Fall 1999 - UNO Alumni Association
Transcription
Fall 1999 - UNO Alumni Association
alum UNO NOW ON THE WEB: THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FALL 1999 www.unoalumni.org THE CRUSHER Rod Kush Tackles Omaha’s Fierce Furniture Market We were there when crew cuts, picnics and smiles were still in style. A Tradition of Alumni Giving contents The UNO Annual Fund Fall 1999 Formed by the first graduating class of eight students, the UNO Alumni departments Association has fostered A Tradition of Alumni Giving that dates to 1913. You can help continue that tradition on the cover around campus...........................4 THE CRUSHER with a donation to the UNO Annual Fund. Gifts support the association’s efforts in a variety of programs and services benefitting the university, Rod Kush has gone from crushing wide receivers on football fields nationwide to crushing the competition in Omaha’s fierce furniture market. How the UNO graduate got from one arena to the next is as interesting as how he nearly ended up in a court room. (Cover photo by Michael Malone) PAGE 9 including student scholarships, professorships, faculty awards, recognition of outstanding alumni, record keeping, publications, outreaches and more. Join the tradition today by filling out a bonus, all donors after June 30 features who submit their contributions by Dec. 1 will be entered in drawings for one pair of single-game home GENERAL AFFAIRS 12 General Russell Davis has always been in charge. tickets to a UNO hockey game. Ten winners will be chosen. Send in your donation today! BUSTING BARRIERS 20 Achieving a first in the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. UNO UNO A LU M N I UNO A LU M N I A S SO C IA T IO N UNO A LU M N I A SSO C IA T IO N A LU M N I A SSO C IA T IO N association in action................6 Citation for Alumnus Achievement future alums...............................24 Cute little buggers class notes..................................25 An impressive bunch alum UNO EDITOR: Anthony Flott the enclosed contribution form and sending it in with your donation. As Women’s soccer gets win No. 1 CAVE MEN 15 FALL 1999 CONTRIBUTORS: Sonja Carberry, Tim Fitzgerald, Eric Francis, Tia Harrison, Don Kohler, Mike Malone, Carl Milone, Hugh Reilly, Dave Rotterman, Nick Schinker, Eric Stoakes. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS: Chairman of the Board, Michael Jones; Past Chairman, Michael De Freece; Chairman-elect Kathleen Olson; Vice Chairmen, Bruce Bisson, Adrian Minks, Rodney Oberle, Michele Sperle; Secretary, Stephen Kleinsmith; Treasurer, Dan Koraleski; President & CEO, Jim Leslie; Legal Counsel, Deb McLarney. ALUMNI STAFF: Jim Leslie, President and CEO; Roxanne Miller, Executive Secretary; Sue Gerding, Joyce Sheibal, Kathy Johnson Records/Alumni Cards; Sheila King, Activities Coordinator; Greg Trimm, Alumni Center Manager; Anne Packard Kotlik, Accountant; Anthony Flott, Editor; Loretta Wirth, Receptionist. The UNO Alum is published quarterly – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter – by the UNO Alumni Association, W.H. Thompson Alumni Center, UNO, Omaha, NE 68182-0010, (402) 554-2444, FAX (402) 554-3787 • e-mail address: [email protected]. • Member, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) • Direct all inquiries to Editor, W.H. Thompson Alumni Center, (402) 554-2989 • Send all changes of address to attention of Records • Views expressed through various articles within the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the University of Nebraska at Omaha or the UNO Alumni Association. UNO researchers explore Israel’s Cave of Letters. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 3 Events & Happenings on the UNO Campus Events & Happenings on the UNO Campus Summer Commencement ore than 500 students received degrees during the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s summer commencement August 14 at Omaha Civic M Auditorium. FROM UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Everything is high-tech at the Peter Kiewit Institute, including the robot-led ribbon-cutting ceremony in August. incredible example of higher education being responsive to the needs of business and willing to find a solution.” PKI houses UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology and the College of Engineering and Technology, operated by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Among the Institute’s unique features and programs: • An innovative “living lab” building design, which exposes much of the infrastructure so engineering students can learn from the electrical wiring, heating and cooling systems. • An “Experts-in-Residence” program, which encourages executives from the world’s high-tech companies to spend a year or more teaching and mentoring students at the Institute. • An innovative curriculum designed around real-world business challenges and providing training across several disciplines. • Venture capital support for student business start-ups, as well as joint research and development opportunities with area businesses. • A telecommunications engineering laboratory allowing students to focus on networking, wireless and optical communications. • A collaborative computer classroom where students can work in teams to adjust, modify or react to work locally, nationally or internationally. • A structures laboratory providing testing of construction beams from bridges or buildings against a reaction wall capable of withstanding 600,000 pounds of pressure. TIM FITZGERALD W Ruth Ann Leacock (below) addressed the audience as the student commencement speaker. Leacock graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in interpersonal communication and a certificate in gerontology. Her address was titled “Living Well.” Professors James Saker and Robert Welk of UNO’s College of Fine Arts both received the Chancellor’s Medal. The award was established to recognize the contributions of faculty and administrative staff who embody the institution’s mission and values. Saker is director of bands and a professor of music. During his tenure at UNO the marching and concert bands have received national acclaim by performing at concerts, festivals and National Football League halftime shows in Denver, Kansas City and Minneapolis. Welk is an associate professor and chair of dramatic arts. He joined UNO in 1966 and has assisted the theatre department in Student Commencement Speaker Ruth Ann Leacock addressits attainment of high- es “Living Well” during summer commencement. er levels of artistic and educational achievement. C. R. “Bob” Bell, president of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, was honored with the Order of the Tower, bestowed upon community leaders whose service and/or financial support has made it possible for the university to address the academic, cultural and economic needs of Omaha and Nebraska residents. Under Bell’s leadership the chamber has placed a major emphasis on the development of Omaha as a national model for business involvement in education. Kate Dodge, a 1967 UNO graduate, received the UNO Alumni Association’s Citation for Alumnus Achievement (see story page 6). UNO ALUM FALL 1999 trip to Lithuania is nothing new for Rebecca Morris. The associate professor of marketing and management has taken students in her Executive MBA class to the country twice prior to this year. But her third visit there this spring included a unique twist — a visit with Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus. “ E verybody in town knew (about the appointment),” Morris says. “We had people walk up to us on the street and say, ‘I understand yo u ’ re going to meet our pre s i d e n t ! ’ ” The 45-minute audience with Adamkus was set up with help from Nebraska Senator and UNO alum Chuck Hagel. Morris and her four-person class spent the bulk of their visit providing Lithuanian businesses with marketing advice. A Freshman Alicia Diener of Omaha catches up on some studying — and sun. Women’s Soccer Team Notches First Win hen the UNO women’s soccer team took the field for the first time in an exhibition against No. 6-ranked Nebraska in mid-August, the result was not surprising: A 14-0 romp by the Cornhuskers. Two weeks later the Mavericks faced another Division I opponent, losing 3-0 to Creighton in its official season opener. Whatever lessons UNO learned in the two losses to their instate opponents were put to good use on Sept. 3 when the Mavs recorded their first win, a 2-1 overtime thriller against W Hobbs booted the game-winner. 4 UNO Students Chat With Lithuanian Prez TIM FITZGERALD PKI Kicks Off New Era at UNO hat once was merely a vision has become a reality. And quite a sight, to boot. In August UNO formally dedicated the Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering, designed in part to help meet the employment needs of the nation’s technology and engineering firms. Already the Institute has received accolades from various organizations, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Carnegie Mellon. “It’s the best model I’ve seen in the nation to deal with the shortage of information technology workers,” said Thomas Howell, a program director with NSF. University of Nebraska President L. Dennis Smith called the facility a national model that demonstrates how education and business can work together. Two-thirds of the Institute’s $70 million price tag was raised by the Omaha business community. In addition, the land for the Institute was donated by First Data Resources, one of Omaha’s largest employers. Furthermore, several Omaha employers created scholarships and internships to help recruit the best and brightest high school technology students from across the country. Walter Scott, chairman emeritus of Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., and chair of the Institute’s 11-member board of policy, echoed Smith’s comments. “When something is needed today,” Scott said, “we don’t serve ourselves or society well by putting it off. Colleges have a reputation for being slow to change, but the Institute is an around campus TIM FITZGERALD around campus Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, ranked No. 10 in Division II. Freshman Katie Hobbs, the progra m ’ s first recruit, scored the game winner on an assist from Akeisha Varnardo 119 minutes after play started. Perhaps the only person at UNO with mixed feelings about the win was Chancellor Nancy Belck. Prior to coming to UNO Belck was chancellor at Southern Illinois. