minnesota Book Award in three separate categories and a 1972 alumnus of SMSU, said he’d “written about Scandinavian Americans probably in all my books.” His intent was to gather that material in one single book. It didn’t work out that way, however, as “once I got going and focused on writing, there were so many new poems, there wasn’t room for a lot of the old ones,” he said. Sutter grew up listening to his grandparents speak Swedish near Roseau, Minn., and that led to “an interest in Nordic culture. I decided to focus on it in this book.
I’m not sure what all the reasons were, maybe I was feeling I owe a debt to those colorful Scandinavian old people and time is short and before I go meet them, I’ll repay them.” The result is Nordic Accordion, dedicated to his brother Ross. Bart is the poet and Ross the musician when they perform as The Sutter Brothers, something they’ve done for decades. “Since I’ve retired, it’s the one things I enjoy doing most — giving myself some joy while the horizon is getting closer.” They average about 20 performances a Sutter year now, he said. The book consists of five sections and is published by Nodin Press.
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[ alumni connections ]
Six Alumni Award Recipients Honored at Annual Event Six individuals were recognized during the Alumni Awards Luncheon during the annual Homecoming event on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Alumni Achievement Awards are presented to alumni in recognition of professional success and the positive reflection made on the university and fellow alumni. Alumni Achievement Award recipients included Eldean Maschoff, ’71, founder of Aluma; Susan McGaughey, ’72, retired general manager of Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville, Minn.; and Jim Schlenner, ’79, partner and co-owner of the accounting firm Schlenner Wenner & Company, St. Cloud, Minn. Honorary Membership Awards are presented to individuals who are not SMSU graduates, but who give their time, talent and enthusiasm to the university. The Honorary Lifetime Membership Award recipients this year were Jon and Niter Knochenmus, co-owners of Ralco, Marshall, Minn. The Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award is presented to an individual who has distinguished him/herself in the last 10 years since graduating. Trisha VanDusseldorp, ’11, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Ga., was honored.
From left: Susan McGaughey, Michael VanDrehle, Eldean Maschoff, SMSU President Connie J. Gores, Jon and Niter Knochenmus, and Jim Schlenner.
Nominations Accepted for 2019 Alumni Achievement Awards The SMSU Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2019 Awards to be honored at Homecoming on Friday, October 11, 2019. ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD This award is presented to a graduate in recognition of professional success and the positive reflection made on the reputation of all Alumni of SMSU. HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP AWARD This award is presented to an individual or couple who are not alumni, but give their time, talents, and enthusiasm as if they were.
GOLD (Graduate of Last Decade) AWARD This award is presented to an individual who has graduated from SMSU within the last ten years and has made an exceptional achievement and significant contribution to their profession, community, or university. JOHN & KATHY PAXTON ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD This award is presented to recipients who demonstrates outstanding service to Southwest Minnesota State University. To nominate someone, visit: www.SMSUAlumni.com/Awards
What is an Alma Mater?
An Alma Mater serves as a hymn or an anthem associated with a school or university. Alma Maters tend to be serious and reflective. They serve a ceremonial purpose in the life of an academic institution, being used at formal events such as convocation, commencement, and the installation of new campus leadership. Southwest Minnesota State University is holding a competition to create an Alma Mater for the University. The entries will be judged by a special task force at SMSU. Winners in EACH ROUND are awarded a $1,000 cash prize. We would love your participation. ENTRANTS »The competition is open to anyone, however, the Task Force is encouraging entries from individuals with a connection to SMSU. »Alumni, current and former faculty, administrators, staff, and students may enter. »No one entering the competition may serve on the judging Task Force. »Entrants must be at least 16 years of age. »Individuals may enter either or both rounds of the competition.
SUBMISSIONS Entries for both rounds of the competition should be submitted Diana.Holmes@SMSU.edu who will anonymize them before distribution to Task Force members. ROUND 1: LYRICS ENTRIES DUE FEB. 1, 2019 »Entries should be in the form of a poem. »The subject of the poem should be SMSU, as it relates to tradition, the importance of education, service, etc.
»The poem should be one to three stanzas in length. »Each stanza should be approximately 4-6 lines in length. »Stanzas should have a recognizable rhythmic pattern and may use of end-line rhymes. »The overall form of the poem is at the discretion of the poet. »Entries should be typed. »The Task Force reserves the right to edit the winning entry as necessary, but only with knowledge & consent of author. »The winning entry will be announced on February 15, 2019.
ROUND 2: MUSIC ENTRIES DUE MAR. 15, 2019 »Entries should be in the form of a melody that sets the winning text from Round 1. QUESTIONS »Chord symbols for the intended Questions may be addressed to chords are allowed, but not Dr. Stephen Kingsbury required. 507-537-7247 or »Entries should include a Stephen.Kingsbury@SMSU.edu suggested tempo indication. »Entries should be submitted in standard musical notation (either handwritten, or electronic) with appropriate text underlay. »The winning entry will be announced on April 1, 2019.
