The Woods 2020 Alumni Magazine

2020 PAGE 30

An Enduring Legacy Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett reflects on the 30th anniversary of her becoming WWU president

The official alumni magazine of William Woods University

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SNAPSHOT

An Ivy Like No Other The global COVID-19 pandemic altered life both on and off the WWU campus thoughout 2020, causing unprecedented levels of disruption, flexibility, and adaptation. That included a series of six Ivy Ceremonies in August, a first in University history, to adhere to the principles of physical distancing.

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THE WOODS Staff The Woods magazine is the official alumni magainze of William Woods University and is published annually by the Office of Strategic Communications. Its mission is to connect alumni and other members of the University community to the University and to one another. front cover: Photo by Micala Austin Photography back cover: Photo by Micala Austin Photography

A DMIN ISTR AT ION

CONTRIBUTORS

Jahnae H. Barnett

Ashley Brown ‘90, ‘03

Scott T. Gallagher

John Fougere

President

Vice President of Strategic Communications

John Fougere

Vice President of Strategic Communications

Paige Willis

Communications Coordinator

Kathy Groves

Jennifer Garcia

Vice President of Advancement

Micala Austin ‘13 Maddie Carlson ‘21 Paige Willis

We salute Dr. Julian Hertzog, Professor of Psychology and Education, on his 45 years at William Woods University! Thank you for your years of service, and we hope for many more.

Director of Marketing

University Vice President

PHOTO GR APHY

45 Years!

Graphic Design Coordinator

Veronica Townsend ‘21 Student of Communications

Follow us!

@WilliamWoodsU and #WilliamWoods

Purple Thursday Faculty and staff wore purple on October 24, 2019 to raise money for CARDV for domestic violence awareness.

©William Woods University. All rights reserved. For permissions, please contact marketing@williamwoods.edu.

To submit articles or update your alumni information and live events, please email publications@williamwoods.edu or send to us at One University Avenue, Academic Building Suite 208, Fulton, MO 65251

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Scholarship!

Savanna Miller ’20, has been awarded the prestigious United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) Maria Knight Scholarship! The scholarship, worth $3,000, is one of three awarded by the UPHA that go to deserving children of professional horsemen.

photos taken before march 2020

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in this issue 30 38

...

F E AT U R E S

A Transformational Figure Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett on

the 30th anniversary of her becoming WWU President.

Silent Spring

When a global pandemic arrived at William Woods in March, there was no playbook on how to handle it. So WWU’s leaders had to make their own.

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The New Normal The “new normal” comes to The Woods: the first week of fall semester classes during the pandemic.

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E V E RY

4 From the President 5 Into The Woods

Be My Valentine!

On Monday, Febrauary 10, 2020 our sorority women got together to watch the Bachelor during Valentine’s Week! Both the sororities and fraternities used the week to bond with other chapters and hold fundraisers, such as the Interfraternity Council selling chocolate covered strawberries on campus!

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Learn what’s happening in and around campus, with news, notes, and profiles about the University and its students, staff, and faculty.

WWU alums on the front lines

Risking Their Lives in the fight against COVID-19.

I S S U E 56 Echo Reminiscing Equestrian Alumni Reunion Photos Class Notes Featured Alums Marty Leathers ‘14 Kristina Baum ‘04 Kate Engemann ‘02 Olivia Imhoff ‘19 Amber Cox ‘96, ‘98 Alum Spotlight Ann Hoffman, ‘85

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From the President A famous singer once wrote “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

“WHEN IT COMES TO BEING INNOVATIVE, WORKING TOGETHER OR MEETING THE TOUGHEST OF OBSTACLES, THERE REALLY IS A ‘WILLIAM WOODS WAY’ THAT MOVES US ALL FORWARD.”

For more than two years at William Woods University, our campus meticulously prepared to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University during 2020. We were busy making plans ourselves, for a year-long celebration throughout this entire calendar year, befitting all we had achieved in our past, the lofty place we find ourselves in the present, and the shining potential of our future.

But then life happened, in the form of a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis - and our 150th celebration, along with commencement, alumni weekend, and a host of other on-campus events, became history.

Years from now, historians of both William Woods and our greater society will always remember 2020 as the year of COVID-19, when a strange and unpredictable virus seemingly brought a halt to everything that was familiar to us in our daily lives. For the most part, it will not be a joyful memory, as our new reality called upon us to make uncomfortable and inconvenient adjustments and sacrifices, just to live something close to a normal existence while staying safe and healthy. But here at WWU, the crisis also reinforced something I always knew to be true – the outstanding quality of our students, faculty and staff and their care for our University.

Throughout this edition of The Woods, you will find stories of the extraordinary lengths our staff and faculty went to in addressing the challenge of our times - like the around-the-clock teamwork it took to move all students from campus to home safely when the virus first stuck in March - or the incredible flexibility and resilience of our faculty and students in effortlessly transitioning to online classes on what seemed like a moment’s notice - or the unprecedented task of planning for a successful fall semester of in-person classes on campus during a global pandemic. And our response does not even end at the boundaries to our campus – you can also read about the heroic work of some William Woods graduates battling the virus in their communities as part of the health care or emergency response field.

After 30 years as William Woods President on this campus, I expected our community to rise to this unheard-of challenge. I have watched good people come and go throughout my tenure here, be it students, faculty or staff, but what has remained is the same consistent love and commitment of those who selected to study or work at this institution. When it comes to being innovative, working together or meeting the toughest of obstacles, there really is a “William Woods Way” that moves us all forward. It has made me immensely proud over the years, and it is why, one would suspect, that we have endured for 150 years as a university.

So yes, we did not get to celebrate our history as we originally intended during 2020 at William Woods.

Instead, you could say, we all made history, which bodes well for our future.

Keep the William Woods University family strong.

Please consider giving to your alma mater by visiting williamwoods.edu/giving

Sincerely,

micala austin photography (3)

Jahnae H. Barnett President

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Into THE WOODS

... AND AROUND THE CAMPUS

A TIME LIKE NO OTHER The college years are ones of significant growth. Especially during our undergraduate years, when the final transition from adolescence to adulthood typically takes place.

We learn so many of the lessons of life during our years on campus, and never was this more true than during the extraordinary year of 2020.

2020 was supposed to be a year of celebration at The Woods, as we spent an entire calendar year marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of our beloved University. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic intervened, and all of us had to trade in our commemorative 150th Anniversary attire for face coverings, and our packed campus celebration events for physical distancing. It all amounted to one more of life’s lessons for all of us at William Woods that life will not always be easy, and we all face obstacles at some point.

But we also learned that if we are committed, passionate, adaptable and determined, we can overcome most anything - even our time in college during a global pandemic.

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Into THE WOODS HOOT!

Another “Triumph” for The Woods

Adding to our status as a military-friendly university is the Triumph Program, a partnership between WWU and Missouri Military Academy in which MMA cadets take classes at William Woods and receive college credit while still in high school. 31 MMA students, the most ever in the three-year old partnership, enrolled at William Woods for the fall 2020 semester.

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Serving Those Who Serve William Woods University continues to be the “GOLD” standard for military-friendly universities While the Spring 2020 semester may have been disrupted by MILITARY the COVID-19 pandemic, what did continue at The Woods was more evidence of the University’s military-friendly environment.

In another measure of progress for the historic partnership between WWU and the Missouri National Guard, the University’s Show-Me Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program began Spring semester 2020 classes with the largest enrollment the new program has seen to date.

Eleven students enrolled in the program in January 2020, a comparable number to what other Missouri universities enrolled during the first year of the GOLD program on their campuses.

“We are pleased at the growth we are experiencing in the Show Me GOLD program at William Woods, which benefits both the University in terms of enrollment and the State of Missouri by providing commissioned officers to the Missouri National Guard,” said Scott Zimmerman, Instructor of Leadership and Military Studies at William Woods. “As one of only five Missouri universities to offer Show-Me GOLD, and the only one in mid-Missouri, we are confident about our future prospects at The Woods.”

WWU announced the establishment of the Show-Me GOLD program in August 2018, becoming the first private institution to host the program.

Designed to train and prepare young men and women to serve as commissioned officers in the Missouri National Guard, the Show-Me GOLD program first began being offered at William Woods during the Fall 2019 semester. The university opened its on-campus headquarters for the program in April 2019.

The addition of the Show-Me GOLD program has yielded additional benefits to all WWU students, regardless of major. In 2019, the University began offering a minor in Leadership and Military Studies, specifically designed for students who are not planning on joining the National Guard or embarking on a military career but desire military-level leadership skills. Closely linked with the GOLD program under the Leadership and Military Studies Department, the new Leadership and Military Studies minor offers military-style leadership training to students through academic and hands-on environments. Stu-

dents learn crucial leadership skills demanded by the private sector, government organizations and the military, all designed to make them more attractive to potential employers.

The Show-Me GOLD program is just one example of William Woods’ proud status as an official Military Friendly university. In February 2020, the nation’s premiere military marketing company released its national list of Military Friendly colleges and universities for 2020-2021, with a salute to The Woods. Viqtory Recruitment Marketing Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based, veteran-owned firm that specializes in connecting retired military veterans with employment opportunities, released its annual list of colleges, universities and businesses that they designate as officially “Military Friendly.” WWU was one of nine four-year Missouri colleges and universities to earn the designation for 2020-2021, and one of only three in mid-Missouri.

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“WE ARE PLEASED AT THE GROWTH WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN THE SHOW ME GOLD PROGRAM AT WILLIAM WOODS.”

john fougere (2) ; photos taken before march 2020

Captain Brett Kirk instructs Show-Me GOLD students in a class at Aldridge Hall.

“We take great pride in our longtime commitment to military service members, and are pleased to have that commitment recognized with this official designation as a Military Friendly institution,” said Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett, President of William Woods University. “We prize the extraordinary talent and experience that military service members and veterans bring to our University community, and are proud to offer them affordability, flexibility and meaningful educational opportunities.”

Criteria for the Military Friendly designation includes a university’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community. William Woods was cited as offering many options to help military members and veterans to pay for their education whether on campus, online or evening programs, including locking in tuition rates once an individual begins at WWU regardless if deployment occurs.

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Into THE WOODS

Hoots OWL Achievement Awards At the end of every academic year, William Woods University recognizes a select group of students with its OWL Achievement Award.

Barbara Tramutt turns 100

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY!

JENNAH ARRINGTON Accounting Holland, TX

CAITLIN COOK Biology (Pre-Vet) Greenwood, MO

JUAN ESTEBAN DURAN AVELLANEDA Business Administration Flushing, NY

STEPHEN GEORGE Political/Legal studies Grubville, MO

THOMAS CARBONE Communications Cedar Hill, MO GRANT CLAYTON Communications

KARIS HOLM Biology MEGAN TOLIAS Business Administration Fulton, MO

KAYTON COFFEE Biology (Pre-Med) Bentonville, AR

MAGGIE WIEBERG Education (Middle School) Argyle, MO

KIRA CONKLIN Biology (Pre-Vet) Oakwood, IL

ALEXIS WILLINGHAM Art Education Columbia, MO

McNutt Award:

Cockrell Award:

HANNAH CRONIN English Education Wauconda, IL

DARYL PARUNGAO Psychology Fulton, MO

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left, courtesy paige willis ; right, tiffany smith ; photos taken before march 2020

One of our alumna turned 100 this year (2019)!

Director of Athletics and Advancement Officer Jason Vittone met this wonderful member of the William Woods community while traveling in the Denver area.

Barbara Tramutt has many memories from her time at The Woods that we loved to hear about. Barbara’s major is listed as AFA (she majored in music - pipe organ) and she is class of 1938! She went on to work in journalism. She worked for the Denver Post newspaper, and she has 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren!

Here are the recipients for the 2019-2020 academic year:

SPORTS

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Whitneigh Drown Alicia Engelbrecht Ryan Esterline Faith Gerling Katie Keath Elizabeth Luebbert Harley Nale Kimi Putnam Reyna Schmauch MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Alex Bossing Tyler Bossing Hunter Carpenter Jackson Conner Ben Farrell Zachary Knopf Cole Koch Nathaniel Ogden Schuyler Ogden Charlie Schattgen MEN’S SOCCER Jon Buerge Dan Dougill Roberto Duro Sanchez Ben Faherty Victor Faure Alberto Pitarch Ayden Propst Darren Wilson

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William Woods Placed 49 Owls in the Fall 2019 Midwest Academic All-Conference

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Academic All-Conference Honorees

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Kayton Coffee Kate Doerhoff Alli Gueck Remie Johnson Kira Krebill Hannah Kuehl Brooke Reed Tori Rosemann Nise Salima Tess Schannuth Jaclyn Zahn Kylie Zamboni-Cutter WOMEN’S SOCCER Colleen Bayer McKenzie Gourley Madysen Hahn Aurora Henriksen Taylor Hoeltke Rosemary Lenz Arianna Meikel Brianna Morrow Abby Prather-Turner Alexis Willingham

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Fourth consecutive state collegiate championship highlights banner year for William Woods DECA Chapter

BY JOHN FOUGERE

also the exciting opportunities possible for someone who decides to attend The Woods.”

The WWU victory was highlighted by the duo of Meredith Aguado ’22 and Jade Schmedding ’22 winning the Event Planning competition; Ben Schmiemeier ’21 placing second and Elizabeth Tamborski ’22 third in the Human Resource Management event, and WWU finishing third out of 11 teams in the Trivia Bowl.

Graduate student Nina McKee ’19 was also honored with a special award for excellence in the Business and Management exam. Also representing WWU at the competition was Stephanie Almazan ’23.

Earlier during the school year, another William Woods DECA student also claimed an impressive championship. Karyna Sagalai ’20, was crowned as champion of the organization’s Collegiate Stock Market Competition. A native of Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, Sagalai claimed first place in the December 2019 competition that included students from 40 colleges and universities across the nation.

The Collegiate DECA Stock Market Game is an online simulation that challenges teams with building and managing a $100,000 virtual investment portfolio of stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Participants managed all aspects of the portfolio including asset selection, buying and selling. Rankings were based on percentage growth against the S&P 500, with participants required to hold at least one bond, one stock and one mutual fund by the final trade date.

Fluent in three languages, Sagalai graduated in April 2020 with a triple major in business, accounting and management information plus a minor in mathematics.

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photo courtesy david forster ; photo taken before march 2020

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It might be time to call it what it is – a dynasty!

For the first time, a Missouri university was named state Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year for four consecutive years, and that institution was William Woods University (WWU). The WWU team once again claimed the honor at the Missouri Collegiate DECA annual conference, which took place February 27 and 28 in Lake Ozark, becoming the first school ever to win the prestigious award four years in a row.

Around 100 Collegiate DECA participants attended the conference, representing 11 Missouri colleges and universities.

DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the fields of marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. William Woods is one of 250 campuses around the world with a Collegiate DECA chapter.

The Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year is determined by participation in the Leadership Passport Program, a scrapbook outlining chapter activities, and an interview conducted at the state conference. The Leadership Passport Program is a recognition program also hosted at the national level that honors Collegiate DECA chapters and individuals for completing activities in the categories of Academically Successful and Career Ready, Community Oriented, Professionally Responsible and Experienced Leaders.

“Having William Woods named DECA Collegiate Chapter of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, beating out teams from much larger universities in the process, is pretty remarkable,” said David Forster, Associate Professor of Business and Economics and DECA advisor at WWU. “Our success illustrates not only the outstanding quality of students we have, but

Into

We... Are the Champions (again)!

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Into

Diamonds are Forever

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Museum president shares tales of Negro Leagues Baseball history in visit to WWU.

BY VERONICA TOWNS END

“WE SHOULD BE EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES. HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE LENS OF BASEBALL AND THESE TRIUMPHANT STORIES THEY WALK AWAY UNDERSTANDING THAT.”

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Bob Kendrick has dedicated much of his life toward sharing the story of HISTORY Negro Leagues Baseball in America, and honoring the men who played it.

The President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Kendrick brought his passion to William Woods’s Cutlip Auditorium on February 24, to present on the topic as part of the annual President’s Concert and Lecture Series.

Kendrick started as a volunteer at the museum in 1993 while working in the promotions department for the Kansas City Star newspaper. One of his assignments was to promote the Negro Leagues Museum’s first-ever traveling exhibition debut, his first introduction to the museum. The promotion was a success, drawing in 10,000 people in one month, causing museum officials to realize that they had something special. Kendrick accepted an invitation to serve on the museum board for five years while doing marketing and advertising as a volunteer. He became the first director of marketing in 1998, and he has been involved in the museum ever since.

“What I think the success of the Negro League tells us is that we have so much more in common than we do different,” Kendrick said in his presentation at The Woods. “It is depicted through the lens of baseball. We see this commonality, but we also learn to not be fearful of those who are different than we are. We should be embracing our differences. Hopefully through the lens of baseball and these triumphant stories they walk away understanding that.”

One of the stories that Kendrick told at WWU was about his favorite Negro League baseball player, catcher Josh Gibson. Gibson is sometimes called the “Black Babe Ruth” and others who saw him called Babe Ruth the “white Josh Gibson.” Gibson is still believed to be the only man to ever hit the ball completely out of the Yankee Stadium. Gibson was a great hitter with lifetime batting average of .354.

