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Vol 24, No. 1 - September 2015

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In this issue
Upcoming events
in the news
TTC Accreditations
Dean's column
carol marshall
university notes
  college notes
Student notes
Gold square Faculty Notes
Gold square Alumni Notes
Gold square Departments & Services


Upcoming Events

October 3 - KDP: Lace Up for Literacy 5K. Learn more...

October 30 - E-Textbook Summit. Learn more...

November 3 - Fall Teacher Career Fair. Learn more...

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In the News...

An article about Emporia State’s approach to treating student teachers like doctors-in-training was featured June 9 on Bright, a pop-up publication about innovation in education. Learn more...

BEST program expanding to Andover campus after 10 years of growth.  Learn more...

The importance of ACT scores. Learn more...

Art Therapy celebrates its new facility and 43 years, the  oldest continually-running university-based master's in art therapy degree program in the U.S. Learn more...

ESU, Emporia Middle School partner for Outdoor Activity Day. Learn more...

Courtney Davis, an Emporia State graduate and first-year teacher in the Kansas City, Kansas, public schools, was featured in her school district’s newsletter.  Learn more...

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TTC Accreditations








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Follow events and announcement of
The Teachers College on social media
          

You can view and download photos of ESU events from FLICKR

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Looking for more detailed information from a specific TTC department or program? There are several which publish newsletters and/or blogs:

Health, Physical Education, & Recreation

Instructional Design & Technology

School Leadership/Middle and Secondary Teacher Education

Rehabilitation Counseling

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Learn more about
The Teacher College

Departments:

Counselor Education

Elementary Education / Early Childhood / Special Education

Health, Physical Education, & Recreation

Instructional Design & Technology

Psychology

School Leadership / Middle & Secondary Teacher Education

Centers & Services:

Center for Early Childhood Education

Center for Innovative School Leadership

Community Counseling Services

Flint Hills Writing Project

Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification

Jones Institute for Educational Excellence

Kansas Future Teacher Academy

Kansas Regional Reading Recovery University Training Center

Office of Field Placement & Licensure

Reading Laboratory

Resource Center

School Counselor Center

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September 2015 Volume 24, Number 1

Emporia State University's The Teachers College Newsletter is an monthly publication designed to inform its audience about activities of the college's departments, students, and alumni compiled by the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence. For more information about this newsletter, contact Terri Weast, Editor, Campus Box 4036, Emporia State University, 1 Kellogg Circle, Emporia, KS 66801-5087 or at tweast@emporia.edu. It is the policy of Emporia State University to guarentee equal employment opportunity, equal educational opportunity, and non-discrimination in the operation and administration of all of its programs and services.

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nikki

For information about alumni events, reunions, or other alumni questions, please contact Nikki Metz, Alumni Programs Coordinator. 

 

Roy Mann

For information about scholarships and giving, please contact Roy Mann, Director of Development.

 

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Make An Impact:

Refer a Hornet!

Hire a Hornet!

Advocate for Higher Education!

Give to Emporia State!

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Emporia State University Links:

Campus News & Events

Emporia State Athletics

Offsite/Distance Education

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Supporting Students of
The Teachers College, Part 1

  • Scholarship
  • Learning Opportunities
  • New in Student Teaching
 
I am thankful for many things, and one of those is alumni who
support our students.  Your generosity and the strong stewardship of the Emporia State University Foundation Board of Trustees provides essential resources to many students in The Teachers College and throughout the university.  Thank you so much!  Please continue to provide your valuable scholarship assistance.  If you are interested in learning more about student scholarships, please contact Roy Mann, Director of Development at the Foundation, 620-341-6484.

The university’s future is now guided by ESU’s Strategic Plan, the vision of changing lives for the common good, and the Kansas Board of Regents Foresight 2020 goal of having more Kansans complete a post-secondary degree. As a result, Emporia State is extending a wider net to bring to campus more students, many of them like many of you are first generation in their families to attend a university. They too will need scholarship support.

