TODAY — Summer 2012

ucmo.edu/today

summer 2012, vol. 12 no. 1

It’s All About Excellence Excellence is what we

strive to provide for UCM students, whether it’s teaching them in class or providing services that help them succeed, complete their degree and become a UCM alumnus.

It’s also why we are changing the name of the Central Annual Fund to the Fund for Excellence. We believe your support of UCM is about helping students pursue excellence and their dreams.

We want to celebrate the moments of excellence in your life as we create new opportunities for current students. Visit ucmo.edu/excellence to learn more about how you can become involved.

Want to double, perhaps triple, your gift?

It’s possible if you work for a company with a matching gift program. Unsure?

Look up your employer at matchinggifts. com/ucmo. Remember you are central to the Fund for Excellence.

CONTACT: SCOTT ALVESTED DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING PROGRAMS EMAIL: ALVESTED@UCMO.EDU PHONE: 660-543-8000 TOLL-FREE: 866-752-7257

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ON THE COVER

A Letter from the President

2 The pioneer spirit

UCM alumna Marlene Mawson helped create opportunities for future generations of young women.

12 an enduring relationship

Bob and Jonna Merritt stay connected with UCM.

18 depths of endurance

Business major Travis Thompson joins an elite group.

20 from combat to classroom UCM welcomes those who serve.

8 central yesterday 10 campus currents 15 Generosity 24 Class Notes 26 Awards and Honors 27 In Memoriam

SUMMER 2012, VOL. 12 NO. 1

Published by the offices of University Relations and Alumni and Constituent Relations. ©2012 by University of Central Missouri. All rights reserved.

Contact the editor at today@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4640.

Send your address updates to alumni@ucmo.edu or telephone 660-543-8000 or toll-free, 1-866-752-7257.

Editor

Mike Greife ‘74 Design

Sarah Murrill ‘97 Photographer

Bryan Tebbenkamp ’03 Class Notes

Tina Bell (fs) Today (USPS 019-888) is published quarterly by the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Printed by Lane Press, Inc., 87 Meadowland Dr., South Burlington, VT 05403. Periodicals postage paid at Warrensburg, MO, and additional offices.

Honoring Those Who Have Served We are very fortunate to live and work in a community with a population that is enriched by a large number of active duty and veteran servicemen and women, many who have dedicated part of their service at Whiteman Air Force Base. They are our neighbors, the people we see in our local restaurants, at church, at work and in our classrooms at the University of Central Missouri. While we often exchange friendly greetings and catch up on what’s new in each other’s lives, we may forget about the true personal sacrifices these men and women have made on our behalf.

In this issue of “Today,” you will learn about two UCM students who understand what those sacrifices mean.

They will share their combat experiences and describe the physical and emotional wounds that are still healing.

We’re pleased that both young men say they have found a tremendous resource in UCM’s Military and Veterans Success Center. They have discovered a caring staff dedicated to helping them make a successful transition from military to civilian life while also ensuring they get the professional assistance they need to overcome the post-traumatic stress issues that they share in common with many other soldiers.

We are proud to be associated with these brave students and the men and women who have served beside them to protect our freedom. Their personal stories make us aware of the strong need to continue building on opportunities to better serve these important community members, while also seeking ways to strengthen their connection to the UCM campus. As you peruse the pages of “Today,” learning more about our commitment to those who serve, we hope you’ll make additional discoveries that you will be proud to share about UCM and our exceptional alumni.

Joining you in service, Chuck Ambrose, President

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Today, Smiser Alumni Center, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093.

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The Pioneer Spirit

by Mike Greife

It was a warm, summer morning in Lawrence, Kan., when Marlene Mawson recently got her first look at the new display of photographs that document the history of women’s athletics at the University of Kansas. During a visit to Allen Field House and the Athletics Hall of Fame on the KU campus, she stopped by the women’s athletics offices and was invited to view the display that lines the long hallway outside the offices.

For Mawson, a 1962 graduate of the University of Central Missouri, it didn’t matter that much that the photo display honoring women’s athletics came several years after the similar display for men’s athletics in an adjacent hallway. What mattered was that it was there.

“This is wonderful. This is just great,” Mawson said as she walked down the hallway, naming the players in the photos who played for her when she coached women’s sports at KU in the late 1960s and early 1970s, along with the legendary women’s athletics coaches who succeeded her. Among the photos was one of Mawson, taken earlier in her career at KU. It is the same photo that became part of the display in the KU Athletics Hall of Fame when she received that honor in 2009.

Mawson has been called the “Mother of KU Women’s Athletics,” a title she earned by taking on the task of establishing the program at KU in the late 1960s, before federal legislation assured equality in opportunity.

In 2008, KU named the “Marlene Mawson Woman Athlete of the Year” award in her honor, and the following year she was inducted

into the Kansas University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2012 she was recognized as the “KU Distinguished Pioneer Woman” by the KU Commission on the Status of Women and the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center.

A native of Archie, Mo., Mawson and her twin sister graduated from UCM in 1962. The youngest of seven daughters, they heeded their father’s advice to obtain a college degree.

“My father always told us he wanted us to get a college education,” Mawson said. “He said someone may cheat you out of your money, but they can never cheat you out of your education.” Six of the seven Mawson sisters graduated from UCM, with the seventh earning her nursing degree from KU. As a physical education major and English minor, Mawson was prepared for the only role available to women at the time in the absence of organized interscholastic sports for girls— teaching women’s physical education. She remembers the extracurricular activities class taught by Flo Young, which is where she gained her ability to organize large events and develop strategy. She also remembers the late Jessie Jutten, professor emeritus of physical education, (continued to page 4) University of Central Missouri | today

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(continued from page 3)

whose perseverance in obtaining a Ph.D. set an example for a generation of women teaching physical education in higher education.

Mawson’s first teaching position was at Van Horn High School in Kansas City. The second year she taught at the new Nowlin Junior High School, returning the next year to teach at Van Horn and serve as department chair there for the next four years.

During the 1960s, the U.S. Olympic Development Committee recognized the need to develop a coaching institution to prepare women coaches to train young girls for U.S. teams in Olympic competition. While teaching at Van Horn, Mawson played basketball for the Kansas City Dons in the AAU Women’s League and volleyball in the Missouri-Oklahoma USVBA Conference. She was selected as one of two women from Missouri to attend the 1966 Olympic institute, where 100 women coaches received one week of intensive training in coaching basketball. She returned in 1969 as one of two Kansas representatives for the advanced basketball Olympic coaching program.

During her sixth year at Van Horn, she was offered the opportunity to teach and coach at the University of Kansas.

“It was a nine-month contract, and I took a $2,000 pay cut to go,” she said. “It was a tenure track position, and I had three years to complete a Ph.D. degree. I taught 12 credit hours, and I also was asked to start KU’s women’s athletic program as a part of my assignment.”

The program was funded by the Physical Education Department, and she was given an annual budget of $2,000 to develop six sports. The coaches were volunteers. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Mawson coached field hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball on a volunteer basis.

“That included everything—uniforms, equipment, travel, and officials—when we could find them,” she said. “At the time, we thought it was a privilege to compete at the intercollegiate level. We didn’t think of it as having less, although we recognized we had less. We didn’t have any authority to have any more. We were just glad to have what we had.”

The task was not without challenges. Women’s athletics were not allowed to use the facilities reserved for men’s intercollegiate athletics for scheduled games or practices.

“We practiced and played in the two gymnasiums used for physical education classes,” Mawson said. “When the gymnastics coach, who is now a good friend of mine, would get ready for a match, he would set up his equipment in the middle of the courts.”

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Marlene Mawson

With less than a year at KU, Mawson bid for and won the challenge of hosting the national volleyball championships, bringing the national spotlight to KU. It was only the second national tournament, so there wasn’t a great deal of precedence.

“I think that’s when colleagues across the country saw me as someone at KU who had a grasp on what was going on in the national competitive scene,” she said.

Less than a month later, her basketball team qualified for the first time to play in the national championships in North Carolina. The small budget for women’s athletics would come nowhere near covering the expenses of the trip.

