UCM Magazine - Fall 2020

FALL 2020

MULE STRONG

COMMUNITY UNITES ONLINE, ON CAMERA PAGE 4

I N S I D E : 2 0 2 0 A N N UA L R E P O RT

CONTENTS NOW SHOWING: Michael oore and M s ri h C : , Cody bove Pictured a ft: Jennifer Renfrow Moore; ris t le Graves; a olin O’Brien and Ch C s, n o Clemm rey Taylor at right: T 2020 AN NUAL RE P OR T

‘The Computer Lab’

Sci-Fi Film Series is a Community Collaboration

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DEPA RT M ENT S

10 THANK YOU MESSAGE

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

12 UCM AT THE MOVIES

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PHILANTHROPY NEWS

16 STUDENT EXPERIENCE 18 BY THE NUMBERS 20 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT COVER S TO RY

4 UCM GETS CREATIVE ONLINE AND ON CAMERA Whether online or on air, UCM College of Education students and faculty demonstrated innovative applications of the college’s motto, “Education for Service,” in the face of unprecedented challenges. Communities across Missouri are grateful for new and seasoned educators who were not afraid to try new things to reach and teach every student, including KMOS Classroom Summer School.

FEATURE S

8 ALUMNUS REDIRECTS AIRLINE CATERING FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF Greg Hughes of Gate Gourmet works with Project Isaiah to save jobs and fight hunger in some of the nation’s hardest-hit cities.

22 MEET UCM’S 2020 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI This year’s five award recipients exemplify the university’s spirit of service and excellence.

On the cover: Kamryn Williams, a May 2020 UCM graduate from Odessa, Missouri, records a lesson she created for second and third grade students to be aired on KMOS Classroom Summer School.

27 ATHLETICS 28 UCM NEWS 30 CLASS NOTES 32 PLANNED GIVING 33 IN MEMORIAM 36 PARTING SHOTS 37 MULENATION NEWS

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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E

UCM MAGA Z INE FA L L 2 0 2 0 , Vo l. 1 9 , No . 2

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kathy Strickland ART DIRECTOR Linda Harris, ’91 CONTRIBUTORS Kelsie Baldus Tiffany Cochran, ’05 Britni Hume, ’15, ’18 Jackie Jackson, ’09, ’12 John Kennedy, ’92, ’13 Emily Kepley Jeff Murphy, ’80, ’95 An Quigley, ’94 Jessica Rhodes, ’16 Peggy Shaul, ’91 Brittan Williams, ’15

© 2020 by University of Central Missouri.

All rights reserved. Views and submitted content do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of UCM Magazine, the UCM Alumni Foundation or the University of Central Missouri.

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Submit address updates at ucmfoundation.org/ update, by email at alumni@ucmo.edu or by phone at 660-543-8000.

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MULE STRONG ALUMNI AND EMPLOYEES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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n my State of the University address Aug. 27, I shared my appreciation for all of the individuals who have helped make the past year a great one, despite the pandemic. Our faculty, staff and alumni have defined what it means to be Mule Strong through their commitment and dedication, never giving up in their vigilance to make UCM an institution that thousands of alumni can proudly call their alma mater.

Unfortunately, many of the challenges we faced over the past several months still impact us institutionally, and we must continue to meet them head-on to achieve what I consider three top priorities for the 2020–2021 academic year: budget planning, our COVID-19 response, and continuing our efforts in the areas of inclusion and diversity.

For months our employees and members of several coronavirus response groups engaged in widespread efforts to adjust our operations and learning environment in the most effective ways possible. This allowed us to start fall semester with a majority of classes having at least some in-person component.

In Mule Strong fashion, we must continue to push forward during this time, while also addressing significant reductions in state appropriations and ensuring our differences as individuals do not pull us apart but rather strengthen and enhance us all.

Though not perfect, over the years we have strived to provide a welcoming environment for all students and a high-quality yet affordable education. The confluence of experiences this year reminds us how vital this work is as we set the foundation for UCM’s next 150 years. Our imperative in fulfilling “Education for Service” is to ensure access for all who seek it, regardless of their individual or socioeconomic status.

UCM Magazine has many examples of how the university and its alumni are making a difference for others. You will learn about five alumni who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding careers and service. One feature story tells about the partnership between KMOS-TV and the College of Education that led to KMOS Classroom Summer School to assist K–12 educators and students. Another article focuses on alumnus Greg Hughes and his work redirecting airline catering resources to help feed people in need. This issue also includes the UCM Alumni Foundation’s annual report, detailing what donor generosity means for scholarships, academic programs and capital projects.

I greatly value your continued engagement with UCM. Thank you for being Mule Strong!

Roger J. Best, Ph.D. UCM President University of Central Missouri Magazine

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P H I L A N T H RO P Y N E W S

Chemistry Classroom Transformation Impacts Student Success Students in General Chemistry courses are learning in a new classroom this fall, equipped with state-of-the art technology and safety modifications to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The classroom was funded in part by generous contributions to the President’s Unrestricted Fund through the UCM Alumni Foundation.

The chemistry program’s new “smart classroom” is in the Wilson C. Morris Science Building. The university’s Board of Governors toured the facility Aug. 20, shortly after a ribbon-cutting ceremony

to celebrate its launch. Student work stations include plexiglass shields to protect students as they work collaboratively in a laboratory environment.

General Chemistry courses are taken by chemistry majors as well as students pursuing other academic paths, including biology, kinesiology, medical laboratory science and radiological technology.

According to Scott Lankford, chair of the School of Natural Sciences, the model of traditional lectures and problem-solving assignments using educational software was not effective for all students.

“Flipping the classroom and increasing the time students spent engaged in the problem-solving aspect of chemistry became our clear path,” Lankford says, “but UCM lacked a classroom to support the pedagogy.”

The UCM Board of Governors participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new chemistry lab.

To solve the problem, a total of $145,652 was combined from a Title III grant; the College of Health, Science and Technology (CHST); and the donor-supported President’s Unrestricted Fund. The existing classroom was transformed from a static instructor podium and student desk environment to a fully interactive classroom, allowing more interaction between students and faculty.

Unrestricted contributions provide UCM flexibility to respond to the university’s greatest needs quickly in service to our students. Donate to the Central Annual Fund at ucmfoundation.org/give/mag.

The new chemistry lab promotes collaboration in a safe environment.

Jennies Fans to Benefit From New Bleachers When the award-winning Jennies resume playing soccer and softball, fans will enjoy brand-new seating. Unrestricted gifts from a generous corporate donor were allocated to enhance the spectator experience at UCM’s South Recreation Complex.

KCRise Partnership Invests in Entrepreneurs The UCM Alumni Foundation has diversified its investments by partnering with KCRise Fund, a Kansas City-based venture capital firm that invests in “Seed and Series A stage technology companies.” The partnership is expected to benefit students who could be recruited by these companies.

“UCM is out front on innovating to support students and alumni,” says Darcy A. Howe, the fund’s managing director.

“KCRise Fund is excited to be a partner to build ways for talented individuals to contribute to the innovation economy in our region.”

Previous portable bleachers were 25 years old. New permanent bleachers are ready for next season.

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P H I L A N T H RO P Y N E W S

Baker-Starzinger Writing Awards Recognize Poetry, Fiction David Baker, ’76, and Page Hill Starzinger have established a writing award to support and encourage the work of young writers at UCM. During his time at the university, Baker discovered an intellectual and artistic home in the English program with professors like Robert C. Jones, Gail Crump, Ron McReynolds and many others. In 1992 he was honored by his alma mater with a UCM Distinguished Alumni Award.

English faculty will select David Baker prominent poets and creative writers to judge student submissions for the annual award of $500 in each of two categories: poetry and short fiction. This award is now endowed and will live in perpetuity through the UCM Alumni Foundation.

Baker is a renowned poet who teaches English at Ohio’s Denison University and edits The Kenyon Review. He is a former Guggenheim fellow and the author of a dozen poetry collections as well as several

works of literary criticism. In April 2019 he was the subject of an article in The New Yorker titled “A Still Small Poem,” in which author Dan Chiasson wrote: “Baker’s poems depend on long acquaintance with a small place, where year-over-year comparison makes even the arrival of a feeding monarch or a nagging blue jay a standout event.”

Starzinger, the award’s co-founder, just released her second poetry Page Starzinger collection, “Vortex Street,” in June.

Her first book, “Vestigial,” won the 2012 Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize.

Like many UCM award ceremonies, the annual David Baker Student Awards reading was held virtually this spring, with Baker and Starzinger in attendance via Zoom. The first recipients of the Baker-Starzinger Writing Awards from the new endowed fund will be honored in spring 2021.

Y O U

K E E P

UCM MULE

STRONG The University of Central Missouri’s 1871 Society was established to honor generous alumni and friends who make an investment of $1,000 or more in a fiscal year to The Central Annual Fund. Your ongoing gifts are essential to support the areas of greatest need for students, faculty, programs and facilities across campus.

When you make this annual commitment, you will receive an 1871 Society window decal to show your Mule pride, invitations to exclusive donor recognition events and other member benefits.

JOIN TODAY at

ucmfoundation.org/join-1871

Koch Family Trust Supports JCK Library Fund

Donald Kelsey’s Legacy is Mule Strong

A generous gift from the Koch Family Trust in June 2020 will support the operations of the James C. Kirkpatrick Library. The Koch Family Trust was established by Oliver T. Koch and Mary G. Koch in 1990. Oliver Koch graduated from Central Missouri State Teachers College in 1941 with a bachelor’s in business administration.

During their lifetime the couple supported student scholarships and the Kirkpatrick Library Construction Fund.

Donald R. Kelsey, ’68, who passed away in February 2019, has left a legacy to his alma mater with an estate gift and the fully endowed Donald R. Kelsey Undergraduate Research Award Fund.

With Kelsey’s generous support, UCM has established the Donald R. Kelsey Chemistry Research Fund Quasi Endowment, which allows for work done by students to continue on the Orbital Molecular Modeling project.

To talk about this and other giving options, please call 660-543-8000, or email us at giving@ucmo.edu.

Please let us know if you have included the university as part of your estate plan, so we can honor you as a member of the Heritage Society in recognition of your generosity and thoughtful action.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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UCM Gets Creative KMOS-TV, College of Education Create a New Kind of Classroom

By Kathy Strickland

When students left the University of Central Missouri for spring break, they had no way of knowing they would not return to campus to finish the semester. Nor could they have imagined how their worlds would be altered.

But there’s one thing all of the students, staff and faculty who carried on in the face of the pandemic demonstrated: this university community is Mule Strong! Faculty across UCM didn’t miss a beat adapting coursework to an online environment, and after just one week of preparation following spring break, nearly 2,000

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virtual classrooms were up and running.

Out of this challenging situation grew a different kind of classroom that had not existed before. Josh Tomlinson, ’02, director of broadcasting services at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station on UCM’s campus, created KMOS Classroom to provide standardsbased, grade-level instruction to families who were suddenly separated from the educational system they knew.

“Once school started shutting down, I knew KMOS had to do something,” says Tomlinson, who came up with the idea

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in early spring. He took the concept to PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, who was also strategizing ways to serve their member stations’ communities when schools began to close. Especially in locations where broadband is an issue, including rural and urban communities, broadcast was a way to reach students who did not have access to online learning resources.

“In a circumstance like this, we were able to step up,” Kerger says of efforts like KMOS Classroom, which she’d like to see expand to other university stations. “We’re storytellers, we

know how to use the platform, our roots are in education, and I think the most important secret ingredient is our stations live in the communities that we serve.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of PBS, the nation’s largest noncommercial media organization, with more than 330 member stations across the United States. Kerger says her team had been planning retrospectives and a series of events to mark the milestone.

Then the pandemic shifted their direction toward serving the public through educational programming, as they have

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Online and On Camera UCM Leads the Way in Educational Technology famously done with shows like “Sesame Street” and “Reading Rainbow.”

“We had anticipated that we would be celebrating in a really different way,” Kerger says.

“We’re actually celebrating our 50th anniversary in a way that I think is so much more important, which is ... to serve the public during this very challenging time.”

Community Learning While PBS celebrates 50 years, UCM is gearing up for its 150th anniversary in 2021.

“Education for Service” has been the university’s guiding principle since its founding as Normal School No. 2 preparing elementary school teachers to work in rural counties.

Tomlinson soon found the perfect partner in UCM College of Education Dean Robert Jae-Min Lee. “Serving our communities across the state of Missouri continued on page 6 Left: UCM student teacher Kamryn Williams works with the KMOS-TV crew at one of the recordings of KMOS Classroom Summer School. With her for the recording are KMOS engineering and production crew members, from left, Andy Avery, ’10, Christy Millen, ’94, and Kurt Parsons.

The UCM College of Education’s Master of Science in Educational Technology has been fully online since 2008. Faculty knew that their graduate students, who are primarily working educators and instructors, would look to them for guidance during the abrupt transition to teaching online as a result of the coronavirus.

“It gave them an opportunity to truly put into practice

“ Teachers are flexible and have amazing skills.

At the same time, though, no one was prepared to be in a pandemic.”

— Lauren Hays

what we’ve been working on and develop courses for online learners,” says Shantia Kerr Sims, associate professor and coordinator of UCM’s Educational Technology program. “We heard reflections from their on-site mentors about how grateful they were to have the students there because they were able to really lead the work with the transition at the school and even the district level.”

Before coming to UCM, Sims worked in both K–12 and higher education settings, including as an instructional technology fellow at the University of Minnesota.

When the pandemic hit home, Sims and assistant professor of educational technology Lauren Hays, ’14, put together a series of webinars for the university’s K–12 district partners about how to teach online.

“Teachers are flexible and have amazing skills,” Hays says.

