2008 RECIPIENTS
Alumnus of the
Year, Robert Arnold
Robert M. Arnold earned degrees in philosophy, biological sciences and
medicine from UMKC in 1983. Throughout his career as a
bioethicist, he has called upon his collective educational background to
care for patients beyond recovery.
Today, as a professor and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, he is
a leading voice in palliative care, or the care of patients who have life
limiting illness. His primary goal is to try to empower and improve their
lives, no matter how fragile and short.
"There’s been a major push in this country and other countries to focus on
improving quality of life in patients with life limiting illnesses by
treating the symptoms," said Arnold, "both physical symptoms and
psychological and spiritual symptoms that go along with those diseases."
In recognition of his work,
Defying the Odds, Stanley Banks
Stan Banks received two UMKC degrees - his B.A. in 1979 and his M.A. in
1991, but if not for one powerful woman, he might not have become the first
in his family to attend and graduate from college.
Many of the world’s greatest poets derive inspiration from difficult life
experiences, and Stan Banks’ story is no different. Urban poverty … the loss
of family to violent crime, including his father and brother … a mother who
couldn’t care for him. But his grandmother stepped in and served as mother
and preserved the future for this talented poet.
Today, Banks is a professor at Avila University and has won numerous writing
awards and honors, including the Langston Hughes Prize for Poetry and a
fellowship with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Banks' love for his grandmother comes out in many of his poems, and some of
their stories together will be told in one of 17 videos spotlighting each
award recipients the night of the Alumni Awards Dinner.
Bill French Alumni Service
Award, Freda Mendez Smith
Freda Mendez Smith came to UMKC to earn a degree in Spanish and expand her
volunteer work.
“There is so much to do in my community, she said.
“I am not someone to sit back when there are many things that need to
be accomplished.
Freda found ways to help her community and her alma mater
at the same time. Because she
wanted to see more Hispanics at UMKC, she accepted a position on the UMKC
Alumni Board and eventually became Vice President of Minority Affairs.
As Chair of the Alumni Minority Affairs Committee, Freda
has been active in attracting area youth and parents to UMKC.
The Minority Affairs Committee has hosted high school students for a
poetry slam and invited middle school parents to tour campus and learn how
to prepare their children for college.
The committee also partnered with UMKC’s Minority Student Affairs
Division to sponsor events in celebration of Black History Month and
Hispanic Heritage Month.
Additionally, Freda has coordinated fundraising efforts for minority
scholarships.
“We want to bring kids on campus and invite minority alumni to play a role
in ensuring that prospective students have a good UMKC experience,” she
said.
Her involvement with the Alumni Association led to serving
on the UMKC Women’s Council and the search committee which brought
Chancellor Guy Bailey to campus.
“I really believe that any time you give of yourself, you get more back than what you have given – plus, you meet some really great people,” said Smith.
Legacy Award, Neff Family
The Neff family began their academic affiliation with UMKC with the
graduation of Lloyd Neff, Sr., from the School of Pharmacy in 1918.
Over three generations, two of Lloyd’s brothers, two sons, two
grandsons and a granddaughter-in-law also graduated from the School of
Pharmacy. Two additional family
members graduated from the School of Education and the College of Arts and
Sciences.
Members of the Neff family have exemplified a dedication
to the pharmacy profession, their alma mater and the Kansas City
pharmaceutical community. They
possess a long history of membership, alliance and support with the Missouri
Pharmacy Association, the UMKC Pharmacy Foundation, the UMKC Alumni
Association and the University of Kansas City Trustees.
The following family members’ will be recognized with the
Legacy Award:
Lloyd Neff, Sr. (B.S.P. ’18)
James Neff (B.S.P. ’32)
Luke Neff (B.S.P. ’37)
Owen Neff (B.S.P. ’54)
Lyle Neff (B.S.P. ’58)
Karl Neff (B.S.P. ’78)
Owen Neff, Jr. (B.S.P. ’81)
Karen Neff (B.A. ’71)
Melissa Heath Neff (B.S.P. ’82, D.Phm. ’94)
Philip Neff, (B.S. ’86)
Spotlight
Award, David Bates
Commander David Bates (B.S.P. ’93), Chief Pharmacist and National Pharmacy
Consultant of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response for the
United States Public Health Service, observes firsthand the devastating
effects of natural and manmade disasters.
