4.4.25

This dance performance alum is in “Death Becomes Her” on Broadway 

Taurean Everett ’07 is no stranger to the fickle friendship with the Broadway lights. Equipped with a background in dance performance from Wichita State, he moved to New York City and began making the audition rounds. In an industry of “no’s,” Everett learned to run with the opportunities that presented themselves. 

That tenacity paid off, earning him an impressive list of credits on the mainstage. In 2014, he landed a spot in “Mamma Mia!” playing Eddie, followed by his role as Marine in “Miss Saigon.” In November 2024, he opened in “Death Becomes Her,” the 1992 dark comedy film turned hit musical, as a principal character, Chagall. In addition to his portfolio of featured performances, the 2023 WSU College of Fine Arts’ Hall of Fame inductee participates in arts education programs for inner-city students in NYC. 

Everett imparts on current students: “Success looks like you. It looks like me. It looks like us. And that’s because we are Shockers.” 

DEEANN (FISCHER) BROWN ’63, MUSIC, ’64 M MUSIC, who was named Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District Volunteer of the Year for 2023, has volunteered at the Ute Pass Library for a decade, after retiring from a 50-year career teaching music. She lives near Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

R.J. BROWN ’64, PSYCH, who is retired from dual careers in the restaurant business and at Boeing, relocated a decade ago to Colorado, where he enjoys the great outdoors, working with trail-building and maintenance. He recently was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award by Friends of the Ute Pass Trails organization. 

ROGER LYONS ’69, ENG ED, ’73 ENG, began his career in the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry by developing commercial products for Racing Update, a bimonthly newsletter. After joining Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, he co-founded CompuSire pedigree software. He now resides in Wichita. 

DAVE DAHL ’71, BUS ADM, ’73 M BUS ADM, a judge serving in the 18th Judicial District Court in Sedgwick County, was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater in December 2024. The honor came with special recognition at halftime of a Wichita State men’s basketball home game at Koch Arena, an appropriate venue for Dahl, a walk-on player in 1968 who became a standout three-year letterman and, in 1980, took up color commentary to Mike Kennedy’s play-by-play calls for the Shockers. He lives in Wichita. 

PAUL HARRISON ’71, BIO SCI, on a team of fellow surgeons and healthcare professionals, and supplied with more than 50 years of experience, volunteered in an underrepresented community in the Dominican Republic in January. He and his wife Carolyn reside in Wichita. 

WILLIAM “BILL” OPPENHEIM ’71, ENG ED, ’74 ENG, has worked as a journalist, market analyst and consultant in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry since graduating from Wichita State. In 1978, he established the bimonthly newsletter, Racing Update, which he sold in 1995. He and his wife, Lou, live in Scotland. 

ROBERT “BOB” KERR ’75, ENG LIT, is winner of the 2024 Palm Springs International Diversity Screenplay Contest for his script 23 Days, which relates the story of what happened after the tragic October 2, 1970, Wichita State football team plane crash in Colorado. He lives in Corvallis, Oregon. 

KARMA (WAGNER) MASON ’78, EX SCI, is the only woman in college bowling history to win three national team championships, which she did with the Shocker in 1975, 1977 and 1978. A 2025 inductee into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, she was team captain and anchor bowler at WSU in 1976, 1977 and 1978. In 2024, she and her husband, Gary, gave a lead gift of $100,000 to support the women’s bowling facility enhancement project at WSU. The Masons live in Wichita. 

JUNETTA EVERETT ’79, DEN HYG, who retired from Delta Dental of Kansas after more than 30 years, currently serves on several boards including for the Kansas Health Foundation, Wesley Hospital, Equity Bank, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and WSUFAE. For her contributions to her community, she was honored with the 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winner at the WSUFAE’s annual Heritage Gala. She resides with her husband, Victor, in Bel Aire, Kansas. 