“Somehow enough money came to us through the KU Endowment Association to lease two station wagons from the local Ford dealer,” she said. “We put air mattresses in the back, because we didn’t have the money to stay anywhere during the two-day trip. The girls made sandwiches to eat along the way.” They arrived on the Western North Carolina University campus in Cullhowee, N.C., during spring break,

“It was a nine-month contract, and I took a $2,000 pay cut to go.

It was a tenure track position, and I had three years to complete a Ph.D. degree. I taught 12 credit hours, and I also was asked to start KU’s women’s athletic program as a part of my assignment.”

so the team was allowed to sleep in the lobby of the residence hall on mattresses taken from the rooms.

“We came up through the consolation bracket and beat South Carolina, but lost to Cal Northridge in the final game.

We felt like we had competed very well that year,” she said.

Mawson had completed her master’s degree at the University of Colorado while teaching at Van Horn. After completing her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon, she realized she had a choice to make. KU had created the position of a half-time women’s athletic director, and she was asked if she wanted the position.

“I’d seen what happens in coaching,” she said. “I decided to follow the academic track.” She was named coordinator of undergraduate physical education, and after eight years was named coordinator of graduate studies in physical education.

She also taught Sport Management and Research Methods courses in KU’s doctoral program.

“After nine years, I realized I was doing the work of a department chair,” she said. With no immediate

opportunities for advancement at KU, she accepted the position of department chair at Illinois State University, developing the university’s program with 40 faculty during the next 10 years. She was able to take advantage of an early retirement plan and was ready to settle into retirement in Illinois when she was asked to take the job of department chair at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton.

“I asked them, ‘Don’t you know I’m retired?’ Then I said that I would consider taking the position if they gave me the salary I retired with at Illinois State, and you know, they gave me the salary, so I couldn’t very well say ‘no.’ ” When she got to Carrollton, Ga., she realized why they sought out an experienced administrator.

“They had 10 faculty members, and the one with the most experience was starting his second year. They also had four curricular accreditations coming up in the next two years,” Mawson said. She successfully guided the department through the accreditations and returned home to Illinois. (continued to page 6) University of Central Missouri | today

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“What I don’t think people realize is that Title IX came in after women’s collegiate athletics started. Title IX wasn’t admitted to the federal register until July of 1973, and it stipulated that higher education had to be in compliance showing equity in men’s and women’s sports in five years.”

The statue of legenday coach Forrest “Phog” Allen stands in front of KU’s Booth Family Hall of Athletics.

(continued from page 5)

Mawson underwent several surgeries in 2007, and as she recovered, she realized she had no close relatives in the Illinois area. “In 2008 KU notified me that they wanted to name the Woman Athlete of the Year Award after me, and in 2009, I was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame,” she said. “I thought, ‘you know, KU is home, and they love me there,’ so I moved back to Lawrence in 2010.”

A tour of the KU Athletics Hall of Fame with Mawson includes a visit to Allen Field House, named for KU’s legendary men’s basketball coach, Forrest “Phog” Allen, who also coached the Central Missouri State Teachers College Mules from 1912 to 1917. Mawson smiles as she notes that the James Naismith Court in Allen Field House, where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame, is the same court that was unavailable to women’s athletics while she was women’s basketball coach.

Mawson was still coaching when Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was passed.

“What I don’t think people realize is that Title IX came in after women’s collegiate athletics started,” Mawson said.

“Title IX wasn’t admitted to the federal register until July 6

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of 1973, and it stipulated that higher education had to be in compliance showing equity in men’s and women’s sports in five years.”

For Mawson, Title IX legitimized what she and her peers in intercollegiate women’s athletics already had accomplished without the benefit of legislated compliance. In spite of the struggles and challenges, Mawson doesn’t remember being discouraged.

“I don’t recall ever feeling down,” she said. “I recall feeling disappointed when we’d lose games. I guess I always had this perception of winning, and if we didn’t, we were still in the running. It was that perseverance and knowing there were expectations of me. Whether it was the students I was coaching or the students I knew were waiting for the review copies of their dissertations, I didn’t want to disappoint anyone who had expectations of me.”

As a member of KU’s K-Club and former women’s coach, Mawson has lifetime season tickets to all KU women’s sporting events. She uses them frequently and enjoys watching the coaches as well as the teams on the court.

Even in retirement, she has found opportunities to keep her

UCM alumna Marlene Mawson was inducted in 2009 into the KU Athletics Hall of Fame, housed in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics.

competitive spirit alive. She plays golf several times a week at two different clubs, and she is active in Lawrence civic organizations.

“I’m always coaching from the bleachers, although it doesn’t seem to have an effect on what’s going on down on the court,” she said. “I like the strategy and the skill that unfolds the strategy. Good coaches, in my estimation, are the ones who can identify the skill and mind set of the players they have and click into their psyches to make that whole team function.”

Mawson also notes that a lifelong hearing impairment resulted in her ability to read lips. “I like to sit behind the bench, and I can tell what the coach is saying during time-outs,” she said. “That’s always interesting.”

She also is willing to let current generations of young women athletes know about the history behind the growth of women’s intercollegiate athletics, but she doesn’t feel the need for gratitude.

“Bonnie Henrickson has asked me to come and tell her team some of these yesteryear stories,” she said, “but what was

really rewarding to me was during the 40th anniversary (of KU women’s athletics) last year, they had a brunch, and they asked me to say a few words. I told about the trip to North Carolina, and five of the eight players who made that trip were there. That was so thrilling to me. And I know that they felt rewarded, too. But I don’t know that I have a feeling of ‘you just don’t know what it was like,’ for these players now, or ‘you just can’t appreciate now, what it was like then.’ That’s not why I persisted in seeking opportunities for women’s sport competition.”

For Mawson, it’s a good feeling when she watches intercollegiate women’s athletics today.

“When you see a national women’s championship get sold out,” she said, “you think, ‘who could have imagined— who could have imagined?’ when we had to play on a physical education floor for our national intercollegiate competition.

It’s vindication to acknowledge the opportunities that have developed for us women athletes in a short 40 years, as I Give your feedback at ucmo.edu/today watch from the stands.”

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central yesterday

celebrate The Elliott Union will celebrate its golden anniversary Sept. 27, 2012, with a day of activities.

Alumni, former faculty and all friends of UCM are invited to return to campus to reminisce about the role the Elliott Union played in their lives as UCM students.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit ucmo.edu/union50 8

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The concept of a student union for Central Missouri State Teachers College, a place where students could gather in “the campus living room,” began as far back as the mid-1940s when CMSTC President George Diemer began polling his faculty about the idea. His vision was that of a facility that would include dining, social and recreational activities, as well an attached residence hall.

The Campus Living Room

by Mike Greife

Throughout the 1950s the North Morrow Social Hall filled the needs of the student body. In 1958 planning began in earnest for a new facility. President Warren Lovinger appointed a college union planning committee, architect’s plans were completed, and ground was broken for the new facility in 1961 on College Street on what was then the western boundary of the main campus.

When completed and dedicated on Sept. 29, 1962, the new College Union featured dining facilities, a game room, a TV room, a barbershop, a 10-lane bowling alley, meeting rooms, a student lounge and an information desk.

By 1966, more room was needed as enrollment continued to grow. The building was expanded to the north, adding a larger game room, a ballroom with a stage, more student lounge area, a beauty shop and a faculty and staff lounge area. Ten lanes also were added to the bowling alley.

The One and Only Singers and The Troupe, musical groups created by the Union staff, provided entertainment. The union programming staff developed a variety of activities that kept students involved.

When CMSC became Central Missouri State University in 1972, the College Union became the University Union. The lowest level of the union had been developed into the Mule Barn in the 1960s, providing a coffeehouse atmosphere. The Union Programming Cabinet, a group of students who planned events, brought live entertainment to the union. Ski trips were organized, and Madrigal Dinners were presented in the Union Ballroom.

Following the 1966 renovations, the union continued to serve the campus until the 1980s, when the university began to respond to the social changes that spread

throughout the country and higher education. Students were more mobile, and the union was no longer the only location for entertainment and social activity as the surrounding community began to cater to the student population.

