UM St. Louis magazine: spring 2007

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S O U R I - S T. L O U I S

SPRING 2007

UMSt.Louis Vocalist Brian Owens is UM–St. Louis’ own

Man of Soul New book of short stories

by UM–St. Louis author excerpted Photo story unveils new residence hall

Dear Readers, This issue of UM St. Louis magazine is, more than anything, about trying something new. It wasn’t an intentional theme, but rather an observation of the final outcome.

Our cover story looks at the remarkable, young career of singing sensation Brian Owens. The cover represents our first solo portrait of a current student at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. It’s about time, eh?

Kedra Tolson’s piece on UM–St. Louis historian Minsoo Kang and his book, “Of Tales and Enigmas,” includes the short story “The Well of Dreams.” The article marks the first time we’ve excerpted a work of fiction by a faculty member in the magazine.

And on page 21, you’ll find another first. A photo story. The words and photographs of August Jennewein will take you inside Oak Hall and show you what it’s like to live at the $26 million student residence.

Beyond the issue’s novelty, I hope these pages continue to demonstrate the quality that increasingly defines the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Tom Hockett Editor

The University of Missouri–St. Louis publishes UM St. Louis magazine for alumni and friends. The magazine highlights excellence at UM–St. Louis.

Circulation is 72,000, and the magazine is released twice a year.

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Chancellor Thomas F. George Vice Chancellor for Advancement Tom Eschen Director of Media, Creative and Printing Services Bob Samples Editor Tom Hockett Photographer August Jennewein

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NewsBriefs

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Student leads unique sorority for mothers

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Brian Owens is one magnetic musician

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UM–St. Louis faculty earn national recognition

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Chuck Smith, the patriarch of UM–St. Louis men’s basketball

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Scholarships: How giving a little bit, means a lot

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Historian pens new book; Short story excerpted

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Photo story explores new student residence

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Students create the book ‘Bellerive’

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Patient simulator gives nursing students hands-on experience

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Alumni & Friends

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Alumni Notes

18 Designer Sandy Morris Production Cindy Bertram Printer Cenveo Writers Jack Crosby, Jennifer Hatton, Ryan Heinz, Tom Hockett, August Jennewein, Bob Samples, Kedra Tolson, Linda Tracy UM St. Louis magazine One University Blvd.

414 Woods Hall St. Louis, MO 63121-4400 magazine@umsl.edu http://www.umsl.edu/services /creative/pubs/ (314) 516-5827

21 (On the cover) UM–St. Louis music senior Brian Owens is making a name for himself in the St. Louis music scene.

See Page 8 for the full story.

NewsBriefs

Recent corporate giving to boost math, science education

In our daily work, we support the efforts of those seeking to improve the quality of life worldwide.

With this contribution, we seek to inspire others to continue those qualityof-life improvements by making education accessible and exciting, leading to continued innovation in the life-science and hightechnology markets we serve.

—Jai Nagarkatti

(in front) Jai Nagarkatti, president and chief executive officer of Sigma-Aldrich, with (from left) Kirk Richter, UM –St. Louis alumnus and treasurer of Sigma-Aldrich; UM–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George; Mike Hogan, chief financial officer and secretary of Sigma-Aldrich; and Charles Schmitz, dean of the College of Education at UM –St. Louis

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argeting math and science education, three St. Louis-area companies have made significant investments in the region’s K-12 students and teachers by contributing to the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Sigma-Aldrich, Boeing and MasterCard Worldwide have all made gifts in the past six months to support the university’s College of Education.

Sigma-Aldrich’s contribution of $150,000 is the largest in the company’s history. It will help build the college’s Science and Math Education Central.

The facility will be housed in Marillac Hall on South Campus and will provide resources to area teachers, including a science lab, updated computers, library and rooftop observatory.

Boeing contributed $180,000. It too will support the establishment of the Science and Math Education Central.

Randy Maier, Boeing’s education relations manager, said the company is invested in math and science education in the region.

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“The future competitiveness of our economy depends on producing students who have critical technical skills to fill the demands of our future work force,” he said.

MasterCard contributed a total of $1 million to seven area organizations. At UM–St. Louis, the gift created the MasterCard Mathematics in Gear Program. It will provide professional development for more than 50 middle school math teachers in 33 partner schools.

“Our support for this program is a key highlight of our new local corporate-giving initiative to advance the teaching of math by underwriting professional development for math teachers,” said Maria Palumbo, who directs community support at MasterCard. “We are keen to see how UM–St. Louis’ leadership steers the evolution of the Mathematics in Gear program.”

UM–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George says St. Louis-area corporations have been vital partners to the university over the years.

“We rely heavily on the kindness of corporations in St. Louis, and we value the relationships we’re building with them,” he said. “Corporate gifts are essential to the success of our students and faculty.”

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UM–St. Louis earns A for percentage of women tenure-track faculty

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he University of Missouri–St. Louis is tops in Missouri when it comes to the university’s percentage of women faculty who are tenure-track, according to a report released in October by the American Association of University Professors.

“AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators 2006” provides data on four measures of gender equity for faculty at more than 1,400 colleges and universities across the country. Among those measures is tenure status for full-time faculty.

The data shows that 58 percent of women full-time faculty at UM–St. Louis are tenuretrack, a higher percentage than any other public university in Missouri.

Other indicators used in the report are promotion to full professor, average salary for full-time faculty and employment status (full- and part-time).

UM–St. Louis also is above average in terms of the employment status of women faculty. According to the report, women make up 34 percent of the fulltime faculty population at doctoral institutions nationwide. At UM–St. Louis, 41 percent of full-time faculty are women.

Data for the report was pulled from the AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey, with additional information on part-time faculty provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

The full report is available at http://www.aaup.org/ AAUP/pubsres/research/geneq2006.

Nursing college caps 25 years

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he College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis has come a long way from its humble beginning as a two-year baccalaureate completion program for registered nurses that had 11 students in its first graduating class.

The spring 2007 semester brought an end to the college’s yearlong 25th anniversary celebration. It was a time for not only celebration, but also one of reflection, says Juliann Sebastian, dean of the college.

“The college has accomplished so much,” she said.

“We are grateful to Dean Emeritus Shirley Martin and the wonderful faculty, staff, students and alumni from our first 25 years for the impressive foundation upon which we can build.”

Martin, who was the college’s founding dean, first proposed creating the program in 1968, but it didn’t win final approval until the 1979-80 academic year.

The first class enrolled in the fall of 1981.

Juliann Sebastian

Today, the College of Nursing at UM–St. Louis enrolls nearly 750 students in a comprehensive program that offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. And student pass rates for nursing licensure exams are consistently ranked among the highest in Missouri.

“We do a terrific job of preparing excellent nurses,” Sebastian said. “Our programs address both the critical shortages of clinical nurses and nursing faculty members. The future holds many opportunities for our college to expand the ways it helps improve the health of people in the St. Louis area and beyond through both education and research.”

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NewsBriefs

UM–St. Louis historian named Fulbright Distinguished Chair

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teven Rowan, professor of history at the University of Missouri– St. Louis, has been named to the 2007-08 Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Program. He holds the Fulbright-Karl Franzens University of Graz Distinguished Chair in Cultural Studies at the Karl-FranzensUniversität Graz in Austria.

Awards in the Distinguished Chairs Program are among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program, which was established in 1946 and is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. According to CIES, distinguished chair recipients are senior scholars who “have a significant publication and teaching record.”

From March to June, Rowan is teaching courses in history, German and American literature, the American West and American religion.

Rowan joined the Department of History at UM–St. Louis in 1970. During his time here, he’s held appointments at King’s College in London, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University in New Jersey and Missouri London Program.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity,” Rowan said. “I think the experience will expand my teaching scope, and I’ll have plenty of freedom to research. It’s great to have this kind of experience.”

Steven Rowan

‘Man the Hunted’ nabs top book honor

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onna Hart, adjunct associate professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, won the 2006 W.W. Howells Book Prize from the American Anthropological Association for “Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators and Human Evolution.” Hart shares the award with co-author Robert W. Sussman, professor of physical anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

“I am very pleased to be receiving this acknowledgment,” Hart said. “Re-evaluations of human evolution, such as the one we offered in ‘Man the Hunted,’ are important because they ultimately reflect a more holistic position for humans within the natural world.”

The American Anthropological Association created the annual Howells prize in 1993 to recognize the best biological anthropology book written for a wide audience. The award is named for Professor Emeritus William White Howells of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

“Man the Hunted” dispels the myth of “man the hunter” and replaces it with the theory and supporting evidence that early hominids were vulnerable to predation. Contrary to the familiar image of aggressive, spear-wielding cavemen, humans’ early hominid ancestors evolved not as hunters but as targets to many predators, according to the book.

Westview Press released “Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators, and Human Evolution” in March 2005.

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Student leads unique sorority for mothers Danielle Cooney receives national attention for establishing Mu Tau Rho

By Ryan Heinz

When Danielle Cooney created her own sorority in the fall at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, she had only one goal in mind. She wanted to fill a void by establishing a student organization for a typically overlooked group: mothers.

The result was Mu Tau Rho, a group for student-mothers that now has 13 members. That number may soon be bolstered by the considerable attention the news media has paid to the unique sorority.

In March, dozens of newspapers from across the country published articles about Mu Tau Rho. People magazine was on campus in April. Members of the sorority were interviewed and photographed for a story.

The group, and their children, meets two Saturdays a month. One meeting is held on campus, while the other is a health-food party held at a member’s home. According to Cooney, who serves as president of Mu Tau Rho, the children play together while the mothers meet and socialize.

“Mu Tau Rho has provided a much needed resource for the working mothers at the university,” said Lori Tagger, a UM–St. Louis psychologist and the sorority’s adviser. “They have so many things to balance, and this has been a great place for them to bond, find support and be involved in the ‘college experience.’”

