UCM Magazine Vol. 14, No. 4

® UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MAGAZINE

Vo l . 1 4 , N o. 4

beyond the sip & swirl,

the

chemistry of

wine making $

In the $42-million Missouri wine industry, there’s no room for bad wine.

CONTENTS Welcome to a new issue of your UCM Magazine. We hope it educates and engages you in the life of your alma mater. Let us know what you think about our new direction. Please email us at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu or 660-543-8000.

COVE R STORY

4

BEYOND THE SIP AND SWIRL: THE CHEMISTRY OF WINE MAKING With $42 million circulating in the Missouri wine industry, 4,400 tons of wine grapes produced annually and 142 wineries in the state, bad wine is not an option. Keeping Missouri wines up to par, a UCM biology professor and area vintner are working together to identify and prevent bacteria from invading the popular beverage.

FE AT URE S

S ECT I O N S

2

CAMPUS CURRENTS

20 PHILANTHROPY 24 CENTRAL YESTERDAY 25 CLASS NOTES 28 AWARDS & HONORS 30 IN MEMORIAM

10 WHO’S COUNTING? DECA TEAMS AT 184

The university’s DECA Club is dominating the world of corporate business, earning 184 national and international titles in less than a decade.

14

THE THING ITSELF A simple light bulb is the focus of one exercise developed by Associate Professor Dick Kahoe to teach students the technicalities and art of professional photography.

22 THE PRINCIPAL FACTOR

What started as a blind date led to the marriage of two alumni who became educators and now have started a scholarship to help develop school principals and leaders.

FIND US ONLINE AT UCMO.EDU/UCMMAGAZINE

We’ve won our second national award – a silver in the Individual Photo Category of the 2015 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards Program. Judges described our entry, “Blood Moon” by Andrew Mather ’12 as dynamic and unique.

P R ES I D ENT ’S M ES S AG E

Signs of Campus Growth MAGAZINE Vol . 14 , No. 4

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Dalene Abner ’09 ASSISTANT EDITOR

Chelsey Buseck ‘13 DESIGNER

Julie Babcock PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bryan Tebbenkamp ’03 Andrew Mather ‘12

Published by Alumni Relations and Development. © 2015 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 ucmo.edu/mynewaddress, 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 05403. Periodicals postage paid at Warrensburg, MO, and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to UCM

Magazine, Smiser Alumni Center, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093.

To view the University of Central Missouri’s Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity Statement, visit ucmo.edu/nondiscrimination.

A

s University of Central Missouri president, one of my proudest honors comes at the end of each fall and spring semester as we recognize graduates through our commencement ceremonies. Students are graduating from UCM in record numbers and joining our growing family of alumni, having benefited from an education that has equipped them with skills they need to contribute to the growth and success of communities across the globe.

We can be proud of our faculty and staff and their commitment to an incredible campus dedicated to Learning to a Greater Degree. This has contributed to enrollment growth, which led to five commencement ceremonies this spring.

There’s an ongoing sense of pride from traditions such as the Talking Mules capturing the Montgomery Cup and another victory by UCM in the American Criminal Justice Association Lambda Alpha Epsilon’s national competition. We take pride in our athletic programs, as well, with successes that include the Jennies’ NCAA Division II Indoor National Track and Field Championship.

While continuing our commitment to keep costs down for students, the university has much to look forward to in the coming months. This includes the opening of The Crossing – South at Holden, more than $12 million in state funding to renovate the W.C. Morris Science Building to advance STEM training, and a partnership with the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District leading to new classroom space in the metropolitan area for UCM and a new site for the Missouri Innovation Campus in 2017.

Much has been provided to UCM, but much is required. With help from you as alumni and your engagement, we can continue to build momentum.

Joining you in service,

Chuck Ambrose PR ESI DE N T

University of Central Missouri Magazine

1

C am p u s Cur r e n ts

STUDENT FO CUS

Top Professional Staffer

Bras Find Higher Purpose, Help Worthy Cause

B

Twenty-six years of reporting university news has made Jeff Murphy an expert on the campus and its people. In that quarter century, he’s established a reputation as one of the university’s most helpful, friendly professionals.

When he received the 2015 J.P. Mees Outstanding Professional Staff Award this spring, Murphy may have been the only one surprised to hear the news. He remembers working with Mees, who died in 2000 serving as executive assistant to the president and professor of education.

“He made people feel special. In a meeting, he’d zero in on you and you’d feel like the only one in the room.”

Murphy, a Johnson County native and 1976 graduate of University High School, received his bachelor’s degree in public relations and marketing and master’s degree in communications from UCM. He joined the UCM public relations staff in 1989 and currently is its assistant director of media relations.

2

uilding a bra has been compared to engineering a bridge because the same forces are at work: gravity, motion, wind. Some Central Missouri students recently designed and produced their version of this complicated piece of clothing for a prominent cause helping hundreds of women in the Kansas City area.

Studying fashion merchandising at UCM, junior Maggie Hoffelmeyer created and submitted two bras to the annual Art Bra KC, a fundraiser that this year generated $246,000 for cancer related services for uninsured and underinsured patients.

For the second year UCM students in the Fashion Business Association and Delta Zeta sorority joined forces in designing and donating bras for the event. In 2014 the organizations submitted 40 bras and more than 90 students and faculty volunteered in a variety of roles.

The unique auction celebrates survivorship and invites breast cancer survivors and patients to model the bras.

This year Hoffelmeyer had already submitted a bra for the auction in honor of her aunt, a breast cancer survivor, when Billie Perrin, fashion and apparel merchandising instructor, approached her and asked if she could make a “patriotic” themed bra.

“Right away, I thought of my dad,” said Hoffelmeyer.

For 20 years, Chris Hoffelmeyer saved lives and provided medical assistance as a paramedic for the Saline County Ambulance District in Marshall, MO, and Heartland Health Systems in St. Joseph. After being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, he continued to work, driven by his passion for caring for others, until he was no longer physically able.

“I did it in memory of my dad who passed away when I was 12. He was a paramedic and saved lives, so to me he was my American hero. I couldn’t think of a better way to honor his memory,” said Hoffelmeyer.

Titled “Honoring Those Who Serve,” the navy blue bra with red sparkle fringe was one of 25 selected to be modeled and auctioned off during a live fashion show.

“In the middle of the bra, there is a red, white and blue bow with a white star and along the top of the bra cups, there are red, white, and blue stars leading up to the shoulder straps. On the left shoulder there is a small patriotic flag hat with feathers and ribbon to ‘top’ it off,” she said with a smile.

Hoffelmeyer credits Art Bra KC for her decision to become more proactive about her health and celebrate those who have struggled with cancer.

“This fundraiser lets students give back to the community through a service learning activity. I hope to be able to pass on more opportunities similar to this with people in my life,” she said.

After graduation Hoffelmeyer plans on getting a master’s degree in marketing and pursue her dream of working in New York, the city that never sleeps.

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

CAM P US CUR R ENT S

“ If I wrote Cadillac Lounge, boyfriend, beer tower, soul

it would be suddenly true, a memory lit by lightning flash. Who needs that sort of confinement?”

— CATHERINE PIERCE, FROM HER POEM, “RELEVANT DETAILS” PUBLISHED IN UCM’S LITERARY QUARTERLY, “PLEIADES”

names to MIAA academic awards.

The Mules and Jennies had 44 All-Americans while winning 5 MIAA championships, 3 tournament titles, 1 regional crown and 2 national championships.

K IR K PAT R IC K LI BRARY

EDUCATI O N

S PECI A L FACI L I T I E S

New Dean Ready to Take on 21st Century Obstacles

New Master’s Degree Puts UCM in Forefront

It’s a New Day for Pertle Springs, Lake Cena, Keth

The unlimited information available at people’s fingertips poses even greater challenges for today’s academic libraries. Gail Staines, Ph.D. is following in the footsteps of Mollie Dinwiddie, who retired after 30 years of service as dean of library services.

Staines brings more than 15 years of experience as a leader of academic libraries and nonprofit organizations, with staffs ranging in size from 14 to 85 and budgets ranging from $500,000 to more than $12 million.

She previously served as assistant vice president, University Libraries at St. Louis University and as executive director of the Western New York Library Resources Council. Most recently, she was an adjunct faculty member at William Woods University in Fulton, MO, teaching graduate education courses.

“Libraries of all types face somewhat daunting obstacles given our current economic environment,” said Staines.

A new Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science will put UCM at the forefront of preparing agency leaders and marriage and family therapists.

The new degree was recently approved by the UCM Board of Governors and now goes to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education to become official.

The new degree builds on the growing child and family development undergraduate program, which had 213 graduates in 2015 compared to 60 in 2003. The career demand also is increasing for these graduates. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 41 percent growth in careers in marriage and family therapy through 2020.

UCM would become the first public institution in the state to offer the degree program with both a nonclinical and marriage and family therapist emphasis.

For generations of UCM alumni, Pertle Springs has been a campus retreat. Home to Lake Cena and the Keth Memorial Golf Course, it has played an important role to both the campus and community since it was developed as a private resort in the late 19th century.

The UCM Board of Governors has approved a $1.6 million project to enhance the property as a recreational and academic facility. The improvements have grown from discussions taking place for more than six years.

Funding will enable the university to dredge Lake Cena, make road improvements, create an ADA-accessible hiking trail, and enhance other recreational facilities at Pertle Springs.

The board also authorized a new 18th hole island green for the golf course, undergoing a $3.1 million redesign, including new zoysia green fairways, PGA-spec greens and concrete golf paths.

ONE BIG CLASS

THE SPRING 2015 GRADUATING CLASS WAS THE LARGEST IN UCM HISTORY WITH 952 UNDERGRADUATES & 750 GRADUATES TOTALING

1,702

107 Central Missouri added

How Would You Travel on Mars?

A UCM team competed against 95 teams from 18 states, Puerto Rico, Germany, India, Mexico and Russia in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Their strategy for the half-mile obstacle course was an allterrain vehicle with dune buggy like suspension.

“

It is now your opportunity to step out, take risks and engage in a world that is in need of college graduates who have both purpose and perspective.

”

President Charles Ambrose DURING 2015 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

NEW ALUMNI.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

3

BEYOND THE SIP & SWIRL,

THE

CHEMISTRY OF

WINE MAKING b y C h e l s ey Bu s e c k

4

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

A UCM professor’s research takes on million-dollar meaning for the growing Missouri wine industry.

Bad wine. You notice the color is darker than you expected. When you swirl the liquid in a goblet, you imagine the cool, refreshing taste until the wine touches your lips, and the stench of vinegar invades your mouth. You realize immediately something is wrong.

So many factors could lead to this disappointment – cork taint, yeast spoilage, bacteria – the list never ends. With $42 million circulating in the Missouri wine industry, 4,400 tons of wine grapes produced annually and l42 wineries in the state, bad wine is not an option for this booming industry.

Ranked eighth in the nation for wine production, Missouri continues to grow in consumption and tourism.

Keeping Missouri wines up to par, a University of Central Missouri biology professor and area vintner are working together to identify and prevent bacteria from invading the popular beverage. The research was prompted when three owners on the Kansas City Wine Trail, a partnership between nine wineries stretching 70 miles east to Moberly, MO, contacted UCM about identifying potential organisms found on their equipment and evaluating the effectiveness of disinfectants used in their barrels.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

5

Raising wine grapes in Missouri can be a challenge, especially when a single factor can make or break a company.