“At the same time, though, no one was prepared to be in a pandemic. We thought it would be a good opportunity to support the teachers and hopefully help ease that transition as much as possible.”

The webinars are free and available to teachers across

“ It gave them an opportunity to truly put into practice what we’ve been working on and develop courses for online learners.”

— Shantia Kerr Sims Missouri. Topics include online course development, teaching special education online, and virtual leadership and assessment. A May 2020 graduate, Jonna Zenner, presented a webinar on virtual teaching tips and shared innovative engagement ideas for teaching and reinforcing mathematics skills online.

By reaching out to communities in a time of need, UCM demonstrated once again how its focus on “Education for Service” keeps Missouri educators going Mule Strong.

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How Teachers Were Introduced to Recording Technology 50 Years Ago UCM has long focused on the instructional use of emerging technologies, establishing a Master of Science in Educational Technology in 1967 — then called the MSE in Audiovisual Education.

Garten and Gossen joined the CMSC faculty in 1969.

They were hired by Director of Student Teaching Gene Fields to supervise off-campus student teachers full time and teach one evening graduate class at the university’s Residence Center in Independence, Missouri.

1976 Rhetor yearbook

From left, Jim Hudson, Harvey Gossen and Ted Garten used spools of 2-inch videotape and large stand-up video recorders in College High and College Elementary laboratory classrooms in the 1970s.

Emerging technology in the late ’60s and early ’70s opened the door to videotaping lessons in the College of Education with follow-up conferences for self-evaluation. Ted Garten, professor emeritus of secondary education, and Harvey Gossen, professor emeritus of elementary education, were at the forefront of innovation when educational technology was new at Central Missouri State College.

Not long after Garten and Gossen joined the faculty, the state of Missouri started requiring all K–12 teachers to complete full certification, including student teaching.

Many experienced educators were understandably insulted about having to prove they were competent in a profession they’d already been working in for years or even decades. Garten and Gossen, who had just left the public school system for their positions in higher education, had their work cut out for them.

The new Lovinger Building opened on the Warrensburg campus in 1967. College High, located on the ground floor, had two state-of-theart classrooms with two-way mirrors between them and full remote videotaping capability.

College Elementary School, a slightly older building, was attached to College High. The shared space made it possible to remotely videotape the elementary student teachers conducting “microteachings” in a laboratory elementary school

classroom and the secondary student teachers doing the same in a high school classroom.

It was in this setting that educators in the inaugural 1971 Summer Program for Experienced Teachers (SPET) reluctantly met to introduce themselves and share their feelings. Unbeknownst to them, the session was being videotaped, and when the tape was played back to them, participants soon understood the power of being able to self-evaluate their lessons. This also helped set a tone of good humor and assured student teachers that their professional experience would be valued.

SPET student teachers helped their professors refine the new practice of microteaching with videotaped feedback, and it was soon embedded in the undergraduate methods classes required of all elementary and secondary education majors prior to student teaching.

Garten and Gossen recognized all SPET participants for their significant impact on future teachers through their willingness to try new educational technology that would become central to the student teaching program.

Today the College of Education continues to incorporate selfevaluation in order to improve teaching — only now students can watch themselves on YouTube instead of VHS.

UCM is currently accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and is the longest continuously accredited educator preparation institution in Missouri.

In 2020, Online Schools Report ranked UCM’s Master of Science in Educational Technology among the nation’s Best Online Master’s in Educational and Instructional Technology Degrees.

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has always been a part of our history,” Lee says.

“Our legacy of graduating well-prepared teachers has established UCM’s College of Education as the ‘go-to’ provider of exceptional educators.”

Many College of Education undergraduates who were in the middle of their student teaching practicums at schools from St. Louis to Kansas City were prevented from going back to the buildings after spring break.

Some remained engaged in a virtual classroom environment and kept in contact with their cooperating teachers, but those whose schools chose not to continue the semester had a harder time.

For three UCM seniors whose student teaching was interrupted, the pandemic offered an opportunity they could not have imagined at the start of their academic careers — the chance to teach thousands of children on broadcast television.

With supplemental funding from a Bank of America Community Grant and the Missouri Arts Council, KMOS Classroom Summer School was born. The goal was to tackle the “summer slide,” which this year was compounded by the “COVID slide,” the gap in learning caused by school closures this spring.

Angela Danley, ’09, associate professor and undergraduate

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“ This is an experience unlike anything I ever imagined doing. I’ve been dreaming of being in this career since I was 4 years old, and never did I think that I would be teaching in this way.”

— Kamryn Williams program coordinator for elementary education at UCM, coordinated summer school programs during her 25-year career in public education. She

“ They’re going to be more prepared to teach virtually their first year because they were teaching not just 20 kids but thousands of students across the state of Missouri.”

— Angela Danley says that many districts did not offer summer school this year, and those that did started later than usual.

“I was really feeling a heavy heart knowing that students were not in the classroom and some students were not receiving any instruction,” says Danley, who selected three College of Education seniors

to conduct lessons on KMOS Classroom Summer School. The student teachers were assigned to specific grade levels: Alli Hickey, K–1; Kamryn Williams, 2–3; and Ashley Zades, 4–5.

They developed approximately 72 fifty-minute lessons in math, reading, social studies and science, which aired in threehour blocks Monday through Thursday in two rotations starting June 1 and ending Aug. 20.

Filling a block of air time required the student teachers to plan and rehearse their lessons.

Many lessons involved a project students could follow along and make using minimal supplies at home. The KMOS Classroom Summer School teachers delivered six lessons a day in a typical recording session, which was equivalent to or longer than a full day of teaching.

“You really don’t realize how much you have to plan just for one day,” says Hickey. “My student teaching got cut short,

so this has taken the place of it. … It’s just been such a cool experience with lesson planning and making the best you can out of the situation and just helping those you can.”

All three UCM students who Ashley Zades connects with fourth and fifth grade students taught on on camera. the program now have jobs three student teachers toward as elementary school teachers the end of filming, Kerger in Missouri communities. emphasized that the success Williams already had an offer of an educational program is and got recruited by another not measured by how many district after they saw her children watch but by what they performance on TV. take away from the experience.

“Working with the PBS station has given me an advantage as a distance educator,” Williams says. “This is an experience unlike anything I ever imagined doing. I’ve been dreaming of being in this career since I was 4 years old, and never did I think that I would be teaching in this way.”

In a Zoom meeting with Danley, Tomlinson, Dean Lee and the

That said, there are nearly 150 school districts in the KMOS viewing area, encompassing more than 440 schools.

Tomlinson estimates that KMOS Classroom Summer School reached approximately 16,000 children a day.

“They’re going to be more prepared to teach virtually their first year because they were teaching not just 20 kids but thousands of students across the state of Missouri,” Danley says.

“I think the impact KMOS Classroom made on students is far greater than we’ll ever know.”

Alli Hickey teaches a lesson as Andy Avery, left, and Kurt Parsons record.

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Alumnus Redirects Airline Catering for Coronavirus Relief Greg Hughes Works With Project Isaiah to Save Jobs, Fight Hunger Few industries were hit harder and more suddenly by the coronavirus pandemic than commercial air travel. According to the International Air Transport Association, the industry projected a 50 percent plunge in year-overyear revenue as governments imposed travel bans and passengers canceled trips.

One person who saw the immediate effect firsthand is Greg Hughes, ’97, vice president of business development and operations support for Gate Gourmet Inc., based in Reston, Virginia. Since 1997, Hughes has served in a variety of roles at the leading global provider of airline provisioning and catering.

When airlines significantly reduced flights in March, Project Isaiah, the brainchild of investment banker and philanthropist Michael S. Klein, reached out to Gate Gourmet’s parent company,

Switzerland-based gategroup, with a proposition to redirect resources for COVID-19 relief efforts in 11 of the hardest-hit U.S. cities, from Miami to Boston to Los Angeles.

With more than 30 operating units across the U.S. that typically produce tens of thousands of meals a day, Gate Gourmet had the infrastructure to safely prepare and distribute boxed meals to people in those areas. Project Isaiah would build relationships with local governments, nonprofits, senior housing facilities, domestic violence shelters, food banks and other community organizations to get the food where it was needed most.

Early in the partnership, airline catering and the supply chain found themselves with excess food when air travel abruptly declined. Hughes and his team mobilized Gate Gourmet’s operations and infrastructure in strategic locations, and the effort was fully operational by the end of March. Not only did the project help with community food shortage, but it also kept Gate Gourmet employees working.

Devon Spurgeon, a leader for Project Isaiah, says the effort preserved hundreds of jobs and fed 2.6 million people.

“The biggest thing I’ve personally seen is how great it is for our people to go out and do good in the communities where we

With the help of the National Guard and members of the New Orleans City Council, Project Isaiah distributed more than 10,000 boxed meals to residents in need.

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operate and serve — and also where our people live,” Hughes says. “When you’re doing good, it’s not hard to put on a smile; it’s not hard to do a little extra because you see the positive impact on people’s lives firsthand.”

Because they were starting from scratch, Spurgeon and Hughes didn’t have Greg Hughes a playbook and did things differently in every location. They listened to local officials, civic leaders and community organizations in each city to understand where their pain points were and where they were struggling the most. Spurgeon says Gate Gourmet’s involvement in food assembly and delivery was crucial to help bridge the gap as other food-focused organizations were ramping up. In some places, the situation was dismal.

“Gate Gourmet’s willingness to engage and the empathy that Greg and the team showed all these strangers were extraordinary,” Spurgeon says. “We would not have achieved this kind of impact without them.”

Whereas Gate Gourmet’s typical model is for their top-rated chefs to work with airlines on designing menus, the pandemic called for a faster, simpler solution. Hughes was able to use what he learned about hotel and restaurant administration at UCM to utilize the supply chain to the best of his ability.

“I worked with my team to come up with menus that we would eat, that we knew our kids would eat, that we knew our families would eat,” Hughes says.

“People receiving the food didn’t have the opportunity to necessarily reheat things or keep them cold … we had to get creative.”

Gate Gourmet employees created boxed meals that were distributed in 11 of the nation’s hardest-hit cities.

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Local Alumni Feed Those in Need Hughes says that, in addition to his education at UCM, his upbringing in Warrensburg provided him with a solid foundation, including a strong work ethic and the value of leading by example.

Growing up the son of UCM Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, ’71, he was involved in the campus community from an early age, working summers at the Pertle Springs golf course, driving university President Ed Elliott and First Lady Sandra Elliott around, working at events and even dressing up as Mo, the university’s mascot. Hughes was wearing the Mo costume and standing behind Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan when the governor signed the papers making the mule the official state animal.

“Warrensburg is a small but very diverse community with the international students and people from all walks of life,” Hughes says. “It’s a small town and a small university, but together it’s a pretty unique combination; it’s hard to find someplace on the planet that’s quite the same. ... I was fortunate to have that experience, and it’s absolutely been foundational for my desire to be involved and help people succeed and give back.”

Joe, ’88, and Sandy, ’89, Ratterman, feed the homeless every week through Hope in the Streets, the nonprofit they created to help the “chronic” or “nomadic” homeless

From left, UCM alumni Joe and Sandy Ratterman and Gene Lowther deliver food to the homeless in Kansas City. in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Gene Lowther, another UCM alumnus, is on the charitable organization’s board of directors.

Hope in the Streets strives to “inspire hope through volunteers who are taking the time and initiative to get to know those living on the streets personally, on a first-name basis, and becoming a trusted and familiar face each week.”

Meryl Lin McKean, ’80, a member of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors who helped establish the McKean Family Scholarship Endowment, has been supporting the Warrensburg community during the pandemic.

McKean and members of the First United Methodist Church of Warrensburg donated more than $3,000 to UCM’s Campus Cupboard after learning that hundreds of UCM students remained in Warrensburg this spring during the pandemic and many had lost their jobs. The money was used to buy meat and other protein sources to be distributed to students at UCM’s Campus Cupboard.

“I have had several church organizations and individuals make financial donations to help keep the pantry stocked,”

says UCM’s Director of Student Activities Beth Rutt, ’78, ’83, who runs the Campus Cupboard, a nonprofit organization established in 2013 with funding from a UCM Alumni Foundation Opportunity Grant. “We have spent more funds in the purchase of food this summer than we have during the entire time we have been open since 2013.”

In addition to $7,000 generously donated by alumni and friends, the Campus Cupboard received an ongoing donation of eggs from Rose Acre Farms in Knob Noster and distributed approximately 60 dozen each week.

From mid-March until June, the Campus Cupboard was open two days a week.

In the first 90 minutes of the extended schedule, they served 92 students, enough to deplete the whole supply of prepackaged food items for that day.

Volunteers and staff at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center saw a total of 1,811 visits from students, faculty and staff throughout the spring and summer.

“We have the best job on campus,” says Rutt. “We got to see the students this summer who were experiencing stress and challenges due to COVID-19. We got to ask how they were doing during online classes and finals, and how they were going to spend their summer. In short, we had a chance to connect with our students that others didn’t, and we looked forward to that each week.”

Donate to the Campus Cupboard at ucmfoundation.org/campus-cupboard.