Having existed for just six months, Mu Tau Rho has begun community outreach initiatives. Members are busy with fundraising for Relay for Life, a nationwide event that benefits the American Cancer Society. Also, a nonprofit organization has approached Mu Tau Rho about speaking to teenage mothers and encouraging them to attend college.

Since then, Cooney, of University City, Mo., has been “We’re really interested in getting the word out to young mothers that they bombarded by e-mails from students at several other can go to school if they had a baby,” Cooney said. “They need to know that’s universities seeking permission to create a sister chapter. still possible.”

“When I created this sorority, I honestly didn’t think it was going to be such a big deal,” said Cooney, a 22year-old mathematics sophomore. “I was really just looking for a way to make new friends.”

As a teenager, Cooney’s own dreams of attending college and joining a sorority were temporarily put on hold when she gave birth to her son Jourden, who is now 4. After enrolling at UM–St. Louis, she still aspired to join a sorority. However, a busy schedule of work, school, child care and homework left little time.

Cooney says she thought she wasn’t alone in this predicament. So she began posting fliers around campus to see if she could generate enough interest to meet the required number of participants to form a student organization. Her grassroots effort led to the establishment of Mu Tau Rho, which when translated to English letters is “MTP,” for “Mothers Together Parenting.”

Danielle Cooney, the founder of Mu Tau Rho, a sorority for student-mothers at UM–St. Louis, plays with her 4-year-old son Jourden at a park near their home in University City, Mo.

UM–St. Louis student Brian Owens sings at the “Soul of the Season Holiday Concert” in December at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UM– St. Louis.

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Magnetic Musician Talented UM–St. Louis student blends vocal styles to evoke timeless sound

By Ryan Heinz

Brian Owens

is a soulful guy. Just don’t call the University of Missouri–St. Louis music senior a soul singer. And, for that matter, it’s best to avoid pigeon holing him as a jazz or gospel vocalist.

“I don’t think music should be defined by what it sounds like,” said Owens, 26. “It should be defined by what it says, the message.”

Owens is certainly not the first artist to defy genre classification in describing his sound. Rarely, however, do singers exude such seemingly effortless versatility when stepping behind a microphone. This was apparent after catching a pair of his dynamic performances earlier this year.

In 2006, MoJones Musick released two albums by Owens (“B Natural” and “Inspired”), while he continued to establish himself as a talented, hard-working performer on the rise. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has taken notice, deeming Owens a “name to continue watching in 2007.”

But that’s just the beginning. The confident singer says he plans to give the St. Louis area plenty more reasons to follow his career.

It’s January. The spring semester is underway, and there’s one thing in the forefront of Owens’ mind: school. He’s taking extra classes to ensure he graduates as scheduled in August.

But the added workload does little to deter his momentum.

In a month’s time, Owens will have led a local concert tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., started a three-month run of weekly performances at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Clayton, Mo., and participated in a concert series in the Virgin Islands.

The King tribute is a low-key storyteller setup in a quaint room at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis headquarters in midtown St. Louis. Owens is wearing fashionably tattered jeans and brown dress shoes, V-neck sweater and ball cap. He sits on a folding chair facing an audience of 50.

Behind him are a bassist, drummer, guitarist and utility man who roves between saxophone and clarinet. Each song is prefaced with a short historical reading from Owens.

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As the set unfolds, Owens and his band perform incendiary renditions of songs by Billie Holiday, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield. A charismatic vocalist, Owens appears to give his all when singing.

He can hardly remain still for the sit-down affair. He rocks back in his chair and then forward to the microphone, delivering each line with his eyes tightly shut. The audience hangs on each note Owens sings, and he clearly relishes the energy.

“Man, you all had some good music in the ‘60s,”he exclaimed before going on a short diatribe about the shallowness of modern music. “It needs to be about more than entertainment. It needs to be a vehicle for social consciousness.”

He then launches into “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, the artist to whom Owens is most often compared.

“You can hear a lot of Sam Cooke in what Brian does with his range and vocal control,” said Shaun Robinson, a St. Louis music scene fixture who often backs Owens on guitar. “But I think he has a wider music vocabulary than Sam did. Brian’s a very original voice.”

of the African-American spiritual tradition and its later influences on African-American composers of various genres. The ambitious project also will feature Owens’ original compositions and could include a recording, video documentary and educational workshops.

Keith Miller, a 2006 UM–St. Louis music graduate now attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, will play bass on the project. Miller and Owens have begun work on new material by swapping digital recordings via e-mail.

If anyone can pull off a project of such gravitas, Miller said, Owens is the guy to do it.

“There are a lot of people who sing, but there isn’t really a lot of substance behind it,” Miller said. “But with Brian, there’s that substance and a lot of respect for the older music.”

On a frigid February evening, Owens sets up his audio equipment in the swank lobby lounge at the Ritz. He’s dressed in a dark suit and fedora for his first in a series of performances Jim Henry, associate professor of music at UM–St. Louis, echoed Robinson’s sentiment. at the luxury hotel.

He called Owens a fearless vocalist with a Owens has come a long way to get true artistic sensibility and encyclopedic to this point. He lives in Ferguson, knowledge of music.

Mo., with his wife Amanda, a UM– “You can talk intelligently with Brian about jazz singers in the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s,” Henry said. “He’s listened to them all, but you never get the sense when you’re watching him sing that he’s imitating anybody. Brian draws from these artists for his own unique style.”

It’s worth noting: Owens has a soft spot in his heart for a wide variety of music styles, including folk. He says he loves Peter, Paul and Mary, and his Bob Dylan impression is less a caricature than an accurate and adoring imitation of the folk legend’s trademark voice.

“It was intelligent music, but not only in terms of what they were playing,” Owens said. “It was also what they were saying.”

Owens says he wants to leave a legacy as large as his legendary heroes.

One potential step down that path is a major performance piece that’s in its infancy. Owens is dubbing it “The Revival Project.” He will use it to explore the roots

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UM–St. Louis student Brian Owens (singing) and UM–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George deliver an impassioned version of “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington at “A Black History Music Celebration,” which was held Feb. 25 at the university’s Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

St. Louis graduate who teaches music at Jennings Junior High in Jennings, Mo., but he grew up in Belleville, Ill., where he honed his vocal skills in a neighborhood church. He later studied at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., which led to Owens joining the acappela group Chapter Six. He went on to enlist in the U.S. Air Force and became a lead vocalist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America at Scott Air Force Base, before leaving the military to attend UM–St. Louis.

M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UM–St. Louis to singing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and BET’s “Jazz Discovery.” But he said the biggest highlight of his young career was performing at Carnegie Hall in New York for a master class presented by jazz great Dianne Reeves. Owens was one of only four vocalists worldwide selected for Reeves’ class.

It’s been a wild ride to a career just taking off. Does Owens ever feel overwhelmed? What if he burns out?

“I never feel like it could burn me out,” Owens said during a break between sets at the Ritz. “I won’t let it burn me out, because (music) is not my life.”

What is then?

“My faith, my wife, my family,” he said, emphatically tapping a red velvet couch where he’s sitting. “That’s my life. Music is probably around No. 5.”

Really?

“Yeah,” he replied. “What if I woke up tomorrow and couldn’t do music? Does that mean my life’s over and I have no other purpose? I’m not just a singer. I’m not just a speaker. I’m a person.” The conversation is interrupted as a manager from the Ritz approaches. He’s smiling as he thanks Owens “We had an audition with Brian where we had him sing a few different things,” before shaking his hand and saying, “This is going recalled Henry, the music professor at to work out.”

UM–St. Louis. “It was like we do with It looks as though Owens will perform his music every student, but it was just obvious, tomorrow after all. And if what he’s accomplished this kid is incredible.” thus far is any indication of his future, he won’t Since enrolling at UM–St. Louis, he’s have any trouble singing professionally for many caught the ear of many throughout years to come. the St. Louis area and beyond. He’s done everything from organizing well-attended shows at the Blanche

Visit http://www.brianowens.net for more information on Brian Owens.

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Hung-Gay Fung is the Dr. YS Tsiang Professor in Chinese Studies at UM–St. Louis. He says finding answers to research questions makes him a better classroom teacher.

“The Department of Communication (at UM– St. Louis) has some of the top publishing faculty in our discipline,” said Heisel, who’s an associate professor of communication. “We want faculty who not only want to teach, but who want to be active researchers and to publish the research that is taught by others.”

The FSPI, while embraced by many academics, is not without controversy. Some have questioned Academic Analytics’ data-collection methods and the company’s for-profit status. Others have complained that the index does not assess teaching.

Provost Cope says the FSPI and other measurement tools all have limitations.

“This faculty productivity index, the U.S. News rankings and others each describe limited aspects of academic programs,” she said. “None of these indices captures the full picture. Each is valuable, however, because the university wants to use any information that can help us improve.”

Victor Battistich, a professor of education at UM–St. Louis who has written more than 50 professional publications, said he appreciates

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concerns about Academic Analytics’ methodology, particularly that the criticism that FSPI does not gauge teaching.

“I understand where the critics are coming from,” he said. “However, I don’t know many productive researchers who don’t engage their students. A scholar who is passionate about his or her work will convey that motivation in the classroom.”

Hung-Gay Fung is another UM–St. Louis researcher who, like Battistich, says that productivity as a researcher pays off in the classroom. Fung is the Dr. YS Tsiang Professor in Chinese Studies. His current areas of research include international finance and the challenges of economic globalization in China. “(My research) has helped me as a teacher, by providing me with the knowledge to answer my students,” Fung said. “I can go back to my students and provide them with the tools to work through any question, because I’ve seen the process through and know how to find the answers.”

