January 2005

Sen. Bond Holds Press Conference at Downtown Campus

Denver Campus Moves to New Location

Webster Book Club Turns Its First Page

Kampus Kudos

St. Louis Calendar Highlight

Employees of the Month

Service Anniversaries

New Employees

Sen. Bond Holds Press Conference at Downtown Campus

On Jan. 24, Missouri Sen. Kit Bond held a press conference at Webster University’s Downtown Campus to discuss the tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia and his desire to use the good will created by those efforts to improve relations between the United States and that area of the world. He also announced his agenda to bring about the removal of the sanctions imposed on Indonesia by the United States during the last decade.

Caption: Sen. Kit Bond speaks at press conference as Joe White and Dr. Meyers look on.

Early in his remarks to the press, Bond said he had met with several leaders during his visit, including Indonesian president and Webster alum, Syusilo Banbang Yudhoyono. “When I went to Indonesia, I met with President Yudhoyono,” Bond said. “I told him I brought good wishes from Webster University and an invitation to visit them.” He said Yudhoyono smiled and expressed gratitude for the education he received from Webster. In 1991, Yudhoyono received a Master’s degree in Management from Webster’s Kansas City Campus, when he was in the International Military Education and Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

In addition to the Red Cross, Bond had high praise for the American military, especially the sailors from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, who gave up their shore leave to fly in medical supplies and personnel, clean water and food to the victims. He said the relief workers who toiled day and night in hot, dirty, oppressive conditions to help the people who needed it were proud to be part of the effort.

Noting that relief efforts are now winding down, Bond emphasized the long-term need for continued American assistance in Southeast Asia. “We need to stay and conduct educational exchanges and invest in constructive relationships that will enable us to be a good neighbor and friend to Indonesia,” he said.

Bond said he is particularly concerned about the U.S. restrictions placed on Indonesia because of abuses that occurred in the last decade, during the authoritarian rule of President Suharto. “I am going to lead the effort—I hope, and expect, with the full backing of the administration—to eliminate those restrictions and let us work together with the Indonesian military, as we used to when Yudhoyono was in the United States and received his degree from Webster University.”

The United States needs to be working with the government and people of Indonesia, as well as the other countries in the region, Bond said, to show that America is a friend. “These are the challenges and these are the opportunities facing America,” he said. “I have lots of work to do, but I hope that all of the good work that Webster University is doing will continue.”

Denver Campus Moves to New Location

The Denver Metropolitan Campus recently moved to new classroom and office space located in the Denver Tech Center, a corporate park in suburban Greenwood Village. “We are now in one of Denver’s premier business communities and surrounded by working professionals,” says Barbara Banks, senior director of the campus. “The possibilities for new students seem endless.” Banks is particularly happy about the large, lighted Webster University building sign at the new location, which can be seen from the interstate highway.

Denver graduate student, Ryan Lantz, makes a presentation in new campus building.

Currently, Denver has 150 students and Banks looks forward to increasing that number in the near future. She is justifiably proud of the master’s degree in Space Systems Operations Management that the campus offers. “This is a unique program in a state in which the space industry continues to grow,” she says. “The MBA is also quite popular and our Masters of Art in Human Resources Management and in Human Resources Development also do well.”

Believing everyone will be as impressed as she is with the new campus location, Banks extends the following invitation: “We welcome visitors, so plan to stop and visit if you come to Denver!”

Webster Book Club Turns Its First Page

BY DOMINIK JANSKY, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The club’s first gathering will be Feb. 15, when members will discuss The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, as well as determine how the club will operate. “We want to structure it so that everyone gets what they want out of the club,” said Nancy Higgins, special events coordinator and chair of WSA.

Higgins helped initiate the club at the suggestion of Dorothy Nootbaar, representative, International Recruitment & Services. Almost 40 people had signed up before students returned from winter break. Judging by initial sign-ups, Higgins says the club will have a good mix of staff, professors and administrators—and hopefully students, too.

Set against a backdrop of Afghanistan’s devastating history over the last 30 years, The Kite Runner delves into an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant. Published in 2003, it is said to be the first Afghan novel written in English.

