Atheism discussion to wrap up lecture series

Addressing the controversial issues of religion and atheism, the Pittsburg State University Arts and Sciences Lecture Series will offer “How Not to Be an Atheist: A Neoclassical Response to the New Atheism,” at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in Grubbs Hall Room 109.

Don Viney, a philosophy professor in the Department of Social Sciences, will deliver the lecture. He explained that the topic comes at a time when books promoting atheism and the shortcomings of religion are at the top of bestseller lists. “They claim that a commitment to science, reason, and morality is inconsistent with theism,” said Viney. He will discuss the political role of this religious movement as well as its philosophical weaknesses.

This lecture will conclude the 2007-08 series and is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served preceding the lecture at 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Viney at 620-235-4325.

---Pitt State---

Eating disorder expert to speak on prevention

An expert on eating disorders and how they can be prevented will give an important presentation this week at Pittsburg State University.

Laura Eickman, a psychologist at Renew, an eating disorder recovery clinic in Olathe, Kan. will present “The Changing Face of Eating Disorders – Implications for Education and Prevention,” from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, at the Balkans Room in the Overman Student Center.

Dr. Eickman, who received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Baylor University, provides individual and group therapy for those with eating and body image issues. She has had a special interest in the field of eating disorders since her undergraduate years, and has coordinated campus-wide eating disorders education and prevention efforts. She has also developed peer education program for college students and has spoken to a wide variety of audiences on health and wellness topics.

Sponsored by Student Prevention and Wellness and Gorillas in Your Midst, the free event is open to the PSU community and general public. For more information, contact J.T. Knoll at 620-235-4062 or at

jknoll@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Kansas Attorney General to speak at White Ribbon Campaign

Pittsburg State University will welcome a very special guest this week in recognition of April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Kansas Attorney General Stephen N. Six will speak to the PSU community at 11 a.m. on Friday, April, 4, during the university’s White Ribbon Campaign on the PSU Oval. Sponsored by Students Against Violence through Education (SAVE), Men for Violence Prevention (MVP) and the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), audience members will receive white ribbons and information on domestic violence and rape.

The White Ribbon Campaign began in 1991 as the world’s largest effort by men to end men’s violence against women.

The organizations have also scheduled other events in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Please mark your calendar for the following events:

Thursday, April 10, 7-10 p.m. – “Take Back the Night.” Sponsored by Women’s Studies, the event includes a candlelight vigil, march, and guest speaker. Held across the world, the event, which brings awareness to violence against women, is open to the community, students and faculty members.

Wednesday, April 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – “Walk a Day in Her Shoes.” Male students, faculty and staff are invited to wear women’s shoes throughout the day as a way to signify what it would be like to be in a woman’s “shoes” – especially women who are victims of rape or sexual assault.

Wednesday, April 30, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – “Stats and Dogs in the Oval.” Come by the Oval and receive information with statistics on sexual assault, rape, and gender-based violence. Read the information back to a member of SAVE, MVP or SART, and receive a free grilled hot dog.

For more information on events scheduled to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month, contact Donna Miller at 417-684-0280.

---Pitt State---

Concert features British trombonist

A recital featuring British trombonist Jonathan Warburton is next on tap for the Pittsburg State University Department of Music.

With a reputation as one of England’s most versatile bass trombonists, Warburton is a member of the British Trombone Society who tours across the world giving performances of his work. After graduating from music school with a first class honors degree in bass trombone, he spent two years with the National Youth Wind Orchestra and performed with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra. His musical compositions are published by Warwick Music of Coventry, England. His CD “Moving On” is also available through Warwick.

The free concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, at McCray Hall on the campus of PSU.

Warburton will be accompanied by pianist Tate Addis. The program will include works that are U.S. premiers, world premiers, or works premiered on his current tour, as well as works from established brass composers.

For more information, contact the Department of Music at 620-235-4466.

---Pitt State---

SIFE heading to national competition

It looks like practice has paid off.

After months of preparation including a recent presentation for area business owners, Students in Free Enterprise at Pittsburg State University have taken first place at the regional competition.