6

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

S

MI

E

A B O V E : Anna Oller’s research into wine bacteria is helping Missouri vintners improve their product.

faculty and staff activities that enhance the university’s learning environment and students’ academic experience. In the past three years, the Foundation has awarded more than $50,000 to 30 URI W student-centered projects, SO challenging faculty and staff to bring greater innovation and creativity to RI IA V the classroom.

Missouri was the top wine Oller began her producer in the Uni ted States from l850-l880, sur research by surveying the passed

by California whe three wineries. “Each of n the transcontinental railroad Missouri’s five geographic was completed. wine regions has different types of bacteria and fungi in their barrels,” she said, noting barrels typically are made of stainless steel, oak or plastic. “The good microbes enhance the wine’s flavor. Unwanted microbes in the barrels can potentially affect the flavor or cause food poisoning, both of which can harm a small business.”

She and her students examined the use of sanitizers and gathered samples from within the different barrel types. “We swabbed the pre-sanitized and post-sanitized equipment at the three wineries to see if any microbes grew. That experience taught students how to grow microbes, and then isolate and purify DNA and perform enzyme digestions.”

To perform an enzyme digestion, Oller explained the students use chemicals to open organisms’ cells and release DNA. After removing the impurities of the DNA , they use enzymes, which act like IN

departments, money was tight.

“About the same time the wineries contacted me, I heard about a new grant program on campus for faculty and staff members, so I gave it a try and applied,” she said with a smile. She received a UCM Foundation Opportunity Grant that helped to fund her wine bacteria research, engaging more than 25 students in the process.

Oller’s research was a good fit for the Opportunity Grant Program, created by the UCM Foundation to support

T

Biology professor Anna Oller offered to help. The 14-year faculty member chairs the University Graduate Council and advises the Pre-Veterinary Society and Para-Medico.

In 2001, she joined the Missouri branch of the American Society of Microbiology and recently became a branch councilor.

“I thought the research would give students the chance to network and gain experience in the lab and in the field,” she explained. Many students were interested but like other university

Know Your Missouri Grapes Known for its jalapeno wine, Janice Putnam’s Odessa Winery specializes in semi-sweet fruit and American grape wines, growing Diamond, Concord, Cayuga and Norton grapes.

small scissors, to cut the DNA into small pieces.

Janice Putnam, one of the Kansas City Wine Trail owners who contacted Oller, considers chemistry and winemaking as going hand in hand. “I had the opportunity to be a part of the study mainly because I am a business owner, but I also have a passion for the world of research,” said Putnam, who also is a professor of nursing and a research compliance officer for UCM. “Knowing how to measure liquid and use pH meters, refractometers, hydrometers and titrations is so important when experimenting with and creating wine.”

In 1998 Putnam and her fiancé, Joe Laxson, bought 30 acres of land in Odessa, MO, because the view reminded them of Italy, one of the oldest wineproducing regions in the world. With some patience and a little tender loving care, the two transformed the land into the Odessa Winery, supporting 1,000 grape vines and 100 fruit trees as well as blackberry and elderberry patches.

Putnam’s love for making wine goes hand in hand with her love for experimenting with different ingredients. “I would say I’ve made about two dozen different types of wine with fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, peach, apple, elderberry, pear, plum, jalapeno, tomato, mulberry, pineapple, banana, cucumber, beet, pawpaw and

Concord (kahn-kord)

Diamond (di-a-mond)

LOOKS LIKE:

LOOKS LIKE:

deep, dark plum

light lemon gold color

SMELLS LIKE:

SMELLS LIKE:

a jar of Concord grape jam

explosively fruity and sweet

TASTES LIKE:

TASTES LIKE:

candy-like sweetness in typical concord-like fashion

citrus and golden apple FEELS LIKE:

medium bodied and luscious

FEELS LIKE:

soft yet robust

PAIRS WELL WITH:

aged cheeses and KC barbeque

shrimp, cheese soufflé, white pizza, and chicken salad

Norton (nor-ton)

Cayuga (ca-yu-ga)

LOOKS LIKE:

LOOKS LIKE:

PAIRS WELL WITH:

dark ink

pale yellow silver color

SMELLS LIKE:

dark berries with light spices TASTES LIKE:

an all American-wine with dark fruit and spicy flavors

SMELLS LIKE:

light fruity apricot TASTES LIKE:

almond, apricot and melon FEELS LIKE:

medium body and balance

FEELS LIKE:

big and bold

PAIRS WELL WITH:

PAIRS WELL WITH:

steak dinner and fireplaces

fresh fish, curry, and strawberry short cake

kansas city wine trail The Kansas City Wine Trail is a partnership between nine wineries extending from Kansas City to Waverly.

Two of the wineries are owned by UCM alumni: Allen Renner ‘78, Albonée Country Inn & Vineyards in Independence and John Tulipana ‘73, Terre Beau Vineyards & Winery in Dover.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

7

A B O V E : With some patience and a little tender loving care, Janice Putnam transformed 30 acres into the Odessa

Winery, supporting l,000 grape vines and l00 fruit trees as well as blackberry and elderberry patches.

Our goal was to make a biosensor that could detect if a batch of wine is contaminated before the end of its fermentation process.

8

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

persimmon are just some of the ingredients the connoisseur has embraced. Some of her favorites made over the years include: • Front Porch Wine: Blackberry + Norton Grape • Tornado Spotter: Jalapeno + Apple • Sho’ Me Tropical Islands: Pineapple + Diamond Grape • Fork n’ Spoon: Persimmon + Cayuga Grape • Silk Worm: Mulberry + Norton Grape • Fabulous Fitness: Beet + Carrot + Apple + Norton Grape “The jalapeno wines are really fun to cook with,” she said. “We have friends enter the American Royal competition each year with meat marinated in our jalapeno wine. That is really cool.”

Raising wine grapes in Missouri can be a challenge, especially when a single factor can make or break a company. The state’s warm and humid weather favors the development of many diseases, especially those caused by fungi such as black rot, downy mildew,

leaf spot, rachis blight and crown gall. As if preventing fungi growth wasn’t enough, grape vines are also susceptible to insect pests, nutrient-competing weeds, hungry birds and vine-damaging deer.

“The research Anna is conducting is helping Kansas City Wine Trail owners test different sanitation approaches from an effectiveness and cost perspective,” said Putnam. “We want to make sure our wine is created and consumed in a safe manner.”

Now in its second year, Oller’s research continues to build on the resources and wineries analyzed in year one. “Last year we looked at sanitizing method effectiveness.

This year we concentrated on creating a cheap biosensor that could be added to wine barrels.”

She again applied for, and received, a Foundation Opportunity Grant, allowing her to purchase five iPads to research genomes to create the biosensors.

“Our goal was to make a biosensor that could detect if a batch of wine is contaminated before the end of its fermentation process. This saves winery owners time and money when it comes to

RI W

RIVI

A

T

OU

E

how to taste a wine

S

IN

sip & swirl:

MIS

the

nce’s Missouri rescued Fra mid wine industry in the lloxera phy n whe y tur cen h l9t pes by destroyed their gra ocks of sending over rootst from the a hybrid developed pevine, American native gra Vitis labrusca. souri Learn more about Mis .org wines at missouriwine

To grasp the beauty and exotic nature of a full-bodied wine, the correct form of tasting is important. Follow the steps below and learn to appreciate the subtle nature of wine.

(Source: wikihow)

1 2 3 4

LOOK AT THE WIN E , E S P E C I A L L Y AROUND THE EDGE S . Tilting the glass can make it easier to see the way the color changes from the center to the edges. Exposed wine to air changes over time making white wine darker and red wine brownish.

SWIRL THE WINE. This increases the surface area of the wine allowing it to escape from solution and reach your nose. It also allows oxygen into the wine, helping to open the aromas.

NOTE HOW SLOWLY THE WINE RUNS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE GLASS. More viscous wines have “legs”. Thicker lines indicate a more alcoholic and full-bodied wine.

SNIFF THE WINE. Hold the glass a few inches from your nose then let your nose go into the glass.

5 6 7 8

T A K E A SIP. Roll the wine around in your mouth. Pay attention to the texture and try to detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter and meaty. If you are testing many wines, spit the wine out when done.

A S P IRATE THROUGH THE WINE. Purse your lips next to the rim, draw air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. You are looking for any new aromas liberated by the wine’s interaction with the environment and your mouth.

S L U RP THE WINE. Take a sip of wine and introduce air with it. Note the subtle differences in flavor and texture.

N O T E THE AFTERTASTE. How long does the finish last? Do you like the taste?

creating large vats of wine.” Although the wine biosensors are still in the development stage, Oller hopes they can be used by the winery owners by fall 2017.

Oller’s research has shown winery owners that keeping a neat and tidy workplace is cost effective.

“Anna’s research indicated that more expensive sanitizing approaches do not necessarily produce better results,” said Putnam. “To maximize our profitability and ensure safety, we have committed to less expensive methods, which have confirmed positive effectiveness. In addition, her study supports the wine trail as collaborative partners exploring best practices in our craft.

“When it comes to maintenance and repairs in the production facility, sanitation is an ongoing and significant expense and safety issue,” Putnam added. “The research results Anna reported were extremely beneficial for many wineries on the trail.” n If you get BAD WINE, all is not lost. You can still cook with it, bathe in it (supposedly softens and firms your skin), use it as a dye or add it to your compost pile.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

9

WHO KNOWS? Meet These DECA Members

In true championship style, UCM DECA students are modest in their national and international achievements but bold in their determination, patience and practice.

MELANIE VOISEY DECA Chief

Executive Officer

10

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

Senior Spanish major with marketing emphasis

Senior marketing major with sociology minor

Second place, Human Resources, 2015

Third place, Travel and Tourism, 2015

“If your education could solve one problem, it would be how to treat immigrants in America. There is a negative connotation that goes along with being an immigrant, and I would want to remind people that everyone in the United States came from immigrant ancestors.”

“In 2014 my partner and I placed first in Sports & Entertainment Marketing for our idea that an older movie theater should market differently than its newer competitors. We recommended they stick with their Broadway productions, embrace their older style and market differently to the same audience.”

R AC H E L P R E S COT T DECA Vice President of Competition

WHO’S COUNTING? DECA TEAMS AT 184

by Chelsey Buseck

A

collegiate student business organization seldom gains multiple national titles such as Member of the Year, Chapter of the Year or Advisor of the Year in one academic semester. Then again, not many organizations reflect the determination and wit shown by the University of Central Missouri DECA teams since 2008.

The UCM Distributive Education Clubs of America, DECA for short, is dominating the world of corporate business on an international level. In less than a decade, the teams have earned 184 national and international titles from conferences consisting of business simulations, case studies and business presentations.

This year the team took home the three titles above, plus 29 trophies from competitions focused on restaurant and food management, advertising campaign, entrepreneurship, international marketing and many more.

Creatively applying concepts taught in the classroom toward solving real world problems, UCM DECA has earned its way to the top of business academia and made it look easy along the way. Matt Houseworth ’05, the 2015 Missouri Collegiate DECA Advisor of the Year, helped launch the successful student organization when

the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies wanted to liven up their student recruitment strategy.