“I would have loved to see him play,” Kendrick said. “He was just so strong and physical, swinging a

40-ounce, 41-inch bat. Josh Gibson was a catcher with big, powerful forearms and great eyes for seeing the ball. He did not strike out a lot. “ Another example was of Buck O’ Neil, who played first base and was a manager for the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs. As well as being a great player himself, O’Neil helped develop the hall of fame talent of Lou Brock and Ernie Banks.

Kendrick remembered that O’Neil was up for induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. The induction committee for the Hall of Fame consisted of Negro League Baseball historians who had a list of 35 players that they could elect for the hall with no limits. Kendrick received a call from the committee that O’Neil came up one vote short, and had to break the news to O’Neill. The reaction to the news was different than one would expect as O’Neil asked about the other 17 players on the list and to speak on their behalf because he was excited that they had gotten in. Kendrick believed that the speech O’Neil gave to the crowd of 400 fans waiting was one of the greatest moments in sports history.

“From our upstairs conference room to the field of legends was the longest walk of my life, knowing I had to break the news to the crowd of 400 people,” Kendrick recalled. “What O’Neil taught us was how to handle disappointment and setbacks. He would never allow his disappointment to override those who got the opportunity. I learned from Buck that you can get further in this life with love than hate. That is what carried him during his 94 years on Earth.”

Kendrick’s presentation was moving for William Woods students. Ananiah Talton ‘21 had never heard of the Negro Leagues or its history until hearing Kendrick’s speech. She came up to him afterward to congratulate him on how moving his speech was.

“Even though I may struggle in life, the speech taught me that I can overcome it,” Talton said.

Bailey Tutt ’21 found it interesting that in order to get to the field when visiting the museum to see the stone players, you first have to in effect earn it.

“You have to walk through and learn their stories

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Hoots So Proud!

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Mona Steffens, Mail Center Supervisor, was one of six nominees for the Jane BierdemanFike Humanitarian Award for bringing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to many schools in Fulton. Mona also developed a program called the “Fifth Quarter,” which provides a safe and fun place for students to go after home high school football games.

Mona has also worked to organize groups of kids to rake leaves for the elderly, and she teaches Sunday School.

THE WOODS

before you’re able to earn the right to see them,” Tutt said.

Prior to the speech, Kendrick had dinner with the William Woods Baseball team. One of the players, Trevor Garriott ‘20, believed that Kendrick’s passion for what he does is amazing, noting that Kendrick worked five years without compensation as a volunteer to start his career - much like the players in the Negro Leagues were determined to play professional baseball even if the Major Leagues weren’t available to them.

“Regardless of the circumstances, they wanted to play ball and were going to no matter the conditions,” Garriott said. “None of them were bitter about their situation but were happy and dedicated to their careers. This illustrates their character and perhaps played a key role into the way the game of baseball changed through the mid-century.”

Although a visit by the WWU baseball team to the Museum in March had to be postponed due to COVID19, Kendrick shared hopes that, after hearing his speech, members of the William Woods community would plan to make the trip to Kansas City to experience the museum and experience its inspiring message.

“If you dare to dream and believe in yourself, you can do and be anything you want to be,” Kendrick said. “They dreamed of playing baseball and had no idea that they were making history. They did not care about history. They just wanted to play ball but ended up displaying tremendous passion, perseverance, determination and courage in the face of adversity.”

Elizabeth Wilson, Professor of Social Work, won the Jane Bierdeman-Fike Humanitarian Award presented by the City of Fulton Human Rights Commission for her work with the William Woods University Social Work program. The William Woods Social Work program requires each of its students to complete 500 hours of volunteer service in the Fulton and Callaway County area. The local agencies that have benefited from these volunteer hours include SERVE, CARDV, Fulton State Hospital, North Callaway and Fulton Public Schools, CMCA, Missouri School for the Deaf, and many others.

Joe Davis ’09 ’13 ’20 was elected to serve as a member of the Fulton Public School Board at a June 2020 Board Meeting.

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photos taken before march 2020

William Woods University is proud to have not one but TWO nominees for the Jane Bierdeman-Fike Humanitarian Award, and one was the WINNER!

Eye on Education

A Passion in Writing Timothy Hanrahan, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Physical Education, wrote “Creating Experiential Learning Opportunities in Any Course,” an article which was featured in the April 6, 2020 issue of the Faculty Focus Daily newspaper.

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GUEST SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

Murphy’s Law: Never, Ever Give Up Traumatic brain injury survivor shares inspiring story of perseverance, recovery at William Woods.

“THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, IT WAS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF.”

Murphy answering questions and meeting with WWU students at her presentation at The Woods.

photos taken before march 2020

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A standing ovation filled Cutlip Auditorium for Lauren Murphy on JanuSCIENCE ary 15, after the St. Louis native had just shared her story about recovering from a traumatic brain injury to a receptive audience of William Woods students.

“This is a great college,” Murphy said. “It was like they (the audience) gave me a big hug.”

A motivational speaker and advocate for those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury similar to hers, Murphy’s presentation at The Woods shared a story that amounts to a triumph of the human spirit.

While in Los Angeles on business in 2014, Murphy was struck by a vehicle while out on a typical morning jog. The accident nearly killed her, and caused her to suffer a catastrophic brain injury. Her recovery has been long and treacherous, beginning when a speech therapist had to help her with trying to communicate because Murphy suffered from aphasia. Aphasia is when brain damage causes someone to lose the ability to understand or express speech.

Through incredibly hard work and perseverance, Murphy now is able to travel widely and share her story as a motivational speaker, and has even progressed physically to the point of completing 35 5k road races. In relaying her remarkable story at WWU, she had five key takeaways for the audience: “Number one – show up,” she said. “Two, find your cheerleader. Three, kindness is free. Four, work hard.

And five, never give up. Never give up!”

Life lessons shared in the presentation inspired audience member Emma Pfortmiller ‘21. She came away focused on the importance of the value kindness.

“I feel the world would benefit from much more kindness and understanding towards the battles that we may not even know others around us are facing,” Pfortmiller said. “In my own life, Lauren’s presentation has now inspired me to chase my dreams and to never

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“They were wrong,” Lauren said. “I still want to achieve many things, and I will.”

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give up because you never know how much time you have or what life will throw at you.”

Signs in Lauren’s bathroom and bedroom, displayed in the presentation, also impacted audience member Emily Wolf ‘21. The signs encouraged Lauren with sayings that challenged her to envision herself doing the act, putting the work in and believing in herself.

“I liked the ‘read it and do it’ thing on the boards because it not only motivates you but someone else,” Wolf said. “We have a lovely life compared to others.

The family proved you could make it work and it was very inspiring.”

“I plan to apply Lauren Murphy’s story to my life by showing up for the people I love and supporting them 100 percent because they deserve to have someone in their corner,” Alexis Willingham, ’20, said. “I will get creative, when I do kind things for others.”

“Throughout the whole process, it was incredibly important for me to believe in myself,” Murphy told WWU students, “to tell myself ‘I will get my words back.’”

Murphy came a long way for someone who doctors once predicted would never be able to move her right arm, walk or run, or even be able to speak or understand others.

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SPORTS

THE WOODS

Academic AllConference Honorees William Woods Placed 105 Owls in the Winter/ Spring 2020 Midwest Academic All-Conference WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Rylie Cox Meagan Engelbrecht Ashleigh Frampton Katie French Kasey Hazell Anna Henke Caitlin Hicks Peyton Greenlee Carleigh Jenkins MEN’S BASEBALL Jared Baker Logan Blumhagen Allan Brown Jake Fleming Andrew Fyffe Isaiah Gibbs Chase Gibson Conrad Hansel Dylan Hansen Ryan Long Davin Marcomb Bryson Matthews Taylor Nelson Jack Niggemeier Connor Poulson Tim Redford Jordan Smith Tristan Steffens Max Storch

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MEN’S GOLF Tom Doran Jakub Dymecki Josh Hooper Grant Mach Travis Reger Logan Smith

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD Richard Aja Alex Bossing Tyler Bossing Hunter Carpenter Jackson Conner Ben Farrell Zachary Knopf Cole Koch Donovan McCarthy Nathaniel Ogden Schuyler Ogden Charlie Schattgen Quentin Webert MEN’S BASKETBALL Richard Aja Matt Burgess Ian Hodges Makenzie Fessler Jake Frederick Tyriel Nelson Andrew Nett D’Aaron Owens Mike Robinson Codi Whitlock Noah Wurtz Kevin Yang WOMEN’S GOLF Krystal Burgtorf Maddison Fenner Paige Hawkins Victoria Hooker Lucy Matthews Jennah Schell Maria Zrodowska

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Alessa Cremer Hannah Ehlinger Alicia Engelbrecht Ryan Esterline Katie French Faith Gerling Katie Keath Elizabeth Luebbert Shannon McIlhenney Harley Nale Aurora Pfeiffer Kimi Putnam Courtney Richardson Arien Roden Ananiah Talton Megan Van Harn Reagan Verwys Valerie Webb Kristan Wilson Kylie Zamboni-Cutter WOMEN’S SOFBALL Kenzie Ausfahl Madison Ausfahl Taylor Bell Devyn Burton Jessi Butler Anna Counts Bri Devellano Alexis Hassler Mychael Jett Hanna Knipp Ally Mahoney Abbi Pringer Brittany Roady Celeste Sermeno Emma Taylor Sydney Wilbeck Regan Wilde Lindy Wilson TH E WOODS 2 02 0

The Party’s Over

A year of 150th Anniversary celebrations at The Woods become a COVID-19 casualty

left, tiffany smith

( photo

taken before march 2020) ; right, micala austin photography

As William Woods University neared the milestone year of 2020 – the University’s sesquicentennial – the theme for what was to be a year of celebration on campus was christened “The Woods at 150 Years: a 2020 Vision for the Future.” It was a commemoration that was to be equal parts remembering and honoring WWU’s illustrious past, and anticipating and looking ahead to the University’s exciting future.

Instead, the University, and its celebration, were waylaid by an unprecedented challenge that is very much of the present. And like what most of society and the world experienced in 2020, the COVID-19 virus completely disrupted the University’s best laid plans.

“Reaching 150 years as a private institution of higher education is truly a remarkable achievement and one that should be celebrated, so celebrate we will,” said President Jahnae H. Barnett in January, on the eve of the event to kick off the year of celebrations.

The kick-off celebration, which was to feature Mr. Jonathan Kemper (great-great grandson of the William Woods) as keynote speaker, the entire campus community and a host of local dignitaries, had to be postponed on January 17 due to a major ice storm in mid-Missouri.

As it turned out, it was an omen of things to come.

The kick-off celebration, one of five themed events for the year slated to honor the major people, moments and programs in the University’s 150 years of existence, was rescheduled for April. But along came the worldwide pandemic in March, and with it, the closing of campus and

cancellation of time-honored rites such as Alumni Weekend throughout the year, the and Spring Commencement. And among the carnage was University also was planthe cancellation of a year of planned events and moments to ning to celebrate the feamark the most prestigious of milestones for William Woods. tures of the institution “All of these activities during the year were designed to that have paved the way make for an exciting moment in time for the history of Wil- for its continued strength liam Woods, and everyone – students, faculty, staff, alumni and vitality in the future, and friends of the University were thrilled to be a part of including its outstanding it,” said President Barnett. “We are extremely proud of our academic degree proillustrious history as an institution and excited about our grams, unique student future. And even a global pandemic that prevented us from experiences and opporcelebrating our anniversary in the proper way can never tunities outside the classtake that away.” room, and unmatched Historical themes that were to be marked during the appeal to non-traditional year, in addition to honoring William Woods himself with (online, commuter and an appearance by direct descendant Jonathan Kemper, international) students. A were to include the following: series of additional events • Helen Stephens: U.S. Olympic gold medalist and the and activities during greatest athlete in William Woods history the calendar year were • Jahnae H. Barnett: the most transformational presi- planned, to make it a yeardent in WWU history marks her 30th year as President long observance.

• The WWU Equestrian Science program: a history of But the arrival of the the nation’s first and most prestigious higher education stubborn virus and its Equestrian degree program strict restrictions on large • The 1952 William Woods commencement: when gatherings, among other one of the most prominent future figures in 20th Century characteristics of our American history, Ronald Reagan, gave the commencement “new normal,” postponed address. everything indefinitely.

In addition to events centered on these five themes, Perhaps, however, not forever.

“Marking an incredible achievement such as 150 years as a University, not to mention the hard work that went into planning the appropriate celebration to honor such a milestone, is worthy of revisiting again in the future,” said John Fougere, Vice-President of Strategic Communications at WWU. “We are hopeful that we can return to observing these events in at least some capacity down the road when circumstances again permit.”

17 TH E WO OD S 2020

Into THE WOODS HOOT!

Achievement

Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19 and mid-semester transition to all online classes, 250 WWU students still earned a spot on the Spring Semester 2020 Dean’s List, including 138 students from the state of Missouri, 99 from other U.S. states and 13 international students.

Small Business Smarts William Woods remains the “Intelligent” choice for online small business management

BY JOHN FOUGERE

return on investment, and leading third-party evaluations. Only one other university in the state of Missouri was rated ahead of William Woods in the rankings.

WWU’s online business management courses are among the most popular online degree programs at the University, preparing graduates for entrepreneurial leadership in the business community whether they are running their own business or working for someone else.

Intelligent.com is a firm that provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The company’s website offers curated guides which include the best degree programs, as well as information about financial aid, internships and even study strategies.

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left : adobe stock ; right : photos taken before march 2020

William Woods University (WWU) has some of the best BUSINESS online small business management courses in the nation, according to a ranking by the Seattle-based higher education research firm Intelligent.com. In the company’s 2020 rankings, released in March and compiled as part of its student-focused comprehensive research guide, WWU’s online small business management courses ranked number 18 in the nation out of 336 programs assessed.

Intelligent.com analysis evaluated each program based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The scoring system stressed student engagement, potential

Time Out University pushes all Fall 2020 intercollegiate athletic competition until spring semester

SPORTS

Megan Van Harn ‘20, Women’s Track and Field, earned First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.

Into

On August 10, 2020, WWU Athletics Director, Jason Vittone, annouced that the University was moving all Fall 2020 sports to the spring semester, due to safety and health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came after the decision by the National Association of the Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to postpone all Fall sports national championships until the Spring of 2021. While the NAIA did permit individual member schools to make their own decision to compete in the fall under new health and safety guidelines, William Woods made the decision to move all intercollegiate athletic contests to the spring, citing health and safety concerns for its student population, student-athletes, faculty and staff.

THE WOODS

2019-20 Scoreboard 3 TEAMS qualified for the NAIA National Championships.

2 INDIVIDUALS qualified for the NAIA National Championships (Megan Van Harn and Hannah Ehlinger) 3 STUDENT-ATHLETES earned NAIA All-American honors.

56 STUDENT-ATHLETES received American Midwest Conference AllConference honors.

154 STUDENT-ATHLETES earned American Midwest Conference Academic AllConference honors.

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photo taken before march 2020

The William Woods University 2019-2020 Women’s Basketball Team

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SPEAK GREEK

Into

Chapter Notes

THE WOODS

1. ALPHA CHI OMEGA

“The Delta Chi chapter of Alpha Chi Omega had a wonderful year! We received an all-house GPA of 3.65 this past semester, the highest we have ever achieved!

We also received the national council trophy for #1 small chapter in the country for the third year in a row. In addition to that, we won the seeking heights award for recruitment by our national headquarters.

Recruitment was a huge success with bringing home 15 new members (quota was 10), and we cannot wait to keep up the hard work!”

—Shannon Cunningham

’21

photos without masks were taken before march 2020

2. PHI GAMMA DELTA

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1

“Coming off of the great year that we had in 2018-2019, the men of the Kappa Chi chapter sought to emulate the achievements and accolades that we received the year prior. Even though the 2019-2020 academic year was cut short due to the pandemic, we were still able to accomplish a lot of our chapter’s goals.

The chapter got its GPA up to a 3.49 collective in the spring, one of the highest GPA’s we have ever had as a chapter.

We were able to con-

tinue to raise money for and support both of our philanthropies, the Special Olympics of Fulton on a local level, and the United Service Organization on a national scale. Our Field Secretary from our International Headquarters commended us for our outstanding efforts in scholarship and service, which are two of our main values as a fraternity. We look forward to what the 2020-2021 academic year will bring, and we hope that everyone stays safe and enjoys their year!”

—Brady Branscum ‘22

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3. ALPHA PHI

“The Delta Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi has had an exciting year. Our Executive Board went to the Leadership Conference in Washington, DC in February. We all learned of the exciting new changes Alpha Phi was making and the new learning opportunities for our members, as well as new and innovative ways for operating as a chapter. During the spring semester we adopted a second philanthropy and paired with Our House here in Fulton, helping Fulton’s homeless by donating canned foods, helping

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clean and maintain the houses, bringing home cooked meals, and more. We also recruited and initiated 4 new members during the spring semester before we left campus due to the pandemic. Over the summer, the Chapter President, Vice President of Recruitment, Director of Formal Recruitment along with advisors, participated in Alpha Phi’s Virtual Recruitment Academy via Zoom. We learned not only how to recruit virtually, but what membership would look like for the fall semester.