The competition was held Thursday in Rogers, Ark. More than 30 teams from higher education institutions competed, with PSU taking first place in their league. The PSU SIFE group will travel to Chicago to compete in the national competition May 12-15. If they win at nationals, they will represent the U.S. against 40 other countries at the world competition.

“We have a great team and worked really hard on this,” said Adam Contreras, SIFE president. “Not a lot of people know what SIFE is, so it gives us good exposure on a different level.”

One of the leading student business groups on campus, SIFE sponsors a number of activities throughout the year. Their current presentation focuses on a few of these – including Project Turnaround, where students go into a local correctional facility and speak with prisoners about job opportunities and personal success skills; Just Imagine World, an event that shows elementary students how to be buyers in the world market; this past spring’s Russia trip in which SIFE students made ethics presentations to Russian businesses; and their work creating a business plan for PSU’s Nanotechnology Program.

For more information, contact Robyn Hess, SIFE adviser, at 620-235-4596 or at rkhess@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

PSU grad accepts leading role with Chicago Symphony

Department of Music graduates from Pittsburg State University seem to be on a winning streak.

Ni Mei, who earned her bachelor’s degree in music in 2003, recently earned a Violin I chair with the Chicago Symphony. Mei, who is originally from China, earned a master’s degree at Rice University in Houston after finishing at PSU. She later won a chair with the Detroit Symphony and had been performing with that group.

While at Pitt State, she was named multiple times as the winner of the Southeast Kansas Concerto and Aria Competition. She also served as concert mistress for the SEK Symphony.

During her recent multi-day audition with the Chicago Symphony, Mei was directed by Maestro Piere Boulez. She notified her former PSU faculty recently in an e-mail that she had been offered the position.

“I sat still in the dressing room they put me in after I played, and tried to breathe under my fast-beating heart,” she wrote. “The maestro himself offered me the position and here I am, re-living the moment ever since.”

Mei is relocating to Chicago, where she will begin her new position in July.

“For us, this is comparable to an athlete getting signed on by a professional team,” said Stella Hastings, a PSU music professor and conductor of the SEK Symphony. “She is an absolutely amazing performer. We are very happy for her.”

---Pitt State---

AxeDigital puts photos online

A new project at Pittsburg State University’s Axe Library is opening some of the library’s resources to anyone with access to the Internet. AxeDigital launched this week with two photographic collections pertaining to life in Southeast Kansas.

The Ira Clemens Photo Album is a collection of photographs and postcards compiled by Ira Clemens in 1923. The Gordon Parks Collection contains selected photographs relating to the filming of “The Learning Tree.”

"AxeDigital will allow the entire world to access some of the hidden treasures of PSU's Special Collections through the Internet," said Robert Walter, dean of Learning Resources. “The first two collections that are available for viewing now are the beginnings of what we hope will become a large collection of digitized information from Axe Library Special Collections.”

Randy Roberts, curator of Special Collections, said Janette Mauk, senior administrative assistant; Morgan McCune, cataloging librarian; and David Nance, library systems manager, did the work of digitizing and organizing the collections and providing the technology needed to put the collections online.

Additional collections will be added over time, Roberts said.

For information, visit AxeDigital at http://axedigital.pittstate.edu/ or call Axe Library Special Collections at 620-235-4880.

At right: A photo of Gordon Parks, and an image of Carona, Kan., both from the new online collection.

---Pitt State---

PSU grad takes on lead role at the Met

When the lead tenor for Saturday’s performance of “Tristan and Isolde” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera accidently fell into the prompter’s pit this week, it looked like bad news for the show.

But what tragedy befell that performer has opened a window of opportunity for a Pittsburg State University graduate.

Robert Dean Smith has been selected to fill in as the lead role of Tristan, telling the story of the character’s mystical journey of “love, sex, and death” in the five-hour performance. This week, the Metropolitan flew Smith in from his home in Germany to sing at the matinee. Smith’s upcoming performance was first published in the New York Times in an article detailing the various accidents that have happened to Metropolitan Opera performers.

Smith, who studied at Julliard after finishing at PSU, has traveled around the world, performing in operas and developing a long resume of acclaimed performances. Saturday’s stint will be his debut at the Met.

