Class Notes

1960s

  • Sister Jane Falke (B.A. ’68), of Westphalia, Kansas, is celebrating 70 years as an Ursuline Sister of Mount St. Joseph. She was an Ursuline Sister of Paola, Kansas, prior to the community’s merger with Mount St. Joseph in 2008. She taught at several Kansas schools for 25 years, served as business manager for St. Charles Parish in Gladstone, Missouri and has worked as a pastoral minister for a Kansas parish. She also served two eight-year terms as assistant superior and treasurer of her Ursuline community. Falke has held administrative roles with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities in Kansas City, Kansas and currently volunteers at a Catholic Charities TurnStyles thrift store in Mission, Kansas. (pictured left)

1970s

  • Daniel Macias, Ph.D. (B.A. ’70) published the book Altar Boys Anonymous: A Collection of Short Stories.
  • John Fraze (BBA ’70, J.D. ’71) retired from active practice at the Social Security Administration where he served as regional chief judge, supervising nine offices across four states.
  • John Shaw Jr. (B.S. ’73, M.S. ’76) has hopping around the globe, from Peru to Croatia, repping Roo pride in his Roos Mobb hat.
  • The Hon. Hugh H. Ryan (B.S. ’74, Admin of Justice ’75, MPA ’78) retired from the bench in 2024. He is an instructor for the police academy at Metropolitan Community College teaching constitutional law and law updates to in-service officers.
  • David Glover (B.A. ’76/M.D. ’78) was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

1980s

  • William T. Kane (DDS ’80) is the recipient of the 2025 American Dental Association (ADA) Humanitarian Award for his impactful leadership and volunteer service through Smiles of Hope Dental Clinic, which provides vital, accessible oral health care to the underserved in his rural community and beyond. Dr. Kane and his fellow volunteers have treated over 11,000 patients in rural Missouri and provided over $9 million in dental care to underserved populations.
  • Alan Braverman (B.A. ’84/M.D. ’85) was appointed the inaugural head of the new section of general cardiology at Washington University.
  • Jana Holwick, Ph.D., (B.S. ’86, M.S. ’87) was named provost and chief academic officer at Logan University, a chiropractic and health science university in Chesterfield, MO. In her new role, Holwick will guide Logan's academic programs to ensure rigorous, high-quality curricula that align with the evolving needs of students.
  • Malissa Wood (B.A./M.D. ’87) was honored with the 2025 Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Award from the American College of Cardiology.

1990s

  • Liane Pieffer Rockley (B.M. ’94) was awarded the 2025 Music Teachers National Association Foundation Fellow award. This award honors deserving individuals who have made significant contributions to the music world and the music teaching profession. Since 1994, she has been an active member of both the Music Teachers National Association and the Colorado State Music Teachers Association. She currently serves as vice president of the Rockley Family Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing instruments and financial support to students in need. Rockley is also a flute teacher and performer. (pictured above)
  • Tripti Kataria (B.A. ’94/M.D. ’95) was elected president-elect to the Illinois State Medical Society during its recent annual meeting.
  • Michael Ash, M.D. (BSP ’94, M.D. ’98) became the new chief executive officer of Nebraska Medicine, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, where he previously held the role of chief operating officer. Prior to his 11 years with Nebraska Medicine and University of Nebraska Medical Center, Dr. Ash served as chief medical officer for the Cerner Corporation (now Oracle Health) and practiced as an internal medicine physician. He also holds a dozen health care technology patents. (pictured below)
  • Joel Rhodes (M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’00) has been appointed by The State Historical Society of Missouri as its new executive director. (pictured above)
  • Jason Roberts (BBA ’95) was promoted to lead creative designer at Secured Capital Corporation in Los Angeles, California.
  • Jacquelyn Eidson (BSA ’97) was recently awarded a prestigious three-year tenure on the Fulbright Specialist roster by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and World Learning. In this role, she will travel abroad, meeting with international colleagues to share and gain knowledge and foster relationships across borders.
  • Kristín Jónína Taylor, DMA (B.M. ’97, M.M. ’99) has earned national recognition as the 2025 winner of The American Prize in Piano Performance in the Professional Solo Division. This prestigious award honors her compelling performance of Sonata No. 2 by Omaha-based composer Bryan Stanley. She is currently an associate professor of Piano at University of Nebraska Omaha.

2000s

  • Jennifer Bickel (BLA ’00/M.D. ’01) was named vice president and chief wellness officer of MD Anderson.
  • Janelle Sabo (Pharm.D. ’00) was recently featured in The Atlantic. She is currently the senior vice president of clinical research capabilities at Eli Lilly & Company. In the article, Sabo discusses her efforts to make clinical research more accessible and patient-centric, ensuring that trials reach diverse communities and meet patients where they live. (pictured above)
  • Ryan Main (B.M. ’06) conducted the Youth Chorus of Kansas City (YCKC) for the National Concerts Chorus at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 6, 2025. He serves as the founder and composer in residence of YCKC and served as adjunct faculty at the UMKC Conservatory.
  • Cal Hutson (B.A. ’06) is co-authoring an upcoming book, Flip the Script, with bestselling author Chris Voss, a former FBI lead international hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Hutson is also an entrepreneur and owner of BeeHive Homes of Grain Valley, which provides assisted living and memory care services to residents in the Missouri region.
  • Sandra Howard (iPh.D. '09) has been named as the artistic director at the Monadnock Chorus in New Hampshire. Howard is a professor of music at Keene State College, where she teaches choral methods and conducting, supervises methods practicum and student teaching and conducts the Keene State College Chamber Singers and Concert Choir.
  • Casey Cline (J.D./MBA ’09) published her debut novel, The Wayfaring Widow, with Scrivenings Press in September 2025. The historical romance takes readers on a journey through 1854 America following the travels of real-life English explorer, Isabella Bird, and her fictitious friends, Victoria Clarke and Harrison Wright.

