Honorary
Degree, Servant Leadership Award Single Out Friends of College at Commencement
Two
men whose contributions have shaped and been examples at Southwestern
College were honored by the college during Commencement exercises Sunday,
May 6.
Charles Kopke, who attended Southwestern in the early 1940s, received
the Servant Leadership Award. Leonard S. Laws, professor emeritus of
mathematics and statistics at Southwestern, received an honorary doctor
of arts and literature degree.
Kopke, who is retired vice president of
Commerce Bank in Kansas City, has been a philanthropist and leader in
community organizations.
"Charles is a 'practical idealist,' that
rare person who is stirred by big dreams and knows how to marshal energy
and resources to support their fulfillment," says SC President Dick
Merriman.
Born in Great Bend, Kopke graduated from
the University of Kansas after attending Southwestern, Randolph-Macon
University, and Temple University. He currently is serving on the boards
of directors of the Alliance for Epilepsy Research, the American Diabetes
Association (Mid-America Region), the Monnett Fund for the Battle of
Westport, and the Santa Claus Club, and is on the Research Medical Center
advisory group and the Board of Trustees of Baker University.
Kopke urged graduates to participate in
volunteer service as they move past their college years.
Leonard Laws spent 34 years shaping Moundbuilders
and making 7 a.m. statistics classes a common bond among alumni. Drawing
on degrees from such universities as Stanford and Michigan State, he
served as registrar and dean at Southwestern, as well as being chairman
of the social science and natural sciences divisions.
His talents weren't limited to the classroom,
though. Current students at the college may best recognize Laws as the
sculptor of Heritage Rock, a tribute to the Native American history
of the area displayed in the mall at the center of the lower campus.
He also created sculptures and etchings now placed in Beech Science
Center.
"Leonard's interests and achievements-which
range from mathematics to literature to art-exemplify the college's
commitment to integrative teaching and learning," Merriman says.
New
2001-2002 Faculty Bring Credentials, Diversity
A faculty with outstanding academic credentials,
teaching experience, and diversity will greet new students when they
return from the summer break. "We are delighted by the outcome of the
searches, even as we feel some pangs about the faculty members who are
leaving," says President Dick Merriman.
New
at SC for the 2001 academic year:
Jason Coy,
who is completing his Ph.D. in history at UCLA, will be joining the
history faculty, stepping into the vacancy created by the retirement
of Larry Wilgers.
Marguerite Regan, who is completing
her Ph.D. in English at the University of Arkansas, will be part of
the English faculty, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of
Judith Charlton.
Barbara Corvette is moving to Kansas
from North Carolina to fill the third faculty position in business needed
to fully staff the college's MBA program and undergraduate business
program. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the Fielding Institute,
and has an M.B.A. and J.D. from George Washington University. She is
a certified public accountant as well as an attorney-at-law.
Eugenia Yau is coming to SC from
Olivet College to fill the faculty vacancy created by James Strand's
retirement more than a year ago. Yau's doctorate is from the University
of Texas in vocal music.
Marsha Granberry, who holds a master's
degree from Wichita State, is joining the education faculty. She replaces
a faculty member who held a one-year appointment, and will specialize
in secondary education. Granberry's strong record in music education
will bolster both the education and music programs.
Brian Stone, who completed his doctorate
at Ball State University, earned tenure at Wichita State, and has lately
been employed at Heartspring (formerly the Institute for Logopedics
in Wichita), is joining the education faculty and will direct the college's
new master of education program in special education.
James Nolan, who is completing his
doctorate from the University of Nevada-Reno, is joining the psychology
faculty following the resignation of Michelle Rosell. (Rosell has accepted
a position at Pacific Lutheran University.)
K.P.S. Bhaskara Rao has been appointed
chair of the department of mathematics. He will replace Reza Sarhangi,
who has joined the faculty at Towson University.
Other faculty leaving SC at the end of
the current year include Jeanne Dexter, Mikel Dexter, and Jennifer Miller.
Major
in Special Education To be available to master's students
A second option for students interested
in earning a master of education degree at Southwestern College is expected
to be available during the upcoming academic year.
A major in special education that will
stress mild disabilities is ready to be put into place when final approval
is given by the state board of education. This approval is expected
in mid-summer. The new major joins an existing master of education major
in curriculum instruction.
Classes in the new major will be taught
at the Wichita East professional studies location, 2040 S. Rock Rd.
Brian Stone, who is joining the education faculty, will direct the program.
(See more information at left.)
This is the second new graduate offering
at SC in the past two years: A new master of business administration
degree had 49 students enrolled during the spring semester.
For more information or to begin application
for the program, contact the Center for Teaching Excellence, (620) 229-6253.
Champions
on the Field - They're All Heart
Head coach Monty Lewis and 35 members of
the Moundbuilder football squad have proven that big, powerful, well-trained
bodies can have huge, compassionate hearts.
When the team learned that the father of
one of their teammates was battling cancer-a fight that was producing
hopeful results but causing financial depletion-they joined the Conway
Springs community, home of Butch Ast, father of junior defensive back
Jeff Ast, with their fund-raising efforts.
The team participated in a community-wide
auction. Footballs, jerseys, and other Moundbuilder memorabilia were
sold - including eight teammates who sold themselves to the highest
bidder for eight hours of bucking bales and other farm labor. Coach
Lou (as his players call him) was surprised at the response.
"A seven-dollar Builder T-shirt sold for
60 bucks," he said, "but the buyer wanted the signature of all 35 players.
We were privileged to help out."
Other items on the auction block included
golf passes to Terradyne, a local luxury country club; farm implements;
babysitting, and numerous other items and skills that sold for a total
of $35,000.
"We've got a bunch of family-oriented players
on this team and I'm proud of them," says Lewis. "I no more than got
the sentence out of my mouth about Butch's need and quite a cheer rose
up from the guys about getting involved. Our hearts go out to their
family. That's why we're involved in it, to tell them they're not alone
and that we're going to be there to support them." -by Joni Rankin