The performance will be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. eastern time and can be heard in Missouri on radio stations 88.7 FM (Joplin), 96.3 FM (Lebanon), 88.5 FM (Rolla), 99.1 FM (St. Louis), 105.5 FM (El Dorado Springs). In Kansas, it will be broadcast on 90.9 FM (Great Bend/Hays), 90.1 FM (Hutchinson), 1660 AM (Mission/Kansas City), and 89.5 (Salina/Manhattan).

For more information on Smith and to hear his vocal performances, visit his Web site at http://www.robertdeansmith.com/.

---Pitt State---

National evangelical tour to stop at PSU

One of the nation’s top touring campus ministry groups is making a stop at Pittsburg State University.

“AFTERdark,” an evening of music, motivation, and evangelism geared toward college students, will begin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in the Weede Physical Education Building. The event will include music from country group Blue County, and will feature national guest speaker and author Joe White.

White, who lives in Branson, Mo., tours the country with “AFTERdark,” speaking to millions of people about Christianity. He has founded 19 schools and an orphanage in Haiti, and is the founder of Kanakuk Kamps, which has hosted more than 20,000 campers from all over the world.

The free event is open to the public and is being sponsored by PSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Cross Quest, and Campus Christians.

For more information, contact Charlie Bailes at 620-215-2276, or visit http://whatsafterdark.com/.

---Pitt State---

Acclaimed novelist to give reading from fiction

In recognition of Women’s History Month, acclaimed novelist Amanda Eyre Ward (www.amandaward.com) will read selections from her fiction pieces as guest of the Distinguished Visiting Writers series at Pittsburg State University.

The reading will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, in the Governor’s Room of Overman Student Center. A reception will be held in the Heritage Room following the reading.

Ward is the author of multiple novels including 2003’s “Sleep Toward Heaven,” a stunning depiction of women on death row, which won the Violet Crown Book Award and was optioned for film by Sandra Bullock and Fox Searchlight. Her second novel, “How to be Lost,” was published in 2004 and selected as a Target Bookmarked pick. It has been published in 15 countries.

Her most recent novel, 2007’s “Forgive Me,” was researched by Ward in Cape Town, South Africa. She received a starred review from “Booklist” for the “precisely powerful novel.” Ward, who earned her MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Montana, has also had short stories published in “Zoetrope,” “Mississippi Review,” and “Tin House.”

The reading is sponsored by the PSU English Department, the Student Fee Council, and the Women’s Studies Program.

---Pitt State---

Professor discusses gender discrimination in academics

An examination of gender discrimination in academic environments will be the topic of Pittsburg State University’s next Tilford Group Lecture Series.

Scheduled to commemorate Women’s History Month, the lecture by Dr. Browyn Conrad, associate professor of sociology and director of the Women’s Studies Program at PSU, will focus on the types of gender discrimination and its repercussions through “Gender Discrimination in Academe: Its Forms and Consequences.” The lecture will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, in the Governor’s Room of the Student Center.

Conrad specializes in gender and social movements and teaches courses in racial-ethnic, socio-economic and gender-based inequalities, sexualities, and global women’s issues.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

---Pitt State---

Commissioner meets with educators, students

Dr. Alexa Posny, the Kansas commissioner of education, got “a full dose” of Southeast Kansas today, according to Dr. Andy Tompkins, dean of the PSU College of Education.

Tompkins, who also served as commissioner of education, said he knows first hand how hard it is for the commissioner to visit all areas of the state and he wanted to make sure Posny, who was appointed to her position last year, got to know Southeast Kansas.

Tompkins had a full day planned for the commissioner. They began at the Southeast Kansas Education Center at Greenbush. From there, the commissioner headed to Pittsburg State University where she visited with student teachers. A luncheon with area school officials followed and the day concluded with a visit to the Family Resource Center in Pittsburg.

“I think the commissioner had a very good day,” Tompkins said.

He was especially pleased with the meeting the commissioner had with student teachers.

“She talked about a wide range of important issues like teacher recruitment and retention, quality education in rural and urban communities, and the No Child Left Behind legislation,” Tompkins said. “Then she left time for questions from the students and they had lots. It is a great opportunity for young teachers to have an opportunity to hear from and to ask questions of the commissioner of education.”

