Class Notes
Class Note Sections:
Marriages
Baby Jets
Class Notes
Obituaries
Marriages
’07 Tara Zabawa and Scott Stecklein, on June 7, 2014. Tara is a Physician Assistant at Family Medicine Associates in Lawrence, Kan. They are living in Topeka, Kan.
’08 Jonathan Baalman and Navani Espinboza, on Jan. 4, 2014.
’08 Caleb Fine and Jackie Hunden, on April 12, 2014. Caleb is a business teacher and the head boy’s basketball coach for Park City (Utah) High School. Jackie also teaches at the high school.
’09 Jordan Thayer and Monica Johnson, on Aug. 9, 2014.
’10, ’12 Bridget Boyum and Austin Campbell, on May 24, 2014.
’11 Allison Fox and Blake Scott, on June 14, 2014.
’12 Nathan Nece and ’13 Megan Ranney, in December 2012. Nathan works at Beechcraft as an accountant.
Baby Jets
Born to Murray and ’03 Josie (Loewen) Dean, a son, Max Albrook, on Jan 13, 2014
Born to ’07 Ashley (Brooks) and Aaron Hilding, a daughter, Quinn, in April 2014. Ashlee is the daughter of ’00 Wes and Admissions Processing Manager Patty Brooks, and the twin sister of ‘07 Rachel (Brooks) Ely.
Born to ’02 Renee (Soukup) and Adam Hein, a daughter, Rachael Anne, on July 27, 2014.
Born to ’08 Gina (Albert) and Patrick Fahrenbruch, a son, Alexander Joseph, on April 10, 2014.
Born to ’10 Sarah (Hughes) and Mark Lynch, a daughter, Chloe, on April 20, 2013.
Class Notes
’71 Patrick Roths of Lafayette, La., has retired from his job as a helicopter pilot with PHI Inc. in Lafayette.
’72 Barbara Shea of Nags Head, N.C., left retirement to become a hospice medical social worker for the Dare County Health Department’s Home Health and Hospice.
’77 Donald Bittner, M.D. was honored by the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine as Teacher of the Year for the school’s Department of Plastic Surgery on June 21. Newman University awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa degree to Bittner in 2013.
’77 Linda Snook Davison, Newman University Board of Trustees Chair, is among the 20 women selected for the 2014 Wichita Business Journal’s “Women in Business.” The program recognizes Wichita-area businesswomen who excel as entrepreneurs, upper-level executives or partners in their organizations. Snook is president of Seeders, Inc.
’80 Jim Graham, Ed.D. is Vice-Provost of Technology / CIO at the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo.
’86 Isa Alvarez De Mora from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, visited the Newman campus Aug. 18 with her daughter, Grazia. Isa has a Ph.D. in microbiology from Syracuse University and is a professor at the Universidad Yacambu in Barquisimeto. She is also founder and director of a clinic that serves the poor.
’86 Tony Schountz, Ph.D. is now an Associate Professor at Colorado State University researching the MUIR virus among other projects in the Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
’88 Jeromy Swearington has been named Assistant Principal at Derby (Kan.) High School.
’89, ’11 Shelly Bole, MTS is now the Director of Catechesis for the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, La.
’89 June Huie is Director of Information Technology at the law firm Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch, Wichita.
’89 Dan Johnson is the Campus Director for the University of Phoenix program in St. Louis, Mo.
’92 Denise Bandemer is Marketing Director for Serpro of Northwest Wichita.
’94 Mary Miller is a middle school math teacher for USD 259 in Wichita.
’96 Debbie Tomlinson was featured in a Feb. 2, 2014 Great Bend Tribune story, “Tragedy to Triumph,” that told of her personal journey from GED in 1976 to doctorate in nursing in 2010. Debbie earned a BSN from Newman.
’99 Robert Reed is the new Superintendent for USD 332 school district in Cunningham, Kan.
’00 Rachel Wannamaker is an instructor in the Education Department at Sterling College.
’00 Jamie Woo Page, M.D., spouse of ’00 Seth Page, M.D., was named one of the “40 Under 40” by the Wichita Business Journal. She is currently Clinical Director of Pediatrics at GraceMed Health Clinic in Wichita.
’01 Melissa Klepinger and ’05 Jolinda Kelley were two of the five “Health Care Heroes” for community outreach and nursing named by the Wichita Business Journal. Melissa is currently a senior at Newman working on a BSN.
’01 Michael Roth has been named Superintendent of the Leavenworth, Kan., public school district after serving as Superintendent of the Clearwater, Kan., district for eight years.
’03 Philippian Mitchell is a Certified Medical Technician who is the Patient Service Rep. III Psychiatry for the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa, Okla. His spouse is ’04 Cassaundra (Tyler) Mitchell.
’04 Jennifer LePont-Fowler is a Doctor of Nursing practice student in Psych/Mental Health at Wichita State University.
’04, ’05 Sapna Shah-Haque, M.D. is an internal medicine physician who recently began practice in Winfield, Kan., and with William Newton Hospital. She was featured in a Feb. 22, 2014 article in the Winfield Daily Courier.
’05 Rick Banis owns a franchise Kickboxing Fitness Gym in North Asheville, N.C.