For complete rules and submission information, visit: www.smsu.edu/go/almamater 10 | FOCUS
[ alumni connections ]
Alumni Events Bring The Mustang Family Together
Attendees gathered for a photo at the Rochester Honkers event in Rochester on July 17.
SMSU Alumni, Faculty, Students and Friends enjoyed the Alaska Cruise in June. The event served as the capstone of the University’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
Jim Radzilowski ’89 lives in Alaska. Mustangs on the 50th anniversary cruise met up with him in Ketchikan. Mustang Family enjoyed a summer evening at the St. Cloud Rox game on July 20.
The 1968 football team — the first at what was then Southwest Minnesota State College — was honored during halftime of of the 2018 Homecoming game. From left: Ron Woldengen, Mitch Ahiers, Duane Norell, Jerry Schaefer, Mike Kraemer, Dave Johnson, Terry Roalstad, Bill Curwick, Jim Mattke, Dave Hennigan, George Ladd, Jim Culhane, and Al Widmark. Attending, but not pictured: Jon Harley.
Inaugural Mustang Ice Classic February 16, 2019 Join us for the inaugural Mustang Ice Classic hosted by SMSU Alumni and Friends in support of SMSU scholarships. Through the scholarship program, the Southwest Minnesota State University Alumni Association recognizes high school seniors and transfer students for their academic and leadership achievements. To register, sponosor, or volunteer, visit the website:
www.SMSUAlumni.com/2019MustangIceClassic
F E B R UA RY 16 , 2 018
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[ athletics ]
Taylor Reiss #1: Repeats National POY
Reiss
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SMSU outside hitter Taylor Reiss has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II National Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, a first in Mustangs sports history. A Taunton native, she attended Minneota High School, just 12 miles down the road from Marshall. In addition, she was named Division II National Player of the Year by the Conference Commissioner’s Association (CCA), which is voted on by sports information directors across the country. She is just the sixth player in Division II history to earn AVCA National Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, and the first since 2010-11. She has now been honored as a first team All-American by the AVCA and the CCA for three consecutive seasons. Yet had it not been for a coaching change at South Dakota State University, Reiss may never had become a Mustang. She had originally committed to SDSU following her prep career. “They had a coaching change after I signed my national letter of intent. I decided to stick it out. But once I got there it didn’t feel like the right place for me anymore. I didn’t like the direction I felt it was going, so that drew me back here. SMSU was one of the other schools which had recruited me, and I had a relationship with their coaches, Tyler Boddy and Raftyn Rignell, when I played Junior Olympic volleyball in Marshall.” What’s she going to miss about playing in the toughest volleyball conference in the country? Relationships, friendships and competition. “What’s going to last with me is being a part of a good and competitive team. I’m competitive. We bring a real competitive environment to practice, and I enjoy that. Every weekend, you’re going in and there’s not many teams you can just show up and beat. Every weekend you have to play well, which is unique.” She cited Minnesota-Duluth and Concordia-St. Paul as teams which seemed to bring out the best in her. “Every time they give their best against us. When you play against good teams, you play at a higher level — I play best in games like that.” She finished her four-year career ranked second in team history in kills (2,146), second in kills per set (4.94), second in attempts (5,293), second in points (2,431.5) and ninth in hitting percentage (.309). She was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. “Academics are just as important to me,” said Reiss. “Once volleyball is done, you need that education.” She plans on pursuing her master’s in occupational therapy. She describes the SMSU program as competive, and rewarding. “It’s a tough program, and that makes you a better athlete, and a better person. It will help you get through life in general,” she said. “The coaches here do a great job of recruiting good volleyball players, and good people. My relationships and friendships will last me forever.” She cited assistant coach Paul Soupir as being influential during her career. “Every coach is influential in one way or another, but I have known him since seventh grade, when I played with his daughter. I’ve always had that relationship with him, and it’s special to me.” She’ll also miss the environment of the PE Gym, volleyball’s home court. “We get a lot of support from the region. There are not a lot of places we go where the place is packed, and we got that every time we were home. It’s a great competitive environment.” Taylor Reiss has certainly left her mark on SMSU volleyball.