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 5 association in action UNO Alumni As s o c i a t i o n N e w s & I n f o r m a t i o n UNO Alumni As s o c i a t i o n N e w s & I n f o r m a t i o n association in action Homecoming 1999 Kate Dodge Receives Achievement Citation he UNO Alumni Association bestowed its Citation for Alumnus Achievement on Kathleen C. Dodge during summer commencement Aug. 14. A 1967 UNO alumna, Dodge is president of National Equity, Inc., a full-service relocation management company. The citation, instituted in 1949, is presented each year at UNO ’ s three commencements to graduates who have achieved distinction in their careers. Dodge received a master’s degree in psychology from UNO. Early in her career the Massachusetts native practiced as a psychologist for Millard Public Schools and provided psychological consulting services for school systems in a four-county area in eastern Nebraska. In 1986 she joined the private sector, becoming president and chief operating officer of National Equity. At the time, it employed just four peoDodge ple and had only a few corporate clients. Today, 13 years later, National Equity has more than 60 corporate clients and last year provided relocation services to more than 3,000 people domestically and internationally. Her success and the company ’ s g rowth has made Dodge a popular public speaker within the industry. She has delivered speeches on relocation issues to numerous organizations, including the Great Lakes Relocation Council, the International Relocation Symposium and others. She has been a member of the Employee Relocation Council (ERC) and earlier this year was awarded the ERC’s meritorious service award. Dodge has been just as active outside the industry, volunteering her time, money and efforts to various organizations in the community. She also has given back to her alma mater, serving on the UNO Alumni Association board of directors and chairing the UNO Women’s Walk committee for two years. T 6 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 All UNO graduates are encouraged to “Show ABC Series Marks 25 Years S ince 1975 UNO’s ever-popular ABC Breakfast Speaker Series has brought the world to Omaha’s doorstep through the perspectives of astronauts, economists, war correspondents, scientists, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Supreme Court justices,diplomats and explorers (just to mention a few). That tradition continues in 1999-2000 as the ABC Series marks its 25th anniversary with another sterling lineup of speakers. Tickets are available for the series, held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 72nd and Grover Streets, for $10 each. Season tickets and full table reservations also are available. Corporate sponsors for the silver anniversary season are DLR Group, Enron, Kutak Rock, and Swanson, A Division of Vlasic Foods International, Inc. Following is the 1999-2000 speaker lineup: October 6, 1999 — Williak Kristol A View from Washington: Issues Shaping American Politics Kistol is editor and publisher of The Weekly Standard, the influential journal of politics and ideas published in Washington, D.C. He served as chief of staff to Vice President Quayle during the Bush administration, and to Secretary of Education William Bennet under President Reagan. He is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading political analysts, and regularly appears on “Good Morning America” and “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.” November 16, 1999 — Rachelle Hood-Phillips Business Case for Diversity: Denny’s Turnaround Hood-Phillips is the chief diversity officer for Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. and the key person responsible for transforming Denny’s, Inc. Just a few years ago, the restaurant chain paid $46 million to settle two classaction discrimination cases. Thanks to reforms implemented by HoodPhillips, Denny’s was recently named the second best corporation in America for minorities by Fortune Magazine. In her energetic and entertaining presentation, Hood-Phillips will reveal what worked at Denny’s and what skills are necessary to make a diverse workplace an effective workplace. February 1, 2000 — Laura Pedersen The World Economy, Stock Market, and Financial Institutions in the New Millennium Pedersen made history when, at the age of 20, she became the youngest person to get a seat on the American Stock Exchange. At 21 she became a partner in a Wall Street firm and by the age of 22 she was a millionaire. Pedersen is the author of Play Money and Street-Smart Career Guide and her popular financial column appears in The New York Times. She is a dynamic presenter who adds a humorous slant to her sharp insights into current economic trends and financial institutions. March 30, 2000 — Robert Kaplan The United States, a Nation Born to Die Kaplan is the acclaimed author of Balkan Ghosts, The Arabists, and The Ends of the Earth. He is a war correspondent who has reported from 70 countries, and is an associate of Harvard University’s Olin Institute of Strategic Studies. Nominated for both the Pulitzer Prize and a National Magazine Award, Kaplan is a foreign correspondent and a contributing editor for The Atlantic Monthly. Kaplan’s articles are published on their website. For more information or to purchase tickets call (402) 595-2305 or e-mail: [email protected] UNO Hockey Coach Mike Kemp, right, presents lucky donor Cuba with the pair of season hockey tickets Annual Fund Donor Wins Tickets I t couldn’t have been scripted better: UNO alum Frank Cuba was in — where else? — Canada when he received word he had won a pair of 1999-2000 UNO season hockey tickets. Cuba was on vacation in the Great White North when he checked in with his daughter back home in Omaha for messages. Among those waiting for him was a call from the UNO Alumni Association informing him that he had been randomly chosen to receive the tickets, valued at $500. The contest was part of the promotions for the 1999 UNO Annual Fund and included all donors of $35 or more through June 30. You could say it was just rewards for Cuba, a 1971 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. A Century Club member, he has given to the UNO Annual Fund nearly every year since 1976. UNO Alumni to Visit Holy Land T he UNO Alumni Association and UNO’s International Studies and Programs invite all alumni to join a VIP Millennium Tour of Israel March 18-27, 2000. Alumni Association President and CEO Jim Leslie, his wife, Nancy, and former International Studies director Dr. Richard Freund will host the tour. The itinerary includes visits to various sites, including Caesaria, Mount of the Beatitudes, Megiddo, Capernaum, Nazareth, Qumran, Masada, Jerusalem, and Bethsaida, site of UNO’s ongoing archaeological excavation. The trip will coincide with a visit to Israel by Pope John Paul VI. Cost for the VIP Millennium Tour of Israel is $2,750 per person for double occupancy, $2,999 single occupancy. The package includes airfare from Omaha, two meals per day, all entrance fees and transportation within Israel. A deposit of $300 per person must be made by Oct. 10. Final payment for the tour is due Nov. 1. Space is limited. For more information, call (402) 554-2902, or write to: Bethsaida Excavations Project, UNO, Omaha, NE 68182-0265. Your Spirit” and attend UNO Homecoming Saturday, Sept. 25. The family-centered festivities begin 11 a.m. at the W.H. Thompson Alumni Center (67th & Dodge) with a pre-game picnic/tailgate party. Activities include games and prizes for children, an appearance by UNO mascot Durango, band music, “Arthur the Amazing” and his mystifying yo-yo, juggling act and balloon animals, free face painting and Ollie the Trolley rides to Caniglia Field. The fun continues with defending North Central Conference champion UNO’s 1 p.m. game against Morningside at Al F. Caniglia Field. Cost is $9.95 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under. The price includes food, beverages and a ticket to the game. For more information call Activities Coordinator Sheila King at (402) 5544802. Free Transcripts Effective Aug. 16, former and current students no longer will be charged when ordering transcripts. Transcript requests now are accepted via fax, email and regular mail. For details, visit the Transcript Request Web Page at www.unomaha.edu/ registrar/transcr.html. Association on the Web The UNO Alumni Association is in the process of developing a comprehensive, interactive web site that will offer graduates and other visitors an array of opportunities unique to the new medium. Parts of the site, which can be accessed at www.unoalumni.org, should be online around mid-September. The entire site will be completed by October. “It’s been amazing to discover the ways we can tap into the power of the Internet,” says Jim Leslie, the alumni association’s president and CEO since 1973. “This site not only will help us to better inform the public about all facets of the association and the many ways which we serve the university, but it also will provide graduates opportunities to stay in closer contact with their alma mater. ” The site’s many features will include an online version of the UNO Alum, archives of previous Class Notes submissions, an alumni e-mail search and database, forms to submit Class Notes, Future Alums and to update records, tours of the William H. Thompson Alumni Center and the capability to rent a room online, listings of alumni association and university events, and a form to make an online donation to the UNO Annual Fund. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 7 COVER STORY Rod Kush has gone from crushing wide receivers on football fields nationwide to crushing the competition in Omaha’s fierce furniture market. How the UNO graduate got from one arena to the next is as interesting as how he nearly ended up in a court room. For if the Buffalo Bills hadn't drafted him in 1979, Rod Kush would have become a lawyer. “I had every intention of taking my LSATs and applying to law school," Kush explains. The 1979 criminal justice grad didn't just The Crusher S o n j a C a r b e r r y study the law, he immersed himself in it. First, he traveled to London as part of a UNO criminal justice class to learn the British system firsthand. Later, he frequented Leavenworth and Topeka while preparing a thesis on Kansas' criminal justice system. Sure enough, 20 years later one can find Kush among the plush trappings indigenous to law offices. Today, he punches the clock sitting in a stately leather chair behind an expansive desk. But no law books are shelved on the wall behind him. Instead, a long window reveals a 8 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 MICHAEL MALONE B y virtual football field of furniture on display at his fabulously successful, self-named enterprise, Rod Kush's Furniture. This is thousands of sofas, a few concussions and a knee injury away from his early ambition. Yet the intensity in his eyes tells you that what football and furniture gained, the legal profession lost. His former Maverick cohorts concur. Brent Harris, an ex-Mav linebacker and longtime friend, immediately recalls Kush's dedication to the law. “I think he would have been very intense,” Harris says. “I think people would get their money's worth.” Sandy Buda, the winningest coach in school history, agrees. “I don't know if he would have taken ‘No’ from a judge or a jury,” Buda says with a chuckle. “He was a serious student and he was really serious about criminal justice.” But Kush was just as serious about football. Perhaps more so. Buda took over as coach in 1978, inheriting a team that just a few years earlier had lost a game 75-0. But among the losing, Kush, a 1978 Burke High School grad, immediately stood out as a winner. “He isn't that big, really — and he's not real fast,” Buda says. “[But] he wasn't afraid of contact.” It was Harris who dubbed the cornerback Rod “The Crusher” Kush, a moniker that's found its way into the ubiquitous print, television and radio ads for his furniture store. “He hit people real hard,” says Harris. The nickname stuck. It was that last quality that caught the eye of a Buffalo Bills scout. Buda sang his star player's praises. “The thing about Rod Kush is that, No. 1, he's a very smart, very intelligent football player. No. 2, he does what you tell him to do. And he has instincts for what's going on on the field. Rod is a no-nonsense player. He's