UCM Magazine | VOL. 17, NO. 3

® UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MAGAZINE

V O L . 1 7, N O . 3

THE PERFECT SEASON

THE 30 SECONDS THAT WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

CONTENTS

JENNIES SOCCER FE AT UR E S

8 THE BUSINESS NICHE

From his small Missouri hometown roots, 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Barry Davis has found a niche in the world of high finance.

10 THE SUMMER CAMP DETOUR

After years of dedicated lessons, 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Karen LeDoux put aside her love of music for a military career.

12

THE NUMBER LANGUAGE Numbers and mathematics proved a language that 2017 International Distinguished Alumnus Chang Bin Yim could understand, leading to a wealthy and prestigious career.

14

THE KINDERGARTEN CIRCLE In his senior year student teaching, unable to get his kindergarten class to form a circle, 2017 Distinguished Alumnus for Service Rob Ruth knew he needed to find a new career.

16

THE UNKNOWN KNOWN Not knowing the name of the career field she liked or that she would meet up with her best childhood friend, 2017 Early Achiever LaTanya Buck follows the unknown path.

18

Our cover story celebrates the 2017 Jennies Soccer Team and how it became the university’s first national soccer champions. Years from now people will talk about this game. They’ll talk about the huge crowd, how it was so unseasonably warm, the opponent’s foul in the last 60 seconds, the double overtime and the nail-biting shootout.

Mostly they will remember the last 30 seconds that earned the national title.

We hope you enjoy reading this and the other stories featured in this issue.

S ECT I O N S

2 CAMPUS CURRENTS 22 PHILANTHROPY 24 CENTRAL YESTERDAY 26 CLASS NOTES 30 IN MEMORIAM

GETTING THE MAX Raven Alade will never forget how she started her freshman year at UCM. With a loan. She became determined to maximize her college experience without borrowing another cent.

NATIONALLY RESPECTED The UCM Magazine has received another national honor. Our Vietnam issue earned a silver in the 33rd Annual Educational Advertising Awards in the external publication category for institutions with enrollments from 10,000 to 19,999.

You love it and so did the judges!

FIND US ONLINE AT UCMO.EDU/UCMMAGAZINE EMAIL US AT UCMMAGAZINE@UCMO.EDU OR CALL 660-543-4545 FOR OUR LATEST NEWS AND EVENT PHOTOS, JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AT UCMALUMNIFOUNDATION

P R ES I D ENT ’S M ES S AG E

MAGAZINE Vol. 17, No. 3 • Fall/Winter 2018

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Dalene Abner ’09 DESIGNER

Julie Babcock PHOTOGRAPHER

Bryan Tebbenkamp ’15 ILLUSTRATOR

David Babcock

Published by UCM Alumni Foundation. © 2018 by University of Central Missouri.

All rights reserved.

Find us online: ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine Contact the editor at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4545. Submit your address updates online to http://tinyurl.com/j73dgxy, by email to alumni@ucmo.edu or telephone, 660-543-8000 or toll-free, 1-866-752-7257.

UCM Magazine (USPS 019-888) is published quarterly by the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Printed by Lane Press, 87 Meadowland Drive, South Burlington, VT. Periodicals postage paid at Warrensburg, MO, and additional offices.

POSTMASTER

Send address changes to: UCM Magazine PO Box 800 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO 64093

The Investment that is Higher Education

W

hile ongoing decreased state funding continues to impact higher education in Missouri, here at UCM our focus on student success has meant finding ways to keep students from shouldering the impact of these revenue declines.

This means keeping tuition increases below the consumer price index while still maintaining a quality education.

It means an aggressive completion agenda. It means maximizing opportunities to create public K-12-higher education-business partnerships, such as the Missouri Innovation Campus and Innovation Track programs that reduce the time to degree completion and, subsequently, students’ debt. It also means becoming the first institution to implement the 15-to-Finish Scholarship concept to keep students on track for timely degree completion.

In order for higher education to achieve its full potential as an economic driver, there must be a stronger commitment to funding Missouri’s colleges and universities to ensure that students are not priced out of the opportunity to earn a degree.

Institutions themselves also have a role in exploring and implementing new initiatives to help meet accessibility and affordability goals so that students do not bear the burden of rising educational costs and an escalating college debt load. But higher education institutions can’t do this alone.

Higher education is an exceptional asset in helping to meet economic and social goals. Citizens deserve a strong public policy in support of colleges and universities as an investment in the public good required to drive our future forward.

Considering the benefits of higher education, it is hoped that future public policy will recognize the value proposition Missouri colleges and universities represent for our state and nation. Public institutions are positioned to deliver opportunities that will drive local economies, but more state support is needed to ensure costs are not passed onto Missouri families and that access to college and its affordability remain attainable goals.

Joining you in service,

Chuck Ambrose PR ESIDEN T

University of Central Missouri Magazine

1

C AM P US C UR R E NT S

“ This is a real front door to what this program can do.”

KC Publisher Honored at Commencement The University of Central Missouri conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters upon José “Joe” Arce during winter commencement ceremonies. The event also featured special remarks by Tirth Raj Khaniya, vice chancellor professor, at Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

Arce is a newspaper owner and civic leader in Kansas City who has extended his passion and love for the Latino/ Hispanic community from his hometown to the halls and classrooms on the UCM campus.

Arce is a fervent advocate for opportunities to serve young people through education so that they can become tomorrow’s leaders. Consistent with this goal, he has worked with three UCM presidents since 2003 to ensure the university keeps an open door to opportunities to serve his community’s educational needs.

Publisher of the Kansas City Hispanic News, he has spent the last 45 years covering local news and mentoring young journalists. In addition, he is involved with numerous community boards and committees that have a strong impact on Kansas City and its citizens.

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— UCM PRESIDENT CHUCK AMBROSE

THE MI SSO URI I NNOVATI O N CE N T E R

A New Front Door for a New Higher Education Model

A

shining example of a new model offering college degrees at the speed of business.

That’s just some of the praise that the Missouri Innovation Campus is receiving since its grand opening last fall. The nation is noticing this trail-blazing example that partners the University of Central Missouri with public K-12 and business.

Located in Lee’s Summit, the MIC provides accelerated programs in critical STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“I’m done two years early and graduated debtfree. And you have the value of not having to look for a job because you’ve already secured one,” said 20-year-old Brian Green. A member of the first graduating class, he quickly found a full-time job as a systems engineer with Cerner Corp.

Cerner is one of 30 corporate partners helping to make the MIC successful, along with the Lee’s Summit School District, Metropolitan Community College and UCM. Their cooperative efforts are part of an innovative solution that addresses the current crisis in state funding for public education.

“This state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind teaching and learning environment lowers the cost of college, cuts the skills gap and reduces student debt,” said UCM President Chuck Ambrose. “And even though brick and mortar aren’t the most important elements, this is a real front door to what this program can do.”

The new facility has been a goal for Lee’s Summit R-7 and UCM leaders since the MIC program was in the concept stage. Their unique vision was to create a partnership between a public school district and a university that would provide a high-school and college environment with non-traditional teaching spaces designed to

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mimic the workspace of the various fields. They succeeded with the opening of the $40-million facility, financed 60 percent by UCM and 40 percent through a bond issue approved by Lee’s Summit voters.

In addition to the MIC, the facility is the new home for UCM-Lee’s Summit, the university’s main off-campus learning facility, offering graduateand undergraduate-level completion programs to metro area students, and Summit Technology Academy, a unique high school program that prepares students for careers in areas such as engineering, computer science, health care and creative sciences.

The building’s gleaming aluminum sheathing and industrial-style finishes reflect its purpose of preparing high school students and adults for technological careers. Inside are 60 classrooms, designated areas for each organization, and shared spaces for the school district and UCM programs.

There are medical school-caliber skilled nursing labs and simulation rooms; professional quality digital media technology; high-tech engineering, biomedical and computer science instruction areas; and an international studies area with state-of-the-art distance learning technology. A testing center is located on the second floor and will provide everything from GED to computer software certification testing as well as electronic monitoring of individuals taking the exams.

“The real value of the program has been in those first graduates and what they’ve been able to accomplish,” said Ambrose. “And that’s what gives us the encouragement that replicating this program and taking it to scale are possible.”

CAM P US CUR R ENT S

“It’s not a black and white issue.

It’s an issue of the heart.”

“I suddenly became aware of how trapped I was within my own punctuation.”

— G REG “COACH T” THOMAS ’81, AUTHOR OF RACE IN AMERICA: A CALL TO HEAL AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF THE 2018 MLK FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIP DINNER

NOW YOU K N OW

STARTI NG I N FA L L

N AT I O N A L LY RA N K E D

Herman Directs Final Performance, Retiring in May

New Degree in Software Engineering

Library Science In College Choice Top Online Programs

Officially it was a performance of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, but for alumni and a wide-ranging fan base, it was honoring theatre professor Richard Herman, retiring in May after 31 years of service.

It seemed a perfect selection for Herman’s farewell. The Pulitzer Prize winning drama follows the lives of George and Emily as they fall in love and experience change and growth together. Drawing the audience into the universality of human existence, it urges us to celebrate the seemingly simple moments as they provide the deepest echoes throughout our lives.

Making the performance even more special were the prestigious backstage crew, including alumnus Tim Rothwell, scenic designer; Daniel Parks, lighting design artist brought to campus through the privatelyfunded Meredith Harmon Sauer Guest Artist Series; and Katyla Jestila, costumer designer.

A new bachelor of science in software engineering will be available this fall, marking an academic milestone for UCM in delivering high-impact degrees.

“Software has become the lifeblood of today’s emerging information society. It shapes all aspects of our lives, from the launch of billion-dollar spacecraft to more mundane work such as measuring and displaying time, controlling traffic lights, and monitoring the washing of clothes,” said Xiadong Yue, chair and professor of computer science. “More than ever, there is a demand for a highly prepared workforce with software engineering training.”

Students who complete this degree can expect to benefit from skills that are high in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that through 2024 some 58 percent of the STEM jobs in the U.S. will be computing related.

The leading authority College Choice has recognized UCM’s online master’s degree in library science for its quality and affordability, raking it 29th among such programs in the U.S. It is the only online graduate library science program in Missouri to be ranked in the top 30.

The university’s longstanding library science master’s degree has been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and nationally recognized by the American Association of School Librarians since 2002.

The program was first offered as a fully online graduate degree in 2011 to allow library and information services professionals to gain access to the graduate degree program while working. It also allows educators to attain the coursework to satisfy the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements for school library media certification.

