Comings, goings, appointments, retirements, honors, accolades and other personal alumni news. Former students are designated by fs. Honorary alumni are noted as hn. Members of the Wichita State University Alumni Association are identified by an asterisk (*). Membership dues support alumni publications as well as many other programs and services that support higher education at Wichita State.
Linwood B. Sexton '48, PE, noted community leader, former teacher and area sales manager at Hiland Dairy in Wichita, is one of nine recipients of the 2012 Pioneer Award, which is presented to groundbreaking minority athletes by the John McLendon Scholarship Foundation in partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. One of the first African-American football players at the University of Wichita, he was named three times to the Missouri Valley Conference all-conference team and gained 1,995 rushing yards and 2,788 total offensive yards in his career. He is a member of three sports halls of fame; his most recent induction was into the MVC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Sexton alsois a recipient of the WSU Alumni Association's Achievement award. He lives in Sedgwick, Kan.*
A.W. "Bill" Dirks '54, M EL ED, has won the 2011 Andrus Award for Community Service in Kansas, presented by the American Association of Retired Persons. A World War II veteran and retired research, evaluation and testing director with the Wichita public school district, he also is the recipient of the 2004 Merle Bolton Award for Volunteer Leadership and the 2008 Sonny Freeman Award for Advocacy Leadership for his service to AARP Kansas. Among his community involvements are lobbying for the Wichita Area Retired Teachers for six years and helping organize the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, for which he has served as an officer since its inception. He has also acted in many roles on AARP's National Legislative Committee. Dirks, a 42-year WSU Alumni Association member, resides in Wichita.*
Paul G. Fritts '59, ECON, has been inducted into the Oiler Alumni Hall of Fame at East Alton-Wood River High School in Wood River, Ill. An outstanding football player on the school's only undefeated team in 1953, he was selected from a field of more than 80 candidates to be part of the eight-member Class of 2011. Professionally, he is a noted banking consultant and expert witness whose experience features 34 years at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., where he rose through the ranks from bank examiner in 1959 to executive director, a post he achieved in 1991. Now retired from the FDIC, he owns a bank consulting business. Other career highlights include serving as a voting member of the Basel Committee on Banking and as a consultant to the World Bank in assisting Third World nations in banking practices. A 27-year member of the alumni association, Fritts lives in Edwardsville, Ill.*
Robert D. Sutherland '59, ENG L/LIT, is co-editor of Pikestaff Press, a small independent literary press that publishes original poetry and prose fiction. A retired Illinois State University professor of English, Sutherland has written poetry, short fiction and essays on literature, education and publishing, and is the author of the scholarly work, Language and Lewis Carroll (1970), and two novels, Sticklewort and Feverfew (1980) and The Farringford Cadenza (2007). He resides in Normal, Ill.
Louis "Lou" R. Valadez '60, EL ED, '65 M PE, retired Wichita North High School assistant principal, has been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame for his success as a wrestling coach. As a tribute, former wrestlers orchestrated the induction as a surprise to Valadez. During his career, he coached 18 individual state champions. Seven of his wrestlers have become head wrestling coaches. He began his career in Douglass, Kan., where he led teams to several state tournaments. He then coached at Wichita South and Heights high schools; while at South in 1975, the wrestling team won the state title. He joined North in 1979, where he posted an overall career 57-14 record. Valadez lives in Bel Aire, Kan.*
Paul H. Humann '61, PSYCH, '61 BIO, a marine life photographer and writer and acting executive director at the Reef Environmental Education Foundation in Key Largo, Fla., has been inducted into the Wichita North High School Hall of Fame. An attorney, he left his law career to undertake his passion for underwater photography and has created a series of New World Publications guidebooks of underwater life for divers. To read more about his work, search this website for "Paul Humann." He lives in Florida.
Gail E. (Hines) Homich '62, ACCT, has retired from H&R Block. A 15-year association member, she lives in Apache Junction, Ariz.*
Kaye J. (Wilson) Klem '63, JOURN, a former newspaper reporter and retired creative writing teacher at North Orange County Community College in California, is the author of five romance novels written under her full name, Kaye Wilson Klem, and one under a pseudonym, Cathleen Carleton. Reckless Fires, originally published as a lead title by Fawcett Gold Medal and also sold in England, France and Italy, is her biggest selling book to date. She lives in Menifee, Calif.
Gary L. Keimig '64, ART, is an associate professor of art at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., where he teaches drawing. While his artistic range includes still life and landscape, he focuses on portraying the figure and human anatomy. He resides in Estes Park, Colo.
Herbert "Herb" L. Krumsick '66, BUS ADM, senior vice president at J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc., was honored by the Kansas Certified Commercial Investment Member chapter with its lifetime achievement award. Krumsick, who has been in the real estate business for 40 years, has conducted more than $1 billion in commercial projects. A 36-year association member, he lives in Wichita.*
Joseph "Joe" Y. Holman '67, ACCT, a CPA and attorney at the Kansas City office of Martin Pringle, practices law in banking, business, estate planning and taxation. He also co-owns Bank News, a monthly news magazine aimed at owners and managers of community banks. Holman lives in Prairie Village, Kan.
Wayne R. Archer '68, ECON, is a professor at the Warrington College of Business Administration and the executive director of the Kelley Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where he resides.
Gary R. George '68, SEC ED, '70 HIST, retired in June 2011 as assistant superintendent at Olathe, Kan., public schools after 13 years. During his career, he also served as principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent at Gardner-Edgerton, Kan., schools. He lives in Olathe.*
Russell "Russ" K. Ash '69, HIST, is a staff attorney with the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka, Kan., where he resides.