Visit http://www.academicanalytics.com for more information on the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index.

UM–St. Louis names basketball court for patriarch of men’s hoops programs

By Jack Crosby

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nthusiastic and determined basketball fans shook off the subfreezing air Jan. 18 as they filed into the Mark Twain/Athletic & Fitness Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. They came to cheer on men’s and women’s basketball. But this night was special: The crowd also was on hand to pay tribute to Chuck Smith, the founding father of b-ball at UM–St. Louis.

Another reason Smith said he accepted the job was the building in which the court dedication took place. The Mark Twain center opened in 1971 as the Multipurpose Building. Built at a cost of $3.5 million, the complex houses equipment, classrooms and offices for intercollegiate athletics, physical education programs, intramural athletics and recreational activities.

Chuck Smith (holding plaque), retired UM– St. Louis head men’s basketball coach and athletics director, was joined by four former UM–St. Louis basketball All-Americans (from left): Bob Bone, Jack Stenner, Chris Pilz and Greg Daust. The players attended an event honoring Smith in January at UM–St. Louis.

The university’s basketball court was named “Chuck Smith Court.”

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hortly before the men’s game tipped off, a collection of university coaches, administrators and former basketball All-Americans gathered on the court, where the Department of Athletics formally unveiled and named the playing surface for Smith, who in 1966 became the university’s first athletics director and first head coach of the men’s basketball team.

It’s unlikely that any of the people assembled that night on the new Chuck Smith Court were aware of a pivotal fact regarding Smith’s tenure at UM–St. Louis: He almost didn’t take the job.

“I turned them down twice,” Smith said in a recent telephone interview. “The dean then asked me to serve as a consultant to the program. Eventually, he made me the athletics director, and I took it.”

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The building’s centerpiece is the 4,736-seat basketball arena.

The first game was played there on Dec. 6, 1971, when a capacity crowd saw UM–St. Louis defeat the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas, an NCAA Division I team, by the score of 85 to 79.

But the building existed in mind only when Smith joined the university. In fact, the men’s basketball team was nothing more than a concept at the time. That’s when the Bellerive Country Club, which previously owned the land where UM–St. Louis was built, came in handy.

“They had a club team (at Bellerive),” Smith said. “They played the local junior colleges, Sanford-Brown, those kinds of teams. So they made up the bulk of the team, and I only had to recruit three players, all of whom started.”

Recruiting got even easier, once the plans for the center were finalized.

“Well, that’s what attracted me,” Smith said.

“Of course, we had to coach five years before moving into the building, but it was a great recruiting tool. Just showing a mockup of the Multipurpose Building was a big help in recruiting players.”

The 1971-72 team, in addition to their season-opening victory against Arkansas, amassed 21 wins (and only five losses) and earned an invitation to the NCAA tournament.

“I really enjoyed the fellows on that team,” Smith said. “They were just outstanding people.”

Smith went on to coach UM–St. Louis for 13 years, compiling a 171-143 career record. He remained athletics director for another 13 years, retiring in 1992.

Smith began coaching at high schools in Leadwood, Mo., and Bonne Terre, Mo., before moving back to the St. Louis area, where he coached basketball and baseball at Parkway Central High School.

From there, he landed the head-coaching job at his alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis.

Smith and his WU teams enjoyed success, going to the NCAA tournament three times in six years.

In the 1964-65 tournament, they faced Southern Illinois University Carbondale, whose star was Walt “Clyde” Frazier. He was drafted by the New York Knicks and went on to become a Hall of Famer.

“We had the lead at halftime,” Smith said. “But Frazier came out hot in the second half and beat us up pretty good.”

Smith spent a year as the basketball coach at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg before he was persuaded to accept the UM–St. Louis post in the fall of 1966.

“My former dean at Wash U came over to UM– St. Louis,” Smith said. “He was one of a group of people who were responsible for getting the athletics program going. My first boss was Harold Eickhoff, dean of students.”

With no facility of their own, the UM–St. Louis team lived something of a vagabond existence.

“We practiced at Normandy Junior High,” Smith said. “The court was 10 feet short of regulation size, but they let us install the square glass backboards we needed to practice on.”

At the court dedication in January, Jack Stenner, a former UM–St. Louis star athlete who played on Smith’s early barnstorming squads, described what the program’s beginning was like.

“The old (Bellerive) clubhouse was serving as the administration building in those days,” said Stenner, who was named the university’s first AllAmerican in 1969. “Games were played all over the place, Normandy Senior High, Florissant Valley, Concordia Seminary, even the old Arena and Kiel Auditorium. I can’t think of a better exclamation point to his career than to have this court dedicated in coach Smith’s honor.”

Visit http://www.umsl-sports.com for more information on the UM–St. Louis Department of Athletics and its history.

At left: Chuck Smith, retired UM–St. Louis basketball coach, and his 1968-69 team went on to win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District Championship.

Below: Chuck Smith stands inside the Mark Twain/Athletic & Fitness Center on the playing surface that was named for him in January.

Chuck Smith Court is now home to UM –St. Louis basketball.

Photo by Leon Photography

Two scholarships found Kerry Manderbach at a fine time

A commentary by Bob Samples

UM–St. Louis student Kerry Manderbach (center) said his education “wouldn’t be possible” without help from UM–St. Louis alumnae Marie Casey (left) and Kathy Osborn (right). Manderbach is the recipient of the Casey Communications, Inc. Undergraduate Scholarship and the Kathleen T. Osborn Alumni Scholarship.

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erry Manderbach came to the University of Missouri–St. Louis straight from Central High School in St. Louis more than 30 years ago.

He drifted and dropped out. That’s not unusual, he told a crowd attending the university’s annual scholarship reception in February. Lots of young men and women drift in and out of college, I thought, as Manderbach spoke.

But the story of his journey back to UM–St. Louis was prefaced with the kind of heartbreak that could only be evoked by a sad country song. (Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille” is stuck in my head.)

Manderbach’s eyes moistened as he talked. His voice cracked.

You could tell it hurt. Eventually, though, it felt good to everyone at the reception, including me.

Manderbach was working at a decent hourly job. He got married and had five children. Life was fine. Nothing special. He was annoyed when coworkers with better educations began passing him by, but he had his children and wife. Then, he said, “his whole world turned upside down.”

Manderbach’s wife left him and the children. His daughter died suddenly.

And then Manderbach, left to raise and support his remaining children, was diagnosed with a thyroid disease that sapped his strength. “I didn’t know how much longer I could hold things together,” he said.

After “many long hours of soulsearching,” Manderbach decided that earning a college degree was the best course for him and his family.

Federal and campus aid and student loans have helped make college possible, but they don’t cover everything.

College loans and other debt add up fast. That’s where private scholarships make a huge difference.

Tiffany Robinson, UM–St. Louis student and recipient of the Interco Minority Scholarship, tells Michael Loynd, administrator for Interco Charitable Trust, that the scholarship has made her a better student.

Manderbach, a senior in media studies, has two scholarships: the Casey Communications, Inc. Undergraduate Scholarship and the Kathleen T. Osborn Alumni Scholarship.

Both donors are UM–St. Louis alumnae.

Marie Casey runs a marketing and communications firm in Clayton, Mo., and Kathy Osborn is executive director of the St. Louis Regional Business Council.

“My education wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful people who choose to make these scholarships available,” Manderbach said. “This allows me to concentrate more on my studies and less on figuring out how to pay for college and raise my family. I hope one day to be a donor myself.”

Twenty-five years ago, public colleges and universities in Missouri received a majority of their funding from the state. Today, less than 30 percent of UM–St. Louis’ budget comes from the state. While the $8,000 or so it costs to attend UM–St. Louis full-time today is less than one-third that of a comparable private university, UM–St. Louis students still feel the pinch.

“I was ecstatic when I received my acceptance letter to the University of Missouri–St. Louis, but my emotions changed when I received my first bill,” said Tiffany Robinson, who now receives the Interco Minority Scholarship. “The Interco scholarship has made a tremendous difference.

“I have become more active in school organizations, committees and externships, and I’ve become a better student. One of the greatest gifts is the gift of education.”

UM–St. Louis has a $12 million scholarship endowment. It covers about 200 private scholarEileen Lambert can relate to Manderbach. She ships. Those are totals that Vice Chancellor for came to UM–St. Louis straight from Aquinas Advancement Tom Eschen says the university High School in St. Louis in the mid-1970s, but is working hard to boost. didn’t drift. She graduated with an accounting “This issue is important, because the need is degree, passed the certified public accountant’s great,” Eschen said. “As St. Louis’ public research exam and today heads a consulting firm in university, we have a unique responsibility to west St. Louis County. make high quality education as accessible as “My father pushed us into higher education, possible. We can’t do that without private because he didn’t have a degree,” Lambert support.” said. “He knew what a difference it would But giving to a public university is a foreign make.” concept for some. I know it’s a problem for Her father’s message was both effective and Eschen and his fundraising team. I’ve heard correct. Lambert, two sisters and her mother friends say public dollars support public schools, all eventually earned degrees from UM–St. and private donors support private schools.

Louis. And the difference in their lives was Not everyone has caught on – as Eileen Lambert immediate. has – to the fact that public higher education funding is down, while private universities So, Lambert, who endowed the Edward and receive millions of dollars in public money Catherine Condon Scholarship in honor of each year through grants and scholarships. her parents, said the notion to “give back” and help others was a primary reason for her “Once potential donors learn more about the donation. Another contributing factor was the need and importance of giving to UM–St. Louis escalating cost on students to attend college. scholarships, they’ve been generally supportive,” Eschen said. “It’s just a matter now of reaching “Between Pell grants and state support, more people with the message.”

I graduated without any debt,” Lambert said. “I figured that government still funded education (adequately). I didn’t realize (the government) doesn’t do that anymore.”