“We looked into approaches to recruit business majors and found that DECA was present in many high schools,” said Houseworth, assistant professor of management. “In Missouri there are about 10,000 high school students in DECA with a vast majority planning to pursue business degrees after they graduate.”

With the dean’s encouragement and blessing, Houseworth established Collegiate DECA on campus and became the team’s first faculty advisor. From its first active semester, the team has grown from 20 to 50 students.

“I think what makes our organization successful is that we meet every week, and we have a disciplined leadership structure,” said Houseworth. “Usually students in organizations elect other students to fill leadership positions. I look at that differently.”

To Houseworth, student leadership positions should be valued and earned.

To apply for one of the eight positions, students submit a cover letter and résumé, and go through a formal interview with Houseworth and three other DECA faculty advisors: Curtis Hartley, adjunct professor of accounting; Ray Luechtefeld,

Senior majoring in business management, and entrepreneurship and social enterprise

Senior marketing major

COURTNEY SHIRLEY DECA Professional Development Officer

Junior finance major with marketing minor

Third place, Restaurant and Food Management, 2015

Collegiate DECA Member of the Year, 2015 “My most memorable experience was being chosen 2015 DECA Member of the Year.

My organization nominated me because of my support, participation and attitude.”

This year UCM DECA placed in 23 competitions at the state level and six competitions at the international level.

TAY L O R B L A K E LY DECA Vice President of Public Relations

“My high school marketing class sparked my interest in Collegiate DECA. We were required to compete in DECA if we were in a marketing class; I ended up placing first at a regional competition in Quick Serve Restaurant Management.”

First place, Sports and Entertainment, 2015

E M I LY N O R T H E R N

“Being in DECA has allowed me to become a better speaker and given me the ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently. We were only given an hour to prepare an entire marketing plan.

We had to be creative and gather and organize our thoughts quickly.”

University of Central Missouri Magazine

11

“All of the schools you see on ESPN are the schools we compete and win against.”

assistant professor of management; and Daniel Jensen, professor of strategy, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise.

“Ultimately we make the final decision, and that’s worked the best,” Houseworth said.

The students selected for leadership positions are in charge of meetings and essentially run the organization. “My job is to provide guidance and assistance,” he added. “I tell the students all the time it’s not my organization, it’s theirs, and that’s the way it should be.”

A large part of the organizations’ success stems from the experience students gain competing each year at the Missouri Career Development Conference in February and, thanks to financial sponsorship from the UCM Foundation, at the International Career Development Conference in April.

Going up against universities from North America, Canada and South America, UCM DECA has a vast competition.

“All of the schools you see on ESPN are the schools we compete and win against,” said Houseworth with a grin. “These competitions breed confidence in our students.”

A primary activity at the competition includes case studies and business simulations where students are given an industry problem and have 30 minutes to an hour to solve it.

“What’s great about this competition is students have the opportunity to present it to a judge who is also a practitioner in the field,” said Houseworth. “Many of our students walk away with multiple business cards; the employment opportunities are infinite.”

Collegiate DECA competitions are

clustered around six academic areas: business management and administration, communications and technology, entrepreneurship, finance and accounting, hospitality and tourism, and marketing and sales.

“Many UCM students have an opportunity to compete in these conferences,” said Houseworth. “If your major is in the business school, you can be a part of the team.”

This year UCM DECA placed in 23 competitions at the state level and six competitions at the international level.

Winning the Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year three years in a row, not surprisingly the team is pretty close.

Aside from the fame and trophies, this team genuinely enjoys spending time together on and off campus.

“It sounds cheesy, but some of my favorite memories around DECA include simply hanging out. We like to have socials where we bring food and drinks and joke around together,” said Rachel Prescott, DECA vice president of competition. “We are all so busy with school, work, homework and other activities, that it’s nice to relax and get to know each other.”

What started as a student recruitment strategy has evolved into one of the most awarded and prestigious student organizations on campus, creating ample opportunities for UCM students to access internships, competition and professional networking opportunities. For more information about the UCM Collegiate DECA program visit http://www.ucmo. edu/management/experience.cfm. n

Sophomore marketing major with management minor

Freshman marketing major Second place, Hotel and Lodging, 2015

First place, Sports and Entertainment, 2015

ASHLEY FICKEN

12

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

“If I could solve one program with education it would be to educate the citizens of the United States about topics such as gas prices, taxes and buying domestically. That way, the country might strive to make more conscious decisions.”

CONNOR LAKE

“If your education could solve one problem, I would pursue a solution to the problem of unethical and inaccurate information within market research. Ethically, businesses will occasionally overstep their boundaries and possibly invade the privacy of the people whose information they’re looking to gather.”

SIX YEARS OF WINS MAJOR TITLES

Travel and Tourism, 1st

Fashion Merchandising, 1st

Retail Management, 3rd

2011

2015 Missouri Collegiate DECA Advisor of the Year

Travel and Tourism, 3rd

Fashion Merchandising, 4th

Retail Management, 5th

Human Resources, 1st

Fashion Merchandising, 5th

2015 Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year

Human Resources, 2nd

Retail Management, 2nd

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, 1st

International Career Development Conference, Orlando, FL

2015 Missouri Collegiate DECA Member of the Year

International Marketing, 1st

Retail Management, 4th

International Marketing, 2nd

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, 1st

2014 Missouri Collegiate DECA Member of the Year 2014 Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year 2013 Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year 2012 Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year 2010 Missouri Collegiate DECA Advisor of the Year 2010 Missouri Collegiate DECA Chapter of the Year 2010 Missouri Collegiate DECA Advisor of the Year

2015 International Career Development Conference, Orlando, FL

Sports and Entertainment, 1st Advertising Campaign, 2nd

2014 International Career Development Conference, Washington, D.C. Project Management, 1st, International Champions International Marketing, 1st, International Champions Restaurant and Food Services Management, 2nd International Marketing, Top 10 Retail Management, Top 10 Hotel and Lodging, Top 10 Banking and Financial Systems, Top 10, Top Exam Medalist

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, 3rd

Website Design, 2nd

Written Exam, 1st

Hotel and Lodging, 3rd

Website Design, 3rd

Financial Services, 2nd

Hotel and Lodging, 4th

Written Exam, 1st

Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, 4th

Travel and Tourism, 1st

2012

Travel and Tourism, 4th

International Career Development Conference, Salt Lake City, UT

Travel and Tourism, 5th Hospitality and Tourism Written Exam, 1st Finance Written Exam, 1st

2013 International Career Development Conference, Anaheim, CA

Missouri Career Development Conference, Jefferson City, MO

Business Research, Top 10

Accounting, 1st

International Marketing, Finalist

Accounting, 2nd

Retail Management, Medalist, one of the highest test scores

Accounting, 3rd

Missouri Career Development Conference, Lake Ozark, MO

Accounting, 4th

Accounting, 1st

Accounting, 5th

Accounting, 2nd

Advertising Campaign, 1st

Accounting, 3rd

Professional Sales, 1st

Accounting, 4th

International Marketing, 2nd

Advertising Campaign, 1st

International Marketing, 3rd

Professional Sales, 2nd

Marketing Management, 1st

International Marketing, 1st

Business Ethics, 3rd

Accounting, 5th Banking Financial Services. 1st Banking Financial Services, 2nd Fashion Merchandising, 2nd Fashion Merchandising, 5th Hotel and Lodging, 2nd Hotel and Lodging, 3rd Restaurant and Food Management, 1st Restaurant and Food Management, 2nd Restaurant and Food Management, 3rd Restaurant and Food Management, 4th Restaurant and Food Management, 5th Retail Management, 3rd

Retail Management, 4th

Travel and Tourism, 2nd

Human Resource Management, Top 10

Accounting, 2nd

•••

Travel and Tourism, 4th

Hotel and Lodging, 2nd

•••

Accounting, 1st

International Marketing, Top 10

Hotel and Lodging, 5th

Entrepreneurship, Top 10

Missouri Career Development Conference, Lake Ozark, MO

Travel and Tourism, Top 10

Missouri Career Development Conference, Jefferson City, MO

Hotel and Lodging, 1st

Travel and Tourism, 5th

Advertising Campaign, Top 10

•••

Business Law, 3rd

Hotel and Lodging, 1st

International Sales Challenge, 2nd

Professional Sales, Top 10

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, 3rd

Business Law, 2nd

International Marketing, 2nd

Business Ethics, 2nd

Human Resources, 2nd

Human Resources, 3rd

Fashion Merchandising, 3rd

International Marketing, 2nd

•••

Entrepreneurship, 2nd

Missouri Career Development Conference, Lake Ozark, MO

2010

Accounting, 1st

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, 2nd

Accounting, 4th

•••

Restaurant Food Service Management, 3rd

Accounting, 1st

Accounting, 1st

Advertising Campaign, 3rd

Hospitality, 4th

International Career Development Conference, Louisville, KY

Entrepreneurship, 2nd

Business Law, 3rd

Entrepreneurship, 3rd

Hospitality, Top 10

Retail Management, 1st Retail Management, 4th

•••

Business Ethics, 2nd

Missouri Career Development Conference, Lake Ozark, MO

Corporate Finance, 2nd

Written Exam, 1st

Corporate Finance, 2nd

International Marketing, 1st

Travel and Tourism, 2nd

International Marketing, 1st

Travel and Tourism, 5th

Business Law, 1st

Restaurant and Food Service Management, 3rd

Retail Management, 1st

International Marketing, 2nd

Restaurant and Food Service Management, 5th

Fashion Merchandising, 4th

Corporate Finance, 1st

Marketing Management, 2nd

Website Design, 1st

Financial Services, 2nd

Corporate Finance, 2nd

Marketing Management, 3rd

International Marketing, 2nd

Website Design, 3rd

Corporate Finance, 3rd

Business Ethics, 1st

International Marketing, 3rd

Corporate Finance, 5th

Corporate Finance, 3rd

Banking Financial Services, 1st

Corporate Finance, 4th

Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, 2nd

Sport and Entertainment Marketing, 4th

Banking Financial Services, 4th

Banking Financial Services, 3rd

Banking Financial Services, 5th

Restaurant and Food Service Management, 2nd

Restaurant and Food Service Management, 1st Restaurant and Food Service Management, 2nd Restaurant and Food Service Management, 3rd Restaurant and Food Service Management, 5th

Restaurant and Food Service Management, 4th Fashion Merchandising, 1st

Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, 2nd

Fashion Merchandising, 2nd

2009

Human Resource Management, 2nd

International Career Development Conference, Anaheim, CA

Hotel and Lodging, 2nd

Retail Management, Top 10

Hotel and Lodging, 5th

•••

Fashion Merchandising, 2nd

Missouri Career Development Conference, Lake Ozark, MO

Fashion Merchandising, 3rd

Written Exam, 1st

Fashion Merchandising, 4th

Business Law, 1st

Retail Management, 1st

Retail Management, 2nd

University of Central Missouri Magazine

13

THETHINGITSELF

BY DALENE ABNER

T

he speed of life is a constant mystery, and in the world of nature, happens too fast or slow for the eye to always see.

Dick Kahoe always wondered about those mysteries. It led to his interest in photography, and it continues to drive him as a University of Central Missouri associate professor who teaches the technical side of a profession steadily adapting to technology.

Attending high school in Iowa, Kahoe followed a lot of interests, including photography.

He remembers his first camera, an Argos C3 that “looked like a brick with a lens stuck on it.