Colette Cummings, associate dean of students, Multicultural Center, agreed to lead the club’s discussion of The Kite Runner. The book was selected through a vote in December among the initial participants in the club. Holly Hubenschmidt, reference librarian, Emerson Library, recommended a list of four books for the club to choose from for its first meeting.

For its second meeting, in April, the club will read Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange, as part of “Read MOre,” a statewide initiative of local libraries to involve Missouri citizens in reading and discussing the same book. Set in 1957 in St. Louis, Betsey Brown tells the story of a 13-year-old African-American girl as she struggles to understand her place in the world. In a move Higgins hopes to repeat for other books, the club will “engage the Multicultural Center, the School of Education and other University resources to present a program specifically for Betsey Brown and this meeting.”

Anyone interested in joining the club should e-mail Higgins at higgins@webster.edu to learn of book selections and dates for upcoming meetings.

Editor’s Note: Each issue of Inside Webster includes 10 Kampus Kudos listings, which appear in the publication in the order they are received by the Office of University Communications. If your information is not in this issue, it will appear in a future issue.

Tom Lang, chair, Art Department, taught a workshop for art educators entitled “Tom Lang: Marks on Paper” at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild.

Alma Kissel, department assistant, Downtown Campus, was recently appointed as a biographical candidate to represent St. Louis in the Manchester Publishing Company’s “Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women.” Kissel was also included in the 2005/06 “Honors Edition” of the registry.

Brad Wootten, adjunct faculty, Bolling Air Force Base, presented “Keys to Success in Performance Based Acquisitions” and served as a member of a discussion forum about performance based acquisition at the Professional Services Expo in Washington, D.C.

Ted Hoef, associate vice president and dean of students, Student Affairs, had his dissertation, “Within-Year Persistence of Four-Year College Students by Gender,” selected as the runner-up in the Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award competition through the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Hoef will be presented with a plaque and a cash award at the national conference in Tampa, Fla.

John Wiley, Theatre and Dance, received the 2004 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Performance Excellence in Education from Gov. Bob Holden at a luncheon ceremony in Columbia, Mo. on Dec. 1, 2004.

Joe Morrison, adjunct, Memphis Naval Support Activity, wrote “Hackers: A Planned Assault,” which appeared in the May 2004 issue of the Tennessee Certified Public Accountants Journal.

Mike Morberly, adjunct, Memphis Naval Support Activity, was featured in “Counter Espionage: Knowledge Protection Strategies Can Keep a Secret Safe,” which appeared in the Jan. 9, 2004 edition of the Memphis Business Journal.

Dennis Klass, professor, Religious Studies, co-authored, “Dead But Not Lost” (Altamira Press) with former faculty member Robert Goss. The book covers subjects such as Japanese ancestor rituals, Buddhist grief narratives, the place of teachers and founders in grief resolution and the politics of grief.

Keep us posted on your professional activities and send us your story ideas by completing the UFO form.

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St. Louis Calendar Highlights

Annual Photography Faculty Exhibition

Black and white version of color photo by Dan Dreyfus

Jan. 21 – Feb. 18
Faculty exhibitors include: Robin Assner, Tom Barkman, Bill Barrett, Dan Dreyfus, Joseph John Lowry, Dominique Macaire, Kevin Martini-Fuller, Jack Rinehart, Susan Hacker Stang, Michael Swoboda, T. Ann Tolin and Curt von Diest. The exhibit is in the May Gallery on the second floor, west wing, of the Sverdrup Building. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, call the Fine Arts Hotline, (314) 968-7128, or go to http://www.webster.edu/maygallery.

Russ Carnahan Lecture

Mon., Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.
Sunnen Lounge

U.S. Congressman Carnahan delivers a “State of the District Address” highlighting the issues currently facing Missouri’s Third Congressional District and his goals for the 109th Congress. A Q&A session will follow the lecture.

For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Fine Arts Hotline, 968-7128, or check the St. Louis Events Calendar located on the University’s Web site.

