JEWELL CELEBRATES EMOTIONAL COMMENCEMENT

The traditional last walk around the quad on commencement day May 10 took on an added significance this year for members of the William Jewell College class of 2003.

The decades-old tradition of taking a parting glance at the sturdy red brick buildings on the hill was at once tearful and joyous—rather like the emotional week that preceded it.

Only six days earlier, many of these same graduating seniors were shuttled hurriedly into the basements of residence halls, where they huddled to wait out the swirling destruction of a tornado that clocked in at F-4 on the National Weather Service’s scale. (Only 2% of tornados reach the F- 4 level, which registers winds of 150 to 200 miles per hour.) Although damage to campus facilities required that the baccalaureate and commencement services be moved to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Liberty, the tradition of the quad walk was preserved.

“Finals Week. Those words have a different meaning for the class of 2003,” President David Sallee told graduates and their guests at the commencement service. “On the evening of May 4, real disaster in the form of a tornado appeared in the sky. We saw its face, we felt its breath, we stepped through the debris it left behind.

“But now, six days later, I realize that the debris does not define the storm. The roofless buildings, uprooted trees, overturned cars and vanishing personal belongings are not the lasting legacy of the storm. The lasting legacy for me is the week that followed, a week that is perhaps the most inspirational of my experience at Jewell.”

Dr. Sallee noted that his initial reaction in viewing the destruction was one of despair. “Then, as the hours passed, I watched as the forlorn looks of those around me changed to expressions of resolute determination to clean up the home that had been invaded by the storm. Faces began to reflect the realization that we were all safe and that all the rest is just bricks. And then I saw those faces begin to reflect the satisfaction of working together, of beginning to make our home whole again, of realizing that for a place like Jewell, rebuilding is far too small a vision.”

As the week progressed, the college community “bonded in an energetic and often emotional display of selflessness, loyalty, hard work, caring concern, personal sacrifice and love. It was a week to witness the generosity of the human spirit and the grace of God of which we hope you learned much during your time at Jewell.”

Dr. Sallee noted that the rebuilding effort had already begun, and that the college would look different when graduates came back to visit. “But we have all been reminded this week that the heart of William Jewell College is not in the buildings. It is in us. I challenge you to move toward your next adventure with the same spirit of hope, steadfastness and passion for service that we have seen from you in the past. As you take your leave from this place, know that we are proud of you. You have shown us, once again, that you are resilient and strong, prepared to make a difference. Thank you for the difference you have made at William Jewell College.”

JEWELL JOINS PRESTIGIOUS ANNAPOLIS GROUP

William Jewell College has been granted membership in the Annapolis Group, an organization of approximately 115 selective residential liberal arts colleges. “Membership in this group will serve as an opportunity to affiliate with most of the top liberal arts colleges in the country,” says President David Sallee. “It is a great step forward in our ongoing work to place William Jewell among the top liberal arts colleges in the country.”

The Annapolis Group was formed in 1993 to provide a forum for presidents of residential liberal arts colleges to discuss and seek solutions to issues of mutual concern. The Annapolis Group was initially composed of members of the Oberlin science and library groups, but has expanded to include a broader constituency of presidents of selective residential liberal arts colleges across the country. The group meets for three days each June in Annapolis, Maryland. Guests come from government and education fields as well as the corporate arena. One of the primary goals of the Annapolis Group is to clarify the traditional strengths of the liberal arts college.

Recent accomplishments of the Annapolis Group include the creation of a plan to raise public awareness of the distinct educational advantages that liberal arts colleges provide through a web site, Collegenews.org, and the recent completion of a comparative alumni research study.

JEWELL TEAM WINS COMPETITION IN COLLEGE PARTNERSHIP WITH CERNER

William Jewell College has taken a leadership role in partnering with the Cerner Corporation and four area colleges to offer an innovative new interdisciplinary course dealing with the product development cycle for computer software. A Jewell team subsequently was recognized for presenting the best solution to a software development challenge.