’05 Michael Scheve, D.O., recently completed the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Via Christi Health in Wichita.
’05, ’07 Yelando Wilcoxson-Johnson is now an adjunct professor in the Newman School of Social Work.
’06 Braden Foster, D.O. recently completed the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
’07 Michael Shahan M.D. is completing his residency in family practice in Lincoln, Neb., and will receive his new assignment as a doctor in the Air Force in December.
’08 Susie Jacques is Program Coordinator for the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences at Wichita State University. Her husband is ’09 Lin Jacques.
’08 Andre Marshall, Sierra Vista, Ariz., is Team Chief for the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion of the U.S. Army.
’08 Amanda Stanley Marshall graduated from the University of Kansas School Of Law in May 2014.
’08 Holly Stein is a Registered Nurse at Via Christi-St. Francis in Wichita.
’08 Jason Streit, Ph.D. graduated from Rice University (Houston) in May 2014 with his doctorate in chemistry. He accepted a position as Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md.
’08 Katie (Valliere) Streit is pursuing a doctorate in history at the University of Houston. She is currently doing dissertation research in Tanzania and learning Swahili. She will stay with the ASC sisters for two weeks while in Tanzania.
’09 Abayomi Oke is an Implementation Consultant for AIG Company in Houston, Texas.
’09 Drew Spencer is an IT manager for the MAWD Pathology Group in the Kansas City area.
’10 Joseph Baalmann, ’10 Jeff Cotter, ’10 Logan Gibson, ’10 Isaac Johnston, ’10 Phong Le, ’10 Amanda (Engels) Miller, ’10 Kyle Miller and ’10 Barbara Nguyen graduated from the University Of Kansas School of Medicine on May 14, 2014.
’11 Leasha Strang is a Licensed Master Social Worker who serves as an outpatient clinician at the Central Kansas Medical Center in Salina, Kan. She is a member of the Newman National Alumni Board.
’12 Lynette Hofer is an Occupational Therapy Assistant at HealthSouth Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital, Wichita.
’12 Sarah Long is an ICU Registered Nurse at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
’13 Calvin Easter is in proposal development for Linde Process Plants, LLC, Tulsa, Okla.
’13 Kristi Ferguson Ruge is an admissions counselor with Dynamic Educational Systems, Inc. (Job Corps), in Boise, Idaho.
’13 Jeremy Gant, who had a heart transplant in October 2011, has written a book chronicling his surgery. Win the Fight has been published by Xulon Press. Jeremy will complete his MBA at Newman in December 2014.
’13 Megan Ranney Nece is a temporary accounting assistant at Cargill. She is also the author of a children’s historical fiction book, The Necklace Did What? (Mysteries Throughout History) Volume 1, that is available at Amazon.com.
’13 Daniel Martin is an Independent Living/National Youth in Transition Database Program Consultant for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, Wichita.
’13 Sandy McCune is a nurse in Portland, Ore.
’13 Kimberly O’Banion is now living in Parsons, Kan.
’14 Lauren Baker has been accepted into the Washburn University School of Law.
’14 Brittany English is a photographer and designer with Baseline Creative, Wichita.
’14 Whitney Ferguson is Front Office Manager, Revenue Management at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Downtown Wichita.
’14 Alaina Garrett has been accepted into the master’s degree program at Texas A&M University.
’14 Kristin Martin is Education Director for the Museum of World Treasurers, Wichita.
’14 Alexander Prine has been accepted into a Ph.D. program in sociology at Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
David Shubert, Ph.D. (Hon), Professor of Chemistry at Newman, was one of the “Health Care Heros” for educators honored by the Wichita Business Journal.
Obituaries
’62 Joyce Ann Blick Dugan, on Aug. 11, 2014.
Paul Wetta, brother of ’64 Therese Wetta, ASC, ’75 Joanne Moore, ’80 Eileen Murry and ’80 Janet Brandes, on April 6, 2014.
Clarence “Chuck” Peters, father of ’66 Mary Ann and Jean Macias honorary alumna, on June 7, 2014. Jean’s husband, ’74 Archie, is Vice Chair for the Newman Board of Trustees.
’72 Laurence Joseph White, Sr., on May 26, 2014.
Edith Alfaro Resa, mother of ’78 Pedro Resa and sister of ’50 Angelita Alfaro, ASC, on July 4, 2014.
’81 Steve Rau, on July 21, 2014.
’81 Marilyn Janeen White, on July 17, 2014.
’85 John Simbeck, on Feb. 23, 2014.
Leon J. Setter, father of ’86 Melvin, on July 9, 2014.
Andy Chervenak, father of ’87 Kathy Linnebur, on May 27, 2014.
Donato Alonzo, father of ’88 Donette Alonzo, on July 22, 2014. Her mother Louisa died on June 8, 2014.
’09 Aaron McKinney, on July 16, 2014.
Ron Shipley, former director and associate professor of the Newman University Radiologic Technology program, passed away Friday, July 25, at age 61 after a long battle with kidney cancer. He joined Newman in 1995 and retired in August 2013. Read more at http://news.newmanu.edu/ron-shipley-leaves-behind-legacy.