Muleskinner

Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: Homecoming 2006

Jim Crane

Joe Vandepopuliere

Don Nissanka

Joe Vandepopuliere, Don Nissanka and Jim Crane left Central to do big things in the world, but they look back at their time here as some the most important years of their lives.

"Central has changed immensely since '51," Vandepopuliere said. "Central didn't have the diversity of programs that it offers now. We had three professors in the biology department. They didn't have dorms for male students when I first got here. I was one of the first people to live in Diemer.

"One of my most favorite times of the year was fall, when the football team was playing. Quentin Smith and I were student managers for the Mules."

Vandepopuliere graduated with a bachelor degree in biology from Central Missouri in 1951. He went on to work at Ralston Purina as a research scientist for 15 years. When he started there, he worked with development of the popular line of "Chow" for cats, dogs, monkeys and fish.

Later, he worked on primate nutrition, which led to healthy rhesus monkeys for Dr. Salk's polio vaccine research. In 1972, he left Purina to work as a research professor in the Department of Animal Science at the university of Missouri. He researched poultry and salmonella problems, which resulted in three U.S. patents.

Don Nissanka was born in Sri Lanka and spent his teenage years in Zambia. He came to Central full of ambition and received a bachelors degree in industrial engineering and technology management in 1991 and a masters in industrial management in 1992.

Nissanka started at Gates Energy Products and worked his way up to become president of what is now known as Kokam America Inc., a U.S.-owned lithium battery producer. Kokam has contracts with the Federal Aviation Administration and with the Department of Defense.

Nissanka helps design efficient batteries for aviation and for the foot soldier's electronic equipment. Battery life has been extended from 30 minutes to 11 hours. Nissanka also wants to improve upon this advancement, hoping some day, these advancements can be used in hybrid, electric motor vehicles and household appliances. Nissanka is a resident of Lee's Summit.

The biggest changes on campus Nissanka has seen are the new library and the footbridge over Maguire Street. The academic programs have improved and also the business community, Nissanka said.

"Being at Central was very comfortable, because it's in a small town, which I think important for international students,"
Nissanka said. "I was totally shocked to hear the news that I was to be Central's International Alumni for homecoming."
Jim Crane's focus and teamwork helped Mules' baseball get to the 1974 NCAA Div. II College World Series.

Crane's financial donations to Mules' baseball have been instrumental to the growth and advancement in the NCAA Div. II in the past few years.

Crane's $1.2 million support helped complete Crane stadium/Tompkins feild for the baseball team.

Crane graduated in 1976 with a bachelors in industrial safety. He went on to work at a large insurance carrier. Later, his focus and teamwork helped him create his own publicly traded Eagle Global Logistics, a freight company which employs more than 10,000 people in 400 facilities around the globe.

Central will be honoring Nissanka and Vandepopuliere with receptions in this morning. Nissanka's will be in the Grinstead Living Room G244C at 9 a.m. Vandepopuliere's will be in the Art Gallery in the Art Center at 10:00 a.m.

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