CAROLYN HARRISON ’80, NURS, since retiring as a registered nurse, volunteers for the Wichita Medical Research Education Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at educating healthcare professionals and ensuring citizens make informed decisions about their health. Carolyn and her husband, Paul, live in Wichita. 

D. “DENEE” THOMAS ’80, BIO SCI, retired from her career as a research microbiologist and university student affairs administrator in 2018, having worked at Wake Forest University at Bowman Gray, the University of Texas in San Antonio and the University of Houston at Victoria. She and her husband reside in San Antonio. 

CURT RIERSON ’94, COMM, is owner and director at Wichita-based Digital Brand, a video production firm whose broad-spectrum projects include everything from concert filming and music videos to TV spots and documentaries. He resides in Wichita. 

CARRIE LINDEMAN ’98, COMM, is serving as president of the Public Relations Society of Kansas. A public relations and communications specialist at Lindeman Collective, she lives in Wichita. 

JASON PEREZ ’00, COMM, a standout Shocker basketball player (1997-2000) who was inducted into the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame in 2014, owns Next Level Hoops Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. He also co-owns the San Antonio Clutch, a pro ball club that will begin competing in The Basketball League in March 2025. As a player, he finished his career at WSU averaging 15.7 points and 5.6 rebounds, with a total of 222 steals and 298 assists in 117 games. 

RON DRAPER ’01, M BUS ADM, Textron Aviation president and CEO, serves as vice chair on the executive leadership team for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. He resides in Wichita. 

KENDRA KNIGHT ’01, SOC WORK, having worked as a social worker at health centers across the state for more than two decades, accepted a position as adjunct faculty at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. Kendra lives in Tonganoxie, Kansas. 

SHANNON (DULING) REBOLLEDO ’01, SPAN, ’02 M SPAN, regional enforcement coordinator in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division was recognized with 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 state. Rebolledo, who lives in Wichita, has worked for the Labor Department for two decades, starting in 2005 as a wage hour investigator. 

KERRY BAINUM ’02, MUSIC ED/PERCUSSION, is a recording engineer for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and a sound and recording engineer for WSU’s College of Fine Arts. A percussionist, he also plays drums in the band Vehicles. He lives in Wichita. 

LONNY QUATTLEBAUM ’02, COMM, whose credits as a cinematographer include the films My Day in the Barrel (1998), Bad Chemistry (1997), Keep Breathing (2000) and MindField (2003), works as a producer/director and videographer at Digital Brand, a full-service video production firm in Wichita, where he lives. 

SCOTT BEARD ’03, ENG, ’13 ED-TEACHING, taught for Wichita Public Schools for a decade before making the switch to higher education, and has since served as faculty for William Jessup University, Columbia State Community College, Williamson College and Wichita State University. A professional writer, Scott lives in Franklin, Tennessee. 

DARCY GRAY ’05, JOURN, works for the University of Kansas School of Medicine as their digital communications coordinator. She resides in Andale, Kansas.

LYNESSA RICO ’05, BUS ADM, ’09 M BUS ADM, who earned a doctorate in business psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2016, now serves as department chair and associate professor in the school’s business psychology department. The president and principal consultant at Bright Consumer Consulting, Rico resides in Chicago. 

PERLEKAR TAMTAM ’06, ELEC ENG, ’12 ELEC ENG, electrical design engineer for Evergy, applied his more than 15 years of experience in higher education as an engineering professor at Wichita State in founding Tamtam’s Robotics School in Santhinagar, India. He lives in Wichita. 

DANIELA RIVAS ’08, BUS ADM, ’12 PUB ADM, has served as city manager of Newton, Kansas, since January 2024. She was assistant city manager in McPherson, Kansas, for two years prior and has worked in city management in various roles in Park City, Columbus and Winfield, all in Kansas. She lives in Wichita. 

