For the first time in the long tradition of St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations at the University of Missouri-Rolla, a woman has been named Honorary St. Patrick. Rolla native Dottye Wolf has been chosen to be the 2006 Honorary St. Patrick. Wolf will assist in the induction of nine Honorary Knights of St. Patrick during coronation ceremonies at 9 p.m. March 17 in Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall on the University of Missouri-Rolla campus.

The ceremonies are part of UMR’s annual St. Pat’s Celebration, which runs from March 13-18.

The Honorary Knights are: Maj. Gen. Robert Bay, a retired military man and professional engineer; John Beger, a Rolla attorney; Roger Berkbuegler, principal of Rolla High School; Dr. Elvan Akin-Bohner, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at UMR; Dr. Martin Bohner, associate professor of mathematics and statistics at UMR; Gerald Meyr, a vice president with Weyerhaeuser Co.; Donald Myers, professor of engineering management at UMR; Dr. Debra Robinson, vice chancellor for student affairs at UMR; and Joyce Thomas, a UMR graduate and realtor in Rolla.

2006 Honorary St. Patrick

Dottye Wolf of Rolla has a long history of service to UMR, the St. Pat’s Celebration Committee and the community. Wolf served as the St. Pat’s Social Advisor from 1979-1992. She was made an Honorary Knight in 1983 and remains active in the Honorary Knights Association. Wolf worked in the admissions office at UMR from 1968-1982. She married a professor of metallurgical engineering at UMR, Dr. Robert Wolf, in 1975. Both of Dottye’s sons graduated from UMR: David Winter earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1978 and was a student knight in 1979; Ben Winter earned a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering in 1980. Dottye is a member of the UMR Order of the Golden Shillelagh and a member of the Phelps County Regional Medical Center Auxiliary. She has the honor of being the first female to be chosen as Honorary St. Patrick.

2006 Honorary Knight

Maj. Gen. Robert D. Bay graduated from the Missouri School of the Mines (now the University of Missouri-Rolla) in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Bay spent 39 years in the military, beginning with service in the Philippines during World War II. His final assignment was as commander of the 416th Engineer Command. Bay’s military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal. In addition to serving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bay worked for the City of St. Louis, Laclede Steel Co. and Black & Veach. He worked on the Chain of Rocks Canal and Locks project and on the expansion of the Howard Bend Pumping Station. At UMR, Bay served as the first president of the Academy of Civil Engineers. He is also a past president of the MSM-UMR Alumni Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Bay received a professional degree in engineering management at UMR in 1969 and an honorary doctorate of engineering in 1986.

2006 Honorary Knight

John D. Beger earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia before moving to Rolla in 1979 to start his legal career as an assistant prosecuting attorney. Beger went on to concentrate on trial work in the areas of personal injury and criminal defense, and he eventually served a term as Phelps County prosecuting attorney. Of late, Beger has served as counselor for the City of Rolla. For the past eight years, he has practiced in the local law firm of Beger and Bushie. Beger also serves on the board of trustees for the Phelps County Regional Medical Center.

2006 Honorary Knight

Roger Berkbuegler has been an educator in Missouri for 36 years and has been principal of Rolla High School since 1980. During this time, Berkbuegler has served as president of the South Central Principals Association and as president of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. He has also been the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ coordinator for the state of Missouri. Berkbuegler has received numerous awards, including Missouri Principal of the Year and the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. He is the co-author of Personal Learning Plans for Educators.

2006 Honorary Knight

Dr. Elvan Akin-Bohner is an assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at UMR. Akin-Bohner earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. After teaching at a private school in Ankara, she was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Education in Turkey and came to the United States, where she eventually earned a Ph.D. in applied mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2000. Akin-Bohner then moved back to Turkey to work for the Ministry of Education. After marrying Dr. Martin Bohner, she joined the UMR faculty in 2002. Akin-Bohner has been a speaker at numerous national and international conferences and workshops, and she is the editor of an international journal in applied mathematics. She was appointed a New Faculty Teaching Scholar in 2004 and has won several teaching awards at UMR.

2006 Honorary Knight

A native of Germany, Dr. Martin Bohner is an associate professor of mathematics and statistics at UMR. Bohner earned a bachelor’s degree in economathematics at the University of Ulm in Germany in 1989, a master’s degree in applied mathematics from San Diego State University in 1992, a master’s degree in economathematics from the University of Ulm in 1993 and a Ph.D. in natural sciences from the University of Ulm in 1995. Also in 1995, Bohner joined the Institute of Statistics at Hohenheim University in Stuttgart, Germany. He received an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship from the German government in 1997 and spent a year at the National University of Singapore. Bohner joined UMR in 1998. He is the author of four books and 100 research publications, serves as editor of two international journals on dynamical systems, and is vice president of the International Society of Difference Equations. At UMR, he has won several faculty excellence and teaching awards.

2006 Honorary Knight

Originally from Jackson, Mo., Gerald L. Meyr earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management from UMR in 1976, the same year he was selected to portray St. Patrick during the annual celebration in Rolla. Meyr started his career with Proctor & Gamble, then worked for Boise Cascade while earning a master’s degree in business administration degree at the University of Washington. He joined Weyerhaeuser in 1987 and has served in numerous positions with the company. Currently, Meyr is vice president of market development for Weyerhaeuser’s cellulose fibers business. He is responsible for strategic marketing, product line direction, and new market and product development. He serves on the executive committee of the American Forest and Paper Association and on the executive board of the Canadian Market Pulp Association. Meyr has also served for many years on the boards of Boy Scout councils, the United Way, and chambers of commerce in various locations.

2006 Honorary Knight

Donald Myers, professor of engineering management at UMR, earned two degrees in mechanical engineering at UMR: a bachelor’s degree in 1961 and a master’s degree in 1964. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration and a juris doctorate, both earned at Saint Louis University. From 1984-85, he was the science advisor to Missouri governors Christopher Bond and John Ashcroft. In the summer of 1986, Myers served on the U.S. Senate Science Committee staff. From 1987 to 1993, he was director of research services at UMR. He has also served as president of the UMR Academic Council and as chair of the University of Missouri InterFaculty Council. Myers was named an American Society of Engineering Management Fellow in 2005. He is a licensed member of the Missouri Bar, a U.S. Patent Attorney and a Missouri professional engineer. Myers has also served various student organizations as a faculty advisor and is an active member of several civic organizations.

2006 Honorary Knight

Dr. Debra Robinson has served as vice chancellor for student affairs at UMR since 2003. Robinson is responsible for non-academic student programs and services, including athletics, counseling and academic support programs, residential life, student life, st
udent health services, the Career Opportunities Center, Chartwells and the UMR Bookstore. She also created the comprehensive Freshman Orientation Program at UMR. Robinson earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in education and counseling from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois in Springfield. She then completed post-doctoral training in organizational development. Robinson is president of the Society of Consulting Psychology for division 13 of the American Psychological Association.

2006 Honorary Knight

A native of St. James, Mo., Joyce Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in English from UMR in 1978. After teaching at the secondary level for four years, Thomas began a career in real estate. She eventually earned her broker’s license and opened her own office, RE/MAX Heart of America, in Rolla. She is active in the National Association of Realtors and was named the local Realtor of the Year in 1989. Thomas currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the UMR College of Arts and Sciences, on the UMR advisory committee to St. Pat’s Coronation and on the board of directors at Greentree Learning Center. She also served on the Ozark Actor’s Theatre Board of Directors for a number of years and remains active in many area organizations.