Alpha Phi Internationals paired with Disney for a Leadership Academy

in which one member from our chapter was chosen to attend. The Leadership Academy helps to support Alpha Phi members in their personal growth, leadership development, and health and wellbeing. During fall recruitment we recruited 12 new members (quota being 9), and have continued to grow our chapter. Even during uncertain circumstances, we are very excited to be back on campus and for another amazing school year!”

—Victoria Stickman ‘21 4. CHI OMEGA

“The Tau Theta chapter of Chi Omega is con-

tinuing to thrive, even in these unprecedented times! We received an all-house GPA of 3.56 in Fall 2019 and a 3.66 in Spring 2020, earning our chapter Panhellenic Top Grades for the past whole school year. In addition, last semester we had 33 women make the Dean’s List and 19 of those women earned 4.0 GPAs. Our members are incredibly involved on campus, being a part of multiple clubs, sports, and activities, as well as representing nearly every major on campus. We remain the largest chapter on campus, as we have for the past two years, and have had outstanding 4

membership retention!

We have also continued to be very involved in philanthropic endeavors, and recieved a plaque from the Super Sam Foundation in Fulton to mark our relationship with them, as well as working closely with our national philanthropy, the MakeA-Wish Foundation.”

—Emma Pfortmiller ‘21

to give up Serena Hall due to COVID-19, but been making the best out of where most of us are now. This pandemic has made us stronger, and we are very thankful we have been able to work through it the way we have so far.”

—Jacob Cain ‘21 7. PI KAPPA ALPHA

Not Pictured

5. DELTA GAMMA

“Over the summer Delta Omega Chapter was awarded the Spirit of Region Award. This award was given to us because of our strong sisterhood within the chapter. Delta Omega also recruited nine women into the chapter after virtual recruitment! We have embraced virtual options this semester to keep our fellow sisters and community safe during this pandemic.”

—Shannon Bamvakais ‘21 6. SIGMA TAU GAMMA

“COVID has made things alot harder, but that’s not stopping us.

We have been raising money, climbing out of past debt. We also had

GREEK LIFE AT WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY PROVIDES ONE OF THE STRONGEST FOUNDATIONS FOR SOCIAL INTERFACING AND NETWORKING WITH PEERS.

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6 TH E WO OD S 2020

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Into

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Braedyn Lee ‘22

THE WOODS

I am a Biology major with an Equestrian minor, and I chose to be a part of The Woods’ family because of the amazing Equestrian Studies program, the ample opportunities to be involved, and the comfortable feeling I automatically felt when I walked onto campus for the first time! I didn’t know it was possible to create so many bonds and memories with faculty and friends at college, but William Woods is a place where anything is possible, no matter how far out of reach it may seem!

Jordan Smith ‘21 I am a senior studying Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing in the School of Business and Technology. Due to the small class sizes, I’ve had the chance to form relationships with my professors that will extend well beyond my time on campus. William Woods provides students with all of the resources they need to have a successful college experience. William Woods presented me with that opportunity, and I was able to explore even more unexpected experiences beyond baseball once I got on campus.

Abigail Bennett ‘21

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photos taken before march 2020

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I chose William Woods University because I was accepted into the Honors Program. I am thankful for the program because I have been able to push my intellectual limits and meet amazing people who will become lifelong friends. The small community at William Woods has always been welcoming and supporting, and I have been able to create meaningful connections with professors as they guide and encourage growth in my college journey.

Emma Taylor ‘21 Ian Hodges ‘21 I am from Flint, Michigan, and I transferred to William Woods from Northern Michigan University. Transferring to William Woods University was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love playing basketball - but am very interested in helping to market businesses. My professors really take an interest in me and in my success, and that was something I was missing before. My experiences at William Woods are helping me to earn more than just an undergraduate degree, and I can’t wait to get back to school!

I am from Florissant, Missouri, and I transferred to William Woods University from John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois. I am studying Physical Education, and am proud to play on the softball team. The family atmosphere at WWU is one of my favorite things. I’ve made great friendships in my first year, even though it was cut short, and I look forward to growing these friendships next year and throughout the future.

Grant Clayton ‘20 I transferred from State Fair Community College to William Woods University, and in 2020, graduated with my Communication degree. After transferring, I interviewed with Dr. Barnett, and she selected me to serve as one of the members of her prestigious President’s 20 (PXX) group. My classmates elected me to serve on Student Alumni Council (SAC) and Campus Activities Board (CAB). William Woods University is unique because there are so many clubs and organizations, which means opportunity to get involved and lead.

Ananiah Talton ‘21

Courtney Richardson ‘21 I had always dreamed about going to a big school, but when I visited the William Woods University campus, I just knew that this is where I needed to be! It is big enough that I am able to make friends and get the full college experience! At William Woods University, I am able to focus on my studies while participating on the Women’s Track and Field team in sprinting and hurdling. Over the past three years, my teammates and I have become a close-knit group of super proud “Owls.”

Veronica Townsend ‘21 Coming to William Woods University was my very first college visit. I chose William Woods for the family-like atmosphere that provides a great place to learn and gain the college experience; I have made friends and have flourished academically. One of my most memorable experiences at The Woods will always be when my mom and I visited with President Barnett after the Ivy Ceremony in 2019. Dr. Barnett made time to listen to us, and even posed with us for a photo. This made my entire year - and my mom’s, too!

TH E WO OD S 2020

My experience at William Woods has been life changing. I have met so many cool people from around the world and had a lot of amazing experiences on our campus. William Woods felt like home to me. The way people act and treat each other on our campus is how my hometown is! Having that sense of community felt awesome - and the feeling of being an essential part of my University made a difference in my college experience. The education department at William Woods helped me grow and shaped me into the teacher I want to be!

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Into

GRADUATE PROGRAM

THE WOODS HOOT!

Accredibility

WWU received its quadrennial visit and review from its higher education accreditor, the Chicagobased Higher Learning Commission, in October 2020. Results of the review will be released in early 2021.

WWU transfer student on pace to earn MBA in just 3.5 years

BY PAIGE WI LLI S

As a professions-based university, William Woods prides TRANSFER itself in offering flexibility to its degree-seeking students. If there’s one program that perfectly illustrates the University’s professions-based philosophy, its the “Masters in Five (MBA in 5)” program, where students can accelerate their learning and take a year off their total time in school.

An example of what one can achieve in MBA in 5 comes from transfer student Ethan Schroyer, who is on track to complete his MBA program even faster, finishing in a total of three and a half years.

Schroyer came to The Woods with two years at another university under his belt, and will finish with just one and half years in the William Woods Business program. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from WWU in April, and is on track to receive his MBA in December 2020.

“Dr. (Brenda) Popp and Dr. (Stephen) Forsha helped me make this plan work,” said Schroyer. “I came to school with a traditional four-year plan and then decided I wanted to complete a master’s in the most cost-efficient way.”

Schroyer took summer classes and often asked his

academic advisor tohelp him enroll in 18 credit hours, a heavier load than typical for a college student. This was possible for Schroyer by taking both online and traditional classes to balance his schedule, another example of the flexibility of WWU’s academic degree programs.

“I make a list every day, and I keep calendars and planners,” said Schroyer. “I just think you always need to stay on top of things and that procrastinating always gets you in trouble.”

Schroyer also noticed the importance of taking breaks from school work and coming back to assignments later with a fresh eye. Being from a small town in Missouri, Schroyer enjoys outdoor time, such as fishing to take some time off of school work.

In such a short time, Schroyer also got to see the difference between undergraduate and graduate courses.

“In undergraduate courses, its more common for professors to lead classes and lecture. You may not talk at all in most of your classes,” he said. “In graduate classes, the professors just facilitate discussions between the students. I am generally quiet, so it encouraged me to speak up and talk through the ideas we were learning.”

Schroyer was also able to complete an accounting internship during his three and a half years as a student.

“I have enjoyed how broad the MBA program is at

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paige willis , photo taken before march 2020

24

Master-ful Achievement

William Woods,” said Schroyer. “I am interested in accounting, but also want to own my own business one day. It helps you learn leadership and management skills, rather than just your specific interest area in business.”

Another important factor Schroyer learned through his college journey is the importance of using the resources in front of you and building relationships.

“One thing I learned when transferring is that a lot of those resources aren’t available once you’re not there anymore,” he said. “Building connections while in school gives you the connections that will still be available after graduation. It is important to get to know people and professors and build your network because if those relationships aren’t built now, then it is hard to build them once graduation comes.”

And thanks to Schroyer’s hard work and a little help from William Woods MBA in 5 program, that coveted graduation and MBA degree are both being completed in 2020.

Hoots Academic ServiceLearning Award The Academic ServiceLearning Award is presented to the graduate with a 3.40 grade point average or above who, in the estimation of the faculty of the University, has best exemplified an exceptional commitment to service-learning. This year this award was presented to:

Andy Brendell ‘20

A double major in Social Work and ASL studies, Andy Brendell has provided service to the University and community through working in the Office of Student Life, numerous volunteer and leadership roles, service learning activities and field practicum, all while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5.

Faculty Award The Faculty Award is presented to the graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude who, in the estimation of the faculty of the University, has evidenced exemplary devotion and commitment to the life of the mind. This year this award was presented to:

Daryl Parungao ‘20

photos taken before march 2020

As a 4.0 honors student (now graduated with a degree in Psychology), Parungao completed numerous research projects at WWU including with the biology department, a mentor-mentee project with Dr. Caroline Boyer and two independent research projects in the psychology department.

She also served as a mentor to the honors Connections class during her time at WWU, and as an academic tutor in the school’s Academic Success Center.

TH E WO OD S 2020

And counting Jennifer Petterson, Professor and Director of the School of Equestrian Studies, continues to earn top ranking equestrian show awards from around the world.

• 2019 PtHA World Champion Open Color HF Minuette owned by Jennifer Petterson • 2019 PtHA World Champion Open English Pleasure HF Minuette owned by Jennifer Petterson • 2019 PtHA World Champion Open Disciplined Rail Western Jazzy San Pep owned by WWU • 2019 PtHA Reserve World Champion Open Ranch Riding Jazzy San Pepe owned by WWU • 2019 PtHA Reserve World Champion Open Ideal Western WV Kyss of Fame owned by WWU • 2019 PtHA Reserve World Champion Open Disciplined Rail Western WV Kyss of Fame owned

by WWU • 2019 PtHA Horse of the Year Open Disciplined Rail Jazzy San Pep owned

by WWU • 2019 PtHA Color Congress Champion Open Disciplined Rail Jazzy San Pep owned by WWU • Earned in 2019 Open PtHA Register of Merit in Color with HF Minuette and Open Ranch Riding with Jazzy San Pep • Judged at Missouri State Fair 4-H and FFA Horse Show Sedalia, Missouri 2019

PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

MIRIAM O’CALLAGHAN

published

ConscioSmart

Captain Instructor of Leadership and Military Science,

CPT Brett Kirk,

was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain within the Missouri Army National Guard. CPT Brett Kirk is the OIC for the Show-Me GOLD program at William Woods University.

FINE ARTS

O’Callaghan published her second book titled “Conscio-Smart” on leadership in a new-age business and industrial world. Dr. O’Callaghan is a lifetime educator whose passion, and higher purpose in life, is teaching. For her, teaching is an act of service to help students develop competencies that they need to succeed in the highly complex world of industry.

She credits William Woods with allowing her to realize her real potential at work.

Bethanie Irons, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, earned her Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Art Education from the University of Missouri, Columbia last year. Her artwork was included in many art shows around the nation including the Ghost Gallery (Omaha, NE) and Dutoit Gallery (Dayton, OH), and she was also featured on “What’s my Thesis”, a creativity-aligned podcast based in LA.

Retiring Major General

Steve Danner (WWU Adjunct and Board of Trustees member) retired from the Missouri National Guard in August 2019 after serving in the Active Army, Guard and Reserves for over 44 years, retiring with the rank of Major General. He returned to the practice of law acting as “Of Counsel” with Shafer, Lombardo, Shurin in Kansas City, MO. In addition, he serves as Director of Army Guard programs for R2 Associates, a national military consulting firm. Presently, he is consulting with several states regarding the COVID19 pandemic and disaster planning for both manmade and natural disasters, particularly during hurricane season as the states deal with the ongoing pandemic simultaneously.

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LEAD SNAPSHOT

The LEAD program — short for Leading, Educating, Achieving, Developing — encourages undergraduate students to attend campus events that augment the curriculum and help them grow in areas outside their majors. Attendance results in points toward annual tuition assistance. The program, which started in 2000, brought more than 400 events to campus in the 2019-20 academic year. Here are a few highlights.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER Oct. 8 DECA SAND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT Students joined DECA at the sand volleyball court for an hour of fun, music, memories, and of course, prizes! It was a great way to get away from the stress of class and participate in a fun game with friends.

Sept. 19 EDUCATION DAY PANEL WWU current and prospective students were invited to our third annual Education Day Panel. The panel, consisting of teachers, administrators, and students from local school districts and the WWU education program, answered questions about current issues in education.

Sept. 21 Western Club Fall Fun Horse Show Students and local horse owners competed in Western, English, Hunt Seat and, new this year, Dressage classes at the Fall Fun Show. Attendees learned what it’s like to be a competitive equestrian and cheer on fellow WWU equestrians!

Oct. 3 MEN ON BOATS THEATRE PRODUCTION Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. MEN ON BOATS is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado.

NOVEMBER Nov. 21 TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS THEATRE PRODUCTION “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But wait! A mouse was stirring because Santa missed his house last year. Before you could say “Merry Christmas!” audiences were off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won’t take no for an answer in what was a joyful tribute to the holiday season.

Sept. 30 Take Your Passion Abroad Caitlin Cook told us about her summer internship at two veterinarian clinics in Guatemala. Students learned how it is possible to organize an independent internship abroad.

Nov. 11 CAREER-A-PALOOZA: DO MORE, BE MORE, SOPHOMORE Sophomores got tips on what they could do to better prepare for their future, while making sure they were on track with their career timeline.

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photos taken before march 2020

Sept. 26 Celebrating Hispanic Heritage in Fulton Students joined Luis Morales, Fulton entrepreneur, as he told his story in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Q&A and reception with light refreshments followed the presentation.

Into

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

THE WOODS

Feb. 4 BRANDY VON HOLTEN Guest Speaker: Brandy Von Holten - Mounted archery instructor, 3rd degree black belt, Represented USA in women’s heavyweight fighting, goal setting expert, motivational speaker, horse and mule trainer, article contributor to many magazines (Hoof Print Journal, Horsemen’s Roundup, Mules and More, Everything Horses and Livestock, and We Ride Sport and Trail), author of children’s book series.

Jan.15 BLOOD DRIVE Students gave blood in Aldridge from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm. Each donation saves up to three lives.

Jan. 23 COOKIES AND COCOA FOR CARDV Students decorated cookies and enjoyed hot cocoa with the ladies of Alpha Chi! They also played some DVA trivia games to help spread awareness of domestic abuse and get people talking about it! All donations went to CARDV!

Jan. 28 WISDOM FOR WELLNESS: THE STRUGGLE EPIDEMIC Presenter Jim Marshall is a retired educator and coach who now runs the not-for-profit organization Cody’s Gift. He works to raise the level of knowledge on issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, adverse childhood experience effect, self-medication and addiction.

Feb. 20 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE THEATRE PRODUCTION This wasn’t your grandmother’s Austen! Bold, surprising, boisterous, and timely, this P&P for a new era explored the absurdities and thrills of finding your perfect (or imperfect) match in life. The outspoken Lizzy Bennet is determined to never marry, despite mounting pressure from society. But can she resist love, especially when that vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn? Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical, or so full of life than it does in this effervescent adaptation. Because what turns us into greater fools…than the high-stakes game of love?

Due to COVID-19, LEAD events in March and April were cancelled.

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Into

A National and Campus Dialogue

THE WOODS

University restructures its Diversity and Inclusion Committee Dr. Elizabeth Wilson Professor of Social Work

Darianne Maclin

Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Thomas Trice

Associate Professor of Business and MBA Program Manager

At a time when issues of race, diversity and inclusion have dominated DIVERSITY the news cycle across the nation during 2020, the University felt it was an opportune time to re-assess its own progress and commitment towards a diverse and inclusive campus. To ensure that The Woods is on track and reaching all its goals in this critically important area, President Jahnae H. Barnett appointed a new group of faculty and staff for a newly restructured Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

The head of the committee is Social Work Professor Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, who was honored to be asked by Dr. Barnett to chair the committee for the restructuring. Wilson is in charge of organizing this important group on campus that meets every other week.

“As a social worker and longtime professor, I believe whole heartedly that diversity is a strength of an organization,” said Wilson. “I want to help foster a safe and welcoming environment for all students and employees to learn, work, and live.”

The committee has been in existence for some time, and Wilson and current members are working to reconfigure it. The members on the committee were selected through an application process, and consist of faculty members and individuals from the Diversity and Inclusion office, Office of Disability Services, Admissions, and students.

“Members were then selected based on interest and unique experiences,” Wilson said. “The re-structured committee is different in that we have double the number of members, and we have members from all areas of campus with a variety of experience in working with diversity goals and campus programming.”

