Dr. Wenping Qiu is the director of the Center for Grapevine Biotechnology.

He was granted a patent for the Norton Blanc grapevine cultivar, a hybrid of the Norton and cabernet sauvignon grapevines.

“We’re over joyful,” he said. “It’s one of the two most significant achievements we’ve made for society — the other being our former discovery of a new grape virus.”

William H. Darr College of Agriculture Dean Dr. Melissa Bledsoe said the discovery is an exciting development that supports the grape and wine industry in Missouri and beyond.

“This new grape is a great achievement of the unique breeding and evaluation work at the Fruit Experiment Station,” she said. “Dr. Qiu’s efforts have paid off and we are excited to have this new option for growers.”

NORTON IS HARDY. CAB IS KNOWN FOR FLAVOR. NEW GRAPE COMBINES THEM

According to Qiu, the Norton grape survives and grows extremely well under high disease pressure and deep-freezing conditions.

Norton is the official grape of the state of Missouri and used in much of the area’s wine production.

Scientists wanted to introduce Norton’s good traits into a new grape that would combine the disease-resistance and cold-hardy traits, but have the favored flavors of cabernet sauvignon, the most widely grown grape.

Turns out, it was a 20-year process.

“We made the cross of Norton and cabernet sauvignon by pollinating Norton’s female flowers with cabernet sauvignon’s pollens in May 2005,” he said. “We planted 100 seedlings in 2006 and selected seven of them in 2011 for further evaluation. After five years, we found one new grape, coded as NC-6, that’s very promising. We made the first vintage of wine in 2016.”

Qiu said the researchers asked a small circle of friends and colleagues to taste the wine for four vintages — and they all liked it.

The team applied for the patent in September 2024, and it was granted just more than a year later.

“UNIQUE BERRY CHEMISTRY” LEADS TO GRAPE THAT MAKES WHITE WINE

Issued on Oct. 14 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent outlines the discovery.

It reads: “A new and distinct grapevine cultivar named Norton Blanc is provided. Norton Blanc was produced from a cross between ‘Norton’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapevines. ‘Norton Blanc’ produces a white berry that in turn is used to produce a unique and excellent white wine. Norton Blanc is distinguished by its production volume and consistency under the climate and soil conditions in the Midwest region of the United States, disease resistance, cold hardiness and unique berry chemistry, among other characteristics.” The patent will expire Oct. 14, 2045.

It’s all part of the hustle to establish her name as a young graphic designer. And it’s working.

Arnett, class of 2022, has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design degree with an emphasis in design and illustration. After graduation, she landed a position with Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City.

Beyond Boulevard, Arnett is adding her name to some other major projects. One happens to be on a global scale: the FIFA World Cup.

Her design tells the story of Missouri and Kansas, woven together

Arnett was scrolling on Instagram when she came across an open call for local artists.

It was a contest for a poster design to be used at FIFA World Cup events in Kansas City during summer 2026. The World Cup is among the most prestigious global football competitions, and is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world.

Kansas City is a host city for the 2026 World Cup. Matches between at least seven teams from different continents will be played at K.C. venues between June 16 and July 11, 2026. There will also be major fan activities and a festival.

The open call was looking for a design that could highlight both the Kansas and Missouri sides of the city. All that was required to enter was a simple concept sketch.

Arnett knew she would be going up against a large pool of entries, but that didn’t discourage her. She would regret it if she didn’t give it a shot.

“It’s so hard to get your name out there as a designer. I moved to Kansas City knowing no one. Nobody is going to hire you if they don’t know who you are,” Arnett said. “That’s why I do open calls.”

K.C. has been dubbed the “Soccer Capital of America,” so there was plenty of inspiration. Arnett thought about the Kansas City Current and Sporting Kansas City soccer games she had attended. She imagined fans wearing scarves that feature team logos, waving them in the air when a goal is scored.

“I felt like the scarf was a perfect composition because the material used to make a scarf is yarn being knitted together,” Arnett said. “It’s like Missouri and Kansas; they’re woven together to make Kansas City.”

The FIFA creative team selected five artists from the submissions. The chosen finalists worked closely with the Kansas City FIFA committee and the global FIFA brand to finalize their poster designs. From more than 100 submissions, Arnett’s design — titled “Woven Together” — made the top five.

Each of the finalists were assigned a mentor, who was a member of the Kansas City committee. They were there to offer insight into what the FIFA team liked and wanted to adjust with each sketch.

Arnett’s mentor, Chandler Johnson, is art director at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and president of AIGA Kansas City. He told her the team loved the scarf idea but wasn’t sold on some of iconography in her original submission.

“It was unique and great to be told exactly what they were wanting,” Arnett said. “I was like, ‘I’m fine with changing it. I am happy I’m here.’”

Johnson suggested they make the design tell a story.

“That’s what you see in the final poster,” Arnett said. “The top panel of the scarf is people traveling to Kansas City through Kansas, the middle panel is the momentum of the game happening, then the third is the celebration throughout Kansas City with more of those Missouri features.”

Her coworker, also an alum, created art seen around Plaster Stadium

Wes Hamilton, a graphic design and illustration ’11 graduate, is also a designer for Boulevard Brewing Company.

“
I absolutely loved being in the art department,” he said. “I feel like I was there at a unique time when there were a lot of really talented people learning and working and helping each other.”

Hamilton is behind the packaging for Wild Cherry Charge, a hard seltzer flavor created in partnership with Missouri State. He designed items for the new Boulevard Brewing Deck on the east side of Plaster Stadium.

Fans can see Hamilton’s work in several areas, including graphics on concourse walls, the entry floor, the elevator, upper deck railing, tables, bar-back signs, scoreboard signage and a photo frame.

“My instructors meant so much to me,” Hamilton said. “I gained an attitude of trying to make something that no one has ever done before — trying to push yourself to do something that isn’t your first idea.”

Win boosts her career trajectory: “I was just in shock”

In true Kansas City fashion, Arnett was in Union Station when she found out she had the winning design.