Kerry Manderbach and Tiffany Robinson hope Eschen is right. So should all St. Louisans.

UM St. Louis

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Historian explores fantasy, science fiction in new book

‘of tales and enigmas’

By Kedra Tolson

Minsoo Kang, assistant professor of European history at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, spins an intriguing web of fantastic fiction in his first book, “Of Tales and Enigmas.”

It’s a collection of 15 short stories that range from the haunting remembrance of a rendezvous with a spirit in “The Ghost Child” to the surprising metafictional conclusion of “The Dilemma of the King and the Beggar.”

Robert A. Rosenstone, professor of history at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and author of “Mirror in the Shrine: American Encounters with Meiji Japan,” said Kang’s book has “echoes of chivalric poems, the Arabian nights, medieval romances, Victorian adventures and East Asian ghost stories.”

It’s difficult, for Kang, to pin down what inspires his storytelling.

“The stories just come to me,” Kang said. “I don’t have any choice.

They just appear in my head. I find if I try to write something ordinary, it’s hard. The stranger stories are a lot easier to write.”

His historical essays have been published in journals such as Rethinking History and Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and “A Fearful Symmetry,” a story from “Of Tales and Enigmas,” will be featured in the upcoming edition of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, an annual anthology published by St. Martin’s Press.

“Of Tales and Enigmas” was released in November by Prime Books.

The 220-page book is $29.95 (hardcover) or $17.95 (paperback), and is available at http://www.amazon.com or in St. Louis-area bookstores.

With permission from the author, “The Well of Dreams” from “Of Tales and Enigmas” is printed here.

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“THE WELL OF DREAMS” People made their journey to the well of dreams out of despair, seeking at least the relief of illusion from the weight of regret and sorrow. But before they could take a drink from the well, which would grant them a dream of their wish that night, they had to pay the old well-keeper who lived in a tiny shack by the well. What he demanded in payment was an object, whatever its worth, that was related to the dream each person desired to have. On the day I visited the site, three people had come to the place before me.

The first was a young woman who gave the well-keeper the dried leaves of a rose, the last gift from her lover who had left on a merchant ship, never to return.

That night, she would have a dream of their reunion and a happy life together. The second was an old man,

older than the well-keeper himself, who gave him a broken scepter from his earlier life as the tyrant of a vast empire. The people of his realm had revolted against his cruel and despotic rule, and had sent him away on a permanent exile. He would dream that night of the demise of his enemies, his triumphant return to power and perpetual reign as a god-emperor. The third was a prisoner in chains, brought to the well by a pair of militiamen for his last wish, as he was condemned to be executed the following day for the murder of his wife and brother. Driven mad by jealousy over his beautiful wife, he had become convinced that she was unfaithful to him with his brother, when they had merely been on friendly terms. He gave the well-keeper his wedding ring so that he might dream on his last night of their miraculous resurrection and a scene of reconciliation.

Minsoo Kang is an assistant professor of European history at UM–St. Louis. His new collection of short stories, “Of Tales and Enigmas,” was released in November.

“How naive you are,”

the well-keeper said with a sardonic

grin.“For all you know, you may be dreaming this moment yourself.”

That night, as I sat in the well-keeper’s shack, sharing a modest meal of rice and fish stew with him, amidst great piles of all manners of objects that were the payments for dreams, I asked the old man how he had come to be the well-keeper.

“I was once the poorest citizen of the nearby city at the foot of the desolate mountains, an orphan who lived in its rat infested slums,” he told me. “I knew that I was the poorest because while every fellow orphan had at least one object to his name, I had nothing, not even a stitch of clothing on my back.

One day, I was wandering out here, searching for a scrap of something to eat, when I came across the well, which was without a keeper then. As I had heard about the power of its water, I wished to have a dream of having one thing that I could call my own. And so the well became mine, and I became the well-keeper.”

So you got your dream for free,” I pointed out, “whereas you charge everyone a price.”

The old man chuckled. “No, my dream was not free. As it happens, I had to pay the highest price of all.”

“What price is that?”

“The knowledge of whether I am truly living my life, or dreaming it. Every night I go to sleep in terror of the thought that I could wake up and find myself a destitute orphan

20

once again. You cannot imagine what a torment that is.”

I thought about that for a moment. “It is true that you cannot know whether you are dreaming this life, with myself as a mere figment of your imagination. But I myself know that I am real, and that this is not a dream. So, I know that yours is a happy story.”

“How naive you are,” the well-keeper said with a sardonic grin. “For all you know, you may be dreaming this moment yourself.

Perhaps you, a storyteller, came upon the well and wished to have a dream which you could shape into a story. Perhaps the well arranged it by having you share in my dream, that of an orphan boy lying somewhere, dreaming that he is an old well-keeper.”

The old man let out a deep sigh before continuing. “The truth is, I envy you storytellers, for you have the ability to create something real out of dreams, whereas others wake up and can only despair at the loss of the world of their wish-fulfillment.

“If you should awake and find that all of this was indeed a dream, then I beg you to take pity on this orphan boy and give me another existence, if only in a modest story. Perhaps that will also be a way of defying the well itself, which I have come to believe is an evil demon that delights in the shattering of happy illusions.”

Oak Hall

Photos and text

by August Jennewein

A look at life in a grand student residence

UM St. Louis

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Trish Detwiler is an accounting freshman from Oakville, Mo. Her smile is infectious.

Previous page: UM–St. Louis students celebrate, Oak Hall style.

1. Sean Hanebery 2. Gabriel Santos 3. Amanda Lucido 4. La’Ondrill Brown 5. Mayuko Kinno 6. Aqsa Ahmad Chaudhry 7. James Heckman 8. Matthew Hanebery 9. Natsuki Takahashi 10. Giovanna Mendoza 11. Mariana Lanes Fernandes 12. Daniela Blum 13. Nick Bisho 14. Marina Watabe

(from left) Shivani Desai, James North, Zed Davis and Jalyn Davis (back to camera) shoot the breeze after class in the lobby.

UM St. Louis

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Oak Hall, the new $26 million student residence at the University of Missouri– St. Louis, towers before me.

It beckons. I was asked to shoot a photo story on the hall, which opened to students in the fall.

I felt the best way to do that was to move in for a few days and get an up-close-and-personal point of view.

My cozy room, which shares a bathroom with three other rooms, includes its own microwave and refrigerator. They’ll help take care of my midnight munchies and a whole lot more.

I settle in right away and then begin to wander the spacious six-story building, meeting students in their home away from home. Hearing shouts of joy as I pass the game room, I’m drawn to the first-floor kitchen, where a group of students prepare a communal international feast. The aroma of the simmering tomato sauce mixes delightfully with the brownies baking in the oven.

In the kitchen, I meet Gabriel Santos, an Oak Hall resident from Recife, Brazil. I remember his words.

“My stereotype of Americans has changed. Everybody lives together in one building. We have a bunch of dinner nights. I’ve made good friends here.”

I gobble a couple delicious meatballs and continue on my way. A ripple of laughter follows me up the stairwell as I leave the impromptu mealtime celebration.

Before I know it, Saturday morning has arrived. Time for me to “check out.” I feel like lingering, though.

I don’t want my stay to end. Breakfast sounds promising, but my fridge is empty. I consider catching a MetroLink ride to The Loop. The nearest station is a mere five-minute walk away. But the ethereal sound of a violin calls me to journey anew through the hall. I realize there’s much more for me to discover in these inviting student digs.

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Visit http://www.umsl.edu/services/ creative/photo for more images from Oak Hall.

Game on. (from left) Grace Marie Ritter, Ken Newell, Tim Volkert and Anthony Padgett duke it out on Nintendo Gamecube. La’Ondrill Brown and Beth Kruse cheer them on.

Above: (from left) Stefani Benz, Mayuko Kinno and Marina Watabe cook edible delights in the community kitchen.

Far left: This midnight card game is not for the faint of heart. It’s fast. Players slap and snatch to claim cards from the pile.

At left: Mariana Lanes Fernandes, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, lights up her room with an impromptu violin concerto.

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pagebypage Honors College students work together to create book

By Tom Hockett

Nathan Hunton speaks with an apparent fondness and sincerity when he describes his involvement in producing the creative publication “Bellerive.” The recent graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis chooses his words carefully and delivers them with a steady cadence.

“I just enjoy the process,” he says. “First off, it’s really a group class. It’s certainly not the teacher just getting up there and lecturing. It’s a discussion. There are always good people in the class … Generally, the submissions are of very good quality, so it’s like I’m getting credit to read good literature.”

“Bellerive” is an annual collection of poetry, short stories, essays and artwork published by the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UM–St. Louis. The 2007 issue, titled “Everything Can Change,” was released in February.

Hunton, a 24-year-old from Hazelwood, Mo., completed a bachelor’s degree in physics in May. He’s been an editor and contributor on each of the past four issues of “Bellerive.” This year, he was one of 17 undergraduate students who took the honors college class (also called “Bellerive”) that produced “Everything Can Change.”

Nancy Gleason, associate dean of the college, is the faculty advisor for the class. She nudged “Bellerive” into existence seven years ago, when the college released the first issue.

“When we started the class, we really felt like we wanted the college to celebrate art and liberal arts education,” Gleason said. “We wanted students to be able to explore the humanities and fine arts.

“I recognized that we had a lot of studio art and music students in the college. I wanted to tap into that whole atmosphere, to invite writing to be used in a new way for us, and for art and writing to merge.”

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At left: UM–St. Louis student Caleb Miller contributed several poems to the literary publication “Bellerive.”

UM–St. Louis students (standing, lower right) Justi Montague and (from left) Nathan Hunton, Missy Yearian, Shannon Pendleton and Justin Riddler discuss the cover image for “Bellerive,” which was released in February.