It was very sturdy. You didn’t look through a lens, it had no meter and you had to get good at guessing exposure.

A FL ASH SET AT It had a shutter 1 / 1 0,0 0 0 T H O F A speed dial and the SECON D HE LPED f-stop was on the A DA M CASELMAN, NOW A GRADUATE front. It was a range finder with two P HOTOGRA PHY windows, one for ST UDE N T, G ET T HIS IM AGE. framing and another

14

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HAMMER SMASHES A LIGHT BULB? IT’S A 21ST CENTURY UPDATE TO THE HISTORICAL PUZZLE ABOUT WHETHER A HORSE CAN FLY. for focus. I paid $10 for it, which was a lot of money then. I wish I still had it.”

He went to work out of high school with Porter’s Camera before attending college. One year later, spending summer in southwestern Missouri, he got several photography jobs that led to other jobs and decided to keep working as a photographer.

“That’s not a smart way to do things,” he said. “Every time I talk to a student thinking about leaving to work because there’s a job opportunity, I have a

DICK KAHOE

University of Central Missouri Magazine

15

perspective on that, good and bad.

I could have saved 10 years if I had continued in college.”

Kahoe worked 15 years as a commercial photographer with craftsmen and artists.

One day, he and his wife, Cathy, who ran the business side, realized “we had the whole top of the market and no where to go in our world.” They considered options and costs.

Kahoe, curious about the creative job aspects of the designers, advertisers and printers with whom he worked, knew he wanted to learn more. When a friend recommended Warrensburg, they visited UCM and knew it was a good fit for their futures.

Graduating alongside their son, Monte, made their college experience “an adventure,” said Kahoe. He finished three

A DARKENED AUDITORIUM

SEEING LIGHT A good photo inside Hendricks Hall takes more than a single flash. Try 100 flashes or perhaps only 10 flashes shooting one section at a time. Associate Professor Dick Kahoe says theoretically this should work as he directs his students to try the experiment teaching lighting and the limits of a flash.

He explains that students using multiple flashes of sections all the way across the auditorium can assemble a single image in an upper-level digital file, creating an image they can then experiment with. “We should be able to build a great photo of the auditorium with all the parts.”

16

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

degrees: a bachelor’s in photography, a master’s in industrial technology and an education specialist in human services. Cathy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in sociology.

In 1990, after working two years as a graduate assistant for the photography department, he joined the faculty. He was an early WIRELESS TETHERING professor of ALLOWS STUDENTS TO computer SEE IMAGES ON A LARGER graphics, TABLET SCREEN INSTEAD OF THE SMALL DISPLAY launching, team teaching WINDOW OF A DIGITAL CAMERA. AT ONE POINT, and then solo THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S teaching, TOOL FOR THIS PREVIEW “Technology WAS THE WAIT-ANDand Society.” PEEL POLAROID.

I THINK THAT THE THING ITSELF SHOWS THE INVISIBLE MUSES WITHIN THE VISUAL REALITY. He taught the first desktop publishing class on campus, the first digital imaging class and the first online class.

“I’ve watched all this change over the years,” he said. “Keeping up with it is part of why I do it.”

Terms such as range finder, shutter speed, focal length, aperture, f-stop and hot shoe are still part of today’s digital camera world of megapixels, DPI, bits and selfies, but don’t look for darkroom lingo like fixer and stop bath. For Kahoe, technology doesn’t mean obsolescence, only change.

“Does the quality of your typewriter, which we don’t have anymore, have anything to do with writing? Buggy whips were a big industry until the auto came along, but you can still get them. People still hand paint portraits. You can’t name anything that has completely disappeared.

All technology is like that. It’s more the individual’s photography skills. It’s what you know and what you understand. The tool you use isn’t as important as what you know and you can do.”

That helps explain one of Kahoe’s favorite demonstrations on stop-motion photography that uses a light bulb, hammer and mechanical triggers. His inspiration is Eadweard Muybridge who was challenged in 1872 by Leland Stanford to show that all four feet of a galloping horse were off the ground at the same time. Six years later, aided by technology advances many of which he invented, Muybridge succeeded, earning him credit as founder of the motion picture industry.

“What I did with the light bulbs is no different than Muybridge’s electrical mechanical switch,” said Kahoe. “A scrap of board, an old wire, a paper clip and a couple of screws. A porcelain socket that’s big and round. I set that on top of it and when you hit it, that triggers the switch and the flash.”

University of Central Missouri Magazine

17

His tried and true method to figure out what works best? “You do it and do it and do it.”

Kahoe doesn’t seek Muybridge’s type of infamy but he does enjoy introducing new technology to his students. With funding he obtained through the UCM Foundation Opportunity Grants, he introduced the TriggerTrap to help teach high-speed stop-motion photography as well as wireless tethering that allows students to preview their pictures on a tablet – quite an advancement from the digital camera’s small window or the older, wait to peel off Polaroid.

“I am completely captivated by how things work, especially in photography,” said Kahoe. “I’m not teaching out of a textbook but from experience. Some stuff may be out of date but others still translate like working with customers, light and lenses. We’ve gone past the CD and DVD to the Cloud.

Students have to put their assignments on the Cloud, they have to submit a URL not a print or transparency. They have to meet the technical aspects of the assignment.”

He noted that what they are teaching students is a hot commodity in today’s imaging industry, pointing out as examples the commercial that freezes the action of a soft drink as it’s poured or the time-lapsed action of a sunset during a basketball game.

While embracing technology, Kahoe hasn’t forgotten about the philosophical and creative side that intrigued him to change careers. It’s why “The Thing Itself ” has become a capstone project for his students.

The assignment has the same components for each student: to find a subject that fascinates them and to eliminate subjects

INTERNATIONAL INTEREST

VISUAL AND INTELLECTUAL While Dick Kahoe teaches the technical aspects of photography, his personal interests take him to Missouri’s bridges and to the Japanese form of haiga, blending words in a haiku poetry structure written in calligraphy and paired with a visual, such as a photograph or painting.

In this haiga (pronounced hi-gaw), he writes: The immature see No beauty in the mundane Uncivil vision Haiga is about simplicity, abstraction and movement.

Digital files have hue, saturation and value.

Words have alliteration, cadence, metaphor, simile, accent, tense, style and font. Kahoe said there is a joy in the conjunction of words and images that goes beyond measurement and classification.

For Kahoe, the thing itself just may be Missouri bridges, which he said, “fascinate me. I just love them.” He’s working to photograph every Missouri bridge and has shot several now torn down.

Or the thing could be haiga, a traditional

“YOU CAN’T NAME ANYTHING THAT HAS COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED. ALL TECHNOLOGY IS LIKE THAT. THE TOOL YOU USE ISN’T AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT YOU KNOW AND YOU CAN DO.” they can’t photograph. The project becomes a thoughtful, illustrated essay about the thing itself: the detail, the frame, the time and the vantage point. The results have been beautiful, insightful abstracts that reflect highly on the student photographers.

18

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

Japanese art form conjoining haiku poetry with painting and more recently, photography. Kahoe explained, “In haiga the words do not literally describe the image and the image is not an attempt to illustrate the words, but there is always a

connection between them. ‘Uncivil vision’ is a response to a discussion with a friend about a year ago,” he said. “As a result, I had a specific response to it, as I suspect he also had, but not identical ones. That shared understanding brings me joy.”

Kahoe’s ultimate goal is learning, introducing new photography tools as well as teaching techniques, transforming the classroom from a passive to active learning environment.

“Instead of the traditional lecture environment, with the wireless tethering, students are in control. A live-view monitor enables them to instantly see the image and to collectively ask questions, test different control settings, see the resulting images, then try things to see if they work or not.

They can’t do that with a single camera.

The entire class is working together to find the right answers. It’s exciting to see that kind of active learning among students.

That’s my thing,” he said. n

DRAMA AND DANGER IN THE DESERT Combine the geographical desert marvel that is Big Bend National Park with the danger of a rapidly approaching violent storm and the dare-anything enthusiasm of photography student Andrew Stanton to capture an image forming before his eyes and you get an amazing photo. It took first place in the nature category of the 33rd Annual Photography EXPO on campus and was a national finalist among 17,000 entries worldwide for a book by Nikon.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

19

P HILANT H R O P Y

FI GHTI NG MULES SCHOL A RS H I P

About Inspiring and Believing

Military, Cybersecurity Careers Receive Financial Boost

A Scholarships are helping Kaitlyn Krumm have a great experience at UCM. She was awarded two scholarships from the UCM Foundation this year: the Charles N. Hagan Scholarship and the Barbara Ulrich Mathematics Scholarship.

Both look for a student in good academic standings, and Krumm was the perfect match.

The middle school education major hopes to become a teacher after graduation and pursue a master’s degree in school administration.

“I would love to teach at the university level and help future teachers,” she said.

“EVERY PROFESSOR I HAVE HAD HAS MADE AN IMPACT IN MY LIFE.”

Krumm credits much of her success to people on campus and the scholarships she has received as an undergraduate.

“Every professor I have had has made an impact in my life. They have all taught me something interesting and they inspire me to become the best teacher possible,” she said.

“When I received my first scholarship, I was excited and proud that someone chose to help me reach my goals. ”

20

new scholarship, seeded by donors’ unrestricted gifts to the UCM Foundation, will give students financial incentive to pursue careers in the military and cybersecurity.

The new Fighting Mules Scholarship is an initiative begun by UCM President Charles Ambrose in cooperation with the Department of Military Science and Leadership in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. Offered for the first time this fall, the scholarship provides five $1,000 financial awards annually to freshman students who are enrolled at UCM, have a minimum ACT score of 23, and will take the freshman military science course.

If students choose to pursue the university’s new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree, they can expand the scholarship by an extra $500. The only other requirement to be eligible for the Fighting Mules Scholarship is that students must graduate from college prior to their 30th birthday.

“We see this as a good way for students who may not have considered a career in the military to get their feet in the door and learn more about it,” said Major J.C. Christenson, a U.S. Army veteran who chairs the Department of Military Science and Leadership.

John Wolfmeyer, recruiting operations officer, said that although the Fighting Mules Scholarship is designed to attract students who may be undecided on a college or major, incoming freshman already enrolled at UCM also may apply. He noted that students may want to expand their educational path into military science if they become more familiar with the Army Reserve Officers Training, the national competitions for ROTC cadets and department faculty.

“If they decide this is what they want, there’s a chance, providing they meet all criteria and regulations, we could offer them a scholarship that would pay their tuition for their remaining time at UCM,” Wolfmeyer said.

If a student applies for and is awarded the ROTC Scholarship, it will pay all tuition for the remainder of their stay in school from when the scholarship begins, up to four semesters of room and board in

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

campus housing, a monthly living allowance, and a book allowance. This would be on top of any other university scholarships they may receive. The Fighting Mules Scholarship, which is non-renewable, could potentially lead to opportunities for students who may have applied for the ROTC National Scholarship as seniors in high school but were turned down for this highly competitive financial award.

While at UCM, students who receive the Fighting Mules Scholarship can choose a variety of different academic career paths. Choosing the new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree provides an extra financial boost and preparation for a growing field in the military, if they choose a service career.

The degree is being offered for the first time this fall as part of the university’s efforts to prepare

Missouri’s 21st century technical workforce in a STEM field of national interest. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security cyber security analyst is the second fastest growing occupation in the nation with a projected growth rate of 37 percent over the next decade.

