2001
Katie Juhl was a production assistant/researcher on the Willa Cather documentary NETV is preparing for PBS’s American Experience series and worked at KLKN-TV in Lincoln. She planned to start graduate school in June.
Lisa McAvoy, Lincoln, is a marketing assistant for Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation in Lincoln. She interned for Bailey Lauerman and worked in the Daily Nebraskan advertising department when she was a student.
Russell Willbanks, Lexington, Va., is director of communications for Sigma Nu Fraternity. Part of the job is serving as managing editor and art director for “The Delta,” Sigma Nu’s magazine distributed internationally to 120,000 living alumni. He is also manager of the fraternity’s PR and marketing campaigns.
Kim Wilson, Omaha, is public relations coordinator for The Maids International Inc.
2000
Tonya Howell, Grand Island, is a Web developer for the Grand Island Independent. She started at the paper in Internet sales and marketing and took on her current position in March 2001.
Darren Ivy, a reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, is author of a book, “Untold Stories: Black Sports Heroes Before Integration.” About 20 of the 80 profiles in the book, published in May, had appeared in the newspaper, beginning in November 2001. Ivy was named the Top New Journalist by the Arkansas Chapter of SPJ. A story he wrote about Little Rock Central High and the state basketball tournament was one of the top 10 stories in the investigative reporting category of the Associated Press Sports Editors competition; the category includes papers of all size circulations. The same story received a regional award, and Ivy also received the KATIE Award and state awards for several sports stories he has written.
Trisha Meuret, Omaha, is a reporter for KETV in Omaha.
Andrew Olsen, Evanston, Ill., is a graduate student at Northwestern University, pursuing a master of science degree in integrated marketing communications.
Jennifer Vogt-Rathman, Lincoln, is an advertising specialist for Streck Laboratories Inc. in La Vista, Neb. She married Kurt Rathman in October 2001.
Eric Rineer began work as a copy editor at the Press Journal in Vero Beach, Fla., in March. The paper has a circulation of about 40,000. He previously worked at the Steamboat Pilot & Today in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Christopher J. Roberts, Lincoln, will graduate from the University of Nebraska College of Law in spring 2003.
Lona Smith, Denver, is research coordinator for Rocket Pictures, Littleton, Colo.
Amy Schultz Infante-Still is regional sales manager for sports/tour and travel for Sunstone Hotel Properties, Rochester, Minn. The company is based in California and owns about 80 hotels on the West Coast and in the Midwest.
Amanda Taylor, Lakewood, Colo., is a communications specialist with Exempla Healthcare, Denver.
1999
Jennifer Bohuslavsky, Minneapolis, is a company spokeswoman for Best Buy’s corporate headquarters. She is a media consultant for the firm’s more than 200 locations on the East Coast and also works on the “grand opening” team, planning more than 60 store openings a year. She has had the opportunity to work on publicity for a Sting concert in Central Park and arrange interviews for execs with the Times.
Jessica Fargen, Somerville, Mass., is a reporter at The Patriot Ledger, in Quincy, Mass.
Nathan Mercer, Phoenix, is a marketing coordinator with Hunt Construction Group, Phoenix.
Clint! Runge, Lincoln, and his partner Charlie Hall received the 2002 Walter Scott Entrepreneurial Business Award for their business, Archrival Inc., in April. The award was presented at a luncheon in Omaha.
Heidi White, Little Rock, Ark., is the assistant international editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock. She worked at the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle in Cheyenne, Wyo., as a copy editor/page designer before joining the Little Rock paper.
1998
Angela Heywood Bible, Durham, N.C., is a crime reporter for The Raleigh News and Observer in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Kara Timmons Harrington, Charlotte, N.C., is an account executive with Design Associates, a full-service marketing and communications agency in Charlotte.
1997
Todd Baer has left Texas for Minneapolis where he is a reporter for Channel 12 News, a 24-hour cable news station.
Joni Brummer, Lincoln, is marketing manager at Snitily Carr, Lincoln.
