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Distinguished Alumni AwardLockwood is a prolific teacher, researcher and scholar who is a member of the faculty at Stanford University, in addition to serving as the education coordinator for the former American Language and Culture undergraduate summer program and on numerous boards and professional organizations.
She began her professional career in St. Louis as a product consultant, editor and senior editor for both McGraw-Hill and Elsevier, leading the publication of several best-selling college textbooks. In addition to developing manuscripts, she mentored new editors, managed financials and marketing teams, and presented books and teacher training materials at education conferences and universities around the country. She also taught classes in St. Louis at Parkway Adult Education, teaching English and job skills to refugees, immigrants and new citizens.
In 2007, Lockwood accepted an offer to join the faculty in the Division of Literatures, Cultures and Languages at Stanford University. She teaches English courses in speaking, presenting and writing to international master’s and Ph.D. candidates. For the American Language and Culture summer program, she brought more than 100 students from universities in Asia to Stanford annually for an intensive language and culture program. A firm believer in writing across the curriculum, she works closely with the law, engineering and business schools at Stanford, giving talks on writing tone, style, clarity and publishing. She also serves as a writing consultant to help students publish their articles, dissertations and books.
In constant demand as a writer, editor, lecturer and conference speaker, she has authored more than 80 textbooks, teaching methodology books and online courses for publishers including Pearson Education, Cambridge University Press, University of Michigan Press, National Geographic Learning, Macmillan Education and Oxford University Press. She has authored more than 20 journal articles and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) publications and edited more than 50 textbooks. She has given more than 100 presentations in the United States and internationally.
Lockwood is a member of several professional organizations and a recipient of numerous awards.
Since moving to Stanford, she was a recipient of the Knight Favorite Professor Award for eight consecutive years from 2008 to 2015, and she was recognized at Stanford’s Division of Arts and Humanities Publications Ceremony for nine consecutive years from 2011 to 2019. She was named to the Top 50 College Educators Leading Flipped Learning list and the Flipped Learning Standards Board in 2018. Two of her textbooks have been nominated for the ElTons international awards given annually by the British Council to recognize and celebrate innovation in the field of English Language Teaching.
Distinguished Faculty AwardSince joining the Northwest faculty in 2013, Kiene, an associate professor of professional education, has taught undergraduate and graduate courses related to visionary school leadership, data literacy for schools, education philosophy, multiculturalism in education, curriculum and change management in education.
Kiene advises master’s degree students in education leadership, evaluates student assessments for specialist and master’s degrees, supervises student teachers, trains practicum students for tutoring experiences and participates in multiple Northwest student recruitment programs. He has served as coordinator of the master’s degree program in educational leadership, chair of the School of Education’s Diversity Committee, interim principal at Horace Mann Laboratory School and assistant director of the School of Education. He also organized a practicum experience with the English as a Secondary Language program to offer a diverse experience for teacher candidates that included international student speakers for classes and the creation of a buddy program.
He has served on committees and task forces charged with coordinating University lectures, program improvement, curriculum and degree review, quality assurance for accreditation, and faculty hiring. As the School of Education’s representative for the Teaching and Learning Center’s Technology Committee, he trains colleagues on technology and how to use it in the classroom. He also has authored articles for The Northwest Missourian student newspaper about K-12 education and served as a Homecoming judge.
Beyond the Northwest campus, Kiene organizes observations for student experiences in Maryville and St. Joseph schools. In the Independence School District, he has created a capstone experience for secondary practicum students that partners them with a special education teaching candidate to present a lesson to diverse students. He coordinates observations at Kansas City East High School to observe in English Language Learner classrooms and special education classrooms. At Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, he organized a partnership for at-risk students to gain college credit while still in high school and coordinated mentoring opportunities and practicum experiences for teaching candidates.
In addition to regular participation in regional principal and superintendent meetings, he has served as an executive board member and president for the Missouri Professors of Educational Administration, as an evaluator for the Missouri School Leader Performance Assessment, and as a member of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Principal Work Group to evaluate and design rules and assessments for building level certification.
His presentations with colleagues at national, regional and state conferences have discussed rural teacher candidates’ changing perceptions toward teaching in racially diverse schools, tracking clinical experiences and principal certification in Missouri.
Distinguished Faculty Emeritus AwardEiswert served as a member of Northwest’s faculty for nearly 30 years until retiring in 2018 as an associate professor of philosophy. During his career and afterward, he has remained a tireless contributor to the life of the University and its community.
After teaching as an adjunct instructor, Eiswert moved into a full-time position in 1990 and remained active in what is now the Department of the Humanities and Social Sciences throughout his career. In addition to teaching honors courses, he was one of the first faculty to develop and teach online courses with Northwest’s EC+ program and later with early online applications in collaboration with the University’s Center for Information and Technology in Education (CITE).
He co-founded a chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, an international philosophy honor society; served as a faculty advisor for the Alpha Chi interdisciplinary honor society; and co-sponsored Sigma Pi Sigma, the society for presidential scholars. He co-created and served three years on the Steering Committee for the Celebration of Quality, a week dedicated to highlighting student achievements in research, visual and musical arts, film and paper presentations.