going to play and there's not going to be a lot of jacking around.” Fortunately, that's just what the FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 9 Bills' new coach, Chuck Knox, was looking for. That next draft, Kush was the fourth pick in the fifth round. The All-North Central Conference selection shunned the idea of hiring an agent, instead negotiating his own contract. That began a crash course in handling the financial side of football. “I never had money before the NFL,” Kush says in reference to the big chunk of change pro ball jingled into his bank account. “I think I could have invested better than I did.” On the field, Kush had three things going for him. “Pound-forpound, he's probably one of the strongest guys I ever met,” Harris explains. “Second, I think the reason he did so well in the pros was his mental toughness.” And driving both the physical and intellectual sides was Kush's fierce competitive nature. “Even if you're playing tiddlywinks, he'll play to win,” adds Harris. Kush became a building block in Buffalo's revitalization. In 1980, the Bills ended a 20-game losing streak by beating Miami 17-7. The team finished the season 11-5 and were AFC East division champs. Knox was named NFL coach of the year. Kush would enjoy a relatively long pro career — six years with the Bills and two with the Houston Oilers — before a knee injury forced him out of the game in 1987. Kush didn't realize it at the time, but he was about to become a maverick again. Only this time off the field. While still in Houston, Kush 10 10 UNO ALUM ALUM UNO SPRING 1999 1999 FALL frequently fished with a buddy who owned a furniture consignment store. The two talked casually, then seriously, about the business. Kush decided to take the concept to Omaha. “I had my own thoughts and ideas of how it should be run,” he says. That same year, Kush opened Furniture on Consignment at 88th and L streets. At the time, competition with the mighty Nebraska Furniture Mart, the largest home furnishings store in North America, was not an issue. “My niche was the used furniture,” Kush says of the original 9,000square-foot store. But that soon changed. In 1988 Kush pushed into the Mart's market by selling new furniture, though at first he was relegated to the offbrand manufacturers who didn't already have a relationship with his chief competitor. But as Kush proved his selling power, more manufacturers came to call. The store moved to a bigger location at 94th and J streets in 1990 and again to its current 100,000-square-foot warehouse at 72nd & L streets in 1992. It was not a simple series of successive first downs. “If I had a penny for every mistake I made in the business world, I could have retired,” he says. And he very nearly did, coming close to selling his business to the Mart in 1992. Instead, he expanded his operations, opening a second store in Lincoln in 1995. That growth continues today, as witnessed by the $3 million expansion taking place in the Omaha store where he's added WINTER RKS Rent-to-Own and Home Style Leather and Oak, a more exclusive line. At the store, Kush seemingly plays every position, from purchasing $100,000 per month in advertising to laying out the floor plan, to moving merchandise into a new warehouse. “Someone had to be the foreman, says Kush, “who else could do it better than me?” In fact, today he's paying the price of moving one too many mattresses — a little back pain. “Give me a few days,” says the ex-NFLer, shifting in his chair. Like many college grads, Kush's life took him in a direction different from his degree. But the time was far from wasted. “UNO gave me a good foundation,” Kush says. “It gave me the knowledge to go out there and make mistakes and know it and not do it again.” One mistake he readily recognizes is not taking business classes. As an undergrad, he didn't think he needed them. Today, he pounds the message into the athletes and students to whom he frequently speaks. “For God's sake,” he says, “please take some business classes. It should be a prerequisite that you at least take 12 hours of business.” He speaks from experience. Kush did the seemingly impossible, turning a used furniture store into a $22 million-a-year enterprise. And in the toughest furniture market in the country, no less. It's made for a comfortable life. Kush and his highschool-sweetheart wife, Kathleen, and their two teenage sons, Randy MICHAEL MALONE At his furniture store, Rod Kush seemingly plays every position, from purchasing $100,000 per month in advertising to laying out the floor plan, to moving merchandise into a new warehouse. “Someone had to be the foreman, says Kush, “who else could do it better than me?” In fact, today he's paying the price of moving one too many mattresses — a little back pain. “Give me a few days,” says the exNFLer, shifting in his chair. and Troy, live in a much-publicized $2.5 million mansion on a 40-acre spread in Gretna. He has arrived, you think. But he is as relentless now as he was in the NFL. Kush won't stop as long as he has someone to compete with. “We will become the largest rent-to-own in Omaha and Lincoln,” he promises. “I'd have to say my goal is to be in the top 100 in furniture in the country.” He knows exactly what it takes to get there: sales of $36 million a year. Buda won’t be surprised if Kush makes it happen. “His competitiveness was going to make him successful in whatever he did.” SPRING FALL 1999 1999 UNO UNO ALUM ALUM 11 11 PROFILE Growing up in Tuskegee, Ala., Russell Davis already was exhibiting a number of the traits that later would serve him well and help chart his course into adulthood. JoAnne Adams recalls that her younger cousin, even at an early age, never shied from taking control of a task or project — and doling out the duties necessary to achieve success. Back then, Davis could be counted on to rise to the occasion, be it to fill a prominent role in a Christmas play or to act as the driving force in a family or school project. "Whenever a situation came up, I don't care what was involved, Russ would take over," she recalls. "He was very much a takecharge kind of person."Which was just fine with the close-knit clan. image of him recalled by his cousin. "She's right," he says. "I can't stand disorganization. People would always say, 'Okay, Russell, just go ahead and do it.' They knew I would make sure it got done. "That quality probably has a bit to do with what I'm doing now." Davis was born Oct. 22, 1938, in Tuskegee, the third son of Winfred and Marcus Davis. The Alabama city is home to the renowned Tuskegee Institute (now university), established in 1881 in part through the efforts of Lewis Adams, Davis' great-great- Russell Davis became an aviation cadet in December 1958 and completed his undergraduate pilot training at Graham Air Base in Florida and Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1960. Later that year, he was assigned as a bomber pilot to the 344th Bomber Squadron stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base in Lincoln, Neb. He served at the Lincoln base until his release from active duty in April 1965. During that time he took advantage of the nighttime, on-base college classes provided by UNO. General Affa irs B y N i c k S c h i n k e r "When we were kids," she says, "our families lived about two or three miles from each other. His mother, Winfred, is my favorite relative; has been for some time." Today, JoAnne Adams is better known as JoAnne Lofton, assistant dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNO. And the young lad with the penchant for taking control and giving orders now is Lt. Gen. Russell Clark Davis, chief of the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va. As chief, the 1963 UNO graduate is the senior uniformed officer responsible for formulating and coordinating the policies and programs affecting 468,000 U.S. Army and Air National Guard personnel serving in the United States and around the world. Davis chuckles at the youthful 12 12 UNO ALUM ALUM UNO SPRING 1999 FALL 1999 grandfather. Booker T. Washington served as the college's first principal and lived for a time with Adams, who was on the school's board of commissioners. Davis says his parents and his hometown influenced the careers he and his older brothers, Marcus Jr. and Matthew, forged in the military. "Growing up in Tuskegee, we were well aware of the now-famous black airmen training there. While my mother primarily taught school, she also packed parachutes for the airmen. My dad served first as the assistant contracting officer, then as purchasing officer." Eventually, all three Davis boys entered the Air Force. Maj. Marcus M. Davis Jr., is retired and living in San Antonio, Texas. Lt. Col. Matthew W. Davis is retired and living in Montgomery, Ala. WINTER He says the bachelor's degree in general education he received in 1963 provided valuable career options. "My degree from UNO got me in law school," he says, "even though I only got a C in business law." Upon his release from active duty, he joined the Iowa Air National Guard. While stationed in Des Moines, he studied law at Drake University. It was that C in business law that made Davis' application to law school stand out from among the others, he recalls. "I remember the dean's office saying that they remembered me, in particular, because of my audacity. They said, 'He gets a C and thinks he can make it through law school?'" Make it he did, receiving his juris doctor degree in law in 1969. It wasn't easy being in the military during the 1960s when much of the SPRING FALL 1999 1999 UNO UNO ALUM ALUM 13 13 Cave SPECIAL FEATURE He served as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau from 1995 until August 1998, when he was appointed by the president as chief of the National Guard Bureau. Davis was promoted to Davis (sitting on the table at far right) made it back to Omaha for a brigadier genfamily reuniong this summer. eral in 1982, country had divided itself over the major general in 1990 and lieutenant war in Vietnam. Harder still being a general in September 1998. He lives in black in the military. "There were Washington, D.C., with his wife, many pressures of the times. People Shirley Ann. He has two children, would always come up and question Tyree, 35, and Pamela, 33, from a prehow I could be in the military and not vious marriage. receive my full rights. I recall in particA student at Tuskegee University ular that I reached the age of 24 before from 1956-1958, Davis received the I was allowed to vote. That didn't set Tuskegee Airmen Achievement Award well with me personally. in 1985 and the Tuskegee Airmen "The atmosphere in Lincoln was not Achievement and Service Award two particularly good early on. I think years later. His ties to family and there were three sections of town hometown, where his mother still where blacks lived, if you lived offresides, remain an important part of base. Buying a house was not an his life. option for most folks. I recall it had In a departure from protocol, Davis changed quite a bit by the time I left in chose that his mother assist his wife in '65." pinning the third silver star onto his There were instances of discrimina- uniform at the ceremony last fall. After tion within the military, as well. But all, he says, it was his mother who had they could be overcome, Davis says. proudly pinned his lieutenant's bar on "You just had to be better qualified his uniform so many years before. "I than the