To learn more about the Fighting Mules Scholarship and how to apply, contact Wolfmeyer at 660-543-4863 or email wolfmeyer@ucmo.edu.

For more information about ROTC at UCM, contact Wolfmeyer or Christenson at 660-543-4867 or email christenson@ucmo.edu.

P HI LANT HR OP Y

“When I entered college in 1941 at age 17, I had no idea where I was headed.

I just knew it was expected. My mother, who had a college education and had taught before getting married, always stressed its importance. She believed a teaching degree was like an insurance policy. There would always be a need for it.” — L AU R A L . B A R R OP P OR T UN IT Y G RANTS

GLO BAL UND E RSTA N D I N G

TO O L S O F T H E E X PE RTS

Think Storytelling, Red Man Suit, Drums & More

Anse La Raye Summer Destination for Six Students

Forbes Center Extra Special for Bloombergs

Fourteen projects that range from an aerial drone with equipped video camera and a set of West African drums to the creation of a transmedia storytelling lab and a structured exploration in understanding masculinity will receive funding in fiscal year 2016 through the UCM Foundation Opportunity Grants Program.

“We’re excited that the Foundation Board of Directors approved funding for 14 of the projects submitted in our third year of offering these grants to our faculty and staff,” said Jason Drummond, vice president for alumni relations and development and executive director of the Foundation. “Year three funding was increased to $37,000, which is a 48 percent increase in funding since year one.”

The Opportunity Grant program was created to support targeted, student-centered activities of faculty and staff, benefiting the university’s learning environment.

On a 1758 map, one can find a bay marked Anse La Raye. It’s a village on the West Indies island of St. Lucia with roots in French colonial days. Six UCM students will learn about their culture when they spend two weeks there this summer, courtesy of the Global Vision Service Program, funded through an anonymous gift to the UCM Foundation.

The Global Vision program allows students to experience another country’s culture while participating in service learning projects.

Accompanied by their advisor, Darlene Budd, associate professor of political science, this year’s participants are Brenna Hendrix, a senior elementary education major; Mariah Wurdeman, a senior special education major; Andrea Lopez, a junior digital media production major; Shayne Fisk, a junior international studies major; Miranda Maher, a junior psychology major; and Chase Johnson, a social work major.

WHERE YOUR DOLLAR GOES 44¢

Scholarships

18¢

16¢

Academics Athletics

$97K Forty-four students, in danger of leaving UCM because of finances, were able to continue pursuing their dreams, thanks to $97,000 in retention scholarships provided by the UCM Foundation.

To invest in these scholarships, please call 660-543-8000.

2,498 Alumnus Donn G. Forbes ’52 has invested his money into a winning situation for UCM students. His gift, the second largest ever to the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, gives students the professional tools and actual experiences of real stockbrokers to manage a $500,000 portfolio and its client, the UCM Foundation.

The dedication of the Donn G. Forbes Financial Center displayed this state-of-the-art facility, complete with stock ticker, flat-screen televisions and 12 Bloomberg service terminals.

“I wanted to put my money into a facility that thousands of students can use for years to come,” said Forbes.

Watch a video of the dedication on Youtube by searching for UCM Opens the Forbes Financial Center.

MoCents has caught on with students. In its second year, the online application system generated applications from 2,498 students, including 676 incoming first-year students.

6

For six straight years, UCM has maintained one of the lowest tuition rate increases in the nation.

Easy & Simple An easy and simple way to support students in the future is with a bequest.

Call Joy Mistele at 660-543-8000 to discuss how you can leave a lasting and important legacy to the UCM Foundation.

13¢ 9¢ KMOS

Bricks & Mortar

University of Central Missouri Magazine

21

THE

PRINCIPAL FACTOR Mohns Reflect Their Successful Education Careers by Starting Scholarship for Principals, School Leaders

E

ducating the individuals who serve effectively as principals and leaders becomes more significant when you think about the 50 million students attending the nation’s 130,000 public and private schools.

Three such individuals, seeking to become school administrators through the university’s Collaborative Principal Preparation Program, recently received a financial boost, thanks to a scholarship funded by a gift to the UCM Foundation from alumni, Cliff and Patty Mohn. For the two long-term educators and school administrators, their gift is a way to repay the people who helped them succeed in their careers.

The couple met in 1970 on a blind date set up by Patty’s roommate. The month was December. By June, they were engaged and by August, married. This year, they are celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary.

The Mohns consider Warrensburg their home. Cliff received a Master of Science in Education in 1977.

Patty earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1970 and a Master of Science in Education in 1999.

They easily recall the friendships they made at UCM. Cliff remembers carpooling to campus from Kansas City to finish course work with a group of teachers; Patty will never forget the professors who made an impact.

“I will forever be grateful to all of the administrators, professors, and residents for providing the studentfriendly atmosphere at UCM and for the effort they personally put forth to see that I succeeded, stayed involved and was prepared for life,” she said.

After graduating from UCM, Cliff taught math and coached football, basketball and track at William Chrisman High School for nine years. For the next seven years, he was an assistant principal. He spent 16 years as director of secondary education and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

22

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

In his last two years he served as the district’s deputy superintendent. In 2001 he retired from the Independence School District and began teaching at UCM. This May, he retired after teaching 14 years in the educational leadership department.

Patty’s first job in education was teaching first grade at Chapel School in the Raytown School District. In 1974 she moved to the Blue Springs School District and taught first grade. In 1985 she established the Blue Springs Parents as Teachers program and in 2004 became principal of Liggett Trail Education Center before she retired in 2010.

The scholarship they established specifically looks for graduate students in the Collaborative Principal Preparation Program who demonstrate academic ability and leadership potential in the field of educational leadership. UCM’s CPPP aims to prepare students to become successful school district leaders.

The students work and learn together in a cohort environment that provides shared learning experiences and opportunities to broaden networks.

The first three graduate students who received the Clifford and Patty Mohn CPPP Leadership Scholarship – seventh grade language arts teacher Nancy Bartlett of Lee’s Summit, Raytown South business teacher Thomas Steuve and Prairie View Elementary reading specialist Christine Lamb – note the scholarships will help them finish their degrees with less debt while helping them to build their own children’s college funds.

For the Mohns, establishing the scholarship was a simple decision. “We were both fortunate to have mentors and financial assistance along the way and we are now in a position to give back to UCM,” said Cliff.

“We can think of no better way than to give assistance to aspiring leaders – people who want to make a positive difference in the lives of young people.”

“I will forever be grateful to all of the administrators, professors, and residents for providing the student-friendly atmosphere at UCM and for the effort they personally put forth to see that I succeeded, stayed involved and was prepared for life.”

– Patty Mohn

University of Central Missouri Magazine

23

C EN TR A L Y E S T E R D AY

A PROFESSOR’S IMMORTAL ECHO

BY DALENE ABNER

A

singular story is told about Wilson C. Morris. One day in class, the physics teacher confronted an unwary student for the definition of electricity. “I DID know,” the startled student said, “but I forgot.” “YE GODS!” Morris howled in despair. “Here’s the only man who ever knew what electricity is and he FORGOT.” That story appears in both Les Anders’ “Education for Service” and Keith Dinsmore’s “Teacher Immortal: The Enduring Influence of Wilson C. Morris.”

The latter book, the source for the quotes in this article, describes Morris, the namesake of the four-story campus building that will receive a $12.2 million renovation to improve utilization and safety of its teaching laboratories and classrooms.

The project would have pleased Morris, a Pennsylvania-born Presbyterian recruited to campus by then President William Hawkins, who wanted faculty with “strong personalities.”

Wilson lived up to that requirement.

He’s now a name over the door but in his 40-year service to campus from 1908 to 1947, he epitomized a university professor: tough, caring, intelligent, curious, scholarly and quirky. He worked in two science buildings: one destroyed by the Fire of 1915 and another that is now part of Humphreys. The current facility, named for him, was built in 1968. His salary was $1,600 a year.

He was an interesting dichotomy – a religious man who loved to learn about and teach science but didn’t use it himself. He walked everywhere and didn’t own a car.

He preferred an icebox to a refrigerator, the

24

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

straight-edge razor to a safer model, and the radio to TV. He had an electric range in the kitchen but heated his home with a coalpowered “monkey stove” in the basement.

He helped 17 students start the university’s first fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma. In the early days of radio, he helped a student start the campus’ first station, KFNJ. One of his classes built a radio they used to listen to the first World Series baseball game. His knowledge of physics gave his students in the 1920s knowledge to understand the basics of today’s rocket power, radio electronics and nuclear energy.

He made physics the most popular class on campus. Students compared his classes to

rollercoasters. “One pulled gradually to the topmost level of the coaster, then one was off.

And rack his brains as he might, someway he found a lot of lowers on the ride.”

And students loved him. Upon his death, May 8, 1947, Thelma Bryant wrote: Last night a master teacher closed his book, Locked his lab and ventured forth upon A new experiment in which he will Forever search and find eternal truths.

Still, part of him remains in Science Hall, His name above the door; from every wall The echo of a voice intense and deep, Booming out a formula in physics.

The technical aspects of early-day radio fascinated physicist Wilson C. Morris, who came to campus in 1906, teaching first inside a science hall inside Old Main and next, a building that became part of Humphreys. The current W.C. Morris Science Building, named for him, was built in 1968 and will undergo a $12.2 million renovation to improve its labs and classrooms.

ABOVE:

CLAS S NOT ES

Marian Pesky ’68, ’70 has taught, coached and advised at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, for more than four decades. She began her career at Briar Cliff as an assistant instructor of health, physical education and recreation and ran the women’s intramural program. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCM and did additional graduate work at the University of Iowa. Pesky was instrumental in the inception of women’s athletics at Briar Cliff. She served as the school’s first coach in volleyball, softball, basketball and tennis. She was also the golf coach at one point, responsible for the cheerleaders and in charge of men’s and women’s intramurals for a while. Pesky is currently assistant professor and chair of health, physical education and recreation, senior women’s athletic administrator and coordinator of new student advising.

Sandy Cordes ’69 retired as director of the Sedalia Chorale after 25 years of service. She also is retired after 35 years of teaching music in the public school system. In her career, she has received the Outstanding

Kathy Humphrey ’72 was appointed senior vice chancellor for engagement and chief of staff at the University of Pittsburgh, one of the oldest and largest universities in the U.S. Her responsibilities include business engagement, strategic initiatives and partnerships and government interaction. She previously served for nine years as vice provost and dean of students. Before joining Pitt, she served six years as vice president for student development at St. Louis University. She’s received numerous awards and honors in her career including most recently being selected one of 32 women from 13 countries chosen to participate in the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellows Program.

Gary Kuhn ’73 was named chair of the board and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank in New Haven, MO. After graduating from New Haven High School, he served in the U.S. Army with tours of duty in Vietnam and Germany.

Mary Jo (Rudroff) Thomson ’74, ’76 has entered year three of her commitment to the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. Panel members are citizen volunteers who listen to taxpayers, identify issues and makes recommendations

for improving Internal Revenue Service customer satisfaction.

Thomson is a resident of Oklahoma City and is one of 84 volunteers serving on the panel. This year she will be working on the Taxpayer Assistance Center Committee and is assigned as chair of the subcommittee working on technological improvements to the TAC Centers.