The students are part of a class that creates the book.

In addition to handling more traditional aspects of a college class (piles of reading and a final paper, for example), students in the “Bellerive” class are responsible for every facet of assembling the book. Editing.

Proofing. Layout and design. And deciding what gets in – perhaps the most crucial, and certainly most talked about, part of the process.

“Ballot Box,” photograph by Kate Drolet Kimble, BA mass communication 2006, from the 2007 issue of “Bellerive”

UM–St. Louis faculty, students and staff are invited to submit work, but most submissions come from students. This year, about 260 pieces of creative writing and photography were submitted. They were culled to the 54 entries that comprise the book.

Nancy Gleason is associate dean of the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UM–St. Louis. She serves as faculty advisor for the annual studentproduced literary publication “Bellerive.”

The class uses a roundtable process to make selections. Each person has one vote, including Gleason.

They rate every piece on a five-point scale, with “1” being the lowest and “5” the highest.

Justi Montague, an energetic junior and member of the book’s layout and design team, said reaching a consensus can be challenging because opinions about submitted work often are widely varied.

“There are some days, when you know you’re going to talk about certain pieces,” said Montague, 19, of Bloomfield, Mo. “Everybody walks into the class,

UM St. Louis

27

Father Figure

By Caleb Miller

head held high, shoulders back, boxing gloves on. You can feel the tension in there, because you know people are ready to duke it out.”

That tension has a way of getting amplified. Many of the students in the class also submit work to “Bellerive.” Seated around the table, members of the class debate and select submissions blindly. Only Gleason knows the identity of the work’s creator, who might be at the table.

A grey jaunty man with a child in hand charges out an elevator gate.

Sirens; a two-year-old yell vibrates windows, stings the old woman’s ears.

Relentless, lung-burning cries.

“To watch them struggle through disappointing comments from others or getting something voted out that they felt strongly about, it’s been the biggest challenge for some students, and for me to keep the class together,” Gleason said.

Spoiled ... she mutters, backhands her palm, rolls her eyes, chuckling.

As touchy as the selection process might be, the staff agrees that it’s helped hone their notion of what makes art and creative writing good. Of course, that notion is different for each of them.

Her sons never screamed, they had manners.

Never hit their own father, never.

Missy Yearian, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English in May, selected the order of the content for the last two issues of “Bellerive.” She places a lot of value on a piece’s first and last words.

“When I look at a short story, the ending has to feel shocking,” Yearian said. “But it also has to feel inevitable, like this could not have ended any other way. That’s really important to me, and the first sentence of a short story can’t fall off the page.”

Montague offers another perspective. “Does this piece make me feel a certain way, and did this person figure something out while they wrote this?”

The process of producing “Everything Can Change” culminated Feb. 23 at the honors college with a book-launch party, which was orchestrated by two of the students in the class.

For Hunton, that day was the end of his run with “Bellerive.”

“I really think ‘Bellerive’ is something special,” he said. “The vast majority of people probably never get a chance to have something published or help get something published, and we’re getting to do that, even if it’s on a small scale. It gives me this great sense of accomplishment.”

“Bellerive” is 120 pages. It’s available in paperback for $6 at the Pierre Laclede Honors College and University Bookstore.

Call (314) 516-6629 for more information.

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Do not spare the rod.

Embarrassed, the man quickens pace to the exit, child on shoulder.

Young tears become crisp; mumble build words of a mantra: You’re not my daddy.

From “Bellerive: Everything Can Change,” with permission from the publisher

Sam’s condition is fragile at best.

He seems fine one minute. The next, his heart is failing, and he’s not breathing. Sam’s unpredictable health could put any attending nurse on edge, let alone a nurse in training. But there’s something even more frustrating. Occasionally, Sam dies. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

With the click of a computer mouse, Sam is brought back to life and a nursing student walks away with a valuable lesson learned.

Sam, of course, is not a human patient. He’s a high fidelity, computeroperated mannequin — or as it’s spelled in the medical world, “manikin” — used by the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

“You have to make some mistakes to learn,” said Diane Saleska, clinical assistant professor of nursing at UM–St. Louis. “And what better opportunity than to do so with a simulator that can be turned back on, as opposed to making a mistake with a real person, then losing them.”

Working with manikins actually leaves little to the imagination, despite their outward appearance. As Sam lies on a bed in a replica hospital room at UM–St. Louis, his chest rises and falls with each respiration. He makes lung, cardiac and bowel sounds. He has active pulses, audible blood pressures and fluctuating oxygen saturation levels.

While isolated from instructors, nursing students must act accordingly to attend to the patient. They administer medications, monitor vital signs, insert intravenous lines and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Meanwhile, a nursing professor sits behind a wall just outside the virtual hospital room. Through a one-way window, the instructor uses computer software to control the simulator’s responses while observing student interaction with the patient. Students also must respond to the patient’s voiced complaints of pain or discomfort, which is actually the instructor speaking through a microphone.

Even

better

than the real thing

Student nurses gain valuable experience through simulation

By Ryan Heinz

“I like to think of myself as the Wizard of Oz, the man behind the curtain if you will,” Saleska joked.

Of course, it’s no laughing matter for the student. One false step could send the patient’s condition spiraling.

Sometimes a patient simulator is intentionally programmed to take an “inexplicable” turn for the worse. A student must then react quickly to save the patient’s “life.” Such critical thinking opportunities are often missed by nursing students working in real clinics, where instructors intervene when a patient experiences sudden health deterioration.

“Students are generally shoved out of the room or told to stay out of the way and be quiet,” said Erin Cattoor, a graduate nursing student at UM–St. Louis, who helps operate Sam. “Working with the simulators enables them to do what they will have to as a real, on-duty nurse.”

By the end of the school year, the college will have expanded its patient simulation capabilities with more equipment, including a birthing simulator. Saleska said her long-term vision is a virtual hospital floor with each room dedicated to patient simulation.

“Patient simulation is the wave of the future,” Saleska said. “It’s definitely where nursing education is going.”

Sarah Yates, a nursing senior at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, administers care to a patient simulator, while Diane Saleska, clinical assistant professor of nursing at UM–St. Louis, monitors the student’s work.

UM St. Louis

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Alumni&FRIENDS Judith Aronson artfully gives to UM–St. Louis

By Linda Tracy

Judith Aronson recalls the moment she and Adam, her late husband, became collectors of art. “We bought our first pictures on our honeymoon. They were dreadful paintings of fish floundering on a black background,” she said with a laugh.

Nearly 60 years have passed since that day in Bermuda, and Aronson has gone on to become an integral participant and supporter of the St. Louis art scene.

She says she loves to spend time around artists and those within the art community.

“My husband and I weren’t raised around art, but we began to enjoy the museums in each city we visited, and we read and learned more about art and artists,” Aronson said. “For us, art was a marriage binder. It drew us together and kept us together.”

Aronson’s growing interest in art led her to a 35-year career in art education.

She worked for several years at Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo. While there, she developed a master’s degree program in aesthetic education.

As an evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, she worked from 1991 to 1993 on the teacher education program at the Metro Theatre Company in St. Louis. In 1993, President Clinton appointed her to a two-year term on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Aronson said it’s also because of art that she first became involved with the University of Missouri–St. Louis more than 15 years ago. She and Adam learned that the university needed artwork for its new Computer Center Building, which was completed in 1992.

“Not only were we happy to contribute, but we asked many of our friends to contribute pieces, as well,” Aronson said. “Their response was so overwhelming, that some of the art overflowed to the library.”

For many years, Aronson served as a member of the UM–St. Louis Chancellor’s Council and Performing Arts Center Advisory Council. The couple also established, at UM–St. Louis, the Adam and Judith Aronson Scholarship in Art History and the Aronson Endowed Professorship in Modern and Contemporary Art History.

Glen Gentele has served as the Aronson professor since 2001. He’s also the director of Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills, Mo. Gentele described Aronson as not only an inspiring and knowledgeable benefactor, but also a close friend.

“Judy readily offers her own time and expertise, and she’s highly motivated in helping many cultural organizations succeed in their mission,” he said. “She’s also a very warm and humorous person, and I truly value her wisdom.”

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Judith Aronson has been collecting art for nearly 60 years. Her support of the arts and education are legendary in St. Louis.

UM–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George echoed Gentele’s sentiments.

“Judith is a true friend to this institution,” George said.

“Her support has been tremendous, and her guidance, throughout her time on the Chancellor’s Council, has had a lasting, wonderful impact on the campus.”

Along with her involvement in several St. Louis arts and cultural institutions, Aronson continues to support public higher education.

“I give to UM–St. Louis, because the university reaches many people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity of higher education,” she said. “There are so many who don’t have the chance to go to college, but it is of utmost importance because education is the best gift one can give.”

Gary Belsky his writing career as a reporter for the St. Louis Business Journal.

However, his passion for writing began long before that. In 1983, he joined the UM–St. Louis student newspaper, The Current, as a humor columnist.

“At UM–St. Louis, I learned how to write and think critically,” he said.

Photo by Joe Rodriguez

Gary Belsky, BA political science 1983, is an executive editor at ESPN The Magazine. He hails from St. Louis, but lives and works in New York.

Job at ESPN The Magazine is only half the picture for 1983 graduate

By Jennifer Hatton

Ask Gary Belsky what interests him the most, and he’ll tell you it’s a toss up between sports and the psychology of decision making.

Fortunately, for Belsky, his career as a writer and editor enables him to indulge in both subjects.

As executive editor of ESPN The Magazine, he oversees the publication’s coverage of the NFL, NHL, golf and action sports. He’s also an accomplished author. Among his books is “ESPN The Magazine Presents Answer Guy: Extinguishing the Burning Questions of Sports with the Water Bucket of Truth,” with Brendan O’Connor and Neil Fine.