[ athletics ]
Jon Dicke Receives 2018 Glen Galligan Award SMSU senior football studentathlete Jon Dicke was selected as the 2018 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Glen Galligan Award recipient as chosen by the league’s head coaches. The award is given to a studentathlete who participates at his institution for four years and is academically superior while making a positive contribution to the institution. The Galligan Award was initiated in 1948 to honor an outstanding senior football player in the NSIC. Glen Galligan served as the athletics director at Winona State University from 1929-47 and head football coach from 1927-33 and 1935. Dicke, a defensive lineman from Rochester, Minn., has earned numerous awards for his classwork and play on the field this fall. In September, he was recognized as a member of the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. NowThis sent a production crew that created a video feature on Dicke and his story behind the Allstate Good Works recognition. The video can be seen here: http://bit.ly/JonDickeVideo. Dicke was also chosen as a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation. On Nov. 15, he was named CoSIDA Academic All-District for the second straight season. Dicke has been involved with numerous community service projects in his hometown and in Marshall since his arrival on the SMSU campus in the fall of 2015. For his selection to the Good Works Team®, Dicke will be honored at halftime of the 2019 Allstate® Sugar Bowl® in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2019. He is one of just three Division
II student-athletes honored on this year’s team. Dicke, who carries a 4.0 cumulative GPA in exercise science, was named a first team CoSIDA Academic All-America® in 2017, becoming just the 20th SMSU student-athlete named CoSIDA Academic All-American and just the seventh to garner first-team honors. Some of the projects Dicke has been involved in Marshall include Mustang Mail, which is a community engagement program with elementary schools, bagging and packaging meals for the United Way in Marshall, Relay for Life and SMSU Athletics Highway Clean-Up. He has been an active member of the SMSU Exercise Science Club — serving as president — and has also worked with the SMSU Physical Therapy Clinic, helping stretch, evaluate, and implement treatment programs for students attending the clinic with musculoskeletal issues. He has also held numerous leadership roles during his three years on the SMSU Student Senate. In his hometown of Rochester, Dicke has also been active with the Rochester Children’s Museum, Rochester Humane Society, Salvation Army and Special Olympics. On the football field, Dicke finished this season with 42 tackles with 5.5 for loss and two sacks. Dicke, who started every game the past two seasons, closed his four-year career with 111 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Dicke is the eighth Mustang to be named the recipient of the Glen Galligan Award in its 71-year history. He joins Dan Koster (1984), Bruce Saugstad (1988), Preston Cunningham (1995), Eric Lee (1996), Jason Jacobs (1999), Tyler Fischer (2007) and Tyler Reed (2008) as SMSU’s recipients of the Glen Galligan Award.
Clockwise from top: Dicke in action during a game, with Coach Cory Sauter for the Allstate Good Works Team announcement, at practice during NowThis filming.
Complete Fall Recaps: Cross Country / Football / Golf / Soccer / Volleyball For the latest headlines, winter sports news and more, visit SMSUMustangs.com
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[ class notes ] 1971 Christine Hansvick is presently serving on the Peace Psychology of the American Psychological Association Executive Committee. Gary Strauch taught in the Stillwater School District for 34 years. He was active in union activities at the capital and negotiated several contracts with other teachers. He is now retired. 1975 Susan Debough-Pappas recently moved back the Duluth after living and teaching in Prescott Valley, Ariz., for 15 years. 1982 Randy Schroeder and wife Carol (Byers ’83) are the newest recipients of New Ulm Farm-City Hub Club’s Service to Agriculture Award. They will be honored at the club’s annual banquet on Jan. 21, 2019 at the New Ulm Community Center. FarmCity Hub Club promotes agriculture, educates people about the value of agriculture and creates friendly relationships between farmers and city businessmen. 1983 Jerry Gladis is a teacher at Yellow Medicine East Schools in Granite Falls. 1984 Ann Roemen became a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives, the certification entity of the Medical Group Management Association. Roemen is one of only six in South Dakota who hold this designation. 1988 Tony Jurgens was re-elected as a Republican House of Representatives member in District 54B following the November election. He is from Cottage Grove.
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1990 Michael Bosch was named assistant softball coach at the University of Florida. Jim Walters led a research team of three and studied the topic of improving worker attentiveness. Their SMSU alumni Cassie Williams ’07/’16 and Oak Kelsey ’95 presented a findings were poetry reading with musical accompaniment on Oct. 23, 2018 as part of the Visiting Writers Series at SMSU. Cassie is an Academic Specialist for published in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Access Opportunity Success. Oak an article in lives in Marshall and has a passion for art that includes digital and film the Journal of photography, visual arts, songwriting, playing several instruments and the American collaborating with artists. Society of Safety Engineers entitled “The Effect of Online Cognitive 1994 2002 Training on Sustained Lisa Harms is a science Travis (MS’14) and Emily Attention Measures teacher at Worthington (Nuese ’10) Carroll for Electric Power Line High School, Worthington. welcomed Sadie Ann on Installers.” Peter Linder is the Vice May 21, 2018. President of Foodservice John Droubie (MS) is 1991 Sales with InHarvest. In his serving as the Riverside Brad Kelvington is the new new role, he will oversee Academy Director in superintendent for Rocori and support InHarvest’s Cambridge. Schools in Cold Spring. foodservice sales team Sara (Granheim) Deering while working closely with and husband Richard 1992 the marketing and culinary welcomed twin girls, Emily Michael Simonson teams to drive higher Kathryn and Anna Mae, on published a children’s performance in the Twin Oct. 19, 2018. They join a book, You Are Brilliant, Cities. big sister at home. a story about classmates who discover their special 1998 2003 talents, help others, and Michael Walker was named David Everson recently build their self-confidence, the head boy’s basketball received his doctorate in 2018. coach for Roosevelt High in sociology from the School in Minneapolis. University of Notre Dame. 1993 He is currently an assistant Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt 2001 professor at the University won the Southern Chemist Jose Lamas was of Southern Maine in Award from the American awarded the 2017 Dean’s Portland. Chemical Society for Distinguished Award at Nuclear Chemistry the Celebration of Success 2004 Research. He teaches event at Minnesota West Christine Hollinger is a Biochemistry at Florida Community and Technical choral director at the Music State University. He will be College. The award was Academy of the West, Santa presented the award at the for assisting immigrant Barbara, Calif. She also uses American Chemical Society populations within a her talent to perform in Conference in March 2019. 12-country area fight Santa Barbara’s musical Robert Lipsey was poverty. community by singing in promoted to director of Vanessa (Melton) Larson numerous ensembles, and the TRIO Student Services teaches at Glacial Hills teaching piano and voice at Iowa State University in Elementary School in lessons. Ames, Iowa. Starbuck. All cities are in Minnesota unless noted.