Another support for our students is focused on their academics.  The university’s new Academic Center for Excellence and Success and the rich network of Recognized Student Organizations offer students tutoring and co-curricular activities, respectively.  Part 2 of my column to be published next semester will elaborate on these and other academic supports available to students in the college.

Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan is “pursue distinctive initiatives in curricula and programs that will foster vibrant communities.”  A key strategy for accomplishing this goal for undergraduates is offering high impact learning opportunities such as first-year seminars, undergraduate research, internships, and capstone projects.  A unique high impact learning opportunity has emerged with our teacher education candidates.

The last semester of teacher education for both elementary education and secondary education majors is student teaching.  This has not changed in decades.  What The Teachers College has done is reframe the four months of student teaching into two student teaching opportunities, one three months in duration and the other one month in duration. 

Students who qualify for the one-month opportunity select an option from one of three categories: international, National Teachers Hall of Fame, and other school settings. At present, candidates can select from two international options with three others pending. They are student teaching in Grades 1-12 at either BINUS University in Indonesia or the American School of Asuncion in Paraguay. The first student teacher at BINUS was offered a contract and taught third grade at BINUS all last year. In early November, five elementary education candidates will student teach in Paraguay.  

Induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame is the only recognition in the nation that requires the nominees to have completed at least 20 years as a classroom teacher.  Housed in Visser Hall, NTHF inducts five educators each year and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in June 2016.  Nine members of the NTHF want to host our candidates to do a month's student teaching.  Imagine the experience of spending a month teaching with one of the best teachers in the nation!  The first candidate to take advantage of this opportunity will spend the last month of this semester teaching earth science with 2015 inductee Sue Rippe at Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, KS.

The third category provides opportunities for our candidates to spend a month at a different school in the state, a different school out of state, or an independent or religious school.  Placements will begin during the Spring 2016 semester. 

Alums, thank you for all you do for the college and for Emporia State University!  Through your support, you are changing the lives of our students for the common good.

Sincerely,

Ken Weaver, Dean

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Emporia State alum Lea Anderson just completed her first year of teaching at the elementary school connected with BINUS University in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Gonzalo Brucedean of international students, was key in establishing the experience for teacher education majors. Work is under way to seek partnerships with similar opportunities in European countries.

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Celebration of Carol Marshall

Carol Marshall applauds the efforts of ESU art students involved in "Children Inspire Glass."

Both the campus and Emporia community turned out on Memorial Day Weekend to celebrate Carol Marshall who served the university for more than 35 years and provided for its future upon her death on December 24, 2014, through a substantial legacy gift from the Carol F. Marshall Trust to the Emporia State Foundation.

Marshall started the early childhood education program at Emporia State in the mid-1960s, making the university one of the first in Kansas to include pre-kindergarten education into the curriculum. She also is credited with creating the early childhood special education program. Her passion for educating children and her well-known appreciation of art often came together in special projects.

After retirement, she helped sponsor an interdisciplinary creative project, “Children Inspire Glass,” though Emporia State University for children 5 to 10 years of age. Learn more... 

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University Notes 

All veterans who are eligible for federal education benefits, along with all current members of the armed forces, are now eligible for in-state tuition rates at all 32 public postsecondary colleges and universities in Kansas, effective July 1, 2015, regardless of time spent in the state. The change came in June after Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law HB 2154. Learn more...

The Alumni Association welcomed five new members to its board of directors this summer, including Gene McIntosh (BSE '69, MS '75). McIntosh is a retired teacher and pastor who recently moved to Emporia from Iola. Learn more...

Three Outstanding Recent Graduates will be honored during Homecoming activities in October 22-24. Among them is Tiffany Jervis (Teachers College). Learn more...

The Presidential Search Committee met in September to screen semifinalist candidates. The committee will identify finalists and invite those individuals to come for a campus visit to meet the wider ESU community. Campus visits are tentatively scheduled for late September/early October, after which the committee will make its final determination as to which candidates to forward to the Board of Regents for consideration. The Board of Regents will conduct final interviews, then travel to ESU to officially vote to name the selected candidate as the next President — ideally in late October/early November. Information about the presidential search at Emporia State can be found at http://www.emporia.edu/presidential-search/.