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YEARS OLD Since 1968, the UCM Children’s Literature Festival has introduced books and a love for reading to thousands of youth throughout Missouri.

WORDS FROM CHILDREN OF THE WORLD BY

Alexander Weinstein, ADOPTED THIS YEAR FOR THE ONE CAMPUS, ONE BOOK PROGRAM

“Thinking big is only one part of being a successful entrepreneur.”

WORDS FROM CAMPUS SPEAKER, NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR AND CAREER ADVISER

Kathryn Minshew, CEO AND OF THE MUSE

“

Introspect what would make a client’s team look like a rock star and then work backwards to find the solution.

”

ADVICE FROM BIG IDEA CAMPUS SPEAKER

Abhishek Pakhira, COO, AUREUS TECH SYSTEMS

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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THE PERFECT SEASON THE 30 SECONDS THAT WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

BY JOE HOFFMANN

Years from now people will talk about this game. They’ll talk about the huge crowd, how it was so unseasonably warm, the opponent’s foul in the last 60 seconds, the double overtime and the nail-biting shootout. They’ll mention the All-Americans and all the records that were set. The folklore of the 2017 Jennies Soccer Team, the first national soccer champions in University of Central Missouri history, will be passed down for decades.

But it’s just as important to remember the symbiotic relationship between a team and a community. How a group of women can change lives and leave an inspirational legacy to do good for others. “Good things happening for good people.” That’s what Coach Lewis Theobald kept saying after the season.

“That’s what makes it so special to me.”

It started at the end of the 2016 season, in a meeting between Theobald and Athletic Director Jerry Hughes. “Next year is the year,” said Theobold. “Next year is the year we’re going to win it.”

There were plenty of reasons for Theobald to be so optimistic. For one, they returned a group of seniors who had won three straight NCAA regional championships. In contrast, their biggest rival, Grand Valley State, who had eliminated them in three straight playoffs, had lost a lot of their weapons.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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ALL-AMERICAN

ATHLETES JENNIES SOCCER

#1

Ana Dilkes D-II National Player of the Year, D-II Most Outstanding Defensive Player, finalist for D-II Honda Athlete of the Year, 7-time overall All-American, 4-time MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year, 7-time All-Region, 4-time First Team All-MIAA, and more.

#20 Baylie Edwards

All-American, All-Region, All-MIAA, finished with 60 career points on 23 career goals scored and 14 career assists.

“

THE GOOD SOLUTION

It was nice to know that not only were our teammates and coaches confident in us but also our school and a bunch of people.

That helped us a lot to keep pushing during the game, to know that everybody was on our side.

Jada Scott,

Junior Forward

#6

Kelsey Mueller NCAA D-II Elite 90 recipient for women’s soccer, MIAA Academic Excellence Award.

#11

Kayla Hamner All-American, MIAA Defender of the Year, All-Region, All-MIAA, anchored nation’s top defense in shutouts (21), save percentages (.949) and goals allowed (5).

6

#28

Jada Scott All-American, MIAA Offensive Player of the Year, All-Region, AllMIAA, first UCM player to reach 100 career points, career leader in goals with 47.

#10

Abby Rhodes Second team All-American, D-II Most Outstanding Offensive Player, All-Region, All-MIAA, led team in game-winning goals (8), second in scoring (42 points on 17 goals and 8 assists).

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A

LL

-M

IAA HONO

RS

The Jennies earned nine All-MIAA honors on their way to winning a national title Dec. 2 against #2 Carson-Newman at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, MO. During halftime, when the Jennies were losing, Coach Lewis Theobald predicted the outcome. “I don’t know if I believed it, but I told them, ‘we’re gonna win.’ I was trying to give them confidence. I said, ‘the game’s about defining moments now, so when the moment comes, you have to define the moment. Don’t let the moment define you. When it comes, you got to be ready for it and take it.’”

For Theobald, it also came down to surrounding himself with good people.

Good people and tremendous athletes. It takes a special group to go 26-0, an NCAA record for wins in a single-season, to post 21 shutouts, and allow just five goals in more than 2,300 minutes of soccer. It takes a special group to score 89 goals and 223 points… and it takes a special group to advance to a national championship. The list of accolades this team set seems never ending – from All-American awards to NCAA records.

Outstanding records and statistics don’t win championships, though, nor do they necessarily occur in one season. Hard work and patience are virtues that need to be gained quickly.

“It’s definitely been a ride,” said fifth-year senior forward Abby Rhodes. “I would say that we prepared every day for opportunities like this, so I’m happy that we were given this opportunity and that we could execute.

In four years, there have been ups and downs but to finish on this note is great.”

The championship game itself was a test of patience. Central Missouri got down for just the second time all season, 1-0, on a goal from Carson-Newman in the 19th minute.

The Jennies came away with 30 total shots, but as the minutes were winding down, it looked like that still might not be enough.

Senior goalkeeper Ana Dilkes kept the Jennies within one, making a pair of extraordinary saves in the final 10 minutes, including one with just 1:15 remaining. After gaining possession on a ball out of bounds, the Eagles made a substitution, stopping the clock with 36 seconds left to play.

THE DEFINING MOMENT

Central Missouri stole the ensuing throw-in and though she was at a sharp angle, junior Jada Scott had a one-on-one with the Eagles keeper. That is until Carson-Newman committed a foul inside the penalty box. A good opportunity turned into a great one as Scott could now tie the game with a penalty kick. Scott, who had also taken and made a penalty kick in the semi-final round, found the back of the net once again and tied the game with just 30 seconds left to play.

Neither team scored another goal in either the remainder of regulation or the

26-0-0 two 10-minute overtime periods, heading the game to a shootout. Both teams scored on each of their first three kicks. UCM got goals from seniors Baylie Edwards, Kayla Hamner and Scott. Freshman Haley Freeman made it 4-3 Jennies and after three tries, Dilkes finally got her hands on the Eagles fourth kick, smothering the ball for the save. That meant one more Jennies goal would give them their first national championship in team history.

The kick rested on the shoulders of Rhodes. “It was a great feeling,” she said.

“Taking the penalty kick and being someone that my teammates and coach could believe in. I’m just happy I could execute.”

She went high and to the left and, although the Eagles goalkeeper got a hand on the ball, Rhodes connected with enough force to score the winning goal.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP KICK

“I did have a moment of disbelief [when the goalkeeper got her hands on the shot], but seeing the ball roll past the line was a great feeling and then, of course, seeing all of my teammates sprinting at me with smiles was absolutely amazing.”

They had been so close many times before, but Central Missouri was finally on top of

the soccer world. Their years of work and patience had paid off.

Even though the pinnacle had been reached, the story of the 2017 Jennies Soccer team doesn’t end just yet. There is more that goes into being a champion than T-shirts and celebrations, because a champion isn’t just something that is earned on a field.

To Theobald, this is just the beginning.

An opportunity to be more than just great soccer players.

“I told them about the true measure of this success. You have to use this to go help other people. Whatever you learned about yourself from this, now go help people. The motto of our university is ‘Education through Service,’ so this is a part of that education process. I want them to not feel entitled to get something because they won at soccer. They need to go help people.”

Every season has a story, so does every team. The 2017 Jennies Soccer will be remembered as much for a national title as for their big hearts. Perfect for a season and good for the rest of their lives. n

A NATIONAL TITLE WAS THE PERFECT END FOR HARD-WORKING SENIORS WHO HAD PLAYED A TOUGH FOUR YEARS TOGETHER.

Watch videos on YouTube by searching Jennies Soccer or by going to ucmo.edu/athletics to the women’s soccer section.

A

SEASON OF

RECORDS

he 2017 Jennies championship topped a season for the record books.

Their 26 wins are the most in a season in UCM and NCAA D-II history. Their 21 shutouts tied the D-II record and set new levels

T

for both UCM and MIAA. Their minimum one goal for 59 straight games was a UCM and MIAA record. In total, the Jennies had 9 All-MIAA selections, 3 conference players of the year, 11 All-Region selections, 8 All-American picks,

and 2 CoSIDA Academic AllDistrict selections. Coach Lewis Theobald and his staff also were named the United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year in addition to the Central Region Staff of the Year.

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 Awa r d | 2017

“ I knew when I graduated from high school that I wanted to be an accountant and that I wanted to study at UCM. The program was outstanding three decades ago, and that same high quality is still present today.�

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Barry Davis ’81

THE BUSINESS NICHE From his small Missouri hometown roots, Barry Davis has found a niche in the world of high finance.

D

AVIS IS A SENIOR PARTNER with BKD in

Kansas City, the 11th largest certified public accounting and advisory firm in the nation, with 36 offices in 16 states, more than 2,700 employees and $600 million in annual revenues. He was honored as a 2017 UCM Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

In his more than 30 years of experience, Davis has provided business and financial solutions to manufacturing, distribution, construction and service companies. As a regional managing partner, he provides leadership and direction for BKD offices in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

He discovered his career path as a high school sophomore. “I was in this Future Business Leaders in America competition and did really well at a regional level. I came home and told my mom, ‘This seems to come natural to me. It’s what I want to do.’ She was shocked that I never changed my mind.

But I knew it’s what I wanted to do, and it’s been a great career for me.”

When it came time for college, Davis followed his immediate older brother to Warrensburg. He recalls his first day in Ellis Hall meeting students he’s still friends with 40 years later. He also values his involvement with Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity. “We probably had too much fun, but it was good because we also had a group of people who became very successful businesspeople.”

Two years after graduating, the 1981 alumnus passed his CPA exam and joined BKD. He makes it a point to hire UCM accounting graduates. “I’m sure I’m biased but from a work ethic and attitude standpoint, we don’t have to teach UCM graduates how to work. Everyone we hire has the requisite skills and knowledge, but then it’s a matter of what you do with it. Then it becomes passion and work ethic. You can’t train work ethic, you can’t train passion, you either have it or you don’t. That’s what makes UCM stand out.”

He has been a constant supporter of the Harmon School of Business and Professional Studies, leading giving efforts by BKD employees and other UCM alumni to fund the college’s first distinguished professorship, an accounting lab in Ward Edwards Building, and scholarships and assistance to help faculty and students attend professional conferences.

A sports enthusiast, he is a member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Executive Committee and Kansas City Sports Commission Board of Directors. Davis also is an avid believer in community service and has played major roles in many nonprofits.

“I think it’s just important to give back.

It’s good for the business but it’s also good for the soul.” n

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 Awa r d | 2017

THE SUMMER CAMP DETOUR

“It was an instant connection. We had so much in common. Eight months later, we decided to get married so we could enter active duty together.”