2005 Paula Emberland has been named project coordinator with Anez Consulting, Inc. in Willmar. Laura Karels established the band, Bee Balm Fields, in 2015. They perform folk songs and originals written by Karels. This past September she brought the band back to her hometown of New Ulm to play in The Grand Kabaret. Joshua Scholten and wife Melissa (Wookey ’07) welcomed a baby girl, Penelope Louise, on Sept. 1, 2018. 2006 Amy (Jansen) Doucette and husband Neil welcomed Elsie Anne on June 28, 2018. Jennifer (Koch) Eisenbeis recently moved from Dallas, Tex., to Manchester, N.H. Drew Moldenhauer is a police officer in Ramsey and recently earned his master’s degree in Public Safety Executive Leadership from St. Cloud State University. Julie Stevenson (MS) has been selected to join the second South Dakota Change Network cohort, which provides South Dakota, North Dakota and the region’s 12 Native nations with supportive learning environments to lead change within organizations and communities. Aldon Struchen was named the new head coach for the varsity wrestling team in Alexandria. 2007 Brooke (Averill) Ortmann and husband Tony (’08) welcomed McCoy Anthony Averill on July 2, 2018. Allen Deutz and his wife, Kathleen (‘06/MS ’13), were named Minnesota Extension Lyon Country Farm Family Of The Year in August 2018.
[ class notes ] 2008 Rachel (Lehman) Cline and husband Nick welcomed Ava Rose on July 10, 2018. She joins big brother Jaxson. Kurtis Hedrick and wife Kaia welcomed a baby girl, Selma Jane, on Sept. 17, 2018. Ryan and Emily (Dyste ’09) Jaeger adopted Jocelyn Miracle on May 12, 2018. Benjamin Kniefel and wife Alicia welcomed twin boys, Blake Daniel and Luke James, on May 10, 2018. Xavier Pastrano’s book of poetry XXX (Thirty) was published by Prolific Press Inc. in the fall of 2018. Xavier resides in Sioux Falls, S.D., with his wife and son, and teaches high school English. Xavier gave a reading at SMSU on Sept. 25. Angie (Siegfried) Steinbach has been named the new Yellow Medicine County (Minnesota) administrator and begins her duties at the end of January, 2019. 2009 Ross Demasi and wife Joanne welcomed baby Jett on July 13, 2018. Tiffany (Harstad) and Kendall Bailey welcomed baby Sophie Ann on June 21, 2018. Jeffery Mimick recently accepted a position as Assistant Vice President of Agriculture/ Commercial Loan Officer at First State Bank & Trust Co. in Fremont. Paul Muecke (MBA ’11) married Tricia Weaner on Oct. 13, 2018. David Pennertz and wife Katherince (Roberts ’12) welcomed a baby boy, Theodore David, on Oct. 18, 2018.
2010 Trina (Dammann) McAlpin and husband Logan (’11) welcomed baby Kennedy on July 2, 2018. Stephanie Ward (MS) is the Buffalo High School and Phoenix Learning Center Assistant Principal in Buffalo. 2011 Jeremy Blackwelder is a full partner in the Granite Falls-based law firm of Holmstrom & Kvam, PLLP. He has worked for the firm since 2014. Veronica Fischer was the 2018 convocation speaker for SMSU’s Gold Rush Days. She is the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at Toro University, Las Vegas, Nev. Taylor Huseby and wife Sara (Smith ‘06) welcomed a baby boy, Xavier Smith, on Aug. 16, 2018. Megan (Lewis) Bonnstetter and husband Mike welcomed baby Sophie Elizabeth on May 10, 2018. Allison Zollner married Ryan Schwagel on Aug. 18, 2018. 2012 Jason Bobbin and wife Katie (Vermeer) welcomed Keira Beth on Aug. 1, 2018. Toni Harms married Aaron Lewis on Oct. 6, 2018. Ashley (Johnson) Becker and husband AJ welcomed baby Macklyn Joyce on Sept. 24, 2018. Jamie Spencer-Pullman recently began a special education paraprofessional job in Pierre, S.D. 2013 Andy Comer married Aimee Evelsizer on Oct. 20, 2018. Rachel (Serreyn) Krall and husband Joseph welcomed Gavin Jon on
April 23, 2018. Justin Prokosch and wife Katie welcomed twin boys, Isidore Otto and Augustine Steven, on July 14, 2018. They join brothers Leo and Mathias.