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College Notes 

Students, faculty and staff of The Teachers College gathered for the college’s third annual Party on the Patio on September 10 before the Emporia State football game against Central Missouri.

Hornet Connected Learning in The Teachers College is hosting the Kansas Higher Education E-Textbook Summit on October 30. A program of the day's events and registration can be found at www.emporia.edu/teach/hcl/.

On September 12, the Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification at ESU hosted the 2015 State Farm National Board Orientation for 30 teachers considering working for their National Board Certification. Alvin Peters, director of the center also hosted a “Jump Start” workshop with KNEA on July 28 in Hays to encourage involvement by educators in western Kansas. Five teachers attended the session to learn about the process of becoming National Board Certified Teachers. Kansas State Rep. Sue Boldra, who is an NBCT, visited the workshop. Learn more...

The adaptive special education graduate program at Emporia State University awarded nearly $41,000 in scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year to 33 graduate students. Learn more...

A dozen preK-12 teachers from across the state participated in the Flint Hills Writing Project at the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence June 22 - July 9. This summer session provided professional development in the area of writing for K-16 educators in all subject areas. Educators are immersed in the teachers-teaching-teachers model before continuing as teacher leaders in their respective buildings and school districts. Learn more...

Twenty-five K-12 teachers from Marais des Cygnes, Eureka, Southern Lyon County and Emporia school districts were in Visser Hall in June studying robotics. STEM Makes Academic Success Happen (SMASH) was awarded a grant earlier this year for nearly $200,000. Projects include constructing Bod-Pods to solve the housing problems in the Mumbai slums. Learn more...

The five 2015 National Teachers Hall of Fame inductees met with 35 high school students attending the Kansas Future Teacher Academy on June 11. Students got to meet in small groups with each veteran teacher to discuss the challenges, rewards and difficulties in education. The academy, hosted by Emporia State, has graduated more than 1,200 high school students over 26 summers. During this intense five-day program, the participants share in a variety of activities that will help them to understand better what teachers do and to determine if they have the potential for meeting the challenges of this profession. Learn more...

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Student Notes

Lynn Glazier, Madison, married Lucas Satterfield June 6, 2015 in Emporia. Glazier is an elementary education major at Emporia State.

Freshmen education students were treated to an evening of popcorn and a movie on August 24. The event, sponsored by the dean of The Teachers College and the Flint Hills Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, featured a viewing of the documentary “TEACH.” 

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Faculty Notes

Dr. Elizabeth (Kalmar) Dobler (BSE '85 – Elementary Education), Topeka, professor in early childhood/elementary education/special education, recently had a textbook released titled "Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry" by Dobler and Maya Eagleton, published by Guilford. 

Dr. Tiffany Hill joined the Hornet Connected Learning team in the elementary/early childhood/special education department for the 2015-16 academic year. She joins Dr. Nancy Smith and Dr. Lori Mann as HCL team leaders. 

Dr. Lawrence Lyman, Dr. Scott Waters, Dr. Harvey Foyle and ESU alum Allyson Lyman recently published “Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School.” The textbook and accompanying CD are designed to provide teachers with effective strategies for planning curriculum, promoting interaction and effectively teaching elementary and middle school students. The publication is available from the National Social Science Press.

Dawn M. (VanTuyl) Moews (BSE ’73 – Speech, MS ’83 – Curriculum and Instruction), Emporia, director of conferences & workshops for the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence in The Teachers College, is president of the Kansas Reading Association this year. 

Dr. Jim Persinger (BA '88 Psychology, MS '90    Psychology), director of the school psychology graduate program and current university Roe R. Cross distinguished professor, is the interim chair of the Department of Psychology for the 2015-16 academic year. He is an ESU alum and has been with the university since 2000.

Dr. Clint Stephens is the new director of Leadership Studies and assistant professor at Emporia State University. Clint was coordinator for Leadership Studies at Iowa State University before coming here. He will teach courses in the leadership minor at Emporia State. 