“I was meeting with them, and they were nitpicking my poster. I remember thinking, ‘This is normal, nitpicking always happens, but this should be when a poster is chosen. The winner should be dealing with this,’” Arnett said. “It was after that meeting they told me I had won. I was just in shock.”

Her poster is already being used to advertise the event. Elements of her design will be utilized by FIFA designers to produce merchandise, banners and other promotional materials.

It has been a career-altering milestone. Arnett won a large cash prize, and her work is paying off in more ways than one. Soon after her win, Arnett picked up a freelance project with J. Rieger & Co., a Kansas City-based whiskey house. She will design the label for their special edition World Cup whiskey.

She gets projects through her Instagram account and her own website.

“I would not be as successful as I am today had I not gotten the FIFA World Cup poster,” she said. “I went from one or two freelance projects a year to at least one or two a month.”

Her portfolio now ranges from soccer pitch to pitchers of ale

If you enjoy Space Camper IPAs, a selection of Quirk seltzer flavors or other brewery bestsellers, you have probably sipped from a can featuring some of Arnett’s artwork.

“I got the job at 21, so I really hadn’t tried many beers before. I knew what an IPA was, but that was it,” Arnett said. “I knew Boulevard because my parents always had it in the fridge. One time my mom was looking at the label on an Unfiltered Wheat and was like, ‘You could do this one day.’”

Designing for a beer brand has unique challenges and creative quirks (no pun intended). Projects for new packaging designs begin at least nine months out from when a new beer will hit shelves. Often, the beer flavor isn’t fully realized until the design is already complete.

That means there’s some guess work required.

“With Easy Orange, they knew it was going to be blood orange and a lager,” Arnett said. “I ran with that, and it worked out because it stayed blood orange and light on the ABV. The name I came up with and the design behind it was ’90s sports and easy drinking.”

“Her college design work was polished. I always admired how delightfully weird and grubby some of her illustrations were. Her work now is still consistently interesting, playful with typography and encompasses a wide range of styles within her portfolio. She elevates every brand she touches.”

Kjella Acosta’ 22

But not all projects are Easy Orange.

“Then there’s beers like the very first one I ever did, Brewa Bunga Cove. They knew it was going to be a hazelnut coffee flavor in a 16 ounce can. That’s it,” Arnett said.

Arnett was inspired by the feeling of a caffeine buzz. She channeled that energy into an illustration of a coffee waterpark.

“Nine months later, we’re trying the beer and no one’s really picking up on coffee,” Arnett said. “The label looked great, so it worked. But is it the most truthful towards how the beer tastes? No. It was a limited release, so not the end of the world.”

Designs usually can’t be adjusted after trying a new beer because of time constraints. By the time beers are ready to be sampled, packaging is already in the printing process.

Right now, Arnett has been focusing on exciting designs for two new beers dropping soon. The first is a limited-release Space Camper with a World Cup theme (not affiliated with her FIFA work). The second is a blood orange mimosa saison.

The challenge that comes with these rotating new releases is part of the appeal of this role for Arnett. She uses her own consumer habits for inspiration.

“I think being a designer at Boulevard is important,” Arnett said. “As someone who likes beer but has no idea what’s going on with it, I just pick one with the coolest packaging. Then I find out if I like it or not.”

She has also put her stamp on baseball’s Kaufman Stadium

Kansas City Royals fans can also see Arnett’s work. She participated in creating a mural that transforms Boulevard’s Kaufman Stadium Beer Garden into the Space Station.

The pop-up bar features large-scale artwork inspired by the universe of Space Camper IPAs to celebrate the brand’s best-selling beer.

“I went with the Space Station theme, and was thinking of the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. When you walk in, there are bars with our characters from previous limited-release IPAs,” Arnett said. “I wanted it to feel like you were on a movie set or in this actual world.”

Both of her coworkers are Bears who studied at Brick City

Arnett had help with character designs from her coworkers and fellow Bears, Kjella Acosta ’22 and Wesley Hamilton ’11. Both also have BFA degrees.

“I’m always impressed by how varied Jadie’s style is,” Hamilton said. “
I think there’s a through line of herself in it, but she does a good job of dipping her toe into different types of illustration. Whether it’s a hand-drawn something or extremely clean vectorized icons, she really comes through on a professional level.”

Boulevard’s three-person design team has shared experiences that help them work together now.

“There’s a community bond baked in, held together by recollections of wacky instructors (I’m not naming names!) and memories of on-campus life and local haunts,” Acosta said. “We all speak the same ‘design language’ and have similar inclinations just because of our shared educational background — it makes it easy.”

Friend, fellow designer: “She’s so humble while being so talented”

Jadie Arnett’s work ranges from illustrations to product packaging.

So, what’s next for Arnett? One professional goal fueling her late nights is a passion project to publish two children’s books. The concepts for both go back to her time at MO State.

“My professor, Cole Closser, assigned a one-spread illustration based on the word ‘hum.’ I designed a line of flies leading up to a deviled egg and said the air was humming from their wings,” Arnett said. “I really loved how it turned out, and it was so fun drawing a bunch of flies and a deviled egg that I wrote an entire story about it.”

The second book is inspired by the relationships she made on campus.

Originally from Columbia, Missouri, Arnett sees her time at Missouri State as a formative part of becoming the artist she is today. This includes design exercises with tight turnaround times, preparation for client-facing internships and lasting friendships.

“My best friend, Claudia O’Steen, and I worked on everything together,” Arnett said.

O’Steen ’22, is a fellow design and illustration major.

“She pushed me; she made me better,” O’Steen said. “I pushed her; I made her better because we were able to have an honest dialogue. Having somebody you work well with, who motivates you and is also your friend is just the trifecta.”

Arnett and O’Steen both interned at Supper Co., a Springfield-based advertising agency.

“Jadie hates to brag about herself, but she has so many things that are brag-worthy. I hope this adds necessary sparkle to someone who is a very sparkly person.”

Claudia O’Steen ’22

“I have seen Jadie’s technical skills get so strong. We worked together early on when we were both stumbling around trying to find our footing,” O’Steen said. “From then to now, she is just a workhorse.”

O’Steen said once you crack through Arnett’s shy exterior, she’s candid and warm.