Members of the committee are advocates for students who can lead discussions. During a typical meeting, the group reviews campus policies, the community code, campus websites, and LEAD offerings as opportunities to increase and improve diverse offerings and support existing programs on campus.

Darianne Maclin, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at WWU believes, the group will be a big help to TH E WOODS 2 02 0

micala austin photography (4)

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BY VERONICA TOWNS E ND

her office with programing and furthering the campus mission. She finds it important to have a diversity and inclusion committee because it is a safe place to discuss a variety of issues brought up from the campus community that needs to be focused on with a group of people who represent different areas of campus.

“It is important to have an active committee that is coming together by choice to listen to our students’ needs and to be the people they can go to on campus.”

Maclin said. “Knowing it is more than a single person in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is awesome.

There is an entire team from diverse and different backgrounds and areas of campus that are here to meet those needs of students. I recognize how important and valuable that is and how grateful I am to have a team to do that with.”

The perspectives of persons of color on the committee is critical. Thomas Trice, Associate Professor and MBA Program Director explained that African American committee members are instrumental in helping facilitate discussions from personal, intellectual, and professional experiences. He grew up as a young man in a community that was majority one race and moved to a community that was majority of another race.

“It is important to have a person like myself as another way to come full circle and close the loop on a committee that all the people who are on it are striving for equality,” Trice said. “The committee members are trying to find the best ways to make sure our campus community is unified in knowing that no matter what

TH E WO OD S 2020

your nationality, your race, ethnicity, gender or whatever group one associates with is welcomed and not ostracized.”

Striving for the best possible welcoming and inclusive environment at The Woods is what the newly restructured committee will be looking to inspire, while meeting in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous plea: “We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.”

Diversity and Inclusion Committee members ELIZABETH WILSON (Chair) Faculty

MELISSA ALPERS-SPRINGER Faculty

JOSHUA TURKEWITZ Faculty

DARIANNE MACLIN Diversity and Inclusion

HANNAH BOLADOS Faculty

TYRIE BRADY Student Representative

TRAVIS TAMERIUS University Chaplain

NATHAN MASON Men’s Athletics

TAMMY JOHNSON Student Representative

SCOTT ZIMMERMAN Faculty, MO GOLD Program

THOMAS TRICE Graduate Faculty

CAYLA DANIELS Student Representative

CHARLES BELT Men’s Athletics

GAYLE LAMPE Professor Emeritus

ABIGAIL BENNETT Student Representative

RACHEL TURNEY Faculty

KALEIGH ROOP Women’s Athletics

SHAY LEAKE Student Representative

NICOLE ELLIOTT Admissions

SELENA MEINTS Student Disability Services

VICTORIA PAPAI Student Representative

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FEATURE

A Transfo Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett reflects on the 30th anniversary of her becoming WWU president

Figure

By John Fougere

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FEATURE PHOTO BY MICALA AUSTIN TH E WOODS 2 01 8

ormational 31 TH E WO OD S 2020

In the 150-year history of William Woods University, few individuals, if any, have had a greater impact on the institution than Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett. From being the first female president in WWU history, to being the longest-serving female president of a four-year college/university in Missouri history, and currently serving the second longest active tenure of any four-year college or university president in the state, President Barnett’s leadership over the past quarter century has revolutionized William Woods from a regional, liberal arts college to a coeducational university, offering paths from associate to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

2020 marked the 30th anniversary of Dr. Barnett’s appointment as WWU President on April 21, 1990, a three-decade period in which she has guided the University through a generation of extraordinary change. Under her leadership, William Woods made the transitions to university (1993) and coeducational (1996) status; added graduate-level, online and study abroad programs; added a variety of outof-class experiences to augment a student’s wellrounded education, including the Woods Around the World study-abroad program, and the Mentor/ Mentee, Service Learning and LEAD co-curricular programs.

The success of President Barnett’s innovative leadership has been clearly illustrated by the numbers. Since she became President, William Woods University’s total enrollment has grown from 750 students to more than 2,200; the University’s endowment has increased by nearly 250 percent, from $5.7 million to nearly $20 million; the University eliminated its long-term debt and has maintained an operating budget in the black for 18 straight years; and infrastructure and capital improvements on the WWU main campus in Fulton have exploded.

On the occasion of her 30th year as President, and 47th year at WWU overall, Dr. Barnett provided some of her reflections on her distinguished tenure.

WHAT GOALS AND CHALLENGES HAVE YOU SEEN WWU ACHIEVE AND OVERCOME UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP OF 30 YEARS?

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right: Dr. Barnett at her Inauguration at the 1990 Commencment.

“If the real William Woods could come back to life today, he simply would not recognize the college that bears his name.” This was the sentiment many of us shared during the planning of the 150th anniversary of William Woods University this past year.

Dr. William Woods had vision. Little did he know

just how far into the future his vision would extend.

Building on humble beginnings of an educational institution for orphans of the Civil War, today, we are a modern, co-educational university offering paths from associate to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, serving students from literally around the state, nation and world with a mix of on-campus, regional and online options. And the “look” of our campus has expanded profoundly since our beginnings as well, with infrastructure added like the Center for Human Performance, Kemper Center for the Arts, Rowland Applied Riding Arena, Firley Soccer Field, a new baseball/softball complex, Anderson Arena, four new sorority residence halls, and new apartment/residence hall complexes.

As much as I loved what was then William Woods College, when I first stepped foot on this campus in 1973, I am enamored equally with all the progress we have made – necessary progress-- to continue to move our University forward.

AFTER 17 YEARS AS A FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBER, WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO WANT TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF WILLIAM WOODS BACK IN 1990?

I started at William Woods as Chair of the Department of Business and Economics, and looked forward to a teaching career, which was my passion. Our President in the early 1980’s, Dr. John Bartholomy, sat me down on multiple occasions to talk about my future, which I had always assumed would be teaching. One day while meeting with him, he asked “If every position at this college was available, what would you really want to do?” I told him that I would want his job, to be President of William Woods! He laughed and asked me to aim a little lower!

Later on, in 1990, I was serving as Vice-President of Admissions, Retention and Development when Dr. Bartholomy decided to retire. He called me into his office and said “You know that we are doing a national search for a new president. I have been reviewing applications – where is yours?” I had not even thought about applying for his job, or any other job, but that conversation motivated me to consider it. I went home and sifted through 17 years of papers to compile my accomplishments and contributions in the form of a suitable resume’, and I applied.

At the April 1990 Board of Trustees meeting, after interviewing multiple candidates, I was appointed President.

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EDUCATION IS EVOLVING CONSTANTLY. HOW DO YOU KEEP PACE WITH THE CHANGING NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS? The biggest joy from working in higher education, in my opinion, is the capacity to shape someone’s life significantly, especially during the highly formative years (ages 18-22), when an individual is making the transition from teen to adult.

We refer to William Woods as a “student-centered and professions-oriented university committed to the values of ethics, self-liberation, and lifelong education in the world community,” and I truly believe we have lived that on this campus over these last 30 years. So, I am most proud of the programs we have created, both inside and outside the classroom - like the LEAD program and Woods Around The World, for example, or online programs for working professionals, that truly have prepared generations of individuals into becoming successful, responsible, lifelong learners who are a credit to their professions, communities and families. To be able to say I played a role in shaping the lives of so many William Woods students is what has motivated me every day I have been on this campus since I came here in 1973.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO TH RI V I NG A S A SMALLER, PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN TODAY’S WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND HOW HAS WWU BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT? In the hyper-competitive world of Higher Education today, it is imperative that an institution offer a unique college experience that differentiates it from its competitors, so that it stands out and thrives among its peers. At William Woods, we do not strive to be like the big public universities, nor are we content merely to imitate other smaller, private institutions that some might consider similar to us. They are not. We elected to offer prospective students something different, both inside and outside the classroom, which is how we traditionally have been known here at William Woods. We are something different. We exist to provide a quality college education and unique academic experience in a number of ways (traditional residential undergraduate, graduate, online, commuter) in a smaller, intimate setting that allows our students to both learn from, and personally know, our outstanding faculty. The college experience we offer is different from other schools, accentuated by our strengths in niche academic disciplines like Equestrian Science (EQS), American Sign Language (ASL), and other specialized programs.

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left photo: Dr. Barnett with Major General Stephen Danner, Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard, before the announcement of the establishment of the Show-Me GOLD program at WWU in August 2018. right photo: President Dr. John Bartholomy announces the newly appointed President at the 1990 Commencement.

1990

Appointed University President Dr. Barnett is the first female president in the William Woods University’s 150-year history.

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WHERE DO YOU SEE WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY 30 YEARS FROM NOW?

committed students. Every college has to accept the fact that what each person wants in a college experience is as different as the interests which bring them there- there is no “one size fits all” approach.

Those who do not appreciate this reality may not even be here in 30 years!

I expect us to continue to set the bar in terms of being innovative, like offering online degree pro-

Facilitated partnering our ASL program with the Missouri School for the Deaf

Directed the creation of the Mentor/Mentee program

I see a University that continues to be on the cutting edge of providing a quality higher education, coupled with a unique overall college experience, that is attractive to a variety of motivated, intelligent and

In 1991, our ASL program was one of only 30 in North America.

1991

1992

Supervised the transition from college to university status Updating the status broadened the appeal of WWU to include graduate and online students.

Adding the Mentor/Mentee program allowed students to work in teams with faculty members on creative research projects.

1996

1995

Oversaw the transition from female-only to co-educational status Changing the status to co-educational helped move WWU into the 21st century and boosted enrollment.

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“If the real William Woods could come back to life today, he simply would not recognize the college that bears his name.”

photo taken before march 2020

grams before others, or creating the LEAD program --which was nationally recognized by NPR and several national newspapers. WWU sets the bar in being extraordinary by offering programs like EQS, ASL, Cybersecurity, and Show-Me GOLD, and in being flexible, with our online options and availability to working professionals. I see a University leading the way in 2050 in offering a college experience that continues to set us apart substantially from our peers. It is exactly this kind of thinking that has allowed William Woods to thrive for 150 years! I want to see the William Woods community continue to take closely calculated risks designed to progress us into the future. In my years as President, I have ended each opening welcome to the faculty and staff with ‘The Greatest Risk you take is if you take no Risk at all.’

Created the LEAD program The famous LEAD program has provided WWU students with a more well-rounded education, both inside and outside of the classroom.

2000

2007

Oversaw the establishment of online courses Offering online courses allowed more people to pursue their educational and professional goals simultaneously.

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Directed the creation of the Woods Around the World program

Presided over a 300% increase in total enrollment

Woods Around the World gives students a chance to travel to exotic places and enhance their learning experience at The Woods.

2018

Total university enrollment has increased from 750 in April 1990 to more than 2,000 in 2020.

2008

Facilitated bringing the Show-Me GOLD program to WWU The Show-Me GOLD program provides military-style leadership training and prepares students to be commissioned Missouri National Guard officers.

2020

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Silent Spring When a global pandemic arrived at William Woods in March, there was no playbook on how to handle it. So WWU’s leaders had to make their own.

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Friday, February 28 was a cool, sunny day at William Woods University, as an excited campus community looked forward to Spring Break, which would begin the next day. The somewhat mild day seemed like a preview of the typically busy spring at The Woods, with Alumni Weekend, a celebration of the University’s 150th birthday, and commencement all to come.

But what followed in the Spring of 2020 was anything but typical.

Storm clouds that had been gathering across the world were already impacting the United States, in the form of a strange virus that was sickening and even killing people. Soon, it would completely change the nation, our society and certainly college campuses like William Woods.

When the calendar turned to March, the campus was about to face one of the biggest challenges in its 150 years – when COVID-19 transformed The Woods from a bastion of April activity into a silent spring.

A TIME LIKE NO OTHER Dr. Venita Mitchell, Vice President and Dean of Student Life, briefs University personnel inside the emergency operations center on March 21, 2020.

The first alarm bells began ringing during Spring Break, when President Jahnae H. Barnett issued the University’s first warning about COVID-19 to students who would be returning to campus the following weekend. A “highly contagious respiratory illness that originated in China but has since spread

A STATE OF EMERGENCY EMERGES

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By Wednesday evening, the first positive COVID-19 cases were springing up around mid-Missouri. The University announced the closure of campus services such as Dulany Library, Weider Fitness Center, and the Owl’s Nest, and instructed students to begin the process of preparing to move off of campus. Employees were instructed to begin working at home.

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to nations around the world, including the United States,” was how the president described it, and thankfully, the University already had a group, the COVID-19 Preparedness Team, working to address it.

Warnings and notifications to the campus community continued throughout the first full week back in classes (March 9-13), with the exhortations of the mantra (wash your hands, stay physically distanced from others, what to do if you feel ill) that would be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. Events began to move quickly, and on Thursday, March 12, the University announced that all classes would be moving to online delivery beginning Monday, March 16. Already, the University faced its first challenge in a lifetime of them connected to the newly arrived virus – quickly moving all classes from in-person to all online in a matter of days.

“We anticipated the impact that COVID-19 could have and moved classes online, with students originally getting the option to learn virtually from their residence hall room or move home to complete the semester,” said Aimee Sapp, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. “It was challenging to switch delivery modalities in the middle of a semester, but our faculty did a great job.”

“Our traditional academic program is intentionally residential, so going all online was going to have a direct impact on our mission and expectations of our students,” said Venita Mitchell, Vice-President and Dean of Student Life. “Our programs and services for traditional students were designed for in-class and in-person delivery, so we had to adapt immediately.”

One by one, like dominoes falling, other events were cancelled out of concern for the safety of students, faculty and staff – and also just due to the unknown. A March 13th campus speaking engagement by a Helen Stephens biographer, one of the University’s prominent 150th Anniversary commemorative events, was cancelled, as well as all remaining intercollegiate sporting events for the spring. And on Monday, March 16, came the most devastating announcements – commencement, Alumni Weekend and all 150th Anniversary commemorative events – were all cancelled.

“We understand that these are difficult decisions, but we will always follow the guidelines set by our state and federal government, and always act in the best interest of the health and safety of the entire William Woods community,” said President Barnett in a statement; informing the campus.

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WWU Nurse Practitioner Kristen Oesch performs a health screening on a student during the COVID19 pandemic.

The virus and its impact were escalating around the nation and in The Woods’s own backyard, so it was time to take the University’s response to the next level. William Woods activated its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), the procedure by which a team of WWU employees specifically trained to respond to campus emergencies would begin working around the clock out of its headquarters in Aldridge Hall to address the threat.

“We knew we needed to commit more resources to preparation, so we activated the EOP which allowed us to focus almost exclusively on COVID planning,” said Mitchell, one of the co-chairs of the EOP. “Emergency planning is labor intensive, and if you don’t have a process for developing the plan and distributing the work and decision-making, you can cripple your organization.”

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Fellow co-chair Scott Zimmerman, Instructor of Leadership and Military Studies, agreed.

“Thankfully, we have an EOP here at William Woods, and had trained on it as an institution multiple times,” Zimmerman said. “So once we had an active case of COVID on campus, and the likelihood of several more within hours of the first one, we activated the Emergency Operation Center which allowed us to manage the crisis 24-7 from one location.”

Which was fortunate, because the first positive case of the virus at William Woods was at hand.

Updates about COVID-19 were posted to the William Woods University website on a regular basis to keep the WWU community informed.

THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE

On the evening of March 19, 2020, it was confirmed: a William Woods student had tested positive for COVID-19, the first positive case on campus, making Friday, March 20, a highly unusual day at The Woods.

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John Fougere, Vice President of Strategic Communications, briefs members of the media at a March 20, 2020 news conference at the Fulton City Hall.

In a pre-dawn message to the campus community, President Barnett announced that all remaining students still residing on campus were instructed to pack up and leave. But while that order would be a step toward making William Woods a safer place, it also created the complication of students returning to their homes and hometowns and potentially spreading the virus there. So, the University initiated pre-departure health screenings for all students preparing to leave, consistent with all guidance from local, state and federal health authorities.

Downtown at Fulton City Hall, Vice-President of Strategic Communications John Fougere was briefing members of the mid-Missouri media in a news conference about the University’s response to the positive case, which was the first positive case in Callaway County.

“There is no playbook for managing a global pandemic on a college campus,” Fougere told assembled reporters. “We are taking all precautions to protect not only the members of our William Woods campus community, but the Fulton and Callaway County communities as well.”

With campus beginning to empty out, a host of new challenges continued to make themselves known.

How to handle additional positive cases, and where to house those still on campus that do test positive?

What about those who were in close contact with fellow students who tested positive? How to feed those

students still on campus? What about international students, who could not leave?

With campus becoming quieter by the hour, the logistical challenges seemed to simultaneously become louder. Fortunately, the teamwork of WWU staff both working out of the EOC and others,, came through.

“Within hours, our athletic department staff had taken over meal delivery to residence halls, residential life staff was coordinating the campus check-out process, and other staff were taking care of a variety of student needs along with communication with our hall staff in the residence halls and local health department,” said Mitchell. “It was impressive how faculty and staff outside of residential life were able to step into the emergency operation process to assist or take the lead in areas like communication, operations, finance and facilities.”