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Alumni Notes

Attention Alumni - Credential File Program Changes for 2015
Many alumni of The Teachers College have established and maintained credential files with Career Services.  If you currently have a credential file with Emporia State Career Services, please take a moment to read about important changes for 2015. Learn more...

Connie Jobe (Reading Specialist Certificate), Dodge City, recently retired after 39 years of teaching in Dodge City schools; most of those years she taught sixth grade.  It is estimated she taught nearly 900 students over her tenure.

Beverly Metcalf (MS), Newton, is planning to retire at the end of 2015 from her job as the head of Mirror Inc., a not-for-profit, private corporation providing substance abuse, correctional and other community health and human services to people in need. Metcalf started as counselor with Mirror in 1979. A year later, she was named executive director, then president and CEO.

Deb Stohs (BSE, MS), Marysville, recently retired from Marysville USD 364 with 39 years of teaching experience. She was the elementary reading teacher.

1940s

Shirley C. Wedd, Lawrence, died July 15, 2015, at the age of 94. She graduated from Emporia High School in 1938 and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas State Teachers College. During World War II she taught art in the Garden City and Junction City school districts.

1950s

Mary Jo (Wilhite) Jensen, Prairie Village, died August 15, 2015 at the age of 86. She graduated Kansas State Teachers College in 1951 with a bachelor’s in Commerce, majoring in Primary Education. While in college, she was recognized as “Who’s Who in American Colleges,” belonged to the University Honorary Leadership Fraternity, Pi Omega Pi Honorary Business Fraternity and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. She was also crowned Emporia State Homecoming Queen. She taught kindergarten at Prairie Grade School in Prairie Village, KS. After three years there, she moved to Germany to manage service clubs for the U.S. Department of Army Civilians. Subsequent jobs included secretarial work and work as a paraprofessional in special education in the Shawnee Mission School District.

NeVoy Gene Hettenbach (BS ’54), Chapman, formerly of Emporia and Lebo, died August 5, 2015 at the age of 81. He taught at Lowther Jr. High School in Emporia for two years then Lebo High School before moving to Chapman in 1958. He taught at the Chapman High School for 40 years, where he coached football, track, wrestling and basketball.

Dr. Marlow Ediger (BSE ’58, MS ’60), North Newton, received notice that his writing and manuscript titled "Supervision of Instruction" was accepted for publication in Education, an international, refereed journal.

Catheryn "Kate" (Welch) Weigand (BSE ‘55) died July 27, 2015 at the age of 98. She was a second grade teacher at the William Allen White School and later became the Elementary Music Supervisor for the Emporia Public Schools. Weigand gave private music lessons in Chanute, Lawrence, and Emporia. Kate and her husband often presented music workshops for inservice sessions in nearby school districts.

1960s

Kenneth Dean Longhofer, Fort Smith, AR, died July 14, 2015 at the age of 82. He graduated from Lebo public schools then joined the U.S. Air Force and served from 1952-1956. He earned his degree at Kansas State Teachers College and became a teacher for Eskridge Public Schools. After his teaching career, he became an insurance agent; he retired in 2000 in Wagoner, OK.

Dr. Harry L. Stephens (BA ’65, MS ’72), Emporia, a former administrator at Emporia State and current volunteer, is one of the inaugural recipients of the new Emporia State President's Award for the Common Good, to be presented during Homecoming festivities in October 2015.

Nancy B. Tucker died August 14, 2015 at the age of 71. She graduated Kansas State Teachers College in 1965. She taught first grade in the Junction City School System. While raising her two children, she had an in home daycare. She also worked 20 years at the Emporia Community Day Care Center II.

Floyd B. Hoelting (BA ’68, MS ’69), Austin, retired from his position as Executive Director of Housing and Food Service at the University of Texas at Austin after 20 years of service there and 48 years working in the higher education environment.

Anne Marie Yoder (BSE ’65, MS ‘68), Wichita, formerly of Peabody, died June 5, 2015 at the age of 85. While working and living on family dairy farm she earned her master’s degree from Emporia State. Her first teaching position was as a special education instructor in the Hillsboro school system in the mid-1960’s.