---Pitt State---

SIFE plans presentation for area business leaders

More than 50 Pittsburg-area business owners have been invited to serve as a captive audience Thursday night to one of PSU’s leading student groups as they attempt to climb their way to the nationals.

The Pittsburg State University chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) will deliver a special presentation covering their work in the local community and beyond at 7:30 p.m. in Room 112 of Kelce Hall. The 25-minute presentation is a practice run for the group’s regional presentation, which they will deliver March 27 in Rogers, Ark. Winners of the regional presentation are selected to go to nationals.

On Thursday evening, eight students from SIFE will discuss some of the group’s outreach projects including Just Imagine World, an event that shows elementary students how to be buyers in the world market; this spring’s Russia trip in which SIFE students made ethics presentations to Russian businesses; and their work creating a business plan for PSU’s Nanotechnology Program.

For more information, contact Robyn Hess, SIFE adviser, at 620-235-4596 or at rkhess@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Frieden to lead new Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology

Dr. Brenda Frieden, associate professor in the Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies, has been named the director of the newly created Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology. In SSLS, Frieden has been director of educational technology, Blackboard administrator, and co-program director for the Educational Technology Graduate Degree Program.

Dr. Steve Scott, vice president for academic affairs, said “Brenda has developed positive and collaborative relationships across the entire campus and has become the ‘go to’ person when it comes to instructional technology issues. I’m anxious to see her leverage her experiences and knowledge into increased support of our campuswide efforts to create contemporary learning environments, enhance the support we offer teaching faculty, and energize our transition from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. I believe she is well qualified to help us do just that.”

The goals for the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology include providing leadership in support of the application of educational technologies; the coordination of the delivery of high-quality faculty development that advances teaching effectiveness; oversight of the media used in the delivery of distance education; and technical assistance in support of instructional technologies.

Frieden will begin her duties on June 2.

---Pitt State---

Band concert features new winds group

Showcasing the newest addition to the music family, the Pittsburg State University band program will perform its second concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, at McCray Recital Hall.

The concert will be performed by the newly formed PSU Chamber Winds, a highly select ensemble of the finest wind and percussion students at PSU. The repertoire will include full ensemble pieces, smaller works for mixed ensembles, and special performances by the PSU Percussion Ensemble and PSU Saxophone Quartet.

The program will include “Fanfare from La Peri,” by Paul Dukas; “Overture for Winds,” by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy; “Old Wine in New Bottles,” by Gordon Jacob; “Old Home Days,” by Charles Ives; and “Overture in C,” by Charles Catel.

Admission is free and the concert is open to the public.

For more information, contact the Department of Music at 620-235-4466.

---Pitt State---

Safe Spring Break week offers insightful entertainment

The semester is beginning to move quickly – but with Spring Break just a week away, Pittsburg State University is taking time to make sure students get the message to make it a safe one.

The PSU Substance Abuse Focus Group is hosting a week of activities March 10-14 to recognize Safe Spring Break Week. This year’s theme is “Snapshot of a Safe Spring Break.” Each day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Safe Spring Break kits will be distributed on the Oval or at the Student Center by Gorillas in Your Midst – Peer Health Education.

Additional activities for each day are as follow:

Monday, March 10:
3-4 p.m. – Safe Spring Break Sidewalk Chalk contest on the Oval. Students can win up to $100 gift certificates. Contestants must sign up by 2:45 p.m. Sponsored by SAFG.

7 p.m. – KC Salsa will be held in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom. Students are invited to come learn to Salsa dance like the pros. Sponsored by the Student Activities Council.

Tuesday, March 11:
7 p.m. – Speaker Rick Barnes will present “Drink Think for Spring Break,” in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom. Sponsored by Greek Council, Student Prevention & Wellness, Gorillas in Your Midst, University Athletics, and Student Health Services.

Wednesday, March 12:
5 p.m. – Free BBQ and miniature golf will be offered at Shelter #3 in Pittsburg’s Lincoln Park. The food is sponsored by Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol (GAMMA). Golf is sponsored by Gorillas in Your Midst.

Thursday, March 13:
7:30 p.m. – The popular game show “Family Feud,” will be held at Dillinger Hall in the underground level. Free door prizes and gift certificates to area restaurants and stores will be distributed. Sponsored by the Residence Hall Assembly.

