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:
aflott@unomaha.edu.
• 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
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UNO ALUM
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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:
abc@ccs.unomaha.edu
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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).
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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: aflott@unomaha.edu
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.
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• 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 :jvlcek@juno.com.
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 aflott@unomaha.edu.
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
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ORGANIZATION
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OMAHA, NE