Peggy Ann Adelgren (BSE ‘65), Chanute, died May 15, 2015 at the age of 78. She was a retired special eduction teacher who taught in numerous school districts over the years, retiring in 2001 from Wichita Public Schools.

Craig Boyers (BS '68), Lindsborg, is an art teacher in the USD 400 Smokey Valley schools and recently had works on display at Bethany Home Hall Gallery.  He has taught at all levels of education from public schools to community colleges to state universities.  He also has worked as a commercial artist for several businesses in Kansas. 

1970s

Bruce D. Cerone (BSE ’70), Spring Hill, FL, has been selected as a candidate for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.  He played for Emporia State in 1968-69 and was a Two-Time First Team All American selection.

Charlie E. Kayser (MS ’71), Topeka, authored the book A Deeper Life Primer: An Antidote to Shallow Living, which was released in May 2015.

Dr. Mike C. Manning (BA ’71), Paradise Valley, AZ, was recently named to the 2015 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. He was listed in the "Litigation: General Commercial" category for the state of Arizona. He is a partner at Stinson Leonard Street LLP in the firm's Phoenix office.

Harold Walter Schwinn (BSE ’71), Emporia, died June 9, 2015 at the age of 65 while vacationing with his family in Grand Junction, CO. While in college, he began working in the computing services department and continued at ESU in that department until his retirement in 2013.

Kenneth E. Darting (BSE ’72), Topeka, was inducted into the Shawnee County Hall of Fame, which honors past area athletes that made an impact on the Topeka community through their sport.

Janis A. Dean (BSE ’72), Washington, retired from USD 108 Washington after teaching elementary for 43 years.

Mark F. Kodack (BA '72, MS ’76), Beckley, WV, retired from Raleigh County Schools after 36 years.

Denise L. Scribner (BSE ’75), Wichita, was named a state finalist for the 2015 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation's highest honor for seventh through twelfth grade math and science teachers in the U.S.  Winners will be selected in May 2016.

Sue E. Givens (BSE ‘77), El Dorado, made Ingram's "50 Kansans You Should Know" list for her achievements in administration.

Tom C. Trigg (MS ’77), Overland Park, became superintendent of Highland Park Independent School District in Dallas, TX.

Pat (MS ‘77) and Sam (BSE ’73, MS ‘78) Wine, Madison, served as the Madison Days parade marshals in June. The couple have over 85 years combined experience in education and numerous awards and recognitions. Pat began teaching at Madison High School and stayed there for 42 years, retiring in 2014. She taught family consumer science classes as well as Kansas history, civics, world geography, world history, and many other subjects. During her career she received three Fulbright Scholar grants, traveling to teach and study in Egypt, China, and Japan. Sam started his career at Madison High School where he taught for 18 years. He moved on to teach at Eureka High School and was there for 26 years. Over his 40+ years in the classroom, he taught chemistry, biology, earth science, physics, and computer programming. In 1992 he was named an Emporia State Distinguished Alumnus. The couple continues to substitute teach.

Mike Casteel (BA ‘77), Neodesha, will be serving as an assistant football coach and head basketball coach for Neodesha High School. He spent 38 years teaching in Kansas and Georgia, most recently in Fredonia for the past four years.

Lyle Pounds (BSE ’71, MS ‘77) taught special education for 30 years, his last 10 as the director of the alternative high school for the Concordia School District. Two years ago, when he “got tired of drinking coffee – when it felt like that was all I was doing” he decided to answer an ad for a gardener. He’s now in his second year at the St. Joseph Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, growing everything from pumpkins to blueberries. The crops are used in the Motherhouse kitchen for the Sisters who live there with surplus going to the Concordia Senior Center or the Cloud County Resource Center Food Bank.

June Copeland (MS ‘77), Coffeyville (formerly of El Dorado), died this summer at the age of 89. She was an educator at El Dorado USD 490, retiring in 1985.