With the arrival of President Ed Elliott in 1983 and the reorganization of the university’s student affairs division, planning began for an extensive renovation of the union. Plans were developed to expand the University Union from 90,555 square feet to 168,000 square feet. Student leadership, faculty and staff joined university administration in planning the new facility.

The Mule Head Lounge was expanded to become the union atrium, featuring a new east entrance and the landmark clock tower. Dining facilities were moved to the ground floor and expanded to offer a variety of dining options, and ballroom facilities were renovated to include expandable space and state-ofthe-art technology. The University Store, formerly the bookstore, was expanded, bringing textbook services to the union from the library, and ten lanes of the 20-lane bowling alley were converted to space to house the Office of Campus Activities.

The University Union was renamed the Ed Elliott Union in honor of the university president upon his retirement in 1999, and the ballroom was renamed the Sandra Temple Elliott Ballroom. Focused marketing of the Elliott Union as a campus and community facility has resulted in a variety of new venues that meet the needs of UCM students and faculty, as well as the community, allowing it to us remain the “campus living room” Give your feedback at ucmo.edu/today after 50 years of service.

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campus currents VIA TO LEAD OFFICE OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS University of Cenetral Missouri alumna Traci Via has been named director of alumni and constituent relations at UCM. Via received a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from UCM in 1991 and currently is working toward a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. She operated a marketing and advertising agency from 2003-2011 and worked as a senior media consultant for Time Warner Cable from 1995-2003.

She is a founding member of the Blue Springs, Missouri, Economic Development Corporation.

Via was honored in 2005 as the Blue Springs Business Person of the Year. She also helped coordinate Blue Springs activities when UCM

Tracy Via

alumnus and “American Idol” winner David Cook returned for a hometown and campus visit.

Via will be responsible at UCM for the strategic leadership and management of a comprehensive program that broadens opportunities and services available to alumni and other constituents.

These include developing new networking, mentoring and volunteer opportunities; speaking to student classes and external groups; reconnecting alumni with the university; and overseeing reunion, homecoming and international travel programs.

Via invites alumni and friends to follow her through Twitter @tracivia and Linked In.

TWO UCM FACULTY MEMBERS RECEIVE FULBRIGHT HONORS Two University of Central Missouri faculty members are the recipients of Fulbright Scholar Awards that will allow them to expand their academic horizons.

Nicholas Baeth, associate professor of mathematics, will further his mathematical research while teaching in Austria March 1 through July 15, 2013, as the NAWI-Graz Visiting Professor in the Natural Sciences.

Nicholas Baeth

Wayne Miller, associate professor of English, will have an opportunity to develop his fourth collection of poetry while working alongside some of the outstanding writers and scholars in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as the recipient of a Distinguished Scholar in Creative Writing Fulbright Award. This will allow him to lecture, research and write at Queen’s University. The six-month-long opportunity begins Jan. 7, 2013.

Baeth joined UCM’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in 2005. He received his doctorate in mathematics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Miller joined the UCM faculty in 2002. He currently edits “Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing (& Reviews),” and will be editing a feature on emerging UK and Irish writers for “Pleiades” while he is in Belfast. Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Oberlin College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Houston.

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Wayne Miller

MULES, JENNIES FINISH A SUCCESSFUL YEAR University of Central Missouri athletics capped another successful year with a 10th place finish in the Learfield Sports/NACDA Directors’ Cup. This is the fourth straight year that UCM has finished in the top 10 and the 11th time in the last 17 years. UCM was the highest placing school in the MIAA and the only conference team to crack the top 25.

The Mules and Jennies captured seven MIAA regular season championships: Jennies soccer, Jennies volleyball, Mules cross country, Mules basketball, Mules indoor track and field, Mules baseball, and Mules golf.

In addition, Jennies soccer, Mules baseball and Mules golf each won conference tournament titles. Jennies volleyball and Mules golf each took home South Central Regional Championships with Mules baseball playing for a regional title.

Seven of Central Missouri’s 16 sports finished their seasons in the top 10 in the nation via ranking or place at the national meet.

Individually, UCM athletes had 39 different All-American seasons and performances. They also took home four individual national championships in track and field. Lindsay Lettow won the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon; Kayla Muyskens won the outdoor shot put and Laban Sialo captured the indoor 5,000m run.

Lettow, Jenna Schmidt of Jennies track and field, and Dalton Moberly of Mules cross country each were awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, while Moberly and Shawn Boss of Mules indoor track and field each received the Elite 89 Award for the top GPA at their respective championships.

UCM coaches earned seven Coach of the Year honors, and Jennies bowling coach Ron Holmes was recognized as the National Coach of the Year as well.

Tony Monetti

MONETTI TO LEAD AVIATION PROGRAMS Tony Monetti, Warrensburg, a former U.S. Air Force B-2 pilot and Warrensburg businessman and civic leader, has been named assistant dean of aviation and executive director of UCM’s Max B. Swisher Skyhaven Airport.

Monetti retired in July 2012 as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, having directed operations from 2009-2012 for one of two operational B-2 squadrons at Whiteman Air Force Base. He served most recently as the 394th senior advisor – B-2 instructor and evaluator pilot of the B-2 school house.

In 24 years of military service, he logged more than 4,000 military flight hours, including flying a B-52 during the initial strike of Operation Desert Storm and the debut of the B-2 stealth bomber in Operation Allied Force. He was one of the initial pilots to be selected for the B-2 program in 1994. He also has flown the B-1, T-38, and T-37.

He has experience flying the Boeing 757 commercially, and is a part owner of a small airline.

Monetti is the owner of Monetti’s Pizzeria Ristorante in Warrensburg. He provided leadership for fundraising for improvements to Lion’s Lake, and founded Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Johnson County with his wife, Penny.

Monetti’s goals include building a strong academic aviation program; enhancing customer service at the airport; developing strong relationships with alumni, the aviation industry and Whiteman Air Force Base; and improving the airport infrastructure to accommodate jet aircraft and develop a strong revenue stream.

Monetti is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. He has a Master of Arts degree in operational art and science from Air War College: Air University; an MA in management from Webster University, and he also attended the Joint Professional Military Education: Joint Forces Staff College.

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More than 55 years later, Bob and Jonna Merritt of Blue Springs, Mo., are eager to share stories about their time at the University of Central Missouri.

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SPRING 2012

By Matt Bird-Meyer

They were pinned outside Yeater Hall, surrounded by singing fraternity brothers and watched by girls hanging from open dormitory windows.

“It was so pretty. In the back of Yeater Hall there was a circle drive, and we had pinning ceremonies there from the fraternities and sororities,” recalled Jonna McKendree Merritt. “Bob’s fraternity, the Phi Sigs, came and they made a heart. We were standing in the middle of it, and they sang to us. It was a big deal. My mother even came down for it.”

The tree became a favorite student gathering spot and beloved landmark and in 1961 was named Old Elm for its perceived sturdiness. The 77-year-old tree came down in 1964 to make way for a new entrance to the Ward Edwards Library.

Today, Old Elm still is part of campus with a cross-section on display in the east stairwell of what is now the Ward Edwards Building.

Memories such as Old Elm and Yeater Hall, as well as all the friendships, are among the items that the Merritts value most about UCM.

That was back in the day, the 1950s, when young men requested to see their dates at the front desk of Yeater Hall and then waited in the lobby as the attendant buzzed the young woman in her room. Women had to sign out and return to their rooms by 10 p.m. Men had until 9:30 p.m. during the week and midnight on the weekends.

“You make a lot of good friends in college,” Bob said. “You need to keep in touch, I think, because those are generally your best times. You were working hard, but you were also playing hard and you can enjoy it. I think that’s the thing that we’ve enjoyed most about the university because people do keep in touch and it’s really great.”

Bob and Jonna Merritt met at Yeater Hall. But Bob wasn’t there to see Jonna, at first.

The Merritts stay connected in a number of ways. They are Mule Train members and enjoy the annual athletic auction.