The newlyweds launched highly successful careers as officers in the U.S. Army. Their first overseas assignment was with the First Armored Division in Germany. “It was a very interesting journey in the sense that we actually became adults together,” said Mike. “There were the two of us, and we had our two children.

We were very dependent on each other and learned how to take care of each other and for each other.”

Another early stop was Fort Polk Louisiana. “That was probably our most difficult time,” said Karen. “We were company commanders simultaneously, responsible for 80 to 150 soldiers. Having a two-year-old and a one-year-old really made life interesting.”

In 1997, Karen was called to active duty and deployed to support military action in Bosnia. Mike was left to serve as parent, army officer and student at command and General Staff College.

By the time Karen was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, she was a lieutenant colonel in the logistics civil augmentation program. She ensured U.S. and coalition forces had adequate supplies

After years of violin lessons, Karen LeDoux put aside her love for music for a career in the military when she discovered a new passion during summer camp.

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S

and managed the construction of more

UMMER MUSIC CAMPS

were

than 90 base camps, all while coordinating

always part of growing up for Karen

the work of more than 40,000 contractors.

LeDoux, recently retired as a major

During her next deployment, she led the

general with the Army Reserve

withdrawal of more than 200,000 troops

and honored as a 2017 Distinguished

from Iraq while simultaneously surging

Alumnus. When her father wanted her to

troops into Afghanistan.

become more disciplined, she went to

“The most difficult thing I’ve had to do

a six-week Army basic camp. It led to a

in my career is to leave my family not just

surprising realization. She liked it. “It was a

once but three times for deployment,”

great discovery about myself and built on

she said. “I knew that where I would be

many values I had as a child. Loyalty. Duty.

in Germany was safe but there are times

Respect to others. Selfless service. These

when you don’t know if you’re coming

really resonated with me.”

back. So, you have to make, excuse me,

Before she graduated in 1983 with a

you have to make,” she added, tearing up,

degree in music, there was ROTC and

“you have to prepare yourself and your

outings with friends to Pertle Springs. One

family for those things and those are the

weekend a friend arranged a blind date with

hardest things that you do as a soldier and

another ROTC student, Mike LeDoux.

a parent together.” n

General Karen LeDoux ’83

“It was a great discovery about myself and built on many values I had as a child. Loyalty. Duty. Respect to others.

Selfless service. These really resonated with me.”

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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D i s t i n g u i s h e d I n t e r nat i o na l A lu m n i Awa r d | 2017

THE

NUMBER LANGUAGE S E N T BY H I S FAT H E R TO T H E U N I T E D STAT E S TO E A R N A CO LLEG E DEG REE, CH ANG BIN Y IM DID NOT YE T R E AL IZE TH AT HE WAS LIVING THE FIRST CHAPTER OF HIS AMERICAN DREAM.

“

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W

HEN I ARRIVE at Central

Missouri, the first day I attend class, I cannot understand one word the teacher saying and so it wakes me up. I’m in big trouble,” said Yim, honored as the 2017 Distinguished International Alumnus.

Until his arrival in Warrensburg, life had come easy to Yim, one of six siblings born into a well-known financially successful family connected to the founder of what is now LG Electronics. He had aspirations to become a doctor but the language barrier led him to pursue math and chemistry.

“I said forget the reading courses such as history, but mathematics, chemistry, physics I can do.”

He struggled not only with academics but also with finances. While at UCM, the Korean government sent Yim $150 a month until he wrote his father asking the money be donated to the poor.

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He expected to continue receiving tuition but his father cut off any funding.

To get by, Yim worked odd jobs on campus that included cleaning kitchen trash cans, bussing, serving and eventually bartending. “I’m prouder of that than just about anything else I accomplished,” he said. “Back home, because of my name, I would never have had to work those jobs. But here, I proved on my own I’m an example of achieving the American dream.”

Yim credits these jobs with shaping his work ethic and attitude. During each summer, he worked in hotels in upstate New York where he met his future wife, Alice.

In 1963, he earned degrees in math and chemistry at Central Missouri. He completed a graduate degree at the University of Missouri, an executive course at Harvard and started his career as a chemist with Textile Rubber and Chemical Co.

Yim’s son, Daniel, says his father excelled at chemistry but knew that sales was where he could be financially successful. “At the time, there weren’t a lot of Asian people in Georgia so they gave him all these leads as they came in from Asia. It gave him a great opportunity to open up businesses and offices in Asia.”

After 47 years with Textile Rubber, Yim retired as vice president. Along the way, he became a multi-millionaire through more than 25 business ventures he started. He also was honored with the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Nasser Kaseminy, chair of the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, noted, “What makes him stand out is his genuine love of America. From such humble beginnings, he has not only achieved his own success but dedicated himself to supporting the dreams and aspirations of others.” n

Chang Bin Yim ’63

“

In business, one plus one doesn’t always equal two. They never go straight up and when down, everything seems to go wrong.

At times, most important is wife.

Wife tells husband, we came here empty-handed, don’t worry about it. Then you have energy and

”

feel pushed.

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 Awa r d

for

“ You give back and you are basically paying it forward because someone did that for you, to be in that chair, that facility and those classrooms.�

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S e rv i c e | 2017

Rob Ruth ’75

The

Kindergarten Circle To get to know Rob Ruth, honored as the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus for Service, just listen to the stories his wife, Susie, also an alumnus, loves to tell.

F

IRST THERE’S THE BLIND DATE that Rob still

these kindergarteners and couldn’t get them to even

calls “the highlight of his life.” Susie described

go in a circle. He said, ‘this is not for me,’” she said,

their first encounter. “We had both broken

breaking up with laughter.

up with our high school sweethearts, and my

That moment set Ruth on a path as a student

roommate set me up with a Sig Ep because she was

recruiter for UCM. “I found my niche,” he said. “I love

dating one. I thought his name, Robbie Ruth, was

speaking, talking to groups and getting kids excited

one of the funniest I’d ever heard. I walked down the

about coming here. My passion for UCM was built in a

stairs at Panhellenic Hall and there he was, wearing

huge way. That’s when I knew that I would do anything

these red, white and blue striped pants and red,

I could do as long as I live to try and help people get

white and blue shoes. I thought, ‘How did he get out

to Warrensburg to go to school at Central. There’s no

of the house looking like that!’ But we went and had

finer place for college. I’m that biased about it.”

pizza and he kept me laughing the entire night.”

Since college, the Ruths’ lives have centered around

faith, family and friends. His 36-year career with State

Her next story is when they signaled their

relationship with a formal “pinning” ceremony.

Farm started as an agent in Fort Scott, KS, followed

“Being girls all my sorority sisters dressed up in

by the company’s regional headquarters in Columbia,

white formals. Robbie came and got me and the

MO, as the director of education and training. He

house mother. That’s when they locked you in at

rapidly ascended the ranks to agency manager and

10:30. The whole fraternity, 75 guys, formed this

then to agency director in Dallas.

big heart with candles and sang ‘I Met a Girl One

And every community where they have lived

Day, She Stole My Heart Away.’ All the girls in the

provided new volunteer opportunities embraced

sororities were hanging from the windows. It turned

by the Warrensburg native, centerfielder and four-

out to be this big campus event. The whole year we

year starter for Mules baseball. One of his favorite

were that famous couple who got pinned.”

activities is leading the Dallas Fort Worth Mule Nation

Susie’s next story occurs after they married, during

alumni club, which leads to Susie’s last story. “The

Robbie’s last term when he had to student teach as

university set us on a path to where we are today so

part of his K-12 physical education major. “He had all

when we can help others, it’s just very fulfilling.” n

University of Central Missouri Magazine

15

E a r ly A c h i e v e r s Awa r d | 2 01 7

THE UNKNOWN KNOWN Without knowing the name of the career they could lead to, LaTanya Buck knew only that she enjoyed the classes. Nor did she expect to encounter her best friend from childhood.

H

O N O R E D A S the first

recipient of the Early Achievers Award, Buck said that when she was a student at UCM, “I started to become interested in student affairs but I didn’t know the name of it. I remember asking some administrators, like what do you have to do to do this. I didn’t exactly know what this was, but I knew I wanted to work on campus with students. That’s when I learned about college student personnel administration.”

Her career in higher education has led Buck from Missouri State, Maryville University and Saint Louis University to Washington University, where she was inaugural director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. In 2016, she became the first dean of diversity and inclusion at Princeton University.

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Working for one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in the nation is a long way from her childhood, growing up in the LaSalle Park housing projects in downtown St. Louis. “I didn’t know that we were poor, until I was bussed out into a different school district, maybe around fifth grade. I always had family around. There was always a strong sense of community. I always felt loved.”

As Buck was attending elementary school, her mother was completing her degree in education. “She was a strict disciplinarian and she always made sure that there was school outside of school. I was one of those kids who had to read and write book reports in the summertime. I didn’t like it then but now I’ve grown to appreciate it, for sure, and actually I have a love for literature and a love for writing.”

Her best friend from childhood, Taliya King, shared those summer study sessions.

“I would knock on Nicky’s door to see if she could come out and play and her mom would say, ‘No, she’s doing a book report on Frederick Douglass or Marcus Garvey.

She can’t come out and play but you can certainly come in and join her.’ I got my fair share of reports and lessons on African American history.”

Although the two friends went separate ways, they reconnected many times, first as students at UCM and later when both returned to live in St. Louis and found their houses were across from each other’s backyards. “We both tend to call ourselves

soul sisters,” said King. “Given the times we’ve separated and reconnected, there’s definitely a reason and a purpose that we have together to give back to this world. It’s something that feels very rare, right, and so you want to cherish that.” n

LaTanya Buck ’01, ’04

“Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. I feel that my life, even my being here, is a testament to that quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

University of Central Missouri Magazine

17

UNDERDOGS LEADER DELTA SIGMA PI BUSINESS FRATERNITY FREEDOM SCHOLAR PSI CHI SUE SHEAR FELLOW

Raven Alade

GENERATION STUDY ABROAD SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

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AFRICANA STUDIES LEADERSHIP COUNCIL EMPOWER HER U.S. CONGRESS TRIO FUNDING TESTIFIER

GETTING THE RAVEN ALADE WILL NEVER

HOW ONE STUDENT IS GETTING THE MOST OUT OF HER UCM EXPERIENCE

forget how she started her freshman year at the University of Central Missouri. With a loan.

“My stepfather lost his job and on paper it looked like my family had money, but we didn’t. I had to figure out a plan fast.”

The $13,600 that she borrowed set a course for the next four years.

Determined not to go any deeper in debt, she did everything she could to maximize her experience to qualify for scholarships. For Alade, that meant taking college seriously in terms of grades, involvement and leadership.