In the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes and other emergency
response needs, Bates is responsible for the security and deployment of all
pharmaceutical and biological supplies needed by the National Disaster
Medical System teams. Under his leadership, the nation’s Pharmacy Logistics
Program was relocated and redesigned into a more efficient operation with
response time capability reduced from a few days into what are now a few
hours in the event of a national emergency.
During the 2005 hurricane season, Bates was deployed many times for
Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Rita and Ophelia and for at least three National
Security Events. Bates also operated as Chief Pharmacist in the aftermath of
Sept. 11. His team worked under
extremely difficult conditions at Ground Zero providing pharmaceutical care
to survivors, rescue workers, police, firemen and rescue animals.
For his service, he received the Public Health Service’s “Crisis
Response Service Award” and the “Commendation Medal for Exemplary
Performance of Duty.”
In his letter of support on behalf of Bates’ nomination for the Spotlight
Award, School of Pharmacy Dean Robert Piepho said, “There is no question
that numerous lives have been saved because of the diligence and
professionalism that he brings to these chaotic scenes.
Having had David as a student, his abilities in this regard are not a
surprise. He has always been an
extremely conscientious practitioner, who is dedicated to the highest level
of patient care.”
Bates’ leadership with the Public Health’s NDMS ranges from supervision of
nearly 500 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants to the
expansion of pharmacy warehouses in strategic locations across the nation to
further decrease medical team response time in the event of future
disasters. Additionally, as an
adjunct faculty member of the School of Pharmacy, he visits UMKC annually to
speak to pharmacy students considering a career in public health.
College of Arts
and Sciences Alumni Achievement Award, Karen Foss
Immediately upon graduation from the Communications Studies Department in
1976, Karen Foss was selected to be the first co-anchor of the evening news
for Kansas City’s CBS affiliate.
She then joined the NBC affiliate in St. Louis as a news anchor,
where she became the longest running female to hold a news anchor position
in the United States.
Foss served in this capacity for more than a quarter of a century.
Nationally, she is viewed as a female trailblazer.
Her news stories and other special reports have earned her numerous
local Emmy Awards and nominations.
In 2005, she was inducted into the Emmy’s prestigious Silver Circle,
recognizing her vast contributions in broadcast journalism.
The list of honors she has been awarded, due to her community
service, is vast.
School of
Biological Sciences Alumni Achievement Award, Pinghui Feng
Pinghui Feng earned his Ph.D. in cell biology and biophysics in 1993.
Following graduation, he accepted a post-doctoral position in the Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the Harvard Medical School. His
research investigated the relationship of herpes virus to the development of
Kaposi’s Sarcoma, an immunodeficiency-related tumor common in individuals
suffering from AIDS.
His studies were groundbreaking in that they defined the molecular basis for
the etiology of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and defined its relationship to AIDS. In
recognition of his research, Feng was awarded a Special Fellowship Award by
the Lymphona and Leukemia Society. Presently, Feng is an assistant professor
in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center in Dallas. He
recently was appointed by the UT Southwestern Medical School as an Endowed
Scholar, which features a $1 million research award.
In his nomination letter in support of Feng, Lawrence Dreyfus, associate
professor in the Division of Cell Biology and Biophysics stated that he “was
the best Ph.D. student to have completed his dissertation in my lab – and
one of the … best students that I have met anywhere.”
Henry W.
Bloch School of Business and Public Administration Alumni Achievement Award,
Alan Weber
Alan Weber possesses more than 20 years of experience in the field of direct
marketing. He has guided
business to business companies from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms and in
2004 was honored as Direct Marketer of the Year.