For more information, contact J.T. Knoll, PSU prevention and wellness coordinator, at 620-235-4062.

---Pitt State---

SAE plans car show

The Pittsburg State University student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) will host their eighth annual car show on April 19th at Gorilla Village, just east of Carnie Smith Stadium on the PSU campus. Registration will run from 8-10 a.m. Awards will be presented at 2 p.m. The show is free to the public. Persons wishing to register a car to show must pay a $10 registration fee.

Auto classes will be: Muscle (1974 and older), Classic Hot Rod, Tuner, Original, and Late Model (1975-Present). Specialty awards will be presented to Best in show, Engine, and paint. First second, and third place winners will receive trophies. Winners of the specialty awards will receive a trophy as well.

In addition to classic ‘60s music, the event will also feature refreshments and barbecue provided by the SAE Mini-Baja chapter.

For more information, visit the car show Web site at http://www.pittstate.edu/autotech/carshow.html, or call 620-235-4198.

---Pitt State---

Student Activities Council hosts Easter Egg Hunt

Children from across the community will get their one-on-one time with the Easter Bunny this weekend as Pittsburg State University students host the annual campus Easter Egg Hunt.

The hunt for candy-filled eggs begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, on the PSU Oval. All children 12 and under are invited to attend the free event, which is sponsored by the Student Activities Council.

For more information, contact the PSU SAC at 620-235-4801 or e-mail sac@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Patrons get taste of the world at International Food and Culture Fair

If you’ve ever been curious about Russia’s cuisine or the ethnic entertainment of Asia but lacked the funds for a transcontinental plane ticket, this weekend may offer the experience of a lifetime.

The Pittsburg State University International Food and Culture Fair will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium. Students from Paraguay, Korea, Russia, China, Kenya, India, and Japan will be presenting traditional dishes for sample and for sale.

In addition to the food, students will be selling jewelry, crafts, and other items native to their countries. The fair will also feature ethnic entertainment including dancing and singing. Organizers are anticipating 200-300 visitors from the PSU community and Pittsburg area.

For more information, contact Meltem Tugut, International program coordinator, at mtugut@pittstate.edu or at 620-235-4680.

---Pitt State---

SGA candidate orientation meetings held this week

Open meetings for students interested in running for a spot in the Student Government Association will be held this week at Pittsburg State University.

The SGA elections, which are scheduled for April 14-18, give students the opportunity to select who they want to lead the student body. The association is made up of a president, vice president, and 32 senators. Students interested in running do not need to be a current member of SGA.

Mandatory candidate orientation meetings will be held at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, and at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 6. The meetings will take place in the Balkans Room of the Overman Student Center. Students interested in running must attend one of these two meetings, and must meet the academic requirements to run. If a student cannot attend a meeting, they must contact the Elections Board to set up an alternate meeting time.

For more information on election requirements and the spring campaign and schedule, contact the SGA office at 620-235-4810 or e-mail pittstatesga@yahoo.com.

---Pitt State---

PSU Theatre presents urban fantasy drama

Pittsburg State University Theatre will present Jose Rivera's "Marisol," an apocalyptic urban fantasy about the search for compassion on Earth, at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 6-8, at Grubbs Hall Theatre.

The play tells the story of Marisol Perez, a young professional who numbly lives a fearful modern life in the dangerous Bronx neighborhood of her childhood. Marisol is joyful to discover her guardian angel until she angel informs her that she can no longer serve as Marisol's protector because she is leading the Heavenly Hierarchy in a revolution against God.

While the play has a religious backdrop, director Gil Cooper says, 'Marisol' is not about religion. It is a deeply spiritual play, but at its heart it is about people connecting with other people. The play is intended for mature audiences only and has a suggested rating of 'R' for strong language, violence and adult situations.

Tickets are $8 for the general public, $6 for faculty and staff, $5 for those under 17 and over 65, and free for PSU students with a valid ID. Tickets are available at the PSU Ticket Office in the Overman Student Center or at the door 30 minutes prior to curtain. Reservations are encouraged.

---Pitt State---

World-traveling PSU grad to speak at Apple Day

Maggie Fleming’s life has been anything but typical since receiving her degree from Pittsburg State University.