“Working extended shifts in our EOC was exhausting and challenging, however there was something very special about it as well,” said Sapp. “When you are deeply devoted to the institution and truly care about the students, there is a sense of pride in caring for your community. Every drive home was still filled with satisfaction in knowing our team was doing everything we could to keep our community safe.”

On Saturday came the news of three additional positive cases on campus. By Monday, March 23, the number was up to nine as campus continued to

courtesy of fulton sun newspaper

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empty out. Eventually, the count of positive cases among students would top off at 13. Staff in the EOC, working 24/7 throughout the first few days of the crisis, set up a special page on the campus website with nothing but COVID-19 information for students, their parents, faculty and staff.

Campus maintenance staff, meanwhile, took on the potentially hazardous work of cleaning and disinfecting all rooms, offices and common areas on campus that had been deserted by departed students, faculty and staff.

Challenges unique to WWU had to be addressed as well, like how to care for the horses from the University’s Equestrian Science program. The resilience and perseverance of the EQS staff, in performing the physically-demanding work with a limited number of faculty available, was one more heroic story of William Woods staff stepping up during the dark days of March 2020.

Across the William Woods campus during the week of March 23-27, the grounds were greening, flowers were beginning to bloom and the hint of spring got more prominent by the day. Only instead of the sounds of a busy mid-semester at The Woods, there were only the sounds of silence.

OUR FINEST HOUR

By Saturday March 28, one of the most demanding weeks in the history of William Woods had come to an end. It has been just one month since the carefree last day of classes before spring break back on February 28, and campus life at William Woods, and the world, seemingly had changed forever.

Most students and employees were working from home, and the campus sat quiet. Ahead lay endless challenges concerning how to complete the spring semester in a virtual format, followed by the planning of a fall semester, under what figured to be especially trying conditions.

But due to hard work, unbelievable commitment, admirable flexibility and unending cooperation, the staff, faculty and students at William Woods had pulled the University through a most difficult set of circumstances. Classes were seamlessly transitioned to online. The move-out process for students was handled safely and effectively. Students remaining on campus, whether infected with the virus or not, were cared for compassionately. And not a single William Woods employee tested positive for the virus in the process.

“Looking back, one of the biggest challenges was the unknown. There is still a lot we don’t know about COVID months later, but we knew even less in March,” said Mitchell. “The work we all had to do – managing the outbreak of a global health care crisis on a college campus – can take one into an abyss of frustration and fatigue pretty quickly. I have had to step back and remind myself and others that we are managing something no one in our positions has ever had to do.

There is still a long way to go, but we should all be proud of ourselves.”

Leave it to President Barnett, who marked her TH E WO OD S 2020

Due to hard work, unbelievable commitment, admirable flexibility and unending cooperation, the staff, faculty and students at William Woods had pulled the University through a most difficult set of circumstances.

30th year as WWU President during the fateful year of 2020 and has seen and experienced more on this campus than few in its history, to put the events in March in perspective.

“Witnessing how our campus community has come together – from employees working literally around the clock in our Emergency Operations Center, to our faculty seamlessly transitioning their instruction to online delivery, to the hard work of our essential employees ensuring meals continue to be delivered and cleaning and disinfecting campus, and our staff who continue to work hard from home – we have worked as one team to help mitigate this unheard-of disaster,” the President wrote.

“As we slowly return to whatever our new normal will look like in the coming weeks, we will always look back on the creativity and energy that everybody on this campus displayed in supporting the mission of the University during these trying times.

Perhaps one day we will look back upon March 2020 not as a tragedy for our University, but as its finest hour.”

Dr. Venita Mitchell, Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Dr. Aimee Sapp, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, and Scott Zimmerman, Instructor of Leadership and Military Studies, meet in the WWU Emergency Operations Center during the early days of the pandemic.

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Campus life during a global pandemic comes to The Woods: the first weeks of fall semester 2020, a fall like no other.

The New

Normal

BY VERONICA TOWNSEND

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It was supposed to be a year marking the 150th year of operation for William Woods University, celebrating the University’s unique history and exciting future. COVID-19 ended up postponing the year-long celebrations, but that was not all. When the University began the fall semester in August, the virus also altered time-honored traditions such as Move-In Day, the Ivy Ceremony and the first week of classes. The virus also resulted in postponing the entire fall sports season for William Woods intercollegiate athletic teams.

Welcome to college life 2020, global pandemic-style.

Raymond Hune, Professor of Mathematics

After the virus ravaged higher education in March, causing the University to close and finish the semester with online-only classes, the overriding commitment of the institution’s administration was to re-open school in August, with in-person classes, and all the necessary health and safety measures to make that possible in the age of COVID-19.

But to do so would mean significant adjustments and alterations to the way things have always been done. To begin with, the announced academic schedule for fall 2020 was changed, to increase the chances of holding an entire semester of in-person classes before any significant spikes in positive COVID-19 cases emerged. The first day of classes was moved up one week to Monday, August 17; classes were held on Labor Day, and fall break in

October was cancelled. With fewer breaks, students would be less likely to leave campus and return, thereby potentially further spreading the virus, but students would also attend classes in person until Thanksgiving break, and complete final exams virtually in early December.

In addition, newer and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting protocols were adopted by campus maintenance staff. Classrooms were retrofitted for physical distancing and face coverings were required for everyone on campus when a physical distance of at least six feet was not possible.

There were a variety of other health and safety measures adopted in preparation for the fall semester, but few experiences reinforced the new campus normal than the familiar fall rituals of Move-In Day, the Ivy Ceremony and the first week of classes.

Move-In Day

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Unlike in past years, when students would move into campus residential facilities about a week before classes began, the realities of physical distancing made for a different process in 2020, including an early drop-off process in late July, using a drive-through check-in policy, so that students could drop off as much of their personal belongings several weeks before classes began to lessen the crowds and waiting times when they moved in permanently in August.

“I was awed by the creativity and long hours of commitment from our Student Life staff, as well as our campus-wide commitment to Move-In and Orientation,” said Dr. Venita Mitchell, Vice-President and Dean of Student Life. “Enrollment services staff, along with faculty and staff from around campus volunteered to help and assist with everything from directing traffic to greeting families at the residence hall. The support showed the strength of our community.”

Individual move-in days and times for students were staggered, as they were during early drop-off in July, and students were only allowed to have two other individuals with them as they moved in, to adhere to physical distancing requirements. Students were also required to complete a COVID-19 residential pre-screening form three days before moving in, and were encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days before arriving on campus for good.

After arriving, students were required to practice symptom monitoring, take their temperature reading each day, attend classes, and take part in other campus activities.

made it possible to continue the unique tradition while practicing required physical distancing.

“You can do it all here at William Woods,” said President Barnett from atop the Dulany Auditorium front steps (instead of her usual spot inside McNutt Auditorium) to 26 new WWU students during the first ceremony on August 11. “But be sure to take care of your total self – intellectually,

Doug Sanders, Assistant Professor of Sports Management

The Ivy Ceremon(ies)

For decades, the oldest and most cherished tradition in William Woods was held every year, even during the Depression and World War II. But in the bizarre year of 2020, the Ivy Ceremony managed to break new ground.

The August 11th ceremony, held to mark the start of every new undergraduate student’s life at WWU, was actually the first of six mini-Ivy Ceremonies, as opposed to the normal one. Having six ceremonies for the first time, as well as holding each one completely outdoors (also for the first time),

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socially, spiritually and healthfully.”

Never was there a time when the “healthfully” part was more important, as the University was on the eve of opening while co-existing with an unpredictable and unsettling health crisis. But a tradition that dates to 1899 is not one to alter or cancel altogether lightly.

“We were determined to find a way for our new students and their families to experience this long-standing tradition,” said Dr. Mitchell. “The symbolism of our bridge as your entry and acceptance into our community is an important one and we were happy to pull it off.”

“I was so glad to experience this, even it was a little hot and wearing a mask took a little getting used to,” said incoming transfer student Tara Hillebrand ’23, from Montgomery City, MO. “I am here to study Equine Science, today was the start and I am super excited about it!”

1st week of classes

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Before any student stepped foot on campus for classes, classrooms would need to be physically distanced. That meant juggling teaching areas and schedules, decreasing the number of desks in each room to ensure at least six feet of distance between them, and decreasing capacity in each room.

“That was the biggest challenge – scheduling physically-distanced classes,” said Dr. Aimee Sapp, Vice-President and Dean of Academic Affairs. “We wanted to make sure that students could be at an appropriate distance when seated in class. And with safety being the first concern, we had to move some classes to much bigger spaces. It was an interesting problem to solve, but we have had a

great team working on it, and I was very pleased with the results.”

Students were required to wear face-coverings while entering classrooms, but were permitted to remove them once seated. And classrooms varied – Professor of English Dr. Stephanie Wells found herself teaching class in the Ivy Room for the first time, and found to her surprise a room converted into an effective and accommodating learning space.

“I was impressed by the technology updates, spacing of student seating and overall atmosphere of the room,” she said.

Elizabeth Kasubke ‘21, Elementary Education student

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Palmer Soberg ‘23, Biology/ Pre-Med student

For Mathematics Professor Raymond Hune, the new normal meant teaching classes in Dulany Library. For Assistant Professor of Sport Management Doug Sanders, it was teaching in the auditorium in McNutt Campus Center for the first time.

“This semester has been a learning process for all of us, but we are making do and doing our best under the circumstances,” Sanders said.”

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left : coutesy ashley brown ; top and right : micala austin photography (2)

It was a transition for faculty and students alike, but one both were committed to making.

“I was extremely excited to come back to everyone but knew it wouldn’t be the same as it was,” said Palmer Soberg, ‘23. “Nonetheless, this is what we all have been wanting – to be back on campus, attending classes in person and having as close to normal of an experience as possible.”

One of the favorites pastimes for William Woods students is eating at Tucker Dining Hall.

Like everything else, even that was different. For the first time, students could use an app on their phones to pre-order meals and then receive a text when their order was ready to be picked up. This way, fewer people were sitting at tables and eating.

Once again, the physical distancing thing.

“Tucker has been better than ever, and it’s good to know they are taking all the safety precautions they are,” said Elizabeth Kasubke, ‘21. “They make fresh salads and really good wraps, and it feels somewhat normal.”

It may be some time before the campus experience at The Woods feels “completely,” as opposed to “somewhat,” normal again. But the University will persevere, as it has for 150 years.

“We really wanted to balance the safety of our community with maintaining traditions, yet still preparing our new students for their success here at the University,” said Mitchell. “We want everyone to know that is always possible here at William Woods, even during a global pandemic.”

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WWU alums on the front lines

Risking Their Lives in the fight against COVID-19

BY VERONICA TOWNSEND

HOOT!

Giving Them Health

At the halfway point of the fall 2020 semester, despite ongoing increases of positive COVID-19 cases throughout Missouri, William Woods had exactly zero active cases among students and employees.

For William Woods University graduates who went confidently into the “real world” during the past few years, the notion that they would one day be facing a global pandemic like COVID-19 would have seemed unthinkable. But the Spring of 2020 fundamentally changed the world for everyone, especially for the dedicated first responders and medical professionals like nurses, paramedics and firefighters in the fight against the insidious virus.

Doggedly trying to find ways to prevent the virus from spreading and putting their own lives at risk to help strangers recover, these dedicated Americans are fast becoming heroes of the global pandemic.

Here are the stories of three WWU graduates discussing the impact that COVID-19 had on their work in hospitals and fire stations in the communities they serve.

Ava Demanes ’18 Registered Nurse St. Mary’s Hospital St. Louis The floor Demanes works on is typically the surgical floor, but during COVID-19, all elective surgeries were cancelled or delayed. So, for her, attention shifted to focusing on more patients with severe illness. Demanes helped with screening people coming in regarding having a fever, shortness of breath, and then, taking temperatures.

Even with COVID-19 going on, Demanes was able to provide more tender loving care to patients by helping them adjust to their situations, especially

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“The health care workers risk their lives for strangers day in and day out, whether it is a pandemic or not.

Everyone is going through their own struggles, and it is not easy. Having that love and support is what has kept everyone going.”

photo taken before march 2020

—AVA DEMANES ’18 if their health may have put them at greater risk if they contracted the virus. During the height of COVID-19, the hospital did not allow any visitors for any patients.

“Mentally, it was tough, which only reinforced that I needed to go in and be the best nurse I can be every day,” Demanes said. “I strived to be there with a shoulder to lean on when things got tough for patients to accept.”

The community coming together to support each other has been important to Demanes. The pandemic affects even the young and healthy like her, who recovered from a mild case of COVID-19. She encourages people to listen to the rules of the health department and government. And be sure to regularly check on their family members, too.

“It should not take a pandemic for this to happen but you should make it a point to hug your loved ones no matter who it is,” Demanes said. “Do not just think for yourself in this moment, but think of what you can do to positively impact those around you, those less fortunate and those not as healthy.

Remember that no one is above science. You are not above COVID-19. No one is.”

Support within Demanes hospital has included fire fighters providing food and supporting the nurses, even as essential employees themselves. She has come to realize the impact that the closeness of the community has on the nurses being able to perform their jobs effectively.

“The health care workers risk their lives for strangers day in and day out, whether it is a pandemic or not,” Demanes said. “Everyone is going through their own struggles, and it is not easy. Having that love and support is what has kept everyone going.”

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Timmy Buehne Jr. ‘17 Emergency Medical Technician Abbott Ems & Firefighter for the Fire Protection District of High Ridge, MO Right alongside nurses and other health care workers providing medical assistance, were firefighters like Buehne, who have also been critical in combating COVID-19.

Buehne works at a station that had to take precautionary measures due to COVID-19, along with their standard procedures. When going on calls, Buehne believed that what was most important was for their dispatch to screen callers for any potential COVID-19-like symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or fever. If any symptoms were detected, the firefighters put on personal protective equipment in addition to their normal gear to keep them safe.

“We were making sure that we were helping to make everything safe for ourselves, as well as the patient,” Buehne said. “It has been tough and can be a grind with every call, having to make sure to take maximum precaution.”

Calls involving the coronavirus increased throughout the Spring and Summer at Buehne’s station. With the calls and stress level increasing, Buehne was sure to do some self-care and paid heed to his own mental health during days off.

“Everything that is going on is temporary,” Buehne said. “We, as a society, will push through this, but we have been in the thick of it this year, and the important thing has been to keep everyone safe.

There will be an end in sight soon.”

Making sure one is getting the correct, verifiable information from multiple credible sources is

53

advice from Buehne. He believes having the facts and knowing what you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe to help reduce the spread and infection rate of the virus is important.

“Everyone has a strong opinion on things which is good for everyone to share along with their thoughts and concerns,” Buehne said. “Some people might have heard a whisper of something that could be a symptom of the virus but might not be necessarily true. This can cause fear in a lot of people because a lot of this is unknown and constantly evolving.”

Buehne has been putting his William Woods degree in Management of Information Systems to good use during this time. His degree helped him to utilize technology at his station in doing a social media campaign to spread important health care information in the community.

“When everyone was locked down, sometimes you get stuck at home and become tiresome and this can be challenging,” Buehne said. “So we did things like going around neighborhoods with lights on for kids. Knowing search engine optimization, and getting the information to the end users helps a lot with spreading good news in the time of a lot of bad news.”

His department did a promotion called “Friday Night Lights,” on their Facebook page. On Friday nights the department would go by a subdivision

“We were making sure that we were helping to make everything safe for ourselves as well as the patient. It has been tough and can be a grind with every call, having to make sure to take maximum precaution.”

—TIMMY BUEHNE JR. ‘17

photo taken before march 2020

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“The community have shown such an outpouring of support and kindness. They have spoken out about protecting us and keeping us close to their heart. As a nurse, that has been truly the kindest gesture.”

—KASEY RATCLIFF ‘13 with its lights on that has been suggested on their Facebook page - not for an emergency, but to get out to wave to everyone staying home and say hello. The practice provided a boost in morale during trying times.

“It was a big thing for kids because they love to see the fire truck,” Buehne said. “We loved bringing it out for them to see it. We were trying to spread good cheer in the crazy times.”

Kasey Radcliff ‘13 Registered Staff Nurse

photo taken before march 2020

St. Mary’s Hospital St Louis “Surreal” is the word Radcliff used when describing working in the pandemic environment. When the first news of COVID-19 emerged, Radcliff felt that it was something distant. By May of this year, she was dealing with it every day.

“It kind of became the new normal,” Radcliff said.

“There was always the underlining tension that happens that you know that these patients could crash any moment. People were isolated from their families and alone and you became their lifeline.”

She serves as a registered staff nurse in a hospital where most of the St. Louis-area COVID-19 patients have been treated, which is a lot of responsibility.

“It is real,” Radcliff said. “I know it felt almost like an inconvenience or disruption to our daily lives for many, but we wanted everyone to know that this is serious, and would continue to kill people. It is hard, but we have hope and we are strong, and when everyone was also really strong with us we really appreciated it.”

Radcliff put her minor of American Sign Language at WWU to use in working with a couple of deaf patients. Her major in Management Information Systems at WWU also allowed her to perform upgrades on the computer system and help others learn the changes within the system.