Mark Moeller ’77 retired as police chief in July after 13 years of service to Rockwall, Texas, and 38 years in law enforcement. He began his career as a patrol officer in the Dallas Police Department in 1977. He rose to the rank of lieutenant, holding supervisory positions in multiple divisions within the department before coming to lead the Rockwall Police Department in April 2002. He was honored with the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Texas Police Chiefs Association in 2011. He is regional director of the TCPA and was president from 2012-13.

1980–1989 Mark Meloy ’86 is proud of his oldest child, Emma, who is a freshman member of the 20152016 UCM Mulekickers.

ELS

TH

TE NOW

OT

2 R E B O OCT

DA

H

Bonita K. Butner ’72 has retired from the University of MissouriKansas City where she was an associate professor and division chair in the School of Education.

E

R

R

1970–1979

G N I M O C Y T E R A M P HIT’SOOUR BIGGES4 T

IT’S

TH

Ray Hall ’66, ’67 retired as director of the Mexico-Audrain (MO) Library District after 17 years of service. He taught at Wentworth Military Academy from 1967-72, was library director for the Crawford County school district from 1972-1978 and worked at the Camden Public Library from 1978-1980. In 1980 he joined the faculty at UCM and taught for five years. In 1985, he became head of the reference library at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga before accepting the position at the Mexico-Audrain Library District.

Educator for the Sedalia School District 200, the Outstanding Music Alumni Award from UCM and was included in Who’s Who Among American Teachers. She plans to continue giving private lessons, directing her church choir and teaching voice at State Fair Community College.

S AV E

1960–1969

ES

O ERVE Y

U

Elizabeth Tranter ’86 has been named associate vice president for research planning at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. In her new role, she is responsible for research strategic planning, analysis, benchmarking and assessment of research initiatives, and leadership of special initiatives of the office in support of the research strategic plan and institutional long-range plan. Tranter served as chief of staff in the Office of the Vice President for Research for seven years and previously worked as the administrative director for the Center for Power Electronics Systems. She has 10 years of teaching experience at the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University.

1990–1999 Darin Jones ’90, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arkansas Little Rock has received national media coverage following the announcement of a grant from the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority to fund his work to develop a cure for leukemia. His research focuses on dehydroleucodine, a molecule found in Ecuadorian

University of Central Missouri Magazine

25

C L AS S NO T E S

MEET INTERNATIONALLY POPULAR “ART-REPRENEUR” ALUMNUS BRAD FORSYTHE

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN you combine a 30-year veteran of the advertising and creative world with a fine-art painter? “Art-repeneur” Brad Forsythe.

From his base in Maui, Hawaii, the 1976 alumnus has found a niche providing his exclusive art designs on products ranging from Italian-made scarves and hightech surfboards, to custom snowboards and skis, to biodegradable iPhone cases.

Forsythe got the idea to put his mixed media art on more than just canvas when he traveled to Italy in 2014, when he met the owner of 166ARTE in Florence.

She asked him to develop and produce handmade scarves using two of his designs. Seeing that inspired Forsythe to explore other areas for his work.

“I never thought that my former career as creative director and advertising executive would have a relationship with my new career as a fine artist, but the two really meld well together. I have been able to open up a whole new field through strategic collaborations with amazing companies and manufacturers sourcing imagery from my original artwork to feature on their products.”

Back on Maui, Forsythe approached world-renowned surfboard shaper Jimmy Lewis with layouts of several surfboard graphic designs. He liked the bold colorful board graphics Forsythe presented and another collaboration was born. One of Forsythe’s designs is now featured on Lewis’ new globally distributed “Super Tech” line of performance SUP surfboards that debuted last summer.

Next came a partnership with RAMP Sports through which Forsythe’s artwork will be featured on a custom line of snowboards and skis. He is also

plants. Jones believes the molecule often used as an antiinflammatory and treatment for skin infections could form the basis of a treatment for leukemia. Jones joined the UALR faculty in 2011, following his work as a senior scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Washington University School of Medicine. He had been senior principal scientist and research scientist at Pfizer where he led drug discovery programs in various therapeutic areas.

Daniel Morris ’92 has been appointed to the new position of vice president of operations for Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet

26

Food. Morris, who brings over 25 years of experience in pet food operation and sales, spent more than 12 years with Nutro, Greenies and Mars in similar positions.

Scott Nance ’97 has returned to Iowa after working as a patrol sergeant in the metro Portland, OR, area.

2000–2009 Chad Blomberg ’00 is now a partner in the law firm of Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City. His practice focuses on tort litigation and appeals.

Ross Benson ’02 was appointed information technology head

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

collaborating with Marche, Italy-based iNature to create a signed numbered limited edition “artist series” of four biodegradable iPhone case designs showcasing his art. The company sells smart phone cases in retail outlets throughout Italy and Japan as well as through various online merchants and at iNature.it.

“For me, it’s about looking at the market and seeing opportunity,” said Forsythe. “Then the product becomes my medium and the distribution becomes my connection to new and more diverse audiences around the world. As an artist I take great pleasure in the idea of my art having a positive impact on people’s everyday lives.”

of TechOps/QA representing Novartis Business Services with responsibility for information technology in technical operations and quality assurance at multiple strategic locations in North America.

Sandra Winnett ’02 is serving with the Peace Corps in Chongqing, China, teaching English at Chongqing University of Technology. She is a part of the eight percent of Peace Corps workers who are more than 50 years old.

Eric Carpenter ’04 and Terry Ebers were married July 12, 2014.

The two are employed at Christ Community Church in Omaha,

NE, where they also exchanged their wedding vows.

Ashley Rackers ’05 is the new director of nursing for the Primrose Retirement Community in Jefferson City, MO. She will guide and oversee the overall care of residents, as well as ensure compliance with all necessary regulations. She will also manage the nursing staff in conjunction with the executive director.

Karrie (Shank) Zunino ’09 has accepted a position as a pilot for PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines.

She previously taught in the aviation programs at Arizona State University for five years.

CLAS S NOT ES

2010–2019 Jeannie M. Moore ’11 received a Master of Arts in Christian Ministries from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary on May 2, 2015.

Lucy Harrison ’12 has been added to the Client Service Team as an account executive for Callis. Callis is a Sedalia, Mo. based integrated marketing, advertising, public relations and digital agency that serves a variety of industries on a regional and national level.

Richard Marshall ’12 was the featured trombone soloist when the Marshall, MO Philharmonic Orchestra performed on Sunday, April 19. He is currently pursuing a performer’s diploma at the Jacobs School of Music in Indiana University. In the concert, Marshall performed the second “Romanza” movement of the Ralph Vaughn Williams tuba concerto and the jazz arrangement of “Over the Rainbow’ by Calvin Custer.

David Nicolaescu ’12 is now a deputy with the Cole County Sheriff’s Department in Jefferson City, MO. Jeff Markworth Jr. ’13 is a visual artist and graduate student at the

We’re going to

Cuba!

University of Missouri Columbia.

His medium is ink drawing, oil painting, digital painting and sculpture. He had a solo show Feb. 16-27 titled “One They Call Supremus,” in White Walls, a graduate student showcase at the Mizzou’s George Caleb Bingham Gallery. Markworth also won the Dorothy L. Rollins Scholarship in Painting/Drawing.

Lauren Ficklin ’14 has been hired as a project coordinator for Downtown Washington, Inc., one of the first five pilot communities for the Missouri Main Street Program.

Hannah (Rhoad) Sartin ’14 was promoted to an account executive position at Callis Integrated Marketing in Sedalia, MO. In her new role, she will work with agency clients to provide strategic direction, manage projects, plan and buy media, implement public relations programs, conduct research and build content.

Valerie Jean Bennett ’15 graduated with honors with a Master of Science in Nursing and is a nurse practitioner. She has been employed at Cox Monett as an emergency room nurse for 27 years. She has also worked for Cox Hospital South and Mercy Hospital in Springfield.

Be part of our 25-person group traveling to Cuba, March 3-11, 2016. We can offer this exclusive travel opportunity through our partnership with Go Next, Inc. This nine-day adventure goes beyond the tourist surface to reveal the rich culture, compelling history and architectural majesty of this long-forbidden island on the verge of great change.

Download the brochure at www.ucmo.edu/travel and make your reservation now.

Spaces are going fast!

THE WEDDING: IT’S ALL ACADEMIC

THE PHRASE, IT’S ALL ACADEMIC, aptly describes the wedding ceremony of Central Missouri 2005 graduates Phil Berger and Jessica Ashley, officiated by Honors College Dean Joseph Lewandowski, who was surprised by the request of his two former philosophy students. As the son of a Lutheran minister, Lewandowski knew the ceremony well but this was his first time to perform one.

“Neither of us belong to any particular faith and when the time came to choose an officiant, we wanted to ask someone we knew, admired and respected,” said Phil, a psychology graduate. “Dr. Lewandowski was one of our favorite professors. It seemed like a long shot, but we decided to email him to get his take on the idea.”

The wedding held June 6 at Jessica’s parents’ home in Oak Grove happened more quickly than their seven-year courtship.

Phil started attending UCM in 2005 and Jessica in 2006. Their first encounter was a talent show where Phil, participating in a hypnotism act, pronounced his love for Stevie Nicks. They met in person a few months later in the class, “Life, the Universe and You” taught by Tony Schaefer. Phil pursued Jessica but it wasn’t to be. After graduating, he left for the Peace Corps in Cameroon and Jessica went to the Netherlands to study abroad.

The two caught up with each four years later. After dating several months, Phil proposed. They married the next year. They worried about the weather (four days of straight rain). There were the cicadas, hatched for the only time this century, that Phil said “were loud, boisterous guests that buzzed around people’s heads.”

Alumni Matt Seithel ’10 was their disc jockey and Nick Taylor ’10, their photographer. And there was Dr. Lewandowski.

He started with a joke, said Phil, “then with the grace and eloquence of an academic, he spoke meaningfully to us about a partnership of equals. He talked about Plato’s story about soul mates: how humans used to have four arms, four legs and two heads but Zeus fearing their power, split them in half, so now people spend their lives searching for the other half to be complete. While this was Dr. Lewandowski’s first time officiating, we couldn’t have been happier with his performance. It was a surreal experience for both of us.” Make that three, Phil.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

27

C L AS S NO T E S

Awards & Honors Tom Gordon ’70, ’71, ’72 was awarded the Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award by the East Coast Music Association April 11. This award recognizes an individual who has had a profound and lasting effect on the Atlantic Canadian Music Industry. From 2000-2010, Gordon was the director of the School of Music at Memorial University of Newfoundland where he introduced degree courses in traditional music taught by tradition-bearers. He also oversaw the introduction of M.A. and Ph.D. programs in ethnomusicology as well as the creation of a major research center focusing on the connections between music and place. His own research has brought to light the unique cultural hybrid produced by Inuit musicians trained in European classical music traditions.

Outside the academy, Gordon has served on numerous professional arts boards, including a term as chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council.

shining examples of dedication and excellence in service to others. She spent four years as assistant professor and director of the speech program at Bowling Green State and in 1985 became a tenured professor and graduate faculty member in the IU Department of Communication.

She has given more than 200 lectures and presentations on effective communication

Melissa Gower ’72, county services director of the Care Connection agency in Warrensburg, received the 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Community Service Award sponsored by UCM and the Greater Warrensburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Following a 15-year high school teaching career, she was deputy voter registration clerk in Johnson County, then joined the Care Connection Agency supervising senior centers throughout Johnson County.