They’re also members of the Presidents Society and in 2006 and 2007, respectively, were inducted into the 50-Year Society, the group recognizing graduates at their 50-year class anniversary.

“I buzzed his dates,” Jonna said matter-of-factly, prompting chuckles from Bob. “She knew who I was going out with,” he replied.

They married in 1956, the same year she graduated from UCM with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Bob graduated in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

More than 55 years later, Bob and Jonna Merritt of Blue Springs, Mo., are eager to share stories about their time at the University of Central Missouri. They also have been generous in donating their time and finances for more than 30 years to help advance programs they cherish, such as athletics, and to simply stay in touch with good friends.

The Merritts are two of many alumni and friends who comprise a new gift recognition club of the UCM Foundation.

The Old Elm Society, which recognizes donors who give for 10 or more years, is named for a tree that was planted on campus in 1887 and that survived the 1915 campus fire.

Jonna still has a soft spot in her heart for her former home in Yeater Hall. She said those were lean times, and she remembered writing a note to her mother on a Yeater Hall placemat that ended with “and mom, could you send me a couple dollars? I only have a dime left.”

Jonna said she recently visited the hall to talk to the students about some of its history.

“I left my letter on the Yeater Hall stationary to be put in their scrapbook because I thought the kids really needed to know how broke most of us (were),” she said. “It always made me say to anybody, you can always find a way to go to school. You just have to work hard.” (continued to page 14)

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“You make a lot of good friends in college,” Bob said.

“You need to keep in touch, I think, because those are generally your best times.”

Phi Sigma Epsilon’s pinning ceremonies were a campus tradition.

(continued from page 13)

Bob and Jonna have worked hard to help promote the university. They credit former UCM President Ed Elliott for developing a strong culture of reaching out to alumni.

Jonna wanted to do her part and was elected to the UCM Alumni Association Board of Directors in the 1970s, eventually working her way to president.

“When Elliott came in, he really embraced the alums,” Bob said. “He did a marvelous job. I think that’s when it really took off.”

Bob served on the UCM Foundation board for nine years and continues to serve in an emeritus role. He said he continues to attend meetings, especially the annual meeting during homecoming.

The Merritts want to do more but are limited in what they can do because of mobility issues. However, they both plan to make homecoming again this year as they do almost every year. This time, the Merritts will have two granddaughters in the parade — Katie Kelly, a member of the Jennies basketball team, and Mary Beal, a Lexington eighth grader in the marching band.

“I think one of the most important things for kids, and even for us, when you go to school is that you get involved in at least one thing so you have some connections,” Jonna said.

And their daughters fully embraced that advice.

Melissa Beal, their oldest from Lexington, attended UCM for two years and was involved in band. Beal’s daughter, Mary, attended band camp at UCM this summer.

Amy Merritt of Prairie Village was heavily involved in sports including softball, field hockey and tennis. Merritt is a physical education teacher and golf coach in Lee’s Summit and is a past member of the UCM Alumni Association board.

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Julie Kelly of Lee’s Summit, Mo., became a Tri-Sig, the same sorority her mother joined at UCM. Kelly also teaches in Lee’s Summit. One of her daughters, Katie, was red-shirted on the Jennies basketball team last year, and another, Allison, attended Missouri Girls State.

Jonna taught after graduating from UCM and retired from the Blue Springs school district after 30 years in 2001. Bob worked as an accountant for a variety of organizations, from manufacturing to the Metropolitan Community College system, retiring in 1998. He was also a member of the Blue Springs school board for 22 years, starting in 1967 at a time when the district was adding a new elementary school each year for 10 years.

“I worked in Kansas City, so that was really the only way I could contribute to the community,” Bob said. “I couldn’t get involved in service clubs and stuff like that. It was an educational experience.”

Bob said being involved means getting to know different people, and he’s enjoyed getting to know each of the university’s presidents, ranging from Warren C. Lovinger, who served from 1956 to 1979, to the current president, Chuck Ambrose.

“It’s so easy to get involved and do things. You get to meet people who are excellent people,” he said. “You can learn things just from talking to them and just taking the time to understand what’s important in their lives and why and how they got to where they are. You can improve in the way you think and approach life by meeting people who are successful like the presidents are.”

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generosity ESTATE GIFT INCREASES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MAJORS Rudy and Flo Grother loved education. That love is why they created a scholarship for Central Missouri elementary education majors seven years ago and why they chose to make a provision in their estate to increase it.

Rudolph and Florentine Grother

The UCM Foundation recently received their estate

libraries where there were none before. He served as a

gift, $1.2 million, toward the Rudolph and Florentine

librarian in the Sedalia public schools for more than 20

Grother Scholarship. When the Sedalia, Mo., couple

years before he retired in 1986.

created the scholarship, they credited their elementary and high school teachers with encouraging their love for learning. They said that their teachers’ talents and dedication helped them develop a passion for learning.

That passion continued into their retirement as they daily completed at least five crossword puzzles and read four newspapers.

“Rudy and Flo Grother were dedicated to their family, friends and community. They embraced a philosophy of less is more and found joy in serving others through their many acts of kindness and generosity,” said Jason Drummond, vice president for development and executive director of the UCM Foundation. “They were proud of Rudy’s achievement to earn his degree from UCM and were passionate about supporting quality education at their alma maters. Their generous gift supporting scholarships for future elementary education teachers for the state of Missouri will continue their legacy forever.”

Grother was a lifelong resident of Sedalia, graduating from Smith-Cotton High School in 1944. After high school, he attended UCM, where he was awarded a Regents Scholarship but was unable to use it. Instead he went to work as an electrician. When the company where he worked closed 20 years later, he returned to UCM and earned an education degree in 1966. He became an elementary school librarian in Sedalia, establishing new

His wife, Florentine, was born in Sweet Springs and graduated from Houstonia High School in 1944. After attending Central Business College, she worked at Burkholder’s in Sedalia before becoming a senior customer service representative at Missouri Public Service. She worked there for 37 years, retiring in 1986.

The couple married in 1951 in Sedalia, where they lived for some 60 years. Florentine died in 2009 and Rudolph in 2011.

“We are so pleased that the Grothers supported the important work teachers do. Like so many others, they recognized the significant, lasting impact teachers have on children,” said Michael Wright, dean of the UCM College of Education. “Students need financial assistance today to achieve their dreams, and this gift will enable deserving elementary education majors to prepare for a career of service. The Grothers exemplified UCM’s motto ‘Education for Service,’ and we are so grateful they have ensured others will be able to follow in their footsteps.”

The Rudolph and Florentine Grother Scholarship gives financial assistance to UCM elementary education majors who have completed at least 24 credit hours, have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and show promise of leadership and academic ability. They also must be graduates of either Northwest High School in Hughesville or Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia.

University of Central Missouri | today

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MAJOR GIFTS

BEQUESTS

*by fiscal year

CAPITAL PROJECTS

$399,636

$161,782

$1,281,582 2008

2011

$479,229

$894,931

2009

$251,181 $110,000

2010

2000000

2012

1500000

1000000

0

500000

ENDOWMENTS

$851,356

2010

$1,843,000

$1,625,341 2011 2012

$1,452,511

$491,155

$128,849

2009

$307,353

$215,083

$651,285

$133,835

2008

$417,814

ANNUAL GIFTS

$959,587

$407,938

RESTRICTED OTHER UNRESTRICTED

*by fiscal year

3000000

2500000

1500000

1000000

500000

0

2012

2000000

CENTRAL ANNUAL FUND

$187,327 $61,170

$1,693,660

$1,942,157

$189,190

2011 2010

$127,195 $164,192 $71,638

$2,916,750

$2,600,365

$1,353,344

$1,589,174

$186,167

2009

$127,450

$1,495,010

$1,808,627

$187,761

2008

16

u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

$78,750

$1,482,956

$1,749467

thank you The mission of the UCM Foundation is as vibrant today as it was 33 years ago when it was established.

The men and women who founded this organization had the vision and foresight to help the University of Central Missouri raise private support allowing for students to experience the life-changing impact of what our university offers. Every day, with the support of our alumni and friends, we continue our quest to advance the vision we were founded upon. To the UCM Foundation Board of Directors, our donors, staff, faculty and students, thank you for helping to make us who we are today on our journey toward who we aspire to be.

