The Lindenwood Connection
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A l u m n i CONNECTION THE PUBLICATION OF THE LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION [SPRING 2007] Evans Named 21st Lindenwood University President James D. Evans, Ph.D. has been selected “Throughout its growth and maturation by the Lindenwood University Board of process, Lindenwood has never abandoned Directors as the 21st president of the 180- its original mission,” said Evans. “At the year-old liberal arts university. heart of today’s Lindenwood University is the gracious personality of the small The announcement was made by Board college that helped shape the American of Directors Chairman Jim J. Shoemake frontier.” after Lindenwood’s February 9, 2007, board meeting. Since becoming president, Evans has placed a heavy emphasis on communicating “The board overwhelmingly approves the success of Lindenwood’s strong of the job Dr. Evans has done as acting academics. He has also taken steps to president,” said Shoemake. “He is improve campus life for resident students committed to educational excellence and to and increase Lindenwood’s profile in the Dr. James D. Evans presided over his first commence- our values-based mission. We are confident community. He is currently overseeing ment exercises as president of Lindenwood University that, under his leadership, Lindenwood the final stages of implementing new on May 18 and 19. He was named president by the Board of Directors on Feb. 9, 2007. will continue to prosper and expand its information technology degrees and academic reputation across the country and installing high-tech equipment at around the world.” Lindenwood’s main campus and extended “I have dedicated my sites. professional life to Lindenwood, Evans became acting president in August 2006 upon the death Dennis C. Spellmann, In addition, Lindenwood has begun and the university has become who had served as Lindenwood president construction of two new residence halls on an integral part of my life. since 1990. Evans has been employed Evans’ watch as president. Construction at Lindenwood for 33 years. He was a should take about a year and will allow I cannot imagine doing anything psychology professor for 21 years before students living in houses across First but continuing to serve becoming dean of social sciences. He was Capitol Drive to move to the dorms. Those this outstanding institution.” later appointed dean of sciences, dean of houses are being considered for demolition faculty and provost. to make way for a new shopping center. Dr. Evans chats with students at the start of the “I am pleased and honored that the board Evans earned his Ph.D. in research semester. has given me this great responsibility,” said psychology in 1974 from Iowa State Evans. “I have dedicated my professional University. He received a master’s degree life to Lindenwood, and the university has in psychology from Iowa State and a become an integral part of my life. I cannot bachelor’s degree in psychology from imagine doing anything but continuing to Geneva College in Pennsylvania. He is a serve this outstanding institution.” member of the St. Charles Optimist Club and serves on the education committee of Evans said his presidency will place a Partners for Progress. strong emphasis on academics, technology and community partnerships, as well as the university’s mission. 1 Lindenwood University’s Annual Honors Convocation is on the Move The formal springtime academic award ceremony has outgrown Lindenwood’s Cultural Center on North Kingshighway. LU’s academic administration plans to move the event to the new 1,200-seat auditorium inside Lindenwood’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. The 138,000 square foot facility is scheduled to open in the spring of 2008. Honors Convocation is an event that each year spotlights top students for exemplary scholarship and service. Besides recognizing students involved in an assortment of academic and service societies, more than 50 students are recognized with individual honors awards. Julie Mueller, Lindenwood’s vice president for Rebecca Panagos, a professor in the Education operations and finance, speaks at the Honors Division at Lindenwood, presented the Richard and In addition to the growth in the number of Convocation prior to presenting the Mueller Graduate Karen Boyle Special Education Award to student participants at Honors Convocation, the Award in Health Management to Jaenoini Castillo for Jana Nolan. The award was established by Richard seating capacity at the Cultural Center was her achievements in the study of health management. Boyle, vice president for human resources and dean reduced recently due to construction of a of faculty, and his wife Karen, who is a former special larger stage. The Cultural Center now seats education teacher. 