David "Dave" G. Carr '70, ACCT, '01 M BUS ADM, is CFO at Envision Industries Inc. in Wichita, where he lives.
Derry A. Larson '70, ACCT, is president of the accounting and tax planning and preparation firm Larson & Co. PA in Wichita, where he resides.*
Jay P. Sollenberger fs '70, a Kansas City Jazz Orchestra trumpet player, was second trumpet and then lead trumpet in the mid-1970s with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. He made three recordings with the group before joining the Woody Herman Orchestra. Since then, he has performed and recorded with many groups, including Boulevard Big Band, Flip Phillips, Rhythm Club Orchestra and Chase. Sollenberger lives in Leawood, Kan.
Eugene "Gene" E. Gant '71, ECON, retired systems analyst at Science Applications International Corp., Las Cruces N.M., serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces, works with the Asombro Institute for Science Education, is on the Las Cruces Public Schools Foundation board and is serving his second term on the New Mexico Public Education Commission. He resides in Las Cruces.
David J. Bernstorf '72, AERON E, president and owner of BCX Consulting LLC in Wichita, started his company two years ago after a 37-year career in product development and certification duties at Hawker Beechcraft, where he worked on such aircraft as the King Air line, the 1900 series, and the Hawker 850 and 900 business jets. He also served as chief engineer on the Hawker 4000 and the Premier aircraft, which he calls "his favorite." An alumni association member for 30 years, he lives in Wichita.*
Wayne E. Chambers '72, ACCT, '79 M ACCT, president and CEO at High Touch, a technology firm in Wichita, has been named a co-chair of Visioneering Wichita, an organization that aims to improve the area's economy and quality of life. He lives in Leon, Kan.
M. Dean Wright '72, CHEM, founding dentist at Cambridge Family Dentistry in Wichita, specializes in working with mini-dental implants. Wright, a 28-year alumni association member, resides in Wichita.*
Thomas "Tom" P. Zwemke '72, HIST, has retired from a 30-year marketing career at Cessna Aircraft Co. and now owns and operates TZ Productions. The recipient of more than 25 awards for his work, including an Emmy nomination, Zwemke is a multi-term member of the KPTS-TV board. He resides in Goddard, Kan.
Sidney "Sid" G. Connor '73, I ED, '76 M SEC ED, is professor of technology and director at the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies in Hickory, N.C. He lives in Conover, N.C.
J.P. Mario Dennis '73, PSYCH, '75 M PSYCH, who holds a doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, is a clinical psychologist who works in the areas of forensic psychology, general clinical psychology, psychological assessment, and the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders as director of forensic services at the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation in Burkeville, Va. He resides in Midlothian, Va.
Arlene A. (Bomholt) Fasbender '73, M PE, is a staff member at Farm & Home Realty in Cheney, Kan., specializing in property management and rental homes. She lives in Cheney.
Ross A. Hollander '73, SP, president of Joseph & Hollander LLC, a law firm with offices in Wichita and Topeka, Kan., has been recognized as "Wichita Best Lawyers Litigation – Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year" for 2012 by Best Lawyers, the oldest peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession. In 2011, he was honored among Kansas' top tier of labor and employment lawyers by Chambers USA, a nationwide legal ratings publication that bases its research on independent interviews. A past president of the Wichita Bar Association and the Kansas Bar Association's employment law section, Hollander served as president of the alumni association from 2007-08 and is a 17-year association member. He lives in Wichita.*
Jeffrey "Jeff" B. Hurt '73/73, BIO, special counsel at Foulston Siefkin LLP, Overland Park, Kan., has been recognized by Chambers usa as a leading U.S. employment law attorney. He resides in Overland Park.
Mark W. Masterson '73, SOC, '78 M SPG, director of the Sedgwick (Kan.) County Department of Corrections, was named 2011 Disproportionate Minority Contact Action Network Champion by the MacArthur Foundation of Chicago. Officials cited his work in the area of juvenile detention and juvenile justice reforms. Masterson also serves as a member of the Juvenile Justice Leadership Network. He lives in Wichita.
Robert "Bob" A. Barragan '74, AJ, '74 GEN ST, director of the Sam Houston State University Small Business Development Center in Huntsville, Texas, obtained the Certified Global Business Professional credential, which is recognition for people who work in international trade. The center he directs provides services to small businesses in eight east Texas counties. Also an adjunct marketing and management faculty member at the SHSU College of Business Administration, he lives in Spring, Texas.
Patsy J. (Barker) Selby '74, ENG L/LIT, '80 ACCT, WSU Foundation vice president for finance and administrative services, is one of 11 Wichita-area CFOs selected from a field of more than 100 nominees as recipients of the Wichita Business Journal's 2011 CFO Awards. In charge of auditing, human resources and technology, Selby oversees 13 employees and about $200 million in assets used for professorships, fellowships and student scholarships. A 24-year association member, she is a Wichita resident.*
Laura C. (Hodges) Stooksbury '74, MUS I, adjunct instructor of music at Young Harris College and assistant director of the college's Mountain Community Chorus in Young Harris, Ga., also is a choir member and soloist at St. Clare's Episcopal Church in Blairsville, Ga. She resides in Blakely, Ga.
Barry T. Bloom fs '75, a pediatrician and neonatologist at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, was recognized for his contributions in health care as one of the Wichita Business Journal's Health Care Heroes. Bloom, who treats newborns who can weigh as little as 1 pound, helped develop a surfactant used to improve the survival rate of infants in respiratory distress. He lives in Wichita.