“She’s really easy to get along with, but she also tells you like it is.”

Arnett views a combination of passion and work ethic as key to her success.

“I truly love design,” Arnett said. “I feel like to quickly get a job after college, you have to love it, because you have to be willing to put in the effort and sometimes work until midnight.”

Arnett also has a way to push through difficult concepts and projects that aren’t coming easily to her, O’Steen said.

“She’s so humble while being so talented,” O’Steen said. “It’s so cool to see someone you care about be that good at what they do. … I’m glad she’s getting recognition for that.”

In the Canadian community just outside Toronto where Joey Hawkins grew up, hockey was everything. But his favorite was always baseball.

Hawkins played both sports, among others, from a very young age. By the time he was in high school, he felt there was more long-term potential for him down the baseball path.

“I remember one day after hockey, right before baseball season was going to start, I was like, ‘I think it’s time I just go baseball,’” Hawkins said.

Since then, it’s been a journey. From getting recruited in a traveling high school league to playing in the minor leagues as a Springfield Cardinal, he has seen baseball from every angle.

Now, he’s using those experiences to lead the future of Missouri State baseball as the team’s head coach.

Love for baseball puts him on the path from Canada to MSU

At a preseason batting practice in February, the facility was filled with the metallic clinks of bats, excited chatter and occasional instruction from coaches. Players stretched, swung and threw.

As practice wound down, Hawkins talked to reporters before his first season

as the Bears’ head coach, and the team’s last season in the Missouri Valley Conference: “I feel like we have a target
on our back. For a long time, we’ve won this league, have a ton of draft picks, regionals, all that.”

People want to beat us, he said, and they know MSU wants to go out on top. “People are going to be gunning for us, but I hope we can send Missouri State University out on a high note and win our
last Valley competition.”

By May, Hawkins and the Bears had indeed won a share of the program’s seventh MVC regular season championship. MSU then advanced to the conference tournament title game
before falling one win shy of sweeping both Valley crowns. Hawkins’ first season ended with a 30-25 record and one of the top offenses in the nation.

Still, the “target on his back” feeling is not unknown to Hawkins.

“What I found about the culture of Canadian baseball is you have a chip on your shoulder as a player, because you’re choosing to take a different path than other athletes in the country,” Hawkins
said. “To be successful out of high school, your only option is to come to the U.S.”

He did just that on a traveling baseball team. They would make three separate 10-day trips to the U.S. each fall to play unofficial games against colleges all over the country.

His teams played against Missouri State when he was ages 15, 16 and 17. He quickly caught the attention of former MSU Head Coach Keith Guttin and staff and was recruited to play at Missouri State.

“He was a leader” and other Canadian players have now followed

Hawkins had to choose between two schools. He decided to make Springfield his new home away from home.

“I made the choice because of the people here. That was my big thing,” Hawkins said. “For my parents, they’re sending a kid 17 hours away from home. They really cared about the people and who’s going to be taking care of their kid.”

He played shortstop for the team from 2012-15. He served as a team captain for two years.

“You could quickly tell his feel for the game, his ability to connect with teammates,” Guttin said. “Just watching him continue to grow, he was very respected by his coaches and teammates. He was a leader.”

At the time, Hawkins was only the second player from Canada to play baseball at Missouri State. Now, there are six Canadian players on the 2025 roster.

That’s one change to the team Hawkins is passionate about.

“Talk about an experience for me now as head coach. Now when I talk to families, I can tell these kids, ‘I know what it’s like’ and to the parents, ‘I know what it’s like to give your kid up to us
and the responsibility of that.’ That’s what led me here.”

From experiencing “high of all highs” at Hammons Field to MLB draft pick

Hawkins’ last season playing for Missouri State ended with the team playing in the Super Regionals, a tournament that decides who will move on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

At the time, the team was seeded 8th overall in the 64-team field. MSU hosted the Regional round at Hammons Field and won all three games to advance to the Super Regional. They played in front of a sold-out home audience for every game.

“You want to talk about the high of all highs. It was crazy to be at Hammons Field with that many fans,” Hawkins said.

MSU then went to the Super Regionals (round of 16, eight different best-of-three series) at Arkansas, but lost the third game, 3-2.

Though that was a heartbreaking loss, there was one thing for him to look forward to after that game: the Major League Baseball draft. At the time, the draft was 40 rounds, and Hawkins had
caught the attention of five MLB teams.

“I think it was round 33, the Cardinals are picking, and I knew the Cardinals were one of the teams that I could go to,” Hawkins said. “So we start listening up, and they say, ‘Cardinals
select Hawkins.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh,’ and then… ‘Chandler.’”

The pick was Chandler Hawkins, a pitcher from Arkansas State.

“So, I thought it was me, and it wasn’t me. I was thinking, ‘Oh no, this might not happen.’”

Finally, Hawkins (Joey, this time) was drafted by the Cardinals in the 40th round.

A career changeup: After affiliate teams, coaching becomes a possibility

He spent most of his two years in the minor leagues playing for Cardinals affiliate teams in Johnson City, Tennessee; Palm Beach County, Florida; and State College, Pennsylvania. He also

returned to Hammons Field as a Springfield Cardinal during the 2016 season.

In Johnson City, Hawkins played under Chris Swauger. He’s a player-turned-manager in the Cardinals system who is now the minor league field coordinator for the Atlanta Braves.
Hawkins and Swauger both see themselves somewhat as “old souls.”

“From the first time (Hawkins) stepped foot in the clubhouse, I think he was recognized as a veteran presence,” Swauger said. “I don’t know how you say that about somebody who’s 21, 22, stepping into a professional locker room for the first time.”

Hawkins faced some ups and downs during this point in his career. He was a sharp defensive infielder but started to struggle when he was up to bat.

As his playing time decreased, Hawkins started to fill in as a first base coach as a way to stay engaged with the games.

“It became very apparent that this guy had it up top in his head — the mental and emotional side of the game locked down,” Swauger said. “It was obvious early on that if he wanted to be a coach, he had the right perspective for it.”

His Missouri State connections gave him an assist in his next role

By the next season, Hawkins was released by the Cardinals. He was faced with the question of ‘what next?’