From left, UCM alumni Carol Hassler, ’83, and Meryl Lin McKean and Glenda Goetz, an emeriti faculty member, supported UCM students through the Campus Cupboard.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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ds, Dear Alumni and Frien grammatic support, dent scholarships and pro stu to ts jec behalf of the pro l ita cap in countless ways. On ive thr From investments in ri ou iss M al ntr annual report University of Ce illed to share the 2020 thr philanthropy helps the are we s, tor rec Di tion’s Board of UCM Alumni Founda with you. of you chose to , 2020) more than 6,680 30 e Jun gh ou thr 19 20 mmitments. This r (July 1, 53 in gifts and pledge co In the previous fiscal yea 2,1 ,31 $7 in ing ult res financially, to MuleNation. support the university t is a strong testament en em iev ach g isin dra record-setting fun lping others. As we deep commitment to he a red sha lly ica tor his we have r. We thank you for As Mules and Jennies, more important than eve w no is . e vic ser of se our sen ough this even stronger navigate the unknown, uleNation will come thr M er, eth tog t, tha ow d kn your kind generosity an expansion of Crane cant gifts to support the nifi sig ced n un no an we , ort ax. B. Swisher Skyhave In last year’s annual rep improvements to the M as ll we as , for all n seb tio Ba da s d Foun Stadium, home of Mule ’76, and the Sunderlan grateful to Jim Crane, are n. These worthwhile we r, itio yea fru is to Th ts rt.

Airpo these capital projec ng bri lp he to ns tio the high caliber of our their generous contribu e our facilities to match nc ha en ll wi ns tio era investments in future gen grams. academic and athletic pro avirus the effects of the coron in their support when g on rs came Str no ule do M of re up we s prised when a gro sur Alumni and friend t no re we e W . nts hip pact our stude Together: Student Hards pandemic began to im rtunity for the “In This po nal op t rso gif pe te ing spi tch De ma a n. financial burde ing together to launch fac nts de stu to ce g gifts to the diate assistan r greatest needs by makin ou Fund,” providing imme rt po sup to e nu nti support made a saw donors co re able to give, as your we circumstances, we also o wh u yo of se tho Thank you to Central Annual Fund. s difficult time. thi in world of difference 2021, we are ary as an institution in ers niv an 0th 15 r ou celebrating from the stories in As we look forward to look like. As you can see ll wi rs yea 0 15 xt ne what the yond what they thought compelled to envision es of UCM students be liv the s orm nsf tra y nthrop erations. Thank you this annual report, phila now and for future gen en pp ha s ng thi le ab g remark possible. You are makin ement and support. gag en ed nu for your conti Sincerely,

Scott Taylor, ’89 s dation Board of Director President, Alumni Foun

J.D. Courtney E. Goddard, ty Advancement rsi ive Un t, en Vice Presid Directors ni Foundation Board of Executive Director, Alum

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As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program, the Max B. Swisher Skyhaven Airport will receive a $30,000 federal grant.

2020 A N N UA L R E P O RT

Thank You to all donors who gave and generous alumni who stepped up to match $16,000 in gifts to UCM’s “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund” this spring: • Mike, ’72, and Patti, ’72, Davidson • Frank, ’73, and Tamara Deel • Diane, ’81, and Chuck, ’80, Dudley

Trustees dation Board of un Fo nd la er nd The Su 2020 for in fiscal year 0 0 ,0 0 5 2 $ ns Field. nated ert N. Tompki 0,000 b oundation do o F R d at n la m er iu d n 90 The Su Crane Stad .4 million ($ the James R. ntributed $1 co the so al at s as renovations to n h io n r renovat oundatio fo F n d n io la at er vi d A n f The Su School o FY20) to the committed in irport.

A er Skyhaven Max B. Swish

• Rand, ’85, and Kelly, ’86, Harbert • Shirley, ’67, and Steve Kleppe • Leslie, ’77/’78, and Robert Krasner • Scott, ’89, and Christine Taylor To learn more about the impact these couples made on UCM students, see pages 20–21.

We are Mule Strong with your support!

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, ’76, donated $1.5 million to renovate the James R. Crane Stadium at Robert N. Tom pkins Field.

All-American Honorable Mention: 1974, 1975 MIAA Most Valuable Pla yer: 1974 MIAA 1st Team: 1974, 19 75

Current James R. Crane

Stadium

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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NOW SH ‘The Co OWING: mp

uter Sci-Fi Film S Communit eries is a y Collabor ation

By Kathy S

Lab’

trickland

Kylie Jacks, ’19, star of Episode 3, sits down to read the messages written on rocks in the memory jar from her mother’s funeral. Some rocks have a mysterious message.

Professor Emeritus Arthur Rennels retired this summer as chair of the School of Communication, History and Interdisciplinary Studies after 20 years at UCM. As part of his legacy, he leaves behind a project that grew from a seed he planted to give students the opportunity to create a film series. Students applied for the “Producing a Web Series” special topics project in spring of 2018, indicating which crew positions interested them, and production started that fall.

Actor and UCM instructor Aaron Scully races through an underground corridor on campus as professor Mark von Schlemmer directs.

One Theatre major and two Music Technology students enrolled; the rest were part of UCM’s Digital Media Production (DMP) program, where associate professors Mark von Schlemmer and Michael Graves collaborated to develop the concept for “The Computer Lab.” “Mark and I were both interested in sci-fi,” Graves says, hesitating to confine “The Computer Lab” to a genre while drawing parallels 12

Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine

to shows like “Stranger Things,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Black Mirror.” “There’s an old adage: there’s the film you write, the film you shoot and the film you edit. We had the great fortune to work with amazingly talented student and faculty collaborators, who helped shape the world, characters and tone of ‘The Computer Lab’ into the version you see today.”

A 2020 Opportunity Grant from the UCM Alumni Foundation funded a Mac Pro, a powerful computer that can handle editing video shot in 4K, the industry standard. This and other Opportunity Grants are made possible by private contributions to the university’s unrestricted Central Annual Fund.

“The students got experience working extensively with 4K footage … and realized that takes twice as long to copy,” says von Schlemmer, who taught “Producing a Web Series” and applied for the grant.

“The night doesn’t end when you say cut; it ends when you get the terabytes of footage we just shot moved over to hard drives and backed up.”

Although the crew was primarily from the DMP program, the project involved talent from many disciplines at the university.

Students, faculty and alumni were cast in lead roles, and students in Graves’ film appreciation class played “extras” in the four-part series.

Graves, who wrote the screenplays based on stories that he and von Schlemmer conceptualized, says the storyline across episodes is loosely based on Plato’s allegory of the cave. Being colorblind, Graves knows he sees things differently than the majority of people and has always been intrigued with the distinction between reality and perception.

He made George Berkley’s “to be is to be perceived” a recurring phrase throughout the series.

Theatre and Dance instructor Aaron Scully, ’12 and ’14, stars as a troubled professor who is very much still “in the dark” in Episode 1, titled “Escape Velocity.” The office in the Martin Building that became the “computer lab” was designed to be cavelike with one bare light bulb hanging over the computer that the lead characters in all four episodes happened upon. To make the set look neglected and

2020 A N N UA L R E P O RT

forgotten, the crew brought in a variety of vintage computers, including one that was used to find a record Mersenne prime number, one of four such discoveries made at UCM since 2005. With supplies donated

by OnPoint Contracting and pizza by Papa Murphy’s, students transformed the room that would become the hub connecting the self-contained but eerily conjoined episodes.

The Warrensburg Fire Department even joined in the action, with Terry Hill, Rusty Bond and Weston Farmer, ’13, bringing a fire truck out for a night scene.

Richard “Buzz” Herman, ’78, former UCM Theatre chair and namesake of the university’s Richard Herman Black Box Theatre, stars in Episode 2, “Night Blindness,” Richard “Buzz” Herman as a down-on-hisluck custodian trying to work his way back into his daughter’s life. Jennifer Renfrow, ’99, director of Center Stage Academy of the Performing Arts in Warrensburg, plays Herman’s estranged daughter. Renfrow studied under Buzz at UCM and says she had a great time performing with him off stage.

after her mother’s funeral, is played by Kylie Jacks, ’19, an English Language and Literature major who was enrolled in Graves’ screenwriting class.

Filming of the funeral took place at UCM’s Alumni Memorial Chapel, and Jack’s character is employed shelving books at James C. Kirkpatrick Library, where she worked in real life as a tutor in the Writing Center.

“Some scenes were right next to where I would go to work nearly every day,” says Jacks, who had never acted before being cast as the episode’s lead. “When I wasn’t fretting about forgetting my lines, I was truly in awe of production. I remember looking around during some of our sets and thinking it was so cool how production made something out of nothing. I also found it kind of exhilarating to pretend to be someone else, and to try my best to forget about the camera and the boom mic above my head.”

In one of Jacks’ favorite scenes, the camera remained stationary, peering through a gap between books on a shelf while she moved progressively farther away. Von Schlemmer, who directed and edited the episode, notes that books are good soundproofing and jokes that he owes an apology to librarians who may continue to find titles out of order.

Chris Moore, ’12 and ’19, was a graduate student in the Communication program when he took Graves’ screenwriting class and cowrote Episode 4, “Shadowplay,” which he also directed. In the allegory of the cave, this final episode would symbolize emergence after the lead character’s realization that what she’s been seeing has been merely shadows — that Noah Stump, a DMP student, holds the boom mic for actress Kylie Jacks, there is a whole reality beyond the cave. an English major, through the book shelves at JCK Library.

Renfrow arranged auditions through Center Stage to cast a child to play a younger version of the lead role in Episode 3, “Between and Betwixt.” The lead character, a woman who has an unexpected encounter

Moore’s wife, Natasha, ’12, ’18, stars in the episode as a philosophy professor who has a paranormal experience after being fired. This leads to an exploration of larger elements that have been in play

“The Computer Lab” episodes, screenplays and promotional materials have been featured in numerous national film festivals as well as in Canada, Romania, Australia and Vienna. Episode 4 won the “Best Experimental” award in the Feel the Reel International Film Festival, and a promotional poster (at right) designed by DMP major Ejuan (EJ) Henderson, ’19, was a semifinalist at the AltFF Alternative Film Festival. The website for the series was an official selection in DigiFest 2020 in the “Best Website” category. To watch, visit thecomputerlabseries.com or find it on YouTube. throughout the series, including the elusive turtle motif.

“When I came on I really wanted to direct, and it was everything I had hoped it would be; it fanned the flames,” Moore says of the experience. “From a student’s perspective, there’s a lot you can learn in a classroom, but only so much … this is the most on-hands learning you could do.”

When the four episodes are combined, the project equates to a feature-length film — quite an accomplishment for students and an experience they can take with them into their careers. This was a project that allowed students across various disciplines to work together toward a common achievement.

“We created something bigger and better than what we thought it would be,” von Schlemmer says. “Students now are getting more out of it than we even thought at the time. It’s a real-life example they can relate to and shows they can do it right here at UCM.”

Projects like “The Computer Lab” are made possible by gifts to the unrestricted Central Annual Fund. Thank you for enabling the UCM Alumni Foundation to award $40,000 worth of Opportunity Grants in fiscal year 2020.

Donate at ucmfoundation.org/give/mag.

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Moviemakers Share Talents, Experience With Students When the opportunity to make a film series on campus arose in 2018, Digital Media Production (DMP) associate professors Mark von Schlemmer and Michael Graves collaborated to enlist the help of their professional contacts and enrich the experience for their students.

After spring break this year, when UCM classes transitioned to a virtual environment, DMP professors jumped at the opportunity to bring those film professionals back as guest speakers in their Zoom classrooms.

Not only were students stuck at home but so were professionals working in cinema, Kevin Willmott who now had time to speak to classes about what the industry is like and how they got their start. When students could not physically go to the movies, the moviemakers came to them.

is Steve Fracol, who has worked as a steadicam operator on many Hollywood films and as director of photography on the ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Fracol came to campus to help with filming a particularly tricky scene in Episode 4 of “The Computer Lab” in spring 2019.

He returned via Zoom this spring to talk with students in von Schlemmer’s Steve Fracol narrative production class about working in the industry and making the big move to Los Angeles.

Michael Graves, professor of screenwriting and film history at UCM, brought in another LA film professional to compose the music behind “The Computer Lab.” Josh Foy, who has written scores for award-winning films “The Newest Pledge” and “(Romance) in the Digital Age,” created the score for episodes 2, 3 and ent 4, consulting with ud st ith w ys re t of Humph

One such professional is director and screenwriter Kevin Willmott, who won an Oscar with Spike Lee for the 2018 film “BlacKkKlansman.”

Willmott spoke to von Schlemmer’s semen dicam in the ba ea st a rs ea w ol narrative production class via Zoom ’Brien.

Steve Frac lan and Colin O ow N ch Za rs be this spring. The two have been friends crew mem since they met in the early 1990s when student director Chris Moore on the von Schlemmer was working on “Silhouettes,” a TV program final episode. UCM Music Technology showcasing artists in the Lawrence, Kansas, area. Willmott student Christian Murillo composed the submitted his film “Big Man” to the show, and soon they were score for Episode 1. Foy characterizes the working together on award-winning movies. Von Schlemmer tone of the series as “ ‘The Twilight Zone’ even took a few courses with Willmott while earning his Ph.D. with a heart.” in film and media studies at the University of Kansas. Their latest collaboration, a historical documentary titled “William In the midst of an ambitious project Allen White: What’s the Matter With Kansas,” aired on PBS that had never before been attempted at Josh Foy stations this fall.

UCM, and at a more recent time when students could no longer work together as a crew, cinema Richard “Buzz” Herman, a 1978 UCM alumnus and former professionals shared their time and talents with future filmmakers.

UCM Theatre chair, was a professor at Marymount This is just one example of the future-focused, real-world College in Salina, Kansas, when Willmott was experience that gives UCM students a competitive edge in a an undergraduate there studying drama. Both tough but rewarding industry.

Willmott and Herman made appearances in “The Computer Lab” series — Herman You don’t have to be a celebrity to volunteer your time and make played the lead role in Episode 2, and a direct impact on students at UCM. We are always looking for Willmott gave a cameo performance as professionals to engage with students via virtual classroom visits, “The Futurist” in Episode 3.

Another film professional von Schlemmer invited to help on “The Computer Lab” series 14

Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine

practice interviews, mentoring and more. To share your expertise, visit ucmfoundation.org/volunteer.