Cerner Corporation and William Jewell jointly developed and delivered the course on the Jewell campus last spring. Following that initial offering, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funded the development of an expanded version of the course during the spring 2003 semester to enhance the quality and capacity of each participating school’s individual Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Business, Nursing and Pharmacy programs. The course combines instructional support with real-world software development expertise from one of the Kansas City area’s leading technology firms.

At the end of the course, a software development team from Jewell was recognized for presenting the best solution to the need for wireless handheld device applications that provide health care professionals with remote access to critical patient information. In addition to William Jewell, participating schools include the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Rockhurst University and Baker University.

The Jewell software development team was selected from among six interdisciplinary student development teams representing four area colleges. The teams formally presented and demonstrated their wireless handheld device applications to senior executives from Cerner Corporation, who selected the Jewell team as the winning entry.

Two interdisciplinary Jewell teams consisting of nursing, business, computer science and information systems students presented the software solution they developed this semester at The Vision Center at the Cerner World Headquarters in Kansas City. The Cerner executives selected the “Uirotech” team from Jewell as the top software application.

Team members included project manager Jaime Humberg (business administration major); product manager Sarah McGinty (nursing major); software architect Henry McCracken (computer science, mathematics and French major); applications developers Matt Quinn (computer science major) and Javier Gomez (information systems major); and certification analyst Toni Popova (international business, computer science, and economics major). At the recent awards banquet, all six members of the winning team received wireless handheld PDAs valued at approximately $500 each.

WILLIAM JEWELL’S UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY SHOWCASES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

William Jewell College, which has honored outstanding academic achievement since its founding more than 150 years ago, showcased student research initiatives and creative activities during the third annual David Nelson Duke Undergraduate Colloquium held on campus April 10.

Celebrating the Life of the Mind: A Day of Undergraduate Scholarship and Creativity involved students presenting their scholarly works to faculty, staff and the community at large through oral presentations, performing and visual arts, public speaking and readings of creative writing. The Colloquium allowed students from all academic disciplines to receive recognition for their unique ideas and studies.

“Our students are increasingly taking responsibility for their own learning experience,” says Dr. Marc Cadd, professor of German and chair of the Undergraduate Colloquium committee. “The enthusiasm, interest and support for these students demonstrated by the campus on the day of the Colloquium are tangible evidence of the presenting students’ academic excellence.”

The colloquium concept reflects Jewell’s commitment to increasing involvement of undergraduates in research, according to Dr. John Westlie, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. The event embodies William Jewell’s educational mission and reflects its high expectations of students and faculty, communicating that the College seeks out and celebrates scholarly achievement. “All of us at William Jewell are very proud of the student achievement and scholarship in evidence in the Duke Colloquium,” Dr. Westlie says. “The Colloquium shows the commitment of our campus to academic excellence.”

Celebrating the Life of the Mind included a special convocation featuring Dr. Mel George, president emeritus of St. Olaf College and the University of Missouri, serving as the keynote speaker. Dr. George was the Distinguished Visiting Professor at William Jewell for the spring semester, a position funded by the Hall Family Foundation.

In his keynote address, Dr. George compared student research to the process of exploration.

“It’s all about leaving home, moving from the familiar to the unknown,” Dr. George said.

He cited three great journeys into the unknown: Abraham, who sought to do God’s will by creating a great nation; Christopher Columbus, whose innate sense of curiosity and wonder led him to challenge the widely held beliefs of the day; and Lewis and Clark, whose journey into the Louisiana Territory helped to chart a course for expansion on the American frontier.“Today we celebrate William Jewell College as a community of discovery, and our students as a band of explorers,” Dr. George said. He challenged students to nurture their curiosity, to accept the inherent risks of exploration, and to be persistent in their quest for knowledge.