Alex Weis married McKenzie Besel (’18) on Aug. 11, 2018. Mckenzie teaches 7-8 grade science at the New Ulm Middle School in New Ulm.
2014 Breanna (Holleman) Smith and husband Nicholas (MBA ‘17) welcomed a baby boy on July 22, 2018. Kyle Pavek married Tierney Chlan on Sept. 1, 2018 in New Prague. Charlie Rattler married Jesmine Sanabria (’16) on April 14, 2018.
Stephanie Wisdom featured her art in the Raw Natural Born Artists Show in July 2018 in Minneapolis. She also started a new job for the Postal Service delivering mail in rural Zimmerman. Makayla Zetah teaches kindergarten at Lac qui Parle Valley Schools in Madison.
2015 Ryan Bartz was presented the Outstanding Employee with a Disability Award by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard. Bartz began two summer internships with the USD Center for Disabilities after receiving his degree from SMSU. After that, he began working at the center fulltime while still holding a position at the Sioux Falls Hy-Vee. Outside of work, Bartz is a member of the Sioux Falls Young Professionals. Alexis (Beierman) Erickson and husband, Shane, welcomed a daughter, Hattie Doris, on May 27, 2018.
2018 Allison Getting is a Prairie Elementary second-grade teacher in Worthington, Minn. Katarina Kuhlmann is a fifth-grade teacher at Prairie Wind Middle School in Perham. She also is a varsity volleyball assistant coach. Cole Munson is a field sales manager for Samsung in Eau Claire, Wis. Mary Poppe is a fourth-grade teacher at Prairie Elementary in Worthington. McKenzie Van Batavia is a special education teacher for the Worthington Public Schools, Worthington.
2016 Katlyn Sandbulte married Jacob Benson (’18) on Feb. 3, 2018. Alyssa Prior is teaching grade 7-12 English as a Second Language at Grey Eagle Secondary in Long Prairie.
IN MEMORIAM Gregory Bottelberghe (’80) passed away unexpectedly on June 9, 2018 at the age of 60. Stacy Brewers (’95) passed away on May 27, 2018. Debra (Lucas) Eckert (’82) passed away on Nov. 10, 2017 at the age of 57. Diann Hafner (’90) passed away on Sept. 5, 2018. Linda Jagielo, former Education faculty member, passed away on May 3, 2018.
2017 Emily Hester is the new head coach for the women’s soccer team at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Chasady Lueck married Jacob Frederickson on May 19, 2018.
All cities are in Minnesota unless noted.
Steven Kinney (’77) passed away on Dec. 17, 2017. He was 67. Adrian Louis, former SMSU Professor of English, passed away on Sept. 9, 2018. Perry Lueders, former Professor of English, passed away on Aug. 13, 2018 at the age of 80. He was employed at SMSU from 1967-1996. Donald McMillan, former Professor of Industrial Electronic Technology, passed away on Oct. 16, 2018, after a short illness. He was 87. He taught at SMSU from 1984-1995. Deb Morgan (’79) passed away on Nov. 8, 2018 after a battle with cancer. She was an Alumni Achievement Award recipient in 2012. Gloria (Phelan) Mensing (’75) passed away Dec. 1, 2016 at the age of 63 following a battle with cancer. Thaddeus Radzilowski, former Professor of History, Director of Rural Studies and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, passed away July 20, 2018. He worked at SMSU from 1970-1998. Darin Schoeberl (’92) passed away on Aug. 6, 2018 at the age of 50. Gloria (Schwing) VanDenBroeke (’83, MBA ’02) passed away on May 9, 2018. Linda (Pearson) Vilmo (’76) passed away on April 26, 2018. 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
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FOUNDATION Annual Report Dear Fellow Alumni and Friends, It is my pleasure to share with you the annual report for the Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation. All of us at SMSU are very grateful for the continued support that we receive from our many alumni and friends. Under the leadership of a generous board of directors, the SMSU Foundation continues to garner private support and make investments in the University that enhance the opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff. This year we surpassed the $1 million mark in private scholarships granted to our students. These scholarships help remove financial barriers for students, allow us to recruit and retain quality students and help us invest in students that will soon become valuable members of our workforce as they embark on their careers. We also continue to collaborate with donors to make investments that support the valuable research, teaching, and training needs of our academic programs. Highlights this year included helping acquire a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and a new Planetarium projection system to support our science programs. These projects and many more were made possible by the support of alumni and donors like yourself. Each gift has a meaningful impact in its own way. On behalf of the Foundation Board, the students, faculty and staff at SMSU I want to say thank you for your investment in us. We have much to be thankful for and appreciate the trust you have placed in us to steward your gifts for the betterment of this great University.