Belinda "Lindy" P. (Pruitt) Childs '75, NURS, '82 M NURS, director of clinical and research services at the Mid-American Diabetes Association and editor of The Complete Nurses Guide to Diabetes Care, is recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award presented by the American Diabetes Association. Childs, an adjunct faculty member in the WSU School of Nursing, is a 32-year alumni association member. She lives in Wichita.*
Terry L. Horne '75, JOURN a journalist with 40 years of experience, including serving as managing editor and editor of WSU's Sunflower, is publisher and editor of the East Valley Tribune, Tempe, Ariz., and general manager of 1013 Communications Arizona, a media company with holdings of seven publications. Previously, he was president and publisher of the Orange County Register in Santa Ana, Calif., and the Pacific Region vice president at Freedom Communications, where he oversaw several community newspapers in California and Arizona. Horne holds a master's degree from Oklahoma State University and lives in Tempe.
Fredrick "Fred" D. Debes '76, AJ, '79 M AJ, Kansas Department of Corrections parole officer with more than 20 years experience, is president of the Fraternal Order of Police No. 64, which represents parole officers statewide. Previously, he was a municipal police officer for nearly two decades. He resides in Derby, Kan.
Ronald "Ron" W. Holt '77, M BUS ADM, Sedgwick County assistant manager, was presented the 2011 Distinctive Community Service award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Holt, a 20-year association member, resides in Wichita.*
John C. Black '78, M ED PSYCH, whose career in education spans more than 40 years as a special education teacher and administrator in Chicago and Kansas public schools, is superintendent of Augusta (Kan.) public schools, a post he accepted in 2011. He says that educators have "an awesome responsibility. It is important to me to do what is right for our students, staff and community." He lives in Augusta.
Kelly O. Humphries '78, SOC, '86 M PUB ADM, previously the acting director of public affairs at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is senior public affairs specialist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he lives.
Lee Lattimore '78, M MUS, adjunct instructor of baroque flute at the University of North Texas College of Music, plays principal flute with the university's symphony and chamber orchestras, and principal flute and second oboe with the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra. He also plays flute and piccolo with groups such as the Texas Camerata, the Orchestra of New Spain and the Texas Bach Choir. Lattimore resides in Dallas.
Catherine "Catie" A. (Corman) Mitchell '78, MUS P, an adjunct professor of oboe at Wichita's Friends University, was the featured soloist with the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra in North Newton, Kan. She is principal oboist with the Wichita Wind Ensembles Professional Band and performs with the Grand Opera of Wichita, Music Theatre of Wichita and the Wichita Symphony. She resides in Wichita.
Randall "Randy" L. Peterson '78, PT, '89 M H SCI, senior vice president for hospitals at Via Christi Health in Wichita, will take over the top executive duties in June at Stormont-Vale HealthCare in Topeka, Kan. Peterson lives in Wichita.
Anne P. (Mohr) Corriston '80, MKT, formerly the Miami-based Knight Foundation's Wichita program director (a post in which she helped Wichita's Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopaedic Research obtain a $2.1 million grant), is now executive director of Interfaith Ministries in Wichita. She lives in Wichita.
J. Michael "Mike" Lamb '80, SOC, Wichita State University Foundation vice president for planned and annual giving, has been named the 2011 Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the Association of Fundraising Professions. Lamb lives in Hesston, Kan.
Suzan E. Patton '80, SEC ED, who is assistant superintendent at Pratt (Kan.) public schools, will become the school district's superintendent July 1. She began her career in education in 1982 as an English teacher and cheerleading sponsor at Pratt High School, later moving to the Maize (Kan.) public schools, where she was assistant principal. A resident of Pratt, she is working on a doctorate at Wichita State.
L.D. "Dean" Jackson '81, PE, has started his first season as tight ends coach at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro. From 2009-11, he coached at the University of Tulsa, where for two consecutive years, the Golden Hurricane were the nation's top offensive team. Before Tulsa, he was a tight ends coach for one season at Rice University, where he helped the Owls get to their first bowl game in 45 years. As a high school football coach, his teams made seven appearances in state playoffs or championship games, and one, Wilmer-Hutchins, won the Texas Class 4A championship in 1990. Jackson also has had success as a high-school power-lifting coach.
Virginia M. (Prindle) Kinzer '81, ART ED, an artist known for her oil and acrylic landscape paintings and the vice president of the Harlingen Art Forum, an artists collective in Harlingen, Texas, promotes and teaches artists in the Rio Grande Valley. She began painting in Wichita at age 30, enrolled at WSU 10 years later, was a private art teacher and taught art for the city's recreation department. She moved to Texas in 1994 and resides in Harlingen.
Gerard C. Scott '81, AJ, of Scott Law PA in Wichita, practices medical malpractice, personal injury and workers compensation case law. He lives in Wichita.
Davy Thomas '81, COMP SCI, is a test technician at Varian Medical Systems in Palo Alto, Calif. A 28-year association member, he resides in Capitola, Calif.*
Douglas "Doug" R. Billings '82, M S ART/PR, a painter and printmaker, had an exhibition of his work, "Wichita As I See It," shown last fall at Newman University's Steckline Gallery in Wichita. As the title suggests, the artworks in the show feature his interpretation of the city's iconic symbols and landscapes. Billings lives in Wichita.
Corrine M. (Goering) DePew '82, NURS, '91 M NURS, parish nurse at Plymouth Church in Wichita, has completed mission trips to Argentina and Uganda as part of her church involvement. She resides in Eastborough, Kan.