“The core things I learned at William Woods were leadership, integrity, compassion and accountability,” Radcliff said. “Consistently showing up to be the person people expect you to be, which has proven invaluable in these times.”

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The advice from Radcliff is to continue to have hope and resiliency, and for people to be patient because returning to normalcy is going to be worth the wait.

“Graduates not going through 2020 graduations and last parties was tough, but it is going to be worth the wait,” Radcliff said. “If we all get through this together, it is because we did our part. When we come together, it is going to be so cool.”

In Radcliff’s eyes, first responders like nurses sometimes went unappreciated for their critical work. She now believes that the support from the community during COVID-19 simply was empowering.

“The community have shown such an outpouring of support and kindness,” Radcliff said. “They have spoken out about protecting us and keeping us close to their heart. As a nurse, that has been truly the kindest gesture.”

Providing essential help and medical assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of pride for these WWU graduates, who are just three of the legions of William Woods alums who helped battle the pandemic in various health care and service capacities around the state and nation. Some day when the pandemic is over for good, they will be recalled as shining lights in a time of darkness and uncertainty.

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EQUESTRIAN ALUMNI

Reunion What makes WWU Equestrian Alumni happy? Ask any equestrian student and they will tell you with certainty; spending time at the stables with the horses.

The first ever Equestrian Alumni Weekend took place in February 2020, and was a huge success bringing equestrian graduates from across the country. The highlights included a trivia contest at the Center for Equine Medicine that grouped friends with faculty members or introduced new friends in the spirit of fun competition. Participants also had the chance to listen in or take part in an alumni panel that addressed current topics in the equine industry.

Finally the most popular session was the chance to climb back in the tack for another ride around the UPHA arena. For many, this was their favorite aspect of the weekend. It reunited past partners and introduced other riders to some of our newest equine professors. Watch for more information about this annual event!

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58 Reminiscing 59 Equestrian Alumni Reunion Photos 62 Class Notes 71 In Memoriam 72 A Slam Dunk 74 Alum Spotlight

Echo 57

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Reminiscing TROTTING DOWN MEMORY LANE

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

Alumni Award Winners Each year the William Woods University Alumni Association honors outstanding individuals who embody the spirit and mission of our esteemed alma mater. Here are the winners for 2020: Nicole Elliott ’11 Green Owl Award Dr. Linda McClaren ’77, ’97 Graduate College Alumni Award Sarah Byers ’77 Alumni Award of Distinction Jonathan Kemper Honorary Alumnus Shaun Speers ’07 Outstanding Service Award H. Dale LaRue Order of the Owl

GIVING

What began as an inquiry into one of the university’s hallmark academic programs ended in actual riding lessons for the then new president of William Woods. It was early in the tenure of Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett when a simple question about the prestigious equestrian program ended in Gayle Lampe giving Dr. Barnett, her husband Eddie, and Trustee Dale LaRue riding lessons. The lessons paid off as in 1993, through the generosity of then Board Chair Mrs. William H. Weldon, Dr. Barnett participated in the American Royal Concert of Champions. Riding Callaway’s Copy Cat, Dr. Barnett expertly performed the walk, trot, canter, slow gait and rack on a horse bred and raised just 10 miles from our campus. She remains the only college or university president to have achieved this feat.

SAC Outstanding Student Winners Here are the winners for 2020: Daryl Parungao Senior Aurora Henriksen Junior Andrew Fyffe Sophomore Erin Kelley Freshman

Keep the William Woods University family strong. Please consider giving to your alma mater by visiting williamwoods.edu/giving

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previous spread and this spread , micala austin photography (8); photos taken before march 2020

Above: Dr. Barnett and Gayle Lampe reminisce about the famous “Royal Ride” in 1993. Featured in this photo is the university-owned horse Park and Ride, known as Wally in the WWU stables. Park and Ride was graciously donated

by Thomas Brock. Special thanks to Mr. Brock and WWU graduates and his trainers, Mary and Evan Orr, for this wonderful donation.

Reunion Equestrian Alumni

2020

FOR MORE

Alumni Weekend photos and memories, go to the WWU Alumni Facebook page.

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Equestrian Alumni Weekend photos on pages 59 and 60.

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Reunion Equestrian Alumni

2020

60

Equestrian Alumni Weekend photos on pages 59 and 60.

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photography: micala austin photography (7); photos taken before march 2020

FOR MORE

Alumni Weekend photos and memories, go to the WWU Alumni Facebook page.

EQUESTRIAN

ALUMNI REUNION

IL

A LI

OODS UNIV M W ER

SI

T

Y

W

FEBRUARY 19 - 21, 2021

APRIL 16 – 18, 2021 Watch for Alumni Weekend details on our webpage.

www.williamwoods.edu/AlumniWeekend

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Notes CLASS NEWS AND NOTES FROM BEYOND THE WOODS chapter as a Daughter of the American Revolution. She is also happy to announce the birth of her first grandson (named Trey) on Jan. 3, 2020 to her daughter, Marina, and her husband, Don.

Robbie Gorman retired as Administration Assistant for Jackson Co. Mental Health Board after 32 years.

1959

Dr. Barbara Cameron Abrams and Dr. Laurence Abrams are the 20202021 Co-Presidents of The Houston Psychological Association in Houston, TX.

1969

1971

1968

Linda Mills ‘73

1952

Jill (White) Roberts, a retired trial lawyer, announces the publication of her book, “How to Find God in Under Five Hours.” It is the culmination of decades of Bible study, as well as graduate study, in the field of Christian Apologetics.

since 1965. She says that her mother (Marjorie Barrett Carroll, class of 1947, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees) left some very interesting pictures and brochures from her time at William Woods in 1944. On February 14, 2020 they welcomed their 5th grandchild, Ashlan.

She and her husband Jim Stanzak both celebrated their 73rd birthdays this summer and are in great health. Connie says she stays in touch with Gail Bragg Howey, class of ‘69, as well as some other Allen Hall alums.

1963

Annette “Toni” MacDiarmid reports that she is retired from the lodging business that her family ran for 20 years. She enjoys her life in Maine, especially spending time with her seven remarkable grandchildren.

Karolyn Kruse Calloway became a member of the Martha Stewart Bulloch

Connie Carroll Stanzak is pleased to report that she and her husband moved into a new house. On June 15, 2020 she visited campus and was happy to see all the fabulous changes

Michelle Campbell Gangemi along with a co-writer, wrote the book “Sunday at Castle Rock Park” with all proceeds going to charity.

1961

Susan Rosse Truog is living with her husband Fred in Kansas City, MO. She says that the senior living facility is wonderful and makes her feel safe and comfortable.

1962

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Since becoming a widow two years ago, Sally Jadlow, class of ’62, has written her 12th and 13th books entitled “The Road Home and Poems from a Widow’s Heart.” Her books are available on Amazon, and her blog is SallyJadlow. com/blog

Stephanie Godke ‘73

“On June 15, 2020 I visited campus and was happy to see all the fabulous changes since I was there in 1965.”

—CONNIE CARROLL STANZAK ‘69

1972

Shirley Anderson Gaither and her husband have a farm in Durhan, N.C. where they breed show horses and own 40 horses. They also have a smaller farm in Southern Pines, NC where they fox hunt with Moore County Hounds, and Shirley drives her pony.

Carol Seibel Blythe celebrated the sixth anniversary of their honey bee farm (Fiery Run Bee Farm: Home of Old Dominion Honey) located in Linden, Virginia this year.

1973

Stephanie Godke has been teaching culinary at a local community college, in two local businesses, and in her farmhouse kitchen.

She and her husband bought and moved to his family farm three years ago this fall. She is the chef at Mississippi River Distillery in LeClaire, IA where they make fine artisan spirits from local ingredients.

Christine Veirs Ringgold retired in 2019, after nearly 30 years, from Stephens Inc. in Little Rock, Arkansas, as Vice President Corporate Travel. “My amazing husband, Steve Ringgold, gave me a greenhouse as a retirement gift, so I have been busy working on our gardens, particularly the native pollinator garden.

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MARDY LEATHERS ‘14 MISSOURI WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

photos taken before march 2020

IN HIS WORDS, AS TOLD TO VERONICA TWONSEND

I am a big fan of William Woods University! I chose William Woods to get my MBA, because it has a great reputation in my sector of the government and in the private sector in the Central Missouri region. I enjoyed the 18-month cohort set up, and as an adult learner, my experience with the MBA program was awesome. I later worked on my Doctorate in Management from Webster University, which I learned of from my time and relationships developed at WWU, as some of the WWU administrators and faculty had also gone through the program.

When I got the opportunity, I was excited to go back and teach at WWU because the college has a great mission. It is special to come back to hone my skills, where I received my MBA, and be able to deliver the same course work back to the soon-to-be fellow alumni.

The application of the liberal arts in the MBA program at William Woods stood out to me. Going through that process of developing a business plan, you are developing a blueprint for not just business but an organization. It allowed me to have a broader understanding of how the greatest organizations intersect, and how by aligning the systems with the organization, you can actually improve outcomes. It is important in business because you have to think more broadly and understand what decision impacts other parts of the organization, how resource allocation can impact other areas of the organization. More specifically, the finance and accounting aspects are robust for any business or organization leader. Even if you are not going to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a financial expert, it’s important to have foundational understanding of how to read financial statements and how budgets work. I was able to apply directly to part of my job where I was the Chief Budget Officer for Accounting in the government. I now oversee a 98 million dollar budget for a large state agency. If I had not had the exposure in my MBA program, I would be challenged to fully understand how to manage budgets effectively.

The average day working for the state of Missouri is busy for me. I was appointed by the Governor of Missouri, and am a senior executive level officer. I oversee 324 employees and a $98 million budget. My job is to manage Missouri’s public workforce system. What that means is managing all of the federal dollars that come to the state to help people who are unemployed or underemployed, working with individuals who want to enter into job enrichment programs, or helping businesses and communities develop strategies to attract and retain

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talent. The biggest challenge in today’s economy is ensuring that we have a labor market that is stable and resilient. We focus on two key areas every day and figure out how we get more people into the workforce and how we help those people stay in the workforce. We look at how we can help Missouri workers to be more productive and resilient, as technology accelerates and businesses increase exposure to global marketing places. Our job is to make sure that Missouri employees are competitive and productive, which means Missouri business will be competitive and productive.

The biggest thing is soft skills, understanding how to work as a team, be a critical thinker and problem solver, and to take initiative. A lot of it is earlier in your career, when you need to be patient, engaging and a “sponge.” You are going to learn a ton on the job in your first two years, not only how to perform a technical, process but also style norms on the job. Things like: how do I interact and engage with my superiors or subordinates? How do I interact with my colleagues? Critical thinking, problem solving, communication and initiative – those are the things that are most important when you first get a job, and then taking those two years to hone those and build a reputation. These things are often overlooked. You need the technical expertise, but once you get on the job, technical expertise will only go so far. Critical thinking, taking initiative, being a problem solver and communicating effectively will help you grow into a leader in an organization.

Graduate school is much different because the idea is that you learn as much from your peers as you do from the instructor. I like to have everyone set up in a square or “U” shape, and I sit in the middle while we have a lot of discussion. I might be lecturing on certain topics, providing the fundamental based knowledge that needs to be presented, and the conversation might go to the practical applications of these concepts to the real or business world. We do a lot of peer engagement and peer response with projects, because it is not just my feedback that’s important but feedback from peers.

We all learn from each other that way.

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Notes Christine Veirs Ringgold continued

As a 20+ year member of the Arkansas Unit of the Herb Society of America, I divide my time between sponsored gardens, education and fundraising.

In August I hope to get a positive response about a grant I applied for to help fund a pollinator/wildlife community planting project on 400ft of the levy across the lake from our home. Wish us luck.”

City,” a harrowing account of his tour of Vietnam as an Army infantry man in 1968-1969, has been a best seller for Vietnam history on Amazon. Rita says those interested in purchasing the book can also do so by going to www.Luckysnipe.com

ni weekend frequently, her daughter, Kim (Adams) Force, started her MBA at WWU, her daughter Nikki (Nichole) Adams Tutt took WWU dual credit classes while in high school, and her sister, Shauna Russell Qualls, graduated from The Woods in 1972.

Karyn Gramling ‘83

Linda Mills, owner of Mills Floral Company (Duluth, Georgia) for 30 years, welcomes her two daughters, Amy Haler and Becky Scott full time into the import wholesale trade. Mills Floral Company specializes in importing preserved boxwood and UV boxwood designs, as well as many other home décor items for retailers, manufacturers, designers and online sellers of décor items.

1974

Jackie Springer Pinkston is proud to announce their 4th grandchild was born April 2 in Harrisburg, PA, named Niles Robert Paul Maximowicz, to their daughter Natalie and husband Cody.

1975

Rita (Russell) Adams reports that her husband Stan Adams’ Vietnam memoir, “Mokane to Mole

through her daughter and son-in-law Kim and Richard (Chris) Force, who received his MBA from WWU. Rita’s family roots at William Woods run deep – her mother, June Wickell Russell, attended WWU for one year and later worked for years in the University’s business office, her aunt, Marie (Russell) Foster, graduated from The Woods, her aunt, Lola (Wickell) Herring, attended WWU, her cousin, Beverly Condray, graduated from WWU and returns to alum-

1977

Lori Lampert Hoos has received her FEI level 2 Eventing License. She currently owns a farm in Franklin, TN called Wil-lo Blue Farm.

1981

Dr. Alison Austin (Myers) Gulden recieved her DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), Practice and Leadership Innovation in May 2020.

husband in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are also proud grandparents of James Benjamin Coulter (age 5), Sheffield Elisabeth Coulter (age 2), and Paul Duke Connick (age 4).

Alynn (Schmitt) McManus, was recently invited to contribute to the feature article in the New York Times “I Can’t Turn My Brain Off: PTSD and Burnout Threaten Medical Workers” highlighting the increase in depression and suicide among frontline healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 1986, Alynn has been a clinical social worker in private practice, alongside her husband, Ken McManus (Westminster ‘79) as a trauma specialist with expertise in first responder and military/veteran populations.

Alynn was invited to speak at The Woods in November, 2017 at the invitation of Laura (Holder) Ward ‘82 and the EQS faculty as part of Veterans Day. She spoke about her work with TRR’s Warrior Camp® program where Equine therapy assists PTSD recovery among veteran/ military and first responder populations.

1983

Marilyn Gamm became the Transitional Pastor for Trinity Presbyterian Church in University City, MO on February 15, 2020.

Dr. Lauri (Pryde) Shornick ‘82

Karyn Gramling, President of the Women’s Auxiliary of The Salvation Army, Silicon Valley, CA, was scheduled to receive the “Exceptional Service Award” at the National Advisory Board Conference, but was cancelled to to COVID-19. Major Paula Wild was able to honor her with the award during a recent Women’s Auxiliary meeting.

1984

Jennifer Payton retired from GSK as of October 4, 2019 to pursue her interests in traveling, riding bikes, reading, riding horses, hunting, playing tennis, managing AirBnBs and supporting social causes. She now owns Zuni, Comanche (two black and white paints) and Drum (Spotted saddle

1982

Dr. Laurie (Pryde) Shornick was promoted to Full Professor & Chair of the Department of Biology at Saint Louis University.

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Rita Adams ‘75

Sheffield Christian Duke married William David Duke in May of 1982, and still lives in Little Rock, Arkansas today. They have two daughters, Helen Sheffield Duke Coulter who lives with her husband in Magnolia, Arkansas, and Rebecca Riley Duke Connick who lives with her

Jennifer Payton ‘84

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horse). She is now a board member of the Bike Club of Philadelphia and the Secretary of the Paoli-Malvern-Berwyn Rotary Club.

On April 13, 2020, she marrried Chittoor Rao Narahari in the parking lot of the Leominster, MA courthouse due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Once everything is back to normal, they plan on having a wedding ceremony at Saint Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Wayne, PA.

2001

Class of 1988 mini reunion, Jackson, MO July 2020: Dianne Johnson Proulx, Donna Walz Ward, Debra Branstetter Hunter, and Sundy Fuemmeler

Barbie Banks was recently promoted to co-executive director of the Ragtag Film Society.

2002

Kimberly (Peters) O’Connor lives in Richlands, NC, and is now the Executive Director of the National Walking Horse Association.

2003

1986

Lisa Owsley Freeman is proud to announce the birth of her third grandson, Porter, born in January 2020.

1988

Zelda Oesch Gagliardi is currently semi-retired from doing wardrobe for live theatre (tours of Broadway musicals), TV and film. She lives in Florida with her husband Michael Angelo Gagliardi of 33 years. She is also the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Suffolk Horse Association.

1991

Kim (Nunemaker) Powell was honored with the 2020 MO Art Education Association’s Secondary Art Educator of the Year Award. This is Kim’s second time winning this award as she was bestowed this

honor in 2006 as well. Kim just retired from teaching Visual Art after 29 years in education. She taught Fine Art Photography, AP 2D Design, and Graphic Design at Kirkwood High School, as well as being the Art Department Chair.

Kim is currently President-Elect of the MO Art Education Association and also runs a vacation rental business at the Lake of the Ozarks with her husband.

