Alumni

Meeting your first grandchild is a once-in-a-lifetime event; having your former classmate deliver your grandchild makes it even more special.

A fusion of American and European sports medicine expertise awaits KCU alumnus Garrett Gilbert, DO. An innovative program, forged through a partnership between Sano Orthopedics and the SANTI group, will catapult Gilbert from the heartland to the forefront of global sports medicine. 

The Mississippi State Medical Association announced the historic election of KCU alumna Katherine Pannel, DO, as its 158th president-elect. Dr. Pannel, a distinguished psychiatrist and medical director for Right Track Medical Group in Oxford, Mississippi, is the first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine to hold this prestigious position in the association's history.

“I’ve always considered my patients as friends and loved them,” said Dale Reinker, DO, FAAOS, FACOFP (COM 1969), about his 42-year career. “The fact that people who knew me from high school entrusted me with their health care was gratifying.”

The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians of California (ACOFP-CA) announced Steven Barag, DO, FACOFP, as a recipient of the esteemed 2024 ACOFP Master Preceptor Award. 

Kansas City University alumni and faculty continue to achieve excellence in the field of osteopathic medicine.

An ardent supporter of Kansas City University, Elliott Klain, DO (COM 1974), has been giving to the University for more than 30 consecutive years. Today we celebrate his enduring generosity by announcing his most recent gift of $50,000 to commemorate his 50th class reunion year.

The Kansas City University (KCU) Alumni Association is proud to announce Nathan Hall, DO (COM ’10, COB ‘06), as its 2024 president. As an alumnus who earned every degree offered by the University during his time as a student, Hall comes with a unique ability to coalesce a diverse alumni base of more than 10,000 members.

Congratulations to KCU Alumnus CHRIS PAYNTER, DO (COM ’12), of Jefferson City, Missouri, upon receiving the 2024 Family Physician of the Year Award by the Missouri Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (MSACOFP). 

Dr. Strickland knows firsthand the value of investing in students and has a deep desire to pay forward the generosity he has received. He and his wife, Suzanne, recently funded two additional endowed scholarships bringing the total number of scholarships generously given to KCU to 34.

In life, after the bustle of raising children, the day-to-day of patient care and a few decades pass, you look back and feel proud of what you’ve achieved. For Kansas City University alumnus Michael Schrenko, DO (COM '74), this realization didn’t happen all at once, but over time.

For Evany Zirul, DO (COM '79), MFA, her lifelong journey as a creative soul began with a sketchbook and a special pen. The future Dr. Zirul and her sketchbook were renowned for not only exacting, detailed notes, but also social commentary on the relevance of the material and often the teacher presenting it.