“You get released and, man, it hits you in the gut. So right away it’s like, ‘What am I going to do?’” Hawkins said. “I thought about maybe trying to keep playing, but

decided I wanted to coach. Who’s the first person I call? Keith Guttin.”

Guttin helped Hawkins get a summer position recruiting for a community college. To make some extra money, Hawkins coached a team of 16-year-olds at the same time. He credits coaching
these players for a better understanding of younger MSU recruits.

As that summer ended, St. Louis University needed a new assistant coach.

Hawkins likes to say many things in life are just right time, right place. He and his wife were already based in St. Louis. It was a natural fit.

Three months after being released from the minor leagues, he was hired as a full-time Division I assistant coach. The SLU team won their league and went to regionals that season (they lost to Missouri State, ironically).

“We make jokes about all of this. He couldn’t hit, and then his path intocoaching was as a hitting coach,” Swauger said. “Some of the best coaches were the guys who were not the best hitters themselves, but they were forced to figure out things that worked for them because it didn’t come easily to them.”

Truly good coaches can be revealed when a team or individual struggles, Swauger said: “Being able to get them through that, that’s where the rubber meets the road in coaching.”

After that successful season with SLU, Hawkins was recruited by the Cardinals again — this time, as a coach. He joined the rookie-level team in Jupiter, Florida, in 2019.

The next year, when there was no season due to COVID-19, Hawkins was asked to manage a Cardinals pickup league in St. Louis and Springfield. The team included former baseball Bears
Tate Matheny and Jake Burger.

“I am Missouri State”: Back in the Bears zone, now leading the team

A few seasons in to coaching for the Cardinals, Hawkins got a call from Guttin.

The team needed a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, and he was Guttin’s pick. It was a big decision, but the move back to Missouri State felt like the best option for Hawkins’ young family.

A year into the role, Hawkins was promoted to associate head coach. When Guttin started planning to retire, Hawkins’ name once again came to mind as the next person to fill the role.

“I always felt like Joey was the best person … after I got to know him and watch him work,” Guttin said. “I just knew he was a great fit because of his leadership skills, his people skills and the
fact he loved Missouri State.”

Hawkins said this is his dream job.

“I am Missouri State. Some of the best times of my life were here. When you have so much passion behind a place because you played here and you developed here, it makes your job easier. That’s what is so special about this position.”

It was the beginning of his future business: Truffles E Truffles. The venture became so successful, it helped him pay for a chunk of his college tuition. Today, that young man, Adam DeBacker, 27, still makes confections and is an alumnus of Missouri State.

He graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

“That was a big accomplishment,” said Eunice Wallar, his grandma. “It was tough at times for him.”

As far as the family knows, and our research can find, he’s the first person with Down syndrome to graduate from Missouri State.

But he didn’t stop there. DeBacker earned a certificate in recording arts from MSU in December 2024, and continues to take classes.

He is now a part-time recording engineer in the music department, recording and editing live performances at Ellis Hall and Hammons Hall. DeBacker also works at First Unitarian Church of
Springfield as an audio visual coordinator and is still a chocolatier.

Thousands of his chocolates have been sold around the United States

DeBacker credits his parents and grandparents for his love of the arts. His mother Kara is a fused-glass artist. His dad Mike is a Bear who received his master’s degree in biology from MSU in 1996.

His grandmother owns Waverly House gallery. It was there that a young DeBacker got his career start. After that event, customers wanted to know where they could score those delicious truffles.

His mom Kara, who homeschooled him, helped him put together a business plan. Truffles E Truffles was launched. DeBacker doesn’t know exactly how many truffles he’s crafted, but guesses it’s
more than 65,000.

The chocolates are made to order. While most customers are local, he has shipped nationwide and as far as Puerto Rico. They are available for order online. Why does he love making candy?

“Seeing everyone enjoy it,” DeBacker said. “It makes people happy.”

Wallar still serves the chocolates at all her art openings.

He has been honored by the American Culinary Federation

As a teenager, DeBacker joined the American Culinary Federation, or ACF. He says the local chapter trained him, and its members served as his mentors. The Springfield/Branson ACF chapter
nominated him for 2018 Chef of the Year.

He was a scholarship recipient for the 2014 National ACF Conference and an invited presenter at the 2016 Regional ACF Conference in Chicago.

His passion for food inspired him to enroll at Ozarks Technical Community College to obtain a culinary degree. But two credits shy of earning it, he decided to pursue his other passion — theater.

Changing his career and education: Going from sautéing to stagecraft

“101 Dalmatians” was the first play DeBacker ever saw. He was hooked. He doesn’t know how old he was when he saw the classic tale featuring adorable puppies, but he has loved the theater ever since.

Growing up, his family took him to plays and symphony performances. His mother and grandmother nurtured his passion and made trips to New York City to see productions.

DeBacker participated in Springfield Little Theatre summer classes and various youth programs, which he loved.

As he got older, he began to work as a stagehand around town.

“I like lights, sound and props,” he said. “I like building relationships and having fun while doing it.”

After he graduated from OTC with an associate degree, he transferred to Missouri State.

Some classes were challenging, but he found resources on campus.

“He’s always had a love of learning. His mom instilled that in him,” Wallar said.

DeBacker has worked in crews for productions on campus including “Cats,” “SubUrbia” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”

He’s worked shows at Great Southern Bank Arena and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

DeBacker had to stop doing some stage work because he was diagnosed with severe arthritis in his feet and ankles, which makes some duties too challenging.

As an entrepreneur, he gives back to local and national nonprofits

DeBacker has won awards, and has given back.

In 2021, he earned a $10,000 grant from Voya Cares as their Entrepreneur of the Year. Voya advocates for employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

He traveled to the Big Apple with his mom and grandma to receive the award, and also visited the New York Stock Exchange.

Over the years, DeBacker has given in-kind gifts of his truffles to charity auctions and other nonprofits. He’s helped support the Springfield Little Theatre Education Fund and National Down
Syndrome Society, to name a few.

Despite his accomplishments, it has not been easy. The biggest challenge, he said, has been “proving my abilities and being accepted.”