In 2006, Alan published “Data-Driven Business Models,” a book that has been
adopted as the text book for marketing classes at New York University,
Boston University and Kansas University.
This CEO of Marketing Analytics takes his volunteer activities at UMKC as
seriously as his career. He is
the immediate past president of the UMKC Alumni Association.
In that capacity, he served on the UMKC Trustees board.
His leadership roles include service on several committees including
the Alumni Center Vision Committee, the Alumni Minority Affairs Committee,
the Bloch School Alumni Association Board the Alumni Recognition Committee
and Alumni Finance Resource Development.
In 2006, his service took a greater public role as he was the master of
ceremonies at the Alumni Awards Dinner and the Bloch School’s annual
fundraiser, the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Dinner.
Additionally, during this period, he began teaching “Elements of
Marketing” at the School.
School of
Computing and Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Ravi Chandra
Ravi Chandra earned a master’s of science degree from UMKC in 1993.
Since then, he has established himself as an innovator in the field
of Internet technology. Over
the past 14 years, Chandra has held senior technical and business executive
leadership positions where he has demonstrated strong entrepreneurial
capability in the envisioning and rapid delivery of Internet technology
solutions at companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100.
In fact, many software systems and specifications developed by
Chandra and/or under his leadership and direct technical guidance are what
make today’s Internet the indispensible tool it has become.
Conservatory of
Music and Dance Alumni Achievement Award, Mary Louise Jones
Mary Louise Jones (MMA ’85, DMA ’92) began teaching music more than 40 years
ago. During her career, she has
served on numerous state and national music education organizations
including membership on the National Advisory Board of the National School
Orchestra Association. Among
her many awards is the prestigious Citation for Exceptional Leadership and
Merit from the American String Teachers Association – which she has earned
twice.
Jones currently is the director of high school orchestras and supervisor for
the String Programs at the Liberty, Missouri School District.
She has inspired many young performers throughout the United States
in her roles as adjudicator and music teacher.
In addition, she assumes a leadership role in bringing music into
communities and is a champion for the inclusion of a musical education for
public schools.
School of
Dentistry Alumni Achievement Award, Lynn Mouden
Lynn Mouden graduated with distinction from the School of Dentistry in 1975
and entered private practice in Weston, Mo. In 1991, he embarked on a career
in public health dentistry, accepting the position of associate chief in the
Bureau of Dental Health, for the Missouri Department of Health.
Mouden founded the Prevent Abuse and Neglect through Dental Awareness
program in 1992. This
initiative trains oral health professionals to recognize child abuse and
neglect and to cooperate with social services professionals to assure
appropriate family interventions.
The program now operates throughout the United States and
internationally.
Currently, Mouden is the state dental director for Arkansas and the author
of more than 75 published articles on dental public health issues.
Dental Hygiene
Alumni Achievement Award, Karen Williams
Karen Williams is known throughout the country and the world for her
research contributions and her presentation of continuing education
seminars. She has conducted
various research projects, the results of which have been nationally
recognized such as the Oral Helath-Related Quality of Life Model for Dental
Hygiene.
Williams is a full professor and director of The Clinical Research Center.
The organization’s goal is to advance the body of scientific
knowledge in oral health care at the
UMKC School of Dentistry.
During her career with the University, she has been involved with the
design, assessment of validity and reliability and the analysis of numerous
studies.
She also is a co-investigator on an international research collaboration
between the University of Missouri and the University of the Western Cape,
South Africa, that resulted in a $4.4 million grant from the National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicines, a division of the National
Institutes of Health, to study the medicinal properties of plants.
School of
Education Alumni Achievement Award, David Donovan
In 1998, when the faculty of the Division of Counseling and Educational
Psychology formed the Community Counseling and Assessment Services (CCAS)
Advisory Board in 2001, David Donovan was at the top of their prospect list.
A recent graduate of the Ph.D. program, Donovan was the ideal candidate to
provide leadership to the newly formed board.
