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» 2010s
Andrew Babitz (J.D. ’10, Law) has been hired by the St. Louis law firm, South & Associates, PC. Andrew represents the interests of lenders as they relate to foreclosure, bankruptcy and eviction.
Valerie Brown (B.A. ’12, Arts and Sciences), a veteran of the U.S. Army who served two tours of duty in Iraq, appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman in July. She talked about joblessness among military veterans.
Shara Clevenger Brice (M.P.A. ’92, Management) carried the Olympic torch on its way to Olympic Stadium. Her extensive charity work afforded her the opportunity to take part in the 2012 Olympic festivities.
Kevin Bryce (B.A. ’11, Arts and Sciences) presented his documentary, We Are Superman, about life on the east side of Kansas City’s Troost Avenue, in his hometown of Summerside, Canada.
Sarah Castle (J.D. ’12, Law) participated in the 2012 Paralympics in London, where she defended her gold medal in wheelchair basketball. Castle has participated on four Paralympic teams, in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Emiel Cleaver (M.A. ’11, Arts & Sciences) premiered his documentary film in St. Louis, Mo. Freedom is Now, about Kansas City’s first black political group, Freedom Inc.
Daniel Denner (M.M. ’10, Conservatory) was named director of music ministries at Living Word Church in Wildwood, Mo.
Nicholas Gehlfuss (M.F.A. ’10, Arts and Sciences) was awarded the Rosemarie Tichler Fund Grant. The grant is awarded from the Classic Stage Company in New York City, where he will continue his work. Gehlfuss has appeared on television shows such as Army Wives, The Good Wife and Blue Bloods.
Jacob Humphrey (D.D.S. ’12, Dentistry) has joined his father, Stanley Humphrey (D.D.S. ’84, Dentistry) in his dental practice in Gallatin, Mo.
Gulimina Mahamuti (D.M.A. ’10, Conservatory) wrapped up a concert tour of China and included a stop at the prestigious China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Mahamuti is an assistant professor in the Department of Music at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
Narong Prangcharoen (D.M.A. ’10, Conservatory) is the first Thai classical music composer to have his work performed at Carnegie Hall. His piece, “Migration of the Soul,” was created to reflect the sounds of Thai temples.
Iryna Y. Northrip (J.D. ’12, Law) joined the Kansas City office of Bryan Cave LLP.
Rachel Rosanske (B.M.E. ’12, Conservatory) was hired as a music teacher for Paola Unified School District 368 in Paola, Kan.
» 2000s
Nicole Allcock (D.Pharm. ’02, Pharmacy) received the 2012 Health System Pharmacy Alumni Service Award from the UMKC School of Pharmacy. Allcock is director of pharmacy at Southeast Missouri Hospital.
Shelly Anderson (M.S. ’88, Nursing; M.B.A. ’98, Management; Ph.D. ’09, Nursing) has joined Northwestern Oklahoma State University as an associate professor of nursing.
Cassandra Ashley (B.A. ’01, Biological Sciences; M.D. ’06, Medicine) has joined Skaggs Regional Medical Center as a physician in internal medicine.
Rochelle Caruthers (B.A. ’01, M.A. ’06, Arts and Sciences) received the 2011-12 Romare Bearden Fellowship at the St. Louis Art Museum.
Julie Coon (B.S. ’07, Arts and Sciences) is an urban farmer in Kansas City who is helping the local food movement take root. Professionally, Coon is an environmental specialist in the Johnson County (Kan.) Environmental Department.
Greg Cotton (J.D. ’00, Law) is chief operating officer of Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City’s professional soccer team. Cotton negotiates all major contracts and transactions, as well as legal matters.
Jessica Culpepper (M.B.A. ’07, Management), director of financial planning at Creative
Planning Inc., is listed as one of the “20 in their Twenties” in Ingram’s magazine. Culpepper oversees more than $125 million in assets.
Courtney Dickerson (B.A. ’02, Education) has been named assistant principal of South Valley Junior High School in Liberty, Mo.
David Ebbrecht (M.B.A. ’08, Management) has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Kansas City Southern.
Kara Elgin (J.D. ’06, Law) was hired by South & Associates, PC. Elgin is an associate attorney for the Missouri Foreclosure Department in the corporate office located in Overland Park, Kan.
Theresa Fette (L.L.M. ’04, Law), CEO of Provident Trust Group, was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Las Vegas chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization.
Lee Hartman (M.M. ’05, D.M.A. ’09, Conservatory) was hired as artistic director of the Mid-America Freedom Band.