He moved to New York in 1986 and began working as a reporter for Crain’s New York Business, where he won the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. In 1991, he began working at Money magazine, where he was a regular contributor to CNN’s “Your Money Show” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He landed an editing job at ESPN The Magazine in 1998, and rose up through the ranks.

Still, Belsky says he hasn’t forgotten the energy of the college classroom he enjoyed at UM–St. Louis. That energy is one reason why he became an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.

“I love it,” he said. “It feels like the right thing to do since many people helped me along the way.

Plus, I edit a magazine aimed toward 18- to 34-yearold men, so it gives me a reason to be on a college campus and hear what our target audience talks about and is interested in.”

His latest book, “23 Ways to Get to First Base: The ESPN Sports Uncyclopedia,” was released in May.

The Answers

“I have always loved sports,” Belsky said. “I have a very good memory, and I read a lot. Plus, I have very talented and creative collaborators.”

“Answer Guy,” Belsky explained, gave him the chance to explore questions that have always intrigued him. Why is a basket worth two points? Why do football teams get four chances to make a first down? (See capsule for answers.)

Belsky has shown he can switch gears, effectively writing on more serious, practical topics. He wrote, with Thomas Gilovich, the book “Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them: Lessons from the New Science of Behavioral Economics,” which covers many of the simple financial mistakes people make every day.

“I’m passionate about (behavioral economics), because it’s extraordinarily relevant and interesting,” Belsky said. “And more to the point, it can help people improve their lives.”

A St. Louis native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1983, and began

So why is a basket worth two points?

Around 1902, some leagues needed a way to differentiate field goals from foul shots. Officials decided to make field goals worth one point and foul shots worth a half point, but fans and players didn’t like using fractions. So the two-point basket was born.

And why do football teams get four chances to make a first down in football?

Early on, teams were given three chances to go five yards, but it became too easy, boring and dangerous. Shorter yardage meant offenses used the gang-rush to move the ball, which led to injuries and deaths (18 players died on college fields in 1905). By 1912, college football officials had increased the yardage to 10 and added a fourth down, in hopes that the game would open up and scoring would increase.

Source: “ESPN The Magazine Presents Answer Guy: Extinguishing the Burning Questions of Sports with the Water Bucket of Truth”

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Alumni&FRIENDS Margaret G. O’Dell UM–St. Louis connection continues for history major who landed her dream job

By Jack Crosby

When Margaret G. “Peggy” O’Dell returned to the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2004, she was surprised by what she saw.

“The first time I went to the campus, I couldn’t find my way around,” O’Dell said. “I was just blown away by the improvements and the growth.”

O’Dell was visiting for the first time in nearly 30 years. She grew up in Webster Groves, Mo., and graduated from UM–St. Louis in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in history.

O’Dell said she hadn’t returned to the university in all that time, because her profession had taken her away from St. Louis.

She began her career with the National Park Service in 1972 as a seasonal worker at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, better known as the Gateway Arch, in downtown St. Louis. She became a park ranger in 1975 and took a position as supervisory park ranger in 1986 at Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Van Buren, Mo. O’Dell was promoted to superintendent in 1998, and assumed that post at Jewel Cave National Monument in Custer, S.D. That assignment was followed by a stint at the park service’s national media center in Harper’s Ferry, W.Va. O’Dell said her three children, who are now adults, didn’t seem bothered by all the moving that resulted from her and her husband Ben’s careers.

“Well, the first move was the most significant,” O’Dell said. “Moving from Van Buren with a population of 500, to Rapid City (S.D.), not exactly a bustling metropolis itself, the kids came to us about six months later and said, ‘Thank you for moving us out of the boonies.’

We didn’t know.”

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In 2004, Margaret G. “Peggy” O’Dell, BS history 1976, was named superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in downtown St. Louis.

In 2004, O’Dell scored the job of her dreams: superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

“It’s just been exciting to be here,” she said. “It’s been very gratifying to have the memorial be a part of the continuing development of downtown St. Louis.”

Asked about her experience at her alma mater, she said UM–St. Louis was still a new campus in the 1970s, and she remembers the “strong connection between the teachers and the students.”

“Blanche Touhill was one of my history teachers,” O’Dell said of the retired UM–St. Louis chancellor. “Now she’s on the board of the Jefferson National Parks Association.

So, the connection continues.”

Scholarship celebrates 100th birthday of

I.E. Millstone

By Linda Tracy

“My grandfather’s sense of integrity has had such an impact on our family and community,” he said. “It’s his deep respect for, and interest in, others that has made him a success.”

Jan. 6 was fast approaching, and that day was really going to mean something to the grandchildren of legendary St. Louis builder I.E. Millstone. The date was significant for two reasons.

It would be their grandfather’s 100th birthday, and it meant they had to answer an important question: What gift should we get for him?

I.E. Millstone says his family supports about 100 scholarships in a number of St. Louis-area schools.

Grandson Bob Millstone and his siblings decided to create a scholarship honoring their grandfather at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

“We wanted a meaningful and significant way to commemorate my grandfather’s 100th birthday,” Bob Millstone said. “My grandmother, Goldie, already has a scholarship named after her at UM–St. Louis. We thought this would be the perfect way to honor my grandfather, as well.”

The Millstone family established a $100,000 endowed scholarship named the “I.E. Millstone Centennial Scholarship.” Recipients must be full-time students at the university, and they must demonstrate a strong commitment to public service, community collaboration and leadership.

For years, I.E. Millstone has been demonstrating his own commitment to public service in St. Louis. Millstone, who at the age of 22, founded Millstone Construction, Inc., served as president of the company for more than six decades.

During that time, he headed several major construction projects, including the first Busch

(from left) Bob Millstone, Colleen Millstone, David Millstone, I.E. Millstone, Hans Schacke, Susan Millstone Schacke and Linda Robertson celebrated I.E. Millstone’s 100th birthday in January. The family established a $100,000 endowed scholarship at UM–St. Louis in his honor.

Stadium, Interstate 64 and the Federal Building in downtown St. Louis.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to have the ability to help individuals, who then, in turn, help our city and country,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed watching the accomplishments of the students we support, as they complete their education and enter the working world.”

I.E. Millstone says the availability of affordable, public higher education is a key factor in the future of St. Louis, and scholarships are of utmost importance.

“There are many who can’t afford to attend a private university,” he said. “Today’s tuition costs make scholarships a necessity, so I’m very pleased that my grandchildren have honored me with this scholarship at UM–St. Louis.”

Millstone cannot be described as retired, or even semi-retired. He goes into the office every day as acting president of K & M Investors and the Millstone Foundation. He also supports the local Jewish community, educational institutions and many professional and community organizations.

Over the years, I.E. Millstone says he has come to understand the satisfaction in helping others, and that everyone can do something to contribute.

Bob Millstone, president of The Millstone Company, says his grandfather has always set a tremendous example and has played a profound role in his life.

“A person’s economic level isn’t important, because everyone can play a part,” he said.

“In my 100 years, I’ve found no greater reward than giving back to the community.”

UM St. Louis

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Shirley Martin created her own UM–St. Louis legacy With a charitable gift annuity benefitting the College of Nursing

Photo by Stephanie Zettl

“I enjoyed every minute that I worked at UM–St. Louis, and I’m happy to be able to give back.”

Shirley Martin became the first dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 1980. During her tenure, Shirley worked hard to support the faculty and ensure student success at the new college.

Although 27 years have passed and she is now retired, her goals remain the same.

“With the two charitable gift annuities I established for the College of Nursing, I can continue to support the faculty and students, plus, I receive tax benefits and fixed payments for life,” she said.

Shirley says her years at UM–St. Louis are truly memorable, and she often thinks about the many friends she made while at the university.

“I was blessed to be surrounded by a number of wonderful people,” she said. “I enjoyed every minute that I worked at UM–St. Louis, and I’m happy to be able to give back.”

Selected Charitable Gift Annuity Rates Age

Rate*

60

5.7%

65

6.0%

70

6.5%

75

7.1%

80

8.0%

85

9.5%

90

11.3%

*Rates subject to change and restrictions may apply.

UM–St. Louis offers many planned giving options. For more information, call (314) 516-6503.

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Alumni NOTES

1967 Lynn V. Martin, BA German, is a special education teacher at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific, Mo. The center named Martin the 2006 Educator of the Year.

1969 Joseph P. Bono, BS chemistry, is laboratory director for the U.S. Secret Service in Washington.

Jane E. Brooks, BS education, is a teacher at Pinewood Elementary School in Mounds View, Minn.

1973 James M. Arcipowski, BSBA, is a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in St. Louis.

1974

Stephen Wade, MA political science, has been posted in Beijing with The Associated Press to cover preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. Wade has been a journalist in Europe for 15 years with AP, reporting from Madrid, Spain, and London. Wade also worked in St. Louis for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

1979 Pauline Bellavance, PhD chemistry, relocated to Greenville, S.C., and is teaching physics at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. She retired in 2002 as professor of chemistry from Fontbonne University in St. Louis after serving on the faculty there for more than 20 years.

Mark G. Hardin, BSBA, is vice president of operations at Benchmark Medical in Malvern, Penn.

1981

Mary K. Edwards, BM, received the 2006 Excellence in Communication Award from the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists. Edwards is the producer of “St. Louis on the Air” on KWMU (90.7 FM) in St. Louis. She won the award for her work on an installment of “St. Louis on the Air” that covered HIV testing and AIDS.

David Beckel, BA political science, is a credit manager at Mitek Industries in Chesterfield, Mo. Beckel was reelected vice chair of the central region for the National Association of Credit Management.

David Vogler, BA economics, is chief procurement agent at Boeing in St. Louis.

