9.19.24
Class Notes
Comings, goings, appointments, retirements, honors, accolades and other notable Wichita State University alumni news. Former Wichita State students are designated by fs. Honorary alumni are noted as hn.
FAWZI AL-WAKEEL ’65, EL E, first landed in the United States from Baghdad at 1 a.m., Jan. 1, 1961 at a New York airport to go to the University of Wichita. After graduating and beginning grad studies at WSU, he worked at Boeing before returning to Iraq. In 1997, he moved to Canada, where he is a successful real estate investor in Toronto.
HELEN (PROBST) SHEEHY ’70, SP-THEA, the author of three biographies and the textbook All About Theatre (1981), will have her first foray into fiction, Just Willa, published by Cave Hollow Press. Her biography of the Italian actor Eleanora Duse was published by Knopf and noted as a best nonfiction book of 2003. Her biography of Eva Le Gallienne was called out by The New York Times Book Review as a best book of 1996, and she has also written about Margo Jones to critical accolades. Sheehy lives in Hamden, Conn.
RODRICK ALSTON ’74, AJ, owns and operates, along with his wife, Pamela, the rental and leasing company RPA Properties LLC. An active supporter of Wichita State Shockers men’s basketball, he lives in Oakland, Calif.
CHRISTINE (DIGUERO) CRAFFORD ’74, NURS, returned to her alma mater for WSUFAE-hosted Golden Grad reunion activities in May. Focusing on women’s health for most of her nursing career, she was a PRN and clinical instructor in several medical centers and college programs in Cleveland, St. Louis and Redford, Va. She lives in Wilmington, N.C.
B. JEAN (MAXWELL) FAHRBACH ’74, BIOL S, attended WSUFAE-hosted Golden Graduation reunion activities in May. Active as a student in campus Greek sorority life as a member of Delta Delta Delta, she lives in Andover, Kan.
DAVID FAHRBACH ’74, BIOL S, who holds two degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in addition to his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from WSU, is a retired Wichita orthodontist. A resident of Andover, Kan., he attended reunion activities on campus in May.
JAMES GROSS ’74, M ART ED, ’81 M PAINTING, who attended Golden Graduation reunion activities in May, is a Wichita-based artist, especially noted for his abstract painting. His works are held in private collections and the permanent holdings of museums across the country — from New York City to Seattle and Kansas City to Wichita.
J. STEVEN MOLSTAD ’74, BUS ADM, who was among attendees of the Golden Grad reunion, is a past president of Colby Canvas Co., which manufactures products for commercial businesses. He lives in Colby, Kan.
DAVID PAYNE JR ’74, ACCT, minored in radio and TV broadcasting at WSU, where he hosted a live jazz program called Jazz Journey five nights a week. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command, he is also a grad of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, and works in consulting and public accounting. He resides in Chicago.
PAUL RYBERG ’74, POL S, who holds a juris doctorate from Harvard, practiced international trade law, with a focus on trade with developing countries, as a partner and attorney in the firm Ryberg & Smith LLP, based in Washington, D.C. An attendee of the WSUFAE-hosted Golden Graduation reunion activities in May, he resides in Wellington, Fla.
LYNBERT “CHEESE” JOHNSON ’79, GEN ST, retired pro basketball player (Golden State Warriors, Rochester Zeniths, Utica Olympics) and member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, who played at Wichita State from 1975 to 1979, averaging 22.2 points per game during the 1978-79 season, now runs the UJUMP Junior Mentoring Program, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting and motivating middle school students in the Wichita metro area. Born in NYC, he lives in Wichita.
ANNE WELSBACHER ’79, ENG, is a writer and playwright whose works include children’s books and the plays Radiating Like a Stone, Terra Incognita and The Road to Rouen. A table reading of her newest play, The Last Priest, was held in August in Wichita. Based out of Wichita, she also publishes Well Worded, a biweekly newsletter featuring advice on writing in everyday life.
JJ JONATHAN JACKSON ’80, SP R/TV/FILM, is better known in the technical directing world of news, sports and entertainment as Jonathan X. A multi-Emmy Award winner, his credits include directing the 2024 Esports Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He lives in Calabas, Calif.
ANGELIA “ANGIE” M. (BABICH) PRATHER ’81, MKT, retired from a 43-year career in marketing in August. With an ICT-saturated resume, Prather worked at Mid-Continent Airport, Botanica, Via Christi, United Way of the Plains and the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she played a pivotal role in launching the Wichita Flag movement.
DOUG BILLINGS ’82, M PRINTMAKING, is an artist whose repertoire includes drawing, oil and acrylic painting, pastels, lithography, serigraphy, intaglio, relief and digital printmaking, papermaking, book art, ceramics and photography. An instructor of printmaking and acrylic painting at Friends University, he lives in Wichita.
BRUCE RIGGINS ’83, EL E, is a senior principal product engineer at Cadence Design Systems. His work experience spans marketing, engineering, software, troubleshooting, semiconductors and includes roles at Taray Inc., Mentor Graphics, Intrinsix and Veribest. He resides in Boulder, Colo.
