News and Notes

Emery Grace, born Friday, May 27, 2016.

Mom and baby were doing great until Mom tripped and broke her foot on Monday!  Will be a long summer with a 3 year old, new born and 32 year old to take care of!

Alexej Savreux, class of 2017, was recently named one of the top 3 Poets/Spoken Word Artists in Kansas City, Missouri by The Pitch and The Pitch readers in The Best of Kansas City 2020. This follows a top 5 Finalist distinction as Best Local Artist living in Kansas City, Missouri in 2019. The celebration for finalists and winners of The Pitch’s Best of KC will be held virtually this year on October 29^th, 2020.

Alexej is a respected and established expanded media artist whose work incorporates monologues, poetry, satire, painting, cartoons, graphics, videography, and installation and sound art. He is a resident of South Kansas City, Missouri and lives and works near UMKC and is currently working as a second recording engineer for KCAT and KKFI on seasonal radio dramas.

Alexej graduated from Ottawa University, cum laude, in 2017 with a B.A. in Communications.

Marilyn Grisham, class of 1962, was selected by the Kansas Art Educators as an "Art Enhancer" and will be honored at an awards banquet on 11/11/19 at Johnson County Community College at the group’s annual banquet. Marilyn is a very talented fiber artist and manages an art exhibition space in the Commerce Streets Arts District of Wichita, KS called "The Fiber Studio".  

Michelle was named the Director of Human Resources for Spring Hill USD 230. She begins the job on July 1, 2018. Michelle has been an elementary school administrator for the past 14 years in the Spring Hill School District and taught in both the Spring Hill and Louisburg School Districts prior to her administration career. Michelle lives in Olathe, Kansas with her husband and children.

Troy Prosser, class of 2004, was named Kansas Cross Country Coach of the year for 2017.  He is currently coaching at Central Heights High School in Franklin County, KS.

Terry (Ottawa - '92) has accepted the position of Gifted Teacher and Head Girl's Basketball Coach at Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, KS. Terry and his wife Susan (Ottawa - '97) live in Louisburg, KS and have two sons, Treiy (22) and Kai (17).

Garrett Galanski, class of 2015, named Sacred Heart football coach.

Bradley Burenheide, class of 1996, earns Outstanding Teacher Award.

Ottawa University graduate Lydia D'Ross '00 has been busy.
 
Attached are some articles and attachments that will inspire Ottawa undergraduates to continue to pursue their passion in any field that they are in.
 
Recently, Lydia D'Ross has been awarded an honorary degree for her humanitarian work.  She also received an Ambassador "Golden Rule" award from United Nations representative Dr. Clyde Rivers of Interfaith Building Initiatives. She was appointed as Chief Adviser of Global Latin America that oversees 18 Latin nations. In addition, she continues to oversee 50 state leaders as the National Hispanic Director for the United States National Prayer Council.
 
Recently, Dr. D'Ross was elected as Oklahoma State Republican Committee Woman that oversees 22 counties out of 77.
 
She has pioneered numerous projects and founded numerous non-profit organizations.
 
For the past ten years, D'Ross serves on the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference  board of directors of the largest Hispanic membership of 500k,  and serves with Dr. Samuel Rodriquez, Dr. Carlos Campo and many others.

Dr. Lydia Gonzalez-D'Ross also serves an appointee of the Oklahoma Senate on the Oklahoma Women of Status Commission and will be speaking at the Oklahoma Woman Hall of Fame this week.
 
D'Ross was tapped to serve for US House Speaker Newt Gingrich on the National Hispanic Advisory Board and also served as Donald J. Trump Hispanic Media as His presidential campaign media surrogate.
 
D'Ross hold many national leadership positions and has been a voice for spiritual care in mental health for Brook Haven Hospital in Tulsa, OK as an Outreach Chaplain and devotional blog writer for the hospital.
 
Recipient of numerous awards: Just to name a few

• 2016  Ambassador, United Nations
• 2014 Tulsa Leaque of Women Voters " Madam President" award
• 2014 Tulsa Business and Legal News
• 2014 Governor Fallin Proclamation for pioneering "Hispanic Youth Council"

Dr. Rodgers leaving Hutch Clinic for Sterling company developing cancer drugs.

Kansas City, Kansas, Deputy Police Chief Tyrone A. Garner, Class of  2011, Selected for Vacant KCKCC Board Position.
 

Henry Joel Nordeen Jr. obituary

Willard Inskeep obituary

Charles Eugene Clinkenbeard, Jr. obituary

Carl Dean Foust obituary

Kenneth "Ken" Harvey Koger obituary

Keith Miller obituary

Tim Buis obituary

Louise A. Burke obituary

James Brandon obituary

Robin K. Robins obituary

David earned his MDiv from Saint Paul School of Theology (Kansas City) in 2011 and is currently enrolled in Colgate Rochester Crozer School of Divinity (Rochester, NY) working towards his DMin in Transformational Leadership with a concentration in Wesleyan/Methodist Studies. After serving as a Senior Pastor in the Kansas City, MO area for 16 years, he is now the Director of Congregational Development and Revitalization for the New York Annual Conference.