Lauren Horsman (J.D. ’08, Law) has joined the Kansas City office of Bryan Cave LLP Client Service Group.
Heather Jasper (M.A. ’08, Education) was hired as a guidance counselor at Spring Hill (Kan.) High School.
Janet Kraybill (D.M.A. ’00, Conservatory) has been selected to be the organ conservator for the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant organ at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Zhan Liu (L.L.M. ’05, J.D. ’09 Law) was named a corporate associate for the Shanghai office of Winston & Strawn LLP.
Hannah Lofthus (B.A. ’07, Arts and Sciences), principal at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School in Kansas City, Mo., is listed as one of the “20 in their Twenties” in Ingram’s magazine.
Saumil Mehta (B.I.T. ’02, Computing & Engineering) has raised $5.1 million of start-up funding for his marketing company, LocBox.
Dan Puccio (M.A. ’09, Education) was named associate director of student affairs at Penn State York.
Melissa Rickerson (B.L.A. ’08, Arts and Sciences; M.D. ’09, Medicine) is a pediatrician at Mercy Clinic in St. Louis, Mo.
Amanda Riedl (M.A. ’03, Ed.Sp. ’11, Education) was hired as principal of Mill Creek Elementary School in St. Augustine, Fla.
Juliana Rotich (B.I.T. ’06, Computing & Engineering) has been named one of Kenya’s top women in information technology. Rotich is executive director of Ushahidi, a non-profit tech company.
Jennifer Shields (M.A. ’00, Education) was hired as an inter-related teacher for Louisburg (Kan.) Unified School District 416.
Daniel Sullivan (M.F.A. ’06, Arts and Sciences) wrote a book about starring in
the Broadway musical Jersey Boys.
Molly Wagner (B.F.A. ’07, Conservatory) was appointed to the Company of the Kansas City Ballet.
Julie Warm (Ph.D. ’04, Interdisciplinary Studies) created a summer camp, “Madame President” that will work to increase the number of women in political office.
Christina Webster (M.M. ’00, D.M.A. ’09, Conservatory) was appointed lecturer in flute at Pittsburg (Kan). State University.
Joy Wheeler (M.P.A. ’84, Management) was named Interim CEO of Marillac in Overland Park, Kan.
Kristin Woods (J.D. ’09, Law) joined the law firm of Barney McKenna & Olmstead, PC.
» 1990s
Christine Albano (J.D. ’96, Law) has been named a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She practices law in Frisco, Texas.
Jeanne Catanzaro (M.S.N. ’93, Nursing) has been appointed by Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to the Kansas Board of Nursing.
Lisa Garney (J.D. ’96, Law), president and owner of LMG Construction Services LLC, was named to the Kansas City Business Journal’s list of “Women Who Mean Business.”
Charles Haddix (B.A. ’97, Arts and Sciences) received the Excellence in the Arts Award from the Johnson County Library Foundation.
Kevin Harrell (B.A. ’93, Arts and Sciences; J.D. ’98, Law) has been appointed circuit judge on the Jackson County Circuit Court by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
Sean Hennessy (M.P.A. ’93, Management) has been named CFO for KCMO Water Services in Kansas City.
Nelson Hu (D.D.S. ’94, Dentistry) was elected president of the Tracy Rotary Club in California.
Jani Johnson (M.S.N. ’96, Nursing) has been appointed president and CEO of St. Luke’s South Hospital.
Jonathan Metzl (M.D. ’91, Medicine) is head of the Center for Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University.
Michael Rader (J.D. ’99, Law) was appointed to the Missouri Brain Injury Advisory Council by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
Sandra Lee Reeves (MBA ’07, Management) was honored with an award by the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus.
Jan Sternin (M.B.A. ’98, Management) joined Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC as a senior vice president.
Louis VanHorn (M.B.A. ’97, Management) was honored as a “CFO of the Year” by the Kansas City Business Journal. VanHorn is CFO of Store Financial Services LLC.
Andrea Wickerham (J.D. ’99, Law), vice president of the National Center for Drug Free Sport, was named to the Kansas City Business Journal’s list of “Women Who Mean Business.”
Joseph Williams (M.A. ’93, Education) was named interim superintendent of the Twin Rivers Unified School District in California.
Fiaz Zaman (B.A. ’94, Biological Sciences; M.D. ’95, Medicine) was named a
top ambulatory surgeon in the Southeast.
» 1980s
Brent Ballweg (D.M.A. ’87, Conservatory) received the Director of Distinction Award from the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association.