Joyce Washburn (MS ‘77), and her husband were selected by Colby Community College as the 2015 Honorary Associate Degree recipients. Over the 30 years she worked at CCC, she served as adult education director, developmental reading instructor, division chair, and dean of academic affairs – the latter being the post she held until her retirement in 2013. In 1990 she was elected president of the Kansas Adult Education Association and president of the college endowment board. She was chosen to receive the Missouri Valley Adult Education Achievement Award in 1991. The honorary degrees were conferred during commencement ceremonies May.

1980s

Rhonda K. (Hitchcock) Wiens (BSE ’81), Meade, retired from USD 226 Meade Schools after 32 years as a kindergarten teacher.

Cindy Cummings (BS '85, MLS '10), Topeka, is in her first year as the K-12 library media specialist for the Holton USD 336 after teaching middle school science at Seaman Middle School in Topeka for the past 19 years.

Sister Delores "Dee" Long (MS ’85), Kansas City, MO, was one of 19 Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph who celebrated anniversaries of religious life in 2015; she celebrated 40 years.

Ronald J. Nichols (MS ’85), Hiawatha, was inducted into the Kansas Teachers' Hall of Fame.

Clark A. Wedel (BSE ’86), Moundridge, is the new superintendent for Haven School District USD 312.  Previously, he was a principal at Moundridge USD 423, where he had served as assistant principal and athletic director. Over his 28-year career, he also taught in Wichita, Sedgwick, and was an assistant principal at Galena.

Bob Ardery (BSE ‘83), Harper, retired in May 2015 from Chaparral High School after 32 years of serving as a teacher and counselor. 

1990s

Shelly A. Strickler (MS ’93), Colony, is the new career counselor at Ottawa High School.

Rick A. Ginter (BGS ’96, MS ’01), Emporia, returned to ESU as throws coach for Emporia State Track and Field.

Joseph Worthington (BMS '96), Winchester, is in his first year as principal at Jefferson County North High School in USD 339.  Previously, he was at Atchison County Community Schools USD 377, where he was an elementary school music teacher and the secondary-level band director for six years.  Prior to that he was the music director at Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison for five years.  Worthington began education began in 1996, then year he became the music director for the Stafford school system.  He held that post for five years, then moved on to Burlington High School, where he was the music director for two years.  A member of the Army National Guard since 1987, Worthington has been playing the trombone with the Guard's Kansas-based band for 21 years now.

Dr. Calvin Hill (MS ’97), Worcester, MA, was named the inaugural Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement at Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Kristy M. (Land) Hamit (BSE ’99), Overbrook, recently became the principal and district curriculum director at Scranton Attendance Center. She previously taught seventh and eighth grade social sciences at Overbrook from 2004-2009; sixth grade at Carbondale from 2009-2012; and was vice principal at Carbondale Attendance Center 2012-2015.

Brent M. Lane (BSE ’99, MS '12), Ottawa, is the new assistant principal at Ottawa High School.

Kenneth L. Upham (BSE ’99), Junction City, became principal at Morris Hill Elementary School in Geary County USD 475. Previously he served as the assistant principal at Seitz Elementary School.  Of his 17 years of experience in education, three have come as an administrator.  His first teaching position was in Belton, MO as a sixth grade teacher, and he began working for USD 475 in 2006.  His previous administrative experience as an assistant principal in Maryville, MO from 2004-2006.

Dr. Brian Smith (MS ‘94), Galena, recently served as the Grand Marshall for the Galena Days parade. Smith is the superintendent for USD 499 Galena, where he has worked the last 11 years. He is the current president of Oral Health Kansas, a Dental Champions board member, KVC Kansas Advisory board member, and a member of the Kansas School Superintendents Association of Board of Directors.

Chad Higgins (BSE ‘95), Wichita, is in his first year as superintendent at Maize USD 266. Previously, he was the superintendent at Moundridge USD 423 for nine years. Before that he was the principal at Douglass High School and a science teacher at Great Bend High School.