MISSOURI SUPREME COURT JUDGE DUANE BENTON OFFERS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Duane Benton offered the commencement address May 10 in the Mabee Center for Physical Education on the William Jewell campus. Speaking at the baccalaureate service was Mike Graves, Professor of Homiletics and Worship at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan., and Regional Minister of Preaching for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Greater Kansas City. Commencement speaker Duane Benton was appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court on August 16, 1991 and retained in office by the people of Missouri at the November 1992 election. On July 1, 1997, the other Judges of the Court elected him Chief Justice for a two-year term that ended June 30, 1999. He is the only Certified Public Accountant serving on any supreme court in America. Born in Springfield, Missouri, Judge Undergraduate colloquium participants receive recognition during the morning convocation in Gano Chapel. Benton grew up in Mountain View, Willow Springs and Cape Girardeau. He is a 1972 graduate of Northwestern University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from Yale law School in 1975, distinguishing himself as editor and managing editor of the Yale Law Journal. Selected as a Danforth fellow, he completed the Senior Executives Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Judge Benton has also completed the post-graduate Appellate Judges Course at the Institute of Judicial Administration of New York University. He earned an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia. In his address, Judge Benton invoked the Biblical story of Esther in challenging graduates to grow into caring and responsible community members. “The challenge is to take what is right and true and serve others in love,” Benton said. “Be steadfast, kind and tender-hearted.”

Baccalaureate speaker Mike Graves received his Ph.D. and M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his B.S. in education from the University of Houston. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Preaching at Spurgeon’s College in London, England, and as Assistant Professor of Preaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Prior to being named Regional Minister of Preaching, he served in numerous churches as interim minister. While teaching at Midwestern Seminary, he served as a bi-vocational pastor in Kearney, Missouri. His publications include The Sermon as Symphony, which was published by Judson Press in 1997. He is also the author of a children’s book, The Light in the Night, based on the book of Revelation.

“We learned something this week about the fragile nature of life,” Graves told the graduates. He noted humorist Garrison Keilor’s post-9/11 remarks about personal priorities as reflected in the cell phone messages left to loved ones by victims of the terrorist attack. “They called in a moment of panic to give their benediction,” Graves said. “The message consistently was ‘I love you. Take care of the children. Have a good life.’ ’’ Dr. Sallee congratulates a graduate.

JEWELL WELCOMES DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR DR. MELVIN GEORGE

William Jewell College welcomed Dr. Melvin D. George as the Distinguished Visiting Professor for the spring semester of 2003.

Dr. George is President Emeritus of the University of Missouri, President Emeritus of St. Olaf College, and Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. After receiving a B.A. from Northwestern University in 1956 and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Princeton University in 1959, Dr. George joined the faculty of the University of Missouri in 1960. He became Associate Dean of the Graduate School in 1967, then moved to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1970 as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He returned to the University of Missouri as system-wide Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1975, serving as Interim President in 1984 before moving to St. Olaf College in Minnesota as President in 1985. Following his retirement from St. Olaf nine years later, Dr. George served for nearly two years as Vice President for Institutional Relations at the University of Minnesota. He returned to Missouri in 1996 and served a second time as Interim President of the University of Missouri system in 1996-97. During the period from 1994 to 1996, he chaired the National Science Foundation’s review of undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education, culminating in the report “Shaping the Future: New Expectations in Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.” Dr. George also chaired from 1997 to 1999 the Missouri K-16 Coalition, a statewide group appointed by the State Board of Education, the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education and the Curators of the University of Missouri to make K-16 education in the state more seamless, with higher expectations for student learning, beginning with mathematics.

The Distinguished Visiting Professorship is funded by the Hall Family Foundation. Spring appearances by Dr. George included a faculty colloquy, a public lecture on “Mathematics and Music” and a keynote address at the David Nelson Duke Undergraduate Colloquium.