PATRICK O’CONNOR ’84, GEN ST, ’86 M COMM, is a Wichita-based writer, musician, scholar and retired postman who utilized 25 years of fieldwork and interviews to write Wichita Blues: Music in the African American Community, published by the University Press of Mississippi.
Catherine “Cath” Glennon ’85/88 didn’t just stand by in December 2023 when Globe Care Force put out a call for nurses to volunteer in Ukraine to help those ailing from hypertension, cardiac problems, diabetes, digestive issues, cancers from radiation and post-traumatic stress. Seasoned by four decades of nursing, she volunteered.
After returning to the States, she described her time there, “You’re seeing people who are trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life, feel the stress of the war. But at the same time, you feel the resiliency of the people.”
Outside of her volunteerism, Glennon has worked as a faculty member at universities across the country including Georgetown, Duke and the University of Kansas and has served on several advisory boards.
JOLYNN DOWLING ’88, NURS, ’95 NURS, the Janice M. Riordan Distinguished Professor in Maternal Child Health, spearheaded the initiative behind Wichita State’s 2023 designation as a Breastfeeding Welcome Here campus and a Gold-Level Employer Supporting Breastfeeding by the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition. She lives in Derby, Kan.
LaTricia (Harper) Woods ’95/02, on the job for just five months, was the public information officer for the city of Wichita the day the FAA ordered the emergency landing of all planes in the air after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She was charged with handling all media involving the landing of 22 planes at Mid-Continent Airport. Since then, her strategic, cool-under-pressure demeanor has served her well in her 28-year career.
She has earned a ream of certifications in the PR world, including a One Million Black Women: Black in Business Graduate from Goldman Sachs and a chair position for the PRSA Counselors Academy. In 2012, she founded Mahogany Xan Communications, a panoptic consulting firm for a variety of public relations and communications needs.
Having been among “the first or the only” throughout her career, she is committed to promoting diversity and equity. The Change Agencies, which she launched in 2018 alongside five partners, amplifies multicultural and LGBTQ+ voices in the PR industry.
VALARIE FLORIO ’98, M CJ, previously workforce development manager at Integra Technologies, Wichita, is now vice president of employment services and research at Wichita’s Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation. She resides in Wichita.
London-born Maha Al-Emam ’99 may best be described in the words of Patrick Duegaw, the artist of the mixed-media portrait of Al-Emam to the left, as the “personification of glamor.” To her world of color, eccentricity and epicureanism, the more exact laurels of conceptual artist, composer, cosmopolitan and fashionista only scratch the surface.
With impeccable taste and an eye for the exquisite, Al-Emam has been a consultant to many a media, entertainment and retail company, including, but not limited to, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple, NBCUniversal, Bloomberg and, as of March, Gannett Co. A traveler from an early age, she lived in England, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Austria, all before touching down in ICT to attend Wichita State. She has studied at the Copenhagen Business School, University of Vienna and the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she earned her MBA.
With an artistic repertoire as decorated as her passport, she relishes the boundless nature of conceptual art. As she says: “You can say whatever you want to say.” Maha with Floatation Device (or) She Floats In…She Floats Out, 2006, acrylic, ink, screws and polyurethane on wallboard with aluminum frame, 35 x 35 inches
TERI MOTT ’99, GEN ST, creative communications manager at the Ulrich Museum of Art, is cofounder of The SHOUT, a digital arts magazine that launched April 1. Active in local theater, she resides in Wichita.
SHANNON (DULING) REBOLLEDO ’01, SPAN, ’02 M SPAN, regional enforcement coordinator in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, was a finalist for a 2024 Service to America Medal for her work as one of three leading investigators who discovered child labor violations involving 102 children performing illegal sanitation work at meat-packing facilities in eight states. Rebolledo, who lives in Wichita, has worked for the Labor Department for almost 20 years, starting in 2005 as a wage hour investigator.
SHEREE (LOWE) UTASH ’02, M LIB ST, vice president of workforce development and president of WSU Tech, was inducted into the 2024 Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame in July. Under Utash, WSU Tech has grown into the largest technical college in Kansas and an aspiring leader in aerospace education.
LILY WU ’07, BUS ADM, ’07 COMM-IMC, who is serving as mayor of Wichita, traveled to England for the Farnborough International Airshow with other local and state leaders to promote economic opportunities in Kansas and represent the 350-plus aerospace supplier network in the Wichita region. She lives in Wichita.
MICHAEL STAAB ’13, AEROS E, who has held positions with NASA and Blue Origin, is senior systems engineer for the Phoenix program at ICON, a Colorado-based company that develops robotic and AI systems for construction projects, including off-world construction technologies for future Moon and Mars projects. ICON’s Phoenix is a multi-story robotic crane system.
EMILY CHRISTENSEN ’14, FLD MJ-ENG, journalist and arts writer, is cofounder of The SHOUT. A 2022 recipient of an Andy Warhol Foundation writing grant and a 2020 fellow of the National Critics Institute, she lives in Wichita.