Sincerely,
Bill Mulso Vice President for Advancement Foundation Executive Director
President Brian Knochenmus ’00
Secretary/Treasurer Kristi Mukomela ’80
1st Vice President Jerry Bly ’71
Past President Dorene KronkeMcCourt ’73
2nd Vice President Bruce Saugstad ’89
16
Executive Director Bill Mulso ’93
FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT
2017-18
Robert Aufenthie Julie Bleyhl ’84 Vicki Brockman ’82 Timothy Burns ’72 Tina Cartwright ’97 Rebekah Danielson ’18 Bill DeLay ’85 Lee French ’72 Robert Gunther ’77 Dick Jones ’73 Jim Kontz
2017-18 FOUNDATION
Board of Directors
Dan Koster ’85 Jefferson Lee IV ’96/’11 Charles Myrbach Ken Mukomela Mike Rich Joe Roers ’05
Karen Sweetland Diane Taylor ’75 Cindy Verschaetse Dave Werpy ’79 Brad Winkelman ’91 Tricia Zimmer
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 (Fiscal Year 2018)
$3,579,652
Foundation Support for FY 2016 Scholarships University $3,105,504 $1,008,030 Development
3,838
$1,171,550
Donors
$810,149
Academic and Program Support $810,149
Fundraising $589,923
Academic Support
NET ASSETS & FOUNDATION SUPPORT Fiscal Year 2010 – Fiscal Year 2018
FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018
$3,087,727
$1,008,030
Foundation Support
$6,839,030
Student Scholarships
Total Net Assets
$2,578,221 $8,600,180 $2,704,687 $9,757,887
973
$3,068,921 $11,035,097
Scholarships Awarded
$3,394,660 $12,646,210 $2,993,367 $13,337,874 $3,105,504
61%
$12,904,271 $3,305,004
Faculty & Staff Give
$14,406,615 $3,579,652 $15,070,511
SMSU values the support of all of our donors who support our students and our mission. We thank all of the alumni, parents, and friends whose generosity makes our work possible. A complete honor roll of donors can be found on our website at
www.SMSUFoundation.org/HonorRollofDonors
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Community Businesses Fund Student Scholarships A growing number of businesses within the region have found the value in establishing scholarships through the SMSU Foundation. “It’s a great partnership opporunity for us,” said Bill Mulso, Executive Director of the SMSU Foundation and Vice President for Advancement. “They see the value; it’s workforce development, and a way for these businesses to develop a relationship with students during their years at SMSU — it’s a way to recruit employees, and retain those employees.” For example, scholarships have been established by Centrol Crop Consulting, Carr Properties, Ralco, Action Trackchair, New Horizon Farms, Bremer Bank, and Avera, to name just a few. Students who are awarded these scholarships are encouraged to write a thank-you letter, and often meet their benefactors at the annual Scholarship Luncheon, where scholarship providers and recipients can meet and get to know one another. SMSU and the businesses establish criteria for the individual scholarships. Centrol Crop Consulting, for instance, awards its scholarship to an upperclass student in good academic standing who has completed at least one internship with Centrol; Action Trackchair Wheelchair Basketball Scholarship is awarded to a student
in good academic standing who is a member of the wheelchair basketball team; Bremer Behrends Bank Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior with demonstrated leadership ability who has a business or ag-related major; and so on. Melanie Behrends is enrolled in the RN to BSN nursing program at SMSU and is an example of someone who understands the importance of these scholarships. The married mother of two received an Avera Marshall Nursing Scholarship and said, “By awarding me (this) scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden, which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school — learning. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.” Donna Bastemeyer-Parlin is a senior Social Science Education major who wants to stay in the region upon graduation to teach middle school social studies or high school government and history. She received
Bastemeyer-Parlin
Kile
the Carr Properties Scholarship. “As a non-traditional student trying to balance my courses, work and other responsibilities, this scholarship will help me reach my goals,”’ she said. Ryan Kile received the Action Trackchair Wheelchair Basketball Scholarship, and, after a four-year career on the team, will earn his MBA in May 2020. “I pride myself on having no student loans, and with (the scholarship), I am able to continue my education without having to take out a student loan. My professional goal is to get a job with US Bank in Lincoln, Neb.” Endowed scholarships by individuals, families or businesses can be established with a minimum contribution of $15,000, while annually-funded scholarships require on-going charitable contributions. Please contact the SMSU Foundation at: SMSUFoundation@SMSU.edu for more information.