Sherry G. Shumway '82, EL ED, '91 M EL ED, is a fourth grade teacher at Bethel Life School in Wichita, where she resides.
Beth A. Busch '83, JOURN, president of Success Advertising Hawaii, has for the past 15 years helped organize and co-sponsor WorkForce and Job Quest, the state's oldest and largest employment-event firm. She lives in Honolulu.
Percival "Percy" J. Kirk '83, GEN ST, is senior vice president and general manager of Cox Communications Oklahoma. A company veteran, he was assigned to jobs in Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska before assuming his current post. He lives in Edmond, Okla.
Michael "Mike" D. Babich '84, MKT, a former self-employed commercial lending consultant, is senior vice president at Kansas State Bank in Wichita. A 15-year alumni association member and a former association board member, Babich lives in Wichita.*
Bradley "Brad" A. Lohrenz '84, JOURN/MUS, is director of licensing at Samuel French Inc. in New York City, where he lives.
Tami D. Bradley '84, JOURN, '98 M COMM, is managing partner at the communications firm of Bothner & Bradley. She lives in Wichita.*
Robert H. Bean '85, M PSYCH, president and CEO of Sumner Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Kan., serves on the board of directors of the Kansas HealthCare Collaborative, a provider-led organization aimed at improving health care. He lives in Wellington.
Vincent "Vince" A. Burnett '85, AJ, an attorney with McDonald, Tinker, Skaer, Quinn & Herrington PA in Wichita, works primarily on workers-compensation defense for self-insureds and insurance carriers. He also is a frequent speaker on workers compensation issues at local and state seminars. He resides in Rose Hill, Kan.
John L. Rolfe '85, FIN, previously president and CEO at Go Wichita! Convention & Visitors Bureau, is chief operations officer at the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. A 13-year alumni association member and a former association board member, he lives in Houston.*
James T. Akagi '86, AJ, is the police chief in Oak Ridge, Tenn. A 28-year law enforcement veteran, he started with the Lawrence (Kan.) Police Department before joining the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1986. His DEA posts have included Dallas, Los Angeles, the Dominican Republic and Oklahoma City. He also served for two years as an inspector in the Office of Professional Responsibility at DEA headquarters. He resides in Oak Ridge.
Dan J. Pohl '86, M SEC ED, will teach English composition and German as a full-time instructor at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan., beginning fall semester 2012.
Timothy "Tim" D. Rives '86, GEN ST, a former archivist at the National Archives-Central Plains Region in Kansas City, is deputy director and supervisory archivist at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., where he resides.
Patricia "Patty" L. Tenofsky '86, BIO, a breast cancer surgeon at Via Christi Clinic in Wichita, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a Health Care Hero. Lauded for her ability to educate patients about their treatment procedures, she was also noted for the creation of a program that allows cancer patients to meet and discuss their case with all involved physicians. Tenofsky lives in Wichita.
Richard "Rick" J. Elgin '87, GEO, a geologist,is project manager at Midwest Environmental Consultants in Jefferson City, Mo. He resides in Jefferson City.
John G. Freeman '87, M COMM, an associate professor of journalism at the University of Florida, has led groups of students on an annual two-week photojournalism seminar to Berlin, Germany, every year since 2005. The seminar is part of the university's Study Abroad Program. Freeman, who taught at Wichita State from 1981 to 1991, lives in Gainesville, Fla.*
V.L. "Thumper" (Vantleven) Johnson '87, CDS, '89 M CDS, is an audiologist and speech-language pathologist at Mid-Kansas Ear, Nose & Throat Associates in Wichita, where she resides.
Neil Unruh '87, ACCT, audit partner and shareholder at Shinn & Co. in Bradenton, Fla., specializes in government, not-for-profit organizations, foundations, limited scope employee benefit plans, government organizations and for-profit audit and compliance. He resides in Bradenton.
T. Michael "Mike" Wall '87, MGT, chief executive at Better Enterprise Solutions Corp., in Mulvane, Kan., is a business speaker, host of the Internet program RadioLean and a frequent traveler. The Mulvane resident was in Japan on business during the country's devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, an experience Wall describes as "pretty unnerving."
Stephen "Steve" F. Radley '88, M BUS, is president and CEO of NetWork Kansas, a firm that connects for-profit ventures to a business-developing network of resource organizations statewide. He resides in Wichita.
Pamela "Pam" A. (Keeny) Hesse '89, EL ED, is a sales associate at J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc. Realtors in Wichita, where she resides.
Leslea S. (Dunbar) Roach '89, MGT, is a medical home initiative coordinator at Wichita's Kansas Academy of Family Physicians. She lives in Wichita.
Michael L. Stover '89, BUS ADM, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office undersheriff, is president of the board of directors for the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County. He lives in Wichita.
Kristine "Kris" (Mattingly) Driskill '90, H SCI, is a physician assistant in the cardiology department at Via Christi Clinic in Newton, Kan. She lives in Bel Aire, Kan.*
Michael D. Line '90, EL E, is sales manager at RFMD Japan in Tokyo, where he lives.
Bent H. Hamnes '90, EL E, is finance manager at Apply Capnor AS in Stavanger, Norway.
Wendy A. Williamson '90, M H SCI, who owns Williamson Fitness Consulting in Wichita, serves as director of corporate education at six Genesis Health Clubs. She lives in Wichita.
Jana L. (Kramer) Davis '91, ACCT, '91 PSYCH, CPA and a certified management accountant, is chief financial officer at Bunting Magnetics Co. in Newton, Kan. Davis, who previously served as CFO at McCormick-Armstrong in Wichita, also resides in Wichita.