600, and President James D. Evans says next year’s Honors Convocation crowd could easily surpass 800. New Booklet Stresses Quality Academics “Moving to our new fine and performing This spring, the university published popular in the admissions office as a arts building will give the Honors a booklet highlighting its many strong recruiting piece. Convocation room to grow,” said Evans. academic programs. Titled “Academics: “Next to commencement, this is about Good Theories for Life,” the booklet has “We’re already working on the second the most important event we hold at a wide distribution and will be printed edition,” said Provost Jann Weitzel, who Lindenwood. We want family members and annually. coordinated development of the booklet. friends to be able to attend and support our students.” “Good Theories for Life” was developed by President James D. Evans to showcase the quality academics at Lindenwood. Evans said the university “has always done a good Want to leave a lasting job telling everyone about its growth and impression in the new construction, but needed a stronger Lindenwood emphasis placed on core academics.” “Walk of Honor”? The booklet has an introductory page addressing general education, class sizes Please consider an and qualified faculty and devotes two pages engraved brick paver to each academic division, highlighting that will remain a part successful students as well as faculty of the campus walkways members. “Academics: Good Theories for Life” was published and commemorate an in the spring of 2007 to showcase Lindenwood’s exceptional accomplishment. “Good Theories for Life” is being excellent academic programs. The booklet has distributed to key friends, donors and been distributed throughout the higher education Contact Alumni Director corporate leaders, as well as in higher community. Katy Montgomery at education circles throughout the Midwest. (636) 949-4975 In addition, the booklet has proven quite with inquiries. 2 Alumni Merit Award Winners Were Buddies in Cobbs Hall Like many friends who met in college, cleaning and even delivery of dinners to the Renee Knobbe and Debbie Civey, this site for parents to take home. year’s Alumni Merit Award winners, lived in the same residence hall. In fact, Civey “As a working mother, Debbie has brought was a resident assistant in Cobbs Hall and a lot of great perspective on things we can met Knobbe in the course of administering do to make families’ lives easier,” Knobbe her duties. said. “I had to go down and tell her that she was Knobbe and Civey said they were both playing her music a little too loud,” Civey active at Lindenwood as students; they were said. cheerleaders and participated in numerous activities and organizations. Today, the From that inauspicious beginning, the two Lindenwood connection is still strong. would forge a lasting friendship and today Knobbe teaches classes in early childhood are the owners and operators of a successful education in the summer, and many Little business, Little Guppy Child Development Guppy teachers attend or have attended Center in St. Charles. Knobbe, who holds a Renee Knobbe (left) and Debbie Civey are recipients Lindenwood on a tuition break known as bachelor’s degree in psychology (’94) and a of the 2007 Alumni Merit Award. The two, who were the Guppy Grant. Additionally, Lindenwood master’s degree in professional counseling friends at Lindenwood, are owners of Little Guppy education students are allowed to come to (’99), runs the educational side of the Child Development Center in St. Charles. They are the center to observe. center while Civey, who has a bachelor’s in pictured in front of a wall of tiles that includes the business administration (’94), handles the names and hand or foot prints of the children who Both women say they are excited at how financial side. attended the center when it opened. Lindenwood has grown and blossomed 172 children, is at capacity; the two are in recent years, stating that visitors to the “Debbie brings the total business aspect,” looking into acquiring or building new campus who have not come by recently Knobbe said. “She is an expert at putting centers in St. Charles County. What makes would be surprised to see the growth that dollar signs to my ideas.” Little Guppy successful, they say, is their has occurred there. educational philosophy, which values the Similarly, Civey says that it is Knobbe’s children, families and staff equally. As for their own business, Knobbe and ideas that have made Little Guppy thrive Civey know something about growth. and be successful. In addition to cutting edge techniques in child development, the center offers “This has grown into something “She has wonderful dreams for children, services designed to make family life easier, unbelievable,” Civey said. “We will keep it and she has realized them,” Civey said. including things like haircuts on site for the growing with additional centers. This will children, pick-up and drop-off of dry go on well beyond us.” Little Guppy opened in September of 1997. Knobbe, who had spent years working in child development centers, had the Student Newspaper Debuts opportunity to buy the center at which she was working, which was in a renovated 100-year-old building in St.