Dr. Robert Morton (MS ‘92), Coffeyville, recently retired as superintendent of schools for USD 445 Coffeyville. He has received two awards for his work with early childhood education – the 2010 SEC-CAP Award for Collaborative Excellence and the 2010 Early Childhood Champion for the State of Kansas. Before coming to Coffeyville, for 16 years Dr. Morton taught science, coached and sponsored many activities before moving into school administration.

Sheree Stoppel (MME ‘99), Shawnee, is the vocal music teacher at Mill Valley High School in USD 232. Over her career of 35 years she has taught at Norton High School, Scott City High School, Osage City Elementary School, Emporia State University, and Emporia High School.

Debra Lynn Day (BSE ‘94), Richardson, TX, and Kurt Richard McEnaney, were married April 24, 2015 in Richardson. Day is a school counselor for W.E. Pete Ford School in Allen, TX.

2000s

Ben (BSE ’00) and Sara (BME ’03) Coltrane, Emporia, are in the process of raising funds to move themselves and their four children to Animan, Philippines, to work as missionaries. Ben has worked as a principal at Walnut Elementary School in Emporia and Power Plant Technology Program Director at Flint Hills Technical College.

Amy McAnarney (MS ’00), Emporia, has been named Assistant Principal at Lawrence Free State High School.

Brian McIntosh (BSE ’00, MS ’00) left his position as Emporia State’s assistant women’s basketball coach and is now the head girls basketball coach at Shawnee Mission North High School.

Tyler Curtis (BSE ’01, MS ’04), Emporia, recently completed a series of courses offered by Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business and earned an executive certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership.

Scott M. Meitler (BSE ’01), Ulysses, is the new principal at Sullivan Elementary School in Ulysses USD 214.

Jory M. Collins (BSE ’02, MS ’07), Emporia, was named the 2015 Kansas Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.

Mischel Miller (EdS '03) is in her first year as superintendent of USD 380 Vermillion. Previously she was the assistant superintendent of secondary education at Dodge City.

Precious H. Porras (MS ’04), Topeka, a longtime University of Kansas staff member, was recently named KU's interim director of its Office of multicultural affairs.

Derrick J. Richling (BSE ’04, MS ’06), Newton, science teacher by day, volunteer police officer by night, in October 2014 stopped the kidnapping of a three year old girl and held down the suspect until help arrived.

Katie Morris (BSE '05), Holton, is in her first year as an art teacher for all grades in Jackson Heights Elementary in Holton USD 336. She previously was an art teacher at Pauline Central Primary and Pauline South Intermediate in Auburn-Washburn USD 437 for six years.

Maria A. "Alex" Vuyk (BS ’05, MS ’10), Lawrence, successfully defended her PhD dissertation - with distinction - in May at the University of Kansas. She began her one-year counseling psychology internship at the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California in late August.

Randi L. (Ponton) Helget (BSE ’06), Ottawa, is the new third grade teacher at Garfield Elementary School in Ottawa.

Travis Van Vleck (BSE '06), Hoyt, is in his first year as an assistant principal at Royal Valley High School in USD 337. For the past eight years, he taught social studies at Rossville High School. Van Vleck served as the head wrestling coach at St. Marys High School from 2008 to 2015 and the head track coach at Rossville High School from 2014 to 2015. 

Cameron M. Babb (BS ’07, MS 14), Topeka, is the new track and field/cross country coach at Washburn University.

Natasha Jenkins (BSE, '07) was recently named a Teachers for Global Classrooms program fellow by the U.S. State Department.

Jordan Malone (MS ’07), Mankato, MN, former Minnesota State football player, recently returned to MSU as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator.

Marylee (Griffiths) Battaglia (MS ’08), Basehor, retired after 25 years with the Kansas City, KS Public Schools.

Christina "Tina" (Reilly) Khan (MA ’08, MS ’13), Emporia, is the new director of community corrections for Lyon County.

Kirstee A. (Stever) Lyon (BSE ’08), Reading, recently became an instructional strategist at Emporia USD 253 Riverside Elementary School.