Robert C. Manske '91, PE, '94 M PT, '00 M EX SCI, the clinic director at Physiotherapy Associates, a nationwide physical therapy outlet that has opened a Wichita location, specializes in sports medicine and outpatient orthopaedics. He lives in Wichita.
Joyce A. (Flaherty) DiDonato '92, MUS ED, professional opera singer, won a Grammy in the Best Classical Vocal Solo category for her Diva Divo recording at the 54th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. She also became the first classical artist in the program's history to perform live at its pre-televised ceremony. Nominated for two Grammys, she performed "Non più mesta" during the ceremony, which was streamed live to an international audience. "Joyce is one of the top opera singers in the world at the moment," says Marie King, WSU School of Performing Arts associate professor and program director of opera and musical theater. "She's a genuine star and a genuinely nice person." She lives in Kansas City, Mo.
Robert F. Leis '92, SEC ED, is principal at Marshall Elementary School in Eureka, Kan., where he lives.
Richard D. Hensley fs '93, who worked as a student writer for alumni association publications while studying journalism at the WSU Elliott School of Communication, is editor of Highlands Today and Central Florida's Agri-Leader in Sebring, Fla., where he resides.
Azrulnizam Abdul-Aziz '94, MKT, former CEO of Standard CTD Saadiq Bhd, is CEO at Al Rajhi Bank. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the bank is the largest Islamic banking group in the world.
Erin Dagon Mitchell '94, M COMM, whose undergraduate theater degree is from the University of Alaska Anchorage, co-owns and is associate director of the TBA Theatre Studio in Anchorage. She has worked for the Anchorage Light Opera Theatre, Valley Performing Arts, Alaska Stage Company and Alaska Festival Theater. As a director, she has more than 40 professional plays to her credit and also directs productions at South Anchorage High School. She lives in Anchorage.
Holly R. (Shifflette) Røkenes '94, COMM, '96 M COMM, is a human resources system manager at Roxar, an international technology company serving the oil and gas industry. The company is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. Rokenes resides in Bergen, Norway.
Brad A. Shelton '94, ENTRE, owns Shelton Collision Repair in Derby, Kan. He lives in Wichita.
Carl L. Hall '95, GEN ST, is a 2012 inductee into the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. In 1994, when Wichita State won the Missouri Valley Conference title in baseball, Hall, an outfielder, was named MVC Player of the Year; he had a .354 batting average, 42 stolen bases and seven triples. Among all Shocker players, he is tied for 12th with 58 doubles, tied for 11th with 16 triples and is eighth in steals with 110. After a June 2010 auto accident left him paralyzed, he and his family were provided a new house as part of the TV show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He resides in Wichita.
Geoffrey R. Lang '95, I BUS, whose international business career has featured overseas posts with the Fortress Investment Group in Rome, Italy, and the Archon Group in Paris, France, and Bangkok, Thailand, is a senior manager in global sourcing at Infosys LTD, a global technology services company with headquarters in Bangalore, India, and offices in 29 countries. Lang works in Munich, Germany.
Stephanie A. (Bowersock) Nilsson '95, NURS, a registered nurse at the Louisiana Medical Center and Heart Hospital in Lacombe, La., was one of 100 nurses selected statewide from a pool of 53,311 to be honored for outstanding contributions to health care during the annual Great 100 Nurses celebration. Selection is based on concern for humanity and contributions to the profession and community. Nilsson, whose work focuses on critical care patients, lives in Slidell, La.
Kristin K. (Small) Peck '95, JOURN, works as vice president of government and public affairs at Cox Communications in Oklahoma City. She resides in Edmond, Okla.
LaTricia L. (Harper) Woods '95, COMM, '02 M COMM, is public information officer for the city of Maricopa, Ariz. She lives in Chandler, Ariz.
Kristin K. (Lerch) Voth '95, NURS, '11 M NURS, is a registered nurse in the plastic surgery department at Via Christi Clinic in Wichita. She resides in Derby, Kan.
Patricia R. (Wuetrich) Clasen '96, M COMM, is associate professor of communication at the University of Wisconsin-Rock County in Janesville, Wis., where she resides.
Terje Røkenes '96, COMM, a former editor and photographer at TV2 Norway, is owner, director, videographer and editor at FILMTRIKS, a video production company based in Bergen, Norway, where he lives.
Michelle A. Schoon '96, M CI, chair of the natural sciences department at Cowley Community College in Winfield, Kan., has been named the college's Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence and Student Learning. Among her other teaching honors are the Paul Stirnaman Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence and a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award. She lives in Winfield.
Scott Schwindaman '96, I TECH, president and CEO at Lubrication Engineers Inc. in Wichita, is one of the nation's top breeders of Clydesdale horses. He specializes in breeding black-haired Clydesdales, which he raises on a 160-acre ranch near Goddard, Kan. His horses have been purchased by a number of high-profile attractions, including Florida's Busch Gardens theme park.
Mark A. Boren '97, MUS P, a high brass musician and instructor, is the coordinator of brass studies at Minot State University in Minot, N.D. A founding member of the Orenunn Trio, he has held positions with the Red Lodge Music Festival Faculty Brass Quintet and the Fountain City Brass Band, and has played internationally in Australia, South Korea, Thailand and Canada. In addition, he has performed with the Kansas City Symphony, the Wichita Symphony and the Minot Symphony, among many others. An author, too, he had his instructional book, Breathing for Performance, published in 2005. In 2004, his article, "Mind over Matter/Matter of Mind," was published in the International Trumpet Guild Journal. Boren resides in Minot.