Additionally, he was active in Faculty Senate, serving on its Executive Committee for three years. He served as chair of the Student-Faculty Discipline Committee, participated in the Curriculum Committee and the College Honors Convocation Committee, and was the KQI Analysis team leader for his department. As a member of two strategic leadership teams, he was involved in the development of the University’s revised mission outcomes and their connection to extra-curricular programs. As a member of the Extended Leadership Team, he served as a voice for faculty during curricular and budgetary decisions.
Eiswert was recognized multiple times for excellence in teaching, including as a Teacher of the Year by Northwest’s Student Senate, as well as with a Tower Service Award, the CITE Award for Excellence in Instructional Technology and the Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001. In 2017, he was honored by Northwest’s College of Arts and Sciences with a Faculty Excellence Award for Service in recognition of his contributions in numerous capacities and as a steadying voice on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. In 2018, the Faculty Senate presented him with its Meritorious Award for his distinguished career and dedication as an educator, mentor and citizen.
After retiring from Northwest, Eiswert headed the creation of the Northwest Retiree Association, which began meeting formally in 2018. His contagious enthusiasm fueled the organization of a Board of Directors, officers, a constitution and regular social activities.
Since retirement Jim has been continued working with St Gregory’s Manna Kitchen, weekly preparing meals for the needy, Prison Ministry at Maryville Treatment Center, Mosaic Hospice Care, and assisting with Funeral liturgies at St Gregory’s. In addition, he is a participant in an Interfaith Book Club.
Honorary Alumni AwardFitzSimmons continues to leave his imprint on higher education in the Midwest as a donor and avid supporter of Northwest, among several other institutions, routinely promoting higher learning through a commitment to establishing and contributing to scholarship funds.
In collaboration with the Northwest Foundation, he set up the Mildred Galloway FitzSimmons Memorial Scholarship in honor of his mother, Mildred, a 1966 Northwest alumna, providing an endowed scholarship to Northwest education majors.
In addition to helping other alumni establish scholarship funds, Bob and his wife, Jan, honored a Northwest alumna by creating the Amy Munro-Kounovsky Scholarship for students pursuing degrees in corporate recreation and wellness. Munro-Kounovsky was Jan’s personal trainer for many years, and the scholarship was a unique wedding gift in her honor.
FitzSimmons’ passion for college scholarships began when her received a four-year scholarship from Structural Steel Company in St. Joseph, Missouri, to attend Kansas University, where he received a degree in business administration. As Jan received a nursing scholarship to attend South Dakota University, their collective experiences provided an understanding of the impact scholarships can have on a student’s life. FitzSimmons also lends financial support to a number of experiential educational activities at Kansas University and the University of Nebraska on an annual basis.
Furthering his education after serving as a procurement officer at Ellsworth Air Force Base, FitzSimmons received his Master of Business Administration degree in marketing from Northwestern University. During the next nearly 25 years he was a product manager at Quaker Oats, Miles Laboratories and Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. He retired at age 50 to pursue and practice for more than 35 years as a certified financial planner, primarily residing in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is the founder and owner of Lincoln-based FP Wealth Management. Inc., which serves more than 600 clients in 25 states.
He was honored in 2013 with the O.R. Frey Award from the Cornhusker Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for his numerous contributions to the association’s insurance and investment planning activities. He also was a founding national board member of the Financial Planning Association.
In addition to his involvement in the financial services industry, FitzSimmons has given back to the Lincoln community by serving as past president of his local Kiwanis Club and its foundation, past president of his church foundation, and he currently serves as vice chair of the state-owned Wyuka Cemetery and Funeral Home.
He donates his time, talent and resources to causes and community service organizations, including the TeamMates Mentoring Program and Junior Achievement of Lincoln, and he was co-chair of Lincoln Public Schools’ Middle School Student Housing Community Task Force.
Public Service AwardHibbeler graduated from Northwest with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast business. She resides in Kansas City, Missouri, where she is employed with KCTV5 as director of audience engagement and has contributed immeasurably to its people.
She has spent the majority of her career working in Kansas City television, starting as director of sales promotion at KSMO-TV in Kansas City. After a two-year stint as the executive director of the Kansas City Radio Broadcasters Association, she spent 18 years as an executive producer and community affairs director at WDAF-TV, the Fox affiliate in Kansas City. In 2023, she was named director of audience engagement at KCTV when that position was created specifically for her, based on her overwhelming success at WDAF.
At WDAF, Hibbeler was inspired to find support for school arts programs in need of assistance and co-founded Band of Angels with a local music company. Since then 2010, Band of Angels has collected thousands of instruments that have been provided to students and schools or transformed into pieces of art that are sold. The organization has raised more than $1.5 million to send youth to band camps, award scholarships and provide support in the pursuit of their musical interests.
Hibbeler also dedicated her support to Love Fund for Children as a vice president, secretary and executive board member. She has been a “wish granter” with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and serves on the board of the Southern Platte County Ambulance District. Through her professional and personal philanthropy interests, Hibbeler has helped raise more than $5 million for causes that also include COVID-19 relief, American Red Cross disaster relief, the Salvation Army, Variety Children’s Charity of Greater Kansas City, Parade of Hearts and Rotary International.