2010s

  • Mindy Kinnaman (M.A. ’11) was named associate director and senior deputy Title IX coordinator for response and resolution in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. (pictured above)
  • Scott Fergerson (M.S. ’12) was promoted to chief financial officer of Park University in Feb. 2025. He joined Park in November 2016 as controller and held several roles prior to this promotion. As CFO, Fergerson leads the financial operations of the university and is responsible for maintaining financial stability, driving growth initiatives and ensuring Park’s financial operations comply with all relevant regulations and standards. (pictured above)
  • Nikhil Kassetty (M.S. ’12) is a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), fintech and sustainable innovation, with more than 13 years of experience advancing AI-driven financial services and scalable software systems. He currently leads next-generation payment and financial product initiatives at a Fortune 100 company. Kassetty has published research on AI, fintech and sustainability, holds a U.K. patent focused on secure AI-powered transactions and is writing a book on the future of AI in green finance. (pictured above)
  • Xinyan Li, (DMA '12) has been selected for her solo bassoon work, Legend of the Sea, as one of the five repertoire of the International Double Reed Society's 2026 Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox International Competition for Bassoon. (pictured above)
  • Kerwin Young (B.M. ’12, M.M. ’15) is the newly appointed professor of hip-hop at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (pictured above)
  • Andrew Johnson (BBA ’13) has been TORO, the official costumed mascot for the Houston Texans, since 2015. TORO was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. (pictured above)
  • Joan Sheridan (J.D. ’13) has joined the New Orleans office of Chaffe McCall in the firm’s Labor & Employment and Litigation practices. Prior to joining Chaffe McCall, she defended individuals, national corporations and insurance companies in complex wrongful death, personal injury, negligence and premises liability matters throughout Missouri and Kansas. After relocating to New Orleans, she served as a judicial law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Eva J. Dossier of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. (pictured above)
  • Amneet Hans (BLA ’15/M.D. ’16) was named associate director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at White Plains Hospital.
  • Kathleen Hunter (J.D. ’15) has joined the Labor & Employment practice group at Lathrop GPM in Kansas City, Missouri. She previously served as a staff attorney at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she handled all aspects of employment and labor litigation and provided counsel on VA policy and procedures.
  • Alana Hofmann (BLA ’17/M.D. ’18) has joined the Willis Knighton John C. McDonald Transplant Center and WK Advanced Surgery Center as a transplant specialist, contributing her expertise in organ donation, hepatobiliary surgery and cancer care to patients in Louisiana. (pictured above)
  • Tristan James (MFA ’18) was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with an Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design: News for his work on The 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.
  • Seán Thomas Kane (M.A. ’19) published his first peer-reviewed article, “A Sloth in the First French Colony in the Americas,” in Terrae Incognitae. He is now a Ph.D. candidate in history at Binghamton University. (pictured above)

2020s

  • Koal Artzer (MSA ’20) started a new CPA firm, Artzer Accounting and Advisory in Goodland, Kansas. (pictured above)
  • Holly Weiss (J.D. ’20) has been promoted to assistant general counsel and director of policy and accessibility under the Office of General Counsel at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.
  • Debra Wekesa (BLA ’20/M.D. ’21) was chief resident at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and started a nephrology fellowship there.
  • Callie Williams (J.D. ’21) has joined Smith Pauley as an associate attorney, where she applies her strong legal foundation and expertise in estate planning and wealth management to serve clients across Nebraska. Beyond her practice, Callie serves as Secretary for the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section and serves as a board member for the Ambassadors Worship Center Erickson & Sederstrom. (pictured above)
  • Francesca (Frankie) Moisson (M.D. ’22) was announced as a 2026-27 pediatric chief resident at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
  • J. Tanner Murphy (J.D. ’22) has joined Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice as an associate in the law firm’s Kansas City office. His practice focuses on personal injury, employment, construction and commercial matters. Murphy also has experience advising insurers on coverage issues and handling insurance coverage disputes, premises liability claims with a focus on negligent security and employment discrimination claims for state entities. (pictured above)
  • Kyle Jones (DMA ’23) was recently hired as an assistant professor of Music Business at the Rudi M. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.
  • Maggie Schoemehl (BBA ’24) recently started a position as training manager for the Hillstone Restaurant Group, working at the South Beverly Grill in Beverly Hills, California.

Multi-Year

  • Congratulations to the UMKC Conservatory alumni and students of the Fountain City Brass Band on their 10th win at the North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championships. Founded in 2002 by Lee Harrelson (DMA ’09), the band includes alumni Christopher Dennard (M.M. ’02), Nate Gay (DMA ’12), Ryan Sharp (DMA ’12), Jen Fox Oliverio (DMA ’16), Jenny Wagner (DMA ’17), Jeff Seba (BME ’16), Jeremy Kuehnen (BME ’23), Bobby Feller (M.M. ’24), Patrick Yeah and Matthew Vangjel (DMA ’10).
  • Our Roos are everywhere, even in Kenya! Shilpa Thornton (B.A. ’92/M.D. ’94) recently traveled to Kenya with Kenya Relief for an annual medical mission—only to find herself working alongside three other UMKC Roos! While serving in Kenya, she met Abe White (BLA ’05/M.D. ’06), Heeral Shah (BLA ’04/M.D. ’05) and current UMKC medical student Carter Coleman.

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