Marty Mlynczak, BS physics, is a senior research scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He visited the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UM–St. Louis in April and presented the colloquium “Adventures with the first law from Earth’s surface to the edge of space.”

1976

1982

Jacqueline Kofsky, MEd, retired from the Ritenour School District after 35 years of teaching.

John Adkins, BSBA, was named chief financial officer at Life Skills in St. Louis.

1978 Lisa Bedian, BA political science, was married in November to Bob Kurtz.

They live in St. Peters, Mo., where Bedian is the director of community relations for the city.

Andy Pauk, BSBA, was promoted to chief operating officer at Dierberg’s Markets in St. Louis.

In addition to his new role, he will continue to serve as senior vice president.

His career with Dierberg’s Markets spans 30 years.

1983 Lisa M. Geers, BSBA, is a regional recruiting specialist at Edward Jones in St. Louis.

1985

Jia-Ji Gu, MS chemistry, is a senior fellow at Novartis Corporation in East Hanover, N.J. For the past 12 years, she has done pharmaceutical and analytical development. She lives in Millburn, N.J.

Martin A. Harry, BA political science, served five years as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy after graduating from law school. Now living in Austin, Texas, he Stephanie (Schloemann) Lange, recently opened his seventh law office in central Texas. He represents applicants BSBA, is a full-time mom in San Antonio, where she lives with her husband Steve, for Social Security Disability Insurance.

MS accounting 1991, and their two Lisa McChesney-Harris, BA chemistry, children, ages 8 and 6. was recently selected as the Rising Star Ko-Chung Lin, PhD chemistry, Award recipient by Protocol Link, Inc. is chair and chief executive officer of She is the program director at Protocol PharmaEssentia Corp. in Taipei, Taiwan.

Link, which is located in Vernon Lin is an accomplished scientist with Hills, Ill. more than 17 years of industrial experience in drug discovery and 1986 development. He led the team that Tyrone Daulton, BS physics, is at discovered a drug candidate that was Washington University in St. Louis, later licensed to Merck. He is the where he earned a doctoral degree. inventor of more than 30 patents.

He’s a research scientist at the university’s Center for Material 1989 Innovation. He recently received a Steve Anderson, BSBA, was named National Science Foundation grant. a principal with Edward Jones’ holding company, the Jones Financial 1987 Companies. Anderson is a member Steve Dardas, of the Information Systems Board BSBA, recently was of Visitors at UM–St. Louis, and he’s named a principal active in the MIS mentoring program. with Edward Jones’ He lives in O’Fallon, Mo. holding company, Todd Farrell, BSBA, founded Tempo the Jones Financial Companies. He lives Enterprises, a business consulting firm in San Francisco. In addition in Harrison, Ark., with Suzie, his wife, to his business, Farrell also is one of and their three children. the founding members of his church, Ravi Kumar Laxman, PhD chemistry, Freedom in Christ Evangelical Church works at Air Liquide in Fremont, Calif. in San Francisco. He is the president He is director for business development of the Evangelical Network, a network and is involved in marketing advanced of Christians and churches that are electronic materials in the United States. open and affirming.

He and Vijai, his wife, have two children.

Philip Thoman, BA political science, joined Pharma Solutions business unit of Wolters Kluwer Health. Thoman is the global director for training and key account management. He lives in Chesterfield, Mo.

1988 Barbara Willis Brown, OD, was awarded the 2006 AdministrativeProfessional Staff Chancellor’s Award of Excellence at the 15th annual UM–St. Louis Founders Dinner.

Brown manages student and special services in the College of Optometry at UM–St. Louis.

1990 Charles R. Coker Jr., MEd, is director of secondary education at Timberlane Regional School District in Ralston, N.H. He lives in Rye, N.Y. K. Michael Malolepsky, BS physics, is a computer support specialist and system administrator in the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. He also is the president of the St. Louis Astronomical Society.

Malolepsky presents planetarium shows at the St. Louis Science Center’s McDonnell Planetarium on a part-time basis.

UM St. Louis

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Michele L. O’Keefe, BSBA, is service Mark Kushina, BS physics, is a delivery manager at Shell Oil in Houston. senior laser engineer for Cutting Edge Optronics in St. Charles, Mo. The company is owned by Northrop1991 Grumman. In November, Kushina Steve Lange, MS accounting, is vice visited UM–St. Louis. He discussed president and chief financial officer physics careers at the class Windows for VIA Metropolitan Transit. He lives on Physics. in San Antonio with his wife Stephanie, BSBA 1998, and their two children, 1995 ages 8 and 6.

Sohrab Abdollahi, PhD chemistry, Michael R. Meyer, MS physics, is an is a faculty member at Payamnoor associate professor of astronomy at University in Iran. He has responsibility the University of Arizona in Tucson. for interaction with petrochemical and He continues his studies of the formation other industries in Iran. He lives in of stars and planetary systems. Meyer Abadeh, a town near Shiraz, the beautiful is the principal investigator on research city of the great poets Hafez and Sadi. grants with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and is a member of the Don Linhorst, PhD political science, Science Team for an infrared camera is an associate professor at Saint Louis being developed for the James Webb University. Linhorst wrote the book Space Telescope.

“Empowering People with Severe Mental Illness,” which was published

by Oxford University Press.

1993 Ken R. Cella Jr., BS marketing, was inducted as an honorary member in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. He is a partner in mutual funds marketing at Edward Jones in St. Louis.

Additionally, he is the president of the UM–St. Louis Alumni Association.

Tim Giblin, MS physics, is an assistant professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

He visited the Department of Physics at UM–St. Louis in November. He presented the colloquium “GammaRay Bursts, Shocks, and Relativistic Jets.”

Gloria J. Hardrict-Ewing, BS education, is a gifted teacher in the Hazelwood School District in Hazelwood, Mo. Michael D. Stolte, MBA, was promoted to chief financial officer of the international law firm Bryan Cave in St. Louis.

1994 Michael Kuan, PhD political science, completed a stint in February as a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University in Bloomington. He will return, as a full professor, to the Department of Social Welfare at National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi in Taiwan.

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Loraine P. Watrous, BSBA, is a cost accountant at Meridian Medical Technologies in St. Louis.

1996 Siu Wa Au-Yeung, BA chemistry, founded a small company with his cousins in Toronto. They research biomaterials. Au-Yeung was formerly a polymer chemist with Triton Systems in Chelmsford, Mass. He earned a doctoral degree in polymer science and plastics engineering in 2001 at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

Leslie Gralnick, MEd, gave birth to Hannah Rose on Jan. 7.

Stephanie Hayden, BSN, is an organizational trainer at the American Red Cross in St. Louis.

Laura R. Miller, MSN, is a registered nurse. She’s a group director of patient care at Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal, Mo.

1997 Steven L. Albart, MPPA, is vice president at Enterprise Bank & Trust in St. Louis. He serves on the board of directors for Kids in the Middle.

Alumni

Mark Counts, BSBA, joined RubinBrown as director of internal technology.

Lorenzo Hester, MBA, is an attorney with Centene in Clayton, Mo.

Michael N. Edwards, BS computer science, was promoted to senior technical architect at AT&T in St. Louis.

He has been with AT&T for 10 years.

He lives in Granite City, Ill.

Patrick Mickey, BA political science, is a trial attorney practicing insurance defense litigation for Hahn, Enright & Hansen in St. Louis. Last winter he served as a coach of the trial advocacy competition team at Saint Louis University.

Susan Keenan, BA chemistry, is assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. She earned a doctoral degree in pharmacological and physiological sciences from Saint Louis University in 2001 and spent five years doing postdoctoral research with Dr. William J. Welsh at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

Carol A. Kruchowski, MEd, is director of MERS Goodwill-North in Florissant, Mo. Steve Roberds, PhD political science, is teaching at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo.

1998 Elizabeth Amin, MS chemistry, is assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Tracy Berry-McGhee, MEd, has a private counseling practice in St. Louis.

She recently was a guest speaker for the course Counseling the African-American Client, which was offered by the College of Education at UM–St. Louis.

Chahine Ghais, PhD political science, was appointed dean of the faculty of political science, public administration and diplomacy at Notre Dame University-Louaize in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon. He lives there with Amalia, his wife, and Joy, their daughter.

1999 Judith Haggard, MS nursing, was appointed curator of the University of Missouri System. She is a family nurse practitioner at the Southeast Missouri Health Network in Kennett, Mo. Haggard is a certified substance abuse counselor and is an examiner for the Missouri Substance Abuse Board.

Anita Madison, BS criminology and criminal justice, is a therapist at the St. Vincent Home for Children in St. Louis.

Fern Mreen, BGS, was inducted as an honorary member in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Mreen is an administrative associate in the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies at UM–St. Louis, and she’s a member of the Governing Board for the UM–St. Louis Alumni Association.

William F. Reinecke, BS management information systems, is a programs analyst at Accenture in St. Louis.

He recently completed his 17th marathon and is working to complete a marathon in every state.

Erika Schutte Teneyck, BA art history, is a researcher in early European art at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Over the last three years, she collaborated on the design, research and reinstallation of the Early European Galleries at the museum, which reopened to critical acclaim in fall 2006.

2000 Ricardo Delgado, PhD chemistry, joined the faculty as professor of chemistry at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., in the fall.

Kevin Dolan, PhD physics, is a senior scientist at Philips Research in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Dolan completed a successful postdoctoral position at the Research Centre Jülich in Germany.

Christine Hallowell, BS accounting, is team leader at Laclede Gas in St. Louis.

Kathleen Butterly Nigro, graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies, is the director of the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies at UM–St. Louis.

ALUMNI NOTES

Karen Sieve, MPPA, is the first recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award presented in May at the commencement ceremony at St. Charles Community College in Missouri. She served as a litigation support specialist with the John Danforth Office of Special Council in the Waco investigation and went on to become a project director for Healthy Communities of St. Charles County.