Even though he’s graduated, DeBacker continues to take classes at Missouri State. Mom Kara says she suspects he will always take classes.

MSU music educator: “He is a total joy” to work with while recording recitals

Darcy Stevens, recording arts educator for MSU’s music department, met DeBacker in Stevens’ introduction to audio techniques class.

“That is where his journey began in audio. He found his passion. He lit up about it,” Stevens said.

Although DeBacker is very quiet, he’s always listening and absorbing information. After class, Stevens would receive emails from DeBacker expressing interest in digging deeper into a topic.

During one of his classes, Stevens said the department was hiring people to record the recitals that take place in C Minor Hall. DeBacker showed an interest, and has been working there for more than a year now. Stevens is impressed with his work ethic and dedication.

“He is going to show up an hour early to be sure he has it dialed in rather than risking missing something,” Stevens said. “He is exceptionally good under pressure, which is rare. He is a total joy.”

His mom Kara said DeBacker has dedication and passion for learning.

“He doesn’t like to emphasize his disability, but at the same time, I know from observation that his outsized curiosity, perseverance and independence have enabled him to achieve what others
take for granted,” she said.

So what’s next for DeBacker? “I have a ton of goals,” he said, including travel with family. His favorite trips have been to New Orleans and Munich, Germany.

“I am super proud of him,” said Wallar. “He’s a pretty amazing young man.”

Mallory served as president from 1964-71, starting when he was 31 years old — the youngest president to serve the institution in this role.

Mallory’s tenure ended when he was appointed as commissioner of education for the state. He served in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 1971-87.

Mallory was a native of Buffalo, Missouri. He was a Missouri State alum, earning a bachelor’s degree in education in 1954.

Mallory led the institution during a pivotal time in history. The community, as well as colleges across the country, saw students, faculty and staff demonstrating about civil rights issues, the Vietnam War and free speech.

“Dr. Mallory was someone I had the privilege of knowing, and our conversations always reflected his deep commitment to Missouri State and the people we serve,” said Missouri State President Richard B. Williams. “His leadership during a challenging time expanded opportunity for students and strengthened the university’s commitment to dialogue and public service.”

During this time, he is credited with expanding early childhood programs like Parents as Teachers, as well as advocating for special education and gifted programs.

Mallory returned to Missouri State as College of Education dean from 1991-94.

Mallory’s legacy at Missouri State

During Mallory’s time as president, the university achieved significant growth and change.

Academics
The university began offering graduate programs in 1966
First master’s degrees: history, English, education, mathematics, theater

Physical campus
Campus footprint expanded from 38 acres to about 60 acres

Enrollment growth
130%, from 4,317 to 9,930 (including students from more than 14 countries)

New facilities
Greenwood Laboratory School
Craig Hall
Temple Hall
Taylor Health Center (now Magers Health and Wellness)
Baker Bookstore
Woods House
Blair-Shannon House

Facility additions
Memorial Library
Student Union
Wells House
Freudenberger House

A quote from Mallory’s official inauguration, March 31, 1965
“I must admit that since student days on this campus, one of (my ambitions) has been to again be associated with this fine college. It is a distinct honor for me to stand before you today as president of Southwest Missouri State College. This is a most exhilarating moment for my family and for me. This college has played a significant role in my life. Every member of my immediate family was a student on this campus — my father, my mother, and more recently, my sister, my wife Joann and I. Truly, this college has contributed much to many people from this area — and we know it will continue to make a contribution to countless thousands in the future.”

Excerpt from a letter he wrote for The Standard, Nov. 20, 1970
The Standard has asked that I write a message to the student body upon my leaving Southwest Missouri State College as an employee of this institution. I am pleased for the opportunity to write the message, but I do so with mixed emotions inasmuch as I am looking forward to a new responsibility but regret very much that I will be leaving the employ of Southwest Missouri State College. The strength of this institution is not in its president or any other single individual, or even perhaps a group of individuals, but the strength of SMS lies with the fact that there permeates this campus a feeling of confidence in the faculty, concern for the student body and respect for one another. As I leave the college and reflect upon the past six years as an employee and my years here as a student, I can honestly say that my love for the college is very great and my love and admiration for the people are, so far as I am concerned, unmatched by any other person.

She peeked in the windows of the school and told her mom she wanted to go there some day. Her mother said she could — for college.

As Whitmarsh grew, she still wanted to be a Bear.

She enrolled at what was then called Southwest Missouri State University to pursue a degree in education: “They had such a great reputation.”

Her grandmother was a Bear in the 1910s; they both went into education

Whitmarsh was inspired by her grandmother Jessie Montgomery Hammar, who received her teaching certificate in 1912 from the Normal School.

Whitmarsh spent 38 years in education, and gave back what she could to her alma mater. When Whitmarsh neared 73, she had to take required minimum distributions, called RMDs, from her annuities. She realized this was a path to make a bigger difference through a scholarship.

She established the Jessie Montgomery Hammar Scholarship in honor of her grandmother. The scholarship is earmarked for juniors or seniors in the College of Education.

“I went to school on grants and scholarships, and I worked,” Whitmarsh said. “My senior year, when I had to do my student teaching, was the hardest time to work because student teaching was a full-time job. This will provide financial support for someone who is in that situation. I don’t know if people realize they can use RMD to fund a scholarship or to just make a one-time donation.”

From one-room schoolhouse to flipping a future fraternity house

Hammar had a sense of adventure and liked to travel, a trait passed to her granddaughter.

She grew up in Hermitage, Missouri, and came to Springfield to earn a teaching certificate.

After graduating, Hammar made the trek to Idaho to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. She lived with a family in town, and part of her pay was a horse she could ride to school. It was a long ride. In winter, she had to arrive in the dark to start a fire to heat the school. Her students ranged in age from 6 to 16.

Hammar met her future husband in Idaho. Sometime after they married, they moved to Springfield. They lived near campus and were house flippers before that was a thing. That’s one reason Whitmarsh was around campus on summer visits: Her grandparents owned what is now the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house.

Hammar was a pillar in her community and her church. She volunteered at what is now Cox North hospital and was honored for 3,000 hours of service. She was also a nurturing grandma.