“I just had the mindset to win,” says the St. Louis area native, noting that she earned a 4.0 her first semester, then applied for as many scholarships as possible, somewhere between 10 to 15, regardless of the amount of money.

“My cousin really educated me on the ins and outs of financial aid in general and how I could get stuff paid for. I started leaning on scholarships I knew I could get, ones that were in St. Louis. I asked people for help. I asked TRIO and different people in that office to help me. My letters, my responses.”

Learning where to find scholarship dollars, as well as their application deadlines, was just part of Alade’s success. Utilizing MoCents, the university’s online

e up “W hen I wa,kit’s not ever y day t. I have an acciden o.” st uf f t o d

UCM MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

(among its competitors)

M OST

PELL GRANT

#1

R ANK E D MI L I TARYF RI E ND LY SCHOOL I N THE MI DW E ST

STUD E NTS

M OST STU DENT

INSTITUTIONAL GRANT AID TH E ONLY S CH OOL IN M IS S OU RI TO

PAY STUDENTS TO GRA DUATE IN

FOUR YEARS

M OST ACA DEM IC PROGRA M

ACCREDITATIONS University University of of Central Central Missouri Missouri Magazine

19

T h e U C M A l um n i F o u n d at i o n HI G H EST D EG R EE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

COMPLETION RATE

The UCM Alumni Foundation is the university’s official nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate, manage and distribute resources in support of the institution.

Numbers below represent fiscal year 2017, starting June 1, 2016, through July 1.

T H E O N LY S CHOOL I N M I S S OU R I W I TH A

SUCCESS TEAM

TO TA L A SSETS

$55,949,840

AS S I G N ED TO

EACH STUDENT

UCM MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

in total assets, thanks to a

TO TA L GI FTS

7.13% investment return

TO TA L NU MB ER OF G I FT S

$4,637,707

12,846

TO TA L DO NO RS

SCHO LA RSHIP S AWAR D ED

Benefiting

ENDOW MENT PAYOU T

GI FTS

increase to

of gifts received were

5,949 $1,265,857 976 students

16% 69% $1,356,149

$100 or

less

(among its competitors)

MO ST

FACULTY

1

$2,540,314

Restricted by Donor

$140,902

Capital Projects W I TH

DO C T OR A L O R T ER M I NAL D E GR E E

st

TYPES O F GI FTS

P U BL I C U N I V ER S I T Y I N M I S S OU R I WITH S U P ER S C O R E TO MAXIMIZE SCHOLARSHIP P OT EN T I A L

Endowments $1,462,357 Bequests $106,581

STO CK GI FTS

$422,493

in stock gifts, comprising 9% of all gifts made in FY 17

Unrestricted $387,553

9¢

18% 30% 21¢

3% SOURCES

WHERE EVERY

OF GIFTS

DOLLAR GOES

23%

31¢ 22¢

26%

LOWEST T R A N S F ER

OUT RATE

20

Vol. 17, No. 3 3 || ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

17¢

n n n n n

FRIENDS F O U N DAT I O N S ALUMNI E S TAT E S & T R U S T S CO R P O R AT I O N S

n n n n n

B R I C K S & M O R TA R SCHOLARSHIPS AT H L E T I C S AC A D E M I C S KMOS

“ THERE IS NO PASSION TO BE FOUND PLAYING SMALL, IN SETTLING FOR A LIFE LESS THAN THE ONE YOU ARE CAPABLE OF LIVING.” T I P S FR OM RAV E N Take Time to Apply The process isn’t hard but you have to take it seriously. And apply for everything. No scholarship is too small.

Take School Seriously If you take college seriously and have enough involvement, you’ll have a great essay. Speak your truth and avoid trite wording.

scholarship application system, also was a priority since it includes awards funded through gifts to the UCM Alumni Foundation.

Next was an unbelievable record of student involvement. As a McNair Scholar, she researched student mental health and microaggression, earning a first-place award for her paper. Her first trip to Washington, D.C. was to appear in front of a U.S. Congressional committee to testify about how she benefited from the grant-funded TRIO program, where she works on campus 15 hours a week. Her first trip abroad, to the Calabash Literacy Festival in Jamaica, opened her eyes to a selfless culture with much less than Americans.

These experiences scratch only the surface of Alade’s involvement.

Consider Study Abroad Ambassador, Psychology Club, Association of

Raven Alad says t his N e Mandela qu elson explains her ote goals.

Black Collegians, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day, Residence Hall Academic Resource Coach, Mule Team Leader, and that’s not even the entire list. After graduating in May, this psychology major and Africana Studies minor has her eye on Vanderbilt University and its graduate program in community development and action.

She again is determined to find scholarships to pay for it.

“When I go out into the world, when I wake up every day, I’m not waking up by accident. I’m waking up with stuff to do, to make a change around me because there’s a lot of bad in this world but also a lot of good. If we focus on the positive and how we can make a difference, then we’ll get that much further. I have to do it big or I might as well not be living.” n

When, Where Important Look for scholarships beyond web sites, like in your community or church, and know the deadlines for applying.

Seek Out Experts Understand financial aid terms and utilize people on campus who know how to look at scholarships and allow them to help you.

Tell Your Truth People don’t want to read something that you don’t even think is worthy of them reading.

Universityof ofCentral Central Missouri Missouri Magazine Magazine 21 University

P HILANT H R O P Y

L E F T: Charles

Schwepker holds the endowed marketing professorship funded by alumni Rand and Kelly Harbert in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies.

Cavanaugh Named VP for Advancement With a continuing need for strong philanthropic support for programs and initiatives that benefit students, the University of Central Missouri has named Lance Cavanaugh as vice president for advancement and executive director of the UCM Foundation.

Cavanaugh has 38 years of experience in higher education philanthropic development, major fundraising campaigns, alumni programs and strategic communications.

He has worked at such universities as Iowa State, Arizona, Wisconsin, Beloit College and Southwest Minnesota State. Before entering the field of higher education institutional advancement, he was a television news reporter and newscast producer.

“We are committed to continue building momentum in our University Advancement area by taking advantage of Lance’s leadership, strategic planning and philanthropic experience,” said UCM President Chuck Ambrose. “We’re confident in his ability to build donor support as a way to help UCM continue to make education more accessible and affordable for our students.”

22

I NVESTI NG I N ACADEM I C E XCE L L E N CE

UCM Alumni Make Leadership Gift to Endow Faculty Professorship in Marketing

A

State farm executive with a global reputation for innovative marketing, Rand Harbert and his wife, Kelly, have made a substantial gift to endow a marketing professorship in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. Their contribution through the UCM Alumni Foundation will provide 10 years of funding for the Randall and Kelly Harbert Marketing Professorship, supporting new levels of faculty excellence.

“Rand and Kelly are great examples of engaged alumni, and we appreciate their investment in our students’ academic success,” said Charles Schwepker, who currently holds the professorship. “Their commitment will have a significant and lasting impact on our marketing program and students.”

The Harberts met when they were students at UCM. Rand, a native of Carrolton, MO, received a bachelor’s degree in graphic arts technology in 1985 while Kelly, originally from Alma, MO, graduated a year later with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Following graduation, Rand eventually went to work for State Farm Insurance, one of the nation’s largest Fortune 500 companies. His 25-year career there includes his current position as executive vice president and chief agency, sales and marketing officer. In 2016, he was named by Business Insider as one of the top 50 most innovative chief marketing officers in the world. His is the leadership behind State Farm’s current marketing revolution, flipping a “when life goes wrong” message to a platform of “here to help life go right.”

Kelly’s career encompasses health care and finance. She is president of Spectrum Partners and a

Vol. 17, No. 3 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

CPA who has worked in the health care industry as president of a closely held company that operates assisted living properties.

Their engagement with UCM has included volunteer service as members of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors. Rand also has been honored as the Distinguished Marketing Executive by the UCM Chapter of the American Marketing Association and the Department of Economics, Finance and Marketing.

Every year, he and other top State Farm leaders come to campus for the State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition. Students from throughout the

“ Rand and Kelly are great examples of engaged alumni.” nation compete as teams and individuals for cash prizes in developing and presenting innovative marketing ideas. Rand played a leadership role for State Farm to fund the contest as well as the State Farm Marketing and Sales Lab, a block of five rooms on the third floor of the Ward Edwards Building where the competition is held.

“As first generation students, our UCM education and experience paved the way for a future filled with more opportunity than we could have ever imagined,” the Harberts conveyed in a joint statement. “There are so many alumni who have come before us and served as examples of what ‘paying it forward’ looks like. We felt it was our turn to do so and couldn’t be more excited about making an investment in the sales and marketing program at UCM.”

P HI LANT HR OP Y

“ My passion is debate. The skills I received from engaging in multiple speech and debate communities are priceless. With scholarships, I was able to move my college education forward. Without them, I don’t know what I would have done.”

— TYLER SLINKARD, RECIPIENT OF THE STEVEN AND SUSAN BEEBE DEBATE SCHOLARSHIP

AND ROBERT AND EDITH YOUNG SCHOLARSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

WA NTS TO T E ACH

ROYALS DREAM JO B

T RU E N U RS I N G CA L L

Reading On the Mind of Andrea Deal

Numbers Trigger Caitlin Ehlert’s Career Ambitions

Single Mom Hopes to Save Lives

When she isn’t pursuing her passion in life to build relationships, Andrea Deal may just have her mind buried in a book. This future English teacher loves to read. Her favorite so far is Of Mice and Men. “It’s such a beautiful story,” she says.

Deal is completing her undergraduate degree with help from the Joan Marie Eighinger Scholarship and the Mary Ruth Scott Memorial Scholarship. “They have relieved so much of the financial burden that I’m really able to focus on my studies.”

Deal would love to tell UCM donors how much their generosity means. “The scholarships I received made such a huge impact on not just my life but everyone around me.

Their generosity is like a ripple effect. Because of them, I’ll be able to become a great teacher one day.”

Caitlin Ehlert hopes someday that her accounting degree will earn her a spot with the Kansas City Royals, and if not the major league baseball team, then with a firm in the KC metro area.

She appreciates UCM especially because of all the organizations and student activities that she’s been able to experience. “I come from a small town in Missouri and UCM was just the perfect blend for me with its big city diversity and uniqueness.”

Also, a perfect match were the Coleman Family Scholarship and Province Family Business Scholarship that she received.

“They made it possible for me to take part in so many activities and trips,” she says. “Their support has meant the world to me. The generosity is above and beyond anything I could have dreamed.”