Teresa "Terri" L. Jones '97, M PUB H, institutional review board manager at the Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation, uses her experience as a research scientist at Via Christi Regional Medical Center, also in Wichita, to assist investigators in submitting their work to the research foundation for approval. She lives in Conway Springs, Kan.
Jeffery "Jeff" A. Kohlman '97, M EAS, will be superintendent at Chase County, Kan., public schools, effective July 1. A 26-year education professional, he is superintendent at Lyndon, Kan., public schools.
Rachelle L. (Kuznik) Oblack '97, SEC ED, is a science textbook writer at Holt McDougal in Pittsburgh. She also writes about weather and science online at about.com. She lives in Greensburg, Pa.
Karen K. (Ross) Epp '98, M CI, an author and retired public school teacher, is working on a book of historical fiction, Corn Rose. An earlier work of hers, With Love Stan: A Soldier's Letters from Vietnam to the World, is based on her brother's writings from Vietnam, where he died in 1969. She resides in Newton.
Kara K. (Evans) Hunt '98, PSYCH, human resources consultant with the Arnold Group in Wichita, is an active member of the Wichita Society for Human Resource Management. She resides in Goddard, Kan.
Daiki Iga '98, M BUS ADM, is a correspondent at Reuters Japan in Tokyo.
Amy E. (Kelble) Kuhn '98, CDS, '00 M CDS, is a myofunctional therapist at Hannah Orthodontics in Kansas City, Mo. She resides in Olathe, Kan.
Mathew "Mat" T. Meckel '98, CJ, an 11-year veteran of the Augusta Department of Safety, is a safety officer for both law enforcement and fire-fighting missions. He lives in Augusta, Kan.
Maurice E. Evans fs '99, a professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards, serves as vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. A two-season player at Wichita State, he played at Wichita Collegiate during his high school years. During a charity event last fall, he commented, "It feels great to come back to Wichita. I miss Kansas."
Jennifer A. (Engelbrecht) Larsen '99, PA, is a physician assistant in internal medicine at the Via Christi Clinic in Augusta, Kan., where she resides.
James "Jim" R. Forsythe '00, PHD AERON E, represents District 4 in the New Hampshire State Senate. He lives in Strafford, N.H.
Johnna F. (Danler) Smith '00, ART ED, '04 M ART ED, an art teacher at Derby (Kan.) Middle School, has been named Outstanding Middle School Art Teacher of the Year for 2011-12 by the Kansas Art Education Association. She lives in Augusta, Kan.
Vonda M. Haas-Rueda '00, PA, is a physician assistant working at the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H. She lives in Windham, N.H.
Zarin (Bhadha) Mehta '00, PHD CDS, is an associate professor of audiology at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., where her clinical and teaching interests include diagnosis and management of auditory disorders and speech perception abilities of the aging auditory system. She resides in Phoenix.
Andrew D. Whitfield '00, M MUS P, assistant professor of music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he teaches voice and opera, is also a stage director and performer who has appeared with the Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Southwest and Pensacola Opera, among others. Excerpts of his performances may be viewed at andrewdwhitfield.com. He lives in Decorah.
Angela M. Bosch '01, PA, is a physician assistant at the Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center of Kansas City, Mo. She lives in Overland Park, Kan.
Tymber R. Lee fs '01, a former Shocker baseball player, is a senior associate at John T. Arnold Associates Inc., a firm that specializes in industrial and retail sales and leasing. Lee was drafted as a pitcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers and then the Anaheim Angels organization, played one year in the minor leagues with the Angels and then two years of independent baseball. He lives in Valley Center, Kan.
Kevin P. Olivett '01, M SP ADM, is assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., where he works in social media and networking, trademarks, licensing and in-game entertainment. He has more than 10 years of marketing, event management and ticket sales experience, most in the collegiate setting, and resides in Elgin, S.C.
Jason D. Stitt '01, HIST, a partner in the Wichita office of the national law firm Kutak Rock LLP, is an avid skeet-shooter who has won local, regional and national level championships in the sport. He lives in Wichita.
Nicholas R. Tejeda '01, MGT, chief operating officer at Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, Calif., is one of 12 people chosen nationally from a field of 202 candidates for the 2011 "Up and Comers" award in Modern Healthcare magazine. The award recognizes rising young stars in the health-care management field. Tejeda also holds a master's degree in health services administration from the University of Kansas. He lives in Paso Robles, Calif.
Melissa K. Angle '02, COMM, senior designer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has been named director of education and training for the Society for News Design. For the past three years, she has been a regional director for the society. She resides in Atlanta.
Sridhar Balasubramanian '02, M EL E, is a software architect at NetApp RTP in Research Triangle Park, N.C. He lives in Cary, N.C.*
Harminder Singh '02, MIS, is a value added service operations engineer at 2degrees Mobile LTD, a cellular services company in Auckland, New Zealand.
Ivan S. Williams '02, M BUS ADM, a senior analyst at the Kansas Health Institute in Topeka, Kan., conducts and analyzes research on health policy issues. He resides in Topeka.
Brooke R. Atkinson '03, EL ED, a former Wichita State basketball player, is an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. At WSU, she played 46 games in her two seasons (2000-2002) as a Shocker, compiling an 80 percent free-throw shooting average and making a school-record six 3-point baskets in one game.
Nathan M. Bohr '03, BUS ADM, a former Shocker bowler, is a professional bowler who ended the 2011 season ranked 39th by the Professional Bowlers Association. He has 11 PBA regional titles and is a two-time PBA Southwest Region Player of the Year. He lives in Derby, Kan.
