Class Notes | Spring/Summer 2018

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1960s

Laurie Lindberg, ’69 MA ’79 PhD ’84, Muncie, retired after completing 21 years of service at Ball State, most recently asa faculty member in the Honors College. A recipient of the Vander Hill Award for Distinguished Teaching in Honors Education, she directed numerous senior Honors College theses and creative projects, directed the University’s London Centre in 2011, and served on the Kentucky Humanities Council’s Board of Directors.

1970s

Stephen Powell, ’71 MA ’75, Greenwood, Indiana, retired from AT&T Indiana after 41 years of service. He is a Beneficence Society member.

Peter Joffre Nye, ’72, Kirksville, Missouri, won the International Regional Magazine Association’s Historic Nonfiction Feature award for “Airplane Wars: Finger Lakes Aviation Pioneer Glenn Curtiss Battled the Wright Brothers for Supremacy of the Skies,” published in Mountain Home Magazine. He also authored the biography, “The Fast Times of Albert Champion: From Record-Setting Racer to Dashing Tycoon, An Untold Story of Speed, Success, and Betrayal.”

George Batsche, MA ’73 EdD ’78, Tampa, Florida, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of School Psychologists during its 2018 Annual Convention in Chicago. He is professor and co-director of the Institute for School Reform at the University of South Florida and co-directs the Florida Statewide Problem-Solving/Response to Intervention Project for the Florida Department of Education.

Gary Scharnhorst, MA ’73, Albuquerque, New Mexico published “The Life of Mark Twain: The Early Years, 1835-1871.” It begins the first multi-volume biography of the writer in over a century. The veteran Twain scholar is a distinguished professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico and has authored or edited 50 books.

Ricke Stucker, MAE ’74, Kokomo, Indiana, was recently inducted into the Indiana Association of Track and Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame. He has been head boys cross country coach for more than four decades at Kokomo High School, where he also coaches girls cross country and track.

Katherine Briccetti, ’75, San Francisco, retired after 32 years as a school psychologist. She is the author of “Blood Strangers: A Memoir” and recently launched a photography business.

Sally (Merrick) Aiken, ’79, Greenwood, Indiana, retired after 42 years as a music educator.

Jeff Childs, ’79, Barrington, Illinois, gave the Miller College of Business’ Executive in Residence lecture in April. He is chief human resource officer for Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the U.S., operating 1,074 retail stores. Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, he was executive vice president and chief human resource officer at U.S. Cellular.

Stephen W. Hines, ’79, Nashville, Tennessee, published “A Prairie Girl’s Faith: The Spiritual Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder,” focusing on Wilder’s Christian upbringing and its influence on her works He has published 10 popular books about Wilder and 20 books overall.

1980s

Michael LaFerney, MA ’80, Haverhill, Massachusetts, is the author of “Point of Care: What Motivates You as a Nurse?” The article appeared in Reflections on Nursing Leadership magazine, published by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. He is a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist at Arbor SeniorCare.

Jeffrey Slinker, ’81, Greenfield, Indiana, recently started traveling around to Indiana schools speaking about beating cancer and the hazards of smoking. He works as a substitute teacher and graduation coach at Greenfield-Central High School.

Jeff Campbell, ’82 MA ’83, Indianapolis has retired from a 28-year career as a medical social worker for Wishard and Eskenazi hospitals. In 2016, he married Sarah Troxel in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Dennis E. Hensley, PhD ’82, Fort Wayne, Indiana, recently contributed to “Christian Publishing 101: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing Well and Publishing Successfully.” Other contributors include the author of the “Left Behind” series. The professor of communication at Taylor University has authored many books, including “Finding Success with Your Dream Writing Projects.”

Richard (Rick) Martinez, ’84, Jenison, Michigan, was named communications officer for the nonprofit TrueNorth Community Services, overseeing communications, advertising, marketing, and digital media for the organization.

Brian Kidd, ’85, Chicago, is a 30-plus-year veteran and partner at Chicago-based architectural firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners. Among the firm’s most tenured professionals, his specialized experience in residential and mixed-use high-rise centers includes his work as design architect for the technically innovative residential tower 465 North Park. Located between Chicago’s Navy Pier and the iconic Tribune Tower, it is expected to reach completion this summer.

Juli Metzger, ’85 MS ’88, Muncie, was elected to the Indiana Youth Institute’s board of director and fills a seat designated for the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County. A Muncie native and longtime journalist who teaches journalism at Ball State, she also serves on the board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie and is board vice president for Project Leadership.