Job shadowing in high school led Tori Theiss to pursue a nursing degree. “I want to spend my life helping and saving lives,” says the recipient of the Beverly Wilson Nursing Scholarship.

“I am a young, single mother of a little boy and because of scholarships, I was able to focus on him and my studies.

So much stress was lifted off my shoulders.”

She loves UCM for its instructors. “They want to challenge you, guide you and help you succeed however they can.” She would advise other students to stay focused. “It can be real tempting to throw in the towel but just remember why you started and keep pushing forward.”

The one thing Thiess would tell donors is that their generosity changes students’ lives “just like mine.”

69%

Scholarships are the single largest area donors designate for their gifts, supporting the university’s long-standing reputation for affordable, quality education.

Have You Made Plans for Your Future?

If you are thinking about creating or updating a will or trust, we can help.

If you are considering ways to save on taxes, we can help. If you are interested in a charitable bequest, we can help. There are many ways you can make a gift to further our mission and benefit UCM students.

$ Are You Looking for Secure, Future Income?

When you make a gift of cash or appreciated property for a charitable gift annuity, we will pay you fixed payments for life (with rates based on your age). You will receive a charitable deduction for making the gift and a portion of your payments could be tax-free!

Thinking About Selling Your Business?

Do you know you can minimize taxes, maximize a gift to UCM and take home more money from the sale of your business?

Contact Joy Mistele, UCM Alumni Foundation, about any of these giving opportunities at 660-543-8000 or at mistele@ucmo.edu.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

23

C EN TR A L Y E S T E R DAY

NO ORDINARY FARM BOY

A COMBAT MEMOIR “ The train was packed with men.

Men lying as still as if they were already dead.

Men shaking with pain. One man raving, jabbering, yelling, in delirium.

Everywhere bandages, and blood.” Those words describe the moment when Private John Lewis Barkley first grasped the grim reality of the war he had entered.

The rest of Barkley’s memoir, first published in 1930 as No Hard Feelings and long out of print, provides a vivid ground-level look at World War I through the eyes of a soldier whose exploits rivaled those of Sergeant York.

by Patrick Hanna

BY HIS OWN ACCOUNT, JOHN BARKLEY WAS A TYPICAL MIDWESTERN FARM BOY, HARD-WORKING AND DEDICATED TO HIS FAMILY. REJECTED TWICE BEFORE BEING ACCEPTED FOR MILITARY DUTY, THIS UCM ALUMNUS, A MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT, IS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN OUTSIDE MISSOURI.

A

s America became embroiled in World War I, Barkley made two attempts to enlist in the army.

He was rejected both times because of a debilitating stutter. Finally accepted, he said goodbye to his family, dogs and girlfriend (the only girl who didn’t laugh at his stutter) and boarded a train for Camp Funston in Kansas.

Small in stature but very fit, Barkley enjoyed being a new soldier, keeping his uniform and equipment in first rate order. Whether those attributes, his superior marksmanship or

simply the luck of the draw, he was soon recommended for intelligence school at Fort Riley. He feared his stutter would wash him out but hid the impediment by giving oneword answers during his reviews.

He would have many stories from his military career, but the one resulting in his Medal of Honor occurred during the Meuse-Argonne offensive. He was a forward observer, alone and near a position where Germans had massed to attack. He had hidden himself in a shell crater to report enemy movement to American forces on the hill behind him. As dawn approached, he realized his cover was slim and his field telephone was dead. He ran to an abandoned, shot up French tank, along the way finding a German machine gun and a large quantity of ammunition.

The gun was inoperable, though, since its breech block had been removed. In

World War I hero John Barkley died in 1966, shortly before Patrick Hanna arrived on campus. His relative obscurity has intrigued Hanna for more than 50 years.

L E F T:

PHOTO CREDIT: NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IN KANSAS CITY

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CENT R AL Y ES T ER D AY

John Barkley, as painted by celebrated illustrator Howard Chandler Christy, in full uniform and against the silhouette of a French tank.

PHOTO CREDIT: NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IN KANSAS CITY

intelligence school, Barkley had been told of this German practice and was advised to obtain a breech block at his first opportunity.

Incredibly, he was carrying a breech block for this very model machine gun.

He installed the block and waited for the Germans, then attacked.

IN SEARCH OF AN ELUSIVE HERO How a Student Job Piqued a Lifetime Curiosity for Alumnus Patrick Hanna

When his machine gun overheated, he emptied his canteen into the gun’s water jacket. When that boiled away, he located a large can of motor oil in the tank and poured that into the gun’s water jacket. The Germans brought up a 77-millimeter cannon and fired at the tank, striking it in the drive

wheel, ripping off one of the treads, and knocking Barkley momentarily senseless.

Barkley recovered and when the Germans mounted a second attack, he stopped it, too.

Finally, when he heard American voices outside the tank, Barkley climbed out, slipped away and rejoined his unit. He told no one what he had done, but his heroic stand had been seen by the approaching Americans. One American estimated more than 4,000 rounds of expended ammunition were inside the tank. Of the hundreds of Germans killed and wounded on the field, it was estimated that Barkley had accounted for half.

One day in the spring of 1919, ordered to a large assembly, Barkley was as surprised as anyone to learn he was receiving the Medal of Honor from General John J. Pershing himself.

Barkley never achieved the kind of celebrity that had been enjoyed by other American heroes. He struggled to keep the family farm going outside Holden, suffered through the Great Depression and worked various jobs. He continued to serve his country as a reservist and was always an advocate for veterans. John Lewis Barkley passed away in 1966. He might still have described himself as an ordinary farm boy but he had done extraordinary things. n Sources: Scarlet Fields - The Combat Memoir of a World War I Medal of Honor Hero by John Lewis Barkley with introduction and notes by Steven Trout

“There, on a table, lay a German water-cooled machine gun. A brittle, yellowed tag attached to the weapon said it was the same type commandeered by John Barkley in 1918. It was my first day on the job at CMSC’s then-new museum. I had been hired to help the director organize the college’s collections and design exhibits. I was shown an old inventory listing of World War I memorabilia and most of it corresponded to items on the work tables. Notably absent was an item I’d loved to have seen, a genuine Congressional Medal of Honor. I was immediately curious about this John Barkley and wondered why I had never heard of him.” That curiosity continued throughout the next 50 years of Patrick Hanna’s life, from visits to Barkley’s hometown near Blairstown, to trips to the World War I Museum in Kansas City, to assorted searches on the Internet, to a PBS documentary.

He finally found the long-sought answers in the re-issue of Barkley’s combat memoir.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

25

C L AS S NO T E S

1970–1979 George “Rob” Robbins, ’76, ’81, just completed a term as president of the Missouri Society of Accountants. He has worked at Hughes, Wilner and Wolfe in Ladue, MO, since 1995 and was recently appointed to manage the firm’s operations.

1980–1989 Terry Anderson ’80 and Daniel Blanton ’80 celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary Aug. 12 in Jefferson City, the bride’s hometown. The two met while students at UCM. She is now a clinical social worker at River Birch Counseling Center and Birthright, and he is president of Adcraft Inc., a family business in downtown St. Louis.

Jessica Dulle ’80 has joined Richland Bank in Ohio as a commercial relationship manager, specializing in the needs of medical businesses. She currently serves on the board of the Kiwanis Club of Mansfield. She also is a member of Richland Young Professionals and graduated in 2015 from Richland County Leadership Unlimited.

Ronald Walker ’81, ’84 is an artist living in the Sacramento, CA, area who has shown more than 200 exhibitions throughout the U.S., including 40 solo ones. His work can be seen at the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest and Museum of Northern California Art in Chico. The October magazine edition of 34th Parallel published an eight-page feature showcasing his work and philosophy.

Mary Felgar ’82 retired in April after serving more than 32 years with the Missouri Department of Corrections including 29 years in recreation.

Kelvin Shaw ’83 has been named city administrator for Sedalia, MO. Previously he served as the city’s finance director.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

In response to our feature on Vietnam, we received several emails from alumni who served during the war, which we posted to ucmfoundation.org/veterans. Since then, we’ve received additional emails and read about an alumnus featured in a Kansas newspaper.

Eric Walther ’53 was featured in a story published in the Lawrence (KS) Journal World about his experience serving in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force. Now chaplain of American Legion Dorsey-Liberty Post No. 14, he survived a mid-air crash near the end of his 20-year military career. He joined the military after graduating from UCM, earned his wings in 1958 and was trained to fly multi-engine airplanes. The near-death experience occurred in 1971-72 when he was co-piloting a C-47 transport plane from Saigon to Bangkok and heard a loud bang. Two Royal Thai T-23 jet trainers had collided. The C-47’s wing fuel tank design allowed the motor to maintain power and they landed safely, resulting in Walther receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal.

Lyle Horner ’64 served as a CH-53 pilot in Vietnam in 1970-71.

Marty Strones ’69, ’70 emailed that he recently returned to Vietnam to help its government find a mass grave that resulted from a battle Jan. 31, 1968 TET. “I created the grave over 49 years ago following the battle. This is an interesting story giving closure to relatives of 758 North Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the battle. I was the officer leading the battle. I am continuing to assist the Vietnamese government in locating the graves of their soldiers as well as missing U.S. and allied soldiers.”

Walter E. Henry ’70 wrote, “Your teaser on the magazine I received today says ROTC started on the CMSC campus in 1967.

That may well be the year the Board of

Regents voted to add it to the curriculum, but classes on campus started in the fall of 1968. I attended a six-week basic training at Ft. Benning, GA, in the summer of 1968 and was a junior in the program in the fall. I was a member of the first graduating class, which was 1970. Because the college would not allow a minor in military science to those pursuing a BS in Education, several of us were not able to be commissioned in the spring of 1970 and had to attend an additional term in the fall, resulting in a commissioning at the end of November 1970.”

David L. Fender ’72 was a freshman in 1968 and in UCM’s first group of cadets. He emailed: “There were those who were glad that ROTC now existed, and those who did not, and most were disinterested. When we were in uniform, it was not unusual to get a little undesired attention from other students but I never felt unsafe, which was not true on some campuses at the time. It was interesting to see the one photo of the formation, and I recognized my roommate and others. I went through all four years of the program, entered the army as Vietnam was ending, became a pilot and retired from the army after 20 years of service. Because of my assignments, training and education, I earned a doctorate and recently retired after 21 years as a professor. I can easily say that my adult life and two careers all started with ROTC.”

