Dr. Mary Ellen Bleakley

Dr. John D. Westlie

Dr. Calvin Permenter

Dr. Cecelia Robinson

William Jewell College president Dr. David Sallee has been appointed to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Council of Presidents as a representative for the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Dr. Sallee’s three-year term began January 1, 2004 and runs through December 31, 2006. “The Council of Presidents moved from an advisory capacity to active leadership in the Association in 1986,” said Steven B. Baker, president and chief executive officer of the NAIA. “As the Association’s chief governing body, the COP has responsibility for all budgetary and fiscal matters, employment and supervision of the president/chief executive officer, and continuing review, evaluation and strengthening of academic standards.”

As the HAAC representative to the COP, Dr. Sallee will also serve as a member of the Regional Management Committee. The RMC comprises the regional chair, the regional director, a president from each conference within the region and the commissioner from each conference within the region.

Dr. John D. Westlie was invested as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College during fall ceremonies at William Jewell. A native of LaCrosse, Wis., Westlie was awarded the degrees of M.Phil. (Master of Philology, 1978) and Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy, 1981) in French from Yale University. In 1975 he earned a master of arts in French from the University of Minnesota. He received a bachelor of arts in literature from New College of Florida in 1970. Dr. Westlie joined the William Jewell faculty in 1985. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor of French at Colby College. During his tenure at Jewell, Dr. Westlie has served as a professor of French, as Overseas Study Coordinator and as Senior Tutor of the Oxbridge Honors Program. Dr. Westlie has participated in a National Endowment for the Humanities program at Yale University, among other faculty development opportunities. He is a member of the Foreign Language Association of Missouri and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Also during the ceremony, Dr. Mary Ellen Bleakley was installed in the Frances S. Evans Endowed Chair in Education, and Dr. Calvin Permenter was installed in the Robert H. McKee Chair in Music. Dr. Bleakley joined the William Jewell faculty i n 1977.

She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. She has completed additional study at Oakland University and Fort Hays State University. Dr. Permenter joined the William Jewell College faculty in 1980. He received his B.M. from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music; an M.M. from Drake University; and a D.M.A. from the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music. He has completed additional study at the American Conservatory of Music in Fontainebleau, France, and at the Academie Ravel de Musique in St. Jean-de-Luz, France.

Dr. Milton Horne, professor of religion and executive director of the Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies at William Jewell College, has written a commentary on the biblical books of Proverbs through Ecclesiastes that has been published as part of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series.

“Dr. Horne’s work on this commentary will be read and appreciated by scholars and ministers across the nation and in other countries,” said Dr. Andy Pratt, vice president for religious ministries and dean of the chapel at William Jewell. The Smyth & Helwys bible commentaries are written by accomplished scholars and are designed to enhance biblical interpretation and make bible study more accessible to pastors, educators, students and others. Drawing from the most recent scholarly studies in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Dr. Horne’s commentaries incorporate a reading of the books with a view toward connectivity and theological reflection. The commentaries include references to contemporary literature and authors as touchstones for applied reflection.

Dr. Nelda Godfrey, associate professor of nursing and chair at William Jewell College, has received the 2003 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award recipients are selected by their institutions for their effective teaching and advising, innovation in course design and delivery, service to the school community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.

“We appreciate Nelda’s devotion and commitment to her students,” says David L. Sallee, president of William Jewell College. “That commitment can be seen in the quality education and individual attention that Jewell nursing students receive, as reflected in our students’ 100% pass rate on state licensing exams.”

Godfrey was recognized by Missouri Governor Bob Holden during a recent luncheon in Springfield, Mo. Godfrey joined the Jewell faculty in 1984. She received her B.S.N. from the University of Missouri-Columbia; her M.N. from the University of Kansas; and her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Godfrey has also jointly published an article in the Journal of Clinical Ethics: Godfrey, N. S. & Smith, K. V. (2003). Moral distress and the nurse practitioner. Journal of Clinical Ethics, 13, (4). 330-336.

