Class Notes: Spring/Summer 2020

Class Notes are compiled from information sent in personally by alumni and from news releases. If you would like to share your news, go to unialum.org/submit_class_notes or mail to UNI Alumni Association, 304 Commons, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0284.

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From June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020

1960s

'60 Norman Wolfe, BA, Stuart, is retired, does a lot of fishing, writes poetry and short stories and enjoys traveling. He has 50 grand and great grandchildren and is a big UNI football fan.


1970s

'72 Jan Dinger Duggan, BA, Saint Cloud, MN, retired from teaching kindergarten in Fairfax County Public Schools in Alexandria, VA.

'75 Gail (Carlson) Eichstadt, BA, Sioux Falls, SD, retired as senior staff attorney with Disability Rights South Dakota in June 2019.

'78 Rebecca (Willson) Keeling, BA, Waterloo, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. She teaches 6th grade math and science at Blessed Maria Assunta Palotta Middle School.


1980s

'82 Ann Kness, BA, Webster City, retired in 2015 after 33 years of teaching. She continues to substitute teach, volunteer at church and local library and serves on the board for the local recreation center.

'86 Saul Austin, ASC, Waterloo, was named one of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier's 8 Over 80 for 2019.

'86 Deb Vangellow, BA, Sugar Land, TX, was named one of the Top 50 LPGA Teachers for 2020 2021 by the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

'87 Deb (Zeimet) Little, BA, MA '96, Tripoli, received the 2019 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.


1990s

'91 Sherry (Tryon) Parker, BA, La Porte City, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. She teaches second grade at Dysart Geneseo Elementary.

'91 Lisa Raine, BA, MA '95, ASC '97, Vancouver, WA, is the union director for the Washington Education Association.

'94 Barbara (Sabelka) Schwamman, BA, ASC '16, Osage, was a nominee for the 2019 2020 Iowa Superintendent of the Year award by the School Administrators of Iowa.

'97 Denise (Gunderson) Aalderks, MA, ASC '97, Dike, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. She teaches 5th grade at Aldrich Elementary in Cedar Falls.


2000s

'03 Bart Schmitz, BA, Cedar Falls, was named one of the Cedar Valley's 20 under 40 by the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier for 2019. He is the program manager of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at UNI.

'04 Becky (Ahlstrom) Lins, BA, MA '06, Cedar Falls, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. She is a counselor at Peet Junior High.

'05 Liz (McKenna) DeJoode, BA, Cedar Falls, was named one of the Cedar Valley's 20 under 40 by the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier for 2019. She is a health innovation consultant with PDCM Insurance.

'06 Michael Gleason, BA, MA '09, Waverly, is an associate professor of leadership and the director of the Institute for Leadership Education at Wartburg College.

'07 Jamie (Hutchinson) Rathjen, BA, MA '11, Cedar Falls, was named one of the Cedar Valley's 20 under 40 by the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier for 2019. She is the founder and executive director of Guiding Star Cedar Valley and founder of Fiat Fertility Care Center.

'07 Kyle Reeve, BA, Tipton, is the principal at Tilford Elementary School in Vinton.

'08 Lindsey (Leonard) Wilson, BA, Bennington, NE, received the 2020 Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award. She is a social studies teacher at Morton Middle School in Omaha.


2010s

'11 Brent Green, BA, MA '19, West Des Moines, was promoted to senior benefit analyst of human resources with UnityPoint Health.

'11 Robby Krapfl, BA, MA '13, Chicago, IL, is a large enterprise account executive with Gartner, a global research and advisory company.

'13 Ryan Christoffer, MA, ASC '13, Waterloo, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. He teaches 4th grade at Highland Elementary.

'14 Ryan Lehmann, BA, Cedar Falls, received the 2020 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching. He teaches 2nd grade at Lowell Elementary in Waterloo.

'17 Kelsey (Hansen) Randall, BA, Waukee, is a program associate with ITA Group.