John P. DeCesaro '03, MKT, is an account executive and director of Webstratics at Armstrong/Shank Advertising in Haysville, Kan. He resides in Wichita.
Laura E. Bernstorf '04, IE, is senior project coordinator at Airbus North American Engineering in Wichita. Previously, she served as an Airbus government business project engineer. She began her career in aviation at Hawker Beechcraft, where she worked even before graduating from WSU. She lives in Wichita.*
Richard M. Havens '04, CJ, who had been Sedgwick County's animal control supervisor for the past six years, is the animal service director for the city of Hutchinson, Kan. He holds the certified cruelty investigator designation given by the National Cruelty Investigations School and serves on the board of the Kansas State Animal Response Team and as president of the Kansas Animal Control Association.
Nathan W. Wadsworth '04, EX SCI, '07, M EX SCI, owns Elite Training Solutions in Wichita. He resides in Andover, Kan.
Sommer A. (Miller) Keplar '05, M COMM, manager of design, development and learning at Via Christi Health in Wichita, has been named a co-chair of Visioneering Wichita. She lives in Bel Aire, Kan.
Edward "Eddie" R. Hansen '05, FLD MJR, formerly known as "DJ E" at Wichita's Celebrations Fun Equipment, owns Pendulum Productions, a Wichita-based business that offers event planning, marketing, DJ and corporate spokesperson services. He lives in Wichita.
Amanda S. Heffner-Wong '05, PHYS, is a research assistant at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. She resides in Belmont, Mass.
Michael "Mike" A. Pelfrey fs '05, a pitcher with the New York Mets, is a 2012 inductee into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. At WSU, he compiled a 33-7 record with a 2.18 ERA during his three seasons (2003-05) as a Shocker. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2004 and again in 2005, the same year he gained All-America honors and was drafted by the Mets. He resides in Augusta, Kan.
Julius B. Thomas III '05, MUS THEA, is in the cast of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City. The play has been nominated for five Drama Desk Awards, including Best Musical Revival. His online Porgy and Bess cast bio ends with two words and an exclamation point: "Wichita State!"
Kylie A. Agnew '06, GEN ST PSYCH, '10 M GERON, director of sales and marketing at Cypress Springs Alzheimer's and Memory Support Residence in Wichita, is a social worker and admission coordinator who organized and facilitated the first Alzheimer's support group in a skilled nursing facility in Sedgwick, Kan. She served in the U.S. Army and remains a health administrations officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. As a WSU graduate student, her studies centered on Alzheimer's and how to prevent it. She resides in Wichita.
Brittany D. Barnes '06, THEA, who previously worked at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Chicago Cultural Center Foundation and the Goodman Theatre, is managing director and a founding member of the Chicago-based Pavement Group, a theater company that stages new productions, thus providing opportunities for emerging playwrights and plays.
Zayneb Chehbi '06, HR MGT, '07 PSYCH, '09 M BUS ADM, is human resources project manager at Banque Marocaine du Commerce Extérieur (BMCE Bank) in Casablanca, Morocco, where she resides.
Jivko I. Kurtev '06, I BUS, '08 M ECON, is a reporting and analysis specialist at Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Caroline Lagrange '06, ART GD, a graphic designer at Pelican International in Montreal, represented her native country of Canada in the Pan American Games last fall in Guadalajara, Mexico. A three-time defending Canadian champion, she completed a perfect 300-score game at the 2011 World Women's Championship in Hong Kong, won the 2009 Bowling World Cup in Malaysia and was a Shocker bowler from 2004 to 2006.
Desiraye L. (Osburn) Speer '06, EX SCI, a personal trainer at Apex Personal Training and a former professional runner sponsored by New Balance, is a 2012 inductee into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. Awarded All-America honors once in cross-country and three times in track during her WSU career, she won the 2005 Missouri Valley Conference meet and the NCAA Midwest Regional meet in cross-country and track, took top place in the 5,000-meter outdoor run in 2005 and 2006, as well as the indoor mile run in 2006. She resides in Kechi, Kan.
Lee M. Whitman '06, COMM, who writes and directs TV spots for the Pentagon, has been nominated for a 2011 Emmy Award as writer/producer of the American Forces PSA titled "The Post 9/11 GI Bill ‘Cents.'" Announced by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the nominees will be recognized at a June 16 reception in Washington, D.C. Through his production company, Uncheckable Films, Whitman made his feature film debut with "War Stories," which was shot in 2006 at locations in Oklahoma City, Wichita (including on Wichita State's campus) and Washington, D.C. He lives in Alexandria, Va.
Manuel G. Barsallo '07, AERON E, is assistant aerospace engineering manager at Aerospace Panama Inc. in Balboa, Panama.
April R. Brown '07, SP ADM, '11 M SP ADM, is an academic advisor in the athletics department at High Point University in High Point, N.C., where she lives.
Jason M. Moulin '07, M ACCT, is an accountant at Hiebert & Decker CPAs CHTD in Wichita, where he resides.
A. Mikael Pietilä '07, M ECON, an associate consultant at Gartner Consulting, Stockholm County, Sweden, also is a sergeant in the Swedish Army Ranger Battalion, a rapid response unit capable of fighting and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines. The battalion can function in all climates and has particular expertise in sub-arctic operations. Pietilä lives in Upplands Vasby, Sweden.
Christopher "Chris" S. Purdum '07, FIN I BUS, a commercial banker at Commerce Bancshares Inc., Wichita, manages commercial banking relationships with clientele in manufacturing, agriculture, energy production and the aerospace industry in south-central Kansas. He resides in Wichita.*
Eric D. Rohler '07, BUS ADM, a business technology analyst at J.P. Morgan offices in the greater Boston area, is also a developer, designer, digital artist and owner of Epiphysis Studio, a creative media services firm. He lives in Somerville, Mass.