Winston Gittens Diversity in Education Scholarship Dr. Winston Gittens was not at SMSU long, but he certainly made an impact. Dr. Gittens, an Associate Professor of Education, taught both undergraduate and graduate Education courses at SMSU at the time of his untimely passing in December, 2010. During the holiday break, he was traveling to visit his mother in Baird’s Village, St. Joseph, when he suffered a heart attack. Dr. Gittens was a champion of diversity and respect for all. He was a Barbados native and promoted diversity and multicultural education as part of his daily life. Alumni and friends of the SMSU School of Education have endowed — through the SMSU Foundation — the Winston Gittens Diversity in Education Scholarship in his honor. He is remembered as a scholar, professional, colleague and friend. It is the purpose of the Winston Gittens Diversity in Education Scholarship to promote diverse teacher candidates who exemplify the characteristics of Dr. Gittens.
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Dr. Gittens was originally from Barbados. He came to the U.S. in 1995 and earned his master’s from the University of Puerto Rico and his Ph.D. from Miami University. He embraced the Midwest, and SMSU, and the scholarship will continue his legacy, and ideals, in the years to come. The SMSU School of Education is utilizing the Foundation’s online Gittens peer-to-peer fundraising website to generate support for this scholarship. Ggifts to this scholarship can be made online at give.SMSU.edu.
Foundation to Host Women’s Leadership Conference The inaugural SMSU Foundation Women’s Leadership Conference on April 11, 2019 is an event that will raise scholarship dollars for promising female leaders in their junior and senior years at SMSU. “The Foundation hosts other scholarship fundraising opportunities, such as the University Gala and the Farm Outlook Seminar,” said Stacy Frost, Director of Development and one of the event organizers. “Cindy Verschaetse is one of our Foundation Board members and she approached me with the idea to create an event that brings together women in leadership and supports our female students,” said Frost. Verschaetse attended SMSU from 1981-85 and was a member of the Mustang Volleyball team. She currently serves as the Consumer Banking Director at Bremer Bank in Marshall. “Cindy, Beth Weatherby (former
SMSU provost) and I started the Women’s Connect program in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce,” said Frost. “Over the years, Cindy has made it her mission to advocate for women in leadership roles.” The conference will feature keynote speaker Elizabeth Suárez, an accomplished practitioner, management consultant and expert in the fields of alternative dispute resolution, leadership and inclusiveness. She has over 15 years climbing the ranks of Corporate America, and today is highly regarded as an author, speaker, facilitator, coach, strategist, trainer and mediator. She works with clients in education, government and business. Following the keynote presentation, four women leaders will conduct breakout sessions on such topics as: Emotional Intelligence, Personal Branding, Vision Mapping, and Mentorship. Participants can choose
to attend two of the breakout sessions during the day. Joining Suárez as session leaders will be Erin Lind ’73, “Emotional Intelligence: Leading with Confidence;” Christy Brusven ’01, “Branding Yourself: Holding on to Your Experiences;” and Dorene Kronke-McCourt ’73, “Mentorship: Learn. Earn. Return.” Suárez’s session topic is “Vision Mapping: Career, Family, Interests.” All four session leaders will close the day in a roundtable discussion facilitated by SMSU alumni Kris Taylor ’87 and Tina Cartwright ’97. Proceeds from this first annual event will go toward an endowed scholarship fund that will support female students in their junior or senior year at SMSU who demonstrate leadership on campus and are role models for fellow students. The conference planning committee includes: Frost, Verschaetse, Sarah Ackerman ’98, Tina Cartwright, and Ann Roemen ’84.
Registration and event details will be available online after January 1: www.SMSUFoundation.org
Top row from left: Elizabeth Suárez, Cindy Verschaetse, Erin Lind, Christy Brusven, Dorene Kronke-McCourt. Bottom row from left: Kris Taylor, Tina Cartwright, Stacy Frost, Sarah Ackerman, and Ann Roeman.
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Leveraged Equipment Promotes Hands-on Learning
Chemistry students utilize the new equipment for hands-on learning.