Dr. Cecelia Robinson, professor of English at William Jewell, has received the “Look North” award from the Clay County Economic Development Council.

Dr. Robinson, who joined the William Jewell faculty in 1979, received her B.A. from Prairie View A&M University; her M.Ed. and Ed. Specialist from the University of Missouri-Columbia; and her Ed.D. from the University of Kansas. She has completed additional study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Oxford and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her teaching career includes service as the first African- American educator at Oak Park High School in Kansas City North before beginning her 25-year career at William Jewell. Her dedication to local, regional and national efforts drew praise from the awards committee.

In Clay County, she has been lauded for her efforts to build the Freedom Fountain Monument, the White Oak Chapel Church restoration and the African-American Legacy mural. She is the founder of “Pens Across the Metroplex,” a pen-pal project that links urban and suburban third-grade students to improve human relations across the metropolitan Kansas City area. More than 25,000 students and 300 teachers have participated in this project over the past 10 years.

Professor Walt Rychlewski has received a $15,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation for a new program aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship education. Rychlewski is one of 11 area educators selected by the Foundation for the Kauffman Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars Program. The grant money is to be used to develop courses that emphasize entrepreneurship and to offset project expenses for travel and material purchases.

Dr. Nelda Godfrey (center) receives the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Missouri Governor Bob Holden (right) and Susanne Medley,Director of Communications for the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Rob Thomson Dr. Blane Baker

Dr. Arnold Epley Chris Cissell

Dr. Jim Tanner, Distinguished Service Professor of Literature and Dean of the College and Provost Emeritus at William Jewell, has been elected to the Missouri Humanities Council Board of Directors.

“We are very pleased to have someone with Jim’s experience, knowledge of the community and expertise join our board,” said Missouri Humanities Council Executive Director Michael Bouman.

Dr. Tanner earned a B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University and his. M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, where he was honored as a Southern Fellowships Fellow and a Danforth Faculty Fellow. He has taught at the college level since 1955. He served for six years on the Shawnee, Oklahoma, School Board and on the Education Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. For the past three years he has served on the Liberty Parks and Recreation Board. The Missouri Humanities Council is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and has conducted programs on history, literature and cultural heritage in Missouri for more than 30 years.

Dr. Blane Baker, Associate Professor of Physics, has had two recent articles accepted for publication. The first is a contribution to a book of scientific demonstrations published by the Journal of College Science Teaching. The second one describes several classroom activities and will appear in Physics Education. Dr. Tony Brandolino, Associate Professor of Music, performed recently in the violin section of the Kansas City Symphony in the Liberty Performing Arts Theater. The performance included Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Mozart’s Prague Symphony.

Dr. Mark Walters, Professor of English, has published an article which appears in the fall 2003 (vol. 4, issue 4) issue of Brain, Child: the Magazine for Thinking Mothers. It is entitled “Touch: Flesh and Blood and Parenthood.” The Partee Center hosted a symposium on the late Jewell professor David Nelson Duke’s book In the Trenches with Jesus and Marx: Harry F. Ward and the Struggle for Social Justice (University of Alabama Press, 2003). Three scholars led a discussion of Duke’s work: Dr. Molly Marshall of Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Phil Mullins of Missouri Western State College, and Dr. Andy Pratt, Dean of the Chapel at William Jewell College. There was a reception afterward in the YCU Lounge.

Dr. Arnold Epley was recently invited to speak to the medical staff of Western Missouri Mental Health Facility. He included William Jewell alums Mark Ball and Jay Carter in his presentation on “Maintaining a Balanced Life as a Mental Health Professional.”

The Kansas City Symphony Chorus conductor and artistic director, Dr. Arnold Epley, joined the Kansas City Symphony under the baton of Anne Manson for three performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (“The Choral Symphony”) in the orchestra’s season-opening concerts this fall. The 120-voice chorus is the choral voice of the Kansas City Symphony, where currently 28 of its singers are William Jewell College alumni.