Revenue sources Other Organizations Parents

FY 2012

$53,373

$26,667

Foundations 1% 1% $235,474

In-Kind Gifts $315,948

6%

8%

15% Corporations

Bequests & Trusts $1,312,074

32%

$610,710

Friends

$653,906

— Jason Drummond, vice president of development and executive director of the UCM Foundation

Traditions and presidents have long been honored memories for UCM alumni, such as whether they stood under Old Elm as part of their commencement ceremony or attended during President Ed Elliott’s years.

Alumni

$892,953

22%

16%

Now, the UCM Foundation has announced new giving societies embodying those memories and recognizing donors for their generosity to the university.

The Presidents Society continues as the most wellknown of these groups, recognizing people and corporations for annual gifts starting at $1,000. For cumulative lifetime giving of $25,000 and greater, donors become members of the Cornerstone Society.

For people who make gifts for 10 years or more, there’s the Old Elm Society. Cambium Society honors new graduates who commit to a gift for 10 years, and the Heritage Society recognizes donors who make planned gifts such as bequests and annuities.

Giving by Fiscal Year 6mil

$6,000,000

5mil

$5,000,000

4mil

$4,000,000

3mil

$4,101,105

$5,212,219

$3,484,829

1mil

$1,000,000

$3,175,411

2mil

$3,930,496

$3,000,000

$2,000,000

New Societies Say Thanks

“These clubs allow the foundation to become more donor-centric. They celebrate our donors and their investments to advance UCM’s mission,” said Jason Drummond, executive director. “Each club was created to enhance the experience and interaction between the foundation and the donors who make it possible for our students and programs to reach their fullest potential.”

People can learn more about becoming a member of these societies and receiving a wide array of recognition benefits at ucmo.edu/giftsocieties.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Source: UCM Foundation 5-Year Financial Scorecard

University of Central Missouri | today

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M

eeting the challenges offered by life often can test a person’s determination, especially when tempered with the survival instinct. For University of Central Missouri junior Travis Thompson, the true test was spending seven weeks during the summer of 2011 testing his determination and honing his own survival instincts at the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, Fla.

DEPTHS OF ENDURANCE

by Mike Greife

Thompson, a business management major in UCM’s Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, also is a member of UCM’s U.S. Army ROTC program. He returned to classes last fall as a member of a select group of only several hundred elite U.S. Army specialists who have completed the rigorous training.

The numbers tell the story. Thompson arrived in Key West to join a class of 80 who had been selected for the combat diving training. Among his classmates 18

SPRING 2012

were West Point cadets and decorated Green Berets with several deployments under their belts. That number was reduced to 60 after the first day. Of those 60, 31 completed the seven-week course.

Thompson was one of 24 college ROTC cadets who qualified to attend and one of four of the who completed the course. Of the original class of 80, 40 were special forces troops. Seventeen of them graduated. The class also included 15 West Point cadets, and 10 of them graduated.

“Every bit of this school is 100 percent mental. Every guy there is in the best physical shape of his life.” ~ Travis Thompson The Kansas City Chapter of the Special Forces Assocation presented Travis Thompson with the Award of Excellence.

“The first day, they told us that this was no game, and they would eliminate 20 of us by the end of that day,” Thompson said. “A Green Beret quit after 30 minutes in the pool. Another 13 guys quit that same day. You can take the strongest, toughest guy you know, put him in the water and take him out of his comfort zone, and you can break him in a few minutes.”

Thompson admits those first few days of the course were intimidating, but he was determined to complete the course. What followed were weeks of intense physical training and classroom instruction that prepared him to survive underwater. Over a period of time, he proved he was capable of dealing with situations where he may be left without oxygen in pitch darkness underwater while in full combat dress and full equipment. He received his certification as an Army combat diver, as well as his certification as a civilian master diver.

“Every bit of this school is 100 percent mental,” Thompson said. “Every guy there is in the best physical shape of his life. They are physically capable of finishing the school, but it’s what’s between the ears that makes the difference. My grandpa used to tell me that, and now I know what he means.”

A graduate of Lee’s Summit Community Christian High School, Thompson had planned to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation. His mother researched the UCM U.S. Army ROTC program, and after a visit to campus and the Department of Military Science

and Leadership, he knew that Army ROTC was for him.

Thompson also has a goal of owning his own business after graduation. He plans to serve four years with the U.S. Army, and then opening a security business, putting his business degree to use.

After his sophomore year of college, Thompson was working a summer job when he learned that one of the four ROTC cadets in his brigade who had been accepted to the Special Forces Underwater Operation School had withdrawn. He jumped at the chance to go, but he only had a week to prepare before heading for Key West.

“Every day that week, I got up and ran five miles, spent eight hours in the swimming pool, and then ran again that evening,” he said.

As he enters his senior year at UCM, he now can count himself as a member of an elite group of soldiers who received very specialized training from the U.S. Army. He also is aware that as an ROTC cadet who has not yet received a military commission, he is in the company of experienced military officers.

Thompson also is the recipient of the Wake Island Defenders Memorial Scholarship, funded by gifts to the UCM Foundation.

“I realize now that I will have a choice to make after I complete my four years,” he said. “I still want to go into business. I’ve seen my parents be successful in business and marketing, and that’s still a challenge that I think I’d like. But when I reach the turning point, I’ll have to decide whether I’m going to be an officer in special operations or get out of the army and go into business for myself.”

What made him want to do it?

“I knew it wasn’t going to be fun,” he said. “I’ve always had that drive, physically and mentally. My mom says when I started playing hockey when I was five, I was the leader, always telling people, ‘Go here; go there.’ Whatever I do, I always want to do it better than everybody else.”

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“I want to go to Ranger school after I receive my commission,” he said. He will receive training that will make him very valuable to the U.S. Army.

Thompson’s training team

University of Central Missouri | today

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From Combat to Classroom:

UCM Welcomes Those Who Serve

By Jeff Murphy Looking down the rows of chairs in a University of Central Missouri classroom, it is hard to comprehend the personal challenges each student brings to his or her journey to higher education. One student feels the pressure of being the first family member to seek a degree.

Another wonders how to juggle classes with a full-time job and children. And somewhere in between, there’s a person who once wore his or her country’s uniform to combat, only to realize that the transformation from soldier to student could be one of life’s greatest battles.

Since the federal government expanded the GI Bill three years ago for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, it is estimated that some 600,000 former soldiers are now looking to colleges and universities nationwide to help them make the transition to civilian life. With additional downsizing in the military, thousands more may soon turn to higher education to prepare for new careers, paying close attention to those institutions willing to meet their diverse and unique needs.

The University of Central Missouri is gaining a reputation for being such an institution, and the new Military and Veterans Success Center, located on the first floor of the Elliott Union, is where many service men and women turn for help. They

go there to access computers, study, learn more about the university’s special Military Tuition Package, get assistance with Veterans Administration benefits, and in some cases, seek therapy from the Kansas City Vets Center. Many of them also stop by the center simply to enjoy a cup of coffee and conversation with those who share a common bond.

“The veterans community is an honor-based society. They are about actions, not just words,” said Lynn Lowder, a 16year military officer, combat veteran and businessman who was named director of military and veteran services in 2012.

In his new role, which encompasses the success center, he has become well acquainted with many of the students who use the facility. He also understands what matters to them the most: “education, health care and jobs. All the rest is fluff,” Lowder insisted. “They don’t need any free beer or another parade.

“A lot of these students have seen serious combat. They’ve done multiple tours, and they’re leaving the service during a bad economy, so this is a time when they are trying to get situated back in the game and to move on with the rest of their lives. The problem with all of that is when you go deep into combat, it’s not easy to get on with the rest of your life.

You just don’t wave a magic wand and say ‘okay, now I’m going to be just like everyone else in the civilian world.’”