Eric is currently working on his Ed.D at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Jacob is currently finishing up his Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at University of Kansas Medical Center.

Working on Masters degree through Ottawa University!

Beetner Family Endowment Supports SIUE School of Engineering Experiential Learning Opportunities.

Note: Emmet Beetner, class of 1962, just celebrated 50 years as Budget Director with Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL.

Missouri Woman's First Date Ends with Her Saving the Man's Life: 'He Asked for a Second Date'.

The reflections of four Bettis sisters, all OU alumni, are captured on the surface of the eternal flame outside the new library/student union in March 2017. The four sisters were all on campus to reminisce on their college days and tour the campus. L-R: Julie Bettis Currier 1976 (Overland Park KS), Carla Bettis Timberlake 1974 (Overland Park KS), Sheri Bettis Fowler 1989 (Austin TX), Gloria Bettis Shryock 1975 (Colorado Springs CO).

Joy has joined the ranks of published authors and is Co-editor of "Still A Mother: Journeys Through Perinatal Bereavement", published February 2016 by Judson Press.  She also has two devotionals published in the book "Though The Darkness Gather Round: Devotions about Infertility, Miscarriage and Infant Loss". This summer she had the honor of being a workshop presenter at The Association of Professional Chaplains Conference, presenting on her book.

Meet Officer Mark Mueller

Danny White, class of 1983, has completed his first children's book, The Sensational Letter "S".

Children of Katrina was named the 2016 winner of the Outstanding Scholarly Contribution Award from the American Sociological Association Section on Children and Youth!!! This bi-annual honor is given to a book published in the preceding two years that has had a major scholarly impact on the sociological study of children and youth. Children of Katrina, co-authored by Alice Fothergill (Department of Sociology, University of Vermont) and Lori Peek (Department of Sociology, Colorado State University) offers an in-depth examination of how children experienced and coped with the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. For nearly ten years, Fothergill and Peek followed a core group of children and documented their recovery trajectories.

Lori Peek, class of 1997, has one the Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

“Dr. Lori Peek has established herself as one of the most hard-working, dedicated and distinguished professors on the Colorado State University campus,” wrote her nominators in the department, Associate Professor Jack Brouillette and doctoral student Meghan Mordy. “The numerical evaluations of her teaching and courses are among the highest of any professor on the university campus. In addition, the quality of the written evaluations that she receives are unparalleled.”
 
Peek, co-director of CSU’s Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis, teaches courses on contemporary race and ethnic relations, the sociology of disasters and qualitative research methods.

“Regardless of whether she is teaching incoming first-year students or advanced doctoral students, she engages the students in and out of the classroom in innovative activities and learning opportunities,” Department Chair Michael Carolan wrote in his nomination letter.

She is one of the top-rated CSU instructors on the online system CSU students use to rate their professors. More than half of the student comments submitted after her fall 2014 and spring 2015 race relations course described Peek as their “favorite” or the “best” teacher they’ve had at CSU. Many said memorizes every student’s name, even when enrollment exceeds 100.

“Lori continues to impress me with her knowledge of the subjects she teaches, and her passion for students and her willingness to help,” one student wrote. “Lori is by far the most influential professor I have had in my academic career.”

Peek has received numerous teaching honors from the college and university. She served the College of Liberal Arts as the Master Teacher Coordinator at CSU, was named an Institute of Learning and Teaching (TILT) fellow and chaired the Teaching and Mentoring Committee for the Environment and Technology Section of the American Sociological Association. Peek established a student-alumni network for the department, chairs the departmental student awards committee and advises the department’s honor society.

“I was fortunate to have been raised by parents who encouraged me to read and to have had teachers who pushed me to love learning,” Peek said. “Being a teacher is a privilege that I never take for granted.”

Williamsburg resident stays busy with organizations, children, rehabbing homes.

Middle school years were impressionable for middle school counselor.

After 20 years as Executive Regional Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Barbara retired from Regional Ministry. Since ordination 1/1/84, She served two congregations and the region of Kansas as Associate Regional Minister for 8 years. Prior to seminary, Barbara served on denominational staff in youth ministry. She have moved to Southern Kansas City to be available to my aging parents and my seven grandchildren who are located in Fort Worth and Denver.

Since returning home Barbara has completed a Masters in Human Services, Public Service Leadership. Along with volunteer work through Rotary, she is convening the Anti-Racism task group for the Greater Kansas City Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Barbara is still enjoying photography again and discovered that her Dad still has the OM-1 she used while at Ottawa. Barbara spent many hours in the OU darkroom 73-76. She is able to sing in church choir as she is not on the road preaching in AR, LA, or MS every week! Barbara connected with Dr. Renz and the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Management at UMKC and is networking with leaders in nonprofit governance. She loves being back home!

Blake Goldstein, class of 2015, is currently living in San Diego, California working for the San Diego Padres organization in Event Operations.