CLAS S NOT ES

Bryan Savage ’84, saxophonist and flutist, recently returned to his hometown of Chillicothe, MO, to give a performance at the Methodist Church Christian Life Center. The professional musician has recorded and toured with several number one acts including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Al Stewart and Steve Martin. He has appeared on several network TV shows, including Solid Gold, Merv Griffin and the Midnight Special. He received a gold record for his sax performance on Steve Martin’s hit single, “King Tut,” and is currently a recording artist on Virgin Records, with seven international CD releases under his own name and several No. 1 and Top 5 hits on national Smooth Jazz Radio.

David Turner ’84, retired Army general, has been named president of the Military Services Group of American Water, the nation’s largest traded water and wastewater utility company.

The group operates the water and wastewater assets at 13 military installations. Turner retired from active duty in July.

In 2014, he was honored as UCM Distinguished Alumnus.

He also was recognized for his outstanding engineering services at the Ninth Annual Stars and Stripes dinner.

Inc., a nonprofit mental health center. She also has been appointed to the state’s child abuse and neglect review board.

She is a certified counselor with the National Board of Certified Counselors.

INTRODUCING THE

UCM ALUMNI

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The UCM Alumni Foundation app brings the POWER OF MULE NATION right to your mobile device!

Download the exclusive (FREE) UCM Alumni app for easy access to everything Mule Nation, ensuring that you never miss a single Mule moment!

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Funeral Story, Road Closed and How to Kill Monsters Using Common Household Items.

He teaches at Northwestern State University and writes a syndicated humor column.

1990–1999 Brian Kuester ’90 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as attorney for the Oklahoma Eastern District. He has been a police officer, assistant district attorney, attorney in private practice and a staff counsel for Allstate Insurance.

lighting controls and energy management solutions. Peek has 25 years of experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions and valuations and holds certifications as a certified public accountant and certified valuation analyst. Her career includes owning a firm, Peek Valuation; working on the Sprint finance team; and serving as an audit team member of Baird, Kurtz and Dobson.

Guy Krause ’87 is the new director of the Missouri Office of Administration’s Division of Personnel, which provides human resource management and guidance in areas such as the Missouri Merit System and the Uniform and Classification Pay System.

Jeff McLanahan ’90 is director, enterprise leadership and development for Service Experts Enercare in North America.

He has more than 20 years of experience with some of the most well-known and highly respected franchise brands and has held executive training roles in the food and home service industries.

He and wife, Jackie, live in Dallas.

Tim Gervy ’92 joins Lead Bank as executive vice president and chief credit officer. The 25-year banking veteran previously was principal at Envision Capital Solutions LLC. His career also includes executive experience at Alterra Bank (now First Business Bank), Enterprise Bank & Trust, Hillcrest Bank and Bank of Jacomo. He also served as a bank examiner for the Missouri Division of Finance. Lead Bank is based in Garden City, MO.

Jason Offutt ’87, ’03 has released a new novel, Bad Day for the Apocalypse, joining his other titles, which include A

Jennifer Peek ’91 has been appointed a director of Znergy Inc., which provides energy efficient lighting products,

Jennifer Vernon Schoonover ’92, ’94 is the director of child, youth and family clinical services at Synergy Services,

Lisa Henderson ’85 is the first woman judge in Dallas County, MO. She is associate judge for the 30th Circuit Court.

Doug Barklage ’93 is instructing a new criminal justice program at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, MO. His 24-year career in law enforcement includes serving as an officer for the Sedalia police department and Missouri State Highway Patrol, a senior investigator with the Missouri Department of Transportation Audits and Investigations Unit, a deputy juvenile officer for the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in Pettis County and a licensed private investigator in Missouri.

April Counts ’93 brings more than 20 years’ experience teaching at the elementary level to her new position of assistant professor of education at McPherson College in Kansas.

Most recently she served as the K-5 ESOL teacher for three years at Cottonwood Elementary in Salina. Prior to that she taught in classroom and special education positions at Cottonwood Elementary as well as in Abilene, KS, and Odessa, MO. Gavin D. Tade ’94, ’16 has taken command of the 944th Mission Support Group at Luke AFB in Arizona. As commander, Col. Tade oversees support planning and resource management for a 1,900-person fighter wing including two geographically separated units, the 414th Fighter Group at Seymour Johnson AFB and the 924th Fighter Group at Davis Monthan AFB. The command also gives Tade, a combat pilot with more than 1,700 fighter jet hours and three combat tours, an opportunity to again fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Tade was honored as the 2013 UCM Distinguished Alumnus.

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C L AS S NO T E S

2000–2009 Doug Brown ’01, ’04 has been hired as assistant principal of Knob Noster Middle School.

Previously he was middle school assistant principal in the Clinton school district preceded by 12 years of teaching American history at Warrensburg Middle School. He also coached middle school and high school wrestling with this twin brother for 15 years.

David Gardner ’03 has joined the Blue Angels as the squadron’s public affairs officer. The U.S. Navy lieutenant is serving as a media relations member for the precision flight team during the 2018 air show season. He is assigned to the USS Makin Island.

Melissa Cole ’04 and husband, Benjamin, welcomed their first child Aug. 3, 2017, and named their daughter, Savannah.

UCM ALUMNUS & OLYMPIC SPEED SKATERS

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Sarah Steppelman Mason ’04 was judge for the exhibit, “The New River Valley Through an Artist’s Eye,” at the Artful Lawyer Gallery in Blacksburg, VA. Andre Brown ’06, ’08 has been hired as director of residential education at Northwest Missouri State University. Previously he was TRIO director at Arizona State University after serving as director of the Alabama Power Academic Excellence Program at Auburn University. He and wife, Elizabeth Apodaca ’02, life in Maryville.

Stacy Williamson ’07 is working at Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies.

She is teaching medicine and healthcare to juniors and seniors at 14 high schools. This is her 18th year of teaching.

Conrad L. Purnell ’08, an officer with the Missouri Highway Patrol, has been promoted to corporal and

designated assistant supervisor of Zone 11, Stoddard County. He was appointed to the patrol in 2010 and after graduating from the patrol academy, was assigned to Troop E, Zone 8, serving New Madrid and Pemiscot counties.

He is married to Domonique Ransburg ’10 and they have one child, Conrad L. Purnell Jr. Jerry White ’09 has sold his first feature film, an indie dramatic thriller entitled Autumn’s End, released in October by Global Digital Releasing. A self-professed fan of horror films, White directed the film, which explores the aftermath of a household invasion on a brother and sister.

2010–2019 Emilee Hancock ’11 has joined Murdock Financial Group in Warrensburg as a communication specialist.

BRUCE KOHEN is used to speed, but these days are more hectic than usual. The 1986 University of Central Missouri alumnus custom designs and produces skating boots for Olympic athletes and several competed in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Take for instance, the news about 17-year-old Maame Biney who made history as the first AfricanAmerican speedskating Olympian at the December trials in Utah. Kohen, who has designed her skates since she was very young, said, “She’s one to watch.” Her father noted, “I don’t care what the other girls are on. I want Maame on Kohen’s.”

Kohen has designed speed skating boots since his own days competing when he couldn’t find anything that fit, was durable and affordable. When he eventually left skating, he moved to Colorado and began a career in digital electronics. When he was laid off, he started making boots for himself and word took off.

At $2,100 a pair, each set of boots involves roughly 80 to 100 hours of work. Kohen takes a mold of the skater’s foot then turns it into a plaster cast replica. After shaving and plastering, he lays on the materials, including a synthetic suede inner liner and outer leather skin, along with intricate composite and aerospace work. “In between there are a million things going on – stitching, sewing, eyelets, spray glue, shoe glues. There’s a lot that goes into them.”

In a business where politics dominate behind the Olympic scenes, Kohen’s skates are in demand.

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Daniel J. Murphy ’11 was appointed director of marketing for First Westroads Bank in Omaha, NE. Tamika Drake ’16 has been named director of volleyball operations and women’s volleyball head coach for Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO. She joined the program as assistant in 2014 after coaching at high school and club levels.

Katie Gomes ’16 has joined Curley and Pynn Public Relations and Marketing Communications in Maitland, FL, as a communication specialist. She previously interned at Wellons Communication where she helped manage social media for one of Florida’s top bowling and entertainment centers, as well as Field Group, a marketing and advertising agency in Yakima, WA.

Athletes from the U.S., Russia, Germany, Japan, Austria, Italy and Canada have worn his boots, including one of the most well-known Olympic gold medalists, Apolo Ohno. This year two members of the Belgium team, Jens Maurits Almey and Ward Erelas M Petre wore his boots as well as U.S. athletes Biney and J.R. Celski, an American short track speed skater, three-time medalist and current 500-meter world record holder.

“When I started making the boots, it was really for me to go faster. I never dreamed they’d ever go to the games,” he said. As a teenager, Kohen surprised older athletes with his competency and speed. Decades later, each Olympic win is a personal victory for this once medal-winning speed skater as he competes in a small industry dominated by more established and connected international companies.

CLAS S NOT ES

Awards & Honors James Streu ’67 was inducted into the Waterfowlers Hall of Fame in Mound City, MO, as part of the 28th annual inductee class. He taught and coached at Oak Park High School in North Kansas City from 1967 to 1970 after which he became a realtor, home builder and developer. He has been married to his wife, Lynn ’67, for 52 years and they have two children and three grandsons.

Jim Strate ’69 has been inducted into the Oklahoma Career Tech Hall of Fame in Enid, OK. He retired as chief executive officer and superintendent at Autry Technology Center in 2015 after 24 years of service. He and his mother, Dorothy Martin Strate, attended UCM together. An annual scholarship funded by his gifts to the UCM Alumni Foundation is named in her memory.

Don Eisinger ’72 and his wife, Linda ’73, have been inducted into the Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation Hall of Leaders. Don is retired after a 36-year career with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Much of Linda’s 37-year teaching career was at North and West elementary schools in Jefferson City.

David Steward ’73 was honored in April at a Jazz in Lincoln Center gala in New York City. The founder of World Wide Technology in St. Louis is a lifelong jazz lover. He and his wife, Thelma, received the Ed Bradley Award for Leadership in Jazz, which celebrates individuals for their contributions to the organization, which reaches a global audience of two million annually, as well as the genre in general. The 2017 event was hosted by Harry Connick Jr. and celebrated the centennial of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald.

David Holsinger ’74, professor at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, has had a music archive named in his honor in its School of Music.

He has become renowned as a composer during his 50-plus year career. His compositions for wind and chamber ensembles include more than 100 pieces performed in high schools, on college campuses and by professional musicians. His work has won four national competitions, including a two-time American Band Association Ostwald Award.