2020 A N N UA L RFEEPAT O RT URE

UCM Alumna Stars in Documentary Exploring the ‘Illusion of Normal’ When the coronavirus hit home this spring and people found themselves closing their business doors, working from home or out of work, daily routines were obliterated.

After a month or so, people started wondering when things would return to “normal.” After another month, conversation shifted to “the new normal.”

When efforts to reopen backfired in many regions and the end of the virus was still nowhere in sight, people began to question what “normal” even meant anymore.

States and counties tried to define it in policy, while school districts and universities prepared for varying levels of “normalcy” as the fall semester approached.

One person who had already gone through this process of questioning “what is normal” is independent filmmaker Kurt Neale, who produced the documentary “Normie.”

In 2016 a couple close to Neale gave birth to a daughter with Down syndrome.

The following year, good friends of his welcomed home their daughter,

Annemarie Carrigan, who also has Down syndrome and had just graduated from the University of Central Missouri’s THRIVE program.

“For both families, future obstacles seemed big and external,” says Neale. “But as I pulled back the layers, deeper existential questions birthed from sincere pain, loneliness and fear were revealed. … In ‘Normie’ that question is: What gives a person value? Or, better yet, what gives you value?”

Carrigan is a 2017 graduate of UCM’s THRIVE, a two-year program that expands opportunities for students with disabilities so they can live more independent lives. As the program celebrated a decade of service in 2020, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) contributed a generous $100,000 to the THRIVE Student Success Fund. The gift goes toward scholarships for students like Carrigan who meet financial need criteria.

“When I think of Annemarie, I think of many of our students with special needs,” says Michael Brunkhorst, ’92, ’05, director of UCM’s THRIVE program. “They each want to do what every other young adult wants to do; they don’t want to be considered different. They each deserve the chance to be the best person that they can be in their own way. Each is capable of much more than what most people believe.”

Carrigan focused her studies on journalism and wrote articles for The Muleskinner in her second year at UCM. Upon returning to her hometown of Dallas, Texas, she landed an internship with Neale, and neither of them

realized at the time that she would become the star of the show.

From the beginning, “Normie” sought to explore the “illusion of normal” through the lens of Down syndrome, but it wasn’t until post-production that they decided to tell the story through Carrigan’s journey of self-discovery as she traveled with the crew to six cities making the documentary.

“My favorite scene in ‘Normie’ is when I finally tell the truth about what I have been experiencing in my life — that I was fighting loneliness,” Carrigan says. “It felt great to tell the truth. I really want to help people who are fighting loneliness too.”

Since the film was released in 2019, Carrigan has landed her “dream job” in editorial support at Dupree Miller and Associates, a global literary agency for best-selling authors and celebrities. She also has been featured in a “Delivering Jobs” public service announcement, part of an inclusion campaign from the Entertainment Industry Foundation in partnership with Autism Speaks, Best Buddies and Special Olympics. “Delivering Jobs” is designed to create pathways to 1 million employment and leadership opportunities for people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental differences by 2025.

To contribute to the THRIVE Student Success Fund, visit ucmfoundation.org/give/thrive.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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STUDENT MUSICIANS TO ENJOY NEW UNIFORMS, PRACTICE ROOMS

T

hank you to the generous donors who helped the UCM Marching Mules purchase new uniforms.

Donors who sponsored a uniform, which cost $600 each, got to select a message to have embroidered inside the jacket. Meeting one of the university’s greatest needs, those who gave $1,000 or more became members of UCM’s 1871 Society. The total cost of the new uniforms exceeded $200,000.

the CAHSS also matched an additional $50,000 in private donations from alumni and friends.

One anonymous donor contributed $50,000 to the cause, and this gift was matched by UCM Academic Affairs in partnership with the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) to secure $100,000 toward a new look for the Marching Mules. Academic Affairs and

“We are grateful for all of our donors and supporters for the opportunity to outfit the Marching Mules in a classic but innovative uniform design,” says Anthony Pursell, director of bands and associate professor of music. “Not only will we sound good, but we will also look good.”

The Marching Mules had been wearing their old uniforms for 13 seasons, which was well past their life expectancy. The new uniforms feature advancements in fabric and design technology that eliminate many of the heat-related concerns of the past.

Music students are also excited about renovated practice rooms featuring new doors with better soundproofing, acoustic absorber packages for the walls, custom artwork and a fresh coat of paint. Each room will have a unique theme, featuring images of a famous musician. Donors will be recognized with a plaque on the inside of the room.

One anonymous donor contributed $40,000 to complete one-third of the renovation project. On the bottom floor of the Paul R. Utt Building, there are 36 rooms to renovate — two large, eight medium and 26 small.

MA R CHI NG T HROUGH THE YEAR S

New Marching Mules look

Please call 660-543-8000 or email giving@ucmo.edu if you are interested in sponsoring a practice room renovation.

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2020 A N N UA L R E P O RT

BLACK & VEATCH AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS, FUNDS CAREER SERVICES LIBRARY

B

lack & Veatch, based in Overland Park, Kansas, has established a new scholarship for the 2020–2021 academic year, awarding $36,000 per year to UCM for the next four years. The first of the annual awards have been made to three UCM students pursuing Engineering Technology degrees: Luke Manning of Clinton, Kevin Albor of Kansas City and Anthony Blanchette of Oak Grove.

Each scholarship awardee will have access to exclusive internship opportunities with Black & Veatch to help develop innovative solutions for its growing Power business, which serves the power transmission, renewable generation, conventional generation and distributed energy markets.

The business ranks No. 1 in the nation for solar-power services, No. 3 for transmission and distribution, and No. 7 for wind-power services, according to Engineering News-Record’s latest Sourcebook.

UCM was selected, along with three other higher education institutions, for its track record in “delivering qualified, aspiring design technology and technician candidates who can support the company’s global transmission needs.”

“It’s through this track record of performance that Black & Veatch was interested in increasing the pipeline of students from UCM,” says Kevin Ludwig, associate vice president and global transmission technology portfolio manager for Black & Veatch. “We believe there are significant opportunities for Black & Veatch and UCM to ensure that educational content in the Engineering Technology program remains relevant in an ever-changing marketplace as the pace of technological change continues to advance.”

From left, UCM Engineering Technology students Anthony Blanchette, Luke Manning and Kevin Albor are the first recipients of a new Black & Veatch scholarship.

“Growing up in the Kansas City area, I have always been familiar with Black & Veatch’s innovative solutions for the needs of not only my community but the world,” Blanchette wrote in his thank-you letter. Like the other three scholarship awardees, Blanchette is concentrating his studies in the areas of robotics, automation and controls.

In addition to the engineering technology scholarships, Black & Veatch is donating to Phase 2 of UCM’s Career Services Library project. The project will expand the Career Services Center’s technological capabilities to better facilitate career readiness initiatives.

Students and alumni will be able to virtually connect with employers and opportunities through new digital interviewing and meeting equipment.

“Through their corporate generosity, Black & Veatch is creating a win-win situation by providing students with the financial resources they need to pursue their educational goals, while also helping to grow the number of qualified UCM graduates who will be able to help fill vital technology roles in their industry,” says Alice Greife, dean of UCM’s College of Health, Science and Technology. “We’re very excited about what this means for our students.”

What were you passionate about during your time at the University of Central Missouri? Donations to the unrestricted Central Annual Fund enable futurefocused, engaged learning to continue on campus and online. Donate today at ucmfoundation.org/give/mag.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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Thank You for Your Support!

Sources of Gifts In fiscal year 2020, the UCM Alumni Foundation received $7,312,153 in gifts and pledges. Generous alumni contributed 40% of those gifts, totaling $2.89 million.

FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTS $2,122,243 29%

Your Support In a challenging year, alumni and friends of the University of Central Missouri stepped up with crucial support. The UCM Alumni Foundation was established to cultivate and manage the private funds that are essential for the university to continue providing a high-quality education to all who seek it.

$179,873 donated to the Central Annual Fund supporting UCM’s greatest needs

80mil

975 students receiving UCM Alumni Foundation scholarships during the 2019–2020 academic year, with $1,145,927 provided

60mil

$2,416,189 in contributions to capital projects,

40mil

a year-over-year increase of 210%

14,678 total gifts

20mil

0

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Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine

$67,063,134

over the previous year

Your generosity in fiscal year 2020 continued unabated, as did the hard work of UCM Alumni Foundation staff members who support your philanthropic endeavors. As of June 30, 2020, total assets under management stood at more than $67 million, which reflects a growth of 29% over the past five years.

Total Assets

$63,873,482

$7,312,153 in gifts and pledges, a 16% increase

Total Assets

$58,760,045

In this fiscal year 2020 annual report, the UCM Alumni Foundation is proud to recognize:

BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS FRIENDS $1,372,898 $921,902 19% 12%

$55,949,840

For 150 years this institution has transformed the lives of thousands of degree earners through meaningful studentfaculty interaction, innovative learning environments, personalized academic support and a one-of-a-kind student experience in a caring community that values diversity. Thank you for making an investment in these students as they embark on their careers and carry with them a spirit of service that validates UCM’s legacy of excellence.

ALUMNI $2,895,110 40%

$51,968,638

$7.3M IN GIFTS AND PLEDGES 6,689 GENEROUS DONORS

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2020 A N N UA L RFEEPAT O RT URE

Endowment Payout

Rate of Return

Managing endowment spending, a critical factor in maintaining value over time, is vested in the Finance Committee of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors.

Each year, the committee approves a level of spending based on a rolling 12-quarter average market, cushioning the payout from volatility in the financial markets. The committee exercises prudence in achieving a healthy balance between preserving long-term assets and spending for current operations.

An endowment is accounted for using a unitized pool. Each individual endowment fund owns units in the pool, revalued at the end of each month. New endowments may enter the pool at month-end periods, using a FIXED INCOME month-end value of a unit. New endowments $12,715,850 “buy into” and receive a certain number of DOMESTIC 27% units in the pool based on the amount invested EQUITIES and the value of a unit on the buy-in date. $22,849,029 INTERNATIONAL 48% The UCM Alumni Foundation receives EQUITIES statements every month from its investment $4,111,764 9% managers and, using these statements, ALTERNATIVE calculates the current market value per share CASH VALUE $3,653,818 by dividing the total market value of the 8% $3,917,991 investment pool by the total number of shares.

8% Every endowment in the pool owns shares, and once an endowment has been in the pool for a minimum of six months, it receives an annual Asset classes comprising the endowment payout. Using the spending rate approved by portfolio are essential for generating the Board of Directors, the payout is calculated sustainable returns while managing risk. and allocated based on the shares owned.

Active long-term investment returns are The distribution is made to a corresponding best produced by maintaining a consistent expendable account used for the purpose investment philosophy and process. The specified by the donor. For FY20, over $1.46 need to provide resources for current million was approved for the payout.

Endowment Payout operations and preserve the purchasing

Although the investment return of 3.4% for FY20 was 2.4% below the year’s benchmark of 5.8%, average annualized returns since inception align with the overall benchmark of 7%.

The UCM Alumni Foundation’s goal is to manage endowment funds in a manner satisfying current needs while ensuring the same level of support is available for future generations. Preserving this intergenerational equity requires generating a rate of return sufficient to maintain the purchasing power of the endowment after taking into consideration annual distributions and the effects of inflation.

2018

2019

2020

There are 552 endowment funds managed by the UCM Alumni Foundation with a variety of designated purposes and restrictions.

Approximately 93% of funds constitute true endowments or gifts restricted by donors to provide long-term funding for designated purposes. The remaining 7% represent monies or quasi-endowments the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors chooses to invest and treat as endowments.

power of assets dictates investment for high returns, causing the endowment to be biased toward equity. In addition, vulnerability to inflation further directs the endowment away from fixed income and toward equity investments.

Over the long term, the UCM Alumni Foundation’s absolute objective is to achieve a total return that meets or exceeds the university’s tuition inflation rate plus the total spending rate. The relative objective is to achieve a total return that meets or exceeds a combined benchmark of appropriate capital market indices.

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

0

$ 1,464,585

2017

$47,248,453

2016

$46,510,267

0

$42,590,183

10mil

$40,125,195

20mil

$36,309,475

30mil

$ 1,424,522

40mil

$ 1,401,843

50mil

$ 1,300,240

The fundamental purpose of the UCM Alumni Foundation’s endowment is to support the university’s core academic mission by supplying a growing source of scholarship and programmatic funding.

Increasing the value of the endowment over time is critical to ensuring that a steady source of income will maintain purchasing power to provide the same benefit to students in the future as it does today. Over the past five years, the market value of the endowments has Endowment Market Value seen a growth of 30%.

Endowment Investment Allocation

$1,165,315

Endowment Market Value

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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Student Hardship Fund As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many University of Central Missouri students found themselves facing job loss, food insecurity and a variety of other challenges. The UCM Alumni Foundation and campus partners responded quickly to establish the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund.”

A group of generous alumni immediately stepped up to match $16,000 in gifts to this emergency fund (see their names on page 11).

Others responded to meet that goal on May 4 during Giving Tuesday Now, a movement to raise money when relief was needed most instead of waiting for the traditional Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

When news of the Student Hardship Fund spread across campus, applications started pouring in from students.

The UCM Alumni Foundation received 276 applications requesting more than $273,000 in assistance.

So far, $52,215 has been awarded to 66 students, and more will be awarded as gifts are received from generous alumni and friends of the university.

R E H T E G O T S I H T

Here are a few of those students’ stories.

IN

Ibrahim Alageel Natasha Holtzclaw Natalee Irvin According to an EducationData.org survey, 49% of undergraduates enrolled in college when the pandemic hit home indicated their families’ financial situation had been affected by COVID-19.