competition." looked at her during my speech and That was no problem for Davis. said, 'Well, here we are, Mom. Back to With the Air National Guard in Des being a lieutenant again.'" Moines he steadily rose through the UNO's Lofton says Davis' mother ranks, serving as fighter interceptor isn't the only relative delighted by his pilot, flight commander, air operations achievements. "Of course, the whole staff officer and deputy commander of family is proud," she says. "It's always operations. been known that our family didn't He left Iowa in 1979 to serve as care what you did in life, as long as deputy chief of manpower and peryou became the best. Russ has done sonnel at the Air National Guard just that." Support Center, Andrews Air Force Without a doubt, Davis has led an Base. In March 1980, he was named exciting life. Rated as a command executive to the chief, National Guard pilot, he has more than 4,700 flight Bureau in Washington. In 1991 he was hours in aircraft ranging from the B-47 named commanding general of the ("Sitting nuclear alert in Europe for the District of Columbia National Guard. big war that never came.") to the F-16 14 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 fighter. He has received many awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster and the Distinguished Service Medal. His duty today, however, is more than the culmination of a string of awards and promotions. As the first black chief of the National Guard Bureau, Davis says he strives to erase the images of the past. "We work pretty hard at providing equal opportunities, as well as tackling issues of diversity," he says. "We want to preserve fair and equitable treatment." With the military, it isn't always race or gender that becomes the issue, Davis says. "A lot deals with the branches of the military, as well as the levels of service within those branches. The perception of rank and superiority. The idea of one duty being superior to another. And though we'll always have those things, that is why we do our best to build on the concept of teamwork." He expects his career to continue another three or four years. Then, he says, he will retire. He looks forward to traveling and spending time with his family, perhaps working as a consultant, putting his many years of managerial experience to good use. Until then, Davis says he will work to broaden the mission of the National Guard, and to improve its perception among the general public. "People think the National Guard is nothing more than their neighbor next door or the armory down the street. We have 360,000 [soldiers] serving in the Army National Guard and 108,000 in the Air National Guard. That's a good-sized force; second only to the 480,000 serving in the U.S. Army. "We want people to know that in addition to combat missions, the National Guard is very much involved in peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts. We're at work around the world, and we're in Omaha, Nebraska, where we helped feed people, transport sick and injured, and clear debris after the devastating snowstorm two years ago. "We are very proud of what we do, and we want people to share in that pride." Men B Y D O N K O H L E R When at the start of UNO's fall semester talk got around to “How I Spent My Summer,” David Rotterman had a bit more than the usual fare to share with colleagues. Rotterman, senior producer for UNO Television, spent July camping in stifling 100-degree heat, scaling 600-foot cliffs and crawling on his belly through narrow caves which had not been seen by man in nearly four decades. Obviously not your typical summer vacation. And he's got the “home” video to prove it. Rotterman was part of a UNO-led team of researchers granted permission by the Israeli government to explore the historically significant Cave of Letters, located in the rugged, mountainous terrain near the Dead Sea. Last excavated in 1961, the Cave of Letters is believed to hold ancient treasures from the second revolt of the Jews against the Romans during the second century CE (Common Era). FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 15 Cave Men The summer adventure was rewarding if not relaxing, Rotterman says. “We went through the whole range of emotions, from being tired, dusty and dirty to this incredible feeling of excitement. At times I would just think to myself, 'I can't believe that we are here.'” That disbelief was shared by many, including Professor Richard Freund, the former chairman of UNO's department of religion and philosophy who masterminded the expedition. “We went from taking an idea to chasing that idea to seeing it through to its conclusion,” says Freund, now on staff at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. “This is one of the most important environmental areas in Israel and is located on a nature preserve, so we worked very hard to get the permits to go there. It was amazing the way everything worked out.” UNO, of course, already had a presence in the Holy Land with its much-documented involvement with the Bethsaida Excavations Project. Since 1991 Freund had directed an international team uncovering the lost city, located in northern Israel. Rotterman and the UNO Television staff had produced an award-winning documentary on the dig. Among the important discoveries at Bethsaida, Freund says, was the 1996 uncovering of a Roman incense shovel. “I decided to write about this shovel, and during my investigation I learned that very few people knew about them,” Freund explains. “The last major discovery of incense shovels that looked almost exactly like our incense shovel had been made in the Cave of Letters by famed Israeli archeologist Yigael Yadin. I ended up writing a chapter on this shovel, and the final conclusion I reached was that the shovels came from a major temple setting, and that setting was probably the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.” Freund created a buzz when he delivered that news at the 50th anniversary conference of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1997. “I don't think anyone knew where these shovels had come from, and it came as a surprise to hear me say that,” he says. “When I finished, I was leaving the room and a man came up to me and said, 'Do you know who I am?'” The man was Baruch Safrai, an Israeli sailor and member of the first archeological team to travel to the Cave of Letters in 1953. Safrai was part of an expedition led by archeologist Professor Yohanan Aharoni. “Safrai told me their conclusions in 1953 were that this cave contained treasures from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and that there were many other treasures to be found,” Freund recalls. “When he told me this I decided right then that we had to go back.” Freund assembled a team of experts to accompany him to the cave. The group included UNO professors Jack Schroder, a regents professor in geography and geology, and Phil Reeder, a specialist in caves and cave research. Because the Cave of Letters rests on a major fault line in an earthquake zone, Freund knew the dig would present problems and that those problems needed to be addressed before he presented his excavation plan to Israeli authorities. “It is nearly impossible to excavate into the cave because the roof has fallen onto the surface,” he says. “It's a dangerous environment. It's an earthquake region and no heavy equipment could be brought into the cave. It is nearly impossible to get to the artifacts because of the fallen rock inside, so what I figured out was a way to excavate without excavating.” Freund called on Harry Joel of the University of Wisconsin Eau 16 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 It was a bumpy — and long — ride to the cave. The view from the other side of the canyon gives a unique perspective of the climbing UNO researchers undertook to get to the cave, the entrance to which is seen at the far left. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 17 18 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 Cave Men Lunch meant cramped quarters inside the cave. Richard Freund (standing) waits for Dave Rotterman (purple hat) to grab some chow as other members of the exploration team dig in. MICHAEL MALONE Claire, an expert in ground penetrating radar, and Omaha physician Dr. Gordon Moshman, who provided guidance in the use of an endoscope, a snakelike device used in surgical procedures, specifically in colon cancer research. Both tools proved critical in locating the buried artifacts. With a team and plan in place, Freund went before the Israeli government to ask permission to excavate. “I went to the Antiquities Authority in Israel and presented them with a plan and the scientific merit of performing the excavation,” Freund says. “They gave us the license and we were all surprised. We were going to one of the greatest archeological sites on the face of the earth and we would be there in the shadow of one of the greatest archeologists in modern time [Yadin]. And the best part was we would have UNO Television along to follow and document our excursion. Win or lose, this would have been a document of discovery.” The UNO-led team arrived in Israel on July 5. Rotterman began conducting interviews with local residents, including talks with four people who took part in the 1953 and 1961 digs. Rotterman was joined by Carl Milone of UNO Television and Steve O'Gorman of KVNO-FM. “Everyone we talked to prior to entering the cave felt that there were more artifacts in that cave,” Rotterman says. Despite his prior experience producing the documentary about Bethsaida, Rotterman wasn't quite prepared for his return trip to Israel and a week in the cave. “Bethsaida was exciting because it was the first time we had been to Israel,” he says. “This trip was exciting because we did not know what was going to happen. There was this sense of 'What are we going to find and how are things going to turn out?' Plus, there was the challenge of trying to pull off something this difficult. When we went to Bethsaida we knew what the story was going to be because we had a lot of time to research and prepare. With the cave, writing a script would have been pointless because we didn't know what was going to happen or what we would find.” The excavation team's adventure began with a 2-1/2 hour bus ride from Jerusalem to the cave site. The group made camp atop a cliff some 300 feet above the cave entrance, a site once used as a lookout by Roman soldiers during the Second Jewish Revolt (132135 CE) . Tents were placed on the plateau's rocky surface overlooking the canyon. Winds of 50 mph screamed through camp nightly, often knocking dinners from plates and blowing dirt onto pricey electronic equipment. “We had to constantly clean our equipment of the dust and dirt,” Rotterman says. Led by a group of professional climbers from the area, the UNO team woke at sunrise each day to begin its 30-minute descent to the cave entrance. Each person was outfitted with a special harness attached to a rope. Holes were drilled into the rocks in order to string the rope along the cliffside. The rope, which looped down around the legs, acted as a banister as each person shimmied stepby-step along the cliffside. One wrong move meant a tumble to the canyon below which sank to depths of 60 to 400 feet. “My emotions went full swing that first day,” Rotterman recalls. “Nothing that I had ever done in my life would prepare me for what we were going to do. I'm not an outdoorsman, so I was