Since it opened Nov. 11, 2011, the Military and Veterans Success Center has played an important role in helping soldiers to make the transition from military service to the

Left to right, Delilah Nichols, Zachary Lani and Lynn Lowder 20

u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

(continued to page 22) Zachary Lani

University of Central Missouri | today

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Alejandro Arias

“I put him in an ambulance covered with a flag. That had to be the worst walk I had ever taken in my life. He had just come back from two weeks of R&R (rest and relaxation), and had gotten married and bought a house, and was killed the second day,” Arias recalled.

“The convoy that he was in wasn’t even supposed to be there.”

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u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

(continued from page 21)

classroom. A growing number of them who are still struggling with the scars of war say they have found a caring friend in the center’s coordinator, Delilah Nichols. She not only takes care of the routine services in the office, but also arranges counseling visits with the Kansas City Vet Center and has made personal visits with some of these students off campus to show her support.

Lowder smiles when he talks about Nichols’ positive impact on center visitors. He refers to her as the “mama bear,” who is always there to offer a nurturing hand and open ear to her “cubs.”

“I look at the Military and Veterans Success Center as a mission field or healing center,” Nichols said.

“Students come in with these blinders on, especially the combat veterans, and they don’t really want to talk to anybody…but in the center, when they hear other combat veterans talking about their experiences, they

start listening. And pretty soon they start talking, and when they see other students getting help, and they see success stories, they have hope.”

Alejandro Arias and Zachary “Zack” Lani know exactly what she means. To other students around them, Arias and Lani may just blend into the classroom – two clean-cut young men concerned about getting a research paper finished on time or making a passing grade on the next exam. What lies beneath the surface, however, is much deeper. Both have haunting memories of an environment their classmates will likely never experience.

Now in his second year at UCM studying criminal justice and serving in the 1-135th Aviation Army National Guard Reserve at Whiteman Air Force Base, Arias shares snippets of the details of attacks on convoys that he experienced during two tours of duty in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2010.

He recalls the whistle and loud boom of mortar shells firing and the emotional pain of “sending a buddy back home to his mom, still with his gear on.

“I put him in an ambulance covered with a flag. That had to be the worst walk I had ever taken in my life. He had just come back from two weeks of R&R (rest and relaxation), and had gotten married and bought a house, and was killed the second day,” Arias recalled. “The convoy that he was in wasn’t even supposed to be there.”

Like Arias, Lani also shares limited details about the events that led to injuries and a medical discharge while serving as an airman first class in the Middle East. He was last stationed at Holloman, Air Force Base, N.M., and was deployed to Qatar and then forward deployed to Balad, Iraq. This was a stark transition from his youthful life in Moloka’i, Hawaii, where he began to think about becoming a soldier.

“I joined (the military) right out of high school, just 18 years old, but I knew I wanted to be in the service and make a difference in the world. I wanted to be a part of something much bigger than just me or you,” he said.

While in Iraq, Lani sustained a traumatic head injury when an IED exploded next to the convoy in which he was riding, and he was in the hospital when he learned his sergeant died.

It is a tragedy that still weighs heavily on his mind and often causes him to ask himself, “Why him, why not me?”

Arias and Lani returned to the United States changed men.

Today they say they miss the close camaraderie with other soldiers in their units and regret that they could not do more to help those who had to stay behind to carry out the

military mission. The images and emotional aspects of war also followed them back home.

“We’re still in the process of learning how to come back to civilization,” Arias said. “The military has the best training ever on how to survive and how to defend yourself, and you know how to turn that switch on, but once you leave the military, they don’t show you how to turn that switch off.”

Both men today are finding assistance at the Military and Veterans Success Center in their personal quests to conquer the post-traumatic stress that affects many returning servicemen and women, particularly those who have been in combat situations. In addition to working with the Counseling Center at UCM, Nichols has arranged for the Kansas City Vet Center to make weekly campus visits to help veterans make a successful post-war adjustment. She said the issue has widespread effects.

“Post-traumatic stress disorder is not something that only affects people in the military; it affects civilians too.

You never know who may be sitting across from you who experiences PTSD. Anyone who has had a traumatic situation such as a car wreck, death in their family or a sexual assault could be dealing with it,” Nichols said.

Lani said many veterans who experience PTSD feel alone.

It’s much harder for people to understand than other forms of injury. “They assume if you are not missing limbs then you are fine, but post-traumatic stress disorder is real just as much as the pain is,” he said.

Arias and Lani are thankful for the assistance they have received through the Military and Veterans Success Center.

They cited a caring staff as one of the factors that has made it possible for them to overcome some of the challenges they have faced with their transition to student life.

According to Arias, it is important to know that there are people looking out for active duty personnel and veterans alike at UCM. He shared stories about how Nichols’ support has led him to get involved in activities such as Homecoming and the Veterans Day celebration, and how her encouraging words were offered at just the right time – once when he was considering he might put college on hold. The former gunner in a military convoy joked, “I know Delilah is going to put a boot up to my butt if I start thinking that way.”

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University of Central Missouri | today

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classnotes 1950-1959

Bob Winthrop ’55 has a website of poetry that includes his poems of growing up in Hannibal, Mo. He resides in Phoenix, Ariz.

Norm Brooks ’56 and his wife, Wanda (Wood) ’56, reside in Green Valley, Ariz.

He plays senior slow-pitch softball and golf and she plays bridge and golf. They also enjoy traveling.

1960-1969

Rosanne Osborne ’61, ’64 graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in Biblical Languages. She resides in Pineville, La. Myra McLarey ’65 had her third novel, “The Last Will and Testament of Rosetta Sugars Tramble,” released by Ink Brush Press in October 2011. It was a follow-up to her novel, “Water from the Well.” She resides in Franklin, Tenn.

Terry O’Leary ’65, ’68 retired from the U.S. Navy in 1988 and from the Virginia Beach School System in 2008. He and his wife, Patricia, reside in St. Augustine, Fla. Ray Grubb ’68 has been pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Sylmar, 24

u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

Calif., for 27 years. He has a food ministry that feeds 6,000 to 8,000 individuals every month. He and his wife, Sharon (Fry) ’68 have been married for 44 years and have five children, 10 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.

Chris “Moon Dog” Dautreuil ’69 is an investigator with the Louisiana Department of Justice, Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Unit located in Baton Rouge, La. His wife, Linda (Trappey) ’71, is a painter in the visual arts and recently was featured in the New Orleans Museum of Art. Their son, Christopher, is an EMT with Acadian Ambulance and studies biology at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The family resides in Covington, La. Jim McAllister ’69 writes columns and comments for the Arizona and Scottsdale “Republic” newspapers. He also writes a weekly blog about various subjects. He and his wife, Barbara, reside in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Trish Kocialski ’69, ’76 recently retired from the New York State Education Department for Physical Education and Athletics for all public and private schools in New York state.

She is working on her sixth novel and enjoying life. She currently resides in Albany, N.Y., with her partner Carol Stephens.

1970-1979

Cynthia Rogers ’74 will be a keynote speaker at the Law of Attraction 2012 Cruise Conference on Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas on Dec. 8-13, 2012.

She is president of Rogers and Associates and resides in Third Lake, Ill. Marv Williams ’74 retired from Parkway School District in St. Louis where he taught physical education. For the past 37 seasons he has officiated high school football and basketball. He officiated 17 seasons for men’s basketball in the MIAA Conference before retiring from the college circuit and is a member of the St. Louis Rams chain crew. He and his wife, Jeanne, reside in Manchester, Mo. Julie (Walter) Weissflog ’76 will be teaching Spanish part time and substituting begin this fall. She resides in St. Charles, Mo. with her husband, Rick and sons, Brett and Paul.

Twilla Shrout ’78 was named to the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses as vice president/

president-elect for 20122013. She is a staff nurse at Harry S. Truman Veterans Memorial Hospital in Columbia, Mo. She and her family reside in Bunceton, Mo. 1980-1989

George Reed ’80 is associate dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego. He and his wife, Lucy, reside in San Diego, Calif.

Melanie (Monk) Popejoy ’80, ’89 is associate director of choral activities at the University of North Dakota where she will conduct two choirs and teach choral methods. She is also the founder and artistic director of the Grand Cities Children’s Choir program. She resides with her husband, James ’81, in Grand Forks, N.D. Howard Turley ’82 is the executive director and administrator for the MonteVista Retirement Community in El Paso, Texas, where he and his wife, Laura, reside.