Mike Lickert and Dave Pedersen (1999) are responsible for the game-day video production on the MegaVision big screen at the University of Kansas’ Memorial Stadium. Lickert is the video production coordinator for Rock Chalk Video, and Pedersen is assistant coordinator. Rock Chalk Video received the top award in the university category at the Information Display and Entertainment Association Conference (IDEA) in San Francisco, Calif.
Julie Sobczyk Mitchell, Dallas, has been a copy editor at The Dallas Morning News since March 2000, working on the universal desk since November 2000. She married Scott Mitchell in October 2001. She was previously a copy editor at the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times and The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock.
1996
Angela Gay Beekman, Lincoln, is an account coordinator/graphic designer at Nebraska Printing Center, Lincoln. She and her husband, Dustin, have a son, Devyn, born in March 2001.
Melissa Dunne, Lincoln, is a publications/graphic designer for the UNL Arts and Sciences Publications Office.
Deana Sewell Swenson, Alta, Iowa, is an academic specialist for the School of Communication and Arts at Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, Iowa.
Jeff Zeleny, Washington, D.C., is a national political correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
1995
Kristin Armstrong, Denver, is an editor/designer at The Denver Post.
Wendy Thomas Russell, Long Beach, Calif., was named 2001 Journalist of the Year for newspapers with circulations over 100,000 by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Los Angeles Chapter. She has been a reporter at the Press-Telegram in Long Beach for three-and-a-half years. She covers the courts and special projects. In 2000, she wrote a series evaluating California’s three strikes law, and in 2001 she was lead writer on two more series: one on homeless children, the other on Long Beach’s large population of Cambodian refugees.The award is given to four people each year; other categories are radio, TV and newspapers under 100,000. She is married to Charlie Russell, a UNL theater graduate.
Kimberly Spurlock, North Las Vegas, Nev., is a recruiter for TMP Worldwide. She earned a master’s degree in organizational management in June 2000.
1994
Lawrence Gibbs, Denver, is employed by KUSA-TV in Denver.
Kevin Hynes, Lincoln, was named the 2001 Air National Guard print journalist of the year in January. He earned first place finishes in Army Guard feature articles, Air Guard news articles and Air Guard photojournalism; second in Army Guard news articles, Army guard sports articles and Air Guard sports articles; third in Army guard commentaries. Hynes was named Army National Guard journalist of the year four times in the early 1990s. He is the editor of Prairie Soldier.
Juliet Oseka Jacobs, Omaha, is senior technical editor for CSG Systems Inc. She was a copy editor at the Omaha World-Herald until joining CSG in 1998. She and her husband, Mike, have a son, Alex, born in January.
Lori Sorensen Pruitt, Okoboji, Iowa, is owner of Okoboji Bath and Body.
Larry L. Sparks, Omaha, is news editor at the Omaha World-Herald. He helped oversee formation of a universal copy desk at the World-Herald in 2001.
1993
Lynette Erickson Apley, Kirkland, Wash., is a senior producer for Microsoft Studios in Redmond, Wash. She received a Telly Award in 2002.
Katy Dooly Briggs, Omaha, is an account director for Bozell and Jacobs advertising firm.
Stephen Davis is a news photographer for KTRK-TV in Houston. He worked for WOWT-TV in Omaha after graduation and then for KTBC-TV in Austin, Texas, before joining the Houston station in 2001.
Jamie Green, Kansas City, Mo., is assistant executive director for the Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City.
Cherie Lytle, Omaha, is a news producer at WOWT-TV.
Brad Simmons, Omaha, is taking graduate courses in technical writing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Nancy Swetland, Lincoln, is assistant manager at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Lincoln.
Natalie Tysdal, Tyler, Texas, is a reporter at KTVT-TV in Tyler.
1992
Randall Hawthorne, Lincoln, is director of marketing for Digital IMS in Lincoln.
1991
Ann Morrison Eads, Omaha, is a senior media buyer for Envoy Inc., an advertising, marketing, public relations firm. She previously worked for a variety of advertising agencies in Omaha and Lincoln. She and her husband, Tom, have a 2-year-old daughter.
Teresa Lauver, Papillion, is director of marketing for DTN in Omaha.