quite concerned about actually getting into the cave. This wasn't something any of us had done before. We are historians, TV producers and professors, not rock climbers.” Framed by the dark shadows of its interior, the Cave of Letters entrance provides a stunning view of the canyon. Schroder, who has lived in Pakistan and Afghanistan and has climbed the Himalayas, made an advance trip to the cave area before the group's arrival. Assigned by Freund to provide a feasibility report on the excavation, Schroder was concerned about taking amateur climbers to the cave. “I'm a geologist, so this was no big deal for me,” Schroder says. “I had to figure out a way to get amateurs up the cliff cave. This was a big deal for someone who had never done it before. But the key was they were too busy thinking about hand-eye coordination and there was no time to look down.” Upon arriving at the bottom of the cliff, the group was ready for the final leg of its excursion, a 50-foot climb on two extension ladders to the cave entrance. “I was extremely happy with the way this group performed getting to the cave,” Schroder says. “Once in the cave there was this sense that we were somewhere special. I remember that one of the local climbers was holding both hands to his heart and he said, 'You cannot know how this has affected me.' It was exciting to explore a site that had that much significance to people.” Finally at their destination, the crew assembled its equipment, gathered its senses and began the journey inside the cave. Armed with maps prepared by Reeder, the team made its way into the cave, at times having to crawl on hands, knees and stomach through the narrow halls. Reeder says he did his best to prepare the UNO team for its cave experience. “We got together beforehand and FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 19 PROFILE An alumni magazine feature on his life and accomplishments isn’t the first time Wayne Hudson has been “profiled,” he explains. “I had just bought a newer Mazda 626 and I was showing a Hispanic kid I mentor some areas out west,” Hudson says. “I was obviously followed. You make certain lefts and certain rights, and they follow you. That's uncalled for. If you have a reason to stop a car, stop it. If not, don't just follow it around until you do.” This was profiling of a different sort. Hudson says he was being tailed by a police officer for one reason — because he was black. It’s a practice for which Hudson has zero tolerance. Especially if it ever were to be employed by any of the 11 deputy officers under his command as a sergeant with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. lives by neighbors who were breaking the law. “I always thought law enforcement officers could stamp out some of that, and I wanted to do my part,” he says. “But my main reason for going into law enforcement was because I always wanted to help the underdog.” His pursuit of such a career began in earnest after high school. Hudson the sheriff could walk up to you one day, give you the stripes and you'd be a sergeant tomorrow,” he says. “That's under the old regime. “[Now] the policy states that if you have a bachelor's degree you can test in three years.” He passed the test on his first attempt and was promoted to sergeant in March 1999, three months Busting Barriers T i a H a r r i s o n “Being an African-American growing up in North Omaha, I've had contact with law enforcement that I felt was unjustified,” Hudson says. “I've been followed since I've been a sergeant in this department!” That Hudson is the first black supervisor of the road patrol division in the 142-year history of the Sheriff’s office no doubt implies progress. That someone of his station in life can still encounter racism shows the long path that still lies ahead. Hudson’s own path began as the youngest of six children growing up in North Omaha. A career in law enforcement appealed to him at an early age, and it’s no wonder. Hudson says he still carries with him memories of families being forced out of the neighborhood in which he still 20 20 UNO UNO ALUM ALUM 1999 FALL SPRING 1999 spent six years in military law enforcement while stationed at Air Force bases in Maine and England. He returned home and received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Wayne State College. In 1994 he joined the Sheriff’s Department as a volunteer reserve deputy sheriff. He applied for a full-time deputy sheriff position and was accepted in June 1995, joining four other AfricanAmericans in the department of 119 sworn officers. Hudson spent more than two years on road patrol then moved to the Court Operations Bureau. In the meantime he enrolled in UNO’s public administration master’s degree program and began studying for the sergeant’s test. “Before we had a testing process after earning his UNO master’s degree. “I wanted to make the rank of sergeant within seven years for the simple fact that I want to reach my goals while I'm still young,” says the 31-year-old Hudson, who plans to return to UNO for more schooling when the timing is right. “My endgoal is to get a doctorate in criminal justice, but I would have to quit my job and go to school full-time and live off of fellowships and grants, which I'm not prepared to do. The Sheriff's Department is where I want to be right now. Teaching is something I want to do on a part-time basis.” Working on a doctorate would mean turning in his badge and, if he were to return, having to work back up the Sheriff's Department’s chain of command. ERIC FRANCIS B y FALL 1999 SPRING 1999 UNO UNO ALUM ALUM 21 21 But “Starting from the bottom-up is exactly what Wayne did,” points out Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning, who hired Hudson and promoted him to sergeant. “He made it to sergeant quicker than anyone else since he has been here.” Dunning describes Hudson as “eager to learn“ and says he is satisfied with the new supervisor's performance. “One thing Wayne possesses is a drive to learn all that he can about the job,” Dunning says. “He is still fairly new at what he is doing, but I'm assuming he is doing an acceptable job because I haven't had any complaints.” The significance of breaking a color barrier is not lost on Hudson, who actively encourages other AfricanAmericans to join the small number of blacks in the Sheriff's Department. “It's interesting and challenging to have this rank along with the responsibility. The only thing I wish we had in this department was somebody in a higher command position that was African-American as a mentor and to sometimes run interference. I want to be that person that can guide, run some interference and assist other deputies in their career choices. I'll test. I'll try to make the higher ranks and do whatever I have to do.“ Dunning calls the small representation of African-Americans on his force “unacceptable.” But he points out that the minority applicant base is small. “We advertise in the Omaha Star, the Omaha World-Herald, and we go to career fairs,“ says Dunning. “People don't like to go into a place where they are the only one or there are few people like them.“ Hudson has ideas on how to boost 22 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 the numbers. “I think a lot of people disregard the basic education test. I tell people I was kind of rusty in that area as well. Even coming out of school with a bachelor's degree there were areas where I needed help, so I took a class in the community and brushed up on the areas where I was lacking. I pass that on to anyone planning to take the test. “A lot of people are attracted to the police department, but you're up against 700 or 800 people when you test. The reward for working for the city is monetary, but you're going to work for it. The Sheriff's Department's salaries are good, and the promotion possibilities are better. I personally like a smaller department where you know everyone.“ Sam Walker, a professor in UNO's criminal justice department, says Douglas County’s minority numbers are not surprising. “Generally, sheriff's departments lag way behind the city police departments,” Walker says. “They have a less urban area to cover and there is less pressure on them to do the right thing. That's why the police departments are usually in the spotlight.” Which is where Hudson often finds himself. He prefers a hands-on, no-nonsense style of leadership. He sometimes shows up on his deputy's calls to make sure they are being handled professionally and to make sure his deputies are being treated fairly by the public. “Different supervisors have different styles. I'll show up unannounced to make sure calls are being handled in a professional manner,” says Hudson. “Some don't like it, but I WINTER ERIC FRANCIS “Being an African-American growing up in North Omaha, I've had contact with law enforcement that I felt was unjustified,” Hudson says. “I've been followed since I've been a sergeant in this department!” told my deputies when I was first promoted, ‘If you follow the book, we have no problems.’” Having rank over deputies who once were his supervisors and have more tenure also is a challenge. “It wasn't a very smooth transition,” he says. “I’ve had deputy's bypass me with their problems and reports and go to the other sergeant on duty if it was something I'm hard on or something I don't particularly like.This county is divided into the north and the south sector. I've told my people if they are in my sector they come to me with their reports and problems and let me deal with it.” Such occasional obstacles and challenges are preparing him for the next level of his career, Hudson says. He’s “Starting from the bottom-up is exactly what Wayne did,” points out Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning, who hired Hudson and promoted him to sergeant. “He made it to sergeant quicker than anyone else since he has been here.” currently studying for the lieutenant's exam, and his long-range goal is to reach the rank of captain on a force in Omaha or in a comparable city on the East Coast. “My police chief magazines ask for 10 years of progressive experience and five years at rank of commander, captain or above. I still have a lot of years to go and few more ranks to accomplish.” His profile suggests he’ll do just fine. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 23 future alums Sons & Daughters of UNO Alumni Send us news of your baby – we’ll send a T-shirt and certificate and publish the good news. Include address, baby’s name, date of birth, parents’ names and graduation year(s). Please send the announcement within one year of the birth to: Future Alums, UNO Alumni Association, 60th & Dodge, Omaha, NE 68182. FAX (402) 554-3787. E-mail: [email protected] Fall 1999 class notes A New Generation of UNO Mavericks Ador-A-Bull TShirts have been sent to the following future alums: • Maya Jo Konwinski, daughter of Roger (‘91) and Amie Konwinski of Omaha. • Jack Drelicharz, son of Katie and Mike ( ‘ 87) Drelicharz of Omaha. • Colleen Ann Wassom, daughter of James and Anna (Gardine, ‘ 9 3 ) Wassom of Alexandria, Neb. • Whitney Lindsey Sobel, daughter of Bruce and Debbie CohnSobel (‘83) of Scottsdale, Ariz. • Matthew Thomas Vrbanac, son of Ann Marie and Thomas (‘87) Vrbanac of Phoenix. • Justin Donald Caniglia, son of Dan (‘88) and Denise (‘88) Caniglia of Omaha. • Malcolm Charles Lee, son of Candace and Oudious (‘90) Lee of Bellevue. • Dylan Patrick Price, son of Steffany and Scott (‘89) Price of Omaha. • Jacob Jonathon Levy, grandson of Samuel Lev y ( ‘ 61) of Nevada City, Calif. • Michael William Emch, son of Laura and Christoper (‘97) Emch of San Angelo, Texas. • Gretchen Mae Kelly, daughter of Trent (‘93) and Amy ( ‘ 91) Kelly of Hastings. • Haylee Nicole Sheffield, daughter of Karla and Paul (‘91) Sheffield of Shickley, Neb. • Isabella Katherine Mancuso, daughter of Robert and Vania (‘90) Mancuso of Omaha. • Lily Ann Saker, daughter of Jamie and Susan (‘91, ‘ 97) Saker of Omaha. • Bree L. Applegarth, daughter of Darrel (‘96) and Marissa (‘97) Applegarth of Omaha. 