“She encouraged me to do well in school and reach for my dream of being a teacher,” Whitmarsh said. “I remember her telling me, ‘Don’t give it up. You’re just like me; you’re going to push forward. You’re going to be a career woman.’”

Third-generation Bear said teaching is simply in her blood

Whitmarsh’s dad was a pilot, commercial and military, so she moved around as a child. The family settled in Florida.

Whitmarsh was the third generation of her family to be a student at MSU, but the only one with a degree. Her mother also attended with dreams of teaching, but her education was interrupted by World War II.

Whitmarsh taught elementary and junior high, then special education. The Texas resident went into diagnostic testing from early childhood to high school.

She was department head for special education services for a district near Houston, Texas, for 10 years, then did supervising and contract work while teaching at Houston Christian University. She shepherded undergraduates going into special education and graduate students training in diagnostic testing.

Now retired, she teaches art and photography at a senior center, saying it is just in her blood.

Students appreciate the scholarship; grandma would be humbled

Whitmarsh said helping the next generation of teachers graduating from Missouri State is a good feeling.

She has talked to some of the scholarship recipients and they have been so appreciative.

“Almost every one of them say, ‘This was a lifesaver for me in terms of having enough money to not worry while I was trying to student-teach,’” she said.

Hammar passed away when Whitmarsh was a freshman in college.

But if grandma learned a scholarship was established in her honor more than 100 years after she obtained her certificate, this is what she’d feel: “First, she’d be embarrassed because she wasn’t
necessarily one who wanted to be out there. She was more behind the scenes,” said Whitmarsh.

“But I think she would be very happy that I was able to do this in her name.”

It was the beginning of his future business: Truffles E Truffles. The venture became so successful, it helped him pay for a chunk of his college tuition. Today, that young man, Adam DeBacker, 27, still makes confections and is an alumnus of Missouri State.

He graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

“That was a big accomplishment,” said Eunice Wallar, his grandma. “It was tough at times for him.”

As far as the family knows, and our research can find, he’s the first person with Down syndrome to graduate from Missouri State.

But he didn’t stop there. DeBacker earned a certificate in recording arts from MSU in December 2024, and continues to take classes.

He is now a part-time recording engineer in the music department, recording and editing live performances at Ellis Hall and Hammons Hall. DeBacker also works at First Unitarian Church of Springfield as an audio visual coordinator and is still a chocolatier.

Thousands of his chocolates have been sold around the United States

DeBacker credits his parents and grandparents for his love of the arts. His mother Kara is a fused-glass artist. His dad Mike is a Bear who received his master’s degree in biology from MSU in 1996.

His grandmother owns Waverly House gallery. It was there that a young DeBacker got his career start. After that event, customers wanted to know where they could score those delicious truffles.

His mom Kara, who homeschooled him, helped him put together a business plan. Truffles E Truffles was launched. DeBacker doesn’t know exactly how many truffles he’s crafted, but guesses it’s more than 65,000.

The chocolates are made to order. While most customers are local, he has shipped nationwide and as far as Puerto Rico. They are available for order online. Why does he love making candy?

“Seeing everyone enjoy it,” DeBacker said. “It makes people happy.”

Wallar still serves the chocolates at all her art openings.

He has been honored by the American Culinary Federation

As a teenager, DeBacker joined the American Culinary Federation, or ACF. He says the local chapter trained him, and its members served as his mentors. The Springfield/Branson ACF chapter nominated him for 2018 Chef of the Year.

He was a scholarship recipient for the 2014 National ACF Conference and an invited presenter at the 2016 Regional ACF Conference in Chicago.

His passion for food inspired him to enroll at Ozarks Technical Community College to obtain a culinary degree. But two credits shy of earning it, he decided to pursue his other passion — theater.

Changing his career and education: Going from sautéing to stagecraft

“101 Dalmatians” was the first play DeBacker ever saw. He was hooked. He doesn’t know how old he was when he saw the classic tale featuring adorable puppies, but he has loved the theater ever since.

Growing up, his family took him to plays and symphony performances. His mother and grandmother nurtured his passion and made trips to New York City to see productions.

DeBacker participated in Springfield Little Theatre summer classes and various youth programs, which he loved.

As he got older, he began to work as a stagehand around town.

“I like lights, sound and props,” he said. “I like building relationships and having fun while doing it.”

After he graduated from OTC with an associate degree, he transferred to Missouri State.

Some classes were challenging, but he found resources on campus.

“He’s always had a love of learning. His mom instilled that in him,” Wallar said.

DeBacker has worked in crews for productions on campus including “Cats,” “SubUrbia” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”

He’s worked shows at Great Southern Bank Arena and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

DeBacker had to stop doing some stage work because he was diagnosed with severe arthritis in his feet and ankles, which makes some duties too challenging.

As an entrepreneur, he gives back to local and national nonprofits

DeBacker has won awards, and has given back.

In 2021, he earned a $10,000 grant from Voya Cares as their Entrepreneur of the Year. Voya advocates for employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

He traveled to the Big Apple with his mom and grandma to receive the award, and also visited the New York Stock Exchange.

Over the years, DeBacker has given in-kind gifts of his truffles to charity auctions and other nonprofits. He’s helped support the Springfield Little Theatre Education Fund and National Down Syndrome Society, to name a few.

Despite his accomplishments, it has not been easy. The biggest challenge, he said, has been “proving my abilities and being accepted.”

Even though he’s graduated, DeBacker continues to take classes at Missouri State. Mom Kara says she suspects he will always take classes.

MSU music educator: “He is a total joy” to work with while recording recitals

Darcy Stevens, recording arts educator for MSU’s music department, met DeBacker in Stevens’ introduction to audio techniques class.

“That is where his journey began in audio. He found his passion. He lit up about it,” Stevens said.

Although DeBacker is very quiet, he’s always listening and absorbing information. After class, Stevens would receive emails from DeBacker expressing interest in digging deeper into a topic.

During one of his classes, Stevens said the department was hiring people to record the recitals that take place in C Minor Hall. DeBacker showed an interest, and has been working there for more than a year now. Stevens is impressed with his work ethic and dedication.