KELLYN (JOHNSON) TAYLOR ’09, EX SCI, is a long-distance runner and 2025 inductee into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. As a WSU student-athlete, she finished 3rd in the mile for the Shocker at the NCAA indoor championships and 10th in the 5,000-meter outdoor championships in 2009. 

AMY DRAUT ’10, POL S, program manager for K-State Research and Extension’s Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program, was recognized as an honoree for the Wichita Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40 class. Amy resides in Wichita. 

JOHN FORD ’10, AEROS E, inductee into the Wichita Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40 class, works as human resources director for Tessere, the architecture, interior design, civil engineering and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Wichita. He resides in Goddard, Kansas. 

MANDY FOUSE ’10, MKG, media relations and social marketing strategist for WSU Tech and Wichita Business Journal 2025 40 Under 40 inductee, co-authored the Tech Tykes children’s literature series, including “Ella the Engineer and the Big Fix,” and “Beckham the Biologist” with fellow WSU alum, Sheree Utash ’02. Mandy lives in Andover, Kansas. 

KRYSZTOF SLUPKOWSKI ’11, BUS ADM, ’13 M BUS ADM, ’16 FIN, worksas chief credit officer for Equity Bank. Krysztof was recognized as an inductee into the Wichita Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40 class. He lives in Topeka, Kansas. 

CHELSEY HUMIG ’12, FIN, assistant vice president of accounting and finance for Andover State Bank, was inducted into the 2025 40 Under 40 class by the Wichita Business Journal. She lives in Wichita. 

BRAD KOHLMAN ’13, M SP MGT, is a commercial risk consultant at Comrade Consultant Group. Previously director of planned giving at the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE), he lives in Hesston, Kansas. 

JESSICA VIRAMONTEZ ’13, EX SCI, is a 2025 inductee into the Wichita Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. She works as senior sports sales manager at Visit Wichita tourist information center. Jessica lives in Wichita. 

AUSTIN GEBERT ’14, FIN, vice president of commercial banking at Commerce Bank, was inducted into the Wichita Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class of 2025. He lives in Wichita. 

CALVIN PEARSON ’14, EX SCI, is a wealth advisor for 6 Meridian, an investment firm based in Wichita. Pearson, who was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 inductee in 2025, lives in Wichita. 

RONALD BAKER ’15, BUS FIN, following his storied run with the Shockers men’s basketball team, played for the Knicks and the Washington Wizards in the NBA before accepting a role as project manager in sports medicine at Wichita’s Ascension Via Christi. Ronald and his family live in Andover, Kansas. 

SHAQIYLA BANKS ’15, CJ, ’18 M CJ, founder of community-based youth development non-profit organization Equity Initiative KS, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 inductee in 2025 for her social advocacy initiative. She lives in Wichita. 

CHELSEA DYER ’15, PUB ADM, 2025 40 Under 40 inductee by the Wichita Business Journal, works as senior director of investor development for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. She resides in Wichita. 

JAMIE (DENEAU) MILLS ’15, COMM, who lives in Belle Plains, Kansas, is owner of Roots, Routes, and Roam (formerly Artemis Destinations), a home-based travel and itinerary planner. 

LINDSEY (BUSHELL) MUNOZ ’15, SOC WORK, ’16 SOC WORK, accepted a role as assistant dean of pedagogical possibilities at the University of Kentucky after completing her Doctor of Education in leadership from the University of Saint Mary. Lindsey lives in Lexington, Kentucky. 

DIANA HO ’16, BIO, optometrist at Adventure Dental and Vision pediatric clinic and passionate advocate for eye wellness, can often be found volunteering at community wellness days and speaking at local high schools about the importance of eye health. For her community service, Dr. Ho was the recipient of the 2024 Social Impact Award at the Heritage Gala, hosted by the WSUFAE in October. Ho was also recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as an inductee into the 2025 cohort of 40 Under 40 recipients. She resides in Wichita. 