Esther M. Majani '08, HS MGT/CD, is a program officer at EngenderHealth, a USAID-funded non-government agency in her home country of Tanzania. She works on HIV and gender-based violence prevention programs, from training sessions to mass-media campaigns. After earning a bachelor's degree from WSU, she went on to earn a master's degree in public health at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She lives in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Susan R. (Provorse) Mileham '08, M NURS, is a psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner at Behavioral Medicine Specialists PA in Wichita, where she resides.
Katie J. Antholz-Mitchell '09, M ENG CR, an English teacher at Southeast High School, has been recognized by Wichita public schools with a 2012 Distinguished Classroom Teacher award in the high school category. She lives in Derby, Kan.
Sara A. (Coover) Biggs '09, M PA, is a physician assistant at Lincoln County Hospital in Lincoln, Kan. She lives in Barnard, Kan.
Katie J. (Beck) Brown '09, ENTRE, is a sales associate at the Carnahan Group, a real estate firm based in Wichita. She resides in Sedgwick, Kan.
Nathan "Nate" H. Wollenberg '09, M EAS, is a physical education teacher who coaches track and field at Hesston, Kan., public schools. He also is the running backs coach for the Threshers football program at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. He resides in Newton, Kan.
Vanessa L. Buehne '10, M SP MGT, running events coordinator at RUNDisney Expo, a division of Disney Sports Attractions in Celebration, Fla., was featured in Eyes and Ears, the bimonthly publication of her employer, Walt Disney World. Buehne lives in Orlando, Fla.
Sheana M. Clark '10, M SP MKT, sales development manager at the Lincoln, Neb., Convention and Visitors Bureau, concentrates on developing the city's sports market. Her past experience in the recreation and fitness industries includes working as aquatic director at Madonna ProActive Health and Fitness in Lincoln. She was also on staff at the Greater Wichita YMCA and the campus recreation department at WSU. She lives in Lincoln.
Chad L. Gadberry '10, E MGT, is dynamic testing manager at Britax Child Safety in Charlotte, N.C. He resides in Fort Mill, S.C.
Sandra G. Gongora '10, ART GD, won a silver medal in women's doubles at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. One Associated Press sportswriter covering the games, which were held at the the 42-lane Bolerama Tapatio, wrote, "Gongora graduated from Wichita State in 2010, which is to bowling what Duke is to college basketball." She lives in Monterrey, Mexico.
Megan C. (Gobel) Gross '10, EL ED, who is an intermediate special education teacher at Adams Elementary School, has been recognized by Wichita public schools as a 2012 Distinguished Classroom Teacher in the new teacher, elementary category. She lives in Wichita.
Lars-Fredrik Håkonsen '10, BUS ADM, the CEO at Egeria Student Consulting in Oslo, Norway, works to engage students in real-world business. An entrepreneur, he founded and operated Skrell UB in 2003 while a high school student in the Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise Norway program. His venture, a peeled-potatoes delivery business, placed second among 1,400 entries for the best business plan and the best student company in Oslo. At WSU, he was on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Shocker golf team, was an Academic All-American and graduated summa cum laude. He lives in Oslo.
Corey J. Rink '10, EL E, is a technical after sales manager at Wright Group Ltd. of Northern Ireland, a supplier of accessible buses for public transportation systems. He lives in Las Vegas, Nev.*
Michael S. Sivulka '10, EL E, is an electrical engineer at Solar Turbines in Houston, where he resides.
Cassandra L. (Hopper) Schwartz '10, FLD MJR COMM, is an art director at Armstrong/Shank Advertising Marketing and Public Relations in Wichita, where she lives.*
Muci J. Chali Zarzar '10, M IE, 10 M E MGT, is an engineering analyst at Eastern Railway Projects in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where he lives.
Jingdi Zhang '10, I BUS, manager of student recruitment for Wichita State in Beijing, works with the WSU Office of International Education. She lives in Beijing.
C. Shannon Arney '11, M ANTHRO, a paraeducator at Wichita public schools, is also a competitive gymnastics coach at the Greater Wichita YMCA. She resides in Wichita.
Scott J. Carter '11, ACCT, is an assurance associate at Allen Gibbs & Houlik LC in Wichita. He resides in Park City, Kan.
Karson L. Craig '11, D PT, is a physical therapist at the Morris County Hospital Physical Therapy and Hand Center in Council Grove, Kan. Craig lives in Marion, Kan.
Luke A. Geddes '11, ENG CR, a writer who was awarded WSU's Stephen C. Barr Endowed Fellowship, is undertaking doctoral work in English and creative writing at the University of Cincinnati. In 2011, he won WSU's Holman Screenwriting Competition for his The Brill Building, set in the iconic New York City building during the early 1960s. The play's central characters are involved in the pop music scene, and the plot centers on the tension that arises during a societal change in musical tastes. His stories have been published in numerous literary journals, including Hayden's Ferry Review, Gargoyle, Pank and Jabberwock Review and Regarding Arts & Letters. A Wisconsin native, he lives in Cincinnati.
Denae S. Herrman '11, M COMM, a marketing specialist at ServiceMaster Clean In A Wink, works in the areas of social media, customer communication and website optimization. She resides in Derby, Kan.*
Brian M. Turner '11, M SP MGT, is group sales manager with the Wichita Wingnuts professional baseball team. He lives in Wichita.