24 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 • Anne Elizabeth Fecci, daughter of Mike and Margie (Eipperle, ‘83) Fecci of Omaha. • Ethan Jon Stark, son of Jon and Suzanne Durr (BA, ‘92) Stark of Omaha and grandson of Joan Farris Eillis (‘55). • Grant Robert Chance, son of Sean and Maureen (Burn s , ‘ 91) Chance of Nebraska City. • Kyle John Rossi, son of Maureen and John (‘86) Rossi of Omaha. • Sarah Jean Wood, daughter of Lorna and Steve ( ‘ 97) Wood of Shenandoah, Iowa. • Savannah Nicole Thomas, daughter of Debra (‘96) and Jason (‘98) Thomas of Bellevue. • Alison Eileen Dassner, daughter of Craig and Cynth i a ( ‘ 8 9 , ‘ 94) Dassner of Omaha. • Travis Connor McMahon, son of Leslie and Charlie (‘85) McMahon of Merriam, Kansas. • Emma Marie Jacobsen, daughter of Martin (‘94) and Pat Jacobsen of Omaha. • Taylor Ann Adams, daughter of Steve and Kelly ( ‘ 97) Adams of Omaha. • Colin John McGuigan, son of Craig and Cindy (Wagner, ‘82) McGuigan of Wahoo. • Jeremy Francis Cherek, grandson of Anthony J. Cherek (‘62) of Omaha. • Elliott Edward Fus, son of Christine (Anderson, ‘89) and Mark ( ‘ 94) Fus of Broken Arrow, Okla. • Jaret Robert Jones, grandson of Joan Legge Miller (‘54) of Palm Desert, Calif. • Mason James Kueny, son of Matt and Denise (O’Connor, ‘ 9 0 ) Kueny of Omaha. • Jordan Christopher Nielsen, son of Dan (‘92) and Laurie (Onken, ‘95) Nielsen of Ralston. • Joseph Patrick Bartholomew, son of Patrick and Shawna (Greene, ‘82, ‘89) Bartholomew of The Colony, Texas. 1938 Dale Wolf, BA, writes from Omaha: “Keep ‘em coming, all of you pre-’40 grads. Love to hear from you all. Had a nice correspondence with Gene Hoover (’35) because of his note in the UNO Alum. Good to see contributions from Elbert Hosington (’37) and Joe Barker (’37). The flock from the old 24th Street campus may be dwindling, but their memories are priceless. So speak up and let everyone know.” 1941 Eva M. Stewart, BS, is professor emerita at Howard University School of Social Work in Washington, D.C. She was honored by the National Association of Social Workers with its 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Social Work Education. 1948 John Erickson, BA, lives in Bellingham, Wash. 1951 Warren Taylor, BS, is retired after being a principal with Omaha Public Schools. He was principal of Lothrop Elementary School for 21 years and is credited with the creation of Concerned and Caring Educators (CACE), an organization for black teachers and administrators which has awarded $250,000 to minority students over the past 10 years. In February, the organization recognized Taylor for his outstanding leadership at its 10th annual Scholarship Banquet. 1954 Robert C. Schropp, BS, received the 1998 Quality of Life Award from the Omaha Flashback It’s been 40 years since the finishing touches were put on UNO’s Engineering Building, shown here in the summer of 1959. The ever-present sounds of saws, hammers and drills continue on campus today with completion of residential housing for nearly 600 students. Association of Life Underwriters in recognition of his many years of service to local civic and charitable organizations. He owns R.C. Schropp Enterprises in Omaha. H. Martin Blacker, BA, writes that “after graduating from UNO, I went on an odyssey of education and training, obtaining an MD and MS (biochemistry) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I spent six years at Johns Hopkins as intern, resident and chief resident in neurosurgery, following which I took a postdoctoral fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I then went to the University of Kentucky Medical Center where I eventually became chief of Neurosurgery until 1967. After a coronary artery bypass, I started a chronic pain clinic and was recruited to the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where I have remained until my retirement last month. I still lecture around the country on stress management and still teach neuroanatomy to residents and students at the Baylor College of Medicine. Now I am enjoying my family (with grandchildren) and plan to do some serious vegetating. 1957 Sandra Fisher, BA, lives in Omaha. She has four children and seven grandchildren. Three of her sons are pharmacists and partners with their father in Kohll’s Pharmacy and Homecare. Her daughter lives in Israel. Joseph C. Byrne, BA, was named president and CEO of The Lutheran Home, the Lutheran Home Foundation and Pacific Springs Village, all in Omaha. He had been chief financial officer and legal counsel for the three entities since 1974. The Lutheran Home, founded in 1931, provides residential and health care services for 180 residents. Pacific Springs Village has more than 70 residents and will include more than 500 when development is completed. Bob Raikes, BS, served as a high school career and college counselor for 33 years in Boulder Public Schools. Prior to that he FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 25 class notes class notes “ Working on convincing grandchildren to follow space and become astronauts.” David J. Austin, 1966 coached football for 13 years and taught social studies. He retired in 1994 and now heads teacher certification classes for two state colleges in metropolitan Denver, does some private career and college counseling and “plays lots of golf.” He lives in Louisville, Colo. 1959 Max Bokelman, BS, retired after 36 years of service with the federal government. He continues to work with Price Water House Coopers as an independent consultant. He lives in Cupertino, Calif. 1960 David P. Hufford, BS, retired from 38 years of teaching, the last 30 at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. “Now entertaining five grandchildren, traveling and writing,” he says from his home in Omaha. He earned his master’s degree from UNO in 1967. 1961 Theo C. Watkins Sr., BGS, retired from the U.S. Army after combat tours in Korea and Vietnam. He went on to work for Northrop/Grumman Corp. in advanced design until his second retirement. He writes: “Currently hunting, fishing and mowing grass in the rural community of Guy, Ark. Will long remember and appreciate our Bootstrap days at UNO. Married to the same wonderful lady who also remembers UNO.” 1962 Walter C. Nodean, BA, lives in Amana, Iowa, and writes that he “had the opportunity to take early retirement last November, which I did and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.” Anthony J. Cherek, BS, has been the owner and an agent of Bellevue Insurance Agency in Bellevue, Neb., since 1977. His wife and son also work at the agency. 1963 John I. Parker, BGE, writes from his home in Fulton, Mo.: “I attended the University of Omaha while in the Air Force under the Bootstrap program. Six years after graduation I retired from the Air Force as 26 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 a Chief Master Sergeant. I immediately went to work for the Veterans Administration in the same capacity as in the Air Force: Chief Medical Technologist. My first duty station was the VA Medical Center in Madison, Wisc., where I spent four years. I then transferred to VA Medical Center in Topeka, Kansas, then to the one in Atlanta, back to Topeka, and finally to my last assignment at the VA Medical Center in Salem, Va.., where I retired in October, 1986. Since my ‘real’ retirement we have lived in Kingsport, Tenn., Beebe, Ark., Louisville and Knoxville, Tenn., Mukilteo,Wash., and, finally, Fulton. I play golf, fish, travel, and spend a lot of time on my computer doing some Beta testing or just fooling around surfing.” Walter Nabity, BS, is retiring this year after 40 years in the insurance business, the last 35 at Nabity-Perry Insurance. 1964 Norman Jensen, BS, is chief of Internal Audit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth, Texas. Roman (Ray) Chrusniak, BGS, is “semiretired” as a reading resource teacher in Baltimore, Md. He presently works for Sylvan Learning Systems. Clifton Hand, BGE, retired in 1966 from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Col. with more than 24 years of continuous service. Since retiring again from Amtrak headquarters in Washington, D.C., he and his wife have traveled around the world six to nine months each year. Last May he attended a gathering of UNO graduates in the Washington, D.C., area in conjunction with a UNO student performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 1965 Ruth J. Hanon, BS, retired from UNO Health Services in 1997 and now works at the world-famous Canyon Ranch Health Spa/Resort in Tucson, Ariz., as an assessment nurse. She has “met the rich and famous there. Have five wonderful grandchildren, all in the Midwest. Soooooo happy here!” Patricia McNamara, MS, had three paintings place in the Santa Barbara County Fair and Art Exposition in April and May of this year. That included second-place ribbons for both a seascape and landscape. Two more of her watercolors were given away as raffle gifts in Santa Barbara’s Irish Festival. Jewel G. White, BGS, is currently retired and living in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He first retired in 1973 from the U.S. Army as a Lt. Col. having served 20 years in the infantry, 13 as an aviator. He also did two tours in Vietnam. He obtained a master’s degree from Georgia State University specializing in higher education administration, then became associate dean of admissions at the same university. Pat Halloran, BA, was presented with the 1999 Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management award by the League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., at its annual meeting in New York. The award honors those who have demonstrated excellence in management over the past year. Halloran, president of Omaha’s Orpheum Theatre, oversaw a more than $9 million capital campaign, stage house expansion and renovacation of the theatre. 1966 David J. Austin, BGE, is corporate director of Quality Assurance, Standards and Testing with Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Va., “and working on convincing grandchildren to follow space and become astronauts.” Austin retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1980 as a major and from NASA, Space Shuttle, Space Station, Human Mission to Mars, in 1997. 1967 Bob Wayman, BGS, had his third book, “Pregnant Angels Can’t Fly,” published in July. Wayman notes the book is spiritual fiction. “An Angel arrives on a street corner in Sacramento unaware she’s an angel or that she’s in human form. While her time on earth is filled with many comical adventures, her final gift of love is poignant. This angel delivers a special “ P resently residing on a grass-covered acreage where he was recently promoted fro m ‘Yard Boy ’ to ‘ L awn Supervisor. ’ ” Bill Tempelmeyer, 1969 child to a world needing a reminder. ‘Why did she pick this time and how does an angel get pregnant?’” The book is available through Peaceful Expressions, P.O. Box 654, Orangeale, Calif., 95662. 