Paul W. Erickson (MS ’09), Hutchinson, was hired as the new principal of Union Valley Elementary in Buhler USD 313 for the 2015-16 academic year. Erickson, a member of the 2014 Class of National Distinguished Principals, was previously the principal at Inman Elementary School in USD 448.

Shawn Ellis (BS ‘03), Baldwin City, is the USD 348 Baldwin City’s transportation director. Previously he worked with the Herrington recreation department and in the USD 348's maintenance department.

Scott Meitler (BSE ‘01), Ulysses, is in his first year as the new principal at Sullivan Elementary School in Ulysses USD 214. He taught in Wichita middle schools for about eight years, working as a technology teacher and as an assessment coordinator/data leader.

Dr. Keith Pfannenstiel (BS ’07, MS ‘09) is in his first year as assistant professor of exercise science at Sterling College in Sterling, KS.

Tina Stilwell (MS ‘05), Marysville, is in her first year as a school social worker serving schools in Valley Heights USD 498 and Vermillion (Frankfort and Centralia schools) USD 380. Stilwell has been a social worker for 18 years in northcentral Kansas. She has eight years' experience working as a social worker for the Learning Center of North Central Kansas, where she worked with six school districts' youth struggling with a number of issues. 

Brandon Van Anne (BS ‘08), Emporia, owns a business with his cousin providing beard products. Van Anne’s degree was in health promotion and he has worked in the industry studying nutrition for the last 10 years. 

2010s

Ashley D. Beason-Manes (MS ’10), Tahlequah, OK, received a full fellowship for her PhD studies at the University of Arkansas.  She is now ABD and accepted a position as a gifted facilitator in Lawrence, KS.

Lindsey C. Graf (MS ’10), Tonganoxie, became assistant director of special education for Keystone Learning Services in Ozawkie. She has 14 years’ experience, first teaching at Goddard High School then in Tonganoxie for seven years. For the last three years she has taught for USD 342 and coached the McLouth High School’s girls basketball team.

Andrew W. Ewing (EdS ’11), Pratt, became the executive director of Keystone Learning Services, an interlocal organization based in Ozawkie that works with eight districts across three counties to serve students with special needs.

Randielle Pierson (BSE ’11), Emporia, married Clay Houser on June 2, 2015 in San Antonio, TX.

Daniel J. Quillin (BS ’11), De Soto, recently joined the Physical Therapy Team at Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine in Great Bend.

Mark R. Calvin (MS ’12), Bucklin, is the new fifth through 12th grade principal at USD 459 Bucklin Schools.

Chase J. Reed (MS ’12), Chanute, is the new language arts teacher and debate/forensics sponsor at USD 413 Chanute High School. He has three years of teaching experience in adaptive special education.

Tyler Gibbs (BS '13), Hugoton, is in his first year teaching middle school P.E and the sports medicine class at Hugoton Middle School in USD 210. In addition to teaching, he has also worked at Camp Wood YMCA and proudly served eight years in the Army National Guard. 

Natosha Jenkins (BSE '13), Topeka, is in her first year teaching first grade at Osage City Elementary School in USD 420. This is her third year teaching; the last two years she taught fourth grade at Whitson Elementary in Topeka.

Brian Davis (BS ’14), Emporia, was recently made the program director for the Parsons Recreation Commission. Previously he interned for recreation programs in Hutchinson, Great Bend and Hoisington and officiated several sports.

Alissa Miller (BSE '14), Emporia, is in her second year teaching sixth grade at Emporia Middle School.

Anna Sielert (BSE '14 - Biology, Chemistry), Eureka, is in her first year teaching high school chemistry, biology and environmental science at USD 389 Eureka. She student taught at EJSHS during the fall 2014 semester and substitute taught at EJSHS during the spring. This summer she participated in an ESU science and engineering robotics grant with four other teachers from the district.

Krista M. Diedel (BSE ’15), Lawrence, is the new fourth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Ottawa.  This is her first year teaching after graduating in May.

Kaitlin M. Peak (BSE ’15), Lenexa, is the new third grade teacher at Chanute Elementary School in USD 413.

 

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