Natalee Irvin, a junior majoring in Child and Family Development, is one such student. A loss in her family left them struggling financially and unsure whether they would be able to continue paying her tuition.

“I cannot tell you how grateful my family and I are for your generosity,” Irvin wrote. “And I can only hope that in the future, should we encounter such times again, that students will have the opportunity I had to aid them during difficult times.”

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A single mother of three, nontraditional student Natasha Holtzclaw found herself out of work when the pandemic began to affect local communities.

Her youngest child, now 2 years old, has a visual impairment and respiratory issues. Because of this, she withdrew him from day care to minimize his risk of infection. Even though he was not attending, Holtzclaw was required to continue paying the monthly fee to keep his spot. She also had a number of medical bills to pay.

“The emergency fund helped support my three kids as they watched me try to set the best example for them I could in this trying time,” wrote Holtzclaw, who is majoring in Political Science. “I am grateful but not surprised; Mules and Jennies have always found a way to take care of each other. … Thank you from not only my family but from Mules and Jennies everywhere for your support.”

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Ibrahim Alageel was an international graduate student from Saudi Arabia when the pandemic struck. His oldest brother had been paying out of pocket for his tuition but found himself less financially stable as a result of the pandemic. Alageel’s brother even took out a loan to help with spring semester tuition, but there were other expenses that needed to be paid.

When learning at UCM transitioned after spring break to a virtual environment, Alageel was in need of a laptop to complete his coursework. He and his wife also had to continue to pay rent for their apartment, despite the fact that they no longer had an income. With generous donor assistance from the Student Hardship Fund, Alageel earned his master’s in Industrial Management, his second UCM degree after completing a bachelor’s in Occupational Safety and Management.

“I love the community here,” he wrote. “I have always felt supported and cared for at UCM. … I hope one day I can give back to UCM for all the education, support and comfort the university has offered me.”

2020 A N N UA L R E P O RT

PRESIDENTIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEE

Nico Philipp Brianna Dixon Brianna Dixon is a senior earning her degree in Sociology with a minor in Africana Studies. She was forced to move after losing her on-campus job and worried about being able to pay tuition to graduate as planned. This is Dixon’s last semester at UCM, and she is taking 18 credit hours in order to graduate with the Class of 2020. In addition to her course load, she is applying to law schools and preparing for her entrance exams.

“Thanks to your generosity, I am able to focus on my education and lighten my financial burden,” Dixon wrote. “Your kindness has inspired me to help others and give back to my community. I hope that one day I am able to assist students in their educational endeavors just as you have helped me.”

As a first-generation student, Dixon says it is especially important to her and her family that she earn her degree.

“It really means a lot that I am here, and it really means a lot that there are people who care and want to see me make it to that finish line.”

Many students are still in need of emergency assistance. Please consider making a donation to the “In This Together: Student Hardship Fund” at ucmfoundation.org/give/mag.

Nico Philipp is one of many international students who lost their on-campus employment due to the pandemic and found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place — prohibited from working elsewhere and ineligible for federal work study.

Philipp was paying out-of-state tuition from money he had saved up before moving to Warrensburg, Missouri, from Nuremberg, Germany. A Kinesiology Exercise Science major, he was employed as a personal trainer at the UCM Student Recreation and Wellness Center. He depended on the income from this job to pay for rent, groceries and other necessities.

Philipp had an internship lined up at the University of Minnesota this summer under one of the most renowned strength and conditioning coaches in the country. He had made a down payment on an apartment there and could no longer move or take the internship. The Student Hardship Fund award not only helped him graduate in May but also kept him on track for a bright future. He is now a graduate student at UCM, earning his master’s in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Biomechanics.

When UCM President Roger J. Best, Ph.D., was inaugurated April 18, 2019, the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors established the first-ever Presidential Endowed Scholarship.

The call was for alumni, friends and “everyone who cares about our university” to invest in one outstanding incoming freshman each year.

The first award was made in fall 2020 to Valorie Slack, who graduated salutatorian of her class at Holden High School. A four-time All-State Academic Award recipient, she was also vice president of her senior class and vice president of the National Honor Society in her senior year.

Slack is not only a high academic achiever but also a star athlete. In high school she was involved in basketball, track and cross country. Her basketball team won the KMZU Academic Dream Team Award, and Valorie Slack she earned the All-State Individual award twice in track and three times in cross country. She now runs cross country and track at UCM. When researching UCM and touring campus, this first-generation student was impressed with the Radiologic Technology program and plans to become a radiographer. As a volunteer for Special Olympics, she understands the power of giving and hopes to be able to give back to the university after she launches her career.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Slack wrote in a letter thanking donors. “I strive to better myself every day, and this scholarship will allow me to do so. ... I am very excited to be a Jennie!”

So far the Presidential Endowed Scholarship has secured more than $135,000. The annual scholarship awards come solely from the interest the fund accrues, which secures donors’ investment for years to come.

Slack will receive this renewable scholarship for four years. Each year another freshman will be selected until four students are continually receiving the scholarship annually.

Make a direct impact on a deserving student’s life by making your contribution today at ucmfoundation.org/president.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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D I S T I N G U I S H E D A LU M N I

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WHEN THE ONE GREAT SCORER COMES TO WRITE AGAINST YOUR NAME, HE WRITES NOT THAT YOU WON OR LOST BUT HOW YOU PLAYED THE GAME.

C O A C H J O H N C U L P, ’69 AND ’75 2020 UCM Distinguished Alumni Award for Service

When John Culp graduated from UCM, then Central Missouri State College, he had completed his entire education on the same campus. He attended College Elementary School and graduated from College High in 1965.

“It’s something I saw every day, since 1953,” Culp says. “On the north side of Humphreys, etched in stone, are the words ‘Education for Service.’ Those words have guided my entire life as a teacher, coach, community member, faith leader and family man.”

The son of Clarence and Dorothy Culp, John Culp was raised on the 400-acre family farm about 7 miles north of Warrensburg. It was there that he and his brother, Ron, a UCM alumnus who earned both the George S. Charno Award and Vernon Kennedy Award in 1971, learned the value of working and playing hard.

“We had hogs, and after we’d play a high school football game, we knew what we were going to be doing on Saturday mornings … clean out the hog barns, when we both were so sore that we could 22

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— A Q U O T E T H A T H U N G ON THE WALL OF CULP’S HIGH SCHOOL COACH, CLARENCE WHITEMAN

hardly move, but that was our chore,” Culp recalls. “It was a great childhood.”

Culp has always lived his life with the three F’s in mind: Faith, Family and Friends.

His wife, Cathy (McGraw) Culp, ’73, a health studies instructor at UCM, suggests “Football” is a fourth. As a College High student, Culp participated in football, basketball and track, as well as American Legion baseball. After graduating from the university in 1969 with a teaching degree in physical education and a minor in health and driver’s education, Culp began his career as “Coach Culp” at Warrensburg Middle School.

After earning his master’s in secondary administration, Culp went on to impact young people’s lives at schools in Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, Missouri. In 1986 he returned to the Warrensburg School District and retired in 1999 after 30 years of service to public education.

Even after retirement, Culp answered the call to coach, volunteering at Raytown South High School and then Blue Springs High School, where he helped lead the Wildcats football team to two state championship

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victories. In 2003 former Mules Football Coach Willie Fritz recommended Culp for a position as student athlete retention coordinator, and Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, ’71, offered him the job.

“I spoke to parents and student-athlete recruits regarding the many benefits of attending UCM,” Culp says of what may have been the highlight of his career. “Many coaches referred to me as ‘The Closer.’ ” Culp also served UCM as coordinator of secondary field experience and student teacher supervision and as an instructor in the Master of Arts Teaching Certificate program. He became a campus sponsor of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and also sponsored the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, helping students engage with and serve their community.

Further exemplifying “Education for Service,” Culp has served on the Boys State athletic staff, the Warrensburg City Council, the UCM Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Survival House Board, the Children’s Memorial Committee and the Administrative Council for the First United Methodist Church.

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I ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WANTED TO WORK IN A FIELD WHERE SCIENCE WA S A P P L I E D TO S O LV E REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. A CAREER IN DRUG DEVELOPMENT WAS THE PERFECT FIT FOR ME.

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While earning her bachelor’s at UCM, then Central Missouri State University, Melissa Willis worked at Cripps Pharmacy in downtown Warrensburg and Marion Merrell Dow in Kansas City. More than just money to pay the bills, this pharmaceutical experience, coupled with a strong lab component in her biology and chemistry coursework, provided the real-world applications that led to a career fighting infectious diseases.

Melissa Swope was born in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Jerry, ’67, and Karen Swope.

When she was 7 years old, her family moved to a farm outside Warrensburg, where her parents still reside. She graduated from Crest Ridge High School, where Juanita Peaslee, ’55, ’76, the science teacher who first inspired her, teaches to this day.

“Mrs. Peaslee was very focused on hands-on learning,” Willis says. “In the fall we had to collect insects and identify them. My parents really enjoyed having all these dead bugs in the house that I had to pin into a box.”

Joking aside, her parents were supportive, and her father and grandmother were both UCM alumni. Willis earned UCM’s

MELISSA WILLIS, PH.D., ’92 2020 UCM Distinguished Alumni Award

Distinguished Scholar Award, which came with strict GPA requirements that prepared her for graduate studies in the Ivy League.

Willis met her future husband while earning her master’s and Ph.D. in pharmacology from Yale University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University’s Immune Disease Institute in 2000, the year she and James got married.

After 14 years in New England, the couple moved with their two daughters, Sophie and Emma, to northern Virginia, where James took a position at George Mason University.

Melissa joined the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) as a senior research scientist, specializing in bacterial toxin research. In 2010 she began working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). She helped develop the only available treatment for patients suffering from botulism and a drug for patients infected with anthrax.

Willis was promoted to influenza therapeutics chief at BARDA and partnered with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to develop a multi-antibody cocktail against Ebola.

In 2018 there was an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the drug, now part of the standard treatment for Ebola patients, reduced the mortality rate from approximately 70% in untreated individuals to less than 6%.

“As a scientist, it is a deeply satisfying feeling to see these results,” Willis says. “It basically means Ebola is no longer a death sentence.”

It is these accomplishments that made Willis decide to pass on her knowledge to the younger generation. Before she was inspired

by UCM biology professors Noor Babrakzai and John Belshe, ’57, Willis had planned to become a lawyer. She believes she can make the biggest impact before students enter college.

“It is at the high school level where many young women turn away from science,” says Willis, who is now in her second year of teaching in the Academy of Science program at the Academies of Loudoun High School in Leesburg, Virginia. “I want to use my story to inspire these students to pursue science as a career.”

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D I S T I N G U I S H E D A LU M N I

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IT IS THE HONOR OF MY CAREER TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY AND MY COUNTRY AS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR.

DE RE K W IS EM A N, J. D. ’ 1 1 2020 UCM Distinguished Alumni Award for Early Achievement

Derek Wiseman is a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he prosecutes organized crime and leads his office’s response to the opioid overdose epidemic. He formed the foundation for his career during his time at the University of Central Missouri.

Growing up in Jefferson City, Missouri, Wiseman played a variety of sports and earned a track and field scholarship to UCM. “UCM has a great track program, run by Kirk Pedersen, ’89, and Kip Janvrin, ’90, two incredible coaches ... so I was very honored to be able to compete at that next level,” Wiseman says. “It ended up being the perfect choice.”

Wiseman ran for the Mules until suffering a career-ending injury during his sophomore year. While his broken leg put an end to his days on the track, it made room for greater civic engagement. He went on to help run the Pre-Law Students Association, compete on the award-winning Mock Trial team, volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and

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serve UCM as the Student Government Association president.

A Political Science major and Philosophy minor, Wiseman worked as a teaching assistant for Political Science and International Studies professor James Staab.

He found mentors in Staab and Political Science professor Shari Bax, who now serves as vice provost of Student Experience and Engagement.

“These incredibly smart, dedicated and talented individuals were instrumental in developing my passion for the pursuit of justice and the service of my community,” Wiseman says. “I would not be anywhere near where I am today without these mentors.”

Wiseman met his future wife, Eve, during their senior year when she was a student at the University of Arkansas. They moved to St. Louis when Wiseman began his studies at Washington University School of Law, where he taught a constitutional law course for inner-city students, served as an editor on the Law Review, and received the ABA’s Moot Court Regional Best Advocate Award.

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After graduating near the top of his class, Wiseman landed a position at Husch Blackwell, where he learned from some of the best lawyers in the region and logged a record number of pro bono hours. He also worked as a board member for Missouri’s Children’s Trust Fund and Friends of Operation Food Search.

Wiseman stepped up to his current position as an assistant U.S. attorney in 2016, where he uses the very same trial advocacy skills that he first developed at UCM to prosecute and ultimately dismantle some of the largest criminal organizations in the nation. Serving as the opioid coordinator for his office, Wiseman began a task force that has led to the prosecution of large-scale dark web fentanyl traffickers and drug dealers whose narcotic sales led to the death of opioid overdose victims.

“I can’t tell you how much of an honor it is to serve with some of the best public servants,” Wiseman says. “We are doing incredibly important work that makes our community safer, makes it a fairer place and also makes it a more just place to live.”

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CHANGE IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST FRIENDS … DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE YOUR VISION, CHANGE YOUR STRATEGIES, BECAUSE THINGS ARE NOT STATIC — THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.

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Faruk Capan took a risk leaving his native Istanbul, Turkey, to pursue an MBA at UCM, then Central Missouri State University. Moving from a city with a population of 15 million to the small town of Warrensburg was a culture shock — but a decision he will never regret.

“Somehow your school is in your heart; it just never goes away,” Capan says.