1995

Melissa Hughes Smith won the UPHA Chapter

“The business education I received at William Woods was a great foundation and has served me really well in the business side of healthcare. 2020 is a big year for me as it represents my 30 year high school reunion and 25 years of marriage!”

—TAMI CLARK ’99

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Five Distinguished Service Award.Melissa is the trainer for Sarah Rowland, for whom Rowland Applied Riding Arena is named.

1996

Amber Cox (’96, ’98) was honored with the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Women of Inspiration 2019 award. Cox is the Vice President of Sports for the Connecticut Sun and New England Black Wolves.

1999

Tami Clark (‘99, ‘06) reports that since completing her MBA from William Woods in 2006, she has been working for MU Healthcare, initially as a Training Coordinator,

Michael Minner celebrated his 10th anniversary with his wife Lisa in August.

He is currently pursuing his specialist degree in a WWU cohort. He is also using his master’s degree as the Athletic Director of Charleston High School.

His summer baseball team, the Fighting Squirrels, won the 16-18 National Babe Ruth Championship in Jamestown, New York.

2004

Emily (Van Gundy) Stockwell ‘04 (AXO) and Ben-

Kim Powell ‘91

1997

Nicole L. Czarnomski wrote and published a book about her breast cancer journey called “How Cancer Cured My Broken Soul.”

1998

Michelle (Thompson) Milligan started working as an assistant trainer at Gateway Manor Stables in Lake St Louis, MO under Rocky Brannon after graduation and worked there for 10 years. After having kids, she wanted to reduce her traveling for horse shows, so she began dog grooming at Petco. That experience inspired her to become an entrepreneur, and she has now owned her own dog grooming business for 5 years in Weldon Spring, MO named K-9 Creations Pet Spa.

then as the Revenue Cycle Training Manager, and more recently as the Director of Revenue Integrity for University Physicians.

This year she celebrated 15 years at MU Healthcare.

jamin Stockwell ’05 (FIJI) welcomed their 3rd son, Louis Benjamin Stockwell, on December 7, 2019.

Levi Williams announces that he and his wife had a baby girl named Vivian Rose in December of 2019.

They’ve also been busy

65

KRISTINA BAUM ‘04

WHITE HOUSE STAFFER KRISTINA BAUM ’04 RETURNS TO THE WOODS TO LECTURE ON RESILIENCE

BY JOHN FOUGERE

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photos taken before march 2020

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Policy (OSTP).

But it was not without significant obstacles along the way. The avid runner was diagnosed with cancer on three separate occasions. Baum mentioned her professional network as great support, plus previous professors, mentors, coworkers, as well as family. This support system was there for her through her cancer diagnoses.

“One thing I have learned is that the ‘why’ is really important,” she said. “Whether it’s your career or running, when you hit a dark spot, you need to remember why you have the goal you do and why you keep wanting to go forward. I don’t want cancer to win and cancer wins if it robs me of my goals.”

She also reminded William Woods students not to take this stage of their life for granted.

“I wanted to make a difference back when I was on campus and to leave the campus better than when I arrived,” Baum said. “The courses I took on campus taught me to think for myself. Do not miss the valuable education you are receiving at WWU.” As Director of Communications for OSTP at the White House, Baum serves as the overseer of all communications functions for the office, which provides the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with advice on scientific, engineering and technological aspects of the economy, national security, health, foreign relations, and the environment, among other topics. It is a position that is every bit as challenging as being in the epicenter of executive communications in Washington, D.C. can be.

But having beat cancer three times, and back training to run marathons to boot, Baum’s determination and resilience have never been stronger because she has always known what she wanted.

“When you put on your running shoes, you have to think of why you want to even run in the first place,” she said.

WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Overcoming life’s obstacles and achieving your dreams was the theme when Kristina Baum ’04 returned to William Woods on February 1 to serve as keynote speaker at the University’s annual Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leadership Conference.

When Baum graduated from The Woods, her dream for her professional career was set – to one day work at the White House. After serving internships with two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and working in communications positions with the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Baum realized her dream in September 2019 when she became Communications Director for the White House Office of Science and Technology

Notes rehabilitating a historic home in Jefferson City, which was recently awarded Landmark status. Their blog can be followed at OutstandishPreservation. weebly.com.

2005

Maria Cauwenbergh Walden announces the birth of her second son, Jackson Cooper on December 18, 2019.

Lauren Eisleben graduated with an M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Stephens College in December 2019. She joined Individual, Marriage & Family Enrichment in Columbia, MO as a Provisionally Licensed

Nicole Czarnomski ‘97

Professional Counselor, specializing in addiction, couple’s counseling, and family of origin challenges.

Christy Fischer and Mike Fischer (both 2005 WWU soccer graduates), welcomed their second son, Boone, on November 6, 2019.

Nathan Reid (‘05, ‘07) won the American Family Insurance All American, Gold Key, Life Diamond Award in 2019. He was also awarded American Family Insurances Agent of the Month Award multiple times in 2019. He owns the American Family Insurance – Reid & Associates, LLC Agencies located at The Lake of the Ozarks with offices in Osage Beach and Lake Ozark. Nathan Reid also won Missouri Magazine’s award for 2020 Best Insurance Provider.

Benjamin Stockwell ’05 (FIJI) and Emily (Van Gundy) Stockwell ‘04 (AXO) welcomed their 3rd son, Louis Benjamin Stockwell, on December 7, 2019.

Darla Gaus announces her retirement from Canton RV school district June 30, 2020. She taught special education in 3 districts, 27 years in sped, elementary principal for 5 years, and served as sped director for 13 years.

2007

Dr. Lauren McMichael Vines was promoted this spring to Chief of Psychology for the Alexandria VA Healthcare System. She supervises 40 clinical and administrative staff, and leads the accredited doctoral internship program.

Dr. Lynn Frydrych moved to Los Angeles to finish

Bethany (Campbell) Reid won Missouri Magazine’s award for 2020 Best Sign Language Interpreter.

surgical training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UCLA. Kevin Lay and his family have moved from Missouri to Florida. Kevin is now a teacher at Nease High School teaching Earth and Space Science and Marine Science.

2008

Katie (Finley) Cauwenbergh and her husband welcomed their new baby into the world, named Finley, in August of 2019.

Nicolette (Schauemann) Ahrens is certified as a PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor and has been teaching at Hearts and Horses for

Levi Williams ‘04

Shelly Homan is starting his 2nd year as Principal at Heritage Charter Academy in Florida.

2006 Barbie Banks ‘01 (center)

Dr. Danielle (Shaves) Staples earned her PhD in higher education leadership in December of 2019.

She is also now a dean at Arapahoe Community College.

photo taken before march 2020

KATE ENGEMANN ‘02 The Equine Event Management class hosted the first “Canter for a Cure” show at the end of November 2019 to help an alumna with the fight against cancer. Bonnie Carr, the former Associate Dean of Academic Services and Associate Professor of Equestrian Studies, and her students, totaled up the donations from the show. Canter for a Cure raised $12,750 for Kate Engemann, an alumna of William Woods and former Admissions Director.

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Students in photo with Kate: Cora Bessleman, Hannah Ehlinger, Monica Fox, Courtney Hilke, Jillian Jarvis, Jamie Johnson, Sarah Miesner, Chae Miller, Kristen Millett, Grace Schierling, Carley Sukkert, Chrissy Vinton, AJ Vittone, Stephanie Volk, Madalyn Walker, and Heather Watts

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Notes three years now. Her two boys, ages 5 and 2, love to ride horses and help with chores. She currently runs her own small horse lesson, leasing, boarding, and training business from her home while raising her two boys. She says it is as rewarding as it is challenging.

Jacque Mecklenburg is working as an Assistant Principal at Brokaw, an Early Learning Center in Oswego, IL, for almost six years. She became a Grandma for the first time on June 12, 2020 to Charlotte Elizabeth. She will be retiring after this year with 35 years of service to education in Illinois.

Dr. Kathryn Best finished her pediatric critical care fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX in June. She married David Sund (graduate of Westminster, 2010) on July 4th, 2020. After their big wedding had to be postponed back in March, they had a private ceremony just the two of them, the officiant and the photographer.

They moved to Greenville,

NC and Kathryn is starting a new job as clinical assistant professor in the department of Pediatrics at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine and will be working in the pediatric intensive care unit at Maynard Children’s Hospital Vidant Medical Center. Her family has a lot of connections with William Woods University and Westminster College. David’s mom and grandmother attended WWU and his grandfather attended Westminster (Wallace Odell ‘45). His grandparents met in Fulton while they were in school.

David wouldn’t have gone to Westminster had it not been for his grandfather, so he and Kathryn wouldn’t have met if there wasn’t so much family history in Fulton! David’s mom was a WWU grad (Susan Odell Sund ‘75) and David’s grandmother is also a WWU grad (Margaret Witchell Dunnigan ‘45).

She went to WW when it was a two-year college for women and later graduated from University of Missouri.

“My Graphic Design degree, EQA minor, and MBA from William Woods made this possible!”

—FRANKIE (HART) SUNDERLAND ’10, ‘12

2009

Adam Dresden ‘09 and Gillian (Tracey) Dresden ‘12 have been married for about a year now. Adam has published his first book “Dark Cry: Genesis” and it is available on Amazon. This is a three part series that was started while attending WWU, the books include original art.

Gillian has been running her own business for 5 years now (successfully).

Adam has been teaching ART for 8 years in Columbia at the high school level, and hopes to make the books and future (golf & fitness) channel/business possible.

2010

Frankie (Hart) Sunderland (‘10, ‘12) married Matthew Sunderland of Lee’s Summit, MO in January 2020 in Riviera Maya Mexico.

She also has a new job as the Social Media Manager at State Line Tack, a large equestrian company based in Pennsylvania.

2011

Katie Glatz is now the Director of Admissions at Notre Dame de Sion High School for Girls in Kansas City.

2012

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Mike and Christy Fischer ‘05, with Hoyt (age 3 years) and Boone (age 8 months)

Tina Eisterhold will be teaching multiple subjects at St. George Parish School this fall for 2020-2021.

In January, she became a grandparent once again with another handsome grandson Emric Eisterhold, who joins his older brother

Zayden. They also built a new house and shed on the family farm and are enjoying the new home.

Dustin Z West recently made his international debut as the Production Stage Manager of The Ghosts of Versailles presented by the Opéra Royal de Versailles as part of their 250th Anniversary celebration. He also made a debut in Phú Quôc, Viet Nam as the Production Supervisor for ONCE, a nighttime theme park spectacular at VinPearl Land. He was recently promoted to Production Stage Manager for the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown NY, overseeing four new opera productions each summer.

Dr. Gregory J. Wood completed his Ph.D. in business (Organizational Leadership) through Northcentral University on November 1, 2019.

Ebere (Alozie) Nwojo ‘12 is happy to announce her marriage on March of 2020, and that she is now living with her new husband in Odessa, Texas.

Catanzaro announces the birth of her daughter, Shae Christine Catanzaro on February 22, 2020.

Zach Bruner started his first superintendent position at the Madison C-3 School District in July 2019. He also successfully defended his dissertation in March 2020 and graduated with his Ed.D. in April 2020. He was recently hired as an adjunct instructor for off-campus M.Ed. and Ed.S. courses.

2015

Lilly Davis earned her National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), as well as a level four from Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA).

Andraquay Quinnine (‘15, ‘18) is a professional women’s basketball player (plays for Oakland Rise, Oakland, California and overseas in Cetinje, Montenegro, Europe). Due to COVID-19, all professional basketball has stopped besides the WNBA and NBA.

2016

Douglas Webster says things are going well since receiving his MBA from WWU, including having two beautiful children with his wife.

Lindsey (Long) Echele married her husband, John, in June of 2018. They bought a house and moved

2013

Laura Frasher Tuttle earned her Ed.D. doctorate of higher education administration from Concordia University-Portland in May of 2019. She currently is taking a few postgraduate courses through William Woods University for certification requirements.

2014

Finley (Katie Cauwenbergh ‘08)

Claire (Thibodaux) TH E WOODS 2 02 0

photo taken before march 2020

Dr. Rachael Ostrem graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in the class of 2020.

Kayleigh Pivonka graduated in 2020 as a DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University and begins her first job as Dr. Pivonka.

After a year of traveling from as far as NYC and Texas for clinical rotations at various hospitals, she is looking forward to settling in with her horses and finally getting to practice veterinary medicine.

Laura Liebhart earned her BEI (Board for Evaluation of Interpreters) Advanced certificate.

Ashley Bauer is currently working as a Sponsorship and Public Relations Manager for a Rodeo Production Company. She has also stayed busy with their family Australian Shepherd business and has had the joy of puppies over the last

Ebere Nwojo ‘12

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RECEIVED SUPERINTENDENT’S AWARD

from St. Charles, MO to Pacific, MO in April of 2019.

After graduation, she was a lesson instructor and event coordinator at Castlewood Stables in Ballwin, MO, and is currently the Program Director and Barn Manager at a non-profit equine-assisted therapy facility in Wildwood, MO called Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT). She is certified through PATH and Spirit Horse International, and has been an instructor at EAT since January 2019.

She has one horse; a paint gelding named Jake, as well as a dog named Leroy who is a spaniel mix.

OLIVIA IMHOFF ‘19

Emily Stockwell ‘04

Best in Class Olivia Imhoff ’19 aces the program at the Missouri State Highway Patrol academy

By Veronica Townsend

If you are wondering why William Woods is considered a “professions-based” university, look no further than Olivia Imhoff ’19. Her education at The Woods prepared her for her career in law enforcement, and then some.

A graduate of the Criminal Justice program at WWU, the Boonville, Missouri native used what she learned at The Woods to earn the highest distinction that a cadet can receive while attending the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy in Jefferson City.

Imhoff received the Patrol’s coveted Superintendent’s Award when her class of 31 cadets graduated from the academy. The Superintendent’s Award goes to the cadet who accumulates the highest number of points toward graduation in categories such as academics, firearms and physical fitness over the 25-week training course.

She began her career working as a State Trooper in January 2020 and is currently assigned to Troop F, Zone 9 in Montgomery City, Missouri.

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice prepares students for a wide range of careers in the field, including law enforcement, agency work, industrial security, corrections and the judicial system. The program has three areas of emphasis, including Law Enforcement, Homeland and Industrial Securities, and Mental Health and Counseling.

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Notes month or two.

Annie Graber started her own hunter/jumper training business in September 2019 called Twin Acres LLC and has been very successful thus far.

Dr. Amanda Powell is beginning her 13th year in education, currently in the Joplin R-8 School District, and is proud to announce she was selected to join the cohort of Missouri State University’s pilot program Aspiring Leaders, Joplin.

Kelly Suntrup recently joined the Young Professional Board for the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. She also started a new career as a blogger on Instagram reviewing cars from a mom’s perspective. You can find it @the_car_mom.

2017

Justis Smith was married in June of 2019, and is the Marketing and Special Events Coordinator of the Callaway Chamber of Commerce in Fulton, MO. Maria Lombardi is currently interpreting locally in Olean, MO within the educational setting. She is also working on getting her masters in HealthCare Interpreting from RIT/ NTID and is scheduled to have it completed in May of 2021.

Lauren Thompson became

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Frankie Hart Sunderland ‘10

the new and sole owner of Show Horse Tack, Inc. where she takes a trailer full of horse tack and supplies to different horse shows around the country, as well as fielding online and phone orders. Her current website is being revamped but can be found

2019 and started as an ER Registered Nurse in March.

She also is engaged and originally planned for a big wedding in June of 2020, but decided to postpone the wedding until June of 2021.

Kelly Cobb started working

with A Way With Words and Numbers, a non-profit organization that’s run through Mizzou’s Career Center that provides free literacy and math tutoring in 14 public elementary schools and after-school tutoring at the Daniel Boone Regional Library.

2019 “I wouldn’t have even considered a career like this if it wasn’t for Brenda Popp. I am forever grateful for the education I received from William Woods.”

—ALLEY LEE ’19

at www.showhorsetack. com, and their Facebook is www.facebook.com/ShowHorseTackInc. Kaitlyn Niemeyer (‘17, ‘18) was promoted earlier this year to assistant loan officer at the Bank of Springfield, specializing in agriculture and commercial lending.

Jennifer Strosnider graduated from Loyola’s ABSN program in December

at MSHSAA (Missouri State High School Activities Association) on August 26, 2019 and says she has been enjoying it!

2018

Kyle Gabrielson bought his first house recently, as well as completed his MHA (Masters of Heathcare Administration) from WWU. Sarah Burchett married her high school sweetheart, Benjamin, and together they moved to St. Louis, MO where she started her job at Signature Consultants as an Office Administrator conducting background checks and processing payroll. Sarah made a note that at Signature Consultants there are three other WWU graduates working there (Alec Mulvhill, Anthony Dewey, and Miguel Hudson).

Victoria Finn started graduate school at Mizzou and is currently pursuing her M.Ed in School Counseling. Along with this, she recently gained an Associate Director position

Olivia Davidson will graduate this coming May (2021) from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, with an MA in Theatre with a Concentration in Drama Therapy. She is currently working as a Drama Therapy Intern at a Domestic Violence Center in Kansas City, MO, facilitating group work for children and adolescents.