Dodd Kattman, ’86, Roanoke, Indiana, of MKM architecture + design is involved in a renovation project for Fort Wayne Pediatrics, creating a welcoming environment for families and making check-in and checkout, as simple and direct as possible.

The board of directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, Indiana, named Brad Little, ’86, as its president and chief executive officer. His career experience includes private foundations, community foundations, and corporate environments.

1990s

Chris Gregory, ’93, Jacksonville, Florida, was featured in the article, “Top 33 Tips from the Pros on Inbound Marketing Strategy” on FitSmallBusiness.com. He is a founder and managing partner at Dagmar Marketing.

Karen (Beer) Kruger, ’95 MA ’97, Kingwood, Texas, received the High School Counselor of the Year award from the Texas School Counselor Association. She is a high school counselor at Kingwood High School.

In March, Annette Craycraft, ’96, Muncie, was part of Ball State’s Women’s Week Panel Discussion: A Conversation with Indiana Women of Achievement. The former director of the Indiana Commission for Women created the Torchbearer Awards to recognize women of Indiana who have stepped forward as leaders by breaking down barriers and overcoming obstacles. She is executive director of East Central Indiana CASA Inc., a nonprofit agency serving children who are abused or neglected.

Kara Monroe, ’96, Indianapolis, became provost/senior vice president for Ivy Tech Community College in July. She has held various positions at Ivy Tech since 1998, most recently as vice president for academic innovation and support. She is also statewide chair for Circle of Ivy Women’s Philanthropy Circle and chair for the Richmond Circle. The women’s group creates resources and raises funds for Ivy Tech students.

Wendy Robinson, EdD ’96, Fort Wayne, Indiana, was runner-up for the 2018 National Superintendent of the year award announced by the AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Robinson has served Fort Wayne Community Schools for over 40 years, beginning as a teacher, and has been superintendent since 2013.

Andrew Wall, MA ’96, Loma Linda, California, is the Robert A. & Mildred Peronia Naslund Endowed Dean’s Chair and professor of the School of Education at the University of Redlands in Redland, California. He was honored in January with the 2017 Teachers College Outstanding Alumni Award at a reception held in Botsford/Swinford, where he worked as a student in the Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education master’s program. Co-author of two books, his research interests include examining K-12 school finance, teacher preparation, student health and learning.

Ehren Bingaman, ’99, Kennesaw, Georgia, was named Ball State Department of Urban Planning’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. In February, he delivered a lecture about the work city planners do to improve communities. He is director of the Transportation Planning Department for HNTB Corporation in Atlanta with experience in community and economic development, strategic and master planning, policy development, and executive leadership.

Adam Holderman, ’99, is now advisor-diabetes medical affairs launch COO at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis. He has 18 years of experience with Lilly, including assignments in global medical affairs, Six Sigma, clinical project management, sales and marketing, and medical IT. Much of that time has been spent on diabetes teams.

Jared Sizemore, ’99, Sarasota, Florida, published his first novel, “The Chrysolite Mission: The Lights of Zoain Book One.” He describes it as a science fiction and fantasy adventure with echoes of J.R.R. Tolkien mixed with “Star Wars.”

2000s

Jennifer Courtney, ’00 MS ’01, Chicago, just completed her 20th marathon, this one in Paris, France. Since her first marathon in 2009, running has taken her all over the world. She is vice president of Burwood Group, an IT consulting and integration firm.

Irene Martz, AS ’02, Springport, Indiana, launched Carouselbags.com, a subscription service that gives customers access to handbags from the world’s top independent designers.

Shanna Wiechel, ’02, St. Louis, was promoted to managing principal, operations, for Christner Inc., overseeing recruitment and talent development, creating a collaborative work environment, and ensuring exceptional client service. The collaborative design firm serves healthcare, science and technology, education, and corporate markets.

Indianapolis-based commercial real estate company Ambrose Property Group named Mali Simone Jeffers, ’04, as director of marketing and community initiatives for the redevelopment of the former GM stamping plant site. She will use her experience as former director of engagement and operations for Midtown Indy to oversee community relations and marketing efforts for the 103-acre site with hopes to reimagine downtown’s western edge.

Kathryn (Stevens) Jessup, MAE ’05 EdS ’13 EdD ’17, completed her EdD in educational administration at Ball State University. She is the assistant superintendent for the Brownsburg Community School Corporation in Brownsburg, Indiana.