In 2004, Sieve helped pass the Children’s Tax Initiative, a sales tax that established a community services fund used by local agencies to benefit children.

Tendik Tynystanov, BS public policy administration, is in a postgraduate program in policy studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

2001 Gábor Balázsi, PhD physics, has accepted a tenure-track research position in the Department of Molecular Therapeutics at the University of Texas in Houston.

Balázsi just completed a successful postdoctoral position at the Center for Biodynamics at Boston University.

Paul Brittain, BGS business, accepted a position in Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Brittain lives in Hillsboro, Mo. Christine Grib, BSBA, is pursuing a master’s degree in advertising and marketing at Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo. Lisa L. Sample, PhD criminology and criminal justice, is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In April, Sample received an Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award from the UNO Alumni Association.

2002 Tonya A. Hutchinson, MSW, is assistant director of the Drury House at Child Center-Marygrove in Florissant, Mo. Christine M. Kahle, BS accounting, recently returned from a 12-week exchange. She worked at a chartered accounting firm in London. Kahle is an auditor for RubinBrown in St. Louis.

Jessica Portis, BS accounting, is senior consultant at Summit Strategies Group in Clayton, Mo. She recently obtained the designation of chartered financial analyst.

John M. Curtright, MBA, recently completed and passed the certified public accountant exam. Curtright is an auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency in Hazelwood, Mo.

Laura Schmidt, BA political science, helped write successful grants to help two recycling companies expand their business. She set up two middle school reading clubs in Jefferson County, Mo. Schmidt volunteered with Jefferson County Disability Support System, and is treasurer for Jefferson County Women’s Democratic Club. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public policy administration at UM–St. Louis.

Sabrina Heidemann, BA psychology, recently earned a master’s degree in professional counseling from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Heidemann is supervisor in pregnancy counseling and supportive services at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home in Bridgeton, Mo. She volunteers at a teen-mothers group at Fee Fee Baptist Church in Bridgeton, Mo.

Andrea Scott Bixler, BSBA, is teaching English in South Korea on a one-year contract with a children’s academy.

Nancy Devine, BS education, is a teacher’s aide at Parkway Central Middle School in Chesterfield, Mo. Stephen Grelle, BSBA, is financial center manger at the Fifth Third Bank in St. Louis. Grelle is pursuing a master’s degree in finance and economics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Zinaida Karapetyan, PhD political science, took a position as a senior research specialist with Remuda Ranch in Wickenburg, Ariz. The ranch is David Kurt Kraus, MA political science, a treatment center for women with is an international trade compliance 2003 eating disorders. analyst with the U.S. Department of Sean Hayes, BS education, and Kimberly Commerce. Kraus has traveled to Nadir Kinossian, MA political Snethen, BSBA 2005, were married Sept. Amsterdam and Brazil for the agency. science, is a doctoral student at 15. Hayes is a realtor with Coldwell the University of Cardiff in Wales.

Teondra Lyles, BSW, has created the Banker Premier in Richmond Heights, children’s compact disc series “Happy Claude Louishomme, PhD political Mo. They live in Brentwood, Mo. Choices.” The series helps children science, was promoted to associate Annette G. House, MSW, was recently make happy, wise decisions in the areas professor in the Department of of hygiene, listening, diet, family and promoted to assistant regional director Political Science at the University manners. Lyles lives in O’Fallon, Mo. at the Missouri Department of Social of Nebraska-Kearney.

Services.

Susan Mason, PhD political science, Elizabeth McGee, MBA accounting, is the founding director of the graduate Jamie Kerry, BA English, is pursuing was promoted to senior accountant certificate in community and regional a master’s degree in publishing and in the audit department of Huber, planning at Boise State University in writing at Emerson College in Boston.

Ring, Helm & Co. Idaho. Mason was awarded a fellowship Kerry does freelance manuscript Michelle Pierson, BA communications, to attend the International Canadian preparation for Elsevier. is engaged to John Kilper, a law student Studies Institute in British Columbia Michelle Kirchoff, BS physics, at the University of Missouri-Columbia. and the Yukon in summer 2006. In recently earned a doctoral degree The couple plans to marry next year. addition to teaching research methods in earth and planetary sciences at and courses in the planning curriculum, Malaika Roglon, BSBA, works as Washington University in St. Louis.

Mason is co-writing the forthcoming a patient care technician. She plans Her dissertation is “Mountain Building book chapter “Linear Correlation and to return to school to pursue a degree on Io: An Unsteady Relationship Between Regression” for the second edition of in nursing and a master’s degree in Volcanism and Tectonism.” She has a the “Handbook of Research Methods business administration. She lives postdoctoral position at the Lunar and in Public Administration.” in St. Louis with her 9-year-old son.

Planetary Institute in Houston, where George Meskheli, MA political she studies cratering statistics on the Sara Martin Schmitz, OD, practices science, is working for the Georgian Saturnian satellites. optometry in Troy, Mo., at Finklang Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Eye Health Associates. She married John Brianne Lindemann, BFA communicaSchmitz in October. The couple lives in Grant Slover, BS management tions, is a senior advertising-editorial Wentzville, Mo. steno in the corporate communications information systems and accounting, is a data management associate at department at Ameren in St. Louis.

Kimberly Snethen, BSBA, and Sean PricewaterhouseCoopers in St. Louis.

Hayes, BS education 2003, were married

2004

Zoltan Baker, BS accounting, was promoted to senior accountant in the accounting services department of Huber, Ring, Helm & Co. Carlita R. Barnes, BS criminology and criminal justice, is a claims adjuster at Allstate Insurance in St. Louis.

2005 Cheryl Begin, OD, completed the Pikes Peak Ascent, a 13-mile course that starts at 6,295 feet above sea level.

Begin practices optometry in St. Louis.

Sept. 15. Snethen works for EnterpriseRent-A-Car in St. Louis. They live in Brentwood, Mo. Rainah E. Townsend, BS education, is a teacher in the Francis Howell School District in St. Charles, Mo.

UM St. Louis

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ALUMNI NOTES

Andrea (Williams) Turner, BS education, married Cedric Turner in October in Las Vegas. They live in Indianapolis, where Andrea Turner is a middle school reading teacher.

Heather M. Wallen, BSBA, works in the accounting department at Continental Title.

Robert Wild, PhD education, was promoted to assistant to the chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis.

Michael Wiseman, BSBA, works for the Big Bend branch of National City, where he’s a universal banker and banking-at-work program specialist.

Randall Gerke, BA communications, is assistant retail manager at Federal Express in Chesterfield, Mo. Jordan Gwaltney, OD, and Kevin, her husband, welcomed Madison Kaye into their family in June. They live in Dodge City, Kan.

Karie Pennington, BS criminology and criminal justice, is attending Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Fla.

2006

Joshua G.H. Smith, works as a financial analyst at UPS in Earth City, Mo.

Megan Baldenweck, BA communications, is assistant to the vice president of human resources at the St. Louis Science Center.

Joan Turnure, MEd, is a teacher at St. Gerard Majella School in Kirkwood, Mo.

Scott Bopp, BSBA, is an associate at Colliers Turley Martin Tucker in St. Louis.

Deirdre J. Walker, MEd, is partner and behavior analyst at ASA Consulting Services in Ballwin, Mo.

Kyle Dohm, OD, earned an optometry degree in May 2006. He got married and then reported to fulfill his obligations in the U.S. Navy. Dohm is serving and practicing optometry on the USS Ronald Reagan, which houses about 6,000 personnel.

William Winter, PhD political science, and Laura, his wife, welcomed the arrival of their son, Robert Rudolph Winter, in November. They also have a daughter, Julia.

Corneille Ewango, MS biology, has been named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. He’s one of eight individuals to receive the annual award this year. Ewango is a tropical botanist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He risked his life to protect the Congo’s Okapi Faunal Reserve during a civil war from 1996 to 2002. The explorer program “recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration while still early in their careers.”

Zarley Zafe, BA anthropology, is an archaeologist at the Archaeological Research Center of St. Louis.

Photo by Larry State, St. Louis Cardinals

Six UM–St. Louis alumni received 2006 World Series rings for their work in the front office of the St. Louis Cardinals organization. They are (from left): Rex Carter, director of finance, BSBA 1989; Mark Murray, director of season and premium tickets, BSBA 1992; Julie Nienhuis, supervisor of luxury suites, BSBA 2002; Jennifer Needham, manager of the Prime Seat Club, BA communication 2002; Scott Benack, programmer-analyst, BSBA 1980; and Marty Hendin, vice president of community relations, BA history 1970.

The alumni received their rings May 8 at a ceremony in the Cardinal Club at Busch Stadium.

Share your

news Update your fellow alumni by mailing news and photos to:

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World champion alumni

Elizabeth A. Holdefer, BSBA, is an insurance agent for American Family Insurance in Chesterfield, Mo.

UM–St. Louis Alumni Association 101 Woods Hall One University Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63121 Or you can e-mail text and photos to alumni@umsl.edu. Please send high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) images.

This Award is for you 2007

Distinguished Alumni Award

The University of Missouri–St. Louis Alumni Association is seeking nominations for its 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is the association’s highest honor.

It’s presented annually to five university alumni who’ve made extraordinary career achievements, distinguished themselves through community service or went above and beyond in their support of UM–St. Louis.

The nomination deadline is July 10. Recipients will be recognized Sept. 25 at the university’s Founders Dinner. Send the nominee’s name and UM–St. Louis major, along with a nomination letter to: Awards Committee UM–St. Louis Office of Alumni Relations 101 Woods Hall One University Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63121

Call (314) 516-5864 for more information.

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Those with professional degrees earn three times as much.

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Over 70 graduate programs

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