“At UCM I got a great education, great background, great experience, and I’m very grateful for where I am today.”

It wasn’t the first or the last risk Capan would take. He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, setting up his first business in the local market at age 9. In the late 1990s he took a chance on a still-green technology called “the internet,” leaving a position at a major pharmaceutical company to launch his own business with little more than a big-picture vision and a single employee to manage the details. Intouch Group has since grown to become one of the leading independent health care marketing networks in the world, with 12 offices across the globe and more than 1,000 employees.

FA R U K C A PA N , ’ 9 2 2020 UCM Distinguished International Alumni Award

As founder and CEO of this $200 million company, based in Overland Park, Kansas, Capan takes inspiration from Ewing Marion Kauffman, who founded what became Marion Merrell Dow, Capan’s first place of employment after graduating from UCM. “They always put their employees and their people first — patients and doctors,” Capan says. “I’m very visionary, I’m very growthoriented, that is my leadership style; if I grow everybody will grow with me.”

In his next position at Teva Marion Partners, Capan established the pharmaceutical industry’s first patient community portal, MSWatch, for people living with multiple sclerosis. The online community started with just 15 patients, and Capan personally salvaged computers for them to use in their homes. The project grew to 50,000 patients in just seven years.

Encouraged by MSWatch’s success, Capan launched Intouch Solutions in 1999. Nearly 20 years later, in June of 2018, Capan transformed the company into its own network. Intouch Group was formed as the

umbrella organization for Intouch Solutions and six other affiliates.

As part of their 20th anniversary celebration last year, Intouch partnered with Make a Wish Foundation to send a young cancer patient and his family to Disney World. The company also developed hygiene kits for the Ronald McDonald House and Lenexa, Kansas-based Heart to Heart International (HHI). When the pandemic began impacting the region this spring, Intouch employees stepped up to sponsor similar kits to help stop the spread of infection. Capan matched every employee contribution and donated $100,000 to HHI programs focused on training nonprofits in coronavirus infection prevention and control.

Throughout all of the growth and success, Capan has remained a humble and compassionate leader. In 2016 he returned to UCM as the American Marketing Association Distinguished Marketing Executive of the Year. He took time to share his life lessons with students in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies and revisit “the good old days of Warrensburg.”

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C LI SATSISNNGOT D U I SEH S E D A LU M N I

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BE TRUE T O Y O U R S E L F. DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TO FIT INTO A MOLD.

DONNA MAIZE, ’92 2020 UCM Distinguished Alumni Award

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By Kelsie Baldus, Public Relations Undergraduate Student Donna Maize has become the first female fire chief in the more than 150-year history of the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) and a role model for young women pioneering this male-dominated field.

Maize earned her bachelor’s degree from UCM, then Central Missouri State University, in Public Relations with a minor in Graphic Arts. She was involved in the Sigma Kappa sorority and looks back on helping with homecoming and hanging out with friends at the student union as some of her fondest memories. She chose UCM partly because it was close to home.

“I thought going to college away from home was scary,” Maize says. “But a lot of people think going into a burning building is scary.”

After graduating from UCM, Maize earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas and completed the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.

Maize has worked with the City of Kansas City for more than 28 years, most recently as assistant city manager for public safety.

She served in that position for two years, 26

overseeing nearly $40 million in upgrades to replace outdated fire trucks and ambulances.

She also upgraded three fire department facilities to gender-neutral standards.

Maize progressed through the ranks of KCFD, starting as a firefighter, then becoming a training instructor and equipment officer. She served as division chief of hazardous materials, deputy chief of special operations and incident commander in the joint command structure for the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City. In 2014 she was named assistant fire chief in command of the Technical Services Bureau.

These varied experiences, combined with her upbringing, gave her a well-rounded background to lead as fire chief.

Maize recalls a pivotal experience when she was a young teen accompanying her father, now-retired Captain John Lake, in helping an elderly stranger. Lake gathered volunteers to clean the man’s house so he could continue living independently.

“That was just a huge experience for me to see that humanitarian side and service side,” Maize recalls. “That’s really what influenced

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me, to see something that I could relate to and something that I wanted to do in the future was to help others.”

Maize has a variety of service experience, including as chair of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, chair of the regional Hazmat Committee and an officer in the Heart of America Metro Fire Chiefs Council.

During the coronavirus pandemic, she has worked as a leader to ensure local fire service organizations are coordinated in response and patient care issues, keeping both responders and the public safe. The mother of three has also volunteered as a leader for Girl Scouts and 4-H. Chief Maize is an amazing role model for young women considering a career in fire and emergency services. She believes it is important to maintain the public’s trust and provide good customer service through communication and setting clear expectations.

With a strong work ethic, Maize has reached the top by climbing the ladder — both figuratively and literally — as a firefighting professional.

AT H L E T I C S

Alumnus Uses Multimedia to Connect Dodgers Fans, Players Baseball Season is Short but Memorable

By Emily Kepley, Marketing Undergraduate Student

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reg Taylor, ’85, was in Arizona with the Los Angeles Dodgers for spring training when the coronavirus pandemic hit home.

The Dodgers were scheduled to host the 2020 All-Star game, and Taylor was behind the scenes getting footage for the team’s in-stadium entertainment and marketing needs. He had just finished the last day of shooting when the team heard the news that the NBA was suspending their season.

In his position as LAD Productions executive producer, Taylor has had the opportunity to work with sports legends like LA Lakers stars Magic Johnson, who is an owner of the Dodgers, and the late Kobe Bryant, a fan of the team. One of the production team’s creative projects this season was a video tribute to Bryant, narrated by legendary announcer Vin Scully. The tribute was planned for opening day in March but then rescheduled for what would have been Bryant’s 42nd birthday Aug. 23.

The video exceeded 3 million views across multiple platforms.

The Dodgers found many ways to stay connected with fans this year, launching preseason Zoom parties that allowed players and fans to connect in a way they never had before. More than 10,000 people participated in the first party, an unprecedented capacity for Zoom at that time.

When the baseball season resumed July 23, instead of having 50,000 people in the stands, Dodger Stadium, the nation’s largest-capacity and third-oldest ballpark for Major League Baseball, was left empty and quiet. Fans purchased cardboard cutouts of themselves to sit in the stands, and proceeds raised more than $1.5 million for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.

With recorded applause in stadiums across the country, the 2020 MLB season looked — and sounded — very different. The Dodgers worked to create an atmosphere that would mimic Dodger Stadium’s unique sound and help the players feel a little more “normal.”

Greg Taylor This included piecing together clips of recordings from previous Dodgers games, shots, including in the press room for fan-favorite songs and live organ music that an Aug. 28 Jackie Robinson Day feature. continued to fill the stadium.

The lack of fan interaction in the stands “It’s so strange to be at the stadium 10 meant the players also had to adjust. During minutes before the national anthem and it’s an August game, first baseman and outfielder quiet except for the music the DJ is playing, Cody Bellinger wasn’t immediately sure and then we turn on the crowd sounds,” says whether he’d hit a home run.

Taylor. “We wanted to make sure that “It just cleared the fence,” Taylor recalls, it sounded as close to Dodger Stadium “but because there were no fans out there, as it could.” we couldn’t tell if the outfielder for the The abnormal season gave Taylor an Milwaukees caught it ... or if it went over.” unexpected opportunity to use broadcasting and film skills he’s been honing since his time at Central Missouri State University. While at CMSU, Taylor landed a KMOS-TV scholarship position that gave him an edge when starting his broadcast career.

“One of the best things that happened to me during my time at school was getting involved with KMOS-TV,” Taylor says.

“When I left the university, I had hands-on experience working at a TV station.”

This season, coronavirus precautions prevented Taylor and his LAD Productions team from having direct access to the players, whereas coaches, athletic trainers, medical personnel and public relations professionals still did. Since they couldn’t go onto the field, Taylor’s team used robotic cameras for certain

The Dodgers pay tribute to Kobe Bryant in August 2020.

After a short season of just 60 games, the Dodgers hosted the American League Division Series, creating a home ballpark environment for each competing team.

Despite unexpected challenges and creative limitations, Taylor and his team helped make history as the Dodgers claimed their first World Series title since 1988.

Greg Taylor gives Kobe Bryant the script to announce the Dodgers starting lineup at a World Series game in October 2018.

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UCM NEWS

Faculty and Staff Celebrate Achievements Micah Alpaugh, associate professor of History, was named to a three-year term on the Gilbert Chinard Book Prize Committee, an international award presented by French Historical Studies.

Lover Chancler, assistant professor of Child and Family Development and director of UCM’s Center for Multiculturalism and Inclusivity, received the ICON of the Year Award.

Jasmine Cloud, assistant professor of Art and Design, had a paper accepted for the Early Modern Rome 4 conference and won the Faculty Mentor Award for 2020 from UCM’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

Benjamin Gonzales, instructor of Theatre, was elected vice chair for the National Playwriting Program of Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for a three-year term, to be followed by a three-year term as chair.

Brian Hughes, professor of Athletic Training, was named chair of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Professional Development Committee.

Georgi Popov, professor of Safety Sciences in UCM’s School of Geoscience, Physics and Safety, and alumnus Bruce K. Lyon, ’81, ’00, were recognized for contributing the first- and third-place member-authored articles in the Professional Safety Journal. Popov was also recognized as a fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Sam Schleicher, communication specialist in UCM’s Office of Integrated Marketing and Communications, received the 2020 Foster-Inglish Award for Outstanding Achievement and Service in Public Relations.

Sara Brooks Sundberg, professor of History, presented a peer-reviewed paper titled “Teaching Women’s Suffrage in Missouri Through Undergraduate Research” at the 62nd Missouri Conference on History.

Miaozong Wu, associate professor of Safety Sciences, received a $75,000 award from the U.S. Department

Joanne Kurt-Hilditch, senior director of the Missouri Safety Center and Central Missouri Police Academy, was awarded a research contract through the Missouri Department of Transportation.

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Zhiguo Zhou, professor of Computer Science, made strides in artificial intelligence cancer research to predict with greater accuracy and reliability the possibility of cancer spreading from an initial tumor. His findings were published in the Physics in Medicine and Biology journal and Physics World.

Krystle Gremaud, ’09, ’19, Rachelle Krausen and Rachel Oglesby, ’12, ’15, were recognized as Outstanding Advisors at the Missouri Academic Advising Association’s virtual conference. Gremaud was named the 2020 Outstanding Faculty Advisor and has also been recognized as the Association for Career and Technical Education Region 3 Postsecondary Educator of the Year. Krausen was named the 2020 Outstanding New Academic Advisor, and Oglesby was nominated for the Outstanding Advisor primary role.

Krystle Gremaud

Rachelle Krausen

Rachel Oglesby

Eric Honour, professor of Music Technology and Composition; Jeff Kaiser, assistant professor of Music Technology and Composition; and Elisabeth Stimpert, assistant professor teaching clarinet, hosted the Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts Festival, featuring more than 50 artists from the U.S. and abroad.

Eric Honour

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of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for a project that focuses on electrical safety in the wind energy industry.

Jeff Kaiser

Elisabeth Stimpert

UCM NEWS

Virtual Learning Brings Unexpected Opportunities UCM made quick adaptations when instruction moved to an online learning environment this spring. Here are just a few of the changes and innovations that have occurred as a result of the pandemic, keeping the university community Mule Strong!

•P ublic Relations faculty utilized Zoom and GoToMeeting to connect students with professionals across the globe. Classes virtually traveled to states including Washington, Florida, Colorado, Michigan and California, as well as to Germany and the Czech Republic. UCM PR is the only Missouri university program with membership in the global National Millennial/Genz Community.

•U CM enhanced its partnership with Whiteman Air Force Base, offering expanded remote-learning opportunities for military and military-affiliated personnel.

• The Career Services Center offered virtual events, including career expos, Employer Coffee Chats with students, virtual networking events, informal meetups and classroom presentations.

• UCM provided free online courses in finance, marketing, creativity, web design and more, with 800+ adult learners participating.

• Mo Basir, assistant professor of Science Education, created a free course called “Experiencing Science in Pandemic,” which was presented online and in-person at Rajaee University in Iran.

• UCM Music’s Eric Honour and Jeff Kaiser created and continue to curate a document called “Resources for Teaching Music and Audio Production Online,” which has been accessed and shared by more than 1,000 viewers since March.

Design and Drafting Technology students Matthew Argotsinger, left, and Cameron Rogers, under the leadership of program coordinator Roya Azimzadeh, ’07, and instructor Paul Brown, used 3D printers to make ear guards to ease the pressure from wearing masks for extended periods of time. They donated these masks to local health care professionals.

•A nthony Pursell, director of bands and technology chair for the Missouri Music Educators Association, organized a fourweek online webinar series for K–12 and collegiate educators teaching music in the virtual environment.

• The UCM Welch-Schmidt Center transitioned to telehealth speech and language services starting in April with the assistance of the Office of Technology and Mark Schlueter, ’93, ’01. Speech-Language Pathology students clocked more than 500 clinical hours of teletherapy in the spring and more than 800 hours during the summer semester.

See page 4 to learn about a collaboration between UCM’s College of Education and KMOS-TV that helped Missouri K–5 students when schools closed.

STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE PANDEMIC • The University Health Center and the Counseling Center provided student services, including mental health workshops, using online platforms.

• The Student Recreation and Wellness Center offered weekly fitness classes via Zoom and FacebookLive.

• The University Health Center partnered with the School of Nursing to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing and follow-up for students in coordination with Johnson County Community Health.