He served on the Executive Committee during its first two years and
eventually was named President. He not only volunteered his time for CCAS,
but through his connections to the greater counseling/psychology community
in Kansas City, was able to bring many influential individuals in the field
to UMKC to interact with the CCAS and School of Education students.
Outside of UMKC, Donovan operates a private psychology practice and serves on several boards including those for the Greater Kansas City and Topeka Psychoanalytic Association and the William Henry Dance Theater.
School of Law Alumni Achievement Award, Keith Cutler
In his work as a trial lawyer, Keith Cutler (J.D. ’89) specializes in
insurance defense and subrogation, general liability defense, professional
liability defense and small business representation.
Cutler has won several awards for his leadership and integrity, including
the 2005 Legal Leaders of the Year Award from The Daily Record, the 2000
Missouri Bar Young Lawyers Section Council’s President’s Award and the 1998
Decade Award from the UMKC Law Foundation.
He devotes many hours to professional service.
Among his many volunteer positions are:
former president of the Jackson County Bar Association and membership
on the Missouri Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, the Missouri Bar Legal
Education Committee and the Missouri Supreme Court Region IV Disciplinary
Committee, Division II. Cutler
also has served as general chair of the Missouri Supreme Court Region IV
Disciplinary Committee.
School of Medicine
Alumni Achievement Award, Wendell Clarkston
Wendell Clarkston (M.D. ’84) is working to improve better patient care
through his teaching and clinical service.
Currently a professor in UMKC’s Department of Internal Medicine,
Clarkston also served for eight years as associate dean for Graduate Medical
Education. In this role, he
helped strengthen the School of Medicine’s residency programs and
institutional sponsorship. He
also maintains an outreach program in rural Missouri, which provides
gastroenterological care.
For his commitment to teaching and service, he has received many honors.
Included in his awards is being named -- in 2003 and 2004 – as one of
Kansas City’s “Best Doctors” by
Kansas City Magazine.
In addition, Clarkston and a one-time fellow have developed a software program establishing a database for gastroenterology procedures that is mouse-driven and intuitive. The program is now used in most of the hospital-based endoscopy units in Kansas City.
School of Nursing
Alumni Achievement Award, Peggy Ward-Smith
Peggy Ward-Smith (Ph.D. ’98) focuses her research on the quality of life and
treatment outcomes for children with chronic illnesses.
Currently, Ward-Smith is working with Children’s Mercy Hospital
Pediatric Palliative Care Team to develop a value inventory instrument for
professionals to provide cultural, ethnic and religious information with
appropriate results in a health care plan.
In addition to her research, Ward-Smith is an associate professor of Nursing
at the UMKC. In this capacity, she serves as a mentor and teacher to
graduate and doctoral students. She also publishes articles in scholarly
publications and is a contributing editor to Journal of Urologic Nursing.
Ward-Smith’s work continues to be recognized by her peers and, most
recently, by the Midwest Nursing Research Society, which honored her with
the “New Investigator Research Award.”
School of Pharmacy
Alumni Achievement Award, Matt Hartwig
Matt Hartwig (B.S.P. ’92) is the fourth member of his family to graduate
from the School of Pharmacy.
Two of these members are his father, David Hartwig, who was a member of the
Class of 1966, and his uncle, Steve Hartwig, a member of the Class of 1968.
Matt and Steve are co-owners and operators of Red Cross Pharmacy,
with 10 branches in west central Missouri.
Matt has found several ways to give back to his profession.
Currently, he is treasurer of the UMKC School of Pharmacy Foundation
Board and sponsors the School’s Red Cross Pharmacy Scholarship.
Matt also supports pharmacy on a statewide level.
He has served has president of the Missouri Pharmacy Association and
is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association, the Missouri
Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the National Association of Chain
Drug Stores.
Matt summarizes his personal and professional philosophy as, “If I ever
become half the man that my dad was, I will make a tremendous impact on what
we … do here. We all want to
make a difference in people’s lives and to make a mark on our
profession that is positive for the community.