Dianne Cleaver (M.A. ’81, Arts and Sciences) has been selected to chair a Jackson County (Mo.) task force that reviews county electoral issues and procedures. Cleaver is president of Symmetry Consulting.
Carmen DeHart (B.B.A. ’85, Management) served as a judge for the 2012 Champions in Business program. DeHart is the director of the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Center at UMKC.
Gary Dickerson (M.B.A. ’87, Management) was appointed president of Applied Materials, equipment and software provider to the semiconductor and flat panel display industry.
Thomas Hastings (M.D. ’86, Medicine), a physician in St. Louis, received the 2012 Rockhurst University Alumni Award. Hastings was also recognized as a “Best Doctor in St. Louis” in 2011 and 2012.
Bradley A. Lee (M.B.A ’84, Management) was named vice president of the commercial banking division at Country Club Bank.
Freda Mendez Smith (B.A. ’80, Arts and Sciences) was honored with the Harriett Woods Guardian of the Flame award by the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus.
Mary Needham (B.A. ’88, Arts and Sciences) was named director of development for Kansas City Young Audiences.
Deon Pitsor (M.B.A. ’87, Management) was named president of Bank of America’s operations in Iowa.
Ralph Reid (J.D. ’87, Law), president of the Sprint Foundation, joined the executive board of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
R. August Ritter (B.A. ’86, Bio Sci) was named to the board of Missouri Professionals Mutual. Ritter is an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedic Associates of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.
Dirk Schafer (M.B.A. ’84, Management) was promoted to president of the Midwest Region of J.E. Dunn Construction Group.
Sandy Smith (J.D. ’89, Law) has joined the Kansas City office of Bryan Cave LLP as counsel.
John Luther Young (J.D. ’89, Law) has been appointed, by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
» 1970s
Diane Blackwelder (M.A. ’74, Education) was elected to serve as national president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She will serve on the National Council as president through 2014.
Alvin Brooks (B.A. ’59, M.A. ’73, H.D. ’12, Arts and Sciences) received the Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.
Stephen Danner (B.A. ’77, Arts and Sciences), Major General in the Missouri National Guard, was elected board chairman of the National Guard Association of the United States.
Daniel Euston (B.A. ’74, Arts and Sciences) was promoted to president of J.E. Dunn Construction Company’s start-up subsidiary, Innovations 10.01.
Robert Grossman (J.D. ’77, Law) has been elected to the executive committee of Lathrop & Gage.
James Kulild (D.D.S. ’73, Dentistry) is president-elect of the American Association of Endodontics.
Dwayne McConnell (J.D. ’75, Law), a veteran prosecutor, was named to the Superior Court of Bethel, Alaska.
C. Stephen Metzler (M.B.A. ’76, Management) was elected chairman of the board of trustees for the Kansas City Art Institute. Metzler is president and CFO of Metzler Brothers Insurance.
Bahman Nassim (M.S. ’75, Ph.D. ’79, Arts and Sciences) was named dean of the School of Natural Sciences at Indiana University Southeast.
Len Rodman (M.S. ’78, Computing & Engineering), chairman, president and CEO of Black & Veatch, won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Award, Central Midwest division, in the Services category.
Allan Seidel (J.D. ’72, Law) was named to the board of directors of the North Central Missouri College Foundation.
Michael Weaver (B.A. ’76, Bio Sci; M.D. ’77, Medicine) was named a board member of Health Literacy Missouri.
»1960s
John Hughes (D.D.S. ’66, Dentistry) received the 2012 Profile in Excellence Award from the alumni association of Oklahoma Baptist University.
Jo Anne Lyon (M.A. ’68, Education) was elected sole general superintendent of The Wesleyan Church.
James Steele (B.A. ’67, H.D. ’04, Arts and Sciences) examines the modern state of the American economy in his new book, The Betrayal of the American Dream.
»1950s
Rita Blitt (B.A. ’52, Arts and Sciences) was honored for her promotion of the arts at the 2012 Red Brick Arts Tribute benefit in Aspen, Colo.
Passings
David N. Atkinson, Curator’s Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science, died Nov. 14, 2012.
Buford B. Baber, former director of student financial aid, died Oct. 28, 2012.
Eliot S. Berkley, lecturer in history and government at the University of Kansas City from 1952-59, died on Sept. 17, 2012.
Patrick A. Randolph, professor of real estate law in the School of Law, died Oct. 21, 2012.
Erla Steuerwald, former professor at the School of Dentistry, died Oct. 8, 2012.
Visit umkcalumni.com to submit your news and read more class notes.