• Five alumni of the Craig School of Business’s Applied Entrepreneurship program received five out of 11 awards at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory convention last fall:
    • Seeley Award: Cassandra Cyril ’07, Laughlin, Nevada; the Seeley Award is awarded to the store that demonstrates consistent execution of RMCF in-store cooking procedures. While the cooking techniques can be informative and entertaining, the primary emphasis should be in showmanship and product quality.
    • Online Brand Champion Award: Instagram: Lynn Eddinger, Tustin, California; awarded to the store that regularly posts not only RMCF products but promotions, and engages with people on their page in a timely manner. Utilizes promotional materials from RMCF, Inc. as well as professional images from Graphicsmaker, and the RMCF Images Library.
    • Outstanding Outside Sales Award: LaTricia Adkins’11, Fresno, California; awarded to the store that best demonstrates a consistent, strategic effort in the building of product sales through fundraising, corporate orders, special events and weddings. They represent the brand outside of their store with logo wear, RMCF brochures, business cards and samples. This store utilizes marketing and networking to drive authorized outside sales, and actively promotes its offering through various media in-store and online.
    • Rookie of the Year: Ross Theesen ’15; Coronado, New Mexico; awarded to the new owner that shows the most dedication to Five Commandments and the RMCF brand; actively communicates with Franchise Support and follows the instruction received during training. Since the entrepreneur program began in the Craig School of Business, six other store owners have earned Rookie of the Year honors.
    • Fudge for Troops 2016: Allie Canaday ’11, Lehi, Utah; 756 pounds of fudge donated to troops.
  • Mark B. Hamilton taught writing and literature at Missouri Western and retired in 2008 to pursue writing projects from his journey along the Lewis and Clark route. Hamilton undertook a three-year, 7,600-mile trek, traveling on Lewis and Clark’s approximate timetable, and just as they did, he traveled by paddle and pack mule. A magazine article about his journey is in the fall 2004 edition of the Missouri Western Magazine. Hamilton recently published “100 Miles of Heat,” a selection of poems, the first major publication from those efforts. The chapbook can be purchased at finishinglinepress.com.
  • The MT1 pilot program in 2015-16 that was taught by Gary Clapp, coordinator of Workforce Development and Grants Procurement in the Western Institute, received the first Think Ahead Award from the Heartland Foundation’s Think Ahead Forum in November 2016. The program is a course where students can earn a Manufacturing Technician Level 1 certificate. Dr. Clapp, in collaboration with several area businesses, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the St. Joseph School District, taught the first course in 2015-16 at Hillyard Technical Center in St. Joseph.
  • Natasha Oakes, associate director of Athletics for compliance/senior woman administrator, was named chair of the NCAA Legislative Committee for Division II athletics, which includes approximately 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States. She also had an article published in the NCAA Division II 2016 annual yearbook.
  • Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western president, will begin a term as chair of the NCAA Presidents Council in June 2017.
  • Griffon Yearbook students received a third place Best of Show Award at the 2016 Associate Collegiate Press convention in Washington, D.C. Also, students received the following awards at the 2016 College Media Association convention in Atlanta:
    • Abhash Shrestha, first place for Best TV Promo/PSA
    • Mochila Review, third place Best Podcast
    • Kiarash Abhari and Violetta Valeeva, first place News Package
    • Jeni Swope, second place Short Documentary
    • Brent Rosenauer, Jessica Kopp and Jake Dart, first place Onsite Conference Promo.

Additionally, students Jasmine Taylor and Bryant Scott, along with Yearbook Advisor Dr. James Carviou, presented a workshop that focused on best practice in cover design along with ways to digitally innovate college yearbooks.