1980s
Chuck Kempf ’83 was named director of Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities for the City of St. Joseph, Missouri. He had been working for the city since 2005.
Dr. Robert Newhart ’83 was named superintendent of the St. Joseph School District and was given a two-year contract in November 2015.
Dr. Donna Stuber ’85, professor of human services/psychology at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, and one of her graduates co-authored a book chapter, “Research Methods in Social Psychology,” in a new textbook, Critically Thinking in Social Psychology. This is Dr. Stuber’s fifth published book chapter. PHOTO
Alumnus wins third Grammy
Charles Bruffy ’81 won a Grammy Award for best choral performance for a recording of Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil,” performed by the two choirs he directs, the Phoenix Chorale and Kansas City Chorale. The award was presented at the Grammy’s “Premiere Ceremony” preceding the prime-time broadcast Feb. 15.
Bruffy won a Grammy in 2009 for the Phoenix Chorale’s “Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin Mary” and in 2013 for the Kansas City Chorale’s “Life & Breath – Choral Works by René Clausen.”
1990s
A book edited by Mike Swope ’92 was recognized as a finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards, “Taekwon-Do: Origins of the Art: Bok Man Kim’s Historic Photospective (1955-2015).”
2000s
Dr. Jamel Santa Cruze Bell ’00 will serve as interim president of Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, effective July 1, 2016. Bell joined Eureka in 2014 as the special assistant to the president and currently serves as the vice president for strategic & diversity initiatives. She will serve as interim president until a permanent president is hired to replace Dr. J. David Arnold, who was appointed as chancellor of the college. Dr. Arnold served as Missouri Western’s vice president for academic and student affairs from 2002-05.
Chad Dreyer ’02 is the activities director/assistant principal at Savannah High School in Savannah, Missouri. He had been the physical education teacher at Minnie Cline Elementary for 14 years.
A note from three alumni
My name is Lee Shepard ’04. I wanted to inform you that Missouri Western is represented well in the 
Kansas City Missouri, Jackson County area. I have the privilege of working alongside two fellow Griffons: Clarissa Hoskins ’99 & ’03 and Heather Webb ’14. We are paralegals who work for the Jackson County Circuit Court. Between the three of us, we assist attorneys by performing specifically delegated substantive legal work involving document preparation, investigation and collection of facts and materials and legal research for the successful litigation of juvenile law cases which involve delinquency, abuse and neglect and termination of parental rights for all of Jackson County. We just want to thank you for helping us find a career that helps serve our community. We are forever grateful.
Charity (Cordray) Banko ’05 and her husband, Nick, announce the birth of a daughter, Vivienne Faith, born Oct. 16, 2015. She joins two sisters, Juliette and Penelope. PHOTO
A film created by Levi Smock ’09, “Delinquent,” was selected by Indiewire, a daily news site for the independent film community, as the project of the day, project of the week and project of the month, and is up for project of the year for 2015. The project of the year winner is given a spot at the Tribeca Film Institute’s Filmmaker and Industry Meeting at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. Smock graduated with a major in literature and a minor in film and lives in Los Angeles. Co-writer and director of the film is Kieran Valla.
2010s
Katalin Bestgen ’14 and Richard Hummel were married Sept. 19, 2015 in Cameron, Missouri.
Molly Smith ’11 traveled to Belize, Central America as part of her masters of biology program and will travel to Namibia, Africa this summer.
In Memory
We remember those who have passed away. If you want to include someone in this listing, please call (816) 271-5651, mail the information to Diane Holtz, Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, or email holtz@missouriwestern.edu.
Mary Elizabeth (Urban) Borkowski ’73, Kimberly, Idaho, June 30, 2015.
Barbara E. (McCartney) Carson ’73, Maysville, Missouri, Jan. 26, 2016.
Sandra Dykes ’73, St. Joseph, Missouri, Jan. 24, 2016.
Lawrence Ellis ’78, Lubbock, Texas, Dec. 8, 2015.
Joanne M. (Danner) Garner ’88, Kansas City, Missouri, Feb. 4, 2016.
John F. “Jack” Gloggner JC, St. Joseph, Missouri, Oct. 7, 2015.
Sheila R. (Rhodes) Henderson ’80, St. Joseph, Missouri, Sept. 13, 2015.
Richard D. Hulme ’81, Katy, Texas, Dec. 22, 2015.
Dr. Lois Helene (Merritt) Kraft Mikawa ’73, Reno, Nevada, Sept. 28, 2014.
Oscar Herman Kirschner, Jr. ’55, Chicago, Nov. 27, 2015.
Patricia Lee (Dunn) Nauman ’86, Palm Springs, California, Oct. 13, 2015.
Jamie Joseph “JJ” Pawlowski ’00, Lenexa, Kansas, Jan. 6, 2016.
Andrew Schultz, Jr. ’76, St. Joseph, Missouri, March 23, 2015.
Jerry Strong ’55, St. Joseph, Missouri, May 19, 2015.
Janice Marie (George) Tolley ’09, St. Joseph, Missouri, June 19, 2015.
Thelma L. (Giddens) Walkup ’73, Frazier, Missouri, Jan. 18, 2016.
Dr. Joe Friedman ’39, of St. Joseph, Missouri, whose lifetime included a career as a podiatrist and a Broadway actor, passed away Feb. 12, 2016. Dr. Friedman was very supportive of Missouri Western. The Alumni Room in the Fulkerson Center is named in honor of him, his wife, Gladys; and Joseph J. Droher; and he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991. He received an honorary doctorate from Missouri Western in 2013. When Missouri Western earned university designation in 2005, it was Dr. Friedman who funded the purchase of a ceremonial mace, presidential medallion and processional banners. He also established two scholarships at the University.