Dorothy Campbell ’73 received the W. George Pinnell Award for Outstanding Service from Indiana University Northwest.

The award honors faculty members considered to be

28

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

and diversity communication.

She also helped to found the communication department and served as its first chair. She established the department’s speech forum and first internship program as well as co-founded its communication week celebration.

She has produced more than 25 publications and presented more than 30 conference papers on improving communication with

an emphasis on multi-cultural and religious communication.

David Steward ’73 was honored by the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology at Webster University as their 2015 Person of the Year. Steward is founder and chair of World Wide Technology, a global systems integrator with $6.7 billion in annual revenue and

A WINDING JOURNEY TO CHONGQING

WHAT’S A 50-PLUS-YEAR-OLD WOMAN to do after growing up in Mississippi, earning a degree in counselor education from UCM, and teaching and advising students in the Kansas City area, when she gets a taste of international cultures and realizes she wants to see more of the world? She applies for the Peace Corps and is accepted to teach English as a Foreign Language in what many consider the world’s largest city, Chongqing, China, at the Chongqing University of Technology.

Sandi Willett, a 2002 alumnus, is one of only eight percent of Peace Corps volunteers over the age of 50. She is part of the 20th group of Peace Corps in China.

While attending UCM to work on her master’s degree, Winnett was a graduate assistant who helped international students in the English Language Center. “I met some wonderful students during my two years in the center,” she said. “I taught some courses in International Studies from 2004 to 2007 while waiting for the state of Kansas to approve my counseling endorsement on my teaching certificate. After working as a school counselor for five years, I realized I was happy in my career path but I wanted to see more of the world, and feel like I was ‘making a difference.’”

Her Peace Corps preparation included 10 weeks of intensive language, culture and TEFL training while living with a host family. Peace Corps provides her a living allowance, medical insurance and personal and academic support while the university offered an apartment.

She’s been in China the past year, teaching courses such as American Society and Culture, Public Speaking and Debate, and Oral English.

This semester she added Reading of British and American Newspapers. CQUT has 21,000 students, she said.

“I teach classes of English majors and minors, as well as students who just walk into my classes because they want the opportunity to have a ‘foreign’ teacher,” she said. She’s thinking about developing a secondary project this year that uses the experience she gained as an intern in the UCM Office of Career Services.

“Every day I have the opportunity to learn more language and culture and be a representative of American culture. There is not a day that goes by where I am bored! As an added bonus, I’ve been able to do some traveling during the semester break. Attached is a picture from my experience visiting an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“I apologize for the length of my information,” she added in her email. “It is, however, proof that life is not a straight connection from dot-to-dot; some journeys can take quite a winding path!”

CLAS S NOT ES

more than 3,000 employees. It ranked #59 on Forbes’ Largest Private Companies 2014 List and was #28 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work for 2015 list.

He also was honored as the 2015 St. Louis Citizen of the Year. In 2014, he was one of 11 Americans inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, which recognizes exceptional leaders, all with a commitment to philanthropy and higher education, who overcame significant personal challenges to achieve success. With almost 25 years of experience in the technology industry, Steward spends the majority of his time developing strategic supplier, customer and employee relationships. He is the author of “Doing Business by the Good Book: Fifty-Two Lessons on Success Straight from the Bible.”

Alliwze Ruby Curry ’75 has been serving as interim president of St. Louis Community College at the Florissant Valley campus. She was among 14 individuals and businesses honored during St. Louis University’s Martin Luther King celebration. She received the MLK Education Leadership Award.

John Zey ’75 was honored

by Prairie Home (MO) High School as a 2015 Distinguished Alumnus. Zey graduated from Prairie Home in 1970, earned academic degrees from UCM and the University of Missouri, and for 20 years served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. He was assigned to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health where he conducted several research studies about the health effects of exposure to various chemicals and dusts in workers. He also investigated workplaces for potential worker exposure to various chemicals.

He joined the UCM faculty in 1996 and is currently a professor in the safety sciences program.

Gwen Cogan Brunelli ’79 has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at Princeton-Blairstown Center in Hardwick, NJ. The center offers a variety of youth development and experiential educational programs to students in the Mid-Atlantic States. She has held leadership positions at Verizon, Adelphia Communications and Cablevision Systems. She is also a licensed secondary school teacher and has taught courses in English and journalism.

Kathy Anderson ’80 has been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Anderson was an All-American basketball player for UCM, and her #32 jersey has been retired. She is a member of the UCM Hall of Fame and now serves as the UCM senior associate athletic director. While at UCM, she lettered four years in basketball, three years in softball and one year in track & field. In 1977, Anderson served as captain of the USA Women’s Junior Basketball team on their trip to Taiwan. In 1978 and 1979, she was a member of the USA Women’s Senior Basketball teams that traveled to China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Russia. In 1979, she was selected as an alternate to Team USA for the Pan-American Games.

In 2010, she was inducted into the inaugural MIAA Hall of Fame class for her outstanding accomplishments at UCM. Michael E. Howard ’83 has earned the Chartered Advisor In Philanthropy professional designation from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. The CAP program provides professionals in the nonprofit and financial services fields who work with individuals and families in the development and implementation of philanthropic programs with the knowledge and tools needed to help clients

reach their charitable giving objectives, while also helping them meet their estate planning and wealth management goals. Michael is the CEO at Youthbridge Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps St. Louis area nonprofits, especially those focused on children and youth.

17th Judicial Circuit of Missouri, Cass County, Division Three in fall 2014.

Ashley Young ’00 a freshmen social studies teacher at SmithCotton Junior High School in Sedalia, was honored as the 2015 Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Council for Social Studies. Young teaches world history and current events. He was nominated for the award

by Starlynn Nance, assistant professor of history at UCM and student teaching supervisor for the College of Education. Nance was observing a student teacher from UCM who was assigned to Young as a cooperating supervising teacher. She was impressed with the differentiated instruction offered by Young in his classroom, using humor and excellent co-teaching instruction.

Darla (Curp) Moberly ’86 was inducted into the 2015 MIAA Athletic Hall of Fame. She was an eight-time All-American in track and cross country and won the first national title in Jennies’ track and field history when she won the outdoor 3,000 meters in 1986. She still holds the Walton Stadium records for the outdoor 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs.

She is the UCM record holder in the indoor 3,000m run and the 1,000m run (discontinued event).

She is the UCM outdoor record holder in the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m runs.

Wendy Pecka ’91, ’93 coordinator of the psychology and sociology department and instructor of psychology at East Central College was one of the 100plus educators in the St. Louis metropolitan area who received an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a licensed professional counselor who serves as the disability services counselor, director of counseling and advisement and interim director of ECC’s Rolla, MO, location.

Missy Arnold ’92 has been awarded a $250 employee scholarship by the Sedalia Community Educators Association.

She is an instructional English language arts coach for fifth and sixth graders at Sedalia Middle School. She is attending Williams Wood University and plans to finish a degree as a specialist in curriculum instruction in May 2016.

Stacey J. Lett ’00 was elected associate circuit judge,

Danny Powers ’05 was inducted into the 2015 MIAA Athletic Hall of Fame. The former Mules baseball player was the 2005 National, Regional and MIAA Pitcher of the Year. He was a first team AllMIAA, All-American and the 2005 Rawlings/ABCA National Player of the Year. He holds the UCM singleseason record for wins (15) and strikeouts with 129. His 277 career strikeouts is also a program record.

Powers went 7-1 in the NCAA Tournament during his three years at UCM, including a win in the 2003 national championship game against Tampa.

Kristen (Anderson) Swisher, ’06 was inducted into the 2015 MIAA Athletic Hall of Fame.

Anderson was a two-time national champion for Jennies Track & Field and a six-time All-American.

She holds the school record in the indoor 5,000 meters, indoor distance medley relay and steeplechase. She was a 25-time All-MIAA performer during her career and recently qualified for the marathon in the 2016 United States Olympic Trials.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

29

IN M E MO R I A M

1930-1939 Mima J. Kapke ’39

1940-1949 Rickey Irene Goetz ’43 Patsy D. Turner ’45 Betty M. Poyner ’47

1950-1959 John R. Cattanach ’52 Shirley A. Hudgins ’53 Wilfred L. Pettus ’54 Janice A. Learning ’55 Robert D. Williams ’55 Howard Kim ’56, ’65 Joanne L. Stewart ’56 Kenneth R. Carriker ’58 Diane L. Tacke ’58, ’66

1960-1969 Keith C. Stone ’61 Nadine M. Eddington ’62 William W. Ely ’62 Albert J. Gerhardt ’62 C.C. Lowers III ’62 Gary N. Abernathy ’63 Evelyn E. Bateman ’63 Carol J. Fisher ’63 John E. Andrews ’64 Mary L. Bolles ’64 Gregory A. Farmer ’64 Frederick A. Wolff ’64

Martha E. Gillogly ’65 Charles E. Elliott ’69 Gregory A. Farmer ’69 Judy K. Mondy ’69 Melvin E. Phillips ’69

1970-1979 John E. Andrews ’70 David L. Gann ’67 (CH), ’71 Larry Dixon ’72 Gerri L. Matson ’72 Marilyn Phipps ’72 James S. Grigsby ’69 (CH), ’74 Bruce E. Shirky ’74 Richard R. Weber ’74 David A. Friel ’75, ’82 Dana J. Brown ’77 James T. Lund ’77 Paul W. Harrison ’79

2000-2009 Emmett D. Cox ’01 Tabitha M. Lazenby ’04 Lenora B. Robbins ’05 Emily N. Sullins ’06

2010-2019 Dylan Michael Austin ’12

College High

Friends

Wilma Lorene Fitzgerald ’39 Charlotte M. Bell ’47 Marilyn Lemmon ’64 John Charles Kelley ’66 Dennis O. Alkire ’71

Kiernan Hogan

Glen E. Henness ’80 Robert L. Dunn ’81 Patricia A. Smith ’82 Mary R. Wills ’84 Robert L. Atherley Sr. ’85, ’86 David Paul Houck ’85 Janice C. Weir ’88

Former Students

Mona M. Snowden ’92 Charles E. Renno ’93 Phillip Steward Hoge ’95 Larry J. Heavner ’96

Carl J. Bergstrom Lucille C. Bolton John G. Byland Dudley S. Childress Daniel J. DeKeyser Aurora M. Doherty Lois R. Eichholz Harvey G. Flenker Marian L. Gray Peter Hasselriis Janice L. Jadlow Donnie L. Jennings V.A. Julian Jr. Colleen Kerstetter Ferne L. Klein Clair L. Kucera Richard D. Maxwell Bruce Millstead Jr. Lorene Newsom Brenda K. Tabor Sandra L. Westphal Eldon Williams

Current Student

1980-1989

1990-1999

Corydon Lee Riley Jr. Claudia G. Stepaniak Claudine H. Trent Esther Lynn Tull Vincent Anthony Vetter James G. Walden Betty Jean Wangler Tonia A. Watson Larry Alan Wheatley William R. Williamson Jr.

Robert L. Beamer LaMae Bryant Walter W. Caldwell III Robert E. Campbell James R. Denning Daryl V. Fallin Gary L. Galutia Gregory C. Guinn Barbara A. Halsey Mary E. Lange Danny G. McDonald

U N D A TI O N B E Q U E S T S UCM FO

e

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way Voncile Huffman died in 2002 but her teaching legacy survives.