JEWELL ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM TO CERTIFY TEACHERS WHO ALREADY HOLD A BACHELOR’S DEGREE

William Jewell's Evening Division and the Department of Education have received approval for a program to help meet the need for qualified teachers in middle school through secondary grades in Missouri. Persons already holding a bachelor’s degree may be able to earn their Missouri professional certification in as little as one year while they are teaching fulltime under temporary certification. Courses begin this summer and teaching can begin in the fall. For more information, send an e-mail to evening_division@william.jewell.edu, or contact the Education Department by phone at 816-781-7700, extension 5498, or the evening division at ext. 5399.

JEWELL OFFERS ACCELERATED DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM

William Jewell College has launched an accelerated degree nursing program allowing students who already have an undergraduate degree to complete a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 12 months. “The recent downturn in the economy and the desire of many adults to make a difference in their work following the events of September 11 has increased interest in nursing among ‘second-degree’ students,” says Dr. Nelda Godfrey, chair of the Department of Nursing at William Jewell. The accelerated degree program is one strategy being explored by schools of nursing to address the national nursing shortage that is occuring as the aging baby boomer generation requires additional medical care.

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting the need for a million new and replacement registered nurses by the year 2010,” Godfrey says. “Colleges of nursing are finding that accelerated B.S.N. degree programs are a creative way to reach out to new student populations while maintaining the integrity and quality of nursing education.” Students who complete accelerated programs are generally highly motivated and maintain high grade point averages, Godfrey says. Some employers prefer to hire accelerated degree graduates because of their commitment to the field and their life experience.

The Jewell program received approval from the Missouri State Board of Nursing in December. The William Jewell program will be the only accelerated nursing degree option available in the Northland. Only 12 students were accepted into the inaugural class, which began course work in May. For more information on the accelerated B.S.N. program at William Jewell, contact Dr. Nelda Godfrey at 816-781-7700, ext. 5453.

NEW MEMBERS NAMED TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES

William Jewell has added eight new members to the college’s board of trustees.

William R. “Russ” Cline, a graduate of William Jewell, is owner and President of RCA Group, an international sports and entertainment marketing and management company. Major clients include ESPN/ABC Sports and the United States Tennis Association. He is also President, co-owner and cofounder of the Major Indoor Lacrosse Group and serves as President of the Philadelphia Wings National Lacrosse League team. In addition, he is President and owner of Image Impact, a new company that develops proprietary software for use in evaluating and identifying sponsorship logos in televised events.

From 1975 to 1984, Cline was Director of Promotions and Arrowhead Productions for the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, where his responsibilities included national and local promotions, game production and special stadium events. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Communications Committee for the Heart of America United Way, on the marketing committee for the National Football League and as Vice President of the Board of Governors for Starlight Theatre, among many other civic and philanthropic involvements. He makes his home in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Ann Earnest, a graduate of William Jewell, is Sales Vice President for AT&T Business Sales of AT&T Business Worldwide in Houston, Texas. In that capacity, she is responsible for integrated global petroleum and technology sector customers. From 1999 to 2002, she served as Sales Vice President for an AT&T division responsible for a growing global revenue stream for clients including ExxonMobil, Chevron Texaco and Royal Dutch Shell. As Vice President and General Manager for AT&T Houston from 1996 to 1999, she developed and implemented sales strategy, customer satisfaction and associate development plans. She has also held senior sales and sales management positions at Southwestern Bell, AT&T General Business Systems and Lucent Technologies.

Earnest has participated in professional development programs at the London School of Business, Columbia University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston International Festival and serves on the President’s Advisory Board for the University of Houston. She has received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the University of Houston and the Citation for Achievement from William Jewell College.