Bridget A. Sims, Cedar Hill, Texas, is a news producer for WFAA-TV in Dallas.
David VanDerslice, Columbus, is head window clerk for the U.S. Post Office in Columbus.
1990
Sarah Knight, New York, is a director, writer and producer for Jo Films. She will direct her first feature, “Wallflowering,” based on her adaptation of the popular Australian stage play, next year in Melbourne. She has directed several short films and plays. On a freelance basis, she has also produced several shows for Black Entertainment Television. Prior to creating her own work, she worked in studio film production in Los Angeles and New York.
1989
Todd Christenson, New York City, has been publisher of Electronic Products magazine for two years. He joined the magazine eight years ago as regional sales manager, then became national sales manager before being named publisher. He and his wife have a daughter, Lauren Faith, born Nov. 26, 2001.
1988
Elizabeth Chapman, Redmond, Wash., calls herself the “J School poster child for alternative careers.” After graduating with an advertising major, she did technical writing for a scientific instrumentation company. Since then, she has worked in graphic design, all kinds of freelance writing, vertical market and technical computer training and database consulting. Since joining Microsoft she has had three different roles: writing “Help,” working as a software test engineer in a visual studio and now working as a program manger in MSN, supporting the User Profile Store.
Michael Losee, Lincoln, is marketing manager for Snitily Carr in Lincoln.
Greg Love, Kansas City, Mo., is a senior communication consultant for J. P. Morgan/American Century. He has won numerous financial industry communication awards, including two Bronze Quills and a PSCA national Signature Award.
Jann Nyffeler, Rochester, N.Y., is features copy desk chief at the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester.
1986
Tim Ganser, Los Angeles, is manager for talent and casting at Warner Brothers Television and an adjunct professor at California State University-Northridge.
1985
Lisa Nutting, Houston, is senior associate, public and international affairs, for Apache Corporation in Houston.
1983
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati, has been a visiting instructor of journalism at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for the past six years. She previously worked at newspapers in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Washington, D.C. She teaches full-time and also writes a bi-weekly column called “Married with Children” for the Cincinnati Enquirer, where she was a business reporter and editor from 1986 to 1994. She has three children, Frances, A.J. and Beatrice.
1982
Barbara J. Richardson, Washington, D.C., is executive vice president for marketing, sales and brand management for Amtrak in Washington. She was married April 13.
1978
Steven Thiesfeld, Omaha, is owner of The Great Plains Motion Picture Company Inc. He and two partners have owned the company since 1990. They create image commercial broadcast advertising for a range of clients across the nation. The firm has won awards that include local, regional and national Addys, Tellys and Auroras.
1977
Richard Worick, Omaha, is president and owner of Midwest Survey and Research in Omaha.
1974
Rebecca Ross Albers, Chantilly, Va., is assistant managing editor of Presstime, the magazine of the Newspaper Association of America. She writes occasional feature stories for Presstime, supervises two freelance writers who cover advertising and circulation issues and also edits other staff members’ stories.
She joined Presstime as a staff writer in 1992 after a 16-year career with Knight Ridder at The Miami Herald and the Boca Raton News. She earned a master of science degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1976.
She is married to Wes Albers, a 1975 Nebraska grad. He is director of Knight Ridder Tribune Graphics in Washington, D.C. He worked at The Miami Herald from 1978 to 1992 and was a copy editor, bureau chief, news editor and news graphics editor during that time. He joined KRT in 1992. The Albers have two sons: Ross, 19, a sophomore at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., and Reed, 16, a sophomore at Chantilly (Va.) High School.
1973
Stephen J. Brennan, Omaha, is president of Peak Performance Consultants, Omaha. He earned a master’s in educational administration in 1978, a master’s in performance enhancement in 1986 and a doctorate in performance and health psychology in December 2001, all from UNL. He was assistant men’s basketball coach at UNL from 1984 to1986 and color analyst for men’s basketball on the Creighton University Radio Network from 1988 to1992. He is executive director of The Recruiters Institute, a national seminar for college coaches on improving recruiting skills.