Brad Nelson ’84 is a patrol bureau commander for the Columbia, Mo., Police Department. He andhis wife, Tamara, recently celebrated their 25th

wedding anniversary.

They reside in Columbia.

Program. She resides in Albuquerque, N.M.

Sally A. Stefanini ’84 created a DVD of speaking and singing exercises that rejuvenate the middleaged voice. She currently resides in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Sonya (Greis) Manz ’87 received National Board Certification in the area of middle child generalist.

She resides with her husband, Ron ’89, in Oak Grove, Mo.

Marleen (Claas) Lenger ’86 is a human resources manager for the Missouri Department of Corrections at the Central Human Resources Office in Jefferson City. She resides with her husband, Lenard, and children, Chelsea and David, in Tipton, Mo.

Jeff Kopp ’88 is a production artist and proofreader for Pheonix Creative in St. Louis.

He also owns TIRC Records and runs a social networking site for music fans. He resides with his wife of 21 years and their two sons in St. Louis, Mo.

Douglas Schaeffler ’86 is working for the Richmond Heights, Mo., Police Department as a captain and the commander of support operation. In addition, he is an adjunct professor at St. Louis University. He resides in Fenton, Mo.

Steven T. Petty ’88 is an investment writer and economic commentator for American Century Investments. He and his wife, Donna, reside in Mission, Kan.

Heather (Bullock) Haste ’87, a NASA Endeavor Fellow, recently completed a Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering certification program through Columbia University’s Teacher College. She also is enacting a middle school Model United Nations Climate Summit through a $1,400 grant from NOAA’s Climate Steward Education

1990-1999

An Idea Takes Flight UCM alumnus Wade Eyerly ’02 continues to make his mark on the business world, this time with the development of a new concept in air transportation.

Eyerly founded Surf Air in early 2012, a membership based airline serving the California coast. For a flat fee of $1,000 per month, subscribers may fly as often as they want to the cities served, including Palo Alto, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

Surf Air’s first flights won’t take off until late 2012, but the company sold out of membership in two weeks. They currently have a waiting list of nearly 2,000 people.

Eyerly was recognized by the UCM Alumni Association as the 2005 Outstanding Recent Alumnus for his success. He entered college at 16, majoring in international economic policy and cross-cultural

Eric Braun ’91 is the director of content partnerships for Hearst Newspapers. He resides with his wife, Amy, and their daughters, Savanna and Natalie, in The Woodlands, Texas.

language. After graduation, he headed for Washington,

Joe P. Nastasi ’91 was re-elected for the third time as the president of the Center School District Board of Education. He resides with his wife, Angie

that earned him the Secretary of Defense’s medal for

(continued to page 26)

D.C., writing a political column and working on two presidential campaigns for Vice President Dick Cheney.

He then completed graduate school in Utah and took a job with an intelligence agency in Washington D.C., spending four years as an intelligence officer for the Department of Defense.

From 2009 to 2010, Eyerly spent time in Iraq, service the Global War on Terrorism, as well as the Civilian Joint Service Commendation.

The founding of Surf Air followed six years of planning with his brother, a pilot. After four months, Surf Air was a $30 million company with 15 employees, soon to grow to 30.

University of Central Missouri | today

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(continued from page 25)

(Francis) ’91, and their children, Joshua, Jesse and Abbie, in Kansas City, Mo.

anniversary. They reside with their daughter, Janna, in Boonville, Mo.

Karen (Oliver) Simmons ’94 and her husband, Michael, announce the birth of their daughter, Jordan Mikayla on May 17, 2012.

They reside in Kansas City, Mo.

Tom N. Reeder ’94 is an associate faculty member of Ashford University teaching in the area of ethics. He resides in Platteville, Wis.

Brian Parman ’94 and his wife, Theresa (Lister) ’88 celebrated their eight

awards&honors 1960-1969

Joyetta (Bayne) Young ’68 received the Pioneer in Education Award from Fort Osage School District in April 2012. She and her husband, Michael, reside in Kansas City, Mo. 1970-1979

Ruby Curry ’74 is dean of business and human development at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley. She was named the 2012 David L. Underwood Memorial Lecturer.

She resides in St. Louis, Mo. 1980-1989

James Popejoy ’81 recently received the Faculty Award for Individual Excellence in Teaching at the University of North Dakota, where he

26

u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

is the director of bands and a professor of music. The UND wind ensemble he conducts has been selected to present a featured performance at the 2012 Western International Band Clinic in Seattle. He resides with his wife, Melanie (Monk) ’80, ’89, in Grand Forks, N.D.

in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and his outstanding performance and dedication to duty and to the success of the unit’s mission.

Carole (Gieniec) Widmann ’85, ’87 received the Nursing Excellence Award for Faith Community Nursing from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Forth Worth. She currently resides in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shane Peck ’93 is the senior communications coordinator for Parsons Brinckerhoff. He has been named the 2012 Communicator of the Year by the New Orleans Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. He resides with his wife, Briana, and daughter, Stella, in New Orleans, La.

1990-1999

2000-2012

Jamie Melchert ’92 was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on April 18 in Afghanistan. He is commanding officer of the St. Louis-based 1138th Transportation Co. He was cited for his exceptional meritorious service

Kaitlyn Roach ’10 received the Judge Tom S. Lee Scholarship Award at Mississippi College School of Law’s annual Law Day Ceremony.

Darren Shafer ’94, ’10 is a captain with the Johnson County, Kan., sheriff’s office. He resides with his wife, Kari, in Edgerton, Kan. Loxie Stock ’99 retired from the Kansas City School District after 30 years of service as a Head Start teacher. She resides in Kansas City, Mo. 2000-2012

Sandra Rice ’00 will be principal at Underwood Elementary School in Lee’s Summit for the 2012-2013 school year.

Bobby Guffey ’01and his wife, Trisha (Carver) ’01, ’03, announce the birth of their second child, Gracelyn.

The family resides in Kansas City, Mo. Sean Hadley ’01 is the public information officer for the city of St. Louis, Mo. He resides with his wife, Vera, and their two sons, Christian and Cameron, in O’Fallon, Mo. Liz (Shupp) Mayes ’02 and her husband, Curt, reside in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Kimberly S. (Petersen) Minkler ’02 and her husband, Gary ’01, announce the birth of their second child, Gavin.

They reside with their two children, Gavin and Madison, in St. Louis, Mo. Samuel H. Stokes ’02, ’05 is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in music theory at Louisiana State University. He resides

in Baton Rouge, La. Robin M. (Fincher) Bartlett ’03 and her husband, Michael R. ’03, announce the birth of their second daughter, Elizabeth Payton, on April 19, 2012.

They reside with their two daughters, Kailey and Payton, in Excelsior Springs, Mo. Kevin Stensberg ’03 is the director of student life at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. He resides in Beijing, China.

Daniel Moorehead ’04 recently received his doctoral degree. He is an assistant professor at Frostburg State University in Maryland and resides in Hyndman, Pa. Donald Stubbings ’09 recently completed the FBI National Academy. He resides in Manhattan, Kan. Kari N. Baum ’09 has been promoted to interior designer with Takara Belmont in Dallas, Texas.

She resides in The Colony, Texas.