In that position, he was responsible for all regulatory and legislative matters for one of the world’s leading diversified telecommunications companies. He began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a staff assistant in St. Louis in 1959. After progressing through several operations assignments in Missouri, Texas and Georgia, he became general manager of the Southwestern Region for Western Electric in St. Louis in 1982. In 1985, Dreyer was named president of SWBT’s Kansas Division. He was appointed group president of SBC Communications Inc., in St. Louis in 1988 and was responsible for overseeing all of SBC’s international and three national subsidiaries. He was named executive vice president for SWBT in 1990 and became president of its Texas Division in 1991. Under a reorganization in 1992, he was named president of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company of Texas, where he headed a work force of about 27,000 employees serving more than five million customers. He was appointed to the position of Senior Executive Vice President of External Affairs for SBC in 1993.

Linda J. French, a graduate of William Jewell, recently concluded a term as the National Chair of Disaster Services for the American Red Cross. As the organization’s senior volunteer leader, she participated in program planning, organization, leadership and promotion. She has also served as Associate Professor of Business Administration at William Jewell and was a senior partner at the Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin law firm. She was Senior Vice President-General Counsel/Secretary of Payless Cashways, Inc., a national building materials retail chain, and has also done consulting and lecturing on business law, ethics and corporate governance. French received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. She has been named one of the Outstanding Young Women of America and among “100 Women to Watch in Corporate America” by Business Month magazine and is listed in numerous Who’s Who publications. Robert K. Kirkland, a graduate of William Jewell, currently serves as President of the law firm of Kirkland & Woods, P.C., which has offices in Liberty and in Overland Park, Kan. He works with individual clients on a variety of legal issues, in addition to advising charitable organizations on charitable giving and tax-exempt status maintenance. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and serves on the organization’s Charitable Planning Committee. He is listed in the most recent editions of The Best Lawyers in America.

Kirkland received his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He serves on the Board of Governors of the William Jewell College National Alumni Association, the Board of Directors of the Liberty Hospital Foundation and as Co-Chair of the Children’s Mercy Hospital Planned Gift Council.

James K. Pierce, a graduate of William Jewell, retired in 2001 following a distinguished career with Dow Chemical as a research chemist. He served as Research & Development Director for the Chemicals Division of Dow Europe and as a Research Associate for Saran and Converted Products, among many other positions in a career with Dow spanning more than 25 years. Most recently, he served as Director of INSITE Technology Licensing in Freeport, Texas.

Pierce received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Kansas, where he completed his dissertation in organic chemistry. He is the holder of five U.S. patents and has contributed to a number of scholarly publications. He currently owns and operates the J Lazy J Ranch in Haskell, Okla. He also serves as Director of Community Service for Rotary International in Lake Jackson, Texas, and has been active in the American Chemical Society. Ed Place, a graduate of William Jewell, is Vice President of Finance, Greetings for Hallmark Cards, Inc. He is responsible for operations of subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore, generating $100 million in revenue for the greeting card company. He developed an entry strategy for China and in 1999 launched a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise (WOFE) based in Shanghai. During a career at Hallmark spanning more than 15 years, he has served as Managing Director for Hallmark Australia; Director of Finance & Planning for Hallmark Asia Pacific; Financial Processing Services Director; Business Services Manager for Shoebox Greetings; Mass Markets Credit Manager for Ambassador Cards; and Senior Credit Analyst for Hallmark. He has also served as Board Chairman of Hillcrest Ministries, a Liberty-based charitable organization that helps homeless families become self-supporting. He received his M.B.A. from the Executive Fellows Program at Rockhurst College in Kansas City. Thomas R. “Buzz” Willard, a graduate of William Jewell, has served as President of Tower Properties Company for more than 15 years. Previously, he was President of Bliss Associates from 1986 to 1997. He is a designated member of the Appraisal Institute, a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Kansas and Missouri and a member of the Kansas City Real Estate Board. Willard serves on the St. Luke’s Hospital Board of Directors, the Cancer Institute Board of Directors and the Downtown Council Executive Committee. He has also served on the boards of Missouri Repertory Theater, St. Paul’s Day School and the University Club. He received his M.B.A. at Rockhurst College in Kansas City. L to R: Ed Place and Buzz Willard