She is also working with KC Tennats and the DVC, utilizing drama therapy practices as tools for outreach and education.

Her primary focus is the intersection between tenants’ rights, housing, and domestic violence. During the school year, she works as a Drama Therapy Intern at Barrier Free Theatre with other Drama Therapists, devising shows and performing those shows with adults with special needs.

Nina McKee (‘19, ‘20) started her new job as a Business Analyst for William Woods.

Rachel Ostrem ‘16

Alley Lee will be moving in August to start a career as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual.

Tarrah Young is living in Bloomington, IL working as a sales professional.

2020

Karyna Sagalai moved to Columbia, MO after graduation where she obtained a full-time position as a Data Analyst at Veterans United Home Loans. She says that while it is challenging, she enjoys it very much.

She also joined a triathlon group and is learning to play the violin. She plays volleyball once a week, practices yoga, and does a lot of reading.

“I am grateful for everything that WWU has taught/ given me, and now I am ready to learn and explore the world full of opportunities!”

—KARYNA SAGALAI ’20

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In Memoriam

photo courtesy of paige willis

1938 Marcella (Frank) Johnson Betty (Paisley) Bangs 1939 LaVern (Hildebrand) Covington 1942 Betty (Tyson) Blair Helen (Berg) Tatroe Peggy (Frank) Matthews Doris (Caldwell) Richmann 1943 Viola (Gury) Shaw 1944 Mildred “Joan” (Waite) Lawson Margarite (Zickos) Winne 1945 Betty (Wood) Moore Marian (Knudson) Kirkland Sue (Tanner) Huber Betty (Seavers) Maier 1946 Mary (Hinton) Henry Nancy (Wilkes) Dorst 1947 Patricia (Lacy) Adams Phyllis (Kell) Taylor Jane (Shibley) Ball Joan (Caldwell) Perry 1948 Mary Ellen (Hassell) McClellan Florence (Hagen) Belk Dottie (O’ Dell) Gammon Lossie Jean (Morris) Bauer 1949 Barbara (Baugh) Hutchinson Shirley (Maxfield) Haggard Mary (Curtis) Snyder Virginia (Burnett) Anderson 1950 Beverly (Guyton) Rhymes Goni Michaeloff Ruth (Henson) Taylor Mary Lou Coulter Helen (Killion) Wetterau Patricia Edson Graham Phyllis Lambert Hoffmann 1951 Marilyn “Joan” (Coffey) Sullivan 1952 Mary (Scanland) Malan Judith (Phelps) DeMoss Janet (Sly) Gottsch 1953 Cynthia (Rushing) Mason Dorothy (Kruse) Gegel Janet (Ziessler) Hanson 1956 Charlotte (Coblentz) Killough Joyce (Patrick) Madden Patricia (Wallace) Fletcher TH E WO OD S 2020

1957 Jane (Gifford) Gorman 1958 Carol (Giacin) Leible 1959 Ann (Collins) Mauze Lynn (Kriegshauser) Cory 1960 Jeannette (Randall) McIntosh Mary (Kenney) Dodson 1961 Harriett (Anderson) Carrington Patricia (Barker) Blackmore Jean (Ewert) Miller 1962 Mary Beth (Lutterman) Burkett 1963 Cecelia “D’ Ann” (Hedges) Hellstern 1964 Sandra (Tasyn) Durkin Pamela (Ackerman) Robertson 1966 Leslie (Smith) Baugh Andrea (Karlan) Hamlin Kay (Brennan) Gillespie 1967 Peggy (Haley) Brose 1969 Winston Purvis 1971 Judy (Broemmelsick) Oakes 1973 Becky (La Fevers) Wright 1975 Cynthia (Browne) Murry 1985 Mary (Margreiter) Hediger Margaret Booker 1996 Carolyn (Bagley) Harding 2005 Marcia (Clements) Connaughton 2008 Mariann (Casteel) Gibson 2010 Joan (Dunaway) Keenan Brendan Eisenmenger 2016 Charisse Matthews 2017 Katy (Umbaugh) Curp 2018 Ashlie Emerson Drayke 2022 Hunter Sadler

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A Slam Dunk Meet Amber Cox ‘96, ‘98, from The Woods to a career in professional sports

BY VERONICA TOWNS E ND

Amber Cox ’96, ’98 is Vice President of Sports for the Mohegan Sun, which is SPORTS a gaming and entertainment company based in Connecticut. In her position, Cox oversees the business and all revenue generating opportunities for two professional sports teams, the Connecticut Sun of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), including ticket sales and sponsorships, and marketing, community and public relations for both teams. Here she is in her own words, compiled by Veronica Townsend:

Choosing William Woods University

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left, mohegan sun ; right, courtesy of amber cox ; photos taken before march 2020

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When I came for the visit, I drove on campus with my mom, and it felt like home immediately. I knew I wanted to play basketball and had a great opportunity there and a great team at the time. I was recruited by Roger Ternes, who was the long-time athletic director, softball coach and basketball coach at WWU. I knew I received a fantastic education at William Woods, but did not know coming in what I wanted to do. Eventually, I got to the point where I was an English Communications major, working for the student newspaper. I ended up staying and earning my Master’s in Business Administration. WWU is a wonderful place that I hold near and dear to my heart, as my studies there and experiences put me in the position to succeed. I learned so much about myself and had so many great experiences as a student athlete. I learned from incredible professors who shaped and changed my life.

I loved and still love being an Owl! I really learned how to be an effective communicator at WWU. Being a student athlete taught me how to be a good leader and teammate. The class sizes were small and served as an advantage to my education. We were encouraged to speak up and share our opinion.

I credit my professors and coaches in helping me find my voice. As a student athlete, I learned how to manage my time and the ups and downs – winning and losing, etc. Those lessons have served me well in my career.

Selecting a career in the sports industry

I love basketball and knew – probably around my junior year – that I wanted to find a career in sports.

I did not know at the time what that meant. I was not as familiar with pro sports. In Fulton, you have some nearby pro teams in Kansas City and St. Louis. For the most part, my experience was confined to playing in the NAIA and my experiences at William Woods. I credit people like Coach Ternes, Joy Grimes, Florence Krause, Dr. Barnett – the many incredible people at The Woods who provided me with opportunities and encouragement along the way. I wanted to be a sportswriter at first but eventually decided on being a Sports Information Director, which was a natural transition because I was able to do a lot of writing and creative projects on behalf of one athletic department. That career path opened the door to all that followed.

Working in professional sports

Following my time at WWU, I worked at an advertising agency in Columbia (Mo.) where I learned so much – how to interface with clients, network and develop business processes for organizations. I was then hired by Columbia College as its Sports Information Director. By the time I left Columbia College, I was an assistant athletic director. I was looking for another opportunity and really just wanted a change of scenery after living in Missouri my whole life - I was tired of cold winters! I was searching on Team Work Online, which is a common sports job board and saw a Director of Marketing position for the WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury. I applied and thankfully, the then-COO Jay Parry, who has become my mentor, took a chance on me. I think she saw my passion for women’s basketball and my skill set from working in small college athletics at WWU and Columbia College as a positive. I could do a little bit of everything - I was used to working the score board, setting up chairs, recording statistics, TH E WO OD S 2020

developing media guides and occasionally even being the announcer. I did not know much about the business of professional sports at the time, but learned so much about the industry over the first couple of years and from there it has been off to the races.

After my time in Phoenix, I worked for the Big East Conference in New York and went down to Houston to work for Major League Soccer. I knew I wanted to return to the WNBA at some point, because I love the league and the women in it. WNBA players have always been leading voices in social change. They are passionate about ensuring they do everything to exemplify what they stand for and what we all should stand for.

Then the job for the WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun, came up. I knew the CEO of the Sun from my time when I was in Phoenix. He called me and asked me if I would be interested. I knew they had an amazing fanbase – I consider Connecticut to be the women’s basketball capital of the world - they are so supportive of women’s basketball at every level.

I visited Connecticut as a part of the job interview and the executives mentioned their lacrosse team. I did not know much about the sport –I had seen the outdoor game, but never witnessed an indoor game. I now know that lacrosse is a sport on the rise and is entertaining.

I enjoy learning about the players and the league, and seeing the team grow as well. The Black Wolves was a part of the job coming back to the WNBA, but I love both my teams so much. I enjoy the differences in them, which creates a lot of diversity in my days.

I love how the women of the WNBA have always been leaders in driving social change. From the LGBTQ+ community to Black Lives Matter, these women have always raised their voices to create positive change in our world. You are seeing that come to the forefront even more right now obviously, and I’m so proud to work on their behalf every day. We need to continue to build platforms and programming to be a part of and support these efforts. We are going to make sure that we are doing all we can to eradicate racism and are not going to stop until it’s no longer an issue. Both of our Mohegan Sun teams have put out statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, but the bigger opportunity for us is to create sustained action.

Signing off with sound advice

Do not be afraid to take chances. I grew up in a small town in Missouri and went to WWU. I know that sometimes, stepping outside your comfort zone can be scary.

I was certainly scared to death to take a leap to Phoenix. I took a chance on myself. I listened to my heart.

Following my inner voice was important and has continued to lead me to new, fun and challenging opportunities. I’ve lived a life I never could have imagined when I was a student at William Woods, but I owe a lot of what I’ve been able to accomplish to my time there.

My message to every William Woods student is that being an Owl gives you an incredible foundation. Build on that and find your passion. Work hard, take chances and good things will happen. GO OWLS!

“WWU IS A WONDERFUL PLACE THAT I HOLD NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, AS MY STUDIES THERE AND EXPERIENCES PUT ME IN THE POSITION TO SUCCEED.”

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

SAC Outstanding Student Winners Here are the winners for 2019: Ashley Pendleton Senior Benjamin A. Schmiemeier Junior Claire McDonald Sophomore Molly O’Connell Freshman

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Lost Gems

Donation of rare items provides a glimpse of mid-1920’s William Woods

BY JOHN FOUGERE

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For Martin Rosenberg of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, it was an ordinary exercise many of us attend to from time to time. While going through some old boxes in his home, the 76-year old Rosenberg came upon some nearly century-old items that recalled a prominent time in the life of his long deceased mother.

Little did he know that the items he uncovered would be welcomed as rare artifacts at a small university located hundreds of miles to his west, in Fulton, Missouri.

You see Mr. Rosenberg’s mother, Ms. Lorene Meyer, was a 1926 graduate of what was then known as William Woods College. After stumbling upon the discovery of dog-eared copies of her commencement and baccalaureate programs, and other printed booklets describing life at William Woods in the mid1920’s, Rosenberg contacted WWU. And what followed was the donation of materials that provided our present-day university with a rare glimpse at life on campus nearly 100 years ago.

“My mother was born in St. Louis in 1907 to Rosa and Max Meyer, and at some point they moved to Fulton where my grandfather owned a men’s clothing store,” said Rosenberg. “I’m not sure what the circumstances were that led her to William Woods, where she trained in American Sign Language and Art. I’m afraid I do not have much more to offer

about her campus life.”

Fortunately, the fraying memorabilia donated by Rosenberg does just that – it offers a story about life on the William Woods College campus in a bygone era. The programs for the baccalaureate service and commencement, held during what was then known as commencement week, describe a variety of activities from Sunday, May 23 through Wednesday, May 26, 1926. The 101 graduates spent their final week on campus attending a senior breakfast, competing in a tennis tournament, having swimming, art and home economics exhibitions, and enjoying a recital by the college’s music faculty, all sandwiched between Sunday’s baccalaureate (held at First Christian Church in Fulton) and Wednesday’s commencement (Dulany Auditorium).

The program for what was at the time the 36th commencement for William Woods lists the graduates, broken down by areas of academic emphasis, including Piano, Violin, Home Economics, Expression, Physical Education and State Teacher’s Certificates. Among the honors were one from the Women’s Athletic Association, which went to the graduate who was voted the “best all-around college girl.” The

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commencement address was provided by a Dr. H. O. Pritchard, of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Even more fascinating are two booklets that could be considered college marketing materials for their time. One includes a portrait of the William Woods president at the time, Mr. Henry G. Harmon, and provides a look at life on campus, described as an “85acre campus adjoining the northern edge of Fulton that combines architectural and natural beauty to a rare degree,” with “fine old trees, lakes and bluegrass turf forming a setting with all the character and charm of a country estate.” The publications highlight both the academic and social experiences of attending The Woods (“A Junior College for Women”) in the mid-1920’s, including life in residence halls, horseback riding, Sunday afternoon tea, evening dinner in the dining hall, plays and music recitals, and formal dances. Images abound of campus staples that are still with us in 2020 (the Academic Building, Woods and Senior Lakes, Jones Hall) and others that are not (Jameson Conservatory of Music, McBride Gymnasium, the Natatorium). There is also a handsized program for a junior dance held on May 15, 1926, with a place to list the names of everyone you danced with during the evening.

Lorene Meyer was right in the middle of the busy swirl of activities that represented commencement week for William Woods graduates during May of 1926. She took her education and went out into the world, but it is not known if she ever returned to her alma mater.

“After graduation, she taught at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf,” Rosenberg said. “At some point, she moved to Los Angeles where she had old friends from St. Louis. There, she met and married my father in the mid-1930’s and they had my older brother and me. She did return to St. Louis once, to visit, accompanied by her mother.”

In later life, Ms. Meyer taught and worked with special needs children. She also enjoyed arts and crafts projects, while participating in her Synagogue’s activities. She passed away in San Pedro, California, in 1974.

It is highly probable that Lorene Meyer experienced the excitement of college graduation, and the anticipation of a whole life of possibilities laid out in front of her, during that long-ago spring time of 1926 at William Woods. But she also probably could not have possibly fathomed that a few souvenirs of some of her life’s more joyous moments would one day be examined with fascination by individuals at what is now William Woods University, nearly a century later.

During this 150th anniversary year of the founding of The Woods, Lorene Meyer’s story reminds us that, though our own individual existence might be but a moment in time, sometimes we forget that our very being has significance. To the people we befriended, loved or knew during our time on earth.

Or even sometimes, to the people who do not come along until generations later.

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ALUM SPOTLIGHT

Ann Hoffmann, ‘85

Owner at Golden Ridge Stables IN HER OWN WORDS I started off riding Saddle Seat when I came to William Woods, and there were a lot of really good Saddle Seat riders at the time. I decided to switch to Western as then there were not as many Western riders, and I thought it might be a better fit for me. To this day I love, and look up to, Gayle Lampe.

It doesn’t seem as long ago as it actually was. I am an Alpha Phi and loved being a part of my sorority. We showed at a lot of different types of shows, and I think that was a great experience. I just loved everything about William Woods. I had never actually visited WWU before attending, but I knew someone who went and really looked up to her, so I just made the decision to go. I had a double-major in Equestrian Science and Business. I thought I was actually going to go into business, and the equestrian classes were just because I always loved horses.

One of the things I loved at William Woods was all of the comradery in the barns and on campus. You had room to grow, but it had a good safety net to keep you moving forward.

On a practical scale, I learned how to write a succinct want ad. We learned how to give directions to William Woods for a semi driver. The final in that class was figuring out how much food you would need to bring to a horse show for a certain number of horses. So, it was hands-on, real-life experience.

And even the want ad in the newspaper still applies because good social media posts that are focused and engaging are important.

We learned about all aspects of the horse industry and to work hard while we were at William Woods.

I grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, and knew a woman who had gone to William Woods, so I decided that is where I was going to go. I met my husband in Fulton, and we have been together 34 years. We moved back to Minnesota, to the area where I grew up. I followed the business path for one year working at a computer firm.

Then we had an opportunity to buy the facility we are on now and expanded the business. I am an amateur, and we began as a boarding barn. We ended up having some older horses that needed a job, so I hired a riding instructor to give lessons. From then it continued on, and I hired a second riding instructor.

Along the way, I got an affinity for old horses because they have provided much for people and can teach a lot in the lesson program. So now we are up to four instructors and over 100 lessons are taught a week.

When we first started the boarding barn, we were in the middle of farmland, and now we have lots of houses around us, and Lakeville has grown tremendously in the last decade.

We still teach beginners to ride, but some of them go on to show with us. My role when I first started out was cleaning stalls and feeding. We built a lot of fence and did a lot of maintenance. I still help with chores, but now I do more on the marketing and business end. Currently, I serve as First Vice President for Tri-State Horsemen’s Association and Second Vice President for the MN Horse Council.

My favorite part of the job is when the stalls are cleaned, the aisles are swept and the horses are fed.

The barn is quiet, and you can just sit and enjoy the moment.

“One of the things I loved at William Woods was all of the comradery in the barns and on campus.”

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photos taken before march 2020

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TH E WO OD S 2020

S E N D AL L ADDRE S S C HANG ES TO:

One University Avenue Fulton, MO 65251 PHON E : 800.995 .3 15 9 E M A I L : ALUMN I@W ILLIAMWOODS.EDU

WORDS TO THE WISE

“The greatest risk you take is if you take no risk at all.”

William Woods University is a student-centered and profession-oriented institution committed to values and ethics, self-liberation, and lifelong education in the world community.

FOLLOW US Check us out at @WilliamWoodsAlumni on Instagram. Stay in touch with us and your colleagues from The Woods.