SMSU is now home to a new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer, a fact that brings a big smile to Professor of Chemistry Jay Brown. “It’s an important instrument for an organic chemist that is used to determine molecular structures. It’s one of the most heavily used instruments in a science department. A program without an NMR spectrometer is very limited in what it can do,” said Brown. The new spectrometer arrived in June 2018, and it took two engineers three weeks to get it set up and pass all necessary inspections, said Brown. “The old instrument was purchased in 1996,” explained Brown. “The company that built it went out of business about 10 years ago, so we were having a difficult time buying replacement parts for it. The parts were as old as the original instrument.” The new instrument costs six figures, however, and the question was — “how do we afford it?” Things came together after Brown was discussing the need for the instrument with Tony Greenfield, Professor of Biology. “It was his idea to come up with some leveraged equipment funds,” said Brown. About that time, Brown was contacted by a company that makes NMR spectrometers — Bruker, Inc. “They were offering a deep discount on last year’s model. We worked with them, and so many different SMSU offices and individuals, to make it happen.” Bruker’s discount was parlayed with a grant from the SMSU Foundation. Those, in turn, allowed SMSU to access leveraged equipment funds from the Minnesota State system. “We were still a little bit short,” said Brown. “We accessed private funds, such as science alumni, and found a way. So many people came together to get this purchased. It was a great way for the instrument to come to campus.” The magnet for the instrument was made in Switzerland, and shipped to Germany, where the rest of the spectrometer
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was constructed. It was then shipped to suburban Boston, where Bruker is headquartered. From there, it traveled cross-country to Marshall. “Bruker’s own engineers came to set up,” said Brown. “I shut the old one down. I had to quench the magnet, because they don’t have an off switch, and had to drain off the current. The custodial staff was very helpful in hauling it out, some of the pieces were very big. We also had two SMSU electricians change the wall voltage, and we needed some additional plumbing for the air system.” A large group effort, in other words. “It sure Brown was,” said Brown. “People in purchasing, at the Physical Plant — there were so many areas that came together to make this happen.” A special open house for the spectrometer was held in late November. As for the instrument itself, its presence will mean SMSU students will have an NMR spectrometer to work with “It’s used in the pharmaceutical and petroleum industries. I use it for herbicide analysis, and our students use it in a food analysis course. It’s being used more and more by the food sciences. The honey industry uses it because the U.S. is getting stricter and it’s the only instrument that hasn’t been fooled yet (by honey additives).” Brown calls it “very intuitive” and said it takes less than a half hour to train students. “There are very few instruments available to chemists that can give you a molecular structure. This is the one that gives you the structure itself. If you have to know the structure of the latest and greatest drug, this is what you’ll use. It works with chemicals in a solution.” The instrument is set up with probes that can map carbon and hydrogen atoms. “The instrument is expandable, for instance, for phosphorous and nitrogen. Those take additional probes, which are expensive,” he said. “This is great news for our students. It was much needed, and I’m appreciative of everyone who helped make it happen.”
Michelle Stoner and Neal Wahlman
The Mustang Mentor Program Mustangs Helping Mustangs
A new program pairing SMSU students with alumni in a mentoring relationship is off to a good start. The Mustang Mentorship Program was started a year ago, with the intent to match alumni with students who wish to learn from successful individuals in the working world. Michelle Stoner, a first-year graduate student at St. Cloud State, was one of the first students to participate. She graduated from SMSU in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in Sociology. She was mentored by Neal Wahlman, a member of the Alumni Association Board and at the time, its president. She worked for two years in the Residence Life office at SMSU, and was encouraged by Wanda Paluch to explore higher education as a career.
“It was a pilot program,” explained Wahlman. “The idea was to put students in touch with professional contacts who can help them in any way, be that advice, being a sounding board, or putting them in touch with contacts who may assist them as they begin their careers.” Wahlman has a brother-in-law, Jim Johnson, who is a professor in the Education Department at St. Cloud. “It was a pleasure to be able to introduce Jim and Michelle, and she was happy to have had a contact and an advocate,” said Wahlman. At St. Cloud, she is a graduate assistant in the School of Education, and a graduate intern in the Department of Residential Life. Stoner said she benefitted from the Mustang Mentorship Program. “I started
with Neal the fall of my senior year. He lives in Plymouth, so we’d meet when he was in Marshall, and we’d communicate via e-mail. He answered questions I had, and talked about the path I was taking as graduation neared. The benefit, to me, was that it helped build connections. It was also a personal relationship, we keep each other updated on our lives.” Upon receipt of her master’s degree, she would like to explore the student affairs aspect of higher education. “I’m leaning that way, at least that’s where I figure I’ll start out,” she said. She speaks highly of the Mustang Mentorship Program, and of the personal relationships she developed at SMSU which assisted her in charting her career path.
To learn more about how you can make a difference in the life of a young alumnus, visit us online at www.SMSUAlumni.com or call the Alumni Office at 1-800-260-0970.
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UPCOMING EVENTS The SMSU Alumni Association Hosts
BASKETBALL FEVER WEEKEND JANUARY 11-12, 2019
FRI., JAN. 11: Mustangs vs. Concordia-St. Paul Women @ 5:30pm Men @ 7:30pm Gangelhoff Center
SAT., JAN. 12: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans 7:00pm Target Center
Purchase Timberwolves tickets online at timberwolves.com/groupoffers Use promo code: SMSUAlumni January 12 – Minnesota Timberwolves – Minneapolis, MN February 2 – Hall of Honor – Marshall, MN February 2 – Hawaiian Night – Marshall, MN February 16 – Mustang Ice Classic - Lake Sarah, MN February 23 – Gold Rush Raffle – Marshall, MN March 5 – GOLD on the ROAD – Phoenix, AZ May 11 – Commencement – Marshall, MN October 12 – Homecoming 2019 – Marshall, MN
For information, tickets, and more events, visit: SMSUALUMNI.COM