“He is going to show up an hour early to be sure he has it dialed in rather than risking missing something,” Stevens said. “He is exceptionally good under pressure, which is rare. He is a total joy.”

His mom Kara said DeBacker has dedication and passion for learning.

“He doesn’t like to emphasize his disability, but at the same time, I know from observation that his outsized curiosity, perseverance and independence have enabled him to achieve what others take for granted,” she said.

So what’s next for DeBacker? “I have a ton of goals,” he said, including travel with family. His favorite trips have been to New Orleans and Munich, Germany.

“I am super proud of him,” said Wallar. “He’s a pretty amazing young man.”

She peeked in the windows of the school and told her mom she wanted to go there some day. Her mother said she could — for college.

As Whitmarsh grew, she still wanted to be a Bear.

She enrolled at what was then called Southwest Missouri State University to pursue a degree in education: “They had such a great reputation.”

Her grandmother was a Bear in the 1910s; they both went into education

Whitmarsh was inspired by her grandmother Jessie Montgomery Hammar, who received her teaching certificate in 1912 from the Normal School.

Whitmarsh spent 38 years in education, and gave back what she could to her alma mater. When Whitmarsh neared 73, she had to take required minimum distributions, called RMDs, from her annuities. She realized this was a path to make a bigger difference through a scholarship.

She established the Jessie Montgomery Hammar Scholarship in honor of her grandmother. The scholarship is earmarked for juniors or seniors in the College of Education.

“I went to school on grants and scholarships, and I worked,” Whitmarsh said. “My senior year, when I had to do my student teaching, was the hardest time to work because student teaching was a full-time job. This will provide financial support for someone who is in that situation. I don’t know if people realize they can use RMD to fund a scholarship or to just make a one-time donation.”

From one-room schoolhouse to flipping a future fraternity house

Hammar had a sense of adventure and liked to travel, a trait passed to her granddaughter.

She grew up in Hermitage, Missouri, and came to Springfield to earn a teaching certificate.

After graduating, Hammar made the trek to Idaho to teach in a one-room schoolhouse. She lived with a family in town, and part of her pay was a horse she could ride to school. It was a long ride. In winter, she had to arrive in the dark to start a fire to heat the school. Her students ranged in age from 6 to 16.

Hammar met her future husband in Idaho. Sometime after they married, they moved to Springfield. They lived near campus and were house flippers before that was a thing. That’s one reason Whitmarsh was around campus on summer visits: Her grandparents owned what is now the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house.

Hammar was a pillar in her community and her church. She volunteered at what is now Cox North hospital and was honored for 3,000 hours of service. She was also a nurturing grandma.

“She encouraged me to do well in school and reach for my dream of being a teacher,” Whitmarsh said. “I remember her telling me, ‘Don’t give it up. You’re just like me; you’re going to push forward. You’re going to be a career woman.’”

Third-generation Bear said teaching is simply in her blood

Whitmarsh’s dad was a pilot, commercial and military, so she moved around as a child. The family settled in Florida.

Whitmarsh was the third generation of her family to be a student at MSU, but the only one with a degree. Her mother also attended with dreams of teaching, but her education was interrupted by World War II.

Whitmarsh taught elementary and junior high, then special education. The Texas resident went into diagnostic testing from early childhood to high school.

She was department head for special education services for a district near Houston, Texas, for 10 years, then did supervising and contract work while teaching at Houston Christian University. She shepherded undergraduates going into special education and graduate students training in diagnostic testing.

Now retired, she teaches art and photography at a senior center, saying it is just in her blood.

Students appreciate the scholarship; grandma would be humbled

Whitmarsh said helping the next generation of teachers graduating from Missouri State is a good feeling.

She has talked to some of the scholarship recipients and they have been so appreciative.

“Almost every one of them say, ‘This was a lifesaver for me in terms of having enough money to not worry while I was trying to student-teach,’” she said.

Hammar passed away when Whitmarsh was a freshman in college.

But if grandma learned a scholarship was established in her honor more than 100 years after she obtained her certificate, this is what she’d feel: “First, she’d be embarrassed because she wasn’t
necessarily one who wanted to be out there. She was more behind the scenes,” said Whitmarsh.

“But I think she would be very happy that I was able to do this in her name.”

In the Canadian community just outside Toronto where Joey Hawkins grew up, hockey was everything. But his favorite was always baseball.

Hawkins played both sports, among others, from a very young age. By the time he was in high school, he felt there was more long-term potential for him down the baseball path.

“I remember one day after hockey, right before baseball season was going to start, I was like, ‘I think it’s time I just go baseball,’” Hawkins said.

Since then, it’s been a journey. From getting recruited in a traveling high school league to playing in the minor leagues as a Springfield Cardinal, he has seen baseball from every angle.

Now, he’s using those experiences to lead the future of Missouri State baseball as the team’s head coach.

Love for baseball puts him on the path from Canada to MSU

At a preseason batting practice in February, the facility was filled with the metallic clinks of bats, excited chatter and occasional instruction from coaches. Players stretched, swung and threw.

As practice wound down, Hawkins talked to reporters before his first season as the Bears’ head coach, and the team’s last season in the Missouri Valley Conference: “I feel like we have a target on our back. For a long time, we’ve won this league, have a ton of draft picks, regionals, all that.”

People want to beat us, he said, and they know MSU wants to go out on top. “People are going to be gunning for us, but I hope we can send Missouri State University out on a high note and win our last Valley competition.”

By May, Hawkins and the Bears had indeed won a share of the program’s seventh MVC regular season championship. MSU then advanced to the conference tournament title game before falling one win shy of sweeping both Valley crowns. Hawkins’ first season ended with a 30-25 record and one of the top offenses in the nation.

Still, the “target on his back” feeling is not unknown to Hawkins.

“What I found about the culture of Canadian baseball is you have a chip on your shoulder as a player, because you’re choosing to take a different path than other athletes in the country,” Hawkins
said. “To be successful out of high school, your only option is to come to the U.S.”