Roger Moody, Lincoln, received a silver medal from the Omaha Federation of Advertising in February. The medals are given to “those who have made significant contributions to their company, shown high creative ability, helped raise the standards of the [ad] profession and made contributions to their community.” Moody is vice president and general manager of KLKN-TV in Lincoln.
John Roberts, Bellingham, Wash., is hospice medical director for St. Joseph Hospital/Peacehealth in Bellingham. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1985. He is vice chief of staff at St. Joseph Hospital, associate editor of the medical journal BMJ-USA and visiting editor of the medical journal BMJ, London. He and his wife have two daughters.
Steve Strasser, New York City, is managing editor for international editions at Newsweek magazine.
1970
Kent W. Cockson, 55, executive news editor at the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, was one of four recipients in April (2002) of a President’s Ring from News Journal publisher and president Denise Ivey. Cockson was recognized for his journalistic achievement during 2001 at the News Journal, which included being the project director of a weeklong series of reports on Pensacola-area World War II veterans. Cockson is a Vietnam veteran (1971) and hails from Omaha.
1968
Cheryl Parks Butler, Washington, D.C., is director of recruiting and hiring/news at The Washington Post. She began her career as a copy editor at the Lincoln Evening Journal, then worked at the St. Paul Dispatch in St. Paul, Minn. She joined The Post’s news desk in 1981 and became recruiting director in June 2000.
Patricia Layman Short, London, is European business editor for Chemical and Engineering News, published by the American Chemical Society. She has held that position for 20 years and is a past president of the Foreign Press Association in London. She is a member of the executive committee of the Society of Chemical Industry and vice president, Europe, of the International Camellia Society.
1967
Steve Davis, who lives in the Bay Area of California, is founder of a company called Giraffe, “which basically births ideas and helps get them started.” He has also funded and designed a business in Sacramento called LampLighter Media. It is designed to address the need for television advertising for the small business person who has neither the skill set, time or the money to work with a more traditional advertising agency. He is developing several additional projects.
Judy Koepke, Webster Groves, Mo., is protocol monitor for collaborative study at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis.
Frank Partsch, editor of the Omaha World-Herald’s editorial pages for 20 years, retired in April. He is one of only six who served as editorial page editor at the World-Herald in the past 100 years. He joined the newspaper in 1976 as Lincoln Bureau chief and was named editorial pages editor in 1982. Prior to joining the World-Herald, Partsch was editor of the Sidney (Neb.) Telegraph and staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
1964
Arnold Garson, Sioux Falls, S.D., is president and publisher of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls. He is also vice president of Gannett Pacific News-paper Group and 2001-2002 president of the South Dakota Newspaper Association.
Tim Gartner, Oakland, Calif., is a consultant in public affairs for ChevroTexaco Corp. in San Francisco.
1960
Larry K. Brown, Cheyenne, Wyo., is the author of six books and articles in a variety of nonfiction publications. His fictional short stories have been published in the “High Plains Register” literary magazine. After graduation, he spent 20 years as an information/public affairs officer in the U.S. Air Force. He earned a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University in 1970. He worked for Sun Company Inc. from 1980 to 1986 and for the American Heart Association from 1986 to 1993. Since then, he as been a full-time writer about the West and its history.
1954
Wendell (Del) Harding Jr., Washington, Utah, is a retired NASA public affairs manager.
1938
Sarah Louise Meyer Lahr, Falls Church, Va., is author of a book published in honor of 50 years of continuous publication of The Holmes Runner, a news magazine published by her civic association in Fairfax County, Va., and featuring selected articles she had written for the magazine. She has been a reporter, feature writer and editor of the magazine.
1928
Lee Vance of Elgin, Ill., died Nov. 28, 2001, in Laguna Hills, Calif., where he had a winter home. He was 94. Vance was editor of the Daily Nebraskan during his years at NU and a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. After graduation, he joined the advertising department of the New York office of DuPont Cellophane Co. He joined Cook Publishing Co., Elgin, in 1938 as advertising manager, then became general manager, president and publisher. Cook, now located in Colorado Springs, Colo., is a publisher of religious education materials.