Through a will bequest she made to the UCM Foundation, she found a way to continue her love of teaching through an endowed scholarship that has helped more than a hundred students follow in her footsteps.

Now is an excellent time to create or review your will. Contact Joy Mistele at 660-543-8000 or mistele@ucmo.edu to discuss this and other estate giving options that can benefit both you and UCM.

30

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

I N M EM OR I AM

Dylan Austin Dylan Michael Austin, 26, a current graduate student from Independence, MO, died April 25, 2015, in a skate boarding accident.

He graduated from Fort Osage High School in 2007, then came to UCM and earned his bachelor’s degree. He was working on a master’s degree in kinesiology and would have graduated in December. He was a graduate assistant at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

Survivors include his parents, Scott and Shelley Austin, a sister, Saige; paternal grandparents Margaret and Terry Austin; maternal grandparents Rusty and Henrietta Darnel; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Memorials are suggested to the Campus Cupboard food pantry or the UCM Breakers, UCM Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093.

James “Lew” Comer James “Lew” Comer, 91, of Costa Mesa, CA, who coached Mules football from 1953-1957, died Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015.

He was born in Gainesville, TX, where he lived on the family farm with his sisters and five brothers. At the age of 14, he moved with his family to San Diego, CA. Known as “Tex,” he excelled in academics and was captain of his high school football team and a noted track man.

After graduating in 1942, he attended Iola Junior College in Kansas on a football scholarship, then joined the Marine Corps where he served in World War II from 19431946. He next attended Fort Hays State University in Kansas where he was captain of the football team and won all-conference honors in the 440.

He arrived in Warrensburg in 1953 to become Mules head football and track coach. In addition to developing a championship team, he earned his master’s degree. He and his 1956 Mules football team were inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. With a 7-2 overall record, the 1956 Mules football team gave Central Missouri its first MIAA football title since 1926.

After UCM, Comer moved his family to Las Cruces, NM, where he was director of physical education and athletics for the public school system. He joined New Mexico State University as cross country coach and

assistant professor and completed his Ed.S. and Ed.D. degrees while there.

In 1963, he became athletic director at California State University Hayward where he helped to start a football program and build a stadium and track. His athletic leadership continued at CSU Bakersfield and CSU Long Beach. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, he was recognized frequently for his outstanding leadership in intercollegiate athletics and community activities.

Preceded in death by Barbara, his wife of almost 66 years, he leaves behind one brother, George, of Springfield, MA; four children, Ronald (Betsy), Barbara Marrs (Buck), David, and Daniel (Sandy); ten grandchildren, 15 great-grandchidren and one great-grand grandchild.

Daniel J. DeKeyser Daniel J. DeKeyser, 54, of LaMonte, MO, died Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. He was an HVAC technician at UCM. He was born April 18, 1960, the son of Joseph DeKeyser and Judith K. Hill. He grew up in Kansas City and graduated from Washington High School in 1978. He later married Glenda Allen in 2010 in Sedalia.

He was preceded in death by his father.

Survivors include his wife, four children, his mother, three brothers, five grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Marian Luvinnie Gray Marian Luvinnie Gray, 90, of Blue Springs, MO, formerly of Warrensburg, died Monday, Dec. 29. She was a key punch operator at the university for many years.

She was born Feb. 10, 1924, in rural Henry County, the daughter of Lester George and Maggie Eunice (Beckett) Hutchinson. She married John Robert Gray in 1945 in Shawnee Mound, MO, at the home of her parents.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, L.G. Survivors include three children, a brother, David, six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donnie Lee Jennings Donnie Lee Jennings, 61, of Warrensburg, a former university custodian, died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at his home.

He was born Sept. 13, 1953, in Warrensburg, the son of Donald D. and

Dorothy Jean (Foster) Jennings. He married Debra Holt in 1992 in Warrensburg. After working as a custodian for several years at UCM, he became a loader and packer for Carlyle Van Lines.

He is survived by his wife and four siblings.

Sonny Julian Virgil Alexander “Sonny” Julian Jr., 86, of Independence, MO, a long-time supporter of KMOS and a former member of its advisory board, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015.

He was born May 17, 1928, the eldest son of Virgil Alexander Julian Sr. and Alice May Crane Ek. He attended Bristol Elementary School and Northeast Senior High School, graduating in 1945. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserve as an aviation cadet in the V-5 Program and served at Great Lakes Naval Facility. He was discharged in 1946 and continued in the Active Naval Reserve until 1951.

He married Bettie Jean Culp in 1948. His education at Kansas City Junior College and University of Missouri Kansas City focused on economics and accounting, setting the tone for his lifelong career with numbers and money, including CPA certification in Missouri and Kansas, decades of tax preparation, an apprenticeship at Sinderson, Henning and Mueller and controller at Chrysler Corporation. He taught at UMKC, handled IRS audits, was a general partner of Mid-American Cinema and invested in Jackson County Cable Systems. In 1962 he opened his own CPA practice.

Survivors include four children, a brother, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Richard D. Maxwell Richard Dale Maxwell, 91, of Hendersonville, NC, former Mules cross country coach, died Tuesday, March 24, 2015.

The son of Leo Dale Maxwell and Louella Schaufstall, he grew up in Cleveland, OH, graduating from East High School where he achieved many state and city track and field honors. In 1941, he joined the Army Engineers and was sent to Saipan in the South Pacific.

After his service, he returned to Ohio State University where he had been offered a scholarship. He was captain of the OSU track team his senior year and participated in the 1948 Olympic tryouts, coming in fourth by two-tenths of a second.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

31

IN M E MO R I A M

After graduating from OSU in 1949, he accepted a graduate assistantship at the University of North Carolina where he was the freshman track coach. He received a master’s degree in adaptive physical education and returned to Columbus for several years after which he came to Warrensburg, becoming the Mules head track coach in 1965.

His 1969 team was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. That team captured the first MIAA cross country championship in school history. The team was undefeated three years in a row at home, leading up to their championship season in 1969. They finished the year in 10th place at the NCAA National Championships.

Survivors include his wife, Bea, of 67 years, three children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Harold M. Reynolds Harold “Harry” Reynolds, professor emeritus of art, died Feb. 18, 2015, following an injury at his home in the Orlando, FL, area.

The longtime educator joined the UCM faculty in 1969 and served the university until his retirement in 2002. He developed strong friendships with his colleagues in the art department, where he taught figure drawing, art education and other courses.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University and a doctorate at Oklahoma State.

A talented artisan as well as educator, he designed the Alumni Association’s distinguished alumni medal and was part of the team that designed the university mace, initially produced for the inauguration ceremony of UCM’s 12th president Ed Elliott.

Reynolds is survived by his wife, Jan, also a UCM professor emerita; a son, Mark; and daughter, Erica.

Memorials are suggested to art department scholarships, UCM Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or by going online to ucmo.edu/giveonline.

Ammon Roberson Ammon D. Roberson, 100, Independence, MO, a former music professor at the university, died Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015.

He was born June 3, 1914, in a log cabin in Franklin County, IL, the fourth of nine children of Ernest and Anna Phillips Roberson. He graduated from Benton (IL) High School,

32

Vol. 14, No. 4 | ucmo.edu/ucmmagazine

earned an associate’s degree from Graceland College and in 1940, completed a bachelor’s in music from UCM. After serving in Italy during the war, Roberson earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and a doctorate in music education from Indiana University. He lived in Warrensburg from 1955 through 2009 when he moved to the White Oak Living Center in Independence.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nora, and is survived by a stepdaughter, sister, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Kenneth Wayne Thomason Kenneth Wayne Thomason, 93, a generous benefactor of the UCM aviation department, died Monday, March 9, 2015.

He was born March 3, 1922, in Chilhowee, MO, the son of William Langford Thomason and Fern Lois Shimmel Thomason. He discovered at an early age his passion for flying. He spent countless hours pouring over books on aviation and building balsa wood model airplanes. He realized his dream of flying when he was drafted into the Army Air Corp in 1943. A recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, he flew in 141 missions over North Africa, Corsica and Italy for the Screaming Red Ass 347th Fighter Squadron.

He owned and operated Thomason’s Market in Chilhowee for 40 years. At age 65, he was contacted by Stahl’s Specialty Company to work for them. He worked there for 15 years, retiring at age 80.

He was a lifelong member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a member of the Masons for more than 40 years. He rode motorcycles for several years and at age 53 took up bicycling. He took an

interest in woodcarving when he was 73. He enjoyed remote control airplanes and was a ham radio operator.

Survivors include his friend, Harvey Howell and wife, Dorothea of Warrensburg, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two sisters and a brother.

Memorials are suggested to the Kenneth Wayne Thomason Aviation Opportunity Scholarship benefiting deserving aviation students at UCM. Gifts may be sent to the UCM Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093 or made online at ucmo.edu/giveonline.

Frances Elleta Wild Frances Elleta Wild, 90, of Riverside, CA, died Sunday, March 15, 2015.

She was born Aug. 20, 1924, in Imboden, AR, to Earl and Margaret Wheeler. She graduated from Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, MO, attended UCM, then transferred to the University of North Dakota to earn a bachelor degree in mathematics.

She married Robert Lee Wild in 1943. He was a 1943 alumnus, who played football and co-captained the Mules his senior year. He served the University of California Riverside for 35 years as a physics professor. Mrs. Wild enjoyed a career as a classroom teacher.

The two of them established the Robert L. Wild Family Scholarship to help UCM students pursuing a degree in physics or mathematics and is actively involved in intercollegiate athletics. Memorials to the UCM Foundation are encouraged in support of this scholarship.

She was preceded in death by her husband.

Survivors include three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

TRASH OR TREASURE Attics, garages, closets and basements are perfect to store items you no longer need, but sometimes things sit there just collecting dust. You might think these family collectibles are valuable because they’re old, but that isn’t always the case. Liberty Mutual is proud to be a sponsor of the PBS show, “Antiques Roadshow,” where you can learn more about trash vs. treasure. The greatest hidden treasure, they say, is art!

Liberty Mutual is a responsible company that delivers expert advice and caring service.

For more information, call 800-524-9400 or visit www.libertymutual.com/ucmo.

DON’T LEAVE MO

HOME ALONE

As you vacation this summer, be sure to take our Flat MO with you. He’s ready for new adventures in his new student-designed outfit. Use #FlatMO when you share your photos on our Facebook page at /UCMAlumniAssociation.

Oh, the places you’ll go when you take along MO.

University of Central Missouri Magazine

33

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

T O O T R U O Y N R O H

YOU!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM

Our IT area says there’s nothing wrong with our email but we haven’t heard from any of you. To have our Interactions section, we need to hear from you. So, give us a toot. Loud or silent, we’ll take them both.

Please drop us an email at ucmmagazine@ucmo.edu.

We welcome your written notes, too: Editor, UCM Magazine Smiser Alumni Center Warrensburg, MO 64093

2¢

YOU R T WO CE NTS COU LD B E WO RTH THOU SAN DS TO R ECE NT UCM G R ADUATE S .

S H A R E YO U R H A R D - E A R N E D P R O FE S S I O N A L W I S D O M BY J O I N I N G T H E A LU M N I A DV I S O R N E T WO R K AT U C M O. E D U/ R E D CO N N E C T.