Mike Reynolds, ’07 MA ’09, Indianapolis, spoke in March on “Distributive Justice and the Embrace of Equality in the Workplace” as part of the philosophy and religious studies department’s career development program. He is a salesforce administrator for RCI Vacation Exchange and active in many community organizations.

Erin Bangel, ’08 MA ’12, is a teacher at MSD of Decatur Township Schools in Indianapolis and does volunteer work for the Preeclampsia Foundation, organizing the annual Indianapolis Promise Walk and 5 K Fun Run in June. Preeclampsia is a life-threatening disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Learn more at promisewalk.org.

At a June charity ball, Roderick “Rodney” Q. Blount, Jr., ’08, was honored by Alla Baba Temple No. 53 in Columbus, Ohio. An educator in Columbus and Bexley City Schools, Rodney is a contributing editor for the Columbus African American News Journal. He has also been featured in several newspapers for his book on the history of African Americans in Greene County, Ohio. In addition, he serves as the Midwestern regional secretary of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. At Ball State, Roderick was the second African American Student Senate President.

Warren Watson, MA ’08, of Winthrop-Augusta, Maine, has been a reporter and editor for 44 years. His debut book, “Claire and Charlie: An Unlikely Wartime Love Story,” retells the unlikely meeting of his parents, GI Charlie Watson, a New York wisecrack, and New Hampshire farm girl Claire St. Cyr. Their attraction grew through love letters before they even met back in the closing days of World War II. At Ball State, Watson served as director of J-Ideas for the First Amendment Institute.

2010s

You may have seen Jessie Rabideau, ’10, on TV in a widely aired GE commercial celebrating girls in STEM fields. She played the grown-up Molly, who is shown at various ages making inventions to streamline her chores and schoolwork. The former architecture major headed to Los Angeles for graduate school. After appearing on a whim on “America’s Next Top Model: College Edition,” she began acting and has written and directed her own projects.

Kyle Bushey, ’11, Carmel, Indiana, Miller College of Business graduate, co-founded Lyganex Bio, Inc., a biotech company focused on tissue regeneration, while pursuing his MBA from Ohio State University. He was among the alumni speakers featured this spring in the Entrepreneurial Experience Lecture Series, where students learn directly from and network with those leading their own businesses.

Christopher Dobbs, ’11 MFA ’17, Indianapolis, currently teaches animation at Ball State. His short animated film about a duo of detectives set in an underwater world won Best Animated Film at the Midwest Action Festival in Logansport, Indiana. It has also appeared in several other film festivals across the nation and will be screened at the Indy Film Fest in Indianapolis this summer.

Matthew Heck, ’11, Tampa, Florida, accepted a position at Nexstar Media as a marketing account executive. He manages a list of accounts for WFLA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Tampa. He worked at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis previously.

Zach Hartley, ’13, Nashville, Tennessee, was promoted to an agent at Paradigm Talent Agency, a full-service talent agency based in Beverly Hills that works with Alessia Cara, Steve Miller Band, Johnnyswim, and Walk the Moon. He will continue to operate out of the agency’s Nashville office.

This spring, Kayla Kennedy, ’13, Wheeling, Indiana, performed in the ensemble of Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of “Memphis” at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts on Chicago’s Gold Coast.

Daniel Hutchinson, ’15, Kayla Wiles, ’14, and Justin Kern, ’14, all work for Seattle-based Artful Ashes. The company creates memorial glass art pieces infused with a small portion of loved ones’ ashes. Hutchinson and Wiles give customer support and organize memorial creations, while Kern works with a team of glass artists to create pieces. Hutchinson wrote, “While we are a smaller company, we feel that we get to touch thousands of family’s lives each year,” and have even created memorials for several families in the Muncie area.

Kayzie (Priebe) Weedman, ’15, South Bend, Indiana, was chosen as Mrs. South Bend 2018 and in April won the title of Mrs. Indiana. She works at Press Ganey in South Bend as internal communications manager and is a local director for the Miss America Organization. She and her husband, Andrew, ’16, met at Ball State. He is a sales representative for Stryker Orthopedics.

Emily Ambriz, ’17, Indianapolis, was recently promoted to marketing coordinator within Music for All, a nonprofit educational organization that combines regional and national music education programming and advocacy efforts through its Music for All, Bands of America, Orchestra America and choir programs. Her responsibilities include email and social media campaigns; web, digital, and print design; and marketing projects.