BRAD WHITE ’14, M BUS ADM, is senior vice president of global parts distribution and programs at Textron Aviation, where he has worked for 12 years since starting as director of production control and logistics. He resides in Wichita.
ZACH BUSH ’17, SP MGT, was general manager and head coach of the AfterShocks, the predominantly Shocker alumni basketball team that competes in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an open-invitation, single-elimination tournament played each summer since its founding in 2014. Koch Arena was host to regional games July 20-24.
DALTON GLASSCOCK ’17, BUS MGT, owns DCG Consulting, has served as CEO of the Memphis-based Starnes Media Group since 2018 and is a member of the Wichita City Council. He lives in Wichita.
EMILY MULLINS ’17, STRAT COMM, ’20 M COMM, is director of marketing at the WSUFAE, where she previously served as communications director. Prior to joining the WSUFAE, she was an internal communications specialist at Koch Industries. She lives in Wichita.
JORDAN GILBERT ’17, M E MGT, is an aerospace lead system engineer at Honeywell, based in Phoenix, Ariz. His has held positions at Textron Aviation and at Bell Flight. He resides in Glendale, Ariz.
CONNER FRANKAMP ’18, GEN ST, is a pro basketball player who played the 2023-2024 season with Río Breogán based in Lugo, Spain. He returned to his hometown of Wichita in July to compete in the 2024 TBT Wichita Regional at Koch Arena as a member of the AfterShocks.
RASHARD KELLY ’18, SP MGT, is a pro basketball player who has played for teams in Russia, Italy, Turkey, Lithuania and for the Tasmania JackJumpers in Australia. In 2023, the power/small forward signed with ADA Blois in France. Kelly was in Wichita in July as a member of the AfterShocks to play in the team’s semifinal regional game. Despite his 10 points, the AfterShocks lost to Team Colorado, 65-61.
MARKIS MCDUFFIE ’19, SP MGT, is a pro basketball player who has played in Hungary, Italy, Turkey and France, where he netted All Star status. Returning to his college home court as a member of the AfterShocks, he scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the team’s opening round 86-71 win.
CONNOR FREUND ’20, COMM, is creative services director at KSNW-TV, Wichita’s NBC-affiliated TV station. A former intern as digital media editor and videographer at the WSUAA, where he worked as communication and marketing specialist from 2021 to 2022, he lives in Wichita.
ALIYAH FUNSCHELLE ’20, SP MGT, started her sports content brand, Sports with Aliyah, as a junior at WSU and has since amassed a social media following 90,000 strong. She can be found courtside at WNBA games or attending drafts and sports conferences. She completed a master’s degree at Columbia University and lives in New York City.
PAULA GARCIA ’20, MKG, ’22 M BUS ADM, a former standout Shocker sprinter (2017-2022), represented Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics as one of the six-member 4×100-meter relay team. Wichita State’s 12th Olympian or Paralympian in track and field, she lives in Madrid.
SAMANTHA ZUPKO ’20, STRAT COMM, is a university relations recruiter at Garmin in Olathe, Kan. She has held positions at Abbott Events in Kansas City, Mo., at Metronet in Overland Park, Kan., and Textron Aviation in Wichita.
ALTERIQUE GILBERT fs ’21, a Shocker point guard for his senior season (2020-21) after an injury-plagued career with the UConn Huskies, is a professional basketball player for the Helsinki Seagulls in Finland and a member of the TBT’s AfterShocks.
RIDGE TOWNER ’21, IE, ’24 IE, reliability engineer at Spirit AeroSystems, worked with Wilfredo Moscoso-Kingsley, WSU engineering professor, to test on-machine coordinate measuring and improve quality control procedures in aerospace manufacturing. Towner, who has begun doctoral studies at Wichita State, lives in El Dorado, Kan.
MICHELE VALADEZ ’21, ENTRE, owns City Girlz Liquor, which had a grand opening July 26 at its Old Town location. Offering drive-through and walk-up service, her new store is especially tailored to women customers, Valadez reports. She lives in Wichita.
TREY WADE ’21, SP MGT, a two-year starter at Wichita State (2019-21), finished his collegiate basketball career with the Arkansas Razorbacks and went on to play professionally in Poland. In July, he returned to Wichita as a member of the AfterShocks, a TBT team made up of mostly Wichita State alumni players.
MELISSA ROCHA ’22, BIO MED E, a clinical account specialist at Biosense Webster, was invited back to campus in February as a keynote speaker for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. She lives in Tulsa, Okla.
DARRAL WILLIS ’22, GEN ST, is a pro player for Levanga Hokkaido in Japan. He played for the Shockers from 2016-2018 and returned to his college home court as a member of the AfterShocks, the predominantly alumni squad that competes in TBT’s $1 million winner-take-all event that has featured regional games in Koch Arena since 2019.
LILY PARKER ’23, STRAT COMM, who was an intern in marketing/communication at the WSUFAE, has joined the organization as a marketing specialist. She lives in Wichita.
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