The following faculty from the College of Education (COE) earned recognition in 2020: Dennis Docheff, appointed president of the Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators; Jenna Kammer, Dennis Docheff Jenna Kammer Brandy Lynch American Association of School Librarians research grant; Brandy Lynch, COE New Faculty Achievement Award and Kansas City Teacher Education Collaborative (KC-TEC) course development grant; Ann McCoy, $250,000 Robert Noyce Teaching Fellows grant; Michael Pantleo, $175,000 DESE Skilled Technical Sciences course development grant; Christi Price Richardson, Advisor of the Year Award for advising the Student Missouri State Teachers Association; Karrie Snider, COE Excellence in Teaching Award.

Michael Pantleo, ’88, ’96, ’11 Christi Price Richardson, ’00

Ann McCoy, ’83, ’88

Karrie Snider

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C L A S S N OT E S

Alumni News Shirley Kleppe, ’67, and Linda Harris, ’91, were honored at an August open house for the original artwork they contributed to beautify the Smiser Alumni Center.

Kleppe volunteered as a guest lecturer during her visit.

Dwayne Dunsmore, ’68, retired after more than 40 years of employment with GM in the U.S. and most recently in Australia.

Sue Cottrill, ’71, ’73, was honored as a Hero of Everyday Life by Sodexo for service in the fight against hunger. Cottrill is a volunteer and board member for Johnson County Food Center, where she will utilize the $5,000 grant.

Linda Paul, ’73, retired from teaching after more than 40 years in education.

Jacque Cowherd, ’75, ’82, retired in June after 43 years in public education, with the last 11 years in the position of superintendent of Fulton 58 School District.

John “Skip” Forsyth, ’76, retired after 30 years during which he worked in substance abuse prevention and homeless education with the State of Florida as well as ran a community-based organization.

Douglas Nickell, ’77, was selected by Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell and Brown (CECB) for inclusion in the 2021 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” for the fourth year in a row.

Ronald Walker, ’81, ’84, showed 45 paintings at the Siskiyou Art Museum in Dunsmuir, California, this summer.

Donna Bischoff, ’84, was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s general manager and Lee Enterprises’ vice president of sales for St. Louis.

Jamie Floyd, ’86, was promoted to vice president of sales, new developments, acquisitions and sales training with Atria Senior Living.

Brian Thomas Smith, ’00, and his wife, Maggie GonzalesSmith, welcomed their baby boy, Ollin Ever Smith, in August 2020. Brian, who majored in Broadcast Media and minored in Theatre at UCM, visited with students in Digital Media Production instructor Shannon Johnson’s, ’98, ‘00, Zoom classroom when instruction moved online this spring. He talked with students about what it’s like to work in the TV industry, both on and behind camera. Smith is best known for playing the kind but dim-witted Zack Johnson on CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” and has appeared in numerous films, including “Danny Collins,” “The Wedding Party” and the July 2020 release “Baby Splitters.”

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W. Ray Spadoni, ’87, was conferred with his doctorate in education from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, in April 2020.

Scott Ervin, ’88, received three awards at the Iowa Newspaper Foundation Better Newspaper Contests including two first-place awards for Breaking News Photo and Best Photo Story.

Jeff McLanahan, ’90, was appointed vice president of human resources and learning and development at Wausau Homes.

Paul Kirchhoff, ’91, was selected as the new executive director of the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Friends University.

Stacey Hodges, ’94, adjunct professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, was awarded the Jan LaFever Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award from

LaTonia Collins Smith, ’95, was appointed provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Harris-Stowe State University.

Naomi Baldwin, ’00, received the State University at Fredonia (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Spencer Gudde, ’01, was named K–12 activities director for Holden School District after serving as a math teacher and coach at Holden High School for the past 19 years.

Maggie Hansford, ’01, ’04, was named president of the Prince William Education Association (PWEA) in Manassas, Virginia.

C L A S S N OT E S

Christopher Petty, ’01, accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in Kansas City as a biological science specialist in 4-H and Youth Development.

Melissa Layton, ’02, has been named one of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 for 2020. She is senior manager of Global PR and Influencer Marketing for Crocs and promoted the “Free Pair for Healthcare” initiative, where Crocs donated 860,000 pairs of shoes to health care providers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Heather Woodard, ’03, was promoted to director of multicultural PR and brand engagement for McDonald’s Corporation.

Edward Burnley, ’05, was appointed to the post of the Fire Science program coordinator at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Brandon Wallace, ’06, was named principal of the Chilhowee R-IV School District after serving as a teacher, coach and principal in the region for 14 years.

Marshall Abney, ’07, ’12, was announced as the new president of Central Bank of Warrensburg after serving as the bank’s senior vice president, lending manager.

Scott Kiefer, ’07, was appointed sheriff of St. Louis County after serving in the Sheriff’s Office for nine years.

Erica Spurgeon, ’09, ’17, co-authored her first scholarly article in the February 2020 issue of the Journal of Textile Science and Fashion Technology.

Beth McCluskey, ’10, was awarded the Silver Stevie Award for Marketer of the Year in the 18th Annual American Business Awards.

Kimberly Lavonne, ’11, was featured in the May 2020 issue of Ceramics Monthly as a 2020 Emerging Artist.

Lauren Malone, ’11, was named principal of Hawthorne Elementary School in Kearney after serving as an assistant principal in Independence School District.

Margaret “Meg” Richard, ’11, received the 2020 Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honor for STEM teachers.

Ian McClaflin, ’12, and Kelsey McClaflin, ’14, (pictured below) welcomed their baby boy, Benjamin, in June 2020. Benjamin enjoys taking walks with his parents around the Warrensburg UCM campus.

Anthony Cowan, ’13, has taken a position as new client service associate for Murdock Banner Financial Group in Warrensburg.

Nathan Stewart, ’14, was named principal of Royal Heights Elementary School in Joplin after serving as assistant principal of Cecil Floyd Elementary School.

Ryan Edwards, ’16, was elected president of the National School Public Relations Association chapter for Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., and presented with the “Best in Social Media” award for that region.

Ricky Rivera, ’16, was named the new manager of Houston’s Gulf Coast League Astros, becoming baseball’s youngest minor league coach. Rivera played baseball for the Mules during his junior and senior years at UCM. Elizabet Bergstrom, ’20, had a sculpture selected for the National Art Education Association’s Annual Member Exhibit.

Are you the proud parent or grandparent of a new baby? Visit ucmfoundation.org/new-baby for a free UCM bib and a chance to be featured in the next magazine and/or on social media. Have news to share about an achievement or event that happened in the past year? Email alumni@ucmo.edu or visit ucmfoundation.org/ update/mag.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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PLANNED GIVING

UCM Love Story Continues Through Involvement in University

C

huck, ’80, and Diane, ’81, Dudley met at a street fair in downtown Warrensburg the day before classes began. Chuck was a junior who had moved from York, Pennsylvania, when a co-worker told him about the affordable university in the middle of Missouri with an airport, an auto mechanic shop, a farm, a golf course and many technical majors to choose from. He had never before traveled farther west than Ohio.

only new hire from a smaller Missouri school.

Five years later, she was the only hire from her cohort who was still working at the firm, and she came to the conclusion that the education she received at CMSU was as good as, or better than, any Division I university. Diane quickly became a partner at KPMG and was one of the first to lead a federal agency financial statement audit.

She went on to head the federal audit practice for the firm.

Diane Schemmer grew up on a farm in Higginsville, Missouri, where she had taken an interest in helping her father balance the checkbook and maintain financial records.

She got permission to enroll a year early in an accounting class for high school seniors, and the next year took a college-level accounting course.

She was eager to pursue her passion at Central Missouri State University, where she’d always dreamed of going.

Chuck says that, when he first entered the workforce, no one knew what to do with a degree in Industrial Security and a minor in Fire Science; they wanted prior experience from the police force or the military. He got a job at the Olathe Police Department, then completed officer candidate school, starting his career as a U.S. Coast Guard officer. Chuck’s degree paid off when the head of Coast Guard security found out they had an officer who had majored in security and reassigned him to Washington, D.C.

Diane and Chuck were both the first in their families to attend college, which is one reason they are now so keen to support first-generation students.

“I didn’t have anyone in my family who had been to college before and could tell me what to do,” Chuck says. “We didn’t have a student success center in the ’80s.”

After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accountancy, Diane got a job at KPMG in Kansas City, where she was the

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The Dudleys stayed in D.C. for more than 30 years, and Diane continued working at KPMG until her recent retirement. In lieu of a retirement gift, she asked that her coworkers make donations to the Charles and Diane Dudley KPMG Scholarship Endowment in Accounting, which they had previously established to benefit UCM students from Lafayette County.

“It’s really very rewarding because we get the thank-you notes from the students who receive the scholarship, and they’re often first-time

Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine

college students just like Chuck and I were,” Diane says.

“Many of them rely on scholarships to be able to attend college, and that was certainly the case for us.”

Diane says she was apprehensive about setting up a scholarship endowment until she learned it could be funded incrementally over a period of time. The initial investment grows every year so that a greater amount is available to be awarded immediately.

Now back in Higginsville and serving as past president of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors, Diane is more involved with her alma mater than ever. She frequently speaks to accounting classes and recently hired two students for an internship and a full-time position at KPMG in D.C.

“ We know the need will not diminish in our lifetime.

That is why we established an endowed fund and have also set up a planned gift that will continue to help UCM students in perpetuity.”

— Diane Dudley

Through their endowed scholarship, annual donations and planned estate gift, Diane and Chuck’s legacy will live on as more students follow in their footsteps.

If you would like more information on planning a gift that is best for you, your family and UCM students, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at 660-543-8000, email giving@ucmo.edu or visit ucmo.giftlegacy.com.

Chuck and Diane Dudley, pictured here with their sons, Ryan, left, and Ross, have an endowed scholarship and planned estate gift with UCM.

IN MEMORIAM

Andrew Frederick David Brown

Andrew Frederick David Brown, age 80, was born Dec. 23, 1939, in Plattsburg, New York.

Music and playing the oboe were a large part of his life and career. In 1961 he earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Ithaca College, followed by a master’s in Music Education from Butler University in 1963 and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Oboe Performance in 1973 from the University of Iowa. Brown taught vocal and instrumental (oboe) music at the University of Central Missouri from 1963 to 1993. In the Warrensburg community, he founded the Warrensburg Community Chorus, which he conducted for 20 years.

Davie Suzanne Davis

Davie Suzanne Davis, age 75, was born July 2, 1945, in Topeka, Kansas. Davis was an associate professor and former chair of the Department of Academic Enrichment at the University of Central Missouri. She retired from the university in June 2015 after serving for 25 years. During her tenure, Davis also served as coordinator of the Writing Center and taught courses in developmental writing and English. She supervised several student honors projects and developed the “Peer Tutoring in the Writing Center” course. Her strong interest in contributing to a quality university motivated her to serve on the Faculty Senate, where she spent two terms as president.

William Lee Grimes

William Lee Grimes, age 80, was born June 29, 1939, in Osceola, Missouri. In 1966, he married Wanda Mae Walters, and they had two children. Grimes earned Mathematics degrees from the University of Central Missouri in 1961 and 1962. He lived in Warrensburg his entire adult life, serving UCM as a Mathematics and Computer Science instructor for 38 years.

Tom Hairabedian

Tom Hairabedian, age 96, was born March 30, 1924, in Los Angeles, California. Known as “Dr. Dive” to his colleagues and students at the University of Central Missouri, he enjoyed a

life that allowed him to mentor, influence and befriend countless individuals while serving as a teacher and coach. Hairabedian came to the university in the 1960s and served into the 1970s as men’s and women’s swim coach.

Long after he left the university, Hairabedian continued competitive swimming and diving, serving as a strong advocate for the sport. He was a U.S. Masters National Diving Chairman in 1980–82 and U.S. Grand Masters Champion on at least six occasions prior to his induction into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Hairabedian also was inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in 2007 with five World Championship gold medals to his name. He continued diving competitively into his 90s.

Stanley Killingbeck

Stanley Killingbeck, age 90, was born May 20, 1929, in England. Killingbeck was a Chemistry professor at the University of Central Missouri, serving for 32 years. Killingbeck enjoyed writing and was an avid reader. He had a special place in his heart for cats, helping to care for the strays in his neighborhood.

Gabriella Polony Mountain

Gabriella Polony Mountain, age 102, was born April 4, 1918, in Austro-Hungary in Sárvár, seven months before the end of World War I. After World War II, in 1951, she arrived in America and made her mark as an artist soon after settling in Kansas City. Mountain worked with a wide range of art mediums and created the stained-glass windows in the chapel at Whiteman Air Force Base, the stained glass at the University of Central Missouri’s James C. Kirkpatrick Library, mosaics in the baptistery of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Mission Hills, Kansas, and the entrance floor of the Kansas City School Board Building, later the Kansas City Public Library (then located at 12th and Oak streets). In 2015 she established The Rocky and Gabriella Mountain gallery at the Kansas City Public Library, where young artists can display their work. Mountain’s work was featured in exhibits at the Cochran Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Albrecht-Kemper Museum in

St. Joseph, Missouri, to name a few. She made generous donations of both art and materials to UCM.

Floyd E. Riebold

Floyd E. Riebold, age 88, was born March 6, 1932. Riebold earned a bachelor’s in Psychology from Texas Wester College, a master’s in Psychology from Texas Technological College and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech University. He came to the University of Central Missouri in 1965 from Lubbock, Texas. For 30 years he taught Psychology at UCM and mentored many graduate students who went on to become psychologists. Riebold and his wife, Eva, developed a private practice in psychology, Trans-State Institute, working in several counties in Missouri. After retiring from the university, they built a wellness center in Warrensburg, which they later developed into housing. During his lifetime, Riebold farmed crops, raised cattle, milled lumber, owned a seed company, built houses and wrote songs.

Donald G. Schawo

Donald G. Schawo, age 69, was born March 8, 1951, in Kansas City, Kansas.