Marvin Williams ’74 was honored as the June Member of the Month at the Pointe at Ballwin Commons in Missouri. He started his teaching career at Kirkwood, went to the University of Illinois Extension Service and retired in 2005 from Parkway Central High School. Last year he refereed a combined 38 football games and 61 basketball games.

Debra Sheffer ’80, ’86 received the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award from Park University in Parkville, MO, during its annual Honors Convocation.

The honor pays tribute to a Park faculty member who shows evidence of commitment to high standards of excellence in the area of scholarship, including teaching, discovery, integration and service. Sheffer is a professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Park.

Tom Shiflett ’80 was inducted into the Waterfowlers Hall of Fame in Mound City, MO, as part of the 28th annual inductee class.

Retired from Quanta Services, he is co-owner of the Duck Haven Hunt Club, developing the property under the name JOSHIF Hunt Club.

Angie Berry ’91, was nominated for the Missouri Lawyers 2017 Unsung Hero Award. She is

secretary, paralegal, administrator, bookkeeper and more for the law firm of Langdon and Emison.

Sheri Lawson Dody ’93 was honored as Officer of the Year by the Henry County (MO) Sheriff’s Office.

Eric Calvert ’97, associate director for the Center at Talent Development at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy in Evanston, IL, received a Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Associate for Gifted Children. Calvert is an advocate for academically advanced children and considered a national resource in gifted education issues.

Daniel Garrison ’98 has been named a 2017-18 Regional Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He has taught 18 years in the Raymore-Peculiar School District and in 2017 was named its Teacher of the Year. He teaches eighth grade history and is an adjunct professor at UCM. Lori Ulrich ’99 was one of 109 St. Louis area educators to receive an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award sponsored annually by Emerson, a diversified global manufacturer and technology leader based in St. Louis. Ulrich is an instructional coach for the Sullivan School District primary school.

Aaron Bagwell ’00, principal at Desert Sun Academy in Sonora, AZ, was honored as principal of the month by the Cave Creek Unified School District. His 16-year career includes being a math and science teacher and assistant principal.

Keegan Nichols ’03, vice president for student success at Arkansas Tech University in

Russellville, AR, is part of a team of researchers that has been recognized by the professional organization, NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Nichols co-authored a paper entitled “Paying it Forward: First Gen Latinas/a/o Students Sense of Responsibility.” The paper received a 2017 NASPA Region IV West literature and research award. Nichols is in her first year as vice president for student services at ATU. Previously she was associate vice president for student affairs at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. She has additional experience working in student services at Northern Illinois University and Rockford College in Illinois.

Beverly Newman ’10 has become court programs manager for the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator in Jefferson City after serving as chief juvenile officer for the 17th Judicial Circuit since 2006. In November, she received the Andrew Jackson Higgins Award from the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association.

Higgins was a former state supreme court judge remembered as a humanitarian and for serving the best interests of children. Newman served the 17th circuit for 29 years.

Aaron Michael Scully ’12, ’14, a teacher, scholar, playwright, actor and director at the University of Missouri Columbia, won the 2016 Planet Earth Arts Playwriting Award for his play, Nah’zhee, which was then performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Scully has an MBA and a master’s degree in theatre from UCM and is a doctoral candidate in theatre studies at the University of Missouri. This fall he joined the UCM faculty as an instructor of theatre studies.

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I N MEMO RI A M

1940–1949 PARTNERING SUCCESS

MARK BRIGMAN runs at life full tilt. “I wasn’t particularly fond of high school,” says the University of Central Missouri alumnus. “It felt like an inefficient use of time.” When his mother wouldn’t let him drop out, he took courses through the University of Missouri and graduated at the end of his junior year. Next, he enlisted in the Marines, began studying business in college and founded his first company. He was 17.

The first-generation college student finished a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCM in 1997 followed by a master’s in 1999.

“My education has opened a lot of doors for me. I truly believe there is a fine line between amazing academic accomplishments and a firstyear college dropout,” he says about his decision to transfer to UCM after one year at a community college. “I think many people believe that students who leave college do so because the studies are too challenging, but I think the exact opposite is true. They leave because they are not met with a meaningful and engaging challenge.”

In his career, Brigman architected, managed and led hundreds of strategic partnerships with multi-million dollar corporations, such as ABC, Disney, Sony, AT&T, Nokia, Ericsson, Fox Networks, Verizon, and NBC Universal. He also wrote Partnernomics, a first-of-its kind interactive book about his partnership theories and advice.

He credits his UCM experience for his current involvement presenting workshops, both online and at the Missouri Innovation Center, in partnership with UCM Extended Studies.

The founder and chief consultant of Fidelis One presents details of his Strategic Partner Leadership Model, outlining industry best practices to evaluate, select, manage and lead business partnerships that result in significant competitive advantage.

The workshops are his way of paying forward his UCM college experience. He says, “Partnering with UCM, sharing all that I’ve learned during my career, gives me an additional avenue to reach business professionals who have a love for learning and who want to better understand how they can build more meaningful businesses.”

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Jerry Waite ’42 Henrietta Lamm Dunham ’43 Kenneth Waugh ’47 Ralph Berry ’49 Peggy Pearce Hommes ’49 Lloyd McDowell ’49 Homer Seaton ’49

1950–1959 Mabel “Muzzy” Goad ’50 Kenneth Keltner ’51 Martha Woodruff Hulsey ’52 William “Bill” Davis ’54 Roberta Breshears Herbert ’54 Martha Nichols Lipe ’54 Beverly Burchette Allison ’56 Evelyn Oligschlaeger Buschjost ’56 Ronald Johnson ’56 Helen Price ’56, ’79 Dan Cordle ’57 Dwight Graybill ’57 Dorothea “Dot” Renno-Nadler ’57 Donna Silvius Jarecki ’58 Martha Hill Martin ’59 Jerome Winegar ’59

1960–1969 Martha Toel Holder ’60 Donna Harmes Ray ’60 Marjorie Cahill ’61 Kenneth King ’61 Mildred Duncan ’62 Betty Lou Gerlt ’62 Jack Harris ’62 Reta Sallee Jenkins ’62 Donald Dobson ’63 Janice Putnam Egbert ’63 Virginia Johnson Hamilton ’63 John “Jack” Lyon, Jr. ’64 Betty Brooks Weatherwax ’64 Gary Weaver ’64 Roger Buhr ’65 Kenneth Cravens ’65 Walter McCormick ’65 Donna Folk Chalkley ’66 Thelma Faye Davis ’66 Raymond Groves ’66

Dorris “Dorbre” Hammond McMullen ’66 Dorothy Norman Saunders ’66 Frank Watson ’66 Opal Cushon ’67 Jane McGrath Hill ’67 Helen Doliber Kidwell ’67 Sheryl Fischer ’68 Rodney Kingery ’68 Macie Stark ’68 Jay Jones ’69 John Jones ’69 Burk Smalley ’69 Vickie King Pelzer ’69

1970–1979 Larry Daugherty ’70 Mark Heeger ’70 William “Bill” Huff ’70 Corinne Huston ’70 John Behrendt ’71 James Burnside ’71 James Gwinn ’71 John Hagler ’71 Jeane Humphrey Miller ’71 D. Jill Ulmer Bruns ’72 Fannie Gresham ’72 Neil Jenkins ’72 Sheila Gockel Porter ’72 Robert Weiss ’72 Robert Blake ’73 Phillip Finger ’73 Kenneth Frankum ’73 James Glasser ’73 Dale Klatt ’73 Michael Trent ’73 Theresa Conner ’74 Stanley Hays ’74 Jim Miller ’74 William “Bill” Kemp ’75 Timothy Shine ’75 Clement Triplett, Jr. ’75 Charles Keys ’78 Herschell Walker ’78 Douglas Leopold ’79 Darrell Rapp ’79 Sheila Rogers Tronsdal ’79

1980–1989 Ernie Brown ’80 George Christensen ’80 Judith Lockridge ’80 Dexa Johnson Seever ’80 Barbara Doutt ’83 Peter Garrison ’83 Terri Baumgardner ’84 Donna Toloso Gann ’84

Richard Schlueter ’84 Ted Griggs ’85 R. David Rodriguez ’85 John Schreck ’85 Mark Streeter ’85 Paula Nickerson Hayden ’86 Anne Marney Williams ’86 Ronald Caskey ’88

1990–1999 Laura Harper West ’91 Albert Rampone II ’93 Mary Chapman Savery ’97 Shawn Rath ’98 Patricia Pawol Rhodes ’98

2000–2009 Laura Chionio ’02 Laureen Erris ’08

Current Student Brian Simpson

Former Students Donna Faust Heembrock Patricia Brown Kimm Jennifer Allen Kinder Mary Knipfel Frank Lahm Ray Morris (Navy V-12) Paul Richter Becky Mayden Webb

College High Howard Chappell Florence Burk Riddle ’44 June Phelps Schmoll ’47 Irl Allen Gladfelter ’62

Friends Charles Cheek Dorothy Hudson Jerry Mockbee Henry Proett Barbara Fairbanks Rhoads Charlotte Hart Sulzberger Ada Bennett Thompson

I N M EM OR I AM

Christopher Chaney Christopher Chaney, former data processing and business teacher at the University of Central Missouri, died Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, from Alzheimer’s.

He was born July 16, 1950, in Deepwater, MO, and completed undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCM in 1972 and 1974, respectively. He taught at UCM for five years then became assistant vice president at Mutual of Omaha. He was chief information officer at Franklin Savings and Johnson County Community College, retiring from DST Systems.

Marjorie Cooper Marjorie Ann Cooper, 94, mother of mathematics professor emeritus Curtis Cooper, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2017.

She was born April 28, 1923, in Omaha, NE, to the late Hans George Ehlers and Marie Harder Ehlers. She taught at elementary schools in Missouri, Nebraska and Virginia and was a member of Sigma Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa sorority.

She married Harold Cooper on Sept. 27, 1945. He preceded her in death, along with her parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Memorials are suggested to the Harold and Marjorie Cooper Scholarship in mathematics, UCM Alumni Foundation, PO Box 800, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

Oz Hawksley Oscar “Oz” Hawksley, one of the university’s most beloved and inspiring professors, died Wednesday, Sept.

6, 2017, in Medford, OR. He was born June 30, 1920, in Kingston, NY, to Robert Hawksley and Gertrude Edwards.

He graduated with honors from Principia College in 1942 and served in the First Allied Airborne Army during World War II. Upon his return from service, he earned a master’s degree and PhD in wildlife management, fisheries biology and conservation education from Cornell University.