She has been honored by the National Association of Broadcasters with its Excellence in Community award. The Missouri Association of Broadcasters has honored her three times for public service campaigns and events, and the National Ad Council presented her with its Crystal Bell Award for a public service campaign. Her work has earned recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International and Philanthropist of the Year from Kansas City Homes and Gardens.
Hibbeler also is a recipient of two Emmys for public service and interactive media. Media Mix, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving advertising buyers and sellers in the Kansas City metropolitan area, has named her Promotions Professional of the Year, and the Kansas City Association of Broadcasters presented her with its Tony Jewell Community Award.
Turret Service AwardThe Kretzschmars are founding members of the St. Joseph Alumni and Friends Chapter and, for the last 16 years, have hosted its annual Bearcat Barn Party. The social gathering features food, games and auctions that have raised significant money for the chapter’s scholarship fund.
Additionally, Denise organized the chapter’s participation in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in St. Joseph for several years. Vic served as co-chair for the Chapter golf tournament, which also raised funds to help endow a scholarship.
The Kretzschmars have enjoyed renewing friendships and making new ones by traveling with the Tourin’ Bearcats to Panama, New York City and Iceland. Further, Denise has stayed connected to her Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sisters and continues to be instrumental in organizing gatherings in Maryville, St. Joseph and the Kansas City area.
As long-time members of the Bearcat Booster Club, the Kretzschmars have been football season ticket holders since moving back to the area after Vic’s retirement. They traveled with Bearcat fans to South Dakota and Indiana to share the excitement of the men’s basketball program’s appearances in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight tournament. Vic also enjoys playing in Northwest-sponsored golf tournaments.
Vic earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at Northwest. He was active with Sigma Tau Gamma, served on the Homecoming committee and was a member of the Bearcat baseball team. He also served as a graduate assistant and intramural director.
Denise, on her way to earning a bachelor’s degree in education, was a member of the Hudson Hall Council and served as its president. She was active with Sigma Sigma Sigma and served as its treasurer. Her other memberships included the American Home Economics Association; Kappa Omicron Phi, a home economics society for which she was secretary; Kappa Delta Phi, an international honor society for educators; and Embers, a leadership organization.
Vic and Denise met at Northwest and began their married life in 1971. The couple raised two daughters while their careers took them on a journey of Missouri until Vic retired in 2001. Vic was a high school teacher and coach at Smithville and East Buchanan and a high school principal at Sweet Springs and Palmyra before appointments as superintendent of schools in Adrian and Westran. Denise was a parent educator for the Parents as Teachers program in Adrian, a teacher for middle school home economics and at-risk students in Westran, and a tutor of English for speakers of other languages in St. Joseph, in addition to frequent substitute teaching.
Young Alumni AwardSince graduating from Northwest, Peterson has demonstrated his ability to excel in a variety of industries and roles, including his current role as strategic partnerships manager with Alliant Energy.
After stints with Seattle University, the American Cancer Society and National Kidney Foundation, Peterson joined the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) in 2016. There, he took existing federal transit programs and reframed them as workforce and economic development resources for local companies struggling with worker retention. He and his team at DART transformed the economic viability of more than a dozen rural and urban manufacturers in central Iowa. His efforts, along with his civic and community volunteer work, led to him being named the Des Moines Register’s Young Professional of the Year in 2017.
In 2019, Peterson moved to Alliant Energy to lead new programming and drive innovation. He has worked to integrate programs and partnerships to drive economic and community development. He oversees multiple projects in partnership with Iowa State University, including a Center for Industrial Research and Service that helps companies better understand and integrate industry 4.0 technologies. Peterson’s team at Alliant Energy works to promote the offerings and technical expertise Iowa State has to support the state’s manufacturing sector.
He also has led two major projects in collaboration with Iowa State University that have garnered national and international attention. The Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University is a public-private partnership focused on agrivoltaics, which involves growing crops under solar panels. Additionally, he spearheaded the creation of the Alliant Energy Agriculture Innovation Lab at the Iowa State University Research Park, which is a multi-tenant flagship facility driving ag tech innovation and fortifying the region as the epicenter for an ag tech ecosystem.
His work has earned him recognition among Business Record’s 40 under 40 and the Association for Commuter Transportation’s 40 under 40, as well as a Business Innovation of the Year award from the Iowa Environmental Council for the creation of the Alliant Energy Solar Farm.
Beyond his professional career, Peterson has devoted time to volunteerism, including almost a decade in leadership roles with the NAACP Des Moines Branch. He has shared his time with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and the Genesis Youth Foundation, which offers a variety of programming to help immigrant and refugee families in Iowa thrive. He spent five years as a board member with Des Moines Young Professional Connection and serves on the African American Museum of Iowa’s Board of Directors. Further, he has leaned on his own story of cancer survival to help raise funds and awareness for the John Stoddard Cancer Center and colorectal cancer awareness.