Dr. Judy Dilts was a keynote speaker at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Association of College and University Biology Educators held at Truman State University, October 9-11, 2003. Dr. Dilts’s topic was “The Challenges Ahead in Educating 21st Century Biologists.” A recent Kansas City Star Sunday arts section contained a major article on Nathan Granner, a superb young tenor who a year ago was chosen as one of the three American Tenors. Granner starred in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s presentation of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love. Part of the article stated, “Granner agreed his study with vocal teacher Rebecca Folsom of William Jewell College...has been a critical point for him the last two years. Folsom has brought out vocal qualities that could broaden the range of operatic roles that Granner can play, the tenor said. The Lyric’s artistic director, Ward Holmquist, agreed. “I think he is acquiring a much more highly developed and sophisticated vocal technique,” Holmquist said. “He’s singing more brightly and the sound is developing, for my ears anyway, a more pleasant, consistent focus.’” Rob Thomson has been selected as the new head men’s and women’s tennis coach at William Jewell College.

Thomson, who received his B.A. from Baker University and his M.S. from the University of Kansas, has a strong tennis background that includes a successful playing career at Pembroke Hill and Baker University. At Baker, Thomson was an NAIA National Tennis Qualifier in 1994 and 1996. Since graduation he has worked for a sports radio station (980-KMBZ), as Public Relations Director for the Kansas City Wizards, and most recently with the Professional Fitness Institute, a subsidiary of PlattForm Advertising.

Chris Cissell was named HAAC Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s soccer.

William Jewell’s men’s and women’s soccer teams enjoyed tremendous success in the 2003 season. The women tied for third at the Final Four national tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif., in November. The women were the only undefeated team in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with an 18-0 record, and the men scored an impressive 16-2 season record.

Larry Holley, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at William Jewell College, is now the winningest coach in history at Missouri four-year colleges (NCAA and NAIA). Jewell’s 76-36 win over Westminster on December 19 in the Hampton Inn Classic at William Jewell gave Holley 635 career victories (all at Missouri four-year colleges: Central Methodist College, Northwest Missouri State University and William Jewell College). That total surpassed the total established by Norm Stewart, former coach at the University of Missouri, who had 634 career victories as head coach of the Tigers.

Holley now ranks #5 among coaches who have coached at least a portion of their careers at a Missouri four-year college or university.

Lindsay Turner, student employment and financial aid coordinator at Jewell, received the Bob Berger Newcomer Award from the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel for 2003. The award includes a plaque and a free MASFAP Conference fee for spring 2004.

Dr. Chad J. Jolly, Dean of Enrollment Development at William Jewell, has been named to the position of Vice President for Advancement. In his new role, Jolly will oversee the work of the Advancement office, including alumni relations and fund raising. Jolly received his B.A. in 1994 from William Jewell; his M.A. in 1997 from St. Louis University; and his Ph.D. in 2001 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. As Dean of Enrollment Development, Jolly was instrumental in the college reaching its ambitious enrollment goal two years ahead of schedule, coordinating the enrollment of the fourth-largest class in William Jewell history in the fall of 2003. Jolly began his career at Jewell as an admission counselor in 1994. He was Associate Dean of Admission in the college’s St. Louis regional office from 1995 to 1997 before being promoted to Assistant Dean of Students in 1997. He assumed his responsibilities as Dean of Enrollment Development in 1999.

John Olsen has been hired as the new dean for enrollment at William Jewell. He will assume his duties on April 1. Olsen has served since 1996 as Vice President for Admission and Student Enrollment Services at Central College in Pella, Iowa. He has worked in various enrollment and admission positions over more than 20 years at St. Olaf College, the University of Dubuque, Wartburg College, Drake University and Central. During his tenure at Central, enrollment increased 30%. Olsen is a graduate of St. Olaf College and has attended the Summer Admission Institute at Harvard University.