He came to UCM to teach biology and zoology in 1948 and retired 31 years later. He developed wildlife conservation courses for recreation majors and students preparing for careers in field biology. He also developed a field-zoology course with emphasis on wildlife and fisheries management, field

biology for elementary education and the first course on the characteristic behavior patterns of animals in Missouri.

Over the course of 30 years, he introduced Missourians to backpacking, canoeing and spelunking through field trips. He inspired several generations of students to work in environmental sciences and helped to pass the National Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968.

Perhaps his best-known achievement was writing Missouri Ozark Waterways, now in its 17th printing. This paddler’s guide has encouraged generations of Missourians to develop a personal connection to the state’s float streams. It helped lay a foundation for one of the nation’s most dynamic citizen-led conservation movements. Evidence for this can be found in the Missouri Stream Team program, which currently has 3,842 teams and 77,000 individual members.

Hawksley was a founding member of the Missouri Speleological Survey in 1956, Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club in 1956, American Whitewater in 1954 and the Outing Club in 1950. He devoted his life toward protection of wilderness and public lands, rivers, caves, wildlife and prairies. He served for several years on the Warrensburg Parks and Recreation Department Board and established the Turkeyfoot Prairie, now known as the Oz and Dorothy Hawksley Turkeyfoot Prairie, as part of the Warrensburg park system. He was honored as Missouri’s 59th Master Conservationist in 2012.

Memorials are suggested to the Hawksley Chambers Research Fund, the biology department, or theatre and dance fund, via the UCM Alumni Foundation, PO Box 800, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

Lin Hendrich Linvill L. “Lin” Hendrich, emeritus member of the UCM Foundation Board of Directors, died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Tacoma, WA. He was born in 1928 in Clinton, MO, to Frederick and Leota Hendrich. They and two brothers, Gene and Don, preceded him in death. He married Paula M. (Griffith) Hendrich in 1950.

He was a 1950 UCM alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He was in the National Guard from 1950-51 and retired in 1983 from ARCO as a senior executive.

Memorials are suggested to the Fund for Excellence, UCM Alumni Foundation, PO Box 800, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

Robert Merritt Robert “Bob” Monroe Merritt, a 1957 alumnus, emeritus member of the UCM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors, and one of the most loyal supporters of the university, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017.

He was born Aug. 28, 1931, in Sedalia, MO, to Lewis and Hazel Merritt. He graduated from Northeast High School in Kansas City and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed on the USS Duncan and served in the Korean War before being honorably discharged. He then attended what was Central Missouri State College, graduating in 1957 with a degree in accounting. He was a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon. While attending UCM, he met and married Jonna McKendree Merritt in 1956. She preceded him in death.

The couple settled in Blue Springs to raise their three daughters: Melissa Beal, Amy Merritt and Julie Kelly. The family’s involvement with UCM numbers at least three generations, including two of their daughters and several grandchildren.

He worked as an accountant for a variety of organizations, from manufacturing to the Metropolitan Community College system, retiring in 1998. He served 22 years on the Blue Springs School Board, starting in 1967 when the district added a new elementary school each year for 10 years. He loved computers and technology and taught several night classes for the Blue Springs Adult Education program.

The Merritts had an annual history of giving to UCM. Their generosity spanned more than 30 years to help advance programs they cherished, such as athletics, and to simply stay in touch with good friends.

“It’s so easy to get involved and do things.

You get to meet people who are excellent people,” Merritt once said. “You can learn things just from talking to them and just taking the time to understand what’s important in their lives and why and how they got to where they are.” Those connections, especially with classmates and other alumni, were what the Merritts most enjoyed.

Survivors include his brother, Russell, of Tampa, FL, and his three daughters and their families.

Memorials are suggested to the Harmon College of Business and Professional

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Studies or to the Department of Educational Foundations and Literacy through the UCM Alumni Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg MO, 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

Kathleen Penfold Kathleen McNally Penfold, a generous supporter of UCM’s public television station, died Monday, Aug. 7, 2017.

She was born May 4, 1945, in Milwaukee, WI, to James McNally and Dolores Fischer McNally. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, MN, and became a registered nurse. She also received a master’s degree in pediatric nursing in 1970 from the University of Wisconsin.

During her early nursing career, she worked in newborn nurseries and with children with developmental and learning disabilities in a variety of hospital and clinical settings. She married James F. Penfold in 1969 in Madison; he survives.

In 1987, she moved to Missouri, becoming a public health nursing consultant with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She was a certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator for more than 40 years.

Memorials are suggested to KMOS-TV, UCM Alumni Foundation, PO Box 800, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

Ruth Schott Walker Ruth Charlotta Schott Walker, valedictorian of the College High Class of 1949, died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017.

She was born Oct. 3, 1931, in Kirksville, MO, to the late Marion and Fern Thomas Schott.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Dennis Walker, and a sister, Bernece Fern Behrens.

Her family relocated to Warrensburg after World War II when her father became a professor at then Central Missouri State College.

A graduate of College High, she founded and edited the school newspaper; was the editor of the class yearbook; received local, state, and American Legion awards as a public speaker; represented the school at Girls’ State; and was a member and president of the National Honor Society. She excelled in music as a flutist and was an enthusiastic school cheerleader.

As a college student, she continued her legacy of student excellence and achievement, including the founding of the magazine CEMOST. She was newspaper editor, a Student Council member, yearbook

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organization editor and a member of Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.

In 1952 at age 20, she graduated from UCM with a bachelor’s degree in education as an accredited English and speech teacher. For the next two years, while her future husband served his tour of duty in Korea, she managed the Delta Sigma Epsilon national office.

Marriage in 1954 was the beginning of a lifetime of company transfers to 10 cities where substitute teaching, community service and professional book reviews added to her resume. In 2007-2008 she was named to Who’s Who in American Women.

C R E AT I N G A

Memorial Gift WH EN A LOVED O NE PA S S ES, I N S TEA D O F F LOW ERS, M EM OR IAL S H AVE BECO M E A N INCREA S INGLY PO PULA R CH O ICE.

I

f the deceased has graduated from UCM, taught or worked here, generously supported the university or even created a named endowed fund, please check with us for details to include within an obituary.

Memorial gifts that honor or remember a loved one are another option.

Such gifts can be used to meet areas of greatest need or designated to a specific fund. By contacting us, we can be sure to use the gifts as you intend.

People who give to memorials are thanked and their names and contact information shared with the deceased’s survivors. The amount of the gift is not disclosed, and your gift is tax deductible as provided by law.

Lin Welch Lin Welch, 89, long-time UCM professor and namesake of the Welch-Schmidt Communications Disorders Clinic on campus, died Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. From a windswept farm, he became a beloved college professor who

helped to shape the new profession of speech pathology and audiology.

He was born Dec. 9, 1927, near Tahoka, TX, to Mittie Ferguson and James A. Welch. After graduating from high school in Shamrock, Texas, he received advanced degrees from West Texas State University, Baylor University and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Coming with his family from Columbia in 1956, he spent 40 years at UCM, helping to train hundreds of speech pathologists and audiologists who now serve in the nation’s public schools and health facilities.

As enrollments grew, a new Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology was created in 1969 with Welch as chair. He served in that capacity until 1993 when he returned to fulltime teaching.

With his staff, he designed the facilities for a new clinic in 1970, which was recognized as one of the most advanced in the nation.

In 1996, the clinic was named the WelchSchmidt Communications Disorders Clinic in recognition of his service and that of his longtime colleague, Marilynn Schmidt.

An early member of the new American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, he helped to develop standards for the emerging profession. He served for three years on the ASHA Accreditation Board and more than 25 years as a member of accreditation site teams, evaluating programs throughout the United States seeking ASHA accreditation.

He was one of the founders of the Missouri Speech and Hearing Association, serving as president and treasurer.

His awards and honors include ASHA Fellow, Honors of the Missouri Speech and Hearing Association, the Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, and the College of Arts and Science Distinguished Faculty Award.

He married Jeanette Bodkin, secretary to the president of Union University in Jackson, TN, in 1950, only two months after he had arrived on campus as the new speech professor. The U.S. Army cut short his new career on Nov. 16 when he was drafted for the Korean War, but not his marriage which lasted 67 years. His wife, who survives, also is a UCM alumna and professor emerita of political science.

Memorials are suggested to the Lin Welch Graduate Scholarship Endowment in Communication Disorders, UCM Alumni Foundation, PO Box 800, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or online at ucmfoundation.org/give.

N D AT I O N P L A N N E D LUMNI FOU GIFTS UCM A

e

Your Gift Has Benefits for UCM Students and for YOU

Although respected and beloved professor emeritus Charles Kuhn died in 2012, his legacy continues through scholarship endowments he established for entrepreneurship, theatre and music.

Through a simple will bequest, he ensured that students today continue to benefit from his thoughtful gifts.

While tax laws are changing, your support is needed more than ever. And through such simple steps as a will bequest, beneficiary designation or support with an IRA charitable rollover, your planned gift can include income benefits for you while providing future opportunities for UCM students.

C O N TACT US AT 660- 543- 8000 TO D IS C USS PLA NNED GIVING OPTIONS THAT CA N BENEFIT YOU A ND U C M.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

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P.O. BOX 8 0 0 WA RRE N SB U R G , M O 6 4093- 5 038

Stay connected with us through your favorite social media platform at ucmo.edu/social

Q&A with

Jennifer Hermanson RECIPIENT OF THE JOHN AND BARBARA ERICKSON S C H O L A R S H I P F O R I N T E R N AT I O N A L STUDIES AND SEVERAL OTHERS FUNDED BY DONORS

“As I think about my time at UCM, I consider the process of discovering my potential to mean I follow my academic interests and be authentically me.”

— JENNIFER HERMANSON

What is your passion in life?

What do you love most about UCM?

I yearn to see the world. Although affordability is a concern, I don’t want anything to deter me from this experience because I know it’s part of the process of discovering my potential.

My time at UCM has been filled with amazing opportunities. As I think about my time here, I consider the process of discovering my potential to mean I follow my academic interests and be authentically me.

How have scholarships helped you?

(Note: Jennifer won the 2017 Charno Award as the top female graduate.)

I pay for my education so look for help from scholarships and federal student aid. In addition to scholarships for my academic performance, I also am a member of Red Lead and a Student Ambassador, both of which provide me with service scholarships.

What are your plans for the future?

I discovered a love for business in high school but my commitment to community has allowed it to live on through college.

The values and lessons that I learned through my involvement in Enactus, IBE and Thirst Project Club will foster a sense of service in me for years to come.

L E A R N IN G TO A G R E AT E R D E G REE Make a gift toward scholarships at ucmfoundation.org/give