He did just that on a traveling baseball team. They would make three separate 10-day trips to the U.S. each fall to play unofficial games against colleges all over the country.

His teams played against Missouri State when he was ages 15, 16 and 17. He quickly caught the attention of former MSU Head Coach Keith Guttin and staff and was recruited to play at Missouri State.

“He was a leader” and other Canadian players have now followed

Hawkins had to choose between two schools. He decided to make Springfield his new home away from home.

“I made the choice because of the people here. That was my big thing,” Hawkins said. “For my parents, they’re sending a kid 17 hours away from home. They really cared about the people and who’s going to be taking care of their kid.”

He played shortstop for the team from 2012-15. He served as a team captain for two years.

“You could quickly tell his feel for the game, his ability to connect with teammates,” Guttin said. “Just watching him continue to grow, he was very respected by his coaches and teammates. He was a leader.”

At the time, Hawkins was only the second player from Canada to play baseball at Missouri State. Now, there are six Canadian players on the 2025 roster.

That’s one change to the team Hawkins is passionate about.

“Talk about an experience for me now as head coach. Now when I talk to families, I can tell these kids, ‘I know what it’s like’ and to the parents, ‘I know what it’s like to give your kid up to us and the responsibility of that.’ That’s what led me here.”

From experiencing “high of all highs” at Hammons Field to MLB draft pick

Hawkins’ last season playing for Missouri State ended with the team playing in the Super Regionals, a tournament that decides who will move on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

At the time, the team was seeded 8th overall in the 64-team field. MSU hosted the Regional round at Hammons Field and won all three games to advance to the Super Regional. They played in front of a sold-out home audience for every game.

“You want to talk about the high of all highs. It was crazy to be at Hammons Field with that many fans,” Hawkins said.

MSU then went to the Super Regionals (round of 16, eight different best-of-three series) at Arkansas, but lost the third game, 3-2.

Though that was a heartbreaking loss, there was one thing for him to look forward to after that game: the Major League Baseball draft. At the time, the draft was 40 rounds, and Hawkins had caught the attention of five MLB teams.

“I think it was round 33, the Cardinals are picking, and I knew the Cardinals were one of the teams that I could go to,” Hawkins said. “So we start listening up, and they say, ‘Cardinals select Hawkins.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh,’ and then… ‘Chandler.’”

The pick was Chandler Hawkins, a pitcher from Arkansas State.

“So, I thought it was me, and it wasn’t me. I was thinking, ‘Oh no, this might not happen.’”

Finally, Hawkins (Joey, this time) was drafted by the Cardinals in the 40th round.

A career changeup: After affiliate teams, coaching becomes a possibility

He spent most of his two years in the minor leagues playing for Cardinals affiliate teams in Johnson City, Tennessee; Palm Beach County, Florida; and State College, Pennsylvania. He also returned to Hammons Field as a Springfield Cardinal during the 2016 season.

In Johnson City, Hawkins played under Chris Swauger. He’s a player-turned-manager in the Cardinals system who is now the minor league field coordinator for the Atlanta Braves. Hawkins and Swauger both see themselves somewhat as “old souls.”

“From the first time (Hawkins) stepped foot in the clubhouse, I think he was recognized as a veteran presence,” Swauger said. “I don’t know how you say that about somebody who’s 21, 22, stepping into a professional locker room for the first time.”

Hawkins faced some ups and downs during this point in his career. He was a sharp defensive infielder but started to struggle when he was up to bat.

As his playing time decreased, Hawkins started to fill in as a first base coach as a way to stay engaged with the games.

“It became very apparent that this guy had it up top in his head — the mental and emotional side of the game locked down,” Swauger said. “It was obvious early on that if he wanted to be a coach, he had the right perspective for it.”

His Missouri State connections gave him an assist in his next role

By the next season, Hawkins was released by the Cardinals. He was faced with the question of ‘what next?’

“You get released and, man, it hits you in the gut. So right away it’s like, ‘What am I going to do?’” Hawkins said. “I thought about maybe trying to keep playing, but decided I wanted to coach. Who’s the first person I call? Keith Guttin.”

Guttin helped Hawkins get a summer position recruiting for a community college. To make some extra money, Hawkins coached a team of 16-year-olds at the same time. He credits coaching these players for a better understanding of younger MSU recruits.

As that summer ended, St. Louis University needed a new assistant coach.

Hawkins likes to say many things in life are just right time, right place. He and his wife were already based in St. Louis. It was a natural fit.

Three months after being released from the minor leagues, he was hired as a full-time Division I assistant coach. The SLU team won their league and went to regionals that season (they lost to Missouri State, ironically).

“We make jokes about all of this. He couldn’t hit, and then his path intocoaching was as a hitting coach,” Swauger said. “Some of the best coaches were the guys who were not the best hitters themselves, but they were forced to figure out things that worked for them because it didn’t come easily to them.”

Truly good coaches can be revealed when a team or individual struggles, Swauger said: “Being able to get them through that, that’s where the rubber meets the road in coaching.”

After that successful season with SLU, Hawkins was recruited by the Cardinals again — this time, as a coach. He joined the rookie-level team in Jupiter, Florida, in 2019.

The next year, when there was no season due to COVID-19, Hawkins was asked to manage a Cardinals pickup league in St. Louis and Springfield. The team included former baseball Bears
Tate Matheny and Jake Burger.

“I am Missouri State”: Back in the Bears zone, now leading the team

A few seasons in to coaching for the Cardinals, Hawkins got a call from Guttin.

The team needed a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, and he was Guttin’s pick. It was a big decision, but the move back to Missouri State felt like the best option for Hawkins’ young family.

A year into the role, Hawkins was promoted to associate head coach. When Guttin started planning to retire, Hawkins’ name once again came to mind as the next person to fill the role.

“I always felt like Joey was the best person … after I got to know him and watch him work,” Guttin said. “I just knew he was a great fit because of his leadership skills, his people skills and the fact he loved Missouri State.”

Hawkins said this is his dream job.

“I am Missouri State. Some of the best times of my life were here. When you have so much passion behind a place because you played here and you developed here, it makes your job easier. That’s what is so special about this position.”