He graduated from Polo High School and in 1975 moved to Warrensburg to attend the University of Central Missouri. Schawo married Jan McNarie in 1976 and worked as a carpenter at the university for 38 years. He was a devoted 23-year member of the Optimist Club of Warrensburg and also served as a scout master and trainer for Lone Bear District.

Shing Seung So

Shing Seung So, age 65, was born Sept. 28, 1954, in Macau, SAR, China.

So dedicated nearly 40 years to educating future mathematicians. He taught at the University of Central Missouri from 1983 to 2014. In addition to his work with the university, he was active in church and dedicated nearly 25 years to learning and teaching Chinese martial arts — in particular, Ip Man Wing Chun. In 2011, he founded Warrensburg Wing Chun to share this art with the next generation of practitioners.

THANK YOU On behalf of the University of Central Missouri, the UCM Alumni Foundation would like to express its gratitude to all alumni, emeriti and friends who have honored the university’s mission through scholarships and planned gifts.

To learn more about making a gift in a loved one’s memory, visit ucmfoundation.org/give/in-memory.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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IN MEMORIAM

1940–1949 Charlene Frances (Fickas) Turner, ’41 Joyce (Day) Baker, ’45 Zeda L. (Haller) Diefendorf, ’45 Myra A. (Searfoss) Hiles, ’45

1950–1959 James William Green, ’51 Billy L. Lykke, ’51 Mary Ellen (McElhaney) Cunningham, ’52 Julius Edward Vaughan, ’52 Carolyn J. (Ryan) Fontaine, ’53 Margaret F. (Wiseman) Wilcoxon, ’53 Elizabeth Chaney Overbey, ’54 John Coleman Snider, ’54 Evelyn Mabel (Hahne) Stocklin, ’54 Theodore “Ted” L. Coffelt, ’55 Dorothy M. Feaster, ’55 Ruby Louise Gibson, ’55 Lucretia M. (Schneider) Hawley, ’55, ’70 Dorsey Eugene Levell, ’55 Mabelle E. O’Connor, ’55 Doris Jane (Asman) Stoner, ’55 Lois Mather, ’56 Dolores Ann Richardson, ’56 Lyle W. Chamberlain, ’57 Barbara Ann (Berry) Green, ’57 Willard C. Reine, ’57 Vernon E. Grefe, ’58 Richard “Dick” Glen Miller, ’58 Robert “Bob” Larry Andrews, ’59 Gene “Augie” Augustine, ’59 John “Pete” Dwane Beck, ’59 Celeste Katherine (Rinne) Hall, ’59 Robert A. Hampton, ’59 Sonja Louise (Hughes) Joline, ’59 Ernest “Ernie” Lee Paris, ’59

1960–1969 Nelda Ann (Powell) Armstrong, ’60, ’64 Barbara J. (Young) Hawkins, ’60, ’70 George Edward St. Ores, ’60 Wesley D. Brizendine, ’61 Thomas “Tom” H. Kunz, ’61

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Carol A. Barnes, ’62 May “Ann” Buhlig, ’62 Judith J. Houtchens, ’62 Robert “Bob” E. McCrorey, ’62 John R. Metz, ’62 Arthur Dean Crabb, ’63 Donald Ralph Greenwell, ’63 Edward Tilton Higgs, ’63 Dorothy M. Kennedy, ’64 Jerry Adams McCrea, ’64 Leo “Edward” E. Moravec Jr., ’64, ’70 Norman “Jerry” Jerome Neale, ’64 Beverly Kay (Phillips) Ratliff, ’64 Suzanne H. (Holthaus) Sandridge, ’64 Wendell W. Waller, ’64 Norman “Norm” E. Cox, ’65 Roger C. Hamacher, ’65 Marilyn “Jean” J. (Harper) Kraus, ’65, ’71 James “Jim” D. Muchmore, ’65 Betty Sue (Scott) Crooks, ’66 Larry Robert Fowler, ’66 Ford Ray Fredrickson, ’66 Paul C. Joquel, ’66, ’73 James “Jim” F. Perry, ’66, ’70, ’74 Susan Marie (Patterson) Van Hole, ’66 Linda L. (Lovan) Marchbanks, ’67 Mary Ann McDaniels, ’67 William “Bill” Myles, ’67 Gary Clyde Rohrs, ’67 Shirley J. (Montesano) Agrusa, ’68 Nancy Corliss, ’68, ’72 Leo E. Gentry, ’68 Fern Iris (Hall) Leewright, ’68 David H. McQuitty, ’68 Frederic “Fred” E. Moss, ’68, ’69 Phyllis Lorraine (Good) Steinbach, ’68 Elbert “Jerry” J. Strother, ’68 John Milton Tomlin, ’68, ’72 Clinton “Gene” E. Walls, ’68 Sharon F. (Turnbough) Wells, ’68 Carmine G. Argenziano, ’69 James “Jim” L. Beckmann, ’69 Anita B. (Johnson) Butler, ’69 Richard “Dick” A. Chauncey, ’69, ’71 Paul Kleinheider, ’69 Allyn “Mac” McVey Mathews, ’69

Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine

1970–1979 Christine Ann (Fowles) Bolliger, ’70 Willis Marion Cagle, ’70 Peter A. DaPrato, ’70 Paul Daniel McBee, ’70 LaVern M. McKinzie, ’70, ’78 Frances Louise (Stockton) Pendleton, ’70 Howard “Ray” R. Rickard, ’70 Nancy Marie (Giewald) Smith, ’70 Leona M. (Blackstock) Snethen, ’70, ’94 Densil Dean Staton, ’70, ’77 Thomas C. Cook, ’71 Robert Wayne Miller, ’71 Patricia Ann (Marr) Monroe, ’71 Flora “Flo” M. Myers, ’71, ’78 Thelma “Pat” P. Craven, ’72 Harold “Hal” H. Pruin, ’72 Richard “Rich” Reyna, ’72 Bob G. Arnold, ’73 Betty M. Evans, ’73 Ronald Alvin Hoppes, ’73 Chester Dean Koch, ’73 Suzanne “Sue” M. Letzig, ’73 Simon Maxwell, ’73 Wayne H. Meyer, ’73 Glenda Louise (Faurot) Shanks, ’73 Issam B. Amary, ’74 Mary J. (Yatchak) Clark, ’74 Donna R. Coke, ’74 Gary R. Seibert, ’74 Patrick M. Trusler, ’74 Mary Ellen (Watkins) Wright, ’74 William “Bill” W. Browett, ’75 James “David” D. Cauthon, ’75 Chester Lee Hamilton, ’75 Doris J. McNair, ’75, ’76 Elmer Meyer, ’75 Gary Lee O’Shay, ’75, ’77 James “Jim” Addison Palmer, ’75 Ruth Ellen Privette, ’75 Kathryn “Kathy” S. (Curtin) Brooker, ’76 Mark Charles Cleveland, ’76 Hattie E. Coleman, ’76 Nancy Lee (Bennett) Good, ’76 Lynn Ellen Heidinger-Brown, ’76 Carol A. (Parsons) Cook, ’77

IN MEMORIAM

John Wayne Gerber, ’77 Johnny “John” Ray McNeese, ’77 Joe R. Molencupp, ’77 Charles “Charlie” Emmett Ray, ’77 John H. Bush, ’78 Eleanor Lorraine Cannon, ’78 Kim A. Heermann, ’78 Michael “Mike” L. Kemna, ’78 Virginia L. (Bridges) Kugel-Zank, ’78 Kathryn Dean (James) Suse, ’78 Viola “Vi” M. (Wheeler) Banes, ’79, ’97 Miguel E. Cordovés Mangual, ’79 Ricky “Rick” R. Riddle, ’79

1980–1989 Scott L. Janeczko, ’80 Kathy L. (Ayer) Tebbenkamp, ’80, ’93 Perry J. Davis, ’81, ’82 Richard “Rich” Charles Funesti, ’81 George “Tom” Thomas Kroder, ’81 Charles L. Patterson III, ’81 Michael Edward Tinsley, ’81 Elizabeth “Beth” A. Copp, ’82 Barbara Joan House, ’82 Angela “Sheri” (Coleman) McDonald, ’82 Linda L. (Weisflog) Willey, ’82 Jeffrey Arden Wilson, ’82 Lisa Lynne (Munsterman) Basham, ’83 Gregory W. Katzing, ’83 Edward W. Carper, ’84 David E. Cooper, ’84 Lisa G. (Driskill) Johnson, ’84 Gary L. McKee, ’84 Charlotte (Hewitt) Gutshall, ’85, ’89 Martha “Marty” Louise Morton, ’86 Riley Ed Ransdell, ’86 Danny James Watring, ’86 Christine Diana (Metcalf) Jones, ’87 Robert Lee Westall, ’87, ’89 Tracy Abbott Hardwick, ’88 Robert “Ken” K. Myers, ’89

1990–1999 Melody Lynn (Helvey) Chapman, ’90, ’97 Troy D. Wickman, ’90

Denise Kay Colhour, ’91, ’00, ’05 David Wayne Page, ’91 Canary Vivian Smith, ’91 Deidre Lee Chase-Estes, ’92 Colleen Donna (Linneus) Cousins, ’92 Donald Ray Leverich, ’93 Dixie Lee (Baier) Dorazil, ’94 Julia “Julie” D. (Kenyon) Hatten, ’94 Rufus G. Gautier Jr., ’95 James “Frank” Franklin Rosebery, ’95 Brian D. Slocum, ’98 Eric Bryan Werner, ’99

2000–2009 Timothy Paul Donley, ’00 André Dai’Juan Harrison, ’00 Riann Nichole (Crouse) Lubinski, ’00 Michael “Mike” C. Rector, ’00 Michael Ray Root Sr., ’00 William “Al” Allen Grimes, ’01 Paul Scott Carr, ’04, ’06, ’10 Marsha Marlene (Spencer) McKnight, ’05 Jenny Dee Alpers, ’06, ’16 Adam S. Harrison, ’09

2010–2019 Lindsy Kai (Chellios) Chambers, ’11 Christie Lynn Darby, ’12 Rebecca “Becky Jo” J. Baynum, ’14 Donald Scott Hudlemeyer, ’17 Kristina K. Norwood-Gray, ’17 Samuel Robert Ahnemann, ’19

Former Students Julieon “Julie” (Hebert) Baker Harold Wayne Battmer Lawrence “Al” Bishoff David L. Bowen Patrick M. Brauner Donna L. Clark Rakeem Dickerson Judith “Judy” Lee (Stone) Fowler Jean M. Green James David Hannah

Barbara J. Haverland Bettie Luann (Sharp) McNaughton Marsha L. (Swanson) McVey Kenneth “Ken” Leo Retzer Janet Lee (Burdine) Rhoades Sherrill Schofield Gordon A. Smith Sharon “Sherry” Diane (Meador) Smith Evangeline “Babe” A. Thompson Carolyn Frances Watkins Robert “Bob” Alan Woodall

Faculty/Staff James D. Carl Nanci Clare Koser Wilson Naomi Dixie (Collins) Little Helen “Weezy” Louise (Cole) Morgan Donna Marie Nieckula Brenda M. (Landes) Ray Mary Lou Raynes

Friends Audrey M. (Cramer) Abney Helen Louise Dixon Shirley Ann (Stevenson) Frank James “Jim” Allen Harrington Martha Ann Hoskins Steven Leslie McGraw Joanne Kathleen Morton Timothy “Tim” Leo Murphy Joan Patricia (Rohlik) Petitti Nora Spears Louis “Dugan” J. Speckhals Clem Rayborn Thrift GAnna Bagby Walker Elaine Marie (Schmid) West

College High Alumni Mary Evelena (Hart) Bentley Opal Clydine Bruch Joyce (Herd) Hughes Dorothy (Eichelberger) Jeffries John Pfeffer Jr.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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PARTING

Photos by Makoto Narita, Graphic Design Undergraduate Student While downtown businesses and the UCM campus waited to reopen, residents showed their support for The Burg.

Many international students remained in town over the summer, including Makoto Narita from Sagamihara City, Japan, a suburb of Tokyo with a population of more than 720,000.

Inspired by his older cousin’s stories of studying abroad, Narita started looking for an American university and chose UCM for its credit compatibility, affordability and the fact that the Art and Design program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). He is a recipient of the John W. Lynch Memorial Scholarship. Narita is majoring in Graphic Design and enjoys taking pictures around campus.

Want to show off your photos?

Please submit your best work to ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu for consideration in a future publication.

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Together We Are Mule Strong

The University of Central Missouri alumni network is 100,000+ strong! Members have opportunities to engage with one another and with the university.

There are currently eight MuleNation chapters led by 47 alumni and 15 student ambassadors. Find your regional chapter at ucmfoundation.org/mulenation.

Volunteering is a great way to give back or “pay it forward” by making a lasting impact. MuleNation welcomes any contribution of your time and talent — from mentoring students or providing career guidance to volunteering at social and fundraising events.

No matter how far from UCM you have roamed, your help is needed and appreciated. Find the opportunities that mean the most to you at ucmfoundation.org/volunteer.

Connect With Us! Contact the UCM Alumni Foundation directly at 660-543-8000 or alumni@ucmo.edu.

@UCMAlumniFoundation UCM_Alum UCM_Alum #MuleNation #AlwaysAMule University of Central Missouri Magazine

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P.O. B OX 800 WA R R E N SBURG, M O 6 40 93- 5038

CONGRATULATIONS to the

Class of 2020

No matter where life takes you, MuleNation is there!

Our network is 100,000+ Mule Strong! Get involved in your regional chapter at ucmfoundation.org/mulenation.

WELCOME TO 38

Fall 2020 | ucmfoundation.org/magazine