Kristin Bogda ’09 is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a teaching assistant for the kinesiology department and resides in Oklahoma City.

in memoriam 1920-1929

1980-1989

Tony M. Robinson ’29

Jodi A. Light ’80 Harry M. Stone ’80 David P. Corbin ’81 Frances M. Kenward ’81 Herbert F. Thomas ’81 Daniel J. Wurzer ’82 Robert B. Smithpeter ’85 William Albert Maupins ’87 Deborah S. Colley ’88 John T. Schumert ’88, ’89

1930-1939

Nina Westrup ’32 1940-1949

Mary M. Doak ’41 Helen V. Jones ’42 Andrew J. McRoberts ’44 Laurnell S. Peters ’45 Margaret C. Nadler ’46 M. Maxine Tebbenkamp ’46 Esther P. Iseminger ’47, ’58 Westle R. Mills ’48 James Clyde Welch ’48 Mala M. Bryant ’49 1950-1959

William F. Koger ’50 Patsy A. Arnold ’52 William P. Matthews ’54 Mary Jane Streckfuss ’55 Thomas E. Donaldson ’58

1990-1999

Joyce K. Kolkmeier ’91 Lynn M. Phillips ’97 COLLEGE HIGH ALUMNI

Mary Kisor Rebecca Alley McCauley Dorothy Teater CURRENT STUDENTS

Mason K. Cunningham Jacob D. Randall

1960-1969

FORMER STUDENTS

Patricia M. Johnson ’60 Larry L. Land ’62 Marianna Zabek ’62 Mina L. Hanson ’63 Bill D. Stuerke ’63 Harry Robert Craddock ’65 Ralph D. Laughlin ’65, ’69 Nathan T. Dudley ’66, ’68 Mabelle M. Kalmbach ’66 Forrest M. McCarty ’66 Bert N. Felter ’67 Larry L. Hassler ’67 Larry D. Collins ’68 Charles Houseworth ’68, ’74 Ronald L. Richard ’69

Oscar Joe Rhone George C. Schriver

1970-1979

Bensie C. Anderson ’70 Larry D. Donley ’70 David W. Clark ’71 Peggy J. Massey ’72 I Ann O’Connor ’72 Nathan C. Kennedy ’74 Paul W. Ingram ’75 Bruce K. Gordon ’78 Trenise R. Hawkins ’78

FRIENDS

William C. Brubaker Michael D. Carty Irene Eickhoff Dorothy S. Ferguson Walker C. Fletcher Beverly Graves Robert Hausam James E. Hogg Wilma G. James Gerald D. Kangas Doreen A. McRoberts Frank E. Myers Mark A. Ratliff Eleanor A. Reque Ray J. Reynolds Alexander K. Shaffer Rose G. Sims Dorothy M. Stuart Gretchen Sylwester Rodger D. Vaughan Thomas O. White William Hopkins Wickes Marylou Wright Dorothy M. Zwally

University of Central Missouri | today

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in memoriam Cyril Bauer Cyril “Cy” Bauer, 97, died May 29, 2012.

He was born in Montrose, Mo., attended school in Sycamore, Ill. After high school, he went to work at Anaconda, later transferring to the accounting department. He met his future wife, Virginia, when he transferred to Harrisonville, Mo., in 1964. She preceded him in death in 2001.

Bauer became a great fan and supporter of the UCM athletic teams and loved getting his #97 football jersey on his birthday last August.

Survivors include three sons, Michael Bauer; Stephen Bauer and his wife, Alison; Thomas Bauer and his wife, Glinda; two daughters, Susan Thorup and her husband, John, and Mary Dandurand and her husband, Joseph; 16 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Dr. William “Bill” Bradshaw William D. “Bill” Bradshaw, 84, a UCM Distinguished Alumnus, died April 22, 2012.

Bradshaw attended Warrensburg schools. A 1950 UCM alumnus, he also earned degrees from the University of Missouri and University of Kansas schools of medicine.

In 1951, he and his wife, Dorothy, settled in Clinton, Mo., where Dr. Bradshaw practiced family medicine for 22 years. He was a member of Rotary as a Paul Harris Fellow and district governor. He also served as chair of the Missouri State Board of Health.

He later became an associate professor in family medicine and director of continuing medical education at the University of Missouri. He served as dean of the MU School of Medicine and retired as dean emeritus. He received the UCM Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 1995.

In 1988, Bradshaw became vice president of medical affairs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy; daughters Deborah Bradshaw Tighe and her husband Kevin and Jane Weir Bradshaw; three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.

Hollis L. Chalquist Hollis L. Chalquist, UCM professor emeritus of education and former dean of men, died July 9, 2012

He received the Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding leadership and service to the Association for Corporate Growth. He was a founding member, past president and director of ACG Kansas City, which is establishing an annual award in his honor. He served for 10 years on the ACG Board of Directors.

Crumm’s gifts to UCM’s Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies helped to create a scholarship and professorship.

He is survived by his wife, Charlotte; children, Michelle Mills and her husband, Thatcher; Brian Crumm; Rachel Crumm; Brendan Crumm; Hannah Warren, and Rosemary Warren; his father, a sister, Wendy, and a granddaughter.

Memorials are suggested to the BKD LLP Accounting Education Scholarship, UCM Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093.

Edgar Curtis Edgar “Ed” Curtis, 90, of Columbia, Mo., a 1947 UCM alumnus and recipient of the UCM Distinguished Service Award, died May 29, 2012.

Curtis attended elementary and high schools in Smithton, Mo., then served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II as a pilot. He earned degrees from UCM and the University of Missouri-Kansas City and did graduate work at the University of Minnesota and the University of Massachusetts.

He served as principal at Van Horn, Paseo and Westport high schools in Kansas City. He was honored as Administrator of the Year by the Kansas City Public Schools in 1962.

He married Dorothy Chaffin in 1944, who preceded him in death. He married Cindy Powell in 2000, and she survives. Other survivors are a son, Steve Curtis and wife Kathy; daughter Mary Curtis; three stepsons, Alan Powell, Steve Powell and Dan Powell; one sister, two brothers, three grandsons and nine stepgrandchildren.

William Morton William Morton, Blue Springs, Mo., professor emeritus of criminal justice and director of the National Center for Police Training at UCM, died June 4, 2012.

He graduated from Lexington High School and received an associate of arts degree from Wentworth Military Academy.

A native of Valley, Neb., Chalquist received his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He served as a teacher and administrator in public schools in Nebraska and New York prior to joining the UCM faculty in 1960. He served in several administrative capacities, including dean of men and residential life. He retired in 1993.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He became a conservation agent for the state of Missouri and then became a Missouri highway patrolman.

He attained the rank of colonel when he became the superintendent for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Patrol. He earned three criminal justice degrees in public safety and traffic administration, including an education specialist from UCM in 1975.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jeanne. He is survived by two daughters, Jocelyn Chalquist and June Chalquist; three grandchildren and one brother.

He taught criminal justice at the University of Central Missouri from 1969 to 1988. He also was certified as a forensic examiner and as an expert witness for legal cases requiring accident reconstructions.

Edward Crumm

Survivors include his daughter, Carol; one grandson, and three greatgrandchildren, and longtime friend and companion, Janelle Wisner of Olathe, Kan.

Edward Crumm, 57, a UCM accounting alumnus and Mule All-American runner, died June 6, 2012.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from UCM in 1976. He was the national industry partner of BKD National Manufacturing & Distribution Group. He also recently was appointed to the National Association of Manufacturers Board of Directors.

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u c m o . e d u / t o d ay

Memorials are suggested to the Department of Criminal Justice, UCM Foundation, Smiser Alumni Center, Warrensburg, MO 64093.

Where will MO take you?

Step 1: Cut out flat MO. Step 2: Take a picture or video with flat MO of where he has taken you.

Step 3: Send it to us at alumni@ucmo.edu (24 mb size limit).

Step 4: Follow flat MO’s adventures at ucmo.edu/flatmo

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100 W. South St. Warrensburg, MO 64093-2324

Keep up with the latest alumni news and events at ucmo.edu/alumni

We’re honoring four incredible Central Missouri alumni during UCM’s Homecoming celebration.

Distinguished International Alumni Award NASA Senior Principal Investigator Immanuel Barshi ’87, ’88 (upper left) Distinguished Alumni Award for Service UCM Director Emeritus Dale Carder ’72 (upper right) Distinguished Alumni Award Brigadier General Arnold Neil GordonBray ’78 (lower left) Distinguished Alumni Award Wildlife biologist, filmmaker and photographer Glenn Chambers ’58 (lower right) We’re proud of their individual achievements as well as the collective impact of our 80,000 plus alumni throughout the world.

Join us Oct. 13 for Homecoming and throughout the year as we plan events and activities to connect you to each other and to your alma mater.