The featured speaker of the 2008 Apple Day convocation, Fleming (BA ’01) was not long ago just like the students she will be addressing this week. But it is what she has done with her time since finishing her coursework at Pitt State that has kept people talking.

A native of Pittsburg, Fleming has spent much of the last seven years between Africa, Europe and the United States. In Africa, she served as a Community Health and AIDS Prevention volunteer with the Peace Corps in Togo, and as an administrator and human resource assistant for a local NGO (non-governmental organization) in Tanzania. She also worked as a support-base manager/report writer for the Swiss NGO Medair in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2005, Fleming received her master’s degree in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. During her research, she spent more than six weeks between Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Congo looking at the reintegration process women and children go through after having been raped in war-torn countries.

In the United States, she has worked in numerous jobs and trades – from a counselor at a camp for the elderly/disabled to a substitute teacher to a volunteer track coach. Currently, she is serving on Sen. Sam Brownback’s foreign policy team in Washington, D.C. In his office, she serves as an aide and assistant on issues such as human trafficking, global health, religious freedoms, and human rights.

Fleming will speak on the day’s theme, “One Gorilla Makes a Difference,” at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at McCray Recital Hall. For more information, contact Edie McCracken at 620-235-4794.

---Pitt State---

Distinguished Service Award recipients to be honored

On Apple Day this Thursday, March 6, the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations will honor three longtime supporters of Pittsburg State University with the Dr. Ralf J. Thomas Distinguished Service Award. The award is given annually to recipients who are identified as being significant supporters of the university and its programs, projects and services. A public reception will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Wilkinson Alumni Center on the campus of PSU to honor the recipients. They will then be recognized in front of PSU students, faculty and staff at Apple Day convocation beginning at 3 p.m. in McCray Recital Hall.

This year’s recipients are:

Tom E. Beal is the CEO and president of Beal Properties, Inc., a commercial real estate investment company in Kansas City. Beal graduated from Pitt State in 1952 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication. During his time at PSU, he served as manager of the student radio studios, where he oversaw live broadcasts. After college, he worked in sales for KLWN in Lawrence, Kan. At age 26, he founded the Kansas City radio station KBEA, and in 1991 built KFEZ Radio. He later sold the stations in order to invest in commercial real estate.

Beal serves on the PSU Foundation Board of Trustees and is a lifetime member of the PSU Presidents Society, as well as instrumental in the formation of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter at PSU. He is a past winner of the PSU Meritorious Achievement Award. Since 2000, Beal has served on the St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation Board, and is also past-president of the Kansas City, Mo., Rotary Club. He is on the steering committee of the upcoming Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in Kansas City. Upon completion in 2010, the $340 million center is expected to be the largest performing arts complex in the world.

Beal and his wife, Melinda, established the Melinda and Tom Beal Broadcasting Scholarship, as well as the Dr. Robertson Strawn Broadcasting Scholarship. They have three children, Perry, Christopher, and Elizabeth.

Ken and Debbie Brock are the owners of Names and Numbers, a telephone directory company based in Pittsburg that employs 300 people and serves more than 4 million residents. Ken got his start in the industry as a yellow pages salesman for his father’s business, Brock Publishing Co. In 1974, he purchased a fledging company out of Springfield, Mo., and brought it to Pittsburg, forming it into Names and Numbers. Today he serves as CEO of K.W. Brock Directories.

Ken has served as chairman of the board for the Association of Directory Publishers and is on the board of trustees at Mt. Carmel Medical Center. He is on the advisory board for the Kelce School of Business at PSU and is a director of University National Bank in Pittsburg.

Debbie, a 1980 graduate of Iowa State University, has served as vice-president of K.W. Brock Directories for the past 25 years. She serves on the board of directors for both the PSU Foundation as well as the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas. She also serves on the board of directors for the Colonial Fox Foundation and Friends of Cedar Crest.

The Brocks are avid supporters of PSU and provided a lead gift for the PSU Veterans Memorial.

Ken and Debbie have two sons, Ron and Bob. Among their many adventurous activities, each member of the family is a pilot. The Brocks are very active as youth leaders at First Baptist Church in Pittsburg.

---Pitt State---