SUVESSA CHAKRBOTY ’17, AEROS E, seniorAPQP quality engineer and project lead at Boeing, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 2025 40 Under 40 honoree. Suvessa lives in Wichita. 

AARON MOSES ’17, CJ, police captain for the Wichita Police Department, was inducted into the Wichita Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class in 2025. Aaron lives in Wichita. 

JUSTIN ROCHELEAU ’17, FIN, founder of JR Mortgage Group and CEO of Dynamo Capital LLC, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 2025 40 Under 40 inductee. He lives in Wichita. 

ARELY NAVARRETE VALAZQUEZ ’17, POL SCI, is a technical advisor at the Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission in Wichita, where she lives. A former WSUFAE stewardship director (2021-2022), she is a business administration graduate student at Wichita State. 

ABBEY COTTER MIKULICZ ’18, NURS, works as a behavioral health nurse for Sedgwick County’s COMCARE. This honoree in the Wichita Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40 class lives in Wichita. 

MACKENZIE WRIGHT ’18, EX SCI, is a 2025 inductee into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. A utility player for the Shockers from 2015-2018, she is one of the most decorated softball players in school history, finishing her collegiate career 3rd in hits, on base percentage and stolen bases, 4th in batting average, runs scored and walks, 5th in assists, 6th in at bats, and 8th in doubles. 

KARSTEN BAILEY ’19, SP MGT, who graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2022, is associate counsel at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. He resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

DANE LAUGHLIN ’19, BIOMED ENG, after seven years working for Koch Inc., joined Silicon Valley-based XR tech startup Squint as a product manager. Squint is a mobile app aimed at leveraging AI to improve operating procedures. Dane lives in Bel Aire, Kansas. 

MARY SIMS ’19, M SOC WK, mental health professional at Wichita-based JST Therapy Solutions, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 inductee in 2025. She lives in Wichita. 

JENNIE (WILSON) STEINACHER ’20, BUS MKT, is production manager at the Wichita-based video production firm Digital Brand. A professional photographer, she lives in Wichita. 

ISABELLE (KRONES) ROE ’21, EX SCI, graduated in 2024 with her doctorate in occupational therapy from the College of Saint Mary in Omaha. She resides in Blue Springs, Missouri. 

JULIET SALINAS ’21, GD, who previously worked at RSM Marketing (2021-2024) in Wichita, is a graphic designer at the WSUFAE. She lives in Wichita. 

SYDNEY (WYATT) TAYLOR ’22, INT MKT, ’24 M COMM, joined the WSUFAE in December 2024 as website specialist. Previously, a digital marketing coordination at Exploration Place, she resides in Wichita. 

MARIAN CAMPOS BARAJAS ’23, HR MAN, after working for non-profit mentorship organization Heroes Academy, joined the WSUFAE as human resources assistant. She lives in Wichita. 

PAYTON STEINER ’23, JOURN, actor and producer in the short film K-9: The Car Chaser, which took first place at Tallgrass Film Festival’s annual Take 36 competition, began a full-time position as a reporter for KSN in January after having worked for the channel as an intern since 2022. He resides in Bel Aire, Kansas. 

JACOB WORKENTINE ’23, ELEC COMM, who directed K-9: The Car Chaser, which took first place at Take 36, an annual competition hosted by Tallgrass Film Festival in which teams have just 36 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film, works as INTRUST Bank Arena’s marketing director. He lives in Wichita. 

STACEY MEIER ’24, FIN, senior vice president of wealth management at Emprise Bank, was recognized by the Wichita Business Journal as a 2025 40 Under 40 honoree. Stacey lives in Wichita. 

SAN JUANITA “BEA” ALVARADO, who holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the Universidad Autónoma España de Durango in Mexico, is a graduate student in education at Wichita State. With more than nine years of experience teaching at all levels, she founded the Butterfly Effect Academy LLC in Wichita in 2022. The academy offers after-school programs and bilingual education. Alvarado lives in Wichita.