Employees of the Month

January 2005 Spotlight Award

FROM ROBYN GAETA, STUDENT EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Malcolm Murphy, project coordinator, Facilities Operations, received the Employee Spotlight Award for January.

Malcolm says that he was “very pleasantly surprised” when he found out that he was being honored with this month’s award. “I’m just grateful. Any time you win an award like this, it’s a culmination of a lot of people’s effort, and I appreciate that,” he says.

Malcolm, who has worked at Webster for three years, says his favorite things about Webster are the people, the campus and the work environment.

Malcolm’s nominator cites his efforts in coordinating the construction of Marletto’s Marketplace as one of the reasons he deserves this award. “Many people contributed to the project, but Malcolm was there, on-site, everyday to take care of the problems, and he did an awesome job of making sure the project got done on time, which was no small feat,” his nominator says.

Malcolm’s nominator also pointed out how closely Malcolm worked with all of the contractors and sub-contractors to ensure high-quality results. “He displayed a strong commitment to students by ensuring the construction was done in a way that would be of most benefit to our students,” his nominator adds.

Malcolm chose a day off with pay as his prize.

Employees everywhere are eligible for the monthly Employee Spotlight Award. Using the nomination form is easy!

Service Anniversaries

The University extends its appreciation to the following individuals who have ably served the institution for many years:

January 2005

Andrea Rothbart, professor, School of Education, 35 years

Sandra Ramey, senior director, Crystal Lake Metropolitan Campus, 30 years

Chris Risker, associate professor and director of the Doctor of Management Program, Management, 20 years

Britt-Marie Schiller, associate professor, Philosophy, 15 years

Eileen Spence, service clerk, Financial Aid, 15 years

Sandy Tomey, administrative associate, Student Affairs, 15 years

Thomas Webb, director, Tinker AFB, 15 years

Sara Fitzpatrick, interlibrary loan coordinator, Emerson Library, 10 years

Lori Hudson, director, Orlando Metropolitan Campus, 10 years

Dan Jacobs, applications specialist, Networking and Technical Support, 10 years

Wil Miles, professor, Business, 10 years

Elaine Bonner, representative, Lakeland, Fla. Academic Center, five years

Donna Franquemont, desktop publishing representative/production artist, Marketing, five years

Carole Haas, office manager, Ocala Fla. Academic Center, five years

Angela Hampel, department associate, WingHaven Campus, five years

Irina Khaliper, representative, Kansas City Metropolitan Campus, five years

Linda Strickland, general clerk, Fort Sam Houston, five years

New Employees

A warm welcome to the newest members of the Webster family:

Kerry Coleman-Proksch, coordinator, Fort Belvoir, Washington, D.C., 202-561-4382 or speed dial #6 127

Elaine Dubis, nurse, Health Services, ext. 7695, replaces Edna Dieterle.

Thomas Finan, interim director, Center of International Education, ext. 7711 or 7432, replaces Joe Stimpfl.

Lisa Garcia, representative, San Diego Metropolitan Campus, 858-458-9310 or speed dial #6 072, replaces Frances Wilson.

Mirinda Guerroro, secretary, Kirtland AFB, N.M., 505-255-3645 or speed dial #6 061, replaces Marcy Britton.

Christina Hartl, representative, Beaufort Naval Hospital, S.C., 843-524-1851 or speed dial #6 039, replaces Claudia Garnes.

Gloria Jenkins, department associate, Columbia S.C. Metropolitan Campus, 803-699-0900 or speed dial #6 083, replaces Sabrina Griffin.

Tracy Scott, general clerk, Andrews AFB, Md., 301-420-2256 or speed dial #6 123

Jean Yowell, acquisitions clerk, Emerson Library, ext. 7808, replaces Karen Murphy.

Donna Ulmer, associate professor, School of Business & Technology, ext. 7794, replaces Dan Viele.

Julie Portman, Reference Assistant, Emerson Library, ext. 6950, replaces Kirsten Young.

Jennifer Violett, department associate, University Center, ext. 7106, replaces Shana Wilson.

To learn more about job opportunities at Webster, go to the Human Resources Jobs site.