This Friday, Mary Gutekunst, Executive Director of Health and Wellness Services, retires after 14 years at KU.
She is pictured here with Chris Scott of Facilities Project Services during the remodeling of Beck Hall last year
at the opening of the new Health and Wellness Center. Read about Mary and her remarkable career below.

The Daily Brief
Tuesday, June 14, 2011


KU PRIDE

 Meet Mary Gutekunst - It’s not uncommon for words to define specific place in time. When Mary Gutekunst started as the Student Health Center Director on June 2, 1997, the KU Health and Wellness Center was called the infirmary.

While technically correct, “a place to care for the sick or infirm,” the connotation speaks of a time when the health care was focused more on curing the ill and less on preventative medicine and healthy lifestyles.

Mary worked to change that.

“I set three major goals when I came to KU,” she said. “First was to change the image of student health services from an ‘infirmary’ to ‘ambulatory health care.’ The second was to seek and maintain national accreditation for our facility. And the third was to relocate the services to a new facility.

“Last year, with the move from the offices behind Old Main to our new Health and Wellness Center on the first floor of Beck Hall, we were able to bring the services even closer to the residence living facilities and create a private environment for Counseling Services, which was previously located in the Stratton Administration Center.”

This Friday, Mary Gutekunst will retire as the Executive Director of Health and Wellness Services.

Throughout her long career in medicine and health, she has been more than an administrator. Mary graduated from the Reading Hospital Nursing School and received a BSN from Lebanon Valley College. Later, she earned a masters’ degree in nursing as a community health specialist from West Chester University.

Prior to coming to KU, Mary worked for Reading Area Community College for seven years as the Director of Practical Nursing program and as a professor in the RACC nursing program.

“I loved teaching the nursing students, and wasn’t looking for a change, but someone said ‘there is a job at KU, and it is perfect for you’ – and it was,” she said.

Today, her division provides management oversight for clinical services, health promotion, medical records, sports medicine, AOD (alcohol and other drugs) programs and services, and counseling services.

“Health promotion and disease prevention are the most important aspects of college health, and KU’s staff members do it very well,” Mary said. “Healthy students perform better. Our continued accreditation with the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care Inc. provides the objective evidence of the high-quality care our students receive.”

On a steamy hot day last summer, Mary Gutekunst and her staff of nurses, counselors and directors were honored when the ribbon was cut on the new state-of-the-art health center in Beck Hall. For Mary, it was a career milestone – for KU it marked a new era of care, education and healthy lifestyles.

“Being involved in the process was very rewarding and exciting,” she said. “This truly was the highlight of my tenure at KU.”

For the immediate future, Mary plans to continue her lifelong passion for healthy living on the tennis court. An avid player, she is looking forward to improving her serve while staying in shape for any challenge the future may bring.

“Though I must admit that as I get older I prefer the softer clay courts, they are easier on the legs and feet,” she said with a smile.
         Craig Williams, University Relations

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Construction Update: The DMZ concrete walkway in front of Beck Hall will be closed to all pedestrians and vehicles Monday, June 20 through Friday, July 29 for concrete replacement work. ADA access to the Health Center will be maintained on the north side facing Old Main. The DMZ walkway from Beck Hall to South Campus Drive will also be closed during this time.
        Nathan Shugars, project manager, Facilities Project Services 

AFSCME Local 2234:  Members meeting will be held Monday, Jun. 20, at Janelle’s Restaurant, 360 Fleetwood Rd., Lyons, at 7 p.m.
        Annette M. Christman
ACADEMICS

The following DVDS were added to the media library and are available in the AV Center:

Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Beginners (DVD 5251) Yoga masters Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman demonstrate all the basic poses in a detailed 40-minute Pose Training session. Learn accurate alignment, technique and how to avoid the mistakes they see most often. Then, put those lessons into practice with two full-length workouts.

Rodney Yee’s Ultimate Power Yoga (DVD 5252) This DVD consists of 5 unique sessions that can be combined for a full-length yoga program or customized to fit your needs. They are: “Power Foundation,” “Strengthening Sun Salutations,” “Sculpting Standing Poses,” “Broadening Back Bends,” and “Ultimate Power Restoration.”

Yogaworks For Everybody (DVD 5254) The Fit Abs yoga practice takes advantage of the science behind interval training with the added bonus of core conditioning. Traditional yoga poses in segments of high-intensity movement are rotated with slow-burn holds.

Why Can’t Michael Pay Attention? (DVD 5240) This movie helps us to build an understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.

They’re Just Kids (DVD 5241) Meet Jenny, Steven, Emily, and Taylor all at different ages with different disabilities. Each of these special children has an uncanny gift to not only accept their own challenges but help others persevere as well.
        Ted Hickman, coordinator, AV Center



ARAMARK

Monday, June 13 - Sunday, June 19

 Cub Cafe: 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.*
*(Closed on Saturday & Sunday, June 18 & 19)

South Side Cafe:
June 13 & 15: 4 - 6:30 p.m.
June 14 & 16: 7 - 9:30 a.m.
June 17 - 19: Closed

Golden Bear Food Court - Grill Works:
June 13 & 15: Closed
June 14, 16, 17: 4 - 6:30 p.m.
June 18 & 19: Brunch 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Dinner 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

All other Dining Locations: Closed
In Case You Missed It:
 (Announcements and other information that have previously appeared in the Daily Brief.)
KUR Radio - Daily programming can be found by clicking on our "Schedule" link at http://www.kutztown.edu/divisions/studentservices/departments/radioservices/.
        Michael Regensburger, Radio Services
Monsoon Mike looks to hurricane season in the next edition of Weather Balloon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHhQrYzsy28   

Please share this with your summer students - Student Union & Involvement Services is sponsoring Ice Cream Truck and Treats on Wednesday, June 15, 12 - 1:30 p.m. on the MSU Lawn. There will be an ice cream truck with free ice cream treats, as well as popcorn, hot dogs, and lawn games. Please remind your students to bring their KU ID. This event is paid for out of student activity fees and is therefore only open to current KU Students.
        Kristen Snyder Gallagher, assistant director, Student Union & Involvement Services

The following camps/conferences will be on campus 6/13/11 – 6/19/11:

 6/17/11 – 6/19/11 AFBE Tournament
6/19/11 – 6/26/11 Princeton Playweek

Please welcome them to our campus. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thanks!
        Laura Jones, Conference Services
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!