'Lawn Supervisor'. During his 'pretend’ period of life Bill served as A School Administrator in Southeast Consolidated School & The Filley, Nebraska Recreational Center. 1968 Edward E. Almond, BGS, is retired from the U.S. Air Force as a major and currently is self employed as owner of Almond Automotive in Santa Maria, Calif. 1970 Jack Vaaler, BGS, is vice president of RINCO of Texas, Inc., a real estate development corporation. He also is executive vice president and co-founder of Alamo Golf Association, Inc., a 501 charitable organization for children’s charities. Thomas B. Vaughn, retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel in 1988 and since then has been busy in the country music industry as a songwriter and publisher. He has been president and CEO of Bob White Music, Inc., since 1990. “Have had songs recorded by Neal McCoy, Charley Pride, Steve Wariner, Jason Gillentine, Jack White and Clark Williams.” He also is an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State College teaching political science, public speaking and mass communications. He was appointed McMinnville (Tenn.) City Judge in 1997. “In short, busy and loving it,” he writes from home. Jim Vlcek, BS, is president and owner of Vell Advertising and Photography an advertising agency specializing in design, copy, public relations, marketing and commercial photography. He built a second home/office in Breckenridge, Colo., where he services Denver-based agencies. He lives in Omaha. He can be reached via email at :[email protected]. 1969 Robert L. Vandeven, BGS, retired from elementary school teaching several years ago and now performs volunteer work for his church. “Other than that, golf is my pursuit. Guess this is the typical script for retirees.” He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. Bill Tempelmeyer, BS, since retiring in 1989 notes that he “has made major contributions to the food and beverage industry and some modest assistance to the Tour and Travel business. Presently residing on a grass-covered acreage where he was recently promoted from 'Yard Boy' to Richard D. Avery, BGS, lives in Corona, Calif., and is a substitute teacher at high schools there in the Norco Unified School District. He retied from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 1986. 1971 Linda Lewis, MA, published “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Spiritual Progress,” a book of literary criticism, with the University of Missouri Press in 1998. She was named Margaret H. Mountcastle Distinguished Chair of Bethany College. She lives in Lindsburg, Kan. Andrew J. Edwards, BGS, is director of marketing for Latin America for Litton Industries, Aero Products Division. He lives in San Diego. Dick Riddle, BGS, went on to earn his master’s degree from Florida State University (1973) and his doctorate from Penn State University (1980). He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1976, then again from Penn State in 1996. “Now a man of leisure,” he writes from his home in Boalsburg, Penn. Stephen W. Kinzy, BS, is regional manager of the St. Louis office of Environmental Systems Research Institute in St. Charles, Mo., where he lives. His company specializes in geographic information systems. He earned a master’s degree in geography from UNO in 1977. Forrest E. Barton, BGS, is enjoying full retirement after a career in the U.S. Air Force and 13 years as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. He lives in Galesburg, Ill. 1974 Henry D. Smith, retired from PRC Inc., in October of 1997 and now lives in Virginia Beach, Va. Andre Sucharew, BGS, lives in Clinton, N.J., and is a financial analyst with AT&T Network Services in CFO Capital Planning organization. In January he will mark 30 years of AT&T service. 1975 Sedell Bailey, BGS, was selected for “Who’s Who For Business Professionals,” 1998-99 edition. He works as a purchasing manager for Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, N.J., and has a master’s degree and doctorate in management. He lives in Mount Holly, N.J. Jerry Podany, BS, is curator of antiquities at the J.Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Lee A. Mockelstrom, BGS, is a sales representative with Check Pro in Omaha. 1976 Daniel A. Morris, BSBA, is an assistant United States attorney for the federal district of Nebraska. He is immediate pastpresident of the Robert M. Spire American Inns of Court and the 1999 recipient of the “Shining Light” Award from the Nebraska Bar Foundation. He also was elected vice president of the Omaha-Lincoln Federal Executives Association. Rebecca S. Fahrlander, MA, teaches parttime at UNO and Bellevue University. She also conducts workshops and directs research/consulting projects. She was nominated for a Spirit of Survivorship Award at the 12th annual Cancer Survivors’ Day in June 1999. Fahrlander currently is completing a book based on her experience surviving cancer. She recently traveled to Zimbabwe and Zambia on safari. FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 27 class notes class notes “ I ’ ve submitted news of myself and my family twice, and it has been ignored. Is my position as a secondary instructor to o ‘ o rdinary ’ to be worthy of notice?” Mark D. Mussack, 1983 1977 John W. Bowenkamp Jr., BS, recently was promoted to a regional vice president and corporate officer of Minnesota-based Medtronic, Inc., a world-wide leader in the area of cardiovascular and neurological devices. He has been with the company for 15 years. His oldest son, John Bowenkamp III, accepted a scholarship to play football at the University of North Dakota, one of UNO’s opponents in the North Central Conference. The older Bowenkamp played quarterback at UNO from 1974-77. His son plays the same position. Roger Heider,BS, received the Outstanding Lawn Care Professional of the Year award for 1998 as presented at the Nebraska Professional Lawn Care Association’s fourth annual awards banquet in April. He is co-owner and president of Quality Lawns, Inc., which specializes in chemical lawn care. He is in his 28th year of professionally managing residential, commercial and athletic turf. He lives in Carter Lake, Iowa. 1978 Victor M. Helbling, BGS, is a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Air Force and since April has been deployed to Vice President Al Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government staff in Washington, D.C. He is the program manager for the President's Management Council government-wide Customer Satisfaction Initiative. Since 1997 he has been the chief information officer and chief of the Information Systems Division at the Air Force Center for Quality and Management Innovation at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. He is in his third year as examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and in August received his Federal Chief Information Officer Certification. He is married to fellow UNO graduate Rosemarie Sobetski Helbling (’79). Amy Lynn Frost, BS, lives in Loma Linda, Calif. She received her master’s degree in applied psychology from the University of Santa Monica in 1996 and her MBA from California State University in San 28 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 Bernardino in 1987. 1979 Jim Shaw, BS, writes from Omaha: “After leaving UNO I went into the U.S. Air Force for seven years. I was an Instructor pilot on T-37s and later an Aircraft Commander on EC-135s, the Looking Glass. I left the Air Force with the rank of Captain and was hired by Delta Air Lines as a pilot. I’ve been working for Delta ever since. As a member of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) I have been very active on numerous national and international aviation safety issues in the areas of Extended Twin Engine Operations or ETOPS and aging aircraft issues. I have recently been appointed to head ALPA's Accident investigation committee at Delta. I have worked on a number of aircraft accidents as an investigator. Most recently on the Swiss Air 111 accident where I worked as systems analysis, set up and administered the database for the tracking of the wiring, and other numerous areas involved in such a complex accident. The investigation is still ongoing. I am also the ALPA representative to the newly sponsored FAA Aging Transport Systems Rulemaking and Advisory Committee. This committee hopes to address the concerns that have been generated by the aging status of aircraft systems including wiring. I recently moved back to Omaha after having been gone for 18 years.” Rosemarie Sobetski Helbling, BS, put aside her career as a certified public accountant to care for her four children. She is married to fellow UNO graduate Victor M. Helbling (’78). 1981 Edward A. Svajgl, BS, started a new position with Metropolitan Community College as a facility planning and design coordinator. He left a similar position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Charles H. Leichner III, BS, recently joined Carter & Burgess, Inc., a national consulting engineering firm, as vice president of Arizona operations. They specialize in transportation, construction management, land development, planning and landscape architecture. Joseph Lewis, MS, is now a principal of Sturgeon Bay High School in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. 1982 Jeff Payne, BSBA, is a market development coordinator for Phillips 66 Co., responsible for site selection, analysis and acquisition of convenience store properties in Arizona and Texas. He currently has 25 projects underway in Phoenix and Tucson. He lives in Gilbert, Ariz. 1983 Brenda Halm Oathout, BSBA, was promoted to claims supervisor at Physicians Mutual Insurance Co. in Omaha. She had her second child in December. “I will be dabbling in movie-making from a script I wrote called ‘13 minutes.’ Hello, Omaha. I had a great experience at UNOBossard, !” P. Arthur 1989 Activities and Services at Kansas State University. 1984 David Sanderson IV, BS, is currently a senior engineer with Raytheon Systems Company in Bellevue where he works with all aspects of the software lifecycle. Besides trying to keep up with his four children, he volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America as a both a Webelos Leader and a District Membership Cabinet Chairman, as well as a T-Ball, coach-pitch, and kid-pitch baseball coach. Michael D. Humphrey, BS, was promoted to senior quality assurance inspector of ConAgra Frozen Foods. He lives in Bellevue and has been employed with ConAgra since 1990. He earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1988. Mark D. Mussack, BS, writes from his home in Onawa, Iowa, “I would like to ask why UNO is so selective about the alumni it includes in its Class Notes? I’ve submitted news of myself and my family twice, and it has been ignored. Is my position as a secondary instructor too ‘ordinary’ to be worthy of notice? I’ve also asked twice in the past three years if I could arrange a tour of the enlarged, improved campus. I’ve never yet received a response from your office.” 1985 Therese Laux, BM, and her musical group, Jambo, released its first CD, “Say Hello.” The CD includes an eclectic mix of reggae, soca, calypso, funk and more. She lives in Omaha. Ed.’s Note: ALL submissions to Class Notes are published in the order in which they are received. They may be edited for clarity, grammar, length, taste, etc. Francine Martin, BS, has been the athletic/activities director at El Dorado High School in El Dorado, Kansas, for six years. She was named the District 4 Athletic Director of the year this spring. Kristilee E. Akin (Asper), BS, lives in Omaha and home-schools her three children and teaches part-time for English as a Second Language. She previously taught elementary grades for five years and did missionary work in Costa Rica for another five years. Gayle Spencer, BSBA, is chair of the 1999 National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) National Convention. She also was elected to the NACA Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning May 1, 1999. She is coordinator of Student Patrick Zabrocki, BSBA, is a technical consultant with SAP America. He is based in St. Louis, but “works everywhere.” H e and his wife, Christine, and their daughter live in Bridgeton, Mo. Donald A. Carlson, BS, is dean of the Business/Mass Media Occupations at Southeast Community College-Lincoln. He lives in Valley, Neb. Gary Danielson, BS, lives in Springfield, Mo., and recently opened his own hair salon. He specializes in perms, manicures, nails and makeovers. “If you are ever in the Springfield area, would love to see you. Janette Mattea-Sanderson, BS, is married to 1984 alum David Sanderson and is currently a stay-at-home mother of David V (10), Katherina (6), Anastasia (5), and Alexander (3). “She provides chauffeur service to the kids for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, baseball, competitive gymnastics, ice skating, and swimming,” writes her husband. Janette is a certified management accountant and partially maintains her certification as an active board member of the Omaha Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). She also is a two-time past -president of the same chapter. Her volunteer efforts currently include: religious education instructor and Cub Scout Religious Emblem Coordinator for the St. Columbkille Parish, Boy Scouts of America Webelos Leader, Girl Scouts of America Daisy Leader, City of Papillion Planning Commission board member, Walnut Creek Lake and Recreation Area Clean Lakes Committee member, Omaha Community Playhouse box office, and Western Heritage Museum volunteer. Mark G. Dail, BS, started working at UNO Television in June as a production coordinator. “It’s good to be ‘home,’” he writes. 1986 Barbara Sellman Gomez, BGS, is a program consultant with the state of North Carolina’s Division of Social Services, responsible for providing technical assistance to family preservation and family support programs across the state. She lives in Raleigh, N.C. Brian Youngberg, BSBA, is a vice president with Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Company in Chicago where he is a credit analyst covering global electric and gas utility companies. Brian joined DCR in 1996 following a six-year career in corporate banking. He received his MBA in 1990 from Washington University in St. Louis and became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in 1997. He and his wife Michele (Reit), whom he met at UNO, live in suburban Naperville with their four daughters. 1988 Jason Gray, BGS, is a stunt coordinator for Universal Studios Escape in Orlando. He joined Stunt Dynamics in 1998 (more information on the group at www.stuntdynamics.com). Keith Fox, BSSW, lives in Iowa City, Iowa. He recently had 17 of his abstract and semi-abstract paintings exhibited in a solo show at a bookstore in Lisbon. A complete listing of the show can be found at www.geocities.com/Paris/Metro/ 8925/bulhosa.html. Mary Garey, BS, was appointed principal at Mark Twain Elementary School in Carson City, Nevada. She currently is working on a doctorate degree at the University of Nevada-Reno in the College of Education Leadership. Charolene Oliver, BGS, is director of human relations for Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville campus. She lives in Catonsville, Md. Gerianne Jensen (Buda), BS, has been employed with Bozell Worldwide Inc. in Omaha since graduation. She currently is a media research analyst. 1989 Barbara A. Ferguson, BSBA, joined the Omaha firm of Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, P.C., as an associate attorney. She formerly was a deputy Lincoln County Attorney in North Platte, Neb., and in solo practice in Omaha. P. Arthur Bossard, MPA, is a taxpayer service specialist for the U.S. Department of Treasury. He also formed a local non-profit theater group, the Arlington Community Theater, in Arlington, Wash. He wrote and performed in a play called “Taxpayer Service.” “I will be dabbling in movie-making from a script I wrote called ‘13 minutes.’ I hope to have it out by Christmas. Hello, Omaha. I had a great experience at UNO!” FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 29 class notes class notes “ You publish a great alum magazine! I’d love to hear from any other of my fellow classmate s . ” Justin Ryan Brown, 1991 Barbara Bibins, MS, is a counselor at Maplewood Counseling Associates in Omaha. 1991 Justin Ryan Brown, MS, writes from Omaha: “You publish a great alum magazine! Congratulations! I'm writing to catch up with my fellow counseling graduates and professors. After ten years of counseling and training, I am happily working as an adoption caseworker for Holt International Children's Services, Inc. We have so many babies and children who need homes, and I get to meet so many deserving couples and families. It's very rewarding work. I'd love to hear from any other of my fellow classmates!” 1992 David H. Garland, BS, was promoted to factory technical services manager for Holly Sugar Corporation, a subsidiary of Imperial Holly Corporation. He was transferred to its sugar beet processing factory in Torrington, Wyo. Brian Begley,BS, was named an assistant principal in the Millard Public Schools. He has been teaching English at Millard North High School for the past seven years. 1993 Debra Camp, BGS, is a professional Arabic dancer currently dancing with Karavan Dance Company in San Antonio and is a member of the Austin Belly Dance Association. She also is an assistant director handling public relations, writing articles, and event coordination for a local chapter of an international motorcycle club (GWTA). Before moving to Texas in 1996 she was also working as a certified veterinary technician and animal health care advisor in Nebraska for the military, and performed as a member of the Lotus Dance Company. 1994 Angela Athy (Sherman), MA, relocated back to Omaha and accepted a position with First Integrated Systems, a division of First National Bank of Omaha. She will 30 UNO ALUM FALL 1999 work as a documentation writer. She’s also finishing her doctorate work through Bowling Green State University. Susan Toohey, MS, works for the Omaha Public Schools as a district assistant supervisor for K-12 social studies curriculum and learning. She was awarded the First Ladie’s Award for Outstanding Service in the K-12 category for Deaf Awareness. Cheryl Hendrickson, MA, was promoted to senior research scientist with the American Institute for Research (AIR) in Washington, D.C., where she’s worked since since 1997. She received her doctorate in industrial psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Martin M. Jacobsen, MA, graduated in May from Texas A&M University with a doctorate in English. His research addressed the differences between print text and hypertext, specifically the World Wide Web. He began teaching at Texas A&M's English Language Institute, an intensive English program for universitybound international students, in June. He also is associate editor/webmaster for the LINGUIST List, an internet listserve and website. Charles E. Larsen III, BA, is an e-commerce engineer at the AIM Institute. He lives in Omaha. 1995 Stephen Meacham, BGS, has been living in the Chicago area since August 1997. He currently is a UNIX administrator for a company near The Loop in downtown Chicago. Jolene Gabel, BSBA, joined Union Pacific Railroad as director of Agreement Sourcing. “I am responsible for the employment function and really like it!” She lives in Ashland, Neb. 1997 Venesa Torres, BS, is a registered dietitian/health educator for the Texas Health Choice HMO. She is in charge of teaching all health and nutrition classes for the members and employees of the wellness program. She previously completed the Dietetic Internship and received her master’s degree at the University of Central Oklahoma in May 1998. George S. Peek, BA, moved to Milwaukee and was admitted to a fulltime program of study at the Law School of Marquette. 1998 Christy A. Rothermund, BS, is finishing her first year as a graduate student at UNMC, Biochemistry Department. She is working on her dissertation project in the lab of Dr. J.K. Vishwanatha. The research involves the role of programmed cell death in prostate cancer. “We recently moved into a new lab on the 12th floor of the Lied Transplant Center where an entire team of investigators are working on new treatments for prostate cancer.” 1999 Laura Setlak, BS, joined REDSTONE Communications, an Omaha advertising, marketing and public relations firm, as an account coordinator. She will be responsible for coordination of public relations tactics and general account services for various clients. She previously had three years of internship experience in the public relations field with Inacom Corporation, Omaha Steaks and Pacesetter Corporation. Brittawni Lee Olson, MA, is spending the summer as an adjunct faculty member at Southeast Community College in Lincoln where she teaches distance learning courses in psychology. “I have just completed my first year of UNO's Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice. As part of this program I am teaching various undergraduate courses in criminal justice at the UNL campus and am currently working with a great professor, Dr. Chris Eskridge, on a number of different projects. Having fun and working hard. Thanks UNO!!” In Memoriam 1921 1925 1934 1938 1941 1942 1944 1947 1950 1951 1953 1954 1955 1958 1960 1961 1961 1962 1963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1974 1975 1977 1978 1979 1986 1995 1996 Alice W. Fischer Adolph Hallas Marjorie Buchanan Edwin Youtz Don Pflasterer Betty-Jayne (Backlund) Cole Russ Johnson Edna Fagan Wallace E. Linn Jr. Robert E. Seitzer E. Joseph Ferris John E. Lowry Walter E. Poindexter Richard McLellan Thelma M. Flies Margaret Colwell Keith D. Holman Jackie B. Fisher Delia Croissant Frederick Martin Robert Fisher Peter T. Nichols Frank B., Hoover III Gertrude Poppino Floyd C. Gober Gordon T. Fearson Colon Lane Norman B. Pitt Gordon Claypoole Richard Rhoad Steve Hoffman John McGinley William Holmes Ronald Eckert Robert Brown Abraham John Edwin Rolfe Juanita Perry Pamela Kay Breci Anneliese H. Cawthon Mark Clark Sonja Grayer Anne Luther CLASS NOTES What have you been doing since graduating from UNO? Your fellow alumni would like to know! Give us an update by filling out the form below. We'll publish the news in the next available issue of the UNO Alum. Send the news about yourself or classmates to Class Notes Editor, UNO Alum, 67th & Dodge, Omaha, NE 68182-0010. Or FAX to (402) 554-3787. Or e-mail [email protected]. Name Address City, State, Zip New Address? Phone Year Graduated/Degree News FALL 1999 UNO ALUM 31 TIM FITZGERALD UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION W.H. THOMPSON ALUMNI